Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Gu Ran didn’t notice anything unusual about Pei Sixth Lady as she walked away with He Qinghuan. Behind them, Jia Sixth and Yi Fifth, who had just come out of Zuiyue Restaurant, glanced at the three women who had passed by before heading down the street to a nearby alley. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, they exchanged a look and then headed toward the end of the street opposite the restaurant, soon arriving at the Changlai Inn.

Upon entering, they each booked a room with the shopkeeper and then followed the waiter upstairs.

On the second floor, they saw the room still sealed with an official seal. Their expressions darkened briefly, but they acted as if nothing was amiss and continued walking past it.

Ever since the assassins' death incident, the Changlai Inn’s business had slowed significantly during the yamen’s strict investigation. However, after the lockdown was lifted, the incident on the second floor became a hot topic in the city.

After all, the Heaven Rank First bandit group was a notorious assassin organization. Many people felt the assassins got what they deserved, and the news was widely celebrated among the locals. As a result, many came to see the site where the notorious assassins had lost their lives. Thus, the crime scene became the most sought-after spot at the Changlai Inn.

Some people, when life is too peaceful, crave excitement and seek out places where something dramatic has happened, just to broaden their horizons. When they return home, they can boast about having seen the place where assassins were killed, which they consider an admirable feat.

Seeing a business opportunity, the shopkeeper thought: That room had seen a death, and many people were unwilling to stay in it, but so many were coming just to take a look.

The shopkeeper kept the room sealed, leaving the official seal intact but cutting a small opening so the door could be opened and resealed with rice paste after each visit. From then on, anyone who wanted to see the site where the assassins were killed had to pay to enter.

Indeed, that room became the most famous tourist spot at the Changlai Inn. The shopkeeper hired a guide—none other than the waiter who witnessed the incident—to give visitors a detailed account of what happened.

The waiter lived up to expectations, describing the scene in vivid detail, while the visitors listened with great interest. As a result, the Changlai Inn gradually regained its vitality through this method.

At this moment, Xiao Guan, who was guiding the two guests to their rooms, grinned and said, "I suppose the two guests haven't heard. In this inn, two assassins from the Heaven Rank First bandit group died. See that room with the sealed door? That's where they died. The Heaven Rank First bandit group was utterly ruthless and did all sorts of despicable things. Would the two guests like to take a look at how they died?"

Jia Sixth and Yi Fifth twitched at their brows.

They had rushed to the Changlai Inn because of this very matter, expecting to spend some effort discreetly inquiring about it. However, they hadn’t expected the people at the Changlai Inn to be so brazen and not treat the dead with any solemnity.

Jia Sixth then asked, "How do we see it?"

"Simple, just pay twenty wen, and you can enter the room and see it for yourself."

Xiao Guan enthusiastically promoted the inn's business, "The room has been left exactly as it was after the authorities removed the bodies. To recreate the scene, the shopkeeper consulted witnesses and staff who were there, and based on their accounts, he added back the weapons that had been taken by the authorities."

Jia Sixth and Yi Fifth exchanged a glance. "Well, since we're here, let's take a look and broaden our horizons."

Saying that, they each handed over twenty wen.

"Alright, please go into the room and make yourselves comfortable. I'll go get the key from the shopkeeper."

Xiao Guan excitedly went downstairs, handed the forty wen to the shopkeeper, and returned with the key. He eagerly went back upstairs, seeing that the two were already standing by the door. He smiled and held up the key in his hand, then tore off the part of the official seal and opened the door. "What are your esteemed names?"

"Master Jia."

"Young Master Liu."

"Master Jia, Young Master Liu, please take a look. This is the site where the two assassins died."

Xiao Guan grandly ushered them into the crime scene.

The room was dimly lit, and upon entering, their vision was unclear. A quick glance at the floor revealed two shadows. Master Jia and Young Master Liu felt their hearts skip a beat. Once their eyes adjusted to the light, they were rendered speechless.

Inside, they found two straw dummies tied up, with an iron shovel and a kitchen knife stuck into them. The setup was laughably amateurish.

This was supposed to be a crime scene?

How could assassins from the prestigious Heaven Rank First bandit group have stabbed each other with an iron shovel and a kitchen knife? It was utterly ridiculous.

Clearly, the inn’s staff had thrown this together without much thought.

Mr. Jia suppressed his anger and humbly asked Xiaoguan for clarification: "Are you saying that many people in the inn witnessed the moment those two assassins died a gruesome death?"

"Yes, yes, I was there that day," Xiaoguan said, patting his chest. He walked over to the straw dummy and continued, "It was terrifying. Those two assassins were lying right here in this room. Look, the dark patches around the bodies are all blood!"

