The threat of the dragon vein and the way to speak harsh words
Mo Li supported his forehead, and Meng Qi beside him had already been itching to try.
They just had to wait for Attendant Huang to dismiss this wave of uninvited guests, and then they would be able to make their move.
โNo, no, letโs wait until he returns to his own home.โ After pondering for a while, Meng Qi made a new decision.
It was not that he valued this stump, but he did not want to cause further turmoil in an already chaotic situation.
โAttendant as an official position was neither high nor low. But since he could set up heavy ambushes here, he must have considerable authority in the patrol yamen, and he might even be a close confidant of Ning Taiโs prefect, also pulling strings with King Wuโs people. Capturing him required caution, and it would be best not to alarm anyone.โ
When a person stepped into their own home and lay down on their bed, that moment was naturally the most relaxed.
โJust ask him a few questions.โ Meng Qi appeared confident, glancing at Attendant Huang below and saying, โHe seemed clever enough to know which was more important, the truth or his life.โ
Mo Li suddenly raised his hand and pressed Meng Qi down a bit, because a masked person appeared on the distant eaves.
This personโs lightfoot skill was high. Like a habitual rooftop thief, he did not make a single sound when stepping on the tiles, and he hid himself nimbly behind the roof ridge, showing only half his face to observe the activity in the courtyard.
โItโs really lively tonight.โ
Just on the rooftop, there were two parties watching the show, and below, there were another two parties.
Mo Li carefully sized up that masked person, but the other was too cautious, shrinking into a ball so that he could not even tell male from female, let alone anything else.
A gust of wind blew past, and Mo Li keenly caught a slight scent.
โHm๏ผโ
Mo Li looked suspiciously in that direction, silent in thought.
Meng Qi smelled nothing, or even if he did, he could not distinguish anything. The patrol yamen was not a quiet and clean place. In summer, it was inevitable that some alleys and water tanks would have a bit of a rotten smell.
โWhat๏ผโ Meng Qi followed Mo Liโs gaze to examine the masked figure who wanted to play the role of the yellow sparrow.
Mo Li pondered and said: โIt seemed like a medicinal scent, from a summer-used sachet. Maybe it came from that pharmacy we passed by yesterday.โ
Not merely passed by, they had overlooked it while eating meat and drinking porridge on the rooftop.
Meng Qi touched his nose, embarrassed: โSummer sachets were just for repelling insects and heat. These Jianghu people didnโt seem that particular.โ
It was not that Jianghu people were inherently slovenly, but if they had spare money, they would rather spend it on more wine and more meat.
One must know that these sachets from the pharmacy were not cheap. At that time, even an empty plain silk pouch could sell for twenty wen. Poor womenfolk often did needlework to supplement the household, and the more refined ones embroidered flowers and birds. Certain spices were not cheap either. Adding it all up, a single sachet could cost at least half a qian to three qian of silver.
Three qian of silver spent at a tavern could already buy a table full of food and drink, enough to get drunk until midnight.
Although some in the Jianghu were wealthy, like the Golden Phoenix Young Master or direct disciples of major sects, most struggled to make ends meet, unsure if they would have a next meal.
โThe scent was very faint. It seemed he took off the sachet before changing into night attire, but since he wore it for a long time, some scent still lingeredโฆโฆโ
Mo Li spoke to himself, then furrowed his brows.
Because he smelled another scent of osmanthus. Now it was only the eighth month, not the season when the golden osmanthus bloomed, and the patrol yamen did not grow such trees.
โโฆโฆItโs a woman.โ Mo Li stated with certainty.
Most likely, she used osmanthus hair oil. Aunt Ge also liked it, but in the small and sparsely populated Zhushan County in Pingzhou, they could not get top-quality osmanthus hair oil, so they specifically asked someone to buy it from Ma County. After Aunt Ge received it, she could not bear to use it casually. Half a year later, when she took it out again, the oil paste in the box had dried up, and nearly half of it was gone, which distressed Aunt Ge terribly.
