Chapter 160 Final Checklist

Leave the ancient Yue sword shop.

Ouyang Rong and his entourage returned to Luming Street in a grand procession.

Perhaps it's because I'm in a good mood today, or perhaps it's to ease the embarrassment of neglecting Shen Xisheng when I bought cakes for my senior brother not long ago, or maybe it's to help my senior brother distribute some benefits.

Xie Lingjiang paid for everyone's breakfast out of his own pocket.

For this early morning raid on the Guyue Sword Shop, everyone gathered before dawn under Ouyang Rong's leadership, and almost all of them came on an empty stomach.

During the Great Zhou Dynasty, apart from the wealthy, most people ate only two meals a day, making breakfast particularly important.

Ouyang Rong had just eaten a bowl of scallion noodle soup with an old craftsman at the sword shop's morning market, so he wasn't hungry.

But when he heard his junior sister mention it, he looked at Yan Liulang and the others, and his face immediately showed some embarrassment.

So when they heard their junior sister's suggestion, the group's convoy stopped in front of a busy breakfast stall in the bustling East Market, not far from Luming Street.

However, Shen Xisheng seemed to have some other matters to attend to, so he smiled and declined his "virtuous niece's" invitation to dinner, and returned to Luming Street first.

Before leaving, he couldn't help but tease her, "It seems Uncle Shen won't be able to enjoy his niece's sugar-coated fried dough."

Xie Lingjiang's face flushed slightly.

On the other hand, Yan Liulang and the others were quite unceremonious in their gratitude for Xie Lingjiang's generosity.

Anyway, everyone in the county government knew that for Xie, who was disguised as a man, these were just small change. They wouldn't possibly bankrupt the Xie family of Chen County.

So Yan Liulang and the others winked at Ouyang Rong, then turned around and began to eat heartily.

Only Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang were left alone in the same spot.

Ouyang Rong couldn't help but take another look at his junior sister. He felt that she seemed to have changed since the day of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. For example, she had become more considerate and sensible, and more capable of handling things.

We started to identify and address any shortcomings in his knowledge as the senior disciple.

"Junior Sister, won't you go and have something to eat?"

Xie Lingjiang shook her head.

Ouyang Rong stood beside the carriage with his sleeves folded, turned his head and explained:

"For some reason, Lord Shen has postponed his trip these past few days and is still staying in Longcheng, so I invited him to come with me this morning."

Xie Lingjiang nodded and glanced at her senior brother.

The latter looked at her and asked curiously:

"When I returned to Meiluyuan last time, I saw Lord Shen's men coming and going from the Su residence. Lord Shen, like my teacher, is also an old friend of the Su family patriarch; they studied together in Chang'an before?"

He paused, then chuckled:

"Uncle Su, could he be some kind of retired Confucian scholar? I'm so ignorant."

Xie Lingjiang carefully observed her senior brother's expression and said calmly:

"Why don't you just ask Uncle Shen directly, or even Uncle Su?"

Ouyang Rong smiled and didn't continue the conversation.

Xie Lingjiang bit her lip and asked:

"This raid turned out to be fruitless. Senior Brother, aren't you a little disappointed?"

"I was mentally prepared. But things are unpredictable in this world, and who can say that they can always make perfect plans?"

Ouyang Rong shook his head slightly, his expression unchanged, as if stating a routine matter:

"Moreover, the Liu family has been castrated and can no longer cause much trouble. I have already set an example, and the people and gentry of Longcheng County will never allow the Liu family to ride on their heads again and act arrogantly."

"Unless it's an unexpected outside help, but that's outside the scope of our regular discussion."

Xie Lingjiang asked curiously, "Castration?"

Ouyang Rong nodded:

"The remaining prestige and influence that Liu Ziwen's family had accumulated in Longcheng County for more than ten years has been completely destroyed by the county-wide public trial. All the people in the county have seen that the so-called Liu family and Master Liu are not an omnipotent and invincible myth."

"Liu Ziwen is also a mortal. He will be tried by the county government and stabbed to death by other mortals. All that happened before was just a high wall built of fear, which will collapse with a push."

"I have personally taught everyone the methods of struggle."

At this point, Ouyang Rong sighed, then turned and said seriously:

“Junior Sister, what you’ve seen these past two days—the Liu family being universally reviled and forced to divide their property—is simply the natural consequence of their downfall. The people of the entire county no longer fear the Liu family, and that is the real reason for their downfall.”

Xie Lingjiang stared into his eyes and added, "This is also the result that Senior Brother wanted."

Ouyang Rong smiled.

