Deduction

"Uncle, I'm here to visit a classmate's mother. What about you?"

Zeng Anmin performed a perfunctory bow as he asked.

"Could it be because of the stabbing of the Young Master of Prince Jiang's Estate?"

"No, no!"

Wang Deli waved his hand and strode over to Zeng Anmin.

His bearded face was thick with frustration as he said:

"I'm here today to seal off the home of the attendant who stole the Dragon Survey Map."

"Oh~"

Zeng Anmin nodded in understanding.

His father had been thrown into prison by Emperor Jianhong precisely because of the lost Dragon Survey Map.

But fortunately, he had transmigrated just in time, descended heroically, solved the case, and pulled his father out of jail.

The home of the attendant who stole the map was supposed to be right here on Tong'an Street.

He raised an eyebrow and asked:

"Have you found out who put him up to it?"

He might as well have kept his mouth shut. The moment he spoke, Wang Deli's expression soured even more:

"That attendant had no family at home, didn't socialize with the neighbors, and there was nothing in the house..."

At that, he shut his mouth, scratched his head, and grumbled under his breath:

"The attendant's theft case isn't closed yet, and the Young Master of Prince Jiang's Estate just had to pick this day to die. Damn troublemaker."

Though he didn't finish the sentence, Zeng Anmin could read between the lines.

The Xuanjing Division attendant who had taken his own life—the trail had gone cold.

"Then I won't keep you from your duties, Uncle."

"Alright, Young Master Zeng, come by the house sometime. My boy's been looking forward to seeing you every day!"

"See you later..."

Zeng Anmin watched as Wang Deli led his men to the door of a rundown little courtyard.

Two strips of sealing paper were pasted across it, and then he led his men out of the street.

Zeng Anmin took a few steps with Qi Dachun and turned a corner.

"This is Brother Tongyu's home."

Zeng Anmin looked at the wooden door, weathered by time and already looking heavy and worn, and sighed with emotion.

Tong'an Street was considered the slum of Two Rivers Prefecture.

It was also a constant headache in his father's jurisdiction.

From what he remembered, his father had spent no small amount of time worrying about how to solve the livelihood problems of the people here.

"A poor family produces a noble son."

Zeng Anmin sighed, then felt that what he'd said was off.

He shot a sidelong glance at the attendant's door, sealed by the Xuanjing Division not far away, and corrected himself:

"Except for that map thief."

The map thief deserved to die.

"How did Brother Tongyu end up living so close to that thief? Bad luck."

Zeng Anmin grumbled as he prepared to knock on the door.

But just as his hand was about to touch the dilapidated wooden door—

He froze.

A jolt of electricity shot from the base of his spine straight into his soul.

The scattered fragments of the past suddenly connected into a single thread.

Boom! They shattered all the fog!

But in Qi Dachun's eyes, His young master's Phoenix Eyes were wide open, his body stiff.

He stood motionless, like a statue.

"Young Master?"

Qi Dachun looked at Zeng Anmin in confusion, and when he saw no reaction for a long while, he ventured a tentative question.

"What's wrong with you??"

Zeng Anmin didn't bother with Qi Dachun. He whipped his head toward the sealed notice plastered on the door of the house not far away.

Then, abruptly, he turned back and stared at the battered wooden door of Zhang Lun's home.

A long moment passed.

A sharp, piercing light brewed in his eyes—one that dared no one to meet it—as he murmured under his breath:

"So that's it!!"

"I understand now!!"

"What's the matter? What do you understand?"

Qi Dachun looked baffled. He felt like his Young Master had turned into some kind of shamaness, muttering incantations under his breath.

Zeng Anmin drew a deep breath. He turned to Qi Dachun and said in a low, heavy voice:

"Dachun, do you really think a single Shuidu Order could be reason enough to kill someone?"

"Or rather... does Prince Jiang's Estate truly lack that one Shuidu Order?!"

Qi Dachun's gaze went blank, like a husky caught mid-thought, frozen in place.

