Investigating the Case

Seeking the Dao in the Mortal World

"What exactly are you thinking?" In the guest room, Liu Su asked Qin Yi in disbelief, "When did you ever have such curiosity about investigating cases?"

Qin Yi leaned against the windowsill, leisurely sipping his wine. "You seem to have misunderstood something. Both the Li family siblings wanted to come and see. Could I be the only one who insisted on not coming? We haven't even started our main cooperation yet, and you want to cause a fuss over such trivial matters?"

Liu Su choked for a moment. It seemed he was right... It appeared that after millions of years without interacting with people, he had even forgotten the basic principles of dealing with others.

"What's truly strange is why Li Qinglin would come. Logically, he absolutely shouldn't have this kind of leisure," Qin Yi looked at the night outside the window, lost in thought. "If I were him, having invited a Fangshi out of the mountains, I'd be eager to sprout wings and rush back to the capital. How could he let me ride an old horse slowly all the way without even urging me on... That's one thing, but he's even getting involved in investigating this case."

Liu Su said, "Perhaps others see you as having a strange temper, so they don't urge you on because they don't want to cause trouble with you. Li Qinglin is very steady. Do you think everyone is as naive as Li Qingjun?"

"Maybe," Qin Yi smiled. "Anyway, this matter seems to have nothing to do with us. That madam's eyes looked like she wanted to swallow Li Qinglin whole."

Liu Su also smiled. A young talent like Li Qinglin, clearly from a wealthy family, could indeed be quite lethal to young married women.

"Hey, Stick, do you think it could be this madam who murdered her husband to seize the family property?"

"I don't know, I can't read minds."

"Then did you sense any demonic energy or anything in this manor?"

Liu Su said lazily, "I told you back when we dealt with the Spider Demon that I am too weak now, my soul power is extremely low. It's already good that I can see things and transmit sound. Asking me to sense demonic energy is asking too much."

"You can't even sense demonic energy, and you claim to teach people how to cultivate..."

"..." Liu Su gritted his teeth. "I'm weak, not incapable!"

"Then what other way do you have to determine if the other party is human or demon?"

Liu Su said confidently, "If you cultivated with me, you would naturally have countless ways. As for now, there's no way!"

Just as Qin Yi was about to speak, footsteps sounded outside the door. He immediately closed his mouth.

A knock on the door soon followed. Qin Yi opened the door, and it was Li Qingjun.

"I came to discuss how to investigate this matter tonight," Li Qingjun looked a little excited, clearly in high spirits.

Qin Yi said helplessly, "What kind of person is your brother? Why don't you discuss it with him? Why ask me?"

Li Qingjun looked left and right, lowering her voice. "Let me in first."

Qin Yi stepped aside, and Li Qingjun slipped in, closing the door.

"Whether this matter is man-made or caused by demons and ghosts is still uncertain. If it's man-made, my brother can naturally investigate. But if it's demons or ghosts, of course, I have to ask for your opinion." Li Qingjun paused, then said a little helplessly, "Besides, my brother might not be convenient to act with us tonight."

Qin Yi smiled. "Is it because Zhang Madam might go to find your brother?"

"Yes, so my brother will stay in the room tonight. Perhaps he will gain something from it. The matter of going out to act will be handled by you and me."

"Listening to your tone, you seem quite supportive of your brother having a romantic encounter outside?"

"Why wouldn't I be supportive?" Li Qingjun looked at him strangely. "My brother is a prince, with countless concubines. What's wrong with having a romantic encounter outside? If this woman is truly unrelated to the case, and my brother likes her, it's perfectly normal to bring her back and take her in. However, I see she's frivolous, so my brother won't fancy her."

She said it so matter-of-factly, tsk... This ancient world... Look at the attitude of the girls towards having three wives and four concubines, it's truly a blessing for harem enthusiasts.

Qin Yi's smile became a little ambiguous as he thought about it. Li Qingjun looked at him with disdain. "Men."

"Hey, isn't that a double standard? Your brother can like someone and bring her back, but I get scorned just for smiling?"

"Because your smile is disgusting."

"Why do you care how I smile? It's your brother who's having a romantic encounter, not me. Aren't you afraid your brother will be bewitched by a woman?"

"That's impossible," Li Qingjun replied casually. "That wouldn't be Li Qinglin."

Qin Yi finally nodded. Although they hadn't spent much time together, he also had confidence in Li Qinglin.

Li Qingjun then asked, seemingly unintentionally, "You seem very indifferent to everything. Why are you interested in this kind of trivial matter?"

Qin Yi said, "Seeing injustice on the road, the dream of a carefree life in the martial world, I, Qin, also have it."

Liu Su really wanted to control the Wolf Tooth Club and smash it down. That's not what you said just now!

Li Qingjun listened, unsure if she believed him, but just smiled slightly. "Then we'll act tonight. Do you have any suggestions?"

