April 18, Liangzhou
"gentlemen"
When the morning sun had just reached the base of the city wall, Zhuang Xiuyu got up and came to Chang An's room.
Chang An exhaled a long breath, opened his eyes, and after adjusting his breath all night, he slowly stretched his limbs and felt refreshed.
Except for the dull pain from the wound on his chest, his condition was much better than yesterday.
He stood up and looked at the Sword God's Sword beside the bed. The long sword was unsheathed, and he held a sword flower in his hand. Then, he sheathed the sword with satisfaction.
Looking at Zhuang Xiuyu's adoring expression, she smiled and laughed at herself:
"My hands are itchy for a moment."
Zhuang Xiuyu ran to Chang An excitedly
"Sir, where are we going today?"
Chang An smiled
"Drink some wine downstairs."
A big question mark appeared on Zhuang Xiuyu's delicate face.
"Sir, aren't we going to investigate the case?"
Chang An smiles
"Walk."
After saying that, he walked out of the guest room. When Zhuang Xiuyu saw this, he stopped asking and followed him.
In the lobby of the inn, there are only a few tables of guests, all of whom are wanderers.
The imperial guards in armor were scanning the rest of the guests with burning eyes.
“Tuk tuk tuk”
The footsteps of Chang An and Zhuang Xiuyu came from the stairwell. Everyone looked up following the sound, only to see Chang An slowly walking down the stairs.
"Daxia Chang!"
Whether it was those Jianghu guests or Pang Chong and others, they all respected Chang An when they saw him.
Chang An returned the gift with cupped fists
"Chang just came down to ask for a drink, you don't have to be polite."
He slowly walked to Pang Chong's table. Upon seeing this, Pang Chong immediately asked his subordinates to make two empty seats for Chang An and Zhuang Xiuyu.
"Master Chang, Miss Zhuang, please sit down."
"Vice Commander Pang, how did you sleep last night?"
Chang An asked with a smile.
Pang Chong gave a bitter smile, but there was still a bit of anger on his face.
"The commander-in-chief died in such a strange way, how could I sleep?"
Chang An looked around, and the people in the world in the distance cast friendly glances at him when they met his eyes.
"Are these the charlatans who were present yesterday?"
Chang An withdrew his gaze, raised his glass and asked.
Pang Chong nodded.
"After Fu Rushui died yesterday, the inn was sealed off by the Zhao family. Except for you and Miss Zhuang, no one else can enter or leave the inn. Of course, there are still some people who haven't come downstairs yet."
Chang An looked at the door of the inn again. He didn't notice before going out last night that a seal had been posted on the door of the inn.
"Approximately how many people there are."
Chang An asked again
Pang Chong recalled what happened yesterday.
"When we came here yesterday, there were about ten people in the lobby. If you count those who stayed in the guest rooms and were not in the lobby, there were about twenty people."
Chang An shook his head
"No, as long as the person is in the lobby at the time."
he continued
"Deputy Commander Pang, in your opinion, do any of those people act suspiciously?"
Pang Chong was stunned, obviously not expecting Chang An to ask such a question. He leaned into Chang An's ear and asked in a low voice.
"Do you think the murderer is among these people?"
Chang An said meaningfully
"Wouldn't it be great if you were among these people? If the murderer had already run away or was not in the inn at all, where would you go to find him now?"
Pang Chong nodded and said
"Indeed, but there are not many people in the world who can kill the commander-in-chief with one blow. Is Chang Daxia sure that among these people, there are any masters at the master level?"
Chang An just smiled and did not answer his question.
"Speaking of which, Deputy Commander Pang, what exactly are you escorting this time?"
Pang Chong shook his head
"Chang Daxia, to be honest, the brothers don't know what the thing being escorted this time is. They only know that it is a box. But what is in the box, even the commander has never opened it."
Chang An grabbed the wine bottle on the table and got himself a glass of wine
"Yesterday I went to see Commander Qu's body and found that Commander Qu had been hit with a hidden weapon not long ago. I saw obvious damage on the armors of the brothers. We were attacked along the way."