Mr. Liu looked around the room, then walked to the window, pushed it open, and peered outside, looking left and right before closing it again.

"We noticed something was wrong because these two guests hadn’t gotten up, and they had only paid for a single night," Xiaoguan explained. "We thought something might have happened, so we started calling out to them, but no one responded. With our experience, we knew something was seriously wrong. We immediately called for someone to break down the door. I was called up at that time, and when we finally broke the door down and rushed in… well, it was quite a sight. Some people were so scared they shouted, 'Dead bodies! Dead bodies!' The more timid ones ran away, but those who were braver and had some sense of camaraderie came up to see what had happened, thinking they might help."

"How did you know the dead men were assassins?"

"Well, at first, we had no idea," Xiaoguan replied. "But in our inn, there are many travelers coming and going from all directions. Some of the more knowledgeable ones recognized the insignia that had fallen out of their belongings. They identified them as killers from the Heaven Rank First bandit group." Xiaoguan continued, "As soon as the county magistrate heard that members of the Heaven Rank First bandit group were involved, he immediately took the matter seriously. He investigated the inn for several days and even put the entire town on lockdown for a week or two, checking if any more members of the Heaven Rank First bandit group had infiltrated the city."

Mr. Jia and Mr. Liu remained silent.

"Hey, I have to ask," Xiaoguan said jokingly, "Are the two of you here on behalf of the Heaven Rank First bandit group?"

"Of course not."

"If you hadn’t mentioned it, we wouldn’t have known that famous assassins had died in this room!"

Both men denied it.

"I’m just joking," Xiaoguan said, scratching his head. "After the incident, many suspicious people who came to the inn or the town were investigated by the authorities. We just ask out of habit."

"Understood."

"Since the authorities have been investigating for quite some time, over two months now, have they found anything?"

"Well, the county magistrate took over the case. How would we common folk know what progress they’ve made?" Xiaoguan shook his head.

"Based on what you saw, how do you think the assassins died?"

"It looked like they killed each other over a dispute, possibly about dividing the spoils."

A power struggle?

Mr. Jia and Mr. Liu exchanged a silent glance.

Xiaoguan went on to describe in detail how they realized something was wrong and how they rushed in. He then pointed to the two straw dummies and said, "Those two assassins were lying in a pool of blood just like this. One of them had his hand around the other’s throat, while the other had a knife stuck in his chest. The first one also had a short sword stabbed into his abdomen. Think about it—doesn’t it sound like they killed each other in a fit of internal conflict?"

Mr. Jia remained silent and began pacing around the room, while Mr. Liu stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Also, look at the tables and shelves in the room—they were all knocked over. There was no one else in the room, so it must have been an internal conflict."

"When they broke into the room, was the door locked?"

"Of course, didn’t I say we had to break the door down?"

"What about the window? Was it locked?"

"I think so..." Xiaoguan scratched his head, trying to remember. "We were too shocked by the bodies to pay much attention. We were busy reporting to the authorities."

Mr. Jia and Mr. Liu asked Xiaoguan a few more questions before finally asking, "What about the other guests who were staying in the neighboring rooms that day?"

"Who were they? Were they still around when the incident happened?"

Xiaoguan thought for a moment and then shook his head. "It’s been so long, I can’t remember clearly. But it was quite late, almost dawn. Usually, guests who stay for just one night leave early the next day. That’s why we noticed something was wrong when these two didn’t get up."

"Is there a guest register from that day?"

"Yes, we have it. Would you like to take a look?" Xiaoguan looked at the two of them, surprised.

"What, can't we?"

Xiaoguan immediately smiled apologetically. "Of course you can, but it'll cost you extra. That register was taken by the officials as evidence."

"So, you still have a copy?"

"Yes, our Shopkeeper needs it for accounting and tax purposes. We can't be missing the records of our guests, so we specially requested a copy from the county magistrate at the yamen."

"So the original is still in the hands of the officials?"

"Of course, but don't worry, even though it's a copy, we made sure it's exactly the same, word for word."

But for them, investigating their comrades' deaths, this wasn't nearly enough.

In the end, Mr. Jia gave Xiaoguan ten copper coins to bring up the guest register so they could check who was staying at the inn on the day of the incident, paying special attention to the names of the guests in the rooms adjacent to the crime scene.

One was named Zhu Siniang.

On the other side was Master Chen and his attendant.

