Martial Saint through Reading

Chu Ming sat down at the table.

Ji Wujiang opened an oil package, and the aroma of roasted chicken wafted out: ”The oil-smoked chicken from the Eight-direction Building, ten taels of silver for half a chicken, quite a splurge.”

”As long as Mr. Ji likes it.”

”Pity, there’s meat but no wine...”

Chu Ming reached into his pocket and took out a jug of wine.

”Hehe, ask what you want to ask.”

Ji Wujiang didn’t shy away, tearing off a drumstick and drinking from the wine jug.

”Mr. Ji, who has worked at the Mei’an Mountain Stone Factory from the shantytown?”

”...” Ji Wujiang was taken aback, ”Is that all you’re asking?”

”Yes.”

”... Sun Jun, he used to be a foreman at the Mei’an Mountain Stone Factory. He lives in the southeastern corner of the shantytown, in front of an old dead tree.”

”Thank you, Mr. Ji.” Chu Ming got up to leave.

”Is there nothing else you want to ask?” Ji Wujiang looked up.

”No.”

Chu Ming clasped his hands in salute and walked straight out of the house.

Ji Wujiang watched the door, a strange smile appearing on his face.

”What an interesting kid, didn’t even ask who I am...”

”...”

Chu Ming stepped out of Ji Wujiang’s house, heading towards the southeast area of the shantytown.

He walked through dozens of dilapidated houses, trekking along the muddy path. Under the night sky, an old dead tree appeared before him.

Behind the tree, there was a run-down shack, severely damaged, unable to block the wind or the rain.

The Sword Gourd Spirit sensed that at least a dozen people were huddled inside, both old and young.

Chu Ming approached the house, holding a piece of meat.

The cold wind blew, and the smell of meat wafted into the shed, causing the shivering ten people to shiver even more.

”The smell of meat?”

Someone crawled out following the scent.

”Who is Sun Jun?” Chu Ming asked, shaking the meat.

”Hiss...” All the dozen or so people stuck their heads out upon hearing the sound, their eyes glowing green as they stared at the meat, ”Sir, I am Sun Jun, I am Sun Jun.”

Twelve people, all claiming to be Sun Jun.

Chu Ming’s expression remained unchanged, and in a movement flipped the meat piece away, ready to leave.

The twelve were momentarily stunned, then each showed a ferocious look.

”Meat! Meat!” Ten people charged out like hungry wolves.

”Sigh...” Chu Ming raised his hand and gently patted it out, and ten figures simultaneously flew back with muffled grunts.

He didn’t hit them hard, but the ten people who flew out weren’t going to get up anytime soon.

Chu Ming returned to the shack, produced a piece of meat and asked: ”Who’s Sun Jun?”

”S... Sir...” A skeletal figure said tremulously, ”Sun Jun... Sun Jun was taken away this afternoon.”

Was taken away?

Chu Ming paused, a hint of suspicion arising in his heart.

Sun Jun was taken away, and Ji Wujiang surely knew. Why would he still send me to find Sun Jun?

Was he deceiving me?

It shouldn’t be...

Ji Wujiang’s words and actions all carried a sense of mystery. His expression when talking about finding Sun Jun was quite natural. It doesn’t make sense for him to deceive me on this matter, does it?

”Who took him away?” Chu Ming gave the speaker a piece of meat.

”Who else, the people from the Imperial Court!” The person happily accepted the meat, but then turned to a look of anger, seemingly extremely resentful of the court.

”Do you have any of Sun Jun’s clothing or anything he used?” Chu Ming took out another piece of meat.

”Yes, yes.” Two others hurriedly crawled into the shack and soon came back out with a worn mat and ragged clothes.

They traded the ragged clothes for meat, while the Tracking Bead collected the scent.

”Sir... there’s also these...”

The initial responder came out with another pile of rags, worn clothes, and torn cloth.

One by one, the scents were collected, and the Tracking Bead gained over a dozen distinct scents.

These people living together already had mixed and messy scents on their clothes.

”That’s enough.”

Chu Ming handed over another piece of meat, turned around and left, finding a secluded spot. He held the Tracking Bead, sensing the scents within.

Sixteen scents, fifteen found in the shantytown, twelve of which belonged to the twelve people just now.

Discarding the useless scents, retaining the last one, which was Sun Jun’s scent.

Infusing it with Primordial Qi, he operated the Perfection Level Tracking and Tracing, and the Tracking Bead immediately responded.

Two responses, one in the east, very far away, exactly in the direction of the Mei’an Mountain Stone Factory.

As for the other location...

Chu Ming released the Sword Gourd Spirit, covering the area under the old dead tree in front of the shack. As it penetrated the ground, there seemed to be something there.

With a slight thought, the Primordial Qi Black Blade pierced the night, silently digging into the soil and picking out a wooden box, flying back to him.

Opening the wooden box, inside was a blood-stained rag wrapped around something.

The scent from the Tracking Bead indicated it was from the bloody rag, presumably blood from Sun Jun’s body.

Unwrapping the rag, inside was a ledger, documenting Sun Jun’s expenses while he was a foreman at the Mei’an Mountain Stone Factory.

But the last two pages were different, the pages were temporarily glued on.

The amounts on the paper greatly exceeded the previous records, even a single line far surpassed the total sum of the previous entries.

And the seals and signatures on these large amounts were not Sun Jun’s.

”Cui Dong?”

The last name Cui, likely someone from the Camp Repair Department related to Cui Ye.

Tucking the ledger away, Chu Ming’s figure blended into the darkness, heading towards the east, to the Mei’an Mountain Stone Factory.

He had quite a few things to deal with on hand, planning to resolve all the matters in the case tonight.

Then, go to the Heavenly Inquiry Tower tomorrow, to see if he can purchase the Five-Colored Firebird Fire Feather that Master Hoong Ying mentioned.

With the Fire Feather, he could attempt to refine the large gray stone Primordial Artifact Materials.

Subsequently, he also needed to figure out how to free his master from confinement.

Although his master and Housekeeper Fang were under house arrest in the Xiang Mansion without any immediate danger, the person on the dragon throne was unpredictable, and the longer the time, the more variables could arise.

...

Mei’an Mountain, Stone Factory.

Under the dark sky, half the mountain face was exposed, with torches for illumination scattered around.

On the mountain, people were coming and going, carrying boulders down.

At the foot of the mountain was a large flat area, with rows of buildings on it.

More people bustling between the buildings, not resting even at night.