Merit-based card draws, quickly become a Heavenly Emperor

After a few rounds of drinks and several dishes, the conversation started flowing freely.

Chen Moxuan held his wine glass, looking at Fang Zheng's face, his tone tinged with emotion.

"Fang Zheng, your reputation in Yongqing County is now even more renowned than that of the county magistrate."

"The tiger hunt in Anping Town and the county magistrate's judgment in the case have earned you praise for your virtue and talent; you are a rare and excellent official in Yongqing County."

Du Kang echoed, raising his glass to Fang Zheng: "Fang Zheng, I'd like to toast you."

At your age, you're already capable of handling things independently; your future is limitless.

Fang Zheng quickly replied modestly, "It's all thanks to Mr. Li's guidance and the kindness of all the seniors. I was just doing my duty."

Du Kang put down his wine glass and asked a question, seemingly casually.

"Fang Zheng, I heard that you argued your case in court and stopped Granny Gui's case."

The old woman denied the murder, only admitting to house arrest, and now the case is hanging in the balance again.

Have you made any new discoveries lately?

Fang Zheng sighed, a look of exhaustion on his face.

To be honest, I'm at my wit's end right now.

Granny Gui is adamant about not giving a word, and there isn't enough physical evidence. The deadline for solving the case is fast approaching, and Lord Lü is pressing her hard.

It feels like a stone is pressing on my heart.

Chen Moxuan quickly reassured him, "There's no need to be too anxious. Investigating a case requires things to happen naturally; you can't rush it."

Du Kang nodded in agreement, poured Fang Zheng another glass of wine, and said sincerely, "Lord Fang is young and promising; he will surely find some clues."

Come on, let's drink!

Fang Zheng sighed again, picked up his wine glass, clinked it with the two men's, and downed it in one gulp.

The wine is excellent; it is smooth on the palate and has a sweet aftertaste.

But as Fang Zheng drank, a doubt began to creep into his mind.

He noticed that Chen Moxuan's hands were trembling slightly, and he had to tap his chopsticks several times before he could pick up a piece of meat.

His health had deteriorated considerably since the last time we met.

A faint layer of gray mist lingered around Du Kang's shoulders.

This is yin energy, and it's a heavy yin energy that comes from prolonged contact with evil spirits.

A warmth came from his left palm, and Liu Qingyu's voice rose in his heart.

"My benefactor, both of them smell of Bloodthirsty Grass."

Looks like we've found the right person.

Fang Zheng remained calm and poured another glass of wine for each of them.

"Speaking of Master Li," Fang Zheng put down the wine pot, speaking casually, "we must mention the Five Friends of Winter."

Five renowned scholars once gathered at the Hanxiang Pavilion, composing poems, painting, playing the zither, and playing chess—how delightful they were!

Chen Moxuan's eyes immediately reddened, and his voice choked with emotion.

"Yes, that was the happiest time for us."

The painting of distant mountains, the zither of Ziqi, the chess of Hongjian, my calligraphy, and the wine of Brother Du...

Alas, now those who are dead are dead, those who are sick are sick, and only Brother Du and I are left, barely clinging to life.

Du Kang also lowered his head, wiped the corner of his eye with his sleeve, and spoke in a low, hoarse voice.

"It feels like a dream when I think about it."

How did things fall to this state?

Fang Zheng sighed and asked, "I often hear Master Li talk about that painting, 'The Elegant Gathering in the Cold Fragrance,' saying that it was his most prized work."

I've always wanted to see it for myself; I wonder if Master Du could grant my wish?

Du Kang paused for a moment, his sadness deepening.

He shook his head. "Lord Fang, it's not that I don't want to show you."

That picture depicts what we looked like back then.

Now that Ziqi, Hongjian, and Yuanshan are all gone, every time I see that picture, my heart feels like it's being cut by a knife.

So I put it away a long time ago and locked it in the deepest part of the warehouse, out of sight, out of mind.

Please forgive me, Lord Fang.

Seeing that he declined, Fang Zheng did not press the matter and nodded, saying, "I was presumptuous, please forgive me, Master Du."

After a few more drinks, Fang Zheng changed the subject and started talking about interesting anecdotes from Yongqing County.

Du Kang gradually relaxed, and Chen Moxuan wiped away his tears. The three of them chatted and laughed, and the atmosphere became lively again.

