Chapter 29, Headless

The thin, long, bright red mark between his brows was glaringly obvious. As General Li's body fell backward, Lu Huantang's previous unbridled anger instantly cooled. He turned his head and immediately saw a figure flash by, followed by countless people rushing towards them.

Lu Huantang immediately gave chase, but couldn't make out who the person was. Instead, a group of guards heard the noise and rushed over, only to find the body lying on the ground.

At this moment, Lu Huantang appeared pale and terrifying, like a ghost. Someone in the crowd shouted, "The general has been killed by him!"

The crowd immediately swarmed forward, forming a human mountain that pinned Lu Huantang to the ground. They dragged him to the camp, where they saw that what had been a thin, long wound was now a sword-thick gash. The thin, long wound had been completely covered, leaving no trace.

Such a meticulously planned scheme reignited Lu Huantang's anger. At this moment, his mind was in turmoil, and he couldn't figure out who it was for.

Lu Huantang, his head pinned to the ground, ignored his newly scabbed wounds and roared, "I didn't kill him! Someone killed the general! Seal off all the exits and check everyone!"

While everyone was still stunned, Lu Huantang said again, "I can't escape! If you hurry up, the murderer will be even less likely to escape."

Qi Er came out and directed people to block all the exits. Then he twisted Lu Huantang's hands behind his back and personally vouched for him.

While waiting for the search, Qi Er had Lu Huantang examine the wound carefully. Looking at the strangely shaped wound, Qi Er whispered, "This shape perfectly matches your sword. Think about who you've offended recently. I'll find someone to stop him right away."

For some reason, Lu Huantang's mind was still foggy, and sweat was dripping from his head. He thought for a long time and said, "I can't figure it out. Maybe it's because I became someone else's path to promotion."

The two checked every inch of the wall again, but there were no small holes or mechanisms. The hidden weapon was either shot by someone inside the house or the moment the door was opened.

Searching individuals one by one is slow, and if weapons are hidden, burying them anywhere will give you enough time. Time ticked by, and Lu Huantang's heart grew colder and colder.

Sure enough, apart from his sword, there were no other matching murder weapons. The perpetrator was also not found. The person who accidentally pushed open the door was a servant who served tea and water. Although he was physically strong, he had no martial arts skills, let alone the ability to throw a hidden weapon under the noses of the two highly skilled martial artists.

It's absolutely impossible for someone who doesn't know martial arts!

All the evidence pointed to him, not to mention that some people had witnessed it firsthand. Even if Qi Er wanted to show favoritism, he had no evidence whatsoever, so he could only say that he would be executed once sufficient evidence was available, and that he would be imprisoned first.

As Lu Huantang passed by the crowd of onlookers, he saw Zhang Wanchun. As he passed Zhang Wanchun, Lu Huantang whispered, "Keep an eye on that room for me and see who goes in."

Zhang Wanchun opened his mouth, but Lu Huantang had already been led away, so he didn't say anything and slowly lowered his head.

Lu Huantang, who was respected just the day before, was now in prison. His wound had already reopened when he struggled, and blood was gushing out, making him shiver violently from the cold.

Suddenly, the prison gates opened, and Jiang Linzhi rushed to him, asking seriously about the entire incident. The more she spoke, the deeper her brows furrowed. Suddenly, she made a strange gesture, grabbing at him.

A thin wisp of smoke rose from the tip of his nose, vanishing in an instant. Jiang Linzhi's face turned cold, and he said anxiously, "It's a 'Dispersing Smoke' (化一散). People who smell it are prone to losing control of their emotions, and their senses are not as sensitive as usual. Have you encountered any strange people today, the kind who deliberately get very close to you?"

Today, too many people were standing very close to him. Lu Huantang's mind finally returned to its usual clarity, and he said, "Zhang Wanchun, Deputy General Qi and several soldiers who are usually on good terms with him, soldiers who received rewards, and General Li..." Lu Huantang looked at Jiang Linzhi and stopped talking.

"And me? You can leave me out for now; this won't benefit me at all." Jiang Linzhi didn't care, and said, "You must live until I come back. That's my only requirement for you." Then he left.

The door closed again, and Lu Huantang closed his eyes, reviewing everything that had happened that day in his mind, leaving no detail out. He couldn't just wait to die or wait to be rescued; he had to find that person.

The imperial officials arrived quickly, thoroughly inspected every place, and questioned everyone. There was no progress.

On the day he was escorted to the capital, Lu Huantang was locked in an iron prison cart. He couldn't see what was happening outside, but he could clearly hear the cursing and spitting.

"Killing a few Wu soldiers and then killing your own people, what kind of skill is that?"

"Madman! Prisoner! Skin him alive and hang him on the city wall!"

"I heard he used to be very arrogant. He just got to the top by selling his body, right? What's there to be so arrogant about?"

"Selling your ass, tell me more, who is it?"

"Who else could it be but the nobles in the capital? They all have a taste for this."

"General Li has always been fair in rewarding and punishing, so he must know about his dirty deeds. I heard that he also took credit for the military achievements of those brothers who died in battle, even though he did nothing himself."

...

The clamor of conversation seeped into the sealed metal prison van, echoing throughout the metal walls, making Lu Huantang breathless and agitated.

General Li has guarded the border for many years. To outsiders, he is a powerful and influential general; to his own people, he is a kind and gentle elder. The soldiers who were previously resentful of the rewards and punishments are now the very ones who are cursing him. In any case, it is someone else's military merit earned with their lives. Whether they feel sorry for him or curse him, it is someone else's, and they will not gain anything from it.

