Chapter 201 Do I look like someone who's easy to fool?
Bai Xiuming's expression turned serious: "Under normal circumstances, the Mingjing Division cannot arbitrarily take on cases from other government departments."
Achan pouted and immediately let go of his hand. When she saw him reach out, she slapped his hand back.
With a loud "snap," the constables nearby gasped. Bai Xiuming merely smiled, then casually walked to Ji Zhuang's corpse, crouching down to observe his complexion.
"I just heard people outside say that he drowned?"
He looked up at the yamen runners of the Jingzhao Prefecture beside him.
The constables exchanged glances, then beckoned to the coroner who was standing in the corner. The coroner stepped forward somewhat awkwardly and replied, "Yes, sir."
Bai Xiuming looked at the coroner: "How did they drown?"
“He drowned from the wine in the bowl.” The coroner, afraid that he wouldn’t believe him, explained in detail, “After the wine entered the mouth and nose, the deceased’s throat was irritated and he couldn’t breathe, eventually suffocating himself. I, I also classify this kind of death as drowning.”
"Didn't the people in the tavern notice anything wrong with him?" Even if he died this way, he should have struggled before he died from suffocation.
"Sir, the tavern owner and other customers all said they didn't see the deceased struggle," a constable interjected.
"A perfectly healthy person, dying but not even struggling..."
Bai Xiuming touched Ji Zhuang's forehead with his finger, then removed it after a moment. His fingertip was stained with a gray tinge, but it quickly disappeared.
The speed was so fast that Achan thought she was seeing things.
"May I ask, sir, what is that?" While A-Chan was still doubting herself, the head constable had already asked, as they had all seen that gray figure.
“The demonic aura lingers.” Bai Xiuming took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands. “It dissipated very quickly, leaving only a tiny trace, suggesting that he may have been possessed.”
Hearing him say this, the constables breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the case was no longer under their jurisdiction, and they wouldn't be scolded by their superiors when they got back. This hot potato could be rightfully handed over to the Mingjing Division.
"How should this case be handled next?" the head constable asked Bai Xiuming for his opinion.
"Please send two people to the Mingjing Division to meet with Commander Feng Yang and have him bring his men to take over the case."
"This humble official will immediately send someone to the Mingjing Division."
Without any orders, two constables immediately pushed through the crowd and headed towards the Mingjing Division.
Some of the remaining officials stayed behind to guard the witnesses, while the rest began to systematically disperse the onlookers.
Bai Xiuming got up and walked back to Achan's side to take her hand. He was patted again, but this time it was very light, allowing him to successfully hold her soft little hand in his palm.
"You're not angry anymore?"
Ah Chan rolled her eyes at him: "Aren't we not allowed to take on cases from other government departments at will?"
"Since there was an accident, it's perfectly legitimate to take over."
"Oh, what if nothing unexpected happens?"
Bai Xiuming whispered in her ear, "Then let's create an accident."
Achan finally spared Bai Xiuming a glance: "Lord Bai, you really don't look like a good person."
"You flatter me."
Not long after, people from the Mingjing Division arrived.
Feng Yang led a group of Mingjing Guards to surround the tavern, and the lingering crowd quickly dispersed.
After the yamen runners of the Jingzhao Prefecture explained the case clearly, they immediately left, leaving only the Mingjing Siwei to take over the crime scene.
Feng Yang entered the tavern and first greeted Bai Xiuming: "My lord."
Bai Xiuming nodded and calmly instructed, "Find out his whereabouts these days, who he has been in contact with, and anything involving the Marquis of Jinyang's residence. Don't alert him."
"Yes," Feng Yang replied immediately.
"Now that the excitement is over, are you going home?" Bai Xiuming shifted his attention from Feng Yang back to A Chan.
“Of course, let’s go.” Ah Chan was quick-witted and hurriedly pulled him out, afraid that he would change his mind.
"Please take care, sir. Please take care, Miss Ji."
There were no further incidents on the road, and the carriage successfully delivered Achan back to Changpingfang.
The door to the incense shop was closed; the shop was not open to the public.
After getting off the carriage, Achan ignored Bai Xiuming behind her, lifted her skirt and walked into the shop. As soon as she pushed open the door, she started calling out, "Huiniang, Huiniang, I'm back!"
In the blink of an eye, Chen Hui appeared in the shop.
Chen Hui walked a few steps to A Chan and looked her up and down carefully: "Are you injured?"
"I'm fine." A-Chan spun around in place to prove she was alright, then asked, "What about you? Were you injured that day?"
Chen Hui shook her head: "I'm fine, but my body was forcibly suppressed. I was conscious but couldn't wake up. It was the Mingjing Division who woke me up."
Meanwhile, the people from the Mingjing Division told her that Achan had been safely brought back, so she didn't rush to look for her.