After the banquet ended, Fang Zheng escorted the two downstairs. As he watched their carriage disappear into the night, the smile on his face slowly faded.

"There really is something fishy going on."

Over the next two days, Fangzheng split his forces into two groups.

One team went to investigate He Tingtao's calligraphy and painting transaction records before his death, while another team went to review the list of belongings seized after the He family was murdered.

Although the case files were burned, some physical evidence was still scattered in the warehouse.

The results came back quickly.

A few days before He Tingtao was murdered, there was a huge expenditure of money, the purpose of which was "to purchase a piece of calligraphy and painting".

The seller was anonymous, and no name was left in the transaction record, only a receipt.

The name of the painting on the receipt had been covered up with ink, and only the character "图" (picture) could be vaguely made out.

No newly acquired calligraphy or paintings were found among the He family's belongings.

Fang Zheng went to find Li Yuanshan to ask who exactly was in the "Hanxiang Elegant Gathering Picture".

Li Yuanshan naturally knew them all by heart.

"We are the Five Friends of Winter: the Five Elders of Qin (music), Qi (chess), Shu (calligraphy), Hua (painting), and Jiu (wine)."

There was also a young musician, a young chess player, a hunter, a woodcutter, and a herb gatherer.

There were ten people in total.

Fang Zheng then went to Lü Zhengfeng and Lu Qingyun, asking them to help him access the death records of Yongqing County and the surrounding areas over the years.

Half a day later, a thick file was placed on Fang Zheng's desk.

He turned to the first page, and his expression darkened slightly. The page was filled with the names of people who had died over the years.

Zhang Laosi, a herb gatherer, went into the mountains to gather herbs about three years ago and was bitten to death by a poisonous snake.

About three years ago, woodcutter Zhao Daniu fell off a cliff while chopping wood on the mountain.

Hunter Qian Laosan was killed by a wild boar while hunting about three years ago, his intestines were ruptured and his stomach was rotten.

The piano prodigy, Little Stone, drowned in the moat about two years ago.

Chess prodigy Xiaozhuzi fell seriously ill about two years ago and passed away within two days.

Then came Gu Hongjian, the chess master; Zhong Ziqi, the zither master; and Li Yuanshan, the painter.

Of the ten people, the herb gatherer, the woodcutter, the hunter, the zither boy, the chess boy, the chess master, the zither master, and the painter all died.

The causes of death varied, but without exception, they were all "accidents" or "sudden illnesses".

Only the scholar Chen Moxuan and the wine connoisseur Du Kang remained alive.

The news that Li Yuanshan brought from the underworld was even more shocking.

He searched for the souls of all the dead in the Cold Fragrance Gathering Picture, but couldn't find a single one; they had all been destroyed.

Fang Zheng closed the file, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

"Old man of the wine, could it be you?"

Taking a deep breath, Fang Zheng took the case file and found Lü Zhengfeng and Lu Qingyun, recounting his deductions from the past few days in detail.

Thirsty Blood Grass, the Elegant Gathering of Fragrance in the Cold, the sudden deaths of the figures in the painting, the destruction of their souls, He Tingtao drinking before his death, anonymous sale of calligraphy and paintings...

The clues, when pieced together, ultimately point to one person: Du Kang, the old wine connoisseur.

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingyun's face turned ashen, and he slammed his hand on the table: "I should have thought of this Du Kang a long time ago."

The people in the painting all died mysteriously; this must be some kind of evil ritual!

Could he be the seventh-rank evil cultivator who kidnapped Sun Xianrong?

Lu Zhengfeng also frowned, tapping his fingers on the table as he pondered, "In recent years, something called 'blood wine' has indeed appeared on the black market in Youzhou. It has strange effects, such as temporarily boosting cultivation and prolonging life."

Many cultivators flocked to it, and even some government officials were fond of it, making it a valuable form of bribery.

He paused, then looked at Fang Zheng, "Now it seems that the blood wine is most likely the [Blood-Thirsting Yin Wine] brewed by Du Kang using Blood-Thirsting Grass."

This stuff has entered officialdom and has harmed countless people.

Lu Qingyun stood up, grabbed the official seal, and shouted, "What are you waiting for? Arrest them!"

The county supervisory commissioner and the case-handling team mobilized all their personnel.

However, Du Kang's residence, winery, and shops were all turned upside down, but not a single person could be found.

Fang Zheng's heart sank. Had he run away?