Keen Observation

A few days later.

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At the end of West Street, in the small courtyard.

Chu Ming stretched, his gaze lingering on the panel.

[Tiger Python Body-Forging Technique (Minor Mastery)]

[Progress: 70/100]

"The sixth strand of Qi and Blood has been condensed..."

"By driving all my Qi and Blood, my strength is about the same as a Blood Activation Realm martial artist with a perfected Body Forging Technique and twelve strands of Qi and Blood."

His deep-set eyes slowly shifted away.

Sunlight streamed into the inner room. Dust drifted through the air, and he could even see particles finer than dust.

On the panel.

[Sword Gourd Spiritual Sense]

[Progress (Minor Mastery): 77/100]

[Evaluation: Gained through reading and understanding various travelogues. Heightens perception. When actively invoked, consumes mental energy and allows the user to look inward or observe the surrounding environment in minute detail.]

"It does consume some mental energy. Otherwise, I could raise the progress a little more."

"At the beginner level, Sword Gourd Spiritual Sense lets me look inward. At minor mastery, it lets me observe things in minute detail. I wonder what special effects it'll have later."

Chu Ming reached out and stirred the drifting dust, while focusing his attention on the panel.

[Art of War (Beginner): Troop Deployment and Formation]

[Progress: 67/100]

Compared with how quickly his other abilities had improved, his progress in the Art of War was much slower.

"I've already read most of the military strategy section of Poetry, Politics, and Military Strategy. At this rate, even after I finish it, I might not reach minor mastery..."

"Fire attacks, flooding, luring the tiger away from the mountain, the empty fort strategy..."

"Square formation, circular formation, wedge formation, snake formation, the Eight Trigrams formation..."

A glint flickered in Chu Ming's eyes. He had been familiar with these stratagems and formations in his previous life, but the Art of War wasn't just about understanding what he read. Its true essence lay in adapting to the right time, place, and people.

"Armchair strategizing..." He shook his head lightly. "That's pretty much what I'm doing now."

"I've got plenty of military strategy in my head, but I haven't put any of it to the test."

Just then, Xiao Shan called from outside.

"Young Master, it's time to eat."

"Coming."

Chu Ming got up and left the room. At noon, the heat was stifling.

When he entered the main room, he found Xiao Shan alone, setting out the dishes.

"Xiao Shan, how many days has Steward Fang been away?"

"Hmm..." Xiao Shan ladled out a bowl of soup and carefully brought it over to Chu Ming. She blinked. "I think it's been three days."

"Three days?"

"Mm. He came back yesterday morning just to change his clothes." Xiao Shan served Chu Ming a large bowl of white rice.

"Did he say what it was about?"

The aroma of the food wafted over, but Chu Ming didn't start eating as he usually did. A strange feeling had stirred in his heart.

He couldn't quite say what the feeling was, only that it wasn't good.

"I don't know. Grandpa Fang never talks about what happens at the Catching Yamen." Xiao Shan picked up the spare chopsticks and added several large pieces of fish to Chu Ming's bowl.

"Okay."

Chu Ming lowered his gaze. "Let's eat."

Willow Town, East Street.

The street was paved with bluestone bricks, making it much more comfortable to walk on than the little roads in West Street.

There were plenty of shops along either side, as well as restaurants and even brothels.

Chu Ming wore a black bamboo hat and walked briskly.

The afternoon sun was fierce, so he had to use Steward Fang's hat for shade.

It also helped conceal his face, so he wouldn't run into someone like Huang Lu again, as he had when he went out to register for the Academy Exam. That would waste time.

His destination this time was the Catching Yamen.

Fang Xiao had been away for days, so he had surely run into trouble. Chu Ming had condensed six strands of Qi and Blood and planned to leave for Baiyuan County within the next couple of days. Before he went, he wanted to see if he could help.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, two modest-sized stone lion statues came into view. The words "Catching Yamen" were painted in dark yellow on the black gates.

What Chu Ming couldn't understand, however, was why the gates of Willow Town's Catching Yamen were shut tight in broad daylight.

At once, the strange feeling in his heart became a dreadful premonition.