"Besides, Brother Tongyu wasn't the only one in the academy who held a Shuidu Order..."

Zeng Anmin seemed to be talking to himself.

This doubt—no one had ever considered it.

It was also something he himself had overlooked, his heart clouded by hatred over Zhang Lun's death.

"Brother Tongyu's death wasn't because of the Shuidu Order!!"

Zeng Anmin's eyes were razor-sharp!

Qi Dachun felt drowsiness creeping in. He forced himself to focus and looked earnestly at Zeng Anmin:

"Didn't get it."

Zeng Anmin's mouth twitched. He gave up on Qi Dachun and fixed his gaze instead on the sealed door of the Xuanjing Division servant's house not far away.

Step by step, he walked toward that seal.

"Young Master?"

Qi Dachun dared not ask further. He could only follow Zeng Anmin to stand before the seal.

Arriving at the door.

Zeng Anmin looked at the seal in front of him.

After the light snow in Two Rivers Prefecture came a bright sun.

At this moment, sunlight happened to fall directly onto that seal.

It made the official emblem of the Xuanjing Division gleam with striking clarity.

"The emblem of the Xuanjing Division..."

Zeng Anmin slowly closed his eyes.

In his mind flashed the scene of Zhang Lun's death—the Xuanjing Division emblem drawn beside his hand.

"Brother Tongyu, the reason you left that emblem... was to tell the world..."

"The truth of your death lies with this neighbor of yours... the Xuanjing Division's lowly servant who stole the map!!"

Zeng Anmin's Phoenix Eyes snapped open.

"Uh."

Qi Dachun's eyes still radiated pure wisdom...

Zeng Anmin looked at his blank expression, his mouth twitching again.

I've spelled it out this far—even a dog should've caught on by now!

He stared at the Xuanjing Division emblem on the seal.

His voice carried a unique, resonant tone:

"Wang Lin killed Brother Tongyu under the pretext of the Shuidu Order to cover up his real purpose."

"His real purpose was to silence him."

"Brother Tongyu lived so close to that Xuanjing Division servant's house—it's hard not to suspect he might have seen something."

"The reason I'm so certain is the Xuanjing Division emblem Brother Tongyu drew beside him as he died!"

"He saw that Xuanjing Division servant conspiring with someone!!"

"And that's what brought the fatal disaster upon him."

Having said all this, Zeng Anmin's gaze grew deep and distant, staring far into the clear blue sky.

"This..." Qi Dachun was utterly dumbfounded. He stared at Zeng Anmin in terror, muttering as if possessed:

"How the hell does Young Master's brain work? It turns faster than my dad doing a somersault!"

Zeng Anmin didn't bother to reply.

After a long silence, his voice turned cold:

"Then from this, we can deduce that the force which ordered this Xuanjing Division clerk to steal the Dragon Survey Map and frame my father into prison comes from..."

Zeng Anmin slowly raised his head, revealing his sharply chiseled face.

His voice carried an unparalleled chill as he spoke word by word:

"Prince Jiang's Estate!"

"Boom!!!"

Qi Dachun felt as if a club had smashed through all the fog in his mind!!

"Fuckin' hell!!"

Zeng Anmin had laid it out so plainly that even if it weren't Qi Dachun, but a real husky, it could understand!

Zeng Anmin slowly lifted his head.

By now, the case of the lost Dragon Survey Map had fully closed in his mind.

Prince Jiang's Estate...

Hoo...

Zeng Anmin let out a long breath.

His Phoenix Eyes flickered with a piercing Sharp Light.

An enemy in the open was far better than an enemy in the dark.

Slowly, he pushed the matter down in his heart.

He raised his head again and put on a smile:

"The sun's a lot brighter today."

With that, he returned to the wooden door of Zhang Lun's house and gently knocked.

"Tap... tap tap."

He waited a while, but there was no response at all.

Zeng Anmin frowned and knocked again: "Tap... tap tap."

Still nothing.

Could it be...

Zeng Anmin suddenly looked up and shouted:

"Dachun! Break the door!!"