Chapter 2 (1/2)

Mischief By Monsters

Xu Xinnian frowned. “What do you need it for?”

‘I intend to solve this case…’ Xu Qian thought. “I want to die knowing the reason for my punishment, else I will never have peace.”

Revealing his true intentions might gain him some odd looks from Xu Xinnian—his cousin might think he had gone off his rockers.

The original Xu Qian was a pigheaded and strong-willed man.

Xu Xinnian sighed and said, “I have seen the script. I’ll tell you what I know…”

The past few days had been a rush for Xu Xinnian as he went around the city asking for assistance. The crime was too severe for anyone to be willing to help. After a series of rejections, Xu Xinnian changed tactics and decided to find out where the tax money could have gone.

With the help of the household staff and his relationship with the academy, Xu Xinnian managed to bribe an official in Jingzhao City to make a copy of the case details.

He had studied the script and put his logical mind to use. He did not give up trying to solve the case of the missing tax money.

Xu Qian raised a hand to stop his cousin. “Write it down. The spoken words hold no meaning.”

The details of the case laid in the script—they must be digested and deliberated. A verbal recount would split his attention and reduce his thinking ability.

In his past life, Xu Qian was known for his logical reasoning—he stood out among his peers for the exact reason.

A week ago, Xu Xinnian would have ignored his cousin. The moment could be the last Xu Xinnian ever saw of Xu Qian.

Therefore, he agreed to fulfill his older cousin’s request. “A moment.”

He left in a hurried pace.

As the sound of footsteps faltered, Xu Qian leaned back against the metal bars and slid down to a sitting position. His heart was beating wildly.

He was not confident to turn things around. His wish to solve the case was just a wish after all.

It was a last-ditch effort to save himself. No one could fault him for trying.

Modern day police investigations placed emphasis on three main aspects: crime scene investigation, surveillance and autopsy.

There were no deaths in this case and no surveillance in the ancient world. Being stuck in jail, Xu Qian could perform none of the above.

His last hope was the scroll which would allow him to gain some insights about the crime scene.

Xu Qian took in the host’s memories and did his best to rid himself of the negative emotions. A calm mind was essential for clear and rational thoughts.

He mumbled, “Life or death, it all depends on this…”

Half an hour passed before Xu Xinnian returned with a few sheets of fine paper. The ink was still fresh when he passed the papers to Xu Qian.

“My time is up, I’ll have to take my leave,” Xu Xinnian said. After a moment’s hesitation, he delivered his parting words. “Take care of yourself.”

Xu Qian did not respond. His attention was fully on the fresh script.

Time was of the essence—the fact was reflected by the messy handwriting. If Xu Qian had not had a few years of private study lessons, he would have struggled to decipher the ghoulish script.

“The importance of studying… If the host could not read, I would be doomed,” Xu Qian said with a chuckle.

The case of the missing tax money went as such:

[Three days ago, at

6.30 in the morning

, Xu Pingzhi was escorting a cargo of tax money back to the city. At 7.15 in the morning, as the group was approaching Guangnan Street, the winds picked up and startled the horses. They were on a bridge as this happened and the horses ran toward the river.

[At that moment, a deafening explosion was heard and a wave that was the

height of six men

emerged from the river. Muddy water rained from the sky.

[The soldiers assigned to the guard detail went into the river to search for the fallen cargo. A total of 1,215 silver taels were recovered while the rest were declared missing…]

There were eyewitness testimonies from passersby and the soldiers on duty.

Amidst the testimonies, Xu Qian noticed a phrase highlighted in

cinnabar

red, ‘Mischief by monsters.’

“Mischief by monsters?” Xu Qian’s eyes narrowed as his heart sank.

…

After three days of hustling, the trio who were responsible for the case of the missing tax money gathered in one of the many halls within the Jingzhao Courts.