He glanced to either side. The passersby were all walking on the other side of the street, away from the Catching Yamen. He was the only one standing before its gates.

Chu Ming had been about to ask someone passing by, but after a moment's thought, he decided to try knocking first.

He had just reached for the slightly rusted door knocker when a familiar voice called from behind him. "Brother Chu?"

Chu Ming turned. A tall figure blocked the sun, and a pair of thick arms wrapped around him from either side.

"Brother Wu Chun... could you let go first?"

"Sure, sure." Hou Wuchun said the words, but squeezed even tighter. "How's my strength?"

"..." Chu Ming furrowed his brow as two strands of Qi and Blood surged within him.

Huh?

Hou Wuchun's heart jolted. His arms sprang open, shock spreading across his face.

"Brother Chu, you're so thin, but you're that strong?"

"I'm almost done condensing my first strand of Qi and Blood, and you just shook me off?"

"Oh, right. You gave me the Tiger Python Force, so you must have practiced it too." Remembering how he'd been sent flying the last time they collided, Hou Wuchun awkwardly hid his surprise. He circled Chu Ming, pretending to mull it over. "With strength like yours, you must be close to condensing your first complete strand of Qi and Blood, right?"

"Yeah." Chu Ming pushed Hou Wuchun away as he chattered in front of him, then pointed behind himself. "Brother Wu Chun, why is the Catching Yamen closed? Is your father inside? And Head Constable Fang?"

At this, Hou Wuchun's eyes darted around. He grabbed Chu Ming and led him to a secluded corner beside the Catching Yamen.

"Brother Chu, you haven't heard yet?"

Chu Ming shook his head. What was he supposed to have heard?

Hou Wuchun looked along the street to make sure no one was nearby, then lowered his voice. "Eight people have been murdered in Wheat Valley Alley. The Criminal Defense Division in Baiyuan County even sent people here. My father and Head Constable Fang were both punished—they had three months' pay docked."

"And my mother said the people the Criminal Defense Division sent aren't good people. They want to make my father and Head Constable Fang the scapegoats."

A cold glint flashed in Chu Ming's eyes. "Have they arrested them already?"

"No. The Criminal Defense Division needs evidence before they can arrest anyone. They've only been here a few days, so they wouldn't dare touch my father and Head Constable Fang yet."

"But they can't let this drag on forever. Otherwise, they'll end up pinning the blame on them sooner or later."

"So my father and Head Constable Fang have been keeping watch in Wheat Valley Alley day and night, hoping to catch the real culprit red-handed. They only go home for dinner at dusk."

"Brother Chu, you know what kind of place Wheat Valley Alley is, right? Plenty of people die there every year. It's also called Bone-Burial Alley—burial, like burying something, and bone, like a human bone."

Wheat Valley Alley?

Chu Ming's heart stirred. At least they hadn't been arrested.

Catch the killer, find evidence...

He looked at [Sword Gourd Spiritual Sense] on the panel, and an idea came to him.

"Brother Chu, you have to keep this secret. My father and Head Constable Fang are hiding in Wheat Valley Alley. The killer absolutely can't find out, or my father and mother will both beat me black and blue..."

"Okay."

Chu Ming shifted his feet, not wanting to waste any more time.

"Brother Chu, where are you going?"

"Home."

"How about listening to some music? I can get in through the back door. There's a private room..."

Chu Ming didn't go home. After shaking Hou Wuchun off, he headed to the vicinity of Bone-Burial Alley.

He didn't go straight into the alley. Instead, he sat down at a little tea stall not far from its entrance.

"What would you like, sir?"

"Just tea."

"New tea or old tea?"

"..."

Chu Ming looked at the stall owner. He wore a gray cloth robe, his back slightly hunched. A yellowed white cloth hung over each shoulder. His face was dark and weather-beaten, and his hands trembled slightly as he held a tray.

"New tea," he replied flatly.

"New tea's bitter. The old tea tastes better and costs less," the stall owner said again.

"New tea." Chu Ming turned his gaze away. "I'm thirsty. Please bring it quickly."

"Certainly, sir. Just a moment." The stall owner turned and walked off.