Meng Qi looked at Mo Li and suddenly blurted out: โDoctor, you must have met many women.โ
Not only did he know about the sachets sold at pharmacies, but he probably understood a bit about incense powder, rouge, and hair oil from treating patients.
Mo Li could not help laughing and crying. Seized by a sudden inspiration, he imitated Meng Qiโs tone and said: โBrother Meng, the beautiful and talented women you met in past years must have far surpassed mine.โ
When Chu was at its peak, in Taijingโs music conservatories, courtesan houses, opera gardens, and even Huji taverns, what beauties could you not find from all corners of the land? Not to mention that when entering palace gardens, one would inevitably see dancers and musicians. Could any who danced and performed in the palace be unattractive? Each likely had a special skill: drum dances, flying heavenly tunes, rainbow gowns. They sang, composed, and performed music.
In addition, daughters and granddaughters of various prominent ministers were all considered โdescendants of the National Master Meng.โ Moreover, Chuโs customs were open. It was common for women to go out in groups for entertainment, banquets, and polo matches. Among them, there must have been one or two whose talents did not lose to their ancestors, true beauties.
Thus, Mo Li and Meng Qi looked at each other and could not help but laugh.
The dragon vein felt nothing particular about a personโs appearance. Those who were extremely ugly or extremely beautiful indeed made their eyes light up, simply because they were different from others and easier to remember!
โAnother day, I shall give the doctor a landscape painting.โ Meng Qi waved his hand with great vigor.
Mo Li secretly thought that the painting would be of Shangyun Mountain in Taijing. Otherwise, he would share a bed with a civet cat!
โBrother Meng was too kind. In fact, Lord Xue also collected several famous paintings, among them was โThe Snow-Burdened Blue Mountain Picture,โ said to be of the snow-capped peaks of Yunzhuo, covered in white snow all year round, never meltingโฆโฆโ
Meng Qiโs face darkened visibly.
How could he not know that those continuous mountain ranges, with ice and snow permanently settled, looked from afar like a soaring white dragon about to rise? The locals called it the โHeavenly Mountain among the Clouds.โ It was magnificent, yet also elegantly stunning. Could a three-foot scroll truly depict a fraction of that scenery? Such a landscape painting was like a beauty portrait offered to the emperor. If one could paint even a tenth of its essence, it was considered masterful. If you liked what you saw from the painting, seeing the real thing would be even more incredible.
Although the Yunzhuo snow mountains did not house a dragon vein, they were indeed beautiful!
The Shangyun Mountain dragon vein prided itself as the finest mountain in the world, invincible in grandeur. But just like people, each had their own form of beauty.
What if Mo Li became enamored of that mountain?
Meng Qiโs face remained dark and silent.
Mo Li could not help laughing again and pressed Meng Qi down, shrinking himself into Meng Qiโs arms to completely hide.
โโTheir earlier movements were a bit big, and the masked person across seemed to have noticed something and glanced over.
Fortunately, the courtyard below was about to erupt in fighting, which diverted the masked personโs attention.
โHuang Yang, stop playing with your words. Iโm going through this door today for sure.โ Constable Jin suppressed his anger and said to the other night intruders behind him, โWhat are you waiting for? Heโs just one man. Could he stop so many of us?โ
Attendant Huang smiled gently, not the least bit anxious.
Seeing his confident manner and that gaze which made one extremely uncomfortable, Constable Jin grew even more restless.
โThe mechanisms here had mostly been consumed by the people who came before you. The courtyard was only so big, and it belonged to the patrol yamen. I bet he wouldnโt dare make too big a commotion. Why were you dawdling and hesitating? Were you timid or afraid to die?โ
Once these words left his mouth, the others became unhappy.
