Not long after.
Ye Xingge had finished nurturing the Mountains and Rivers Pouch, the gold-devouring beast, the space expanded to two feet and six inches.
Although it's quite large, it's still a bit short of the Dark Green Bow and the Mouth King Kai. However, he still managed to get quite a few small items from the armory, such as the Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers, smoke bombs, and flares.
After saying goodbye to Baby Bunny, Ye Xingge walked out of the Heaven-Observing Pavilion alone and headed to Peach Blossom Lane, which was not far away, while still flipping through the files in his hand along the way.
The case file was found by Chen Xiaobao. The details of Han Zhongwu's case are roughly as follows:
At the end of last month, Han Zhongwu gambled with Yang Chun, the owner of the Xishi Pharmacy, at the Three Harmonies Tower. Yang Chun lost all his money and even signed a document mortgaging all his family property.
However, afterwards, Yang Chun claimed that he was drugged and could not control himself, and that the gambling game was cheated. He repeatedly asked Han Zhongwu for an explanation and even filed a complaint with the county government, but the matter was suppressed.
On the third day of this month, Yang Chun went to Han Zhongwu again to demand an explanation, but after leaving home, he was never heard from again. Han Zhongwu claimed that he was entertaining friends at Brocade Sound Tower that day and was unaware of the situation. After the county government searched without success, he was classified as missing.
Just by looking at the case closure process, Ye Xingge noticed that it was full of loopholes. To find out the truth, it was actually very simple: first, use the Great Memory Restoration Technique to make the gambling house owner recall the gambling situation that day; then use the Great Memory Restoration Technique to find out what Han Zhongwu was doing on the day he disappeared from Brocade Sound Tower.
But Han Zhongwu has gone into hiding, which makes things a bit difficult.
After carefully noting down the details of the dossier, Ye Xingge put it away and entered Peach Blossom Lane.
As the sun sets in the west, the cobblestone alley is enveloped in the evening glow.
Ye Xingge arrived at the gate of courtyard number seven, and after confirming that no one was around, he pushed open the gate.
The small, square courtyard was spotless. The door to the kitchen on the west side was open, and a fire was burning under the stove, with water boiling in a pot.
The Great Beauty, dressed in a red dress, looked like she had just taken a bath. Her long, jet-black hair was pulled back and adorned with the Hongyu hairpin he had given her. She was diligently cooking abalone.
Ye Xingge said a few days ago that he was going to make Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and had already prepared the ingredients, but the process of making Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is quite long, and it's not completely finished yet. Now, seeing Great Beauty helping out as a cook, he couldn't help but smile and came over to take a look:
"Is this abalone plump and juicy? I spent ages picking out the soft-boiled abalone..."
"?"
Hongyu blinked, sensing that this lecherous son-in-law seemed to have a hidden meaning in his words. She then looked at the abalone in her hand and immediately nudged it with her elbow.
What the hell are you talking about?
Ye Xingge frowned and patted the large peach:
"I'm talking about ingredients, what do you think?"
Hongyu was too embarrassed to think about what it was, but she was easily swayed by a man's words. He was fierce now, but he would be very delicious later. She wouldn't be so accommodating then, so she just twisted her body slightly.
Seeing Great Beauty Ye Xingge so obedient, Ye Xingge was bound to take advantage of the situation. He wrapped his arms around her waist, tilted his head, and teased the cook with a kiss on the cheek until Great Beauty picked up a cleaver. Only then did he put on an apron, satisfied, and begin preparing the soaked scallops and other ingredients.
"Could your informant from the Mountains and Rivers Association help me find Han Zhongwu?"
" Han Zhongwu isn't anyone special; finding his whereabouts won't be difficult. I'll just go and say hello later."
"Oh..."
The two had been busy for a short while when they heard commotion coming from the alley outside.
Peach Blossom Lane.
An Yurou, dressed in a silver-white long dress, strolled slowly through the bluestone alley, while Xiyue followed behind, carrying a food box in her hand, feeling a little uneasy.
After all, just two days ago, the master and servant were caught Ye Xingge- handed in the house with barely any clothes on.
If she turned around and told a man to go take a shower, any normal man would probably think the wrong thing.
But since Xiyue had already come up with such a terrible idea, they couldn't just ignore it.
After An Yurou arrived at the door, she took a deep breath, adopted the dignified and restrained demeanor of a well-bred young lady, and gently knocked:
Knock knock~
Soon, the sound of footsteps grew louder as they approached.
The black lacquered courtyard gate opened, and Ye Xingge, still dressed as a wandering swordsman with an apron around his waist, was taken aback for a moment upon seeing them, then broke into a bright smile:
"Oh my, Lord An, Miss Xiyue, what brings you here? Please come in..."