Pang Chong seemed very angry. He raised his glass and took a sip of wine. Then he slammed the glass on the table and said angrily.
"The gang of bastards on the twelfth floor, I don't know where they got the news. On the way from Ningchuan Prefecture to here, they organized no less than twenty interceptions and killings. Many brothers died along the way. , and now there are only twelve brothers left."
Chang An filled Pang Chong's glass with wine again.
"Ningchuan Prefecture? So, the box was obtained in Ningchuan Prefecture."
Speaking of this, Pang Chong's expression became a little mysterious. He looked around, moved slightly closer to Chang An, and whispered
"Chang Daxia, to tell you the truth, the mission assigned to us by the palace this time was to go to Ningchuan Prefecture to pick up a box. However, when we got there, we found that the owner of the box was actually a young man."
Chang An said doubtfully
"juvenile?"
Pang Chong nodded and continued.
"That young man has quite a lot of background."
Chang An raised his eyebrows
"Oh? What's your background?"
Pang Chong looked around again and got closer to Chang An.
"That young man is the King of the North, the orphan of Gu Jingshi, Gu Yuanwu!"
Chang An was stunned that he was actually related to the Gu family. Although he had been in seclusion for three years, he could not be completely unaware of such a major event as the Gu family being wiped out that shook the world.
It seems that the involvement of this matter has become wider and wider.
"Then the young master of the Gu family is really not dead?"
"It is true that he is not dead, and I don't know who saved him. Now there are rumors in the world that it was the man sitting in the Qiankun Palace who plotted against the Gu family."
Pang Chong replied.
Chang An poured him another glass of wine and smiled.
"Deputy Commander Pang is a member of the palace after all. By arranging today's saints in this way, we won't be afraid of being accused."
Pang Chong smiled coldly
"Organization? Didn't you see the look in our commander's eyes when he saw that boy? The murderous intent in his eyes couldn't deceive me. If it weren't for that person's instruction, I can't figure out why the commander killed that kid. .”
Speaking of this, Pang Chong let out a long sigh.
"Alas, the Gu family is pitiful. They are full of loyal people, but in the end, they ended up like this. I think back then, Gu Jingshi shocked the northern border for fifteen years. What a hero he was."
Chang An asked
"That boy is dead?"
Pang Chong shook his head and frowned slightly.
"The young man was very strange. When we found him, we discovered that the young man actually took the initiative to offer the treasure. When we arrived in Ningchuan Prefecture, he had been waiting there for a long time."
Chang An is surprised
"Offering treasure?"
Pang Chong was also puzzled
"Yeah, what's even more strange is that the commander didn't kill him in the end and let him leave."
Chang An rubbed the rim of the wine glass with his right hand, looking strange.
"The world is really big and full of wonders."
Pang Chong continued
"However, that young man will inevitably die."
Chang An looked at Pang Chong strangely. Unexpectedly, this tall and thick man actually had some ideas.
"Oh? Deputy Commander Pang, it seems that you have some opinions on this matter. Chang is willing to hear the details."
Pang Chong smiled naively and looked at Chang An sheepishly.
"I'm just making a blind analysis. You see, a year ago the Gu family was exterminated. A year later, Gu Yuanwu didn't want to take revenge, but he wanted to offer a treasure for no reason. No matter who thinks about it, this may be a trap, but the palace But I couldn't wait to send me forward. I was thinking, this box...could be the reason why the Gu family was wiped out."
Chang An was already impressed by this powerful and powerful deputy commander, and couldn't help but admire him.
"Vice Commander Pang's insights are indeed unique. Come on, come on, let me toast you."
As he said that, he raised his glass. Pang Chong also smiled, raised his glass and drank it down in one gulp.
and then continued
"However, that young man announced to the world with great fanfare that he was Gu Yuanwu. Since the people who destroyed his whole family back then came for the box, wouldn't he have been targeted by those people for a long time?"
Chang An nodded silently
"That's true, but now the news that the box was taken away by you has spread like wildfire. After Commander Qu's death, the box was blatantly hung on the tower by the murderer. The young man is probably not in any danger."
