Scripture of Days Past

Chapter 59: Request

Everyone watched as Daoist Master Law Origin extracted some blood from the fox and smeared it onto the dogs’ lips. Several minutes passed without the dogs having any abnormal reactions, and Gu Wei began to grow a little anxious.

Even after fifteen minutes, the dogs still showed no signs of going into heat, and Gu Wei was panicking.

”Impossible! This is impossible! I saw them react to the blood earlier!”

Finally, after half an hour passed, Daoist Master Law Origin shook his head as he said, ”This fox’s blood has no aphrodisiac properties. In light of this...”

His voice trailed off, but the implication was already clear to everyone.

He Wenyan turned to Gu Wei with a vicious glare, while the latter was already sweating profusely.

Gu Wei dropped to his knees before He Wenyan and desperately yelled, ”We tested the blood earlier, and the outcome was completely different, County Magistrate He!”

”How dare you!” He Wenyan snapped. ”What do you have to say for yourself?”

He knew his subordinates were far from honest and often carried out shady dealings behind his back, but he had never imagined that Gu Wei would dare to falsify evidence in such a major case.

If the Hao Clan discovered the deception, then there would be all types of impeachment orders coming his way. He definitely wouldn’t be able to keep his position as county magistrate.

The thought of almost being screwed over by Gu Wei’s greed immediately had He Wenyan flying into a rage.

Gu Wei was already in full panic mode. He repeatedly kowtowed to He Wenyan, sobbing while professing his innocence.

Suddenly, Gu Wei shifted the blame onto Chu Qiguang, yelling, ”He did this! He was the one who insisted on testing the blood again. He must’ve tampered with something to frame me! Chu Qiguang, it was you, wasn’t it?”

He lunged at Chu Qiguang as he spoke, channeling all his power as a second-state martial artist into a vicious punch.

He Wenyan intervened with a cold harrumph, slapping Gu Wei across the face with such force that he was sent flying.

”You are officially stripped of your title as head constable! Guards, take him away!”

Gu Wei’s face turned deathly pale at the verdict. Over the years, he had used his position to amass a fortune through illicit means. In doing so, he had also made countless enemies. Without the protection of his official title, all his enemies would undoubtedly tear him to shreds!

Terrified by the horrible fate that awaited him, he began bawling and screaming frantically.

”I’m innocent, County Magistrate He! Please, give me a chance to prove my innocence!”

As the bailiffs dragged Gu Wei away, Chu Qiguang knew he was as good as dead.

Qiao Zhi was watching from his hiding spot in the rafters, feeling very satisfied with this outcome.

That’s what you get for trying to screw us over! Even the county magistrate and the Daoist temple are nothing but playthings in Chu Qiguang’s hands, let alone a lowly head constable like you!

Meanwhile, Chen Gang stared at Chu Qiguang with a look of admiration in his eyes.

I have a lot to learn from Brother Chu! Being a villain is much better than trying to be a hero!

Even though Chu Qiguang had exposed Gu Wei’s ruse, He Wenyan was not pleased with him either. He instructed his assistant to close the case before promptly leaving.

”I didn’t think Head Constable Gu would dare to do something like that,” He Xian said as he turned to Chu Qiguang with an embarrassed expression.

However, Daoist Master Law Origin didn’t appear surprised at all.

”People working under the authorities have always been this brazen. They deceive those above them while exploiting those below them. I’m not surprised he’s capable of something like this.”

The irony of Daoist Master Law Origin’s words was not lost on Chu Qiguang. When it came to exploiting the masses, the Daoist temple was unmatched.

Daoist Master Law Origin then turned a curious gaze to the body of the fox fiend as he remarked, ”Come to think of it, this is a male fox... I didn’t think Hao Yongnian swung that way.”

”I did hear some rumors that he was unusually close to that personal servant of his, but I’m just as surprised as you are,” Chu Qiguang said.

Following He Wenyan’s departure, his assistant took over the proceedings. He negotiated with Chu Qiguang, offering him two hundred taels of silver from the Hao Clan’s reward in exchange for keeping Gu Wei’s deception a secret.

As for the rest of the reward, that was naturally split between Daoist Master Law Origin and He Wenyan.

Chu Qiguang had gone to great lengths to stage the crime before stepping in to solve it, and he was very unhappy with his meager compensation of only two hundred taels of silver.

After all that, I only earned two hundred taels of silver. I’m much better off selling brain platinum instead! This is a systematic problem. There are too many middle men involved, the organizations are bloated, and there’s too much bureaucracy getting in the way. Looks like I’ll have to take all of this into consideration in my future money-making schemes.

Shortly after, family members of the victim arrived at the county office.

Among them was a familiar face, Hao Yongnian’s older brother, Hao Yongtai. Chu Qiguang had met him at Wise Hero Academy, and he was a tall and imposing dark-skinned man.

Hao Yongtai expressed his sincere gratitude to Chu Qiguang for solving the case. He was far more principled than his younger brother, and had been extremely dedicated to martial arts cultivation from a young age.

”You would’ve been amazed if you had seen how Brother Chu solved the case, Brother Hao,” He Xian said. ”His investigative skills are nothing short of extraordinary! I think Brother Chu should be tasked with solving cases in the county that involve fiends from now on.”

”I was just lucky,” Chu Qiguang said with a modest shake of his head. ”My condolences, Brother Hao. Just a few days ago, I was drinking with Yongnian and wishing him success in this year’s martial examination. How cruel and sudden these twists of fate can be...”

”I always told him to stay away from prostitutes, but he never listened. Now it has led to his downfall,” Hao Yongtai sighed. ”In any case, you have my sincere thanks, Brother Chu.”

After exchanging some pleasantries, it was time to divide the reward.

However, as Chu Qiguang was about to receive his share, he requested, ”Young Master Hao, can I exchange my monetary reward for something else?”

”Oh? What do you want instead?”

”I’ve heard that the Hao Clan has an extensive private library filled with all kinds of books. If possible, I’d like to access the library and read the books inside.”

Compared with the meager reward of two hundred taels of silver, Chu Qiguang would rather gain access to the Hao Clan’s private library. That way, he would be able to read about the history of this world and try to find some leads on the Purple Mansion Sacred Scripture.

This would also give him a reason to visit the Hao Manor frequently. With his social skills, establishing ties with the Hao Clan wouldn’t be difficult.

Not only would his connection to the Hao Clan allow him to come up with more ways to make money, he could also secure a recommendation from them to take part in the martial examination.

In Chu Qiguang’s eyes, that was far more appealing than two hundred taels of silver.