"So these two people were staying in the rooms next to the crime scene?" Mr. Jia pretended to be surprised, pointing to the names of Zhu Siniang and Master Chen. "How could such a big incident happen overnight, with a huge fight, and even chairs and shelves overturned, and they didn't hear a thing?"

"How would we know about the guests' business?" Xiaoguan laughed. "Some guests are so exhausted from their journey that they sleep soundly and wouldn't know even if there was a fight. And there are also guests who, even if they hear the sounds of a struggle, pretend not to notice. When you're traveling, it's better to mind your own business and avoid trouble!"

Mr. Jia stayed quiet, his eyes moving to Master Chen's name. "Did the officials question them?"

"Well, by that time, it seemed both adjacent rooms were empty, probably already gone. As for whether the officials could find them for questioning, how would I, a commoner, know?" Xiaoguan said, "So, have you two seen enough?"

Mr. Jia glanced at Mr. Liu, who nodded slightly. Mr. Jia then said to Xiaoguan, "Yes, we've seen enough. You can take it back now."

"Alright!" Xiaoguan carefully put away the register and smiled at them again. "If there's anything else you two would like to know in the future, just come to me, and I'll tell you everything I know!"

Once Xiaoguan left, Mr. Liu, who was in the room Mr. Jia had booked, spoke. "It couldn't have been an internal conflict. Bingyi and Bingsi had already eliminated the Zhou family. There was no reason for them to kill each other."

"That's right. The Zhou family is in Geyan County, but this is Yongchang County. Under normal circumstances, they should have returned to the branch in Puzhou via Jianzhou. But they changed their route and came further south here instead." Mr. Jia said, "Something must have happened or been discovered after they completed their mission, forcing them to come to this city, where they were killed upon checking into the inn."

"Perhaps they made a mistake while killing the Zhou family and were followed?" Mr. Liu nodded. "Anyone or any group that can take on two members of the Heaven Rank First bandit group isn't simple."

"Exactly. If it weren't for Councilor Du being impeached and jailed, we wouldn't have known something went wrong with Bingyi and Bingsi's mission." Mr. Jia found it troubling. "And Maosan, who was undercover, has also not returned to the branch."

"Perhaps Maosan saw an opening and fled."

"Impossible. Maosan's elder brother is one of our top agents in the Jia sequence. He wouldn't run away." Mr. Jia said, "Jia San is worried about Maosan, but before I left, he asked me in a letter to help find him."

"Damn!" Mr. Liu was impatient. "Or maybe Bingyi and Bingsi staged an internal conflict to kill each other. Maybe Maosan orchestrated it."

"It's possible. The person who killed Bingyi and Bingsi might be very capable, and Maosan could be hiding to save his own life."

Mr. Liu didn't respond.

"Did you memorize the names of the guests just now?"

"Yes, I did."

"It's possible that Maosan is among them. After the mission, both the overt and covert agents would usually return to the branch or headquarters together. Since Bingyi and Bingsi appeared in Yongchang County, it's highly likely that Maosan was traveling with them."

"It's a pity the guest register is a copy. We can't see the different handwritings of the individuals, which might have given us some clues." Mr. Liu sighed and looked at Mr. Jia. "Should we break into the yamen tonight?"

"No." Mr. Jia shook his head. "Didn't you hear what the innkeeper said? Because of this incident, the yamen had been under strict lockdown for over half a month. The soldiers in this area are highly alert to us. If you go to steal the roster now, wouldn't that just prove that someone from our group has infiltrated the city? It would only alert the enemy and stir up trouble without any gain. If we are to investigate, we should gather information first and only act after that."

"Since we don't have the details of how Bingyi and Bingfour were killed, nor do we know why they came here, we have no clues to investigate."

"We'll start by tracing how they left Geyan County and passed through Jianzhou to arrive in Yongchang County. But before that, we'll question every waiter at the inn to find out what intelligence they have regarding the night of the incident and the day of the crime. Given that they were killed in Yongchang County, it's likely connected to the area. In particular, those who stayed at the Changlai Inn that day are the most suspicious. Contact the informants in the branch hall and Min Prefecture to prioritize investigating these people's whereabouts." Mr. Jia said.

Mr. Liu nodded. "Everything will be done as you say."

Meanwhile, on the other side, Pei Six, having deduced that the assassins he had killed previously might have attracted the attention of the Heaven Rank First bandit group, fell into silence as he drove the donkey cart back to Xiaxi Village with Gu Ran.

If they were really going to investigate, they would probably look into the guests who stayed at the Changlai Inn that day.

He had disguised himself when he checked into the inn and used a fake name. To complicate the investigation and confuse the surveillance, he had wandered outside for over a month. It would be extremely difficult for them to trace it back to him.