Qin Yi pondered for a moment. "I think we should go look at the Zhuangzhu's body. Didn't they say it hasn't been seven days yet? It should still be in the mourning hall."

Li Qingjun nodded. Looking at the body should be the most direct method. With a so-called bizarre death, could there really be no clues at all?

Under the dark and windy night, the two quietly sneaked behind the mourning hall. Looking in from the window, the mourning hall was still lit by candlelight, and a few people were keeping vigil. One of them was dressed as a filial son, seemingly the Young Master, but his face was pale and his lips were white, making him look very weak. And this Young Master looked about the same age as that Madam... It was clear that the so-called Madam was just the Zhuangzhu's second wife.

The Young Master was discussing the autumn harvest with a few manor servants. The two of them listened outside the window for a while, but gained nothing. Li Qingjun then whispered in his ear, "Hey, do you have any special means to make them go to sleep?"

Qin Yi's ear tingled slightly, and smelling the orchid-like fragrance beside him, he was momentarily stunned and couldn't speak the words he wanted to say. Li Qingjun also realized that this posture was too ambiguous, and her pretty face was slightly red, but she quickly urged impatiently, "Where did this affectation come from? Hurry up and say if you have a way!"

"Yes." Qin Yi took out a packet of powder. "Blow this powder in, and they will fall asleep after smelling it."

In the past two months, in order to gain some prerequisite experience for his alchemy skill, he had indeed done many basic pharmaceutical experiments. Many of them had been organized and brought out, and they were indeed useful everywhere. Li Qingjun moved half a foot away from him and said disdainfully, "Making this kind of medicine secretly, what do you want to do?"

Qin Yi was speechless. "You need this kind of medicine, and yet you despise me for having this kind of medicine. Are you schizophrenic?"

Li Qingjun "hmphed" and snatched the powder, just as she was about to use her internal energy to send it in.

At this moment, the conversation inside also happened to end, and several manor servants said goodbye to the Young Master. Li Qingjun was stunned for a moment. Weren't these people supposed to keep vigil with the Young Master?

While she was wondering, she saw the Young Master standing alone in the center of the mourning hall. In this dark and windy night, the candlelight flickered, making his pale face look like a ghost, sending chills down one's spine.

The Young Master stood quietly for a while, then suddenly spoke, "Why did you keep those three guests?"

In the empty and deserted mourning hall, in the dead of night, speaking like this was even more like a ghost prison.

A figure in mourning clothes slowly walked in from outside the door and said softly, "That young master has internal energy, which is very important to me... Maybe from now on I won't need anyone else, and you don't like me being with others either..."

The Young Master's tone was displeased, but also somewhat helpless. "With internal energy, don't you strain your back! And looking at his temperament and attire, he's either rich or noble. Don't cause big trouble."

"As long as it's done without anyone knowing, what trouble can there be?" Zhang Madam's slender hand stroked the Young Master's chest, and she said softly, "Don't be afraid of those so-called bounty hunters who catch ghosts. Where are there any real Daoist practitioners? They are all just swindlers who deceive people, their eyes glued to people's chests, unwilling to move..."

The Young Master "hmphed" angrily. "So those three people today were also like that?"

"Not exactly..." Zhang Madam hesitated slightly. "One of them is a young lady, so let's not mention her. The two men's eyes were all clear. The young master surnamed Li might be used to seeing beautiful women from a wealthy family, but the young man surnamed Qin, dressed in rough clothes and straw sandals, was surprisingly calm and indifferent. Neither of them is ordinary..."

Qin Yi was somewhat speechless. So sometimes normal behavior in the eyes of someone with ulterior motives is a flaw. He learned something.

The Young Master said, "So you're not afraid they're really here to catch ghosts?"

Zhang Madam shook her head. "I didn't feel any magical power cultivation from them, just martial artist's internal energy. Even if they are really here to catch ghosts, it's nothing to worry about."

"You just like that Young Master Li, don't you!" The Young Master angrily shook off her hand and turned to leave.

Seemingly annoyed, she had actually tacitly allowed her to go and hook up with Li Qinglin. Zhang Madam stood there for a while, smiled slightly, and then turned and left.

Qin Yi and Li Qingjun looked at each other for a while. The mourning hall suddenly had no one keeping vigil...

"Let's go, the hypnotic powder won't be needed." After waiting silently for the people to leave and confirming that no one else was coming, Li Qingjun, thinking she was being cautious enough, slipped in through the window.

"Hey, hey, hey, wait!" Before Qin Yi could even shout, he saw her rush to the side of the coffin and reach out to lift the lid.

With a "click," as if a switch had been triggered, the ground beside the coffin suddenly cracked open. Li Qingjun was caught off guard and fell straight down.

"This foolish woman!" Qin Yi flew over, trying to pull her, but only managed to grab a slender hand. The force of the fall dragged him down as well.

"Bang!" Fortunately, the trap wasn't too deep. Li Qingjun landed at the bottom of the pit, sprawled out, and Qin Yi fell right on top of her, pressing down completely.