Su Yan looked at Tang Rong's apologetic face. Although she was very angry inside, she still maintained a smile.
"The body is gone, but surely the crime scene has been preserved?"
Tang Rong nodded, "Don't worry, Commander Su. The Prefect has been sending people to protect the scene, just waiting for Commander Su to come and investigate."
"In that case, please lead the way."
"good……"
After saying this, Tang Rong led the two away from the government office and boarded the carriage to the mortuary.
At this point, only the sturdy earthen walls of the mortuary remained standing; the wooden beams, doors, and windows had long since turned to ashes.
An ordinary fire would not be able to completely burn the roof beams, but now it seems that the fire that day was so intense that it was waiting to extinguish itself.
Upon arriving at the mortuary, Su Yan looked at the mess on the ground and walked into the area where the fire had been extinguished.
Su Yan stood in the courtyard, squatted down, and pinched some soil with her fingers; it was still slightly warm.
I put the soil to my nose and smelled it. In addition to the distinctive grassy and woody smell of burning charcoal, there was also a pungent smell of tung oil.
Su Yan frowned; the fire at the mortuary had indeed been deliberately set.
At this moment, Tang Rong walked to Su Yan's side and said with a smile, "Commander Su, I've brought you to the scene as well. I have some matters to attend to and cannot accompany you on your investigation."
When Tang Rong wanted to leave, Su Yan naturally didn't stop him.
With Shi Zhongyu's informants around, it's difficult for her to investigate the case, so she might as well go with the flow.
"Alright... I'd like to trouble you, Brother Tang, to give my regards to Prefect Shi and wish him a speedy recovery. I will visit him at his door another day."
"Don't worry, Commander Su, I will definitely deliver the message."
After saying that, Tang Rong turned around and walked towards the carriage.
Only Su Yan and Shen Yao remained.
Watching Tang Rong's departing figure, Shen Yao appeared behind Su Yan without her noticing, looking thoughtful. Suddenly, he asked, "Su Yan, do you think Tang Rong is strange?"
Su Yan raised her head and looked at Tang Rong's departing figure, but her gaze was drawn to the dense forest not far away, and she seemed to be deep in thought.
But she didn't delve into it further, turning to look at Shen Yao, finding his words somewhat inexplicable.
What's wrong with him?
Shen Yao frowned. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but I always feel like he's strange."
Shen Yao felt that Tang Rong was really strange. He felt like he had seen him somewhere before, but he couldn't quite put his finger on where.
"Never mind him for now, let's take a look at the case! Look what I found."
Su Yan's words instantly attracted Shen Yao's attention, and he walked over to her.
"Isn't this tacky?"
Su Yan nodded. "That's right, it is indeed soil, but there's something else in it. Smell it first..."
Shen Yao did as Su Yan said, put the soil under his nose and smelled it, and suddenly his pupils widened, "Tung oil has been mixed in here!"
Su Yan nodded, then shook her head. "This is tung oil that seeped into the soil after burning. The fire that engulfed the mortuary was deliberately set by someone."
"Do you think it's the Luo family or Shi Zhongyu?"
"I don't think it's Shi Zhongyu. Do you remember Jiageku?"
Shen Yao nodded, "But there's nothing inside..."
"Yes, it's precisely because there's nothing there that it shows Shi Zhongyu has been sidelined. The reason he didn't choose to see us is clearly a deliberate act to show the Luo family."
"So, what do we do next?"
Su Yan pouted and threw away the dirt in her hand. "Since all the evidence points to the Tusi of Suizhou, I should naturally pay him a visit in person."
Will the Luo family see us?
Su Yan stood up, looked at the distant mountains and forests, and a meaningful smile appeared on her lips. "Let's go. I think the Luo family is already waiting for us."
After speaking, Su Yan stood up, her gaze fixed on the dense jungle not far away.
"No need to hide anymore, come out!"
Actually, Su Yan had already seen the movement in the bushes when she looked at Tang Rong.
No wonder Tang Rong was in such a hurry to leave; he probably knew that the Luo family was following him.
As soon as he finished speaking, two men dressed as guards emerged from the bushes.
"Commander Su, my master requests your presence."
Su Yan and Shen Yao exchanged a knowing glance, then left the mortuary with the guards.
The Luo Mansion was built on a mountain island and was extremely magnificent.
He really is a carefree local tyrant.
Su Yan overcame one obstacle after another and finally led her to a garden.
Shen Yao did not follow along; he was taken to another place.
Su Yan looked around curiously. At that moment, a man was standing with his back to her.
Looking at the figure in front of her, Su Yan felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
"My name is Su Yan. May I ask who you are?"
When the man turned around and Su Yan saw his face clearly, she was stunned.
The man in front of them was Ma Er, whom the inn had captured.
Su Yan stared wide-eyed. The man in front of her looked exactly like Ma Er, but his clothes and demeanor were clearly those of a different person.
So Su Yan was a little unsure, "Are you Ma Er?"
Looking at Su Yan's surprised expression, Losang smiled calmly, "I'm not Ma Er, my name is Losang."
"Losang?"
Su Yan recalled that the records in the Suizhou Annals she had read stated that the chieftain of Suizhou was chosen from within the Luo family clan, and Losang was the most capable young man among the younger generation of the Luo family.
He is the son of the current chieftain.
Su Yan frowned as she looked at the young man in front of her, feeling furious that she had been deceived.
No wonder Su Yan wanted to say goodbye to Ma Er when she left Luoshui Town, but couldn't find him. Later, Su Yan didn't think about it anymore.
Unexpectedly, the person was already standing in front of me in the blink of an eye.
"So you sent people to the inn to kill us?"
Losang smiled and shook his head. "It wasn't me. I went to save you. Otherwise, who do you think caused all that commotion that night?"
Upon hearing this, Su Yan indeed recalled that night at the inn, when she first heard the noise before discovering that the assassin had broken in.
But Su Yan still didn't trust Losang's words, "What do you mean by that?"
Losang smiled and explained, "We Qiang people never interfere in the affairs of you Liang people, but your internal strife has already disrupted the peace and stability of Suizhou."
"Internal strife? You mean Li Qingming?"
"Li Qingming is a good official, it's a pity he's too foolish..."
Su Yan became increasingly confused. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
"Was Li Qingming killed by the Luo family?"
Su Yan didn't bother guessing and went straight to the point asking about the situation.
Losang shook his head, then nodded.
Su Yan was completely confused by Losang's reaction.
"The matter is very complicated, and I can't explain it clearly in a short time. Lord Su, you should investigate it yourself!"
Su Yan pouted and shrugged helplessly, "The body is gone, what's the point of me investigating? Besides, I found that the case file has been forged. Now I'm like a headless fly, completely clueless."
Losang smiled. "Li Qingming's body is still here."
"What did you say!"
Su Yan's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Losang, seriously doubting the information she had heard.
The disappearance of Li Qingming's body has indeed brought a lot of trouble to the investigation of the case.
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