Assassination

Linjiang Street, under Zeng Anmin's jurisdiction.

The sun had just begun to shine. Though it was early winter, countless boat trackers were still chanting work songs, straining to haul a large vessel into the water.

Wangxian Tower, a tavern catering to passing trade caravans, was packed with customers every day.

Inside one of the private rooms.

Zeng Anmin looked at Shen Jun before him, his gaze calm.

"So, your uncle's disappearance had no warning signs at all?"

"Mm. My uncle has led fleets on the river for years and dealt with too many factions. I truly can't think of who he might have offended."

Hearing Zeng Anmin's words, Shen Jun nodded with a grave expression.

After returning to the Xuanjing Division yesterday, Zeng Anmin had reviewed numerous case files but found no leads on Shen Liu.

So today he came to the tower to question Shen Jun directly.

"Where do you think your uncle might be hiding?"

Zeng Anmin crossed his arms and looked into Shen Jun's eyes.

Shen Jun dared not be careless. He pondered for a long while, then gave a bitter smile:

"My uncle has been traveling with the family business since he was ten. He knows almost every stretch of terrain along the river by heart. There are countless nameless wild hills along the banks. If he wants to hide, he could pick any one of them, and even the gods would struggle to find him."

"Have you ever gone on a trade caravan with him?"

Shen Jun paused, then nodded. "Naturally, I have."

"Is there any place that left a deep impression on you? Or somewhere your uncle seemed particularly attached to?"

Zeng Anmin's voice carried a pressing weight.

At these words, Shen Jun's expression turned hesitant.

"What's wrong? Unwilling to speak?"

Zeng Anmin's face cooled.

Shen Jun let out a long sigh. "There's an island, very close to Two Rivers Prefecture. Years ago, my uncle led the fleet out onto the river and ran into River Bandits. After the fight, the whole crew perished. Only my uncle survived, drifting on the river for two days before washing up on that Wild Mountain..."

He paused, then spoke as if resigned to fate:

"That Wild Mountain has water, trees, and plenty of wild game. If an ordinary man were stranded there, he could survive. If my uncle truly wants to hide, he'd likely be there."

Hearing this, Zeng Anmin raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Who else knows about this place?"

"My uncle only mentioned it to me by chance."

"Go home and pack. Tomorrow, you'll take me to that Wild Mountain you spoke of."

Zeng Anmin slowly rose and headed downstairs:

"If we find your uncle, I may overlook the matter of him killing his wife."

In feudal society, if a wife committed adultery with an outsider and the husband reported it, the woman would be put to death. What Shen Liu had done was merely taking the law into his own hands—a crime that could be treated lightly or severely.

"Yes!"

Hearing this, a flash of Bright Light crossed Shen Jun's face.

Once downstairs, a smile curled at the corner of Zeng Anmin's mouth.

If he handled the Shen family case well, he might just be able to secure a capable subordinate force for his Father.

The Shen Family of Two Rivers Prefecture—the biggest shipping magnate on the entire Fengqi Road.

One step closer to a life of luxury and indulgence.

Having transmigrated without yet spending a single day as a carefree rich young master, he harbored a certain obsession.

He mounted his horse and looked toward the docks.

At that moment, a large ship was slowly approaching the pier.

Zeng Anmin's gaze deepened. Seeing the words "Prince Jiang" fluttering on the vessel, a smile flickered across his face.

A ship from Prince Jiang's Estate, huh.

That's worth a thorough inspection!

"Have them stop and submit to inspection!"

Zeng Anmin turned to one of his subordinates, pointing at the incoming ship.

As the Left Clerk of the Xuanjing Division, he had the authority to inspect cargo on vessels.

"Yes, sir." Without a moment's hesitation, the subordinate called over a dozen Red-robed Guards and headed toward the dock.

As the ship docked, after a few shouts back and forth, a portly middle-aged man emerged from aboard.

The middle-aged man, after negotiating with those Red-robed Guards, put on a fawning smile and walked over to Zeng Anmin.

