TWWDS - Chapter 37

Chapter 37

According to Hua Yuanhuai, in the small hours of that morning, around the hour of Yin, or roughly three in the morning by a transmigrator's reckoning, the guard on duty found the storehouse door standing ajar when they went there to change shifts. Through the gap, they could also see bloodstains on the floor.

The person immediately turned pale with alarm. They alerted their companions as they rushed inside to inspect, and soon discovered that an important item had been stolen from the storehouse and that the previous guard had been brutally murdered.

As for what the important item was, Ruan and Hua both tacitly refrained from mentioning it.

Chongming Academy was therefore placed under lockdown. After the Six Doors' initial investigation, they confirmed that no evidence had been left at the scene that could identify the killer, so they had no choice but to launch a full investigation of the academy's members.

Because the timing of their overnight stay was just right, Chao Qingxiu and Yan Kaixian were questioned early that morning by chief constables from the Six Doors who came to their lodgings.

Of course, Hua Yuanhuai's main purpose in coming this time was to sound them out.

As a professional chief constable who had handled countless major cases and fought all manner of heinous criminals in the imperial court and beyond, Hua Yuanhuai would not lightly reveal any information about the case.

... It was clear that Chao Qingxiu was no ordinary person.

Although the two chief constables from the Six Doors brought up what had happened the previous day, their wording and facial expressions made it clear that they could reveal very little. Many details could only be touched on in broad strokes.

Chao Qingxiu quickly noticed a problem: "Since the academy has never made the storehouse's location public, how did the person who did this learn where it was?"

Hua Yuanhuai gave a wry smile. "We would very much like to know that too."

As a rule, those who had known the storehouse's location beforehand would naturally be the likeliest suspects.

"The person who went there to change shifts at night..."

Hua Yuanhuai said tactfully, "By the time that person arrived, the previous guard had already been dead for some time."

They checked that person's movements and ruled out the possibility that the guard had stolen the item while guarding it.

After considering for a moment, Chao Qingxiu said slowly, "I do not know the layout of this place, but by ordinary logic, the academy's guest rooms should not be very close to the storehouse."

She had visited Chongming Academy for the first time only the day before, and because the grounds were under close watch, she had never had a chance to wander around inside. So she was reasoning by ordinary logic: if it was a storehouse, they would have to take at least some precautions against people, especially outsiders. When they designed it, they would not have put the guest rooms right beside it. That would be like leaving the door to my secret chamber standing open.

Chao Qingxiu said calmly, "In that case, this could not have been done by Sister Yan and me."

Ruan and Hua: "..."

They were puzzled, but they listened attentively.

Before the two chief constables could ask further questions, Chao Qingxiu continued, "The academy is heavily guarded both inside and out. There would be no great difference in difficulty between reaching the storehouse from a guest room and reaching it from outside the academy. If I could slip through all those defenses at night unseen and unnoticed, reach the destination, and take the item, there would be no reason for me to insist on staying at the academy and invite suspicion."

After all, for a martial world practitioner with inner strength, lodging in the mountains was not a necessity. If one truly intended to steal an important item, finding a branch nearby and curling up on it for the night would be perfectly reasonable. Choosing to enter openly and let the guards inside see one's face would amount to voluntarily placing oneself under suspicion.

Ruan Shifeng hurriedly said, "We thought the same."

Hua Yuanhuai said calmly, "Though we did not think it through as clearly as you did, Miss Chao."

Although he had not known Chao Qingxiu for long, Hua Yuanhuai still could not vouch for her character. Nevertheless, judging from the competence and temperament that had earned this leader the Zizhuo Gang's trust, and especially from the meticulousness and rationality she displayed while analyzing the case, he did not think she would behave as irrationally as a greenhorn newly entering the martial world.

Chao Qingxiu suddenly said, "I have one more question. Will the item stolen from the storehouse be moved elsewhere soon?"

Ruan Shifeng was startled for a moment, then shook her head. "I have not heard of such an arrangement."

"..."

At that moment, the sky was not yet light, and no lamps had been lit inside. The thin, gauze-like night hung in the air and veiled Chao Qingxiu's brows and eyes. For no reason she could name, Ruan Shifeng felt that after the words just spoken, the darkness in Chao Qingxiu's eyes had abruptly drained away, leaving a gleam as sharp as a knife blade.

Ruan Shifeng turned to Hua Yuanhuai. The latter silently lifted the kettle and poured himself a cup of cool water.

After Ruan had answered, the two chief constables from the Six Doors waited a little longer, made sure Chao Qingxiu had no other questions, and only then ended the interview.

Bound by the limits of her duties, Ruan Shifeng could not tell her the details, and she greatly regretted it. She thought that Chao Qingxiu, the Zizhuo Gang's new leader, with her meticulous attention to detail, might have been able to solve the case more quickly.

Hua Yuanhuai saluted with clasped hands. "We have finished our questions. Although you should have no connection to this matter, for the next two days please remain at the academy and do not go anywhere else."

"I understand."

Because they were not considered serious suspects, the academy did not openly confine its guests. Chao Qingxiu and Yan Kaixian, well aware of the situation, likewise had no intention of challenging the limits of the surveillance.

Moreover, although they could not go out, living conditions at Chongming Academy were quite good, certainly better than Chao Qingxiu's life in Gaofang Prefecture, and food and lodging were free.

Yan Kaixian worried that the Gang Leader would get bored staying alone, so from time to time she went to Chao Qingxiu's room to chat.

Chao Qingxiu had found a book of miscellaneous notes on the bookshelf in her guest room and was reading it while reclining on a cushioned couch.