As the two were talking, Bai Xiuming also walked in. Chen Hui glanced at the man who had appeared there and saw that his gaze was fixed on A Chan. She understood and figured that the two had reconciled.
Although I don't know what they've been through these past few days, it's a good thing to see that Achan is finally no longer so lifeless.
"It's past noon, would you like to stay for some tea and snacks, Lord Bai?" Chen Hui asked politely.
“He doesn’t need it.” Before Bai Xiuming could speak, A Chan had already answered for him.
Bai Xiuming raised an eyebrow at A Chan, who turned around and pushed him away: "Lord Bai, the safety of the people in the capital rests on your shoulders. Go and investigate the case."
Helpless, Bai Xiuming could only follow her lead and walk out, saying as he went, "I brought you back, and you won't even give me a sip of water?"
"Aren't you thirsty!"
"I actually..."
Achan didn't give him a chance to speak at all, pushed him out the door, and said crisply, "Go to your shift, Master Bai, goodbye."
Seeing her impatient look, Bai Xiuming chuckled. She used to know how to coax him, but now she wouldn't even pretend and skipped the whole process.
Is it so easy to take advantage of him?
After finally seeing the person off, Achan ran back to the shop like a little butterfly, circling around Chen Hui and complaining to her, "I almost didn't make it back this time."
For Achan to say that, something extremely dangerous must have happened. Chen Hui frowned and said, "That Northern Wilderness King is simply lawless. What is he like now? Is there any way to deal with him?"
When Bai Zhanhuang was mentioned, Achan didn't react strongly. She thought for a moment before saying, "We probably don't need to think of a way to deal with him anymore."
"Could it be that the imperial court has intervened?" Chen Hui shook his head, dismissing the guess. After all, that was a prince; the imperial court would never act rashly. Besides that, there was only one other person left. "What did Lord Bai do?"
"Hmm." Achan nodded. "Bai Zhanhuang is probably in line to be reincarnated right now."
Chen Hui was shocked: "He...is dead?"
"If nothing unexpected happens, yes."
Although Bai Xiuming didn't say it, Achan felt that given his personality, he wouldn't allow an accident to happen.
She had no thoughts about Bai Zhanhuang's death. They had long been on opposite sides. Bai Zhanhuang didn't mind her killing the Empress Dowager, but she was very concerned about being hunted down.
Even if it was because of a curse that she was bound to suffer this fate sooner or later, she remembered clearly those who had wronged her and never intended to let them go.
Achan was slightly distracted when she suddenly heard birds chirping, seemingly nearby.
Seeing her looking around, Chen Hui said with a smile, "You forgot, the Qinggeng bird you bought was just delivered by the hunting shop yesterday."
It should have been delivered long ago, but due to an unexpected incident, the hunting shop clerk had to make the trip once a day, and only yesterday did he finally deliver the Green-Ploughing Bird to Chen Hui.
Having experienced so much these past few days, Achan had long forgotten about the Qinggeng bird. Upon hearing Chen Hui's words, she hurriedly went to the backyard to check on her little bird.
The blue-feathered bird is only the size of a magpie, with blue feathers. It is kept in a purple bamboo birdcage and chirps incessantly. If it were a person, it would definitely be a chatterbox.
Achan lost interest after watching for a while. When she bought the Green-Ploughing Bird, she was looking into the demon hidden in the shadows of the Lin family. She didn't know if the demon was still in the capital after all these days.
Thinking of this, her heart suddenly skipped a beat. Demonic energy was scarce, and it was rare for a demon to possess a human. Ji Zhuang's death was related to this. Wasn't it the same when the Lin family members were possessed before? It's just that those two times didn't result in any deaths.
Perhaps there is some connection between the two?
Ah Chan picked up a bamboo skewer and teased the Qinggeng bird in the cage. She had already spent the money, so she couldn't just buy the bird for nothing.
Once she's rested, she still needs to go and search for the demon's whereabouts.
Having arranged her next itinerary, Ah Chan's excitement had subsided a bit. She yawned, and two tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
Bai Xiuming was inhuman last night; she was too exhausted and needed to go back and catch up on her sleep.
After saying goodbye to Chen Hui, A Chan returned to her room. Perhaps because she was more relaxed at home, she slept until dusk.
When I woke up, the aroma of food was already wafting in from outside the window.
Ah Chan figured it out and there would be roast chicken for dinner tonight.
She quickly got up, casually tidied her hair, put on her shoes, and ran outside. As soon as she stepped out, she saw Bai Xiuming coming out of the kitchen.
"Why are you here again?" Achan's tone was full of disdain.
"Just passing by, can I have a drink of water?"
It's clear that Bai Xiuming is quite resentful about not getting that glass of water during the day.
"Oh, how's the case going?" Achan asked casually, not holding out much hope, since only half a day had passed.
