Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 38 The Unexpected Murderer

"What we are looking for now is the bandit stronghold. They won't directly show any characteristics related to Annan. On the surface, they are locals, but some habits will not change. It is up to the princess to distinguish them."

"Where to start?"

"Haikoupu."

Hai Yue protected Li Yuying and began to search for clues with the post house as the center.

Unlike Korea and Japan, which have more or less developed their own things, Annan's culture, language and customs are completely consistent with those of the Central Plains dynasty.

Of course, even if there is no major difference, each province and even each county of the Ming Dynasty has its own customs. Therefore, if you want to find the whereabouts of the Annan people, you have to ask the locals to help.

Haiyue wasn't entirely sure about this, and had even prepared for a lengthy search. Unexpectedly, Li Yuying had only walked two streets when she suddenly sniffed and looked in one direction. "Sir, do you smell anything?"

Haiyue was a little confused: "No."

"Come with me!"

After following Li Yuying for half a block, Haiyue finally noticed it: "There is a fragrance, what's special about it?"

It is not surprising to see incense burning in street shops, especially in places of entertainment, where the whole street is filled with a fragrant smell that makes people fantasize.

"I've been very sensitive to smells since I was a child. This fragrance is very special, similar to the 'Nha Trang fragrance'!"

Li Yuying sniffed it again and said confidently, "'Nha Trang Incense' is the finest of our Annam agarwood. Its aroma is extremely rich and layered. It starts with a refreshing coolness, then continues with a lingering sweetness, and finally blends with floral and fruity aromas, making you feel like you are in the mountains. Although this fragrance lacks those distinct layers, it is somewhat similar to 'Nha Trang Incense'. I guess it is a second-rate product that was screened..."

"Don't get close, just point out the approximate direction!"

Haiyue was cheered up. In order not to alert the enemy, she walked slowly, protected the other person, and naturally turned into an alley on the side.

Li Yuying was also a little nervous. She took a deep breath, looked around again, and then looked at a location: "The first three shops on the right side of the street."

"it is good!"

Haiyue waved her hands behind her back. Not long after, a Li vendor came over and gave clear instructions: "Go to the first three shops on the right side of the street and check what they do."

A Li vendor walked over, carrying his load and humming a little tune.

The constables of the yamen were not suitable for large-scale searches, so they were following far behind. The Li merchants under Yan's command usually walked the streets and alleys, and they were the best spies.

At this time, the two of them waited silently. Soon, the Li people vendor returned and whispered, "Yong'an Hall!"

"Yong'an Hall?"

Hai Yue was startled, then suddenly realized: "No wonder..."

Li Yuying was curious: "What is that place?"

Haiyue said, "A coffin shop."

Her twelfth brother was particularly fond of funerals. If the Hai family had not been a scholarly family, he might have presided over the funeral himself. Influenced by that brother, Hai Yue had also heard of the reputation of Yong'an Hall and knew that it was the largest coffin shop in Haikoupu. Not to mention the Han people, even ordinary people of status would often ask people from Yong'an Hall to preside over the funeral when they died.

"Yong'an Hall covers a large area. The back hall is filled with coffins and is off-limits to strangers. How could ordinary people dare to enter? It's deep and quiet, making it a perfect hiding place!"

“I didn’t expect it to be hidden in Haikoupu, right under our noses!”

After checking, everyone felt it was very suspicious. Na Yan directly suggested: "I am the best at light body skills. How about going in and taking a look?"

Hai Yue said, "If we have solid evidence, you send a signal, and the constables from the government office rush in through the main gate, and the common people rush in from the backyard, catching them off guard!"

Shao Jing originally had a prejudice against the Li people, but this time they put aside their past grudges and cooperated to capture the thief. He nodded and said, "Be careful, brave man!"

"rest assured!"

The swallow dodged and went around to the backyard and climbed in.

The front door of Yong'an Hall is on the street, and the backyard is quite large. A coffin is parked in the back hall, and there is no one there. Even though it is broad daylight, it looks a bit eerie.

Yan's purpose was clear, and he headed straight towards the kitchen.

“So many ingredients!”

"And the dishes are hidden at the bottom of the cabinet!" "That's right! It's right here!"