โMountain Startling Tiger, we usually looked up to you because you had well-informed news and were respected both in officialdom and the Jianghu.โ
โI wondered why I hadnโt heard you brag about your Senior Brother, General Ping, these past few days.โ
Now that the master and disciples had turned against each other, and Attendant Huangโs official rank far surpassed that of a mere constable in the patrol yamen, everyoneโs thoughts became lively. They chattered back and forth, making Constable Jin look bad.
People said the women in powerful householdsโ backyards had sharp tongues and ugly tempers. In reality, in the face of profit, what difference was there between men and women?
Constable Jinโs face turned ashen. He shouted, โI donโt care if you want to go your ways or seek refuge elsewhere. Right now, all sides in Ning Tai wanted to know Mister Qiuโs whereabouts. If anyone got hold of clues, wouldnโt they reap benefits? Donโt be fooled by this cunning Huangโs provocation!โ
Everyone fell silent, glaring at the courtyard.
Although they had their motives, their eagerness to examine the corpses was the same.
โโMister Qiu suddenly vanished; all his personal attendants were dead. This news was like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, making people restless, and all forces uneasy.
Attendant Huang clasped his hands behind his back and laughed softly, โConstable Jin was indeed skilled at solving cases, but I was not without clues. To my knowledge, a Feng Xing Pavilion boxer surnamed Zheng was probably the last person to have seen Mister Qiu. Interestingly, this man also disappeared after leaving Mister Qiuโs other courtyard, and now nobody saw him alive or dead. Boxer Zheng and the Constable Jin were the same kind of peopleโboth had been Bai Yu Zhenrenโs trusted confidants. Maybe some of you here even knew him. Why not go and find Boxer Zheng?โ
The masked figure on the distant rooftop could not help leaning out slightly, clearly placing great importance on this information and wanting to hear more details.
First, Pavilion Master Qiu had returned and suppressed everyone. Then Mister Qiu disappeared. At this moment, Constable Jin bitterly regretted. Initially, he believed Mister Qiu would win for sure and thus had disobeyed Old Master Baoโs orders without hesitation, firmly siding with the Feng Xing Pavilion elders. But within just one day, the situation had reversed.
Those elders of Feng Xing Pavilion still hoped Mister Qiu was safe, but Constable Jin was already thinking of finding another way out.
Seeing that he had offended Huang Yang, hoping for support from King Wuโs side was out of the question. Constable Jin considered seeking refuge with that young prince. After all, he was someone Mister Qiu and Adjutant Cheng had their eyes on. His senior brother also said that the young prince was not foolish. By advancing, he could serve the future King Ning. By retreating, he could follow Cheng Jingchuan!
What Constable Jin now lacked was a โmeeting gift.โ For this reason, he convinced all the Jianghu fighters he usually associated with and could manipulate, determined to find some clue about this case.
โโRegardless of whether Qiu Si faked his death or was truly dead, as long as he got the truth, Cheng Jingchuan would surely look at him differently.
โAttendant Huang kept blocking and making excuses, not letting anyone examine the corpses. Could it be that this matter was done by King Wuโs people?โ Constable Jin saw Huang Yangโs expression change dramatically and felt pleased, although he knew this claim did not hold water, and few would believe it.
Because Mister Qiu was definitely not someone easy to killโฆโฆ
Constable Jin thought of Qiu Si and felt a chill in his heart.
โAttendant Huang neednโt worry. I bet you couldnโt pull that off anyway.โ Constable Jin elongated his tone, still managing a few digs, โRight now, you were taking a chicken feather as a command arrow, forbidding others from examining the corpses. Did you want King Ningโs territory to remain in chaos? Mister Qiu encountered danger and needed rescue, yet you went to great lengths to hinder my investigation. What was your intention?โ
Huang Yang twitched the corners of his mouth, smiling without warmth: โIf you wanted to investigate the case, you needed orders from the prefect or the Ministry of Punishments. A private errand like yours, Constable Jin, didnโt count. The patrol yamen was not a place where Jianghu people could come and go as they pleased. But since you mentioned it, if I kept refusing, it would look like I was feeling guilty. Fine, then. You may enter. Only three people may go down into the ice cellar to look, no more.โ
Constable Jin knew when to retreat. Although the others were dissatisfied, seeing that dawn was about to break and no one wanted to waste more time here, they reluctantly agreed.