Yan Kaixian boiled water, brewed a pot of hot tea, poured Chao Qingxiu a cup, and said, "The Gang Leader has always been levelheaded."

Even though the academy was under lockdown and one could still sometimes sense watchers moving around the courtyard, Chao Qingxiu remained calm and composed.

"Why worry? I didn't plan this."

Yan Kaixian fell silent for a moment, then said, "...I didn't mean that."

And even if Chao Qingxiu really had planned it, Yan Kaixian did not think Chao Qingxiu's mood would be greatly unsettled.

In any case, the one left to deal with the problem would be someone else.

Chao Qingxiu put down the book and smiled. "We've been away for a long time, Sister Yan. Do you miss home?"

"A little," Yan Kaixian said. "But Little Sister Xiao and Second Brother Yue should be able to guess that something had happened to us."

After all, she was the sort of gang leader who could stumble into a case of an entire household being wiped out merely by accepting an escort job from a client.

Later, Yan Kaixian added, "I just don't know how much longer we have to stay here."

Chao Qingxiu said casually, "If the culprit is not clever enough, the investigation should make progress soon."

Yan Kaixian glanced at her Gang Leader.

She did not know what kind of culprit Chao Qingxiu considered clever.

What Yan Kaixian really wanted to ask was whether, if the Six Doors went on making no progress, the Gang Leader would choose to step in.

The fragrance of tea curled through the room, and all that could be heard was the turning of book pages... Chao Qingxiu's composure gradually calmed Yan Kaixian as well.

Ruan Shifeng had once been an important figure in the Zizhuo Gang, so of course she cared about Chao and Yan. Perhaps because she was busy investigating the case, however, she only sent someone to inquire after them and never came herself.

Not until midday the next day, when Chao Qingxiu and Yan Kaixian had just finished breakfast, did Ruan Shifeng arrive there again.

When she heard the footsteps, Chao Qingxiu raised her head and looked out toward the courtyard.

The mountain breeze swept through, and the tree shadows swayed without end.

Ruan Shifeng arrived with an apologetic expression and saluted with clasped hands. "Miss Chao, Sister Yan, Aba Gaotai of the Northern Xi mission has specifically asked to see 'those who arrived at the academy the day before yesterday.' I have been ordered by Chief Constable Tang of the Six Doors to ask you both to come with me to Wangyue Terrace."

Usually, there was no need to mention so much irrelevant information when summoning a suspect for questioning, but Ruan Shifeng, as an old friend of Chao Qingxiu and Yan Kaixian, was clearly willing to reveal a little more information to them within the limits of her authority.

Chao Qingxiu raised an eyebrow.

The situation was somewhat strange.

Chongming Academy was the prefectural academy of the secondary capital. Now that an important item had been stolen from its storehouse, the natural first suspects would be outsiders, such as Chao Qingxiu and Yan Kaixian, who had come to visit, as well as the Northern Xi mission, which had inexplicably come here and stayed for more than ten days.

Although it was not yet clear what had been taken from the academy, given the relationship between Great Xia and Northern Xi, Northern Xi would surely want to try anything that could make Great Xia's life difficult.

Thus, even if the academy did not place the Northern Xi people under strict watch, it would not be particularly courteous to them. Yet at this moment, someone from the mission had managed to have a Six Doors chief constable summon them for questioning, clearly gaining a measure of control over the investigation...

In an instant, several thoughts flashed through Chao Qingxiu's mind. She then came straight to the point and asked, "Is there any connection between this and the Northern Xi mission?"

Ruan Shifeng replied, "The Northern Xi mission had also stored a valuable item in the storehouse. When we took inventory afterward, we found that the item had vanished as well."

Chao Qingxiu seized on the key point. "So the Northern Xi mission knew where the storehouse was?"

Ruan Shifeng said, "They do not know. When the item was deposited that day, the academy handled the arrangements on their behalf."

Chao Qingxiu pondered in silence.

Normally, without any direct contact with it, they would indeed have had no way of knowing where the storehouse was.

However, this was a world of martial arts. Even a murder in a locked room could be explained by saying that the killer had used the art of striking a cow across a mountain, and the Northern Xi mission might well have tampered with the item when storing it.

Moreover, the belongings in the guest rooms did not go missing early or late; they vanished only after the mission deposited its item, making the timing especially suspicious. But this point could not be raised openly, because her own connection to the incident fit together altogether too neatly...

Thus, because the item the Northern Xi had stored had also been stolen in this incident, Aba Gaotai and the others naturally became victims as well.

Even so, Chongming Academy, as the official academy of the secondary capital, held an extremely important position. Everything that happened there was a matter within Great Xia's borders. Although many parties were involved, the Northern Xi people should not have overstepped and taken over the matter. Yet the Great Xia court's attitude toward foreign powers had always been rather "accommodating," and Prime Minister Sun had long since sent word telling the Shouzhou authorities to treat Northern Xi people with greater courtesy. Thus, neither Chongming Academy nor the Six Doors could easily refuse the Northern Xi delegation's requests.

Ruan Shifeng said quietly, "Miss Chao, you need not worry. Academy Head Ying and Young Hero Li are both at Wangyue Terrace today."

Both of them were not only firm in their resolve but also formidable in their skills. Li Guixian in particular had excellent swordsmanship and lightness technique, and his ties to fellow sect members were even stronger. If he really did happen to fight someone and then run away, others might not be able to find him anywhere in Jiangnan.

Chao Qingxiu first sized up the wall's height, considered the odds of using her lightness technique to vault it and make her escape, and only then gave Ruan Shifeng a slight nod, using body language to express her trust in the Six Doors.

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