Lu Bu, the Thunder General, is my adoptive father in Genshin Impact.

"Where were the lost goods originally piled up?" Xiao Yi asked.

The samurai pointed to the corner of the wall.

Xiao Yi walked to the spot the warrior pointed to and found it damp. He remembered that it hadn't rained last night, and he could rule out dew as there were no plants nearby and no other dampness in other areas.

He looked up and saw that the damp area started from the empty box and ran along the wooden wall to the very tip.

Xiao Yi had a slight clue.

"Sir, should we conduct a thorough search?" the samurai asked.

Losing several hundred kilograms of crystallized bone marrow was a minor matter; the Inazuma Shogunate certainly had the resources to do so. However, the thieves' daring to challenge the authority of the government was something the loyal samurai could not tolerate, and they had to make the challengers pay a heavy price.

“It’s not that bad. Just continue with your usual methods.” Xiao Yi stared at the damp area, lost in thought. “Leave the arrest to me. As expected, I should have the criminals arrested before dusk.”

The samurai who delivered the food was somewhat skeptical, but still flattered him, saying, "As expected..."

Before he could finish speaking, more soldiers burst in.

"Sir, we have apprehended individuals who may be suspects in other warehouses," the soldier reported. "They infiltrated the warehouse and loitered near the crystallized bone marrow. They are very likely the thieves from last night, or their accomplices."

The samurai who delivered the food quickly changed his tune: "Thanks to your great fortune, sir, the criminal has been captured..."

"What's the situation now?" Xiao Yi asked.

The soldier replied, "We've trapped them in the warehouse."

"It's over before it even started, all the fun is gone!" Xiao Yi said with a hint of regret.

"Excuse my bluntness, my adopted son," Ayaka corrected gently, "Nothing happened, so it's a good thing that the project was completed safely."

……

After walking for a while, they came to another temporary warehouse, which was similar to the previous one, with a fence made of sharpened, thick wooden sticks.

"Sir, the two suspects who were arrested are inside," the soldier explained.

"I want to see what kind of audacious fellow dares to steal the Shogunate's goods!" Xiao Yi personally pushed open the wooden gate of the fence.

Logically speaking, having experienced so much, he could easily claim to be well-traveled and knowledgeable, having seen all sorts of grand scenes, but the scene before him was something he had never seen before.

The burly young demon was pressed against the wall, and the green-haired girl stood on his shoulder, reaching for the tip of the fence to try to climb over—they were building a tower!

"Arataki Ichito?!" Xiao Yi's expression was conflicted. "That girl, is she Miss Shinobu?"

"Hey, good brother!" Yi Dou greeted him naturally, standing close to the fence.

Chapter 202 A Battle to Catch the Insects

Three minutes ago.

Araki Ichito clung tightly to the wooden fence, while Hisaki Shinobu stood on his shoulder. The two remained motionless in this position, as soldiers with crossbows were aiming at them.

Although these two holders of the Eye of God could easily defeat the surrounding ordinary soldiers, they had no reason to clash with the Shogunate. At this point, it was best for them to obediently listen to the authorities and find an opportunity to explain to the other side that it was all a misunderstanding.

“Rin, if the Tenryo Enforcer doesn’t believe us and insists on arresting us…” Arataki Ichito made a terrible yet hopeful assumption, “Do you think the rest of the Arataki Faction can find a way to get us out of the prison?”

The green-haired girl standing on his shoulder said, "Boss, you should still hope that the food they bring is a little more substantial; that would be more practical and realistic."

Usually, it's Ichito and the other members of the Arataki faction who cause trouble, and Kuki Shinobu uses her knowledge of the law to rescue her companions from prison. However, today she and her boss both stumbled, so it might not be so easy for her to show her skills again.

The soldier who had aimed his crossbow at the two men slowly retreated and eventually left the temporary warehouse. However, Ichito and Shinobu, who were forming a human ladder against the wall with their backs to each other, did not notice that the watcher had left and continued to stick to the wall.

“Hey Shinobu, that guy seems to have gone silent,” Araki Ichito said. “You take this opportunity to climb over the wall and then throw the rope back in to drag me away.”

Hisagi said helplessly, "Not long after we were discovered, the alarm bells were already ringing throughout the camp, and there are probably guards standing outside the wall. The best option right now is to stand still."

Suddenly, they heard the respectful voices of soldiers coming from outside.

"The person in charge has arrived," said Hisaki Shinobu.

Xiao Yi pushed open the door and entered.

The moment Xiao Yi saw these two lively characters from the Arakkari faction, he knew there was something fishy going on. They were definitely not thieves, but had just happened to be here for some reason and were unfortunately discovered by the patrolling samurai.

Ichidou, who was clinging to the wall, turned his head with all his might and caught sight of Xiao Yi out of the corner of his eye. He greeted him excitedly, "Hey, good brother, it's been so long since we last met in Mondstadt!"