"However, we must be thorough in eliminating evil. The case of the Jade Cup Fairy must be investigated thoroughly. We cannot let the Liu family, who are very likely the mastermind behind it all, go unpunished."

Ouyang Rong nodded, "Of course." He added, "But right now, my focus and that of the Longcheng County government are on flood control."

Xie Lingjiang pursed her lips, her gaze fixed on the man opposite her.

"So it turns out that my senior brother always knew exactly what he was doing."

Immediately, she said firmly, "I'll handle these minor clean-up tasks."

Ouyang Rong seemed to remember something and said absentmindedly, "Oh right, come back to Meiluyuan with me, I have some incriminating evidence to give you."

"Evidence?" Xie Lingjiang was taken aback.

After greeting Yan Liulang and the others, Ouyang Rong returned to the Plum Deer Garden with Xie Lingjiang shortly afterward. In the study of the Plum Grove Courtyard, he took out an item and handed it to Xie Lingjiang.

Xie Lingjiang looked down at the small blue cloth porcelain bottle in her hand, which was somewhat similar to the "fragrance bottle" that had been found on Liu Ziwen during the public trial.

I couldn't help but ask, "What is this...?"

After thinking for a moment, Ouyang Rong recounted in detail what happened at the ribbon-cutting ceremony that day.

"This item should be some kind of poison, which can be considered evidence. Junior Sister, take it and study it to see if you can find any evidence that can help solve the case."

Xie Lingjiang nodded thoughtfully and put the porcelain bottle away.

The two chatted for a while longer before Xie Lingjiang took the plum grove path and returned to Yilan Pavilion first.

Ouyang Rong watched her leave, then turned and closed the door.

I went to the desk.

He took several items from his waist and bosom, one after another.

A short while later.

A white sandalwood target knife lay quietly on the table.

A moonlight longsword that appeared after Liu Ziwen died.

A round bead that resembles neither stone nor jade.

Ouyang Rong turned his head to look in the direction of Longcheng County Government Office, where an official seal still lay quietly in the main hall.

These must be all the important things he has in this world.

Ouyang Rong stared at it for a while with his eyes lowered.

Extend your hand.

Then a rather strange scene unfolded at the desk.

He would sometimes tuck the white sandalwood dagger into his bosom, sometimes move the moonlight longsword aside, and sometimes push the luminous pearl forward at an angle...

Ouyang Rong looked thoughtful.

It seems they are considering some kind of allocation and ownership of them...

After a long while, he looked up and gazed at the empty study and the empty Deer Park.

Ouyang Rong was lost in thought.

A murmuring voice drifted around the table:

"After descending the mountain, it's finally almost over... Once we get through the last of the floods this rainy season, we can prepare to go home..."

The man at the table had an expression that was hard to tell whether he was happy or worried.

It looked more like a look of melancholy.

Before long, Ouyang Rong closed his eyes and went straight into the Merit Pagoda, which he hadn't visited in a long time.

The ancient pagoda stands tall amidst the clouds of the heart, its top shining brightly under the radiant light.

Ouyang Rong entered the tower.

I glanced at the long-silent bell and wooden fish.

He immediately turned his gaze to a particular point of interest.

[Merit: 14,288]

Ouyang Rong remembered that the original merit value was "12,081".

This series of actions, including the county-wide public trial, the dismemberment of the Liu family, and assisting in Liu Ziwen's death, has earned him nearly 2,200 merit points.

From this perspective, it seems that merit points are relatively difficult to increase, since even encountering an unexpected blessing can waste several thousand...

It seems the Liu family isn't much of a villain; they're not enough for him to bully... Ouyang Rong chuckled.

However, the Di Gong Sluice Gate has only just been completed and the Zhe Yi Canal is not yet fully operational. Therefore, the things he has been busy with these days have not yet fully manifested as merit points, and he still needs to wait quietly for a period of time for them to ferment.

Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze.

I didn't pay much attention to it.

In fact, ever since he reached more than 10,000 merit points, merit points have become just a string of numbers to him.

He was just slightly curious whether he could break through 20,000 merit points before returning home, making it a round number...

Ouyang Rong gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Turn around and leave the Pagoda of Merit.

I opened my eyes; it was the study.

Ouyang Rong, who was about to get up and leave, covered his mouth and yawned.

For some reason, he's been sleeping quite soundly these past few nights...

(PS: The next chapter will be at midnight tonight, I'm sure! I'll write something you guys might want to read!)

By the way, while reading this, I'd like to recommend a good friend's Xianxia novel, "The White Snake Immortal in the World." The author is handsome, the book is great, and most importantly, he updates every day with incredible speed and efficiency—he's a prolific writer! I'm so jealous I could burst!

(End of this chapter)