Speaking of this, Chang An suddenly said
"In this case, Deputy Commander Pang has never thought that the murderer who destroyed the Gu family might also be the murderer of Commander Qu."
Pang Chong had a serious expression and seemed to be thinking seriously, but his mind couldn't turn around and he finally scratched his head.
"This is indeed very possible, but if that's the case, why didn't the murderer take the box and leave, but hang it on the city gate and let the gangsters fight for it?"
Chang An frowned. This was what he couldn't figure out. Ever since the Gu family was wiped out a year ago, the murderer must have been looking for the box.
So once the young man who calls himself Gu Yuanwu shows his whereabouts, logically speaking, the first person to target him must be the murderer. Therefore, his suspects are, firstly, the man in the palace, and secondly, Qu The twelfth floor of Fengzhi.
But if Fu Rushui hadn't made such a fuss in the inn and the murderer had placed the box in plain sight at the city gate.
The secret of the box may never be known to the people of the world.
So why did the murderer insist on telling the world this secret?
Chang An's eyes suddenly lit up, "No!"
Something is wrong!
He stood up in a hurry. It wasn't that something was wrong, but that everything was wrong. This story that he and Pang Chong jointly compiled was unreasonable from beginning to end.
"Daxia Chang?"
Pang Chong was startled when Chang An suddenly stood up and asked weakly
Chang An smiled slightly
"Deputy Commander Pang, Chang, please do me a favor."
Pang Chong was stunned and then said
"But it doesn't matter."
Chang An leaned into Pang Chong's ear and whispered:
"Please help me keep an eye on the guests at the inn to see if there is anyone acting suspiciously."
Pang Chong slapped his chest
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it."
After saying that, Chang An looked at Zhuang Xiuyu who looked confused.
"Xiaoyu, let's go."
Zhuang Xiuyu still looked confused, but when she saw Chang An leaving, she followed him.
The two came to the backyard. Chang An looked serious. He looked around. Yesterday, the assassin suddenly appeared here.
Then, he jumped up and looked outside the courtyard, only to find that the entire courtyard was surrounded by officers and soldiers sent by Zhao Huanhuan. And yesterday, the Chumu River that suddenly appeared on the courtyard wall was unexpectedly... Patrol here.
Nachu Muhe seemed to sense that someone was observing him, turned around, looked at Chang An with a smile, and said hello
"Master Chang."
Chang An also returned the favor with cupped fists.
"Mr. Chu."
But Chang An's body flashed, his right foot flew into the air, and he jumped into the air, rolling high in the air. After returning to his straight body, he jumped to a higher place on the wind. It only took two breaths. , Chang An was already standing in front of Chu Muhe with a straight face.
Chu Muhe's eyes were slightly startled.
"Chang Family Master's Qing Gong is so high that he can fly in the air, and he is unrivaled in the world."
Chang An said modestly
"Mr. Chu, thank you very much."
he continued
"Mr. Chu, why are you patrolling here today?"
"It is to prevent the martial arts masters in the inn from escaping through this courtyard. The guests of the City Lord's Mansion will take turns to be on duty here every day."
Chang An said doubtfully
"Then how did yesterday's assassin enter this courtyard despite heavy defenses?"
Chu Muhe said with some shame
"The person who was patrolling here yesterday should have been the boxer in the mansion, but he died at the corner and was choked with a flying knife."
Chang An followed Chu Muhe's gaze and looked at the corner, which was the only blind spot for guards. However, the corner was only a one-step blind spot, which meant that the killer killed the boxer in just an instant.
"So, you realized something was wrong and came here in a hurry?"
Chu Muhe nodded
"When did this happen?"
Chang An asked again.
Chu Muhe said
"He should have died at noon yesterday, but he was only discovered in the afternoon. By the time I arrived, the assassin was already fighting with you in the yard."
Chang An thought for a while
"So, he has been staying at the inn all afternoon."
"This should be."
Chu Muhe replied.
Chang An's eyebrows stretched.
"That's how it should be."
"Mr. Chu, thank you for your advice."