So they choose the posture that makes them most comfortable. After all, looking up at others can make your neck sore, while looking down gives them a sense of superiority.

Lu Huantang didn't have time to be pessimistic. He secretly pulled out the small copper wire from the rope and fumbled to poke it into the keyhole. If one path didn't work, he'd try another. After being abandoned so many times, he'd developed a bit of a "what's the use" attitude.

The moment one door was opened, the prison cart stopped. Lu Huantang instantly became fully alert, and then a secret anticipation arose in his heart. Jiang Linzhi had been gone for several days, and something should have happened by now. So he pressed himself against the iron wall, listening to the sounds outside.

After a series of hoofbeats, Cui Jiu's voice was exceptionally clear, reaching into the sealed prison cart: "The Regent has ordered that we immediately return to the border to re-examine the assassination case."

Lu Huantang rolled his eyes helplessly. He had just thought Jiang Linzhi was reliable, but with the Regent's investigation, he was even more doomed. After a slight disappointment, Lu Huantang cautiously listened to the noises outside and continued to pick the lock with the copper wire.

Suddenly, footsteps approached, and Lu Huantang stopped what he was doing, putting his hands behind his back.

If Cui Jiu was the only expert outside, he could easily kill the person who opened the door and escape. Thinking this, Lu Huantang gripped the copper wire in his hand and silently channeled his inner strength.

The moment the blinding light shone in, Lu Huantang closed his eyes, listened to the sound to pinpoint the location, and prepared to shoot out the copper wire to kill the enemy in one blow.

A breeze rushed in from outside, carrying the faint scent of Xunling. He opened his eyes, but the blinding sunlight made him close them again. Then he slowly opened his eyes, his expression a mixture of shock and confusion, making it hard to describe.

Jiang Linzhi looked at his expression with the same puzzlement, got into the prison cart and was about to start unlocking his locks when he said, "You're surprised to see me? I already told you I'd go and figure something out."

"Cui Jiu is right outside," Lu Huantang said in a low voice, thinking Jiang Linzhi was going to hijack the car. "Did you hire someone to impersonate him?"

Jiang Linzhi looked at the unlocked chains with a look of relief that he had arrived early, and said, "It's all true. Not only Cui Jiu, but the Regent is here too. If I had kidnapped you, neither of us would have been able to stay here. Are you out of your mind?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Huantang's relief at not acting on his own vanished completely, and he was filled with curiosity about Jiang Linzhi's true intentions.

Jiang Linzhi unbuttoned his clothes, revealing large, festering wounds accompanied by a slightly fishy stench. It seemed he wasn't having a good time in prison, and someone was probably hoping he would die.

Jiang Linzhi laid out the medicine box and said while applying the medicine, "The deal you made with him saved your life, so I came with him to help you."

Regarding the deal involving the Regent's mother's corpse, Lu Huantang asked in a low voice, "Do you know where it is?"

"I told him a long time ago, it's already burned to ashes and stuck to the soles of his shoes, or maybe the wind or fire has dried it. Who knows where it is now?" Jiang Linzhi muttered softly.

That answer is indeed quite reasonable, but the Regent certainly wouldn't believe it. Lu Huantang said, "Then why doesn't he believe it? He was there at the time, wasn't he?"

"He's here, but he hit his head and isn't very bright," Jiang Linzhi said with a look of disgust.

This was a perfunctory remark, bordering on being dismissive, but it made perfect sense when applied to Jiang Linzhi. Lu Huantang didn't know what to ask, so he simply mentioned the several possibilities he had deduced over the past few days.

After applying the medicine, Jiang Linzhi patted his chest and assured him, "You have to believe me. The fact that I was able to get him here means there's a chance things will turn around." He then locked the door again and warned, "Don't do anything rash!"

On the surface, everything seemed calm, but Lu Huantang had been on tenterhooks for the past few days. Now, however, he relaxed and leaned lazily against the iron wall, laughing, "The imperial title is gone, and so are the benefits. How sad."

Jiang Linzhi recalled the kiss that had been interrupted, her ears burning slightly. She raised an eyebrow, threw the silk cloth at him, and poured a basin of hot water, saying, "Pah, you're about to die, and you're still thinking about that kind of thing! Hurry up and clean yourself up, I can't even bring myself to kiss you."

The iron gate closed, and darkness returned to his vision. Lu Huantang felt much more comfortable. He dipped his finger in water and reached inside his clothes to gently wipe his body. In the darkness, only the sound of his peaceful breathing could be heard.

After handing over the keys to the prison cart, Jiang Linzhi's previously playful and joking expression turned cold. This matter was more difficult than she had imagined. Under the watchful eyes of the guards, Jiang Linzhi boarded a carriage the size of a teahouse.

There was no incense burning in the carriage, only the faint aroma of tea. Jiang Jinyi, sitting in the center, turned a page of a document, not even sparing her a glance, and said coldly, "Do you know who the murderer is?"

"have no idea."

"I am too busy with state affairs to help you investigate the case. I will give you two more days at most. If you still cannot find the answer, I will personally oversee the execution to avoid any further trouble on the way."

Jiang Linzhi is just stalling for time, but every extra day gives him a better chance of finding the murderer.

Jiang Jinyi didn't want to watch how Jiang Linzhi reasoned or searched for people. He looked down at her with an undeniable air of authority and said, "Crawl over here and give this king a leg massage."