"This humble commoner, Wang Fu, pays respects to Your Lordship."

With that, he discreetly pulled a banknote from his sleeve and handed it to Zeng Anmin.

Zeng Anmin raised an eyebrow.

Tch.

The corrupt feudal society.

Zeng Anmin stared coldly at him. "Spare me the pleasantries. Submit to inspection."

With that, he strode ahead and boarded the large vessel.

Upon reaching the deck, the first things to catch his eye were a few boatmen out to relieve themselves, along with several guards.

When these people saw the official robes on him, they instinctively lowered their heads and hunched their backs.

"This..."

The man calling himself Wang Fu wore a pained smile as he trailed behind Zeng Anmin.

"What cargo is on this ship?"

Zeng Anmin walked toward the hold, his gaze fixed on Wang Fu's face.

"Just some everyday odds and ends—soapberries, cloth, hemp thread... All of this cargo belongs to Prince Jiang's Estate..."

Wang Fu's bribe hadn't been accepted. Thinking the official found it too little, yet unwilling to offer more, he could only invoke his backer, hoping to intimidate the young man.

Zeng Anmin let out a cold laugh. "Prince Jiang's Estate? This official doesn't care whose cargo it is—only whether there's anything fishy about it!"

With that, he walked toward a row of crates, reached out, and patted one. "Open it!"

"Yes, sir." Two Red-robed Guards stepped forward, drew their waist blades, and pried gently at the lid's seam.

Crack~

The lid came off, and a fragrant scent wafted out.

Catching the familiar smell, Zeng Anmin looked into the crate.

Soap?

Well, there went his plan to make a profit by producing soap—Zeng Anmin shelved that idea.

The people of this world weren't stupid, and the authorities didn't deliberately suppress merchants.

As a result, some peculiar inventions had developed better here than in the feudal society of his previous life.

No, wait.

Zeng Anmin picked up a bar of soap, brought it to his nose, and sniffed. He caught a different kind of scent.

"Is this Sulfur Soap?"

Zeng Anmin looked up at Wang Fu.

Wang Fu was taken aback. "Sulfur?"

"Yellow Tooth," Zeng Anmin explained.

In this world, sulfur was called Yellow Tooth, and its main use among the common folk was in medicine.

"Your Lordship is also versed in the art of soap-making?!" Wang Fu stared at Zeng Anmin in surprise.

"A little."

Zeng Anmin ordered several more crates opened. Some contained Sulfur Stone, the raw material for refining sulfur.

After a cursory glance, he turned his attention elsewhere.

"This is the warehouse for cloth," Wang Fu said eagerly, showing Zeng Anmin around.

Having taken a general look, Zeng Anmin headed back off the ship.

He hadn't found anything amiss; the inspection had been a spur-of-the-moment decision.

"Take care, Your Lordship..."

Wang Fu saw Zeng Anmin off with a beaming smile, then lightly wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Soap's already been made—does that mean distilled liquor exists too?"

After disembarking, Zeng Anmin's gaze settled on the river's surface.

"And glass? Surely glass isn't already a thing, is it?" Zeng Anmin felt a bit disheartened.

The moment he raised his hand, the word "withdraw" hadn't even left his lips.

Suddenly, a sharp "Chiu!" sound rang out.

"Thud!"

The nearest Red-robed Guard had a dart lodged in his throat.

Blood gushed out.

"Murder!!!"

Panicked screams erupted from the crowd.

Zeng Anmin narrowed his eyes and looked.

A figure wearing a black... cat mask, gripping a short blade, was slowly approaching him...

An assassin!

At least an assassin of the eighth-rank Nourishing Breath Realm.

The corner of Zeng Anmin's mouth twitched.

He stared at the black Cat Mask on the assassin's head as the man advanced step by step...

Even the short blade in his hand was identical to his own...

And from the sharp aura emanating from the blade, it seemed to be a spirit weapon too...

If you're the Black Cat Martial Artist, then who am I??

Still, he knew.

What he had to consider now was how to get through this crisis without revealing his identity, right under everyone's eyes.