His tone didn't imply a request for Xiao Yi's help; it was simply a greeting to a good friend after a long separation. Because of the Ghost Clan youth's single-mindedness, upon seeing Xiao Yi, he completely forgot his terrible situation and only felt the joy of reuniting after so long.

"You can all leave now. Linghua, do as you please." Xiao Yi dismissed the warriors and then looked at the two who were still forming a human ladder. "Stop piling up so high, come down."

After the samurai left, Linghua closed the door of the temporary warehouse and stood silently behind Xiao Yi.

At the same time, the two people who were stacked on top of each other separated. Hisaki Shinobu jumped down lightly, and Ichito was no longer pressed tightly against the wall.

Xiao Yi asked, puzzled, "So, what exactly are you up to, and why are you in such an important place as the Shogunate?"

"Hmph, the reason is simple: I, this great one, am going to become the Insuma Insect Fighting King!" Araki Ichito muttered strange words to himself, "However, even someone like me, who wants to become the strongest Insuma Insect Fighter, will have to pay a price..."

Linghua tilted her head in confusion. Xiao Yi was already used to Yi Dou's way of speaking and acting. He decided to adopt a more efficient approach and squinted at the green-haired girl.

“We’ve met before, right? Last time in Mondstadt,” Xiao Yi said in a friendly manner. “Hello, Miss Shinobu, is your name… Shinobu Oshino?”

“It’s Hisaki Shinobu.” The girl replied helplessly, then apologized, “Hello, Narukami Ichiko-sama, it was wrong of my boss and me to trespass into a place like this, but we just sneaked in and didn’t steal anything.”

After saying that, Hisuki Shinobu raised his hands, looked at Ichito who was silent beside him, stepped on his foot, and gestured for Ichito to follow his actions.

Both of them raised their hands, allowing Xiao Yi to search them at will.

"No need, I trust you." Xiao Yi said without hesitation. He looked at the green-haired girl, "You just need to help translate what Ichidou just said, what 'Inazuma vs. the Insect King' means, and why he broke into this place?"

Hisaki Shinobu lowered his hand and said, "The insect fighting that the boss mentioned refers to driving two Hercules insects to fight in a designated location. Whoever's Hercules insect is stronger and can knock the other's insect over wins. And the Inazuma Insect King..."

"He's the ultimate winner who beats all the Inazuma fighters!" Ichito excitedly blurted out.

Xiao Yi and Ling Hua both thought to themselves: The only ones who would go to such lengths to catch the Ghost Beetle to participate in this kind of competition are probably the children and this Ghost Clan member.

Ichidou continued, "Unfortunately, the Ara-taki I captured a few days ago, although it is large, lacks stamina and skill, and cannot gain an advantage in a prolonged battle. I had no choice but to release it back into nature to find a stronger, more durable, and more resilient insect—just like me!"

The more Xiao Yi listened, the more he felt the topic was getting off track.

Linghua, standing behind him, reminded him, "Please get to the point. What we want to know is why you are here in this heavily guarded warehouse."

Hisaru felt that if he let his boss change the subject any further, it would take forever to explain things clearly. Besides, his boss kept saying that he had a good relationship with his adopted son, but his boss had said many other things. It was better to clarify things before his adopted son got impatient.

Before Ichito could say anything more, Hisagi interrupted, "He heard that the strong Oni-beetle would appear in areas rich in crystallized bone marrow, and that the shogunate was stockpiling this mineral, so he secretly sneaked into the warehouse and waited by the bone marrow boxes to catch any passing insects."

“Last night I heard the gang members talk about the boss’s plan. At that time, the boss had already set off for Bayun Island alone. I was worried that something might happen, so I had to go and stop him overnight. I followed the trail to this warehouse. At that time, the boss was still squatting next to the box waiting for the bugs.”

"Just when I finally convinced him and was about to form a human ladder to leave, the soldiers discovered us."

Xiao Yi believed what Jiuqi Ren had said. What bad intentions could a simple-minded ghost clan member who only wanted to fight insects possibly have?

"When did you sneak into the warehouse?" Xiao Yi asked. "How did you get past the two soldiers standing guard at the entrance?"

"It was around two or three in the morning. I didn't come through the main gate, but climbed over the fence. Luckily, my butt is tough. I took the hit but was fine!" Araki Ichito said truthfully. "Around dawn, Shinobu climbed in with a rope and scared away a huge scorpion that had flown onto the box."

“You should have arrived here by the time the other warehouse incident occurred,” Xiao Yi analyzed. “Did you hear any strange noises then?”

Yi Dou shook his head sincerely.

"Alright, you guys go back," Xiao Yi reminded them. "Don't come to places like this again. I'm not here all the time."

Thanks, bro!