"We only found out that Ji Zhuang had visited the Marquis of Jinyang's residence before his death, which suggests that he had a conflict with the Marquis of Jinyang. Also, the cause of his son's death was exactly the same as his."
"His son's body was not buried?" This is truly surprising.
"He stored the coffin containing his son's body in an ice cellar; otherwise, these things wouldn't have been found."
Achan pondered for a moment: "Based on these facts alone, I'm afraid it won't implicate the Marquis of Jinyang."
She made no attempt to conceal her intentions, fearing that the Marquis of Jinyang might suffer this time.
Bai Xiuming chuckled and reassured him, "Don't worry, if this matter is truly related to him, he can't escape it."
Achan wasn't in a hurry; she had plenty of time now, but she still asked, "What if it has nothing to do with him?"
"Then let's find another opportunity to cause him to have an accident."
Achan liked this answer.
As the two were talking, the birdsong never stopped. Bai Xiuming turned his attention to the birdcage hanging in the yard and asked in confusion, "Why did you suddenly think of raising blue-feathered birds? These birds are very noisy."
"Of course it's useful."
She turned her gaze to Bai Xiuming. Originally, she had planned to rest and recuperate before taking Huiniang with her, but now she had found a better candidate.
Achan sidled up to Bai Xiuming, her eyes crinkling with a smile: "Lord Bai, I'll take you out to play after dinner, okay?"
Bai Xiuming glanced at her and pinched her pointed chin: "That's how you lied to me last night. Do I look like someone who's easy to fool?"
Achan gave him a look that told him to figure it out for himself. Didn't he know what kind of person he was? Of course, he was easy to fool.
However, upon hearing him mention last night, she immediately became dissatisfied and said, "You didn't suffer any loss last night, so don't act innocent after getting the benefit. Just agree already."
"Okay, so where are you taking me tonight, Ah Chan? Can we do it all at once?"
Achan blushed, feeling teased, and feigned anger, saying, "Why ask so many questions? You'll find out when the time comes."
Chen Hui's dinner was light, but Bai Xiuming brought a roast chicken with him, which A Chan was very satisfied with and forgave his act of coming to freeload.
After finishing their meal, the sun set and it got dark outside. Ah Chan looked at the sky and realized that there wasn't much time left before curfew.
After Bai Xiuming put down his chopsticks, she greeted Chen Hui, then pulled her into the courtyard and took down the birdcage, handing it to her.
"Why are you giving me this?"
Bai Xiuming picked up the birdcage and stared at the Qinggeng bird. The chirping bird immediately stiffened and fell silent, showing that it was a sensible bird that valued its life.
You should know about the Lin family, right?
"Um."
Achan suddenly leaned close to him: "There are many Lin families in the capital, how did you know which one I was talking about?"
Bai Xiuming didn't hide anything from her and said directly, "Someone from your maternal grandfather's family came to the Mingjing Division to report that you had changed a lot and were suspected of being possessed."
Ah Chan understood: "You guessed my identity back then?"
“Not only that.” Bai Xiuming sneered. “Bai Zhanhuang went to great lengths to find out your identity, and the Lin family was just one of them.”
"It's a pity you disappointed him." Achan found it amusing; her argument with Bai Xiuming had nothing to do with their identities.
It's no wonder Bai Zhanhuang guessed wrong. Anyone who has investigated Bai Xiuming should know his hostility towards the demon race. Who would have thought that he could even vary his own taboos from person to person?
"So, this bird is related to the Lin family?" Bai Xiuming steered the conversation back on track.
“Yes.” Achan nodded. “When I was in the Lin family, I felt that the Taoist priest Lü in the family had ill intentions. He had lured a demon into the bodies of the Lin family members in order to make them suspect my identity.”
"Demons? I sent people to the Lin family, but they didn't find any trace of demons. That Taoist priest also ran away."
"It's just my guess, so I made some incense powder. If there really is a demon, this green-eyed bird will lead us to its trail."
"Really?" Bai Xiuming became interested. "Then let me see for myself."
He opened the birdcage door, and the blue-gray ploughbird stared warily at Bai Xiuming. Seeing that he didn't move, it tentatively stretched out one claw, and then another.
Having made sure it wouldn't be caught and taken back, the Green-Ploughing Bird spread its wings and took flight.
Bai Xiuming put down the birdcage and chased after them with Achan.
The blue-feathered bird doesn't fly very high or very fast, and it's also very curious. It flies and stops along the way, occasionally stopping to watch the hustle and bustle of people passing by.
Although the Green-Ploughing Bird's attention was easily diverted, its destination remained clear. It led the two through several markets and finally flew into a mansion.
Bai Xiuming and Achan stood outside the mansion. Achan looked up at the plaque of the Marquis of Jinyang's residence and chuckled, "Lord Bai, you're about to make a name for yourself again."
Indeed, it came without any effort at all.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com