Still, better safe than sorry.

Since they had come, how could he not keep a closer eye on them?

Moreover, he still didn't understand how the informant had identified him back then.

After the Zheng Prefecture Pei family massacre, according to the false testimony he had fabricated as Pei Six, the two hired assassins were supposedly killed by the Pei family guards.

Since this case was the biggest in Zheng Prefecture at the time and involved the government, it attracted a lot of attention. Just like the lockdown in Yongchang County after the incident, the Zheng Prefecture city was also searching for the assassins of the Heaven Rank First bandit group within the city, which was why they didn't dare to send anyone to investigate at the height of the situation, for fear of causing public outrage.

He had thought they might send someone to approach the surviving Pei Six and track her down to Min Prefecture.

However, to his surprise, the Heaven Rank First bandit group had remained inactive for all this time.

Of course, assassins like them were just tools for making money. The death of two assassins meant little. There were so many killers continuously trained by the organization, with more reserves ready to replace any that were lost. They lived to serve the organization, and if they died, they were simply replaced.

They were nothing more than tools for making money.

That was why he had eventually settled in Qinghuai Village and later moved to Xiaxi Village.

He had thought he could escape from the Heaven Rank First bandit group, but...

Pei Six watched as the small cottage came into view and drove the donkey cart to the back of the cottage before jumping down.

He had only gone out to find someone, but now he was tangled up with the Heaven Rank First bandit group once more.

But this time, as Pei Six, he had confronted those two assassins, yet they hadn't recognized him.

How had the previous informant identified him back then?

He believed he had no identifying marks or other conspicuous features. How had the previous assassin been able to recognize him even with a disguise, while the current one hadn't recognized him without any disguise?

Could it be that the previous informant had somehow known him?

If only he hadn't killed him so quickly. He should have interrogated him, no matter the cost, to find out how he had identified him.

But now, it was too late for regrets.

Pei Six thought to himself. He could only try to make up for it now.

He unhitched the cart and led the donkey into the bamboo shed. As he did, he heard Gu Erniang, who had gotten off the donkey cart to retrieve some food, call out "Head Wu." He turned and saw Head Wu approaching.

"Head Wu, did you need something from me?"

"I came to tell you that the farm horse you rented is ready."

"Really? When?"

"In two days. You'll need to clear the rocks and weeds from your fallow land first. Also, you bought three acres of fallow land in the miasma forest, right?"

"That's correct."

"You'll also need to clear the trees and rocks from the miasma forest."

"So, do I need to cut them down?"

"Indeed," Head Wu nodded. "It will take four days, with three acres cleared each day. Can you manage clearing the fallow land?"

"I can't do it all by myself," Gu Ran thought for a moment and shook her head. "Head Wu, could you help me hire some of the village men to assist me with clearing the fallow land first?"

Now that the busy season for planting the second crop of rice or winter harvest was over, the villagers should have some free time now.

"The plots outside the miasma forest are possible, but the ones inside..." Head Wu shook his head at Gu Ran.

"Alright, then just the seven acres of fallow land outside the miasma forest," Gu Ran decided after some thought, not wanting to force anyone to go into the dangerous miasma forest.

If the people she hired were to go inside and something happened, she wouldn't be able to bear the responsibility.

"Sixth Miss and I will clear the land inside the miasma forest ourselves."

"Sixth Miss? Does she need to clear land in Qinghuai Village too?"

"Oh?" Gu Ran just remembered this. "Head Wu, has Sixth Miss rented a farm horse too?"

"Yes, two days after you," Head Wu replied. "Head Wu also asked me to tell her! The farm horses are scarce and hard to rent. If you miss this opportunity, it might be difficult to rent one again. You should tell her to return to the village quickly to check."

At that moment, Pei Sixth Lady, who had just settled the donkey, walked out and overheard the conversation, her heart stirring.

This gave her the perfect excuse to head back to Qinghuai Village first, let the Liu family help her clear the land, and take the opportunity to keep an eye on the two people in the county seat.

After finishing unpacking the supplies brought back from the county and storing them in the storage room, she mentioned her plan to return to the village to Gu Erniang while helping her prepare dinner.

Gu Ran understood.

She had also waited a long time to rent the farm horse, and Sixth Miss had to complete the task of clearing ten acres of fallow land this year. She understood her predicament.

However, with Sixth Miss not around, it seemed she would have to clear the three acres of fallow land in the Great Yu Mountains herself.

"So, when will you be able to return?"

Pei Sixth Lady felt a pang of tenderness, looked at Gu Erniang, and softly replied, "As soon as I can."