As Yidou and Ren walked outside, Xiao Yi suddenly remembered something and abruptly stopped them.

"Wait a minute!"

Chapter 203 The Slime's Hidden Function

Yi Dou had already anticipated that Xiao Yi would tell him to stop. He straightened his hair, turned around with a flourish, and looked at Xiao Yi with bright eyes.

"I think I've pretty much guessed it. Something went missing from your warehouse, and you need to rely on my power to solve the case, right?" The young demon said boastfully and confidently. "When the soldiers of the Heavenly Territory surrounded me and Ren, who hadn't done anything, I knew that something else must have happened here, which is why the soldiers were so nervous."

"Well... although it sounds heartless, it's actually none of your business, Ichidou." Xiao Yi scratched his head and said apologetically, "Sorry, if you want, you can have breakfast in the military camp before going back to Narukami Island. Our meals basically don't contain any soy products."

"Huh?" Yidou stood there, stunned. "Then why did you tell us not to leave?"

"Little girl with green hair, I heard you've passed many certification exams." Xiao Yi looked at Jiuqi Ren and asked, "Could you tell me the details?"

Hisaki Shinobu nodded and quickly listed his services, as if reciting a menu: "Legal consultation, business negotiations, banquet catering, custom clothing, criminal investigation..."

"Stop, this is it!" Xiao Yi said. "We happen to need detective-type talent right now, and it would be great if you could help us."

Ayaka Kamisato leaned closer to Xiao Yi, puzzled, and asked in a low voice, "Why did you just reject the suggestion from Mr. Kanoen, the detective from the Tenryo Territory, but now you're asking Ms. Hisaki Shinobu for help? Do you think she's more professional than the professionals?"

“This isn’t a matter of professionalism or not. With all my senses activated, I have eyes that can see a thousand miles, ears that can hear the wind, and a dog’s nose. There’s no clue in the world that can escape my tracking. The investigation phase is just a pastime.” Xiao Yi also lowered his voice to explain to Ling Hua, “If I want to, I can arrest the criminal who stole the crystallized bone marrow at any time. Who the assistant is is not the point. Even if the most skilled detective comes to help me, it won’t speed up the investigation.”

The reason he didn't do it immediately was because Xiao Yi wanted to experience the fun of reasoning, and the loss of half a ton of crystallized bone marrow wouldn't affect the continuation of the project.

Ayaka asked, even more puzzled, "Of course I know you have the ability to solve cases, but does that have anything to do with recruiting Miss Hisaki Shinobu?"

Xiao Yi continued in a low voice, "Because she's a pretty girl, pleasing to the eye."

The answer was direct and straightforward, leaving no room for rebuttal, so Ayaka chose not to delve any further.

"How could we let Shinobu steal the spotlight!" Araki Ichito said, hands on his hips. "Brother Xiao, how about I join in too?"

“Wandering,” Xiao Yi replied.

They left the temporary warehouse. Meanwhile, the investigation results of the workers' dormitory were released. Linghua went to hear the report in place of Xiao Yi, while Xiao Yi, along with the ghost youth and his men, went to the warehouse where the incident had occurred.

The three walked to the place where the crystallized bone marrow was lost; the empty wooden box still stands there.

Xiao Yi asked Yi Dou, "Suppose the box contains crystallized bone marrow. If your task is to carry all the goods in the box and quickly escape from the warehouse, is there any way to do this without alerting the guards?"

After pondering for a moment with his stiff head, Yi Dou said, "I can carry all this stuff and run, but it will be much more difficult if I don't make a sound."

Hisaki Shinobu quickly got into the zone and analyzed, "In other words, the culprit used a quiet and swift method to steal this important shipment... Hmm? The walls are wet."

"I'm amazed you could spot it." Xiao Yi looked at the marks on the wall. "Now that the sun is out, the marks have faded considerably compared to before."

"The question is, what do these water stains represent?" Xiao Yi said. "If the water stains are related to the missing goods, how could the criminals have used water to take the goods?"

Hisaki Shinobu asked in confusion, "Why do you think the culprit stole the goods with water? Speaking of water, shouldn't it be used to wash away certain evidence...?" She suddenly realized, "Wait, I see, Narukami Ichiko-sama, I understand what you mean!"

Xiao Yi didn't even know what he meant. Washing away evidence with water is the only common sense. He was just saying it casually as an outsider. But it was precisely this casual remark that gave Ren the inspiration to break free from her fixed mindset and find a breakthrough in the problem.

The information was so complex that Yi Dou's mind couldn't process it, so he chose to give up thinking and scratch his head in frustration, leaving all the brain work to his follower.

"Please wait a moment," said Shinobu Hisaki.

She quickly ran to the box next to her, took out ordinary ore and put it into the box that originally stored crystallized bone marrow, and then left Xiao Yi and Yi Dou behind and left the temporary warehouse.