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Everyone stood before the grand mansion, reading the plaque “Zhou Residence.”

Ren Buqing signaled an officer with a look, and the officer stepped forward to knock on the door, “Is anyone there?”

An old man opened the door and was shocked to see such a huge crowd at the door. He hurriedly went forward and bowed. “Sir, what brings you here?”

The officer opened the box to show him, “Can you identify if this is someone from your household?”

Upon seeing the head, the old man’s mind buzzed with shock, and he stepped back fearfully, trembling, “This, this is our master, Zhou Youyuan. He, he, he…”

Ren Buqing asked solemnly, “Are you sure this is your master?”

After bracing himself, the old man looked again and confirmed, “Yes, there’s a scar above Master Zhou’s right eyebrow. I remember it clearly; there’s no mistake.”

Choking up, he asked, “How did our master die such a terrible death?”

Chu Qingzhi signaled Chu Xujin, who then stepped forward to inquire, “Old man, to understand why your master died in such a manner, we need your cooperation to investigate the truth. Understand?”

“Understood, understood.”

” When was the last time you saw your master?”

The old man recalled, “I remember it was yesterday, around 6 PM. The master said he was invited out for a drink at a place just two streets away from here.” “Do you know who it was?”

“I don’t know. The affairs of the master are not something a doorkeeper like me can inquire into.”

” What about your mistress? Didn’t she send someone to look for him when he didn’t return all night and the next morning?”

The old man gestured dismissively, “The master often stays away from home for days. The mistress couldn’t control him and eventually stopped caring.”

“Go and call your mistress.”

“Yes.”

Ren Buqing instructed, “Xujin, you stay here to ask questions. Try to gather as many clues as possible. I’ll go investigate the one who dined with Zhou Youyuan.”

‘Yes, sir.’

Zhou Youyuan, 45 years old, was originally a miner. A year ago, he had made a windfall and changed his business. He was doing well, owning several cloth shops, grain stores, and two inns, amassing a considerable fortune in just a year.

His wife, He Xiping, provided detailed information to Chu Xujin about Zhou Youyuan’s situation.

Chu Xujin asked, “Madam Zhou, did Zhou Youyuan exhibit any unusual behavior in the past few days?”

He Xiping thought for a moment, “He’s been nervous and agitated, as if he had gotten into some trouble. He even mentioned laying low for a few days, looking very worried.”

“Could it be that he had enemies planning to confront him?”

He Xiping shook her head, “My husband was very low-key and never made enemies. He was a very amiable person, never even raising his voice.”

“You mentioned your family struck it rich. Can you tell us more about that?”

“My husband said he found a piece of jade in the mine, which turned out to be of exceptional quality. He sold it for a good price.”

“Have you seen the jade stone?”

“No, I only saw the ten thousand taels of silver notes he brought back.”

Chu Xujin glanced at Chu Qingzhi, who didn’t comment, so he returned his gaze and continued, “Your husband’s body will be kept in the mortuary for now. Once the case is resolved, you can come to claim it.”

‘Yes, sir.’

As the group made their way towards the Ministry of Justice, Chu Xujin asked,

“Fifth Sister, what should we do next?”

Chu Qingzhi replied, “Let’s not rush. We’ll wait for Lord Ren to return and share the information he’s gathered.”

Just as they were discussing, Ren Buqing quickly approached with his men, “The person who dined with Zhou Youyuan is named Xu Youchang, but he has also disappeared.”

The simultaneous disappearances were suspicious. Chu Qingzhi suggested, “Let’s go check Xu Youchang’s residence.”

“Okay.”

Xu Youchang lived nearby. Oddly, despite the close relationship between Zhou Youyuan and Xu Youchang, who had worked together in the mines, their families had little to no interaction, akin to strangers.

The person who reported Xu Youchang’s disappearance was his servant. Xu was wealthier than Zhou and kept a low profile, his days filled mainly with inspecting his businesses or drinking with Zhou. Other times, he stayed at home, leading a simple life.

Xu’s wife, tearfully stated, “My husband always comes home daily. It’s unprecedented for him to be missing for almost a day.”

“To help find your husband, you’ll need to cooperate with us.”

I’ll do anything necessary. What do you need?”

“First, answer some questions,” instructed Chu Xujin. “You mentioned your husband came into a large sum of money a year ago. Can you elaborate?”

Mrs. Xu, too scared to lie, explained, “My husband found a piece of high- quality jade while mining. It sold for ten thousand taels, and that’s how we became wealthy.”

Chu Qingzhi thought it was too coincidental that both men struck it rich in the same manner and concluded they were lying.

“Bring out one of your husband’s frequently worn clothes.”

“Yes.” Mrs. Xu had a maid fetch the clothing and handed it to Chu Xujin.

After letting Da Bai sniff the garment, Da Bai identified a direction and led the group towards the city outskirts.

The sunlight glistened on the Ruan River, scattering golden specks across its surface.

Da Bai guided everyone to the edge of the Yuan River.

Chu Qingzhi asked, “Da Bai, is the person in the river?”

Da Bai nudged her hand, indicating the person was indeed in the river, urging them to retrieve it quickly.

“Lord Ren, we need to find someone to dredge the river,” Chu Qingzhi stated.

“Okay.” Ren Buqing immediately ordered someone to find the corpse dredger. Then, he looked at Da Bai with a hint of desire in his eyes.

Approaching Chu Qingzhi, Ren Buqing hesitated before asking, “Miss Qingzhi, where did Da Bai come from?”

Sensing Ren Buqing’s thoughts, Chu Qingzhi smiled and replied, “From the mountains near my home.”

“Do you have more there?” Ren Buqing coughed lightly, embarrassed, “Da Bai’s ability to find things is unparalleled. If the Ministry of Justice could have one too, it would be very convenient for future investigations.”

“If you’re interested in using animals for investigations, I can find you a couple of wolves with the best sense of smell.” Chu Qingzhi offered, considering it a way to repay Ren Buqing for his assistance.

“Thank you.”

The body dredgers, experienced in their craft, quickly retrieved a body from the river, similarly headless and resembling the first body found.

One dredger reported, “The body was tied to a rope, which was attached to a large stone. We found another set of ropes and body nearby, indicating there were two bodies.”

Understanding dawned upon everyone; the perpetrator intended to permanently conceal the bodies underwater. Somehow, one body ended up near the shore.

Another dredger handed Ren Buqing a saw and rope found next to the stone, “We found these next to the stone. We’ve brought them up.”

Awesome, they even found the murder weapon!

Ren Buqing ordered the saw and rope to be kept safe. This marked significant progress in the investigation.