That wretched vixen has disguised herself as my wife!

Jiang Jingming then realized that there wasn't much of a smile in her eyes, only a desolate warmth like falling snow.

Finally, don't try to save her.

She seemed to sigh softly.

“She can’t walk or breathe in water, and she lives only on her love and attachment to that person. I know what you’re thinking, but that’s not salvation, that’s murder.”

Chapter Thirty-Two: Mondra

Jiang Jingming did have a fleeting thought of saving the merman, but upon closer reflection, things were indeed as Fang Zhiyi had said.

Transformed into a merman by a secret technique, yet unable to breathe in seawater or walk on land, they are confined to a water tank for their entire lives, relying on others for care.

At most, we can only give her a bigger water tank.

And she can't live without the person who's using her as a cash cow, even if it's a ruthless scam.

Jiang Jingming looked at the middle-aged man busily picking up money with a complicated expression.

I wonder if he ever feels a pang of pity for this silly girl who thinks she's a mermaid, when he faces her every day.

Probably not.

He made a lot of money from these performances, and he had plenty of beautiful women to choose from. He probably wouldn't be interested in seeing this modified little monster again.

"By the way, Young Master Jing. Rather than the story of the merfolk, which has nothing to do with you, there is something else I want to tell you."

Fang Zhiyi pretended to have an expression that said, "Oh dear, how could I have forgotten about this?"

"Please feel free to speak."

Jiang Jingming had no choice but to continue along with her.

“There is a plant in the deep rainforests of Cenzhou called Mengtuo Luo. It looks like a withered vine, and its sap can drive wild animals mad. Locals often throw it into snake dens to make them kill each other.”

Jiang Jingming had read about Cenzhou in a book.

Cenzhou is located in the southwest of the mainland, covered with swamps and rainforests, and is shrouded in mist and miasma all year round, making it difficult for outsiders to enter.

Because of this unique climate, Cenzhou is home to both poisonous creatures that terrify ordinary people and countless precious and rare medicinal herbs.

Only the most mysterious and ancient primitive tribes live in Cenzhou. They live among snakes and insects and are skilled in using poison and witchcraft.

Legend has it that the girls of Cenzhou are as beautiful as flowers but as venomous as snakes. Once they have set their sights on someone, they will use witchcraft to force him into marriage, and the unfaithful man will suffer the terrible revenge of having his heart devoured by ten thousand witchcraft.

"Later, some outsiders mistakenly ate mondala. When its toxicity acted on humans, it was even more potent than that of wild beasts. The poisoned person slaughtered the entire caravan traveling with him, and then he too could not withstand it and exploded to death, just like that Lord Lu just now."

"Therefore, the locals of Cenzhou have designated the rainforests where mondra grows as forbidden areas, and do not allow outsiders to enter without permission. However, there are always people who have a demand for poisons like mondra, so those fearless caravans will try every means to collect this substance and then transport it to other places to sell at high prices."

Fang Zhiyi looked at Jiang Jingming with a gentle smile.

"Unfortunately, it's not easy to smuggle such prohibited drugs into a city like Shulan, which relies on trade. This is because the chief of the Inspection Division's main job is not to supervise and arrest, but to inspect goods and confiscate prohibited items."

"..."

The implication in her words was already quite clear, and Jiang Jingming stared quietly into her eyes.

Why are you telling me all this?

"As a frail doctor who happened to be passing by, it's perfectly reasonable for me to explain the source of the poison to a child who loves listening to stories, and to want him to be more careful in the future, right?"

Fang Zhiyi blinked, looking completely innocent.

Jiang Jingming recalled her words and re-examined the seemingly timid person in charge in his mind.

He was in a state of panic the whole time, but he immediately approached the fallen Master Fu under the pretext of checking his injuries, and he was also the first to notice Lu Zhao's abnormality.

It seems that he is subtly drawing everyone's attention, keeping the development of events under his control.

If, as Fang Zhiyi said, this poison called Mengdala is a prohibited item in the city and is very expensive, then as the head of the Inspection Division, he has sufficient reason to confiscate it and use it extensively.

None of the others present, such as the shopkeeper, the waiter, or even the bandits, had the means to obtain this poison.

With Xie Yunqi's personality, she wouldn't need to use poison to kill someone; she was still preoccupied with torturing Master Fu.

If Lu Zhaoru were the murderer, he wouldn't have nearly killed himself.

Similarly, if Aqing were to take action, she would only strike directly and kill him in one move.

Fang Zhiyi watched the whole thing from the sidelines. It's still unclear why she intervened to save people, but she's not the one who poisoned them.

So, the identity of the murderer is now obvious.

The question is, if the person in charge killed Master Fu because they were colluding and he was worried that it would be exposed during the subsequent interrogation, then what was his purpose in causing trouble at the Canglang Conference?

If he is indeed the murderer, why would he invite everyone to stay at his residence?

Could it be that they want to silence everyone and take advantage of the night when everyone is off guard to wipe them all out?

As Jiang Jingming was pondering, the performance of "The Moon Shines Over the Vast Sea" on stage ended. The mermaids bowed in respect, and the water vat was pushed back behind the curtain.

"It's over! It's over!"

Xie Yunqi let out a long sigh of relief, seemingly thoroughly enjoying the performance.

"The merfolk are truly beautiful. When I return, I will re-edit 'Travels in the Nine Provinces' and write an account of my experiences with the merfolk!"

Jiang Jingming hesitated for a moment about whether to stop this young lady from misleading young people, but in the end he gave up.

