The First Sage of Military Strategists

Chapter 16 The Mystery of the Jade Pendant
Luo Sheng casually tossed the fake jade that Han Qing had specially bought from the general store back to him, then turned and left without looking back.

Han Qing breathed a sigh of relief. He had long suspected that someone might investigate this jade pendant, so he went to a general store and bought an identical fake jade pendant, also shaped like a koi fish.

These days, koi-shaped jade pendants are quite common. Many nobles in Baiyun County carry koi-shaped jade pendants.

His advance preparations unexpectedly came in handy today; in fact, they were prepared for the Yin-Yang Scholar.

He figured that if he ever ran into the Yin-Yang Scholar, and couldn't beat him but couldn't run away, he could hand over the fake jade and maybe save his life.

He couldn't hand over the jade, because doing so would mean certain death. The jade was related to his past, and he had to keep it until the mystery was solved.

"Alright, you two can go back now," Yang Wu instructed.

"it is good."

Han Qing returned to the courtyard and practiced martial arts while pondering the matter.

"Luo Sheng doesn't seem to be investigating a case; he seems to be searching for the whereabouts of the jade pendant. This further proves that the Luo family and the Yin-Yang Sect are secretly colluding."

"This jade pendant is just an ordinary piece of jade. Why would it attract so many people? Or is the jade pendant unimportant, and they're after me? This jade pendant is just a clue."

Han Qing felt shrouded in mystery and lacked a sense of security.

He decided to stay in the government office and avoid going out unless absolutely necessary, to develop his skills in peace until he was sure he wasn't afraid of the Yin-Yang Scholar.

...

yamen.

The police station compound.

Luo Sheng sat in a chair, with a dozen or so jade pendants of different colors and shapes on a long table in front of him.

"Is this kid lying, or has he been tricked by the clerk at Hengtai Pawnshop?" Luo Sheng frowned.

After a while, his brows relaxed again: "This kid didn't have the guts to lie to me. He must be too stupid to have bought fake jade from Hengtai Pawnshop."

He reached out and stroked the dozen or so jade pendants on the table again, feeling incredibly refreshed.

He wasn't as lecherous as Luo Ying, but he loved money. Although the jade pendant was taken back under the guise of handling a case, it would be difficult to get him to give it back. Besides, who would dare to make him give it back?

"Keep searching. My Luo family's business is inseparable from the Yin-Yang Sect. Although I don't want to get involved, I can't refuse." Luo Sheng carefully put away the jade pendant, got up and walked outside. He was going to continue searching for the jade pendant.

...

An hour later.

Jin Ding Martial Arts School.

"Li Tai, where's the jade pendant? Give it to me!" Luo Sheng said with a stern face.

“It’s lost!” Li Tai said sternly.

He knew Luo Sheng's temperament; he was like a walking Pixiu (a mythical creature believed to bring wealth and power). Once the jade was handed over, it was definitely gone for good.

It wasn't easy for him to save money. Although he was a skilled hunter, training at the Golden Tripod Martial Arts Academy was also very expensive. He had saved up for a long time to buy this piece of jade, and Yingzi liked it very much. How could he give it away?
"Are you looking for death? Take him down!" Luo Sheng shouted sternly.

"Who dares?" A loud shout rang out, followed by a burly, bald man with bronze skin striding forward, followed by a large group of people.

"Head of the Luo family, you can't take this man with you. Go back." The big man waved his hand.

"Master Jin, are you trying to obstruct the government's business?" Luo Sheng asked with a gloomy face.

“I’ll treat your grandfather to dinner another day. This man is a genius martial artist from my Golden Tripod Martial Arts School, one of our star performers. I can’t let you take him away,” Jin Feng said in a deep voice.

Luo Sheng's expression was uncertain. When it came to the old master, he was indeed speechless. Moreover, although the Jin family's power in the entire Dayu was not as great as the Luo family's, in Shu, they were more powerful than the Luo family. He didn't want things to get too tense.

"Fine, I'm leaving." Luo Sheng turned and left, but he was still seething with anger. He thought to himself, "If you won't hand it over, I have plenty of ways to deal with you."

"Thank you, Master." Li Tai cupped his hands in thanks.