Seeing that Ye Xingge's attitude was calm and showed no sign of surprise, Lady of Anyang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He gently tucked a strand of hair behind his ear and led Xiyue into the courtyard.
"I just heard from the Heaven-Observing Pavilion that Young Master Ye just returned from outside, so he came over for a stroll."
Upon seeing the master and servant, Ye Xingge couldn't help but recall the scene at Myriad Phenomena Tower, and a strange feeling welled up inside him.
" Lord An's arrival is just in time. I'm cooking, so you can try my cooking..."
As they spoke, Ye Xingge invited the two to sit in the main room and then went to the kitchen to make them tea.
An Yurou had a clear purpose for her trip. She glanced at the kitchen and smiled, saying:
"No need for cooking. I just had the chef prepare a few side dishes; see if they suit your taste."
"Oh, Lord An, you're too kind."
Ye Xingge brought the teapot into the room and brewed tea for the two of them, while Da Xiyue, who was as light as a willow, took out four side dishes from the food box: warm-mixed shredded pork, braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens, braised pork knuckle with a handle, and braised three delicacies.
These are all authentic Guanzhong specialties, with excellent color, aroma, and taste. They are completely different from the dishes I had last time, clearly showing that they were made with care.
"Huh?"
Ye Xingge looked surprised, wiped his hands, sat down at the table, took the chopsticks handed to him by Miss Xiyue, tried them briefly, and nodded slightly.
"Excellent! The pork strips are evenly thick, the ginger and garlic are just right, and the Shaoxing wine and vinegar are also very well-chosen—flawless..."
"Hehe"
Having witnessed Ye Xingge's hotpot firsthand, An Yurou, to avoid humiliating herself, specifically hired the head chef from Myriad Phenomena Tower to prepare it for her today. Seeing Ye Xingge's high praise, she picked up the wine pot and helped pour the wine.
"Last time, when Young Master Ye was catching a thief at the Myriad Phenomena Tower, we ran into each other, and I wasn't very polite with my words. Please don't take it to heart, Young Master Ye."
"I was really impolite back then, I hope you won't hold a grudge against me, Lord An."
How could this be?
After a couple of polite words, An Yurou got straight to the point:
"Young Master Ye has been fighting countless battles recently and has suffered many injuries. I heard from the ladies on the street that Jinghe Hot Springs in the East City is a good place for recuperation and can promote the recovery of internal injuries..."
?
Upon hearing this, Ye Xingge blinked and glanced at the master and servant who were standing close by.
He had some suspicions about Lady of Anyang being ' South-Flying Wild Goose ' while he was at Myriad Phenomena Tower. And Great Beauty even spread false information. If the suspicion is true, then Lady of Anyang will definitely find an opportunity to check the marks on his body.
But Jinghe Hot Springs was a sacred place for recuperation, and it wouldn't be appropriate for men and women to bathe together when Lady of Anyang invited him there...
However, this is something that South-Flying Wild Goose should be worried about.
Under normal circumstances, Ye Xingge would not have readily agreed to such a sudden and ambiguous invitation. After thinking for a moment, he said:
"Really? I've heard of this place, but I've never been there. However, I have a few cases to handle..."
An Yurou had already inquired before she arrived, and softly interjected:
"Young Master Ye, are you referring to the Han Zhongwu case? I had Afei reserve a table at A Fei Jinghe Hot Springs this afternoon. A Fei said he saw the Han Clan's coachman on the street..."
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Xingge was taken aback.
But soon, he also understood the purpose of Lady of Anyang's visit:
Han Zhongwu learned about the situation from Baby Bunny, Baby Bunny in turn learned it from the cook at the Lady of Anyang's residence!
Lady of Anyang had a past grudge against the Han Clan, but his father was a fugitive and he couldn't openly provoke the royalists. So, after finding out about Han Zhongwu, he used Baby Bunny's words to put pressure on the Inspection Bureau, which makes perfect sense.
The owner of Jinghe Hot Springs is the Cao Clan, who are said to have connections with the Empress. A normal person wouldn't dare search or even kill anyone there, so it's reasonable to assume Han Zhongwu was hiding there...
So either Lady of Anyang wanted to give him credit by killing Han Zhongwu, or...
Or perhaps, being South-Flying Wild Goose, it wants to kill two birds with one stone—observe first, then fleece...
Ye Xingge considered it for a moment, feeling that he needed to discuss how to handle the matter with Great Beauty Liang, and think about his response:
"This case is quite complicated. I'll go to the gambling den first to inquire about the situation, and if I have time later, I'll go to Jinghe Hot Springs to take a look."
Lady of Anyang didn't offer much advice, but simply smiled and said:
"That's fine. Yueyao likes to play there, so I'll take Yueyao there first. It's located in the Peony Garden. If Young Master Ye comes, A Fei can lead the way."
"Good..."