Chu Muhe waved his hand and said with a smile
"I don't even know how much I've helped you."
Chang An smiled, tapped the ground with his toes, and jumped back into the backyard.
"gentlemen."
Seeing Chang An back in the courtyard, Zhuang Xiuyu ran over.
"Miss Zhao is here."
Chang An was surprised and looked at the sky. At this time, the sky was already bright and the sun was shining brightly. Only then did he realize that it was almost noon.
"Oh? Where is she?"
"She said she would wait for you in your guest room."
In Chang An's guest room, Zhao Xuanyuan was sitting at the table anxiously.
Chang An pushed the door open and walked in. As soon as Zhao Huanhuan heard the sound, he stood up quickly.
"Master Chang, it's not good."
Seeing her anxious look, Chang An asked
"What's wrong?"
"I went to Yizhuang in the south of the city again this morning and found that the master's body was missing!"
"What!"
…
Qingzhou, Changfu.
Since the morning, Chang Sheng, who was holding flowers, kept hearing the servants in the mansion whispering, as if they were talking about things at the inn.
"Uncle Fu!"
Chang Sheng called Chang Fu.
"Miss."
"Did something happen in the city? I see the maids are all talking about the inn."
Chang Fu lowered his head slightly, bowed and said
"It is said that a murder occurred in the inn in the east of the city."
Chang Sheng's eyes shone, and he suddenly became excited and said
"Uncle Fu, tell me quickly."
"No, I have to go take a look."
As she said that, she ran out directly.
"Miss!"
Chang Fu couldn't stop her, so he had to catch up with her, but with his old arms and legs, he couldn't catch up with the little girl. After just a few steps, he disappeared.
At this time, in the inn in the east of the city, Wang Huan was dressed in fine clothes, and Bu Qingwen was sitting quietly opposite him.
"Mr. Wang came to see me for what reason?"
Bu Qingwen slowly raised the teacup and took a sip.
Wang Huan rubbed his hands and his eyes stayed on Bu Qingwen.
"Sir, Mr. Wang has something to ask of me."
"Mr. Wang just says it's okay."
"Mr. Wang has also seen that Mr. Wang is trapped here now, but Mr. Wang does have important things to do here. Therefore, Mr. Wang would like to ask Mr. Wang to deliver a letter for me."
Bu Qingwen glanced at Wang Huan
"But I can't get out either."
Wang Huan said
"I know that the young gentleman is a capable person. This matter will not be difficult for you."
Bu Qingwen stared at Wang Huan silently, with no expression on his face and didn't speak. He just stared at Wang Huan and felt terrified.
"Mr. Wang, when you came out of the palace this time, you received some secret order."
After a long time, Bu Qingwen suddenly asked.
Wang Huan sighed slightly and smiled bitterly.
"As expected, I can't hide it from Mr. Young. That's all. Since I asked Mr. Young to do something, I can't tell you anything. To be honest, I left the palace this time in compliance with His Majesty's Imperial Majesty's order to invite Miss Chang's family to the capital. of."
Bu Qingwen's expression changed and she unconsciously squeezed the tea cup in her hand.
"Why?"
Wang Huan replied
"Speaking of which, this is not a big secret. Your Majesty invited Miss Chang to come to Beijing to investigate a case."
Bu Qingwen smiled in surprise
"Mr. Wang is just talking nonsense, and Miss Chang's family doesn't know how to investigate the case. Besides, why should the investigation be conducted not with the head of the Chang family, but with Miss Chang's family?"
Wang Huan shook his head
"I don't know about that, I just came here under orders."
Bu Qingwen asked again
"What a big deal that is. Miss Chang must come to investigate."
Wang Huan said
"A while ago, many officials' children disappeared in Taiyang City."
Bu Qingwen frowned
"What's so special about ordinary missing children cases."
"The missing children are all boys."
Bu Qingwen suddenly stood up and said out of control
"What!?"
Then he realized that he had lost his composure, and slowly sat down again, looked at Wang Huan seriously, and said lightly
"Mr. Wang, I sent this letter for you."
