Daishan Turns The Wind Chapter 24

Case of the Perfumer (5)

General Yang Yi said he had uncovered some things.

Feng Yuluo listened attentively.

But Yang Yi asked, “May I ask, what grievances do you two have with this Marquis?”

This implied he had already determined that Shan Wuzhou and Feng Yuluo were the ones who caused the disturbance yesterday. Feng Yuluo felt a little flustered, but mostly confused. With so many people on the street, how did he pinpoint them?

They had even specifically found witnesses.

“The street was sealed off at the time, and we searched house by house. We didn’t find anyone harboring criminals, but we did find one household that was missing two people.”

In the muggy heat, it felt as if a poisonous snake was crawling onto his shoulder, causing cold sweat to break out.

Yang Yi sneered, taking in the subtle reactions of the two.

Sun Zhengmo glanced at the two shop assistants, then immediately looked away, screaming internally: You did something this big! And you kept it from me! You bastards.

Hesitating for a moment, she argued with a sense of impending doom: “General, yesterday, they came to my house and stayed until they left for dinner in the evening.”

Yang Yi raised his hand, and Sun Zhengmo’s courage completely drained away.

Eunuch Xu glared fiercely at her, then cautiously looked at the displeased Chief Steward Liu, sighing in despair. She had messed up.

Yang Yi said, “Of all the shops on the street, only Sui’an Perfumery was missing two people. We checked the inn, and they said they saw you at the beginning of the hour of Si (9:00 AM). We checked Boss Sun’s house, and the servants said you arrived at the beginning of the hour of Si. However, the person who banged the gong and fled did so just after the hour of Si began.”

“It’s four li from the perfumery to the inn, and seven li from the inn to Boss Sun’s house. Do the two of you possess the art of flying or tunneling, allowing you to appear in three places in such a short time?”

Rushing to the inn was done in an emergency, and also to find a witness. Rushing to Boss Sun’s house was to see if Sun Zhengmo was the assassin, and to understand the real reason Yuanbao was parasitizing her.

The result was that they had exposed their own flaw.

The ability to quickly travel between two places indirectly proved they had the ability to deflect weapons, bang gongs, and jump walls.

General Yang must have hired a professional investigator to figure this out. This speed and accuracy were indeed beyond the reach of an amateur like him.

He only had one last option: deny everything until the end.

Shan Wuzhou was much calmer. If they had to drop the pretense, so be it. He could fly away with his Grandmaster and Boss Sun. No one could catch him.

Feng Yuluo, an eight-hundred-year-old rogue, spoke sincerely: “We just have slightly better light-body techniques. The situation at the time was terrifying, and we were scared, so we ran to the inn. Then we worried that Boss Sun might unknowingly go to the perfumery, so we rushed to her house.”

The knuckles on Yang Yi’s left hand were misaligned, looking like an old injury from many years ago. He said indifferently, “At the time, we considered sending troops to flatten Sui’an Perfumery, but fearing disruption to the populace, we decided it was better to ask first, lest the innocent be harmed.”

“…” They didn’t need evidence; suspicion was enough to deal with you.

Feng Yuluo’s attitude became even more conciliatory: “In truth, we have no grievances with the General. We were only fortunate enough to meet General Yang yesterday. Today is only the second time.”

Yang Yi knew they had admitted it.

Feng Yuluo fabricated a reason for his intervention: “At the time, I saw that group of bandits were murderous and refused to retreat even unto death. Fearing the General was in danger, I went up and pretended to be a mysterious person to scare them all away.”

Yang Yi found this amusing: “And the pebble that deflected my weapon?”

Feng Yuluo said solemnly, “That person was poisoned.”

Yang Yi looked at the two of them and burst into laughter: “Then you are my saviors.”

Feng Yuluo feigned great humility and fear: “We dare not accept such praise.”

Yang Yi motioned for everyone to take their seats, though he didn’t truly regard anyone present.

Eunuch Xu remained uneasy, Chief Steward Liu suppressed his anger, Sun Zhengmo struggled to maintain composure, and Shan Wuzhou was serene.

Chief Steward Liu needed one more push.

Yang Yi knew Sun Zhengmo wanted the business of supplying incense to the palace. He waved his hand and said it was simple, a matter of a single word from him.

He had put Sun Zhengmo on the spot.

She knew her own limitations and couldn’t truly curry favor with General Yang; she was merely a pawn in their power struggle. But she couldn’t refuse his words. She still had to present the gifts, and he occupied the seat of honor at the banquet. Everything originally prepared for Chief Steward Liu now had to be offered to Yang Yi with even greater respect.

This meant completely offending Eunuch Liu.

She felt she would end up losing everything. The incense business would fail. Chief Steward Liu would retaliate, and General Yang would settle accounts later.

Boss Sun raised her wine cup, desperately trying to summon the boldness she had cultivated while working in the capital, and said, “With the Great General’s help, this common woman is naturally grateful beyond measure. But how dare a mere perfumery…”

Chief Steward Liu suddenly interrupted, his voice thin: “Aiya, Boss Sun, you are truly lucky. The General protects the nation outside and shields the people within. Since he says he will look after you, why don’t you quickly offer a toast and thank the Great General?”

This was an attempt to mediate the conflict and offer a way out. Sun Zhengmo saw the consideration but felt more worry than joy. She gritted her teeth and said, “This common woman thanks the Great General.”

She drained the wine cup in one gulp.

Yang Yi’s gaze was inscrutable. He picked up his wine cup, then set it down, showing no intention of drinking. He said, “However, I have one small request.”

Here it comes. Sun Zhengmo’s heart tightened.

He looked at Feng Yuluo and Shan Wuzhou: “I heard you solved the body-dumping case in half a day. Truly talented individuals. But I heard that the person who hid the body under the eaves was someone else. I am very curious why this person would do such a thing.”

Feng Yuluo’s heart also tightened.

“How about this? I invite the two of you to investigate the culprit who hid the body and resolve my confusion.”

“…”

.

At Sui’an Perfumery, the scent of lilies was faint and distant.

Sun Zhengmo’s eyes were unfocused as she worked the abacus. After calculating three times, she fell into a state of unreality.

Feng Yuluo was the same.

They had agreed not to investigate cases, but here it was again. Although he was also curious about who hid the body, his own curiosity was different from being forced to investigate.

His eyes were somewhat vacant.

Shan Wuzhou recalled the moves of the palace experts, constantly replaying them in his mind.

Feng Yuluo thought for a moment and comforted his boss: “Are you short on a lot of money? Didn’t the General say we don’t need to pay, and just need to investigate the case?”

Sun Zhengmo was reluctant to discuss the hidden details, only asking, “I said I would give you 150,000 taels of silver. Do you want it?”

Feng Yuluo was speechless.

After Yang Yi left last night, Chief Steward Liu took away the original gift of 50,000 taels, gave a few pointers, and instructed her to triple the amount and send it to the General’s Residence.

Otherwise, who knew what the consequences would be.

What seemed like a turning point, she felt, was the approach of her death date. Chief Steward Liu was merely seizing the opportunity to make one last profit.

With the manipulative methods of these powerful figures, Sui’an Perfumery could be ruined, and Boss Sun could lose her arms, without them even expending the effort of two bowls of rice.

But the money still had to be given. Otherwise, even if the case was solved, she would be on her way to the grave.

Boss Sun had spent the night scrambling for money and was still far short.

Sun Zhengmo’s eyes were hollow: “Why did you throw pebbles and bang gongs when others were having their moment of glory? That’s not a good habit.”

Feng Yuluo was also aggrieved: “You said you were the one Yuanbao was parasitizing, and everything was up to you. I offered sacrifices and made a wish, asking not to investigate cases, but what happened? The second case is already here.”

Shan Wuzhou tilted his head and smiled. He had good manners, but seeing his Grandmaster suffer a setback always made him want to laugh.

Feng Yuluo knew the boy was gloating, but he didn’t have the energy to argue. He questioned Boss Sun: “Didn’t you say you had the final say?”

Boss Sun said with a world-weary tone, “You offered sacrifices to Yuanbao first, and only later bowed to me, offering substandard goods with an insincere heart. Naturally, it didn’t work.” She concluded emphatically, “It’s your own fault.”

Feng Yuluo immediately took out new melon seeds to make an offering. Sun Zhengmo hugged her abacus and chuckled, “Today is not an auspicious day. Let’s do it another time. Another time, I will bless you with good fortune in all things.”

Looking at their unlucky faces, the third and fourth cases were probably coming soon. Sun Zhengmo needed to steer clear.

The beads of the abacus clattered.

Shan Wuzhou watched for a while and said, “You don’t need to worry. This matter started because of us. We cannot let you pay the money. We will handle things on the General’s Residence side.”

Sun Zhengmo was impressed by her two assistants. She stopped lamenting and seriously asked them if they would take the case and how they planned to investigate.

Yesterday, Yang Yi said he would give them time to consider. As he left, he said meaningfully, “I almost mistook you for rebels, and Sui’an Perfumery almost became an accomplice harboring rebels. Fortunately, the misunderstanding is resolved. Boss Sun can rest assured and focus on developing incense. The palace supply business will be yours soon.”

A triple threat.

The two men’s expressions were grave.

Sun Zhengmo panicked and stood up: “Don’t worry. Although Yuanbao is in my hands, I will absolutely not use Yuanbao to threaten you. Although I am the boss and you are the assistants now, I will not use my position to pressure you. It’s just that we are friends who have shared hardships and faced death together. Is it too much to ask a friend to stand by me?”

Feng Yuluo sighed: “Boss Sun, your path to making money is fraught with difficulties. Look at the people you chose: Eunuch Xu, Chief Steward Liu, General Yang. Each one says it’s a matter of a single word, but you’ve spent money, exerted effort, and accumulated a pile of troubles, and the business hasn’t even materialized yet.”

Sun Zhengmo said to give success a little time, and herself a little space.

Besides, she had already invested so much. If she quit now, the perfumery would collapse. She was also very distressed. Everyone says to turn back to the shore, but how can one turn back when they are in the middle of the sea?

“So, are you taking this case?” She looked at them with immense hope.

Feng Yuluo continued to worry. A person appeared out of nowhere, hid the body, and then hung it upside down the next day. They had no idea what the motive was.

Shan Wuzhou said coldly, “We’ll take it. We cannot implicate the several lives in Sui’an Perfumery.”

Sun Zhengmo was instantly happy, though still somewhat worried.

Shan Wuzhou said seriously, “Really, don’t worry. We can figure it out. Even if we fail, we’ll just take you and run. We can open a shop somewhere else.”

Such was the heart of a pure youth.

Sun Zhengmo was encouraged by the young man and reignited her fighting spirit: “I won’t run. I’ll be buried in the capital even if I die. I refuse to believe that a vast capital cannot accommodate a hardworking and honest businesswoman.”

Feng Yuluo thought to himself that her attempts to pull strings were far from honest.

Sun Zhengmo took out a circular fan with a jade handle, bronze-silver edges, and gold silk embroidery. She sat in the eastern position and said, “Isn’t it just investigating a case? Investigate! Come, tell me the situation and your ideas.”

The rain was slow to fall, and the room grew even stuffier.

Shan Wuzhou cast a spell, and the room instantly cooled down, as if piled with ice blocks.

Although the two came from Feng Mountain and practiced cultivation, they rarely used magic after descending the mountain. Helping to lower the temperature was one of the few exceptions.

Shan Wuzhou said, “Two days ago, when General Yang led his troops back to the city, assassins ambushed them, killing his eldest son, Yang Ye. Some of the assassins were killed or injured and retreated, only to be silenced later that night. Six of them escaped and their whereabouts are unknown.”

Feng Yuluo had examined the bodies in the huge pit. They belonged to different factions—some were martial arts experts, some had ordinary movement skills, and fifteen were well-trained professional killers with lightning bolt tattoos on their backs.

This meant that these people, driven by hatred or hired for a mission, knew the time of Yang Yi’s return and prepared an ambush in advance for the assassination.

Shan Wuzhou continued, “One day ago, in the morning, one of the bodies was carried to the entrance by the boss of a rival business, intending to frame us. Later, another person hid it under the eaves, setting up a mechanism so it would only be discovered when the door opened the next day.”

The dead assassin was highly skilled in martial arts and had a tattoo, indicating he was a professional killer.

Yang Yi wanted to know who hid the body.

Feng Yuluo guessed that the person who hid the body might be one of the assassin’s escaped companions. They discovered the person was dead, suspected them, and hid the body to test them. Perhaps it was one of the six who escaped.

He also considered that it might be Yang Yi himself. He was tracking the assassins, and they were all dead. His subordinates discovered that they were the two who caused the disturbance, mistook them for being part of the same group, and decided to use the situation to lure out their mastermind.

Shan Wuzhou, however, believed that the person who hid the body was the mastermind behind the silencing. They discovered one body had been dug up, chased after it intending to eliminate all traces, and realized during the probing that they were investigating the case, not accomplices, so they let them go.

Or perhaps it was the dead man’s companion, who also recognized them as the people who helped out that day, and wanted to test if they were friend or foe, hoping to recruit them to kill Yang Yi for revenge.

After speaking, the two looked expectantly at Boss Sun, hoping she could suggest some other possibilities so they could eliminate the wrong answers and arrive at the correct one.