After all, if she knew about the fake merman, she would definitely smash the whole thing without a second thought and beat that scumbag boss to a pulp.

But she is probably helpless about everything that follows.

"Let's go, let's go. The courtyard where the person in charge is located is quite far away, and there are no carriages to ride in here."

Xie Yunqi jumped down from the railing and stretched.

Where is his yard?

Jiang Jingming asked casually.

Xie Yunqi thought for a moment, then pursed his lips.

"It's in the east of the city... or the west of the city, anyway, it's very remote and dilapidated! The youngest maid looks to me to be at least sixty years old."

"Perhaps he is an honest official."

Jiang Jingming remained unmoved.

"That's what I thought too, but let me tell you something."

Xie Yunqi stealthily beckoned him closer, gesturing for him to bring his ear closer.

The young lady had the fragrance of newly blossoming peach blossoms, much like a peach blossom spirit who had cultivated into human form and come to play in the human world.

"I saw that guy had several huge boxes of jade in his room! Agate, jadeite, all sorts of things!"

Agate and jade...

Jiang Jingming suddenly remembered the businessman that Song had mentioned the other day.

The merchant, under the pretext of encountering bandits, hid in the Hala tribe, loaded a large cart with agate and jade, and said he was going to send it to the Central Plains as a betrothal gift.

If it were up to Na Risong's personality, all it would take is a couple of casual remarks and a little provocation, and he would immediately start shouting with a defiant look on his face.

“What’s so great about going to Zhongzhou! I have a friend from Zhongzhou, I can just ask him if I need anything.”

As the head of the inspection department, he only needed to conduct a little investigation to find out that there was no jade merchant in the city named Jiang Jingming.

While sending bandits into Mangya to investigate, they also disguised themselves as a caravan to gather information from nearby herders.

That's why the bandits were considered big shots they couldn't afford to offend, because the people behind this matter were the government officials who had always turned a blind eye to them.

"..."

So, ultimately, it's all about him.

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Hanged Ghost

It's unclear whether this was the personal wish of the head of the inspection department, or whether he was representing the Shulan City government.

Jiang Jingming felt that the former was more likely, because if it were the government, they wouldn't need so many complicated procedures to investigate someone.

Therefore, the identity of the person in charge is worth pondering.

Jiang Jingming was now fairly certain that this person knew that the Duyue Sect really had a young master, and had roughly confirmed that he was that young master.

What kind of power is behind him?

If it were the Divine Capital Guard, Xie Yunqi and Lu Zhao wouldn't be completely unaware.

Jiang Jingming tried to calm himself down, but it felt as if a cold snake was crawling through his heart, gradually driving away those rational and calm thoughts from his mind.

You went to all this trouble to find me? Then I'll come see you.

"...I never imagined that someone who looked honest and unassuming could be corrupt! There isn't a single good person among the officials!"

Xie Yunqi was still walking ahead, muttering indignantly.

"Eh."

She turned around and paused for a moment.

"Jingming, why do you look like you want to eat someone? Do you want my tiger lantern?"

I can't figure out what's going on in this young lady's mind.

Jiang Jingming laughed and shook his head.

"I dare not steal your love."

As night deepened, the long streets of Shulan City gradually became deserted, with only a few taverns still having a few lights on at their entrances.

Xie Yunqi walked at the front with his hands behind his back, humming off-key syllables intermittently.

It sounds like the song "Moonlight Over the Vast Sea" from earlier.

Aqing walked at the very back, and Jiang Jingming felt that the bag was a bit heavy, but she picked it up lightly with one hand.

Fang Zhiyi walked to Jiang Jingming's left, her profile pale and cold in the moonlight, still with a half-smile.

Jiang Jingming's fingers rested on Wujiu's hilt, wondering what kind of trap he would fall into tonight.

The moment you step through the gate, a group of cops will be there, casting a wide net and shouting, "Catch the little devil of the Duyue Cult!"

Or they might take the bribery route; if you reveal the hiding place of the Moon Crossing Cult's demons, they'll spare your life and even give you a minor official position.

Could it be that the first thing you see upon entering is a whole room full of zombies infected with the Mondra? If so, it should be called the City of Corpse Calamity.

Just as I was lost in thought, I heard Xie Yunqi say "Hey," as if they had arrived.

She hesitated for a moment at the door, then raised her hand and knocked on the door knocker.

"Open the door! Open the door!"

The only sound on the quiet street was the young lady's voice.

Are you sure this is the right door?

Jiang Jingming walked to her side, looked up, and saw that there was no plaque on the door. It was indeed a deserted courtyard, but it couldn't be described as shabby.

"That's right! Open the door! The Imperial Guards are investigating a case!"

Xie Yunqi raised his voice.

"Miss Xie! Over here!"

Suddenly another voice came from behind the two of them. When they turned around, they saw the person in charge clinging to the door frame and waving at them.

Xie Yunqi quietly put down the door knocker, then walked over with his hands behind his back, pretending nothing had happened.

This happened so late at night; the neighbors across the street must have been terrified, trembling under their blankets, and thinking about all the mistakes they'd ever made in their lives.

"Miss Xie, Young Master Jing."

The person in charge still bowed respectfully.

Jiang Jingming's gaze swept over him quietly, and he nodded slightly.

Compared to the courtyard across the street, which was quiet but not shabby, the courtyard in charge was indeed as Xie Yunqi said, dilapidated and didn't look like the kind of place an official of a certain rank would live in.

"I am accustomed to a simple life, and I am deeply grateful for the honor of inviting you gentlemen to stay in my humble abode."

He cupped his hands in greeting and invited the group into the courtyard.