Chapter 85: Investigation
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
From a point of value, this batch of goods was not of great value. However, the Wu Family couldn’t lose their face. Hence, they released a mission in the Wu Family. The remuneration alone accounted for 70% of the value of the goods. Adding to the cost of meals and dressing for the disciples carrying out this mission, the Wu’s cost was over the value of this batch of goods.
“Zhonghe Prefecture? It belongs to Qianzhou. It takes at least 10 days to walk there. Could this be considered as traveling in the world? The feeling is quite refreshing. Even though Jin Nanqing is one of the ugliest amongst the inner core disciples, he definitely is either number one or two in terms of cunningness. I have to be extremely careful on the road not to be betrayed by him!”
Junior Leopard was thinking in his heart. Jin Nanqing was a character amongst the inner core disciples. He had met him some times. When meeting, both of them were very kind, but nobody knew what he was thinking about.
…
…
Wu Yuntian had a bad temper recently.
No matter who was robbed of a batch of goods, he would be irritable. Furthermore, if this batch of goods contained his secret that couldn’t be spoken of, then that irritableness was tinged with a little fear.
“Damn it, who the hell did it? You’ve been investigating for so long. Is there any news?”
Wu Yuntian roared furiously, saliva flying everywhere. The table in front of him had already been smashed to pieces by him. From another perspective, it also revealed his outstanding palm technique.
“Sorry, I am useless and I deserve to die. Until now there’re still no clues, but there’s one point which has been confirmed!”
The first one among the five or six the Wu’s disciples who knelt on the ground answered carefully.
“What have you confirmed?”
“This has no link with the few heads of Dong Ling. When it happened, they were drinking at Prunus Tower!”
“I know that, they invited me!” Wu Yuntian roared, “Apart from that, what else have you investigated?”
“No, no, nothing else.”
The first man kneeling on the ground shook hands and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He thought, “Of course I know that you were drinking with them at that time. It’s just that I can’t find out any other information!”
“Butler, what about reporting to the government?”
“Clatter!” Wu Yuntian kicked the table that he smashed and made it flying. The splinters of the table flew everywhere, just like raindrops falling on the people kneeling on the ground.
“Bastard, do you think that the government doesn’t know about this matter? Report it? Don’t tell me that you wish for the whole Zhonghe Prefecture to see me make a fool of myself? Useless things, get out, get out!”
The few people did not dare to speak anymore, they all scrambled and ran out of the living room and disappeared in seconds.
“I really raised this group of useless things for nothing. At the critical moment, no one can help me!” Upon seeing those people scrambling to escape, Wu Yuntian was raged. Raising his hand to slap the table, he then realized that the table had been kicked away by him. Thus he could only viciously slap his thigh with a face full of hatred.
“Butler Wu, Butler Wu!”
With those few people having left for only a short while, a person outside the door was scrambling and rushing in.
“What are you panicking for? I am not dead yet!” When Wu Yuntian saw the frantic expression of that person, his face became solemn all of a sudden, and he shouted sternly.
“No, no, it… it’s…” That person was out of breath. After a long time, he couldn’t manage to speak a single sentence.
“What is it?”
“My name is Jin Nanqing. Following the orders of the Family Head, I’ve come here to be assigned by Butler Wu!”
Before the man answered, there was a clear voice outside. It was Jin Nanqing.
The moment Wu Yuntian heard this voice, his expression immediately changed. He warmly went up and invited him, “It’s nephew Jin. You’re rare visitor. Why didn’t you tell me about your visit beforehand?”
“Butler Wu is too courteous. This time I am under the orders of the Family Head to come here to be assigned by you. The situation is serious, if I make any mistakes, please forgive me!”
Following the words, Jin Nanqing, Junior Leopard and the rest walked in.
After meeting Wu Yuntian, there was inevitably some chit-chat and introductions made to each other.
After knowing that Junior Leopard was Xu Yong’s disciple, Wu Yuntian was much more enthusiastic. However, in this enthusiasm, Junior Leopard felt more wary.
“Hehe, although this is the Wu’s branch, in fact, it has already become Wu Yuntian’s independent kingdom. It seems that Wu Yuntian doesn’t want us to interfere in this matter!”
During the conversation, Junior Leopard observed the movements and expressions, he saw through the estrangement and wary behind the harmony between Jin Nanqing and Wu Yuntian.
“Where there are people, there is the Jianghu!”
Junior Leopard sighed privately. He didn’t care about anything else on the table, only drinking.
After some rounds of drinking, he felt drunk and was carried back by people.
The second day when he woke up, it was already late in the morning.
“Junior brother, you finally woke up. I thought you were going to sleep till afternoon!”
Seeing that Junior Leopard woke up, Jin Nanqing couldn’t help making fun of him.
After a month of staying together, he had realized that this junior brother was quite interesting. Or to speak another way, he was quite honest. Just like his teacher, he was an honest man. Along the road, he followed his lead. He did everything he asked and never did anything he forbade. This made Jin Nanqing free from worry. Hence Jin Nanqing wanted to befriend Junior Leopard.