"No need to thank me. This Luo Sheng is a mad dog. He bites anyone he sees. It's been like this for a long time. He's also very greedy and always finds various reasons to extort money from others. Now he's even setting his sights on my Jin Ding Martial Arts School. Others may let him have his way, but I'm not afraid of him!" Jin Feng sneered.

...

The Luo family's backyard.

There is an artificial hill here, surrounded by lush vegetation, making it extremely secluded.

At this moment, in a house in the backyard, a young man with a horse-like face and wearing a white robe stared at dozens of jade pendants in front of him, his expression shifting between light and dark, with a black mole at the corner of his eye.

Several menacing attendants surrounded him, each with a fierce and menacing appearance.

"Are all the jade pendants from Hengtai Pawnshop here? Anyone who dares to embezzle them, be careful I'll drain your life force!" The Yin-Yang Scholar's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he swept his gaze over the people around him.

They all felt a chill run down their spines. The death of the manager of Hengtai Pawnshop that day was truly gruesome. He had been turned from a fat man into a dried-up corpse. None of them wanted to experience that kind of suffering.

At this moment, they all shook their heads repeatedly and denied it outright.

"That's strange. Although many of these jade pendants contain high-quality jade, they are still far from the one I'm looking for," the Yin-Yang Scholar frowned.

"Boss, could the intelligence be wrong?" someone next to him said.

"To tell you the truth, the Grand Master of Fate used his great supernatural powers to deduce several locations, one of which is Hengtai Pawnshop. I'm not sure if the jade is actually there, but I have to turn Baiyun County upside down to make sure it's not there before I give up."

"As you all know, the Grand Master of Fate values ​​this matter highly. If I can find it, I will be bestowed with a Yin-Yang Curse Seal, which is the number one secret technique of my Yin-Yang Sect. You will also be bestowed with the Refining Spirit Technique," the Yin-Yang Scholar said in a deep voice.

"Boss, just how valuable is this jade that it's worth all this trouble to find?" one of them couldn't help but ask.

"This jade is very complex, and I don't know much about it. I've only heard that it contains a supreme method for refining the spirit," the Yin-Yang Scholar said in a low voice.

"Supreme Spirit Refining Technique?"

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances. In their eyes, the Great Master of Fate was a figure standing in the heavens, an immortal who could defeat an army single-handedly. The Divine Refining Method, which even he desperately wanted, must be incredibly powerful.

"Alright, don't ask questions you shouldn't, or you'll lose your head. Since it's not in Hengtai Pawnshop, there's another possibility: the jade pendant has been bought by someone else. Now, search for it one by one. Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free. I must get my hands on this jade pendant and see what's going on," the Yin-Yang Scholar said coldly.

"Yes, boss."

As he was speaking, footsteps were heard outside.

"Who?" the Yin-Yang Scholar demanded.

"It's me!" Luo Sheng pushed open the door and entered.

"Get out!" The Yin-Yang Scholar waved his hand, driving his many followers out of the room.

"I'll give you at most another month. The whole of Baiyun County is in an uproar over the search for this jade pendant. Magistrate Qi is already suspicious of my Luo family. Do you know how much pressure I'm under to help you?" Luo Sheng said in a deep voice.

"Chief Luo, our Yin-Yang Sect has searched for so many young men and women for your Luo family. Now we need your help. What? Are you afraid of trouble?" The Yin-Yang Scholar's face turned cold.

"Now is not the time to argue about this. It's not that I don't want to help, but your looting of Hengtai Pawnshop was too outrageous. Why didn't you do it in a more gentle way? If you're willing to pay, I don't believe Hengtai Pawnshop won't sell," Luo Sheng questioned.

Although the two secretly colluded, they were not subordinate to each other. The Yin-Yang Scholar would not consult with him on his actions. The sudden robbery of the pawnshop put him, the head constable, under immense pressure.

"Hmph, do you think I don't want to? That old thief has some jade pendants in his storeroom that are not for sale. I asked him to take them out, but he refused. So I had no choice but to take drastic measures."

"As for your pressure, don't worry, I'll let you arrest a few people," the Yin-Yang Scholar laughed.

(End of this chapter)