If the smell alone is only an indirect clue, then the dishes and ingredients in the kitchen are the real evidence.

The shopkeeper and servants of Yong'an Hall definitely don't need so many things. They can't be prepared for ghosts, right?

"Enter!"

The swallow threw out an arrow, which made a whistling sound that broke through the air, which was a signal to the people outside the wall.

There was a loud bang at the main gate in front, and the detectives rushed in directly. The common people were even more nimble and climbed in from the backyard.

The people inside were also very alert. Hearing the noise, three or four big men rushed out immediately. When they saw Yan, they immediately pounced on him with sharp blades in their hands and looked ferocious.

"Hey! Just in time!"

The swallow's figure flashed, as light as flying catkins, and suddenly jumped onto the top of the wall. He stretched out his left hand to his waist, and four arrows were already clamped between his five fingers. He took out a small bow with his right hand, and gathered his strength to string it, like a rainbow.

In the blink of an eye, the arrow shot out from the air like a lightning meteor, unstoppable!

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
Two of them pierced through their chests, and two pierced through their necks. The four strong men were blown away like torn sacks and fell to the ground. They died with only a hoarse sound coming out of their throats.

"Good archery skills!"

Haiyue rushed in with a gun and couldn't help but look sideways when she saw this.

"Sky Bow Chasing Shadow" is indeed the unique archery skill praised by the second brother. Yan has such archery skills at such a young age. One can easily imagine the unrivaled majesty of Fu Nanshe when he roamed across Qionghai.

Fortunately, he is not bad either.

"Calm down and control the dragon, your mind is like still water, your thoughts are pure, and all distractions are quiet!"

As more and more strong men rushed out of the house, a fierce fight suddenly broke out. However, Hai Yue looked calm and took long breaths, as if she was in a secluded valley in the mountains, sitting alone by a cold pond, quietly watching the vastness of the world and the rolling clouds.

Everything around me gradually slowed down, not because time really stood still, but because of a mysterious sensation.

The expressions, movements, directions of movement, and even the formations of the enemies charging forward were all clearly reflected in his mind like a scroll, every detail was vivid.

"what!"

Na Yan suppressed the enemy with arrows and looked down at the whole place. He was the first to discover that this man with a spear on his back walked leisurely. Wherever he passed, all the enemies were entangled or blocked by their opponents, and even his sharp arrows were invisibly paving the way for them.

"So that's how it is. The thieves are protecting that house, and the leader is among them! Amazing!"

Na Yan quickly discovered the key, shot two more thieves to death with arrows, and escorted Hai Yue from a distance until they disappeared into a room.

As soon as Haiyue entered the house, she heard the sound of the wall turning, and a strong man with a horse face came out from inside.

When they met, Hai Yue didn't say a word, but moved suddenly, as fast as thunder, and shot out with his gun like a dragon, going straight for the enemy.

"Pfft!"

The spear tip pierced the flesh. Hai Yue stretched out her long arm and lifted the screaming horse-faced man up. She said in a cold voice, "Where is your second-in-command? He left you to die and ran away alone?"

The horse-faced man was caught off guard and was unable to block the attack. He gripped the gun with both hands and hissed, "What... what Second Chief..."

"Mo Zhengyong is the leader of the assassin group. Now that he's been captured, isn't it the second-in-command who can make the decisions for you guys?"

Hai Yue sneered, "This man is incredibly sinister. He wants to use the government to get rid of Mo Zhengyong and his group so he can take the opportunity to ascend to power, right? Unfortunately, he doesn't know that the more he tries to frame the common people and kidnap the inspector, the less likely the court will grant his wish. Instead, they'll investigate thoroughly. He's shooting himself in the foot!"

These words, mixed with truth and falsehood, were deliberately made to see what they could stir up...

As expected, the horse-faced man's expression suddenly twisted, but what he said was unexpected: "Damn prince, we were all fooled, thinking he was truly surrendering, but ended up attracting the Ming officials!"

Haiyue raised her eyebrows: "Who lied to you?"

When the culprit behind the plot was mentioned, the horse-faced man ignored the blood gushing from his chest and roared through gritted teeth, "It was Li Weining! That traitor who defected to us, framing the Li people and kidnapping the high-ranking official. It was all his idea!!"

(End of this chapter)