In the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Constable Jin emerged from the cellar with an extremely grim expression. From the wounds, he could tell Mister Qiuโs attendants had encountered formidable enemies who even showed mercy once, injuring their muscles and bones to drive them back.
Constable Jin also found pine needles on a few bodies. These things had been used as hidden weapons, piercing deeply into the flesh and even the bone seams.
As for the fatal wounds, there was no need to mention. Almost everyone died simultaneously.
Two people had done it, identified by their attacking habits and the method and force applied.
Although Ning Tai City gathered many masters, the number of people who could do thisโConstable Jin did not need to guess and already knew the answer. It was precisely because of this that his face looked so awful.
โIt seemed Constable Jin had gained much?โ Huang Yang said with certainty.
How could Constable Jin reveal anything? He perfunctorily cupped his hands: โI must investigate further. Farewell.โ
After speaking, he turned and left, followed by a large group of people.
The masked figure lying in ambush hesitated for a moment and then actually went after Constable Jin.
โNot bad, she wanted a rabbit, and I wanted a stump,โ Meng Qi muttered to himself.
Mo Li was too lazy to cover someoneโs mouth now.
Huang Yang had been tormented for a whole night and was already exhausted. Seeing that the eastern sky faintly brightened, he yawned and called for soldiers to guard strictly. After all, during the daytime, no one dared break into the patrol yamen so brazenly. Even if they came, they would be officials he could not stop anyway.
Huang Yang had no official residence. As a low-ranked official, he either had to rent a place outside or live in a side room in the yamen.
He leisurely returned to his room, had the yamen runners bring hot water for washing, then closed the doors and windows. Facing the desk, he tried to write something several times, sighing heavily each time.
โThe Heavenly Bestowed King was a great menace, not to be underestimated.โ
Huang Yang muttered to himself. When he turned around, he suddenly saw someone standing in his room, startling him so much that he subconsciously threw his brush like a hidden weapon. Ink splattered all over.
โA superior-grade writing brush with white-tipped purple hair. Such a fine thing. With the Attendantโs salary, I fear you couldnโt afford it.โ Meng Qi casually reached out to catch it, flicked off the remaining ink, and handed it to Mo Li for appraisal.
Huang Yang took a step back, leaning against his desk and staring at the two of them as if facing a formidable enemy.
If Constable Jin could discover it, how could Attendant Huang be unaware? Now that these two who killed Mister Qiu had shown up suddenly, it would probably not end well.
Huang Yang forced himself to remain calm and smiled stiffly: โI donโt know where you two seniors came from, nor what you seek from Huang?โ
Meng Qi glanced at him without speaking.
Mo Li also kept silent, because before entering, Meng Qi said they needed to do nothing. Huang Yang would be sensible on his own.
Thus, the two men remained silent, staring at Huang Yang. Sweat oozed from his forehead.
The room was only so big. To escape through the window or door, he would first have to break through these two top-tier experts. Huang Yang knew he was not capable. He gritted his teeth and forced a smile: โLiving people were always more useful than dead ones. If you two seniors had any tasks, I would certainly do my utmost.โ
Authorโs Note:
โโAbout speaking harsh words, making bets, and taking oaths
Mo Li: I bet that painting was of Shangyun Mountain. If not, I will share the same bed with a civet cat.
Meng Qi: Old Mister Qin, I would always treat A Li well. If I break my oath, I will sleep with eight civet cats.
Qin Lu: ???
Gong Jun: What did you plan to do to my little darlings? Go away!