“Senior brother, I wasn’t embarrassed last night, right?” Junior Leopard anxiously asked.
“No, no, you only drank a bit too much. Junior brother, you are a gentle drinker. After drunk, you slept. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Quickly get up and wash your face. In the afternoon we’ll go to Black Shakou!”
“Yes!” Junior Leopard hurriedly flipped his body and got down from the bed.
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…
“Senior brother, are there any clues to this matter?” On the road, Junior Leopard couldn’t help asking Jin Nanqing. Zhonghe City was quite a distance from Black Shakou. Even if they were riding horses, it would require a journey of two to three days.
“Nothing. Wu Yuntian is an idiot. After investigating for so long, he hasn’t found any clues.”
Jin Nanqing unhappily said, “Last night he still talked aimlessly. He said if there was anything that I required, I should speak out. But everything changed in the morning. Damn, he thinks that I don’t know what he is thinking? He is afraid that we’ll solve this thing and he’ll lose face. He doesn’t realize that if this matter can’t be solved, he’ll lose even more face!”
“Maybe he wants to settle it himself.” Junior Leopard said.
“If he could settle it by himself, we wouldn’t be coming here.” Jin Nanqing said, “Forget it, we shall go to Black Shakou first. Along the road, we must take notice and see whether there are any suspicious characters!”
Going outside of Zhonghe City and walking for a distance, they gradually left the official road and walked onto mountain small roads.
Amongst them, the oldest one was only 17 or 18, the youngest was Junior Leopard, who was only 12 or 13. They were at a carefree age, so after a few complaints, they were attracted by the surrounding scenery.
Qianzhou had many mountains. With a terrain of ups and downs, the scenery was not bad. This group of youngsters walked and observed the scenery. It was not a lonely journey.
Now that the world was at peace, Qianzhou was the hinterland of Jin and the security was not bad. Even if the road had some bandits, upon seeing that this group of youngsters was riding horses and possessed weapons, naturally they would be able to see that they come from one of the well-known families and could not be provoked. Hence, from the regional city to Black Shakou, it was smooth and there wasn’t any danger. They even did a few chivalrous acts along the road and were called “chivalrous heroes” by some persons.
“Black Shakou is in front. After Black Shakou, it’s where the goods was robbed. We have checked that in the vicinity of Black Shakou, there are a total of seven groups of bandits. Amongst them, four groups don’t have the strength to rob the goods. Those three groups, with the strength, have a good relationship with Wu Yuntian. One of them was having dinner with Wu Yuntian at Prunus Tower at that time, so there’s no suspicious.”
“Then, there’re only two groups of suspects left?” Zhou Zhengming followed up and asked.
“Those two groups of bandits have been checked by us as well. One is Beard Ma whose saber techniques are not bad. He has 100 to 200 underlings. However, when the thing happened, they cut themselves clear from this responsibility, showing that they are not the ones who did it. There is another group whose leader is called Black Three Lady. They has done the same and let an intermediary bring the news. After the Family Head and other Elders analyzed it, they thought that the possibility of them doing it is not big!”
“Why?” Zhou Zhengming didn’t understand and asked.
“These goods are ordered by Guard Ding of Zhonghe Prefecture. They make a living by being bandits in Zhonghe Prefecture. The last person they could offend is Guard Ding. Unless they don’t wish to make a living here, otherwise, they definitely won’t do this. Besides, the relationship between different influences here is very complicated. The news always spreads, if it was really done by them, the news would have spread. It wouldn’t be like now, not leaked without a word!” Jin Nanqing calmly analyzed. In truth, what he said was analyzed by the Wu’s Elders. He merely repeated the judgment that he obtained from the higher-ups in the Wu’s.
“Then how shall we investigate it?” Zhou Zhengming asked. He was clearly the number two figure in this group, “Should we enter through sales channels?”
“If that’s the case, we won’t come to Black Shakou.” Jin Nanqing said in a deep voice, “The family, long before this thing happened, has already started to closely monitor various sales channels. However, they got nothing. Plainly, that batch of goods hasn’t been sold yet.”
“These goods are all top tier weapons and the quantity is not small either. If they don’t sell it, it means they need a place to store it. After the thing happened, even though Wu Yuntian didn’t report it, the government has been shadowing and monitoring the situation as well. After all, this batch of weapons was ordered by Guard Ding. It was to equip the soldiers in Zhonghe Prefecture. However, they didn’t discover any suspicious people entering and exiting Zhonghe Prefecture or any other cities.”
“Since they didn’t sell it and didn’t transport it away, don’t tell me this batch of goods is still in the vicinity of Black Shakou?” Junior Leopard asked.
“The possibility is very high, but the surrounding of Black Shakou covers a few hundred miles. If we want to find it, it will be very difficult.” Jin Nanqing looked around at the wind and sand and frowned.
They, at present, still did not know that they were about to get involved in a big problem.