Chapter 111: No Corpse Left Intact, Fatally Poisoned, Journey to Bazhou

Chapter 111: Chapter 111: No Corpse Left Intact, Fatally Poisoned, Journey to Bazhou

"Where is he?" Pei Shaoqing asked immediately.

Chen Zhongyi fell silent. After a moment, he said in a low voice, "We only found his body."

"What?" Pei Shaoqing’s voice rose. He then frowned. "Where was his body found?"

’Ye Yu is actually dead!’

It wasn’t unusual for someone from the Jianghu to die suddenly, but it was different when it was someone close to him.

"A farm woman found him while working outside the city. Young Master Ye’s body was left exposed in the wilderness. It had already started to stink and had been gnawed on by wild animals. Even his heart and other organs had been torn out and eaten by wild dogs.

"The woman first reported it to the County Government Office. After an inspection, they determined Young Master Ye was a member of the Jianghu and handed the case over to us. Our men only recognized the body as Young Master Ye’s after they arrived at the scene," Chen Zhongyi said grimly.

Pei Shaoqing asked, "Were there any other findings?"

"Yes." Chen Zhongyi nodded. "According to the madam of Qunfang Garden, a girl named Cui’Er disappeared along with Young Master Ye. But only his body was at the scene, so finding Cui’Er is crucial."

Of the two who disappeared together, the one with Martial Arts was dead, while the ordinary person’s body was nowhere to be found.

It was very strange.

"Find her. Find her immediately," Pei Shaoqing said.

Before, he was just helping find them out of friendship.

Now that someone had died on his turf, it had become his problem. If he couldn’t give an explanation to the loyal and highly accomplished Sect Leader Gongsun and his wife, how could he lead his men in the future?

"Yes, sir!" Chen Zhongyi immediately turned to leave.

"Wait." Pei Shaoqing stopped him and asked another question, "Has Ye Yu’s body been recovered?"

"It’s at the Hundred Households. We’ve asked a Forensic Doctor to perform a simple stitching of the body," Chen Zhongyi replied.

In truth, there were specialists among the common folk who stitched up corpses.

They were called "corpse stitchers."

However, Ye Yu’s body was so badly damaged that it didn’t matter who did the stitching; it didn’t need to be too meticulous.

Pei Shaoqing waved his hand. "Go."

Chen Zhongyi cupped his fists once more before turning and leaving.

"Have Lady Gongsun come..." Pei Shaoqing was about to order a servant to fetch Liu Yuheng, but he thought for a moment and dismissed the idea. ’Never mind, I’ll go myself.’

A moment later, he arrived at the door to Liu Yuheng’s room.

"Lady Liu, it’s me. Would it be convenient to open the door?"

"Young Master, is something the matter?" Liu Yuheng opened the door and asked, looking charmingly at Pei Shaoqing.

Looking at her still-swollen eyes, Pei Shaoqing sighed and said, "Let’s talk inside."

’Such is the heart of a parent.’

"My apologies, my mind has been in a daze lately because of Yu’Er’s situation." Liu Yuheng apologized and quickly stepped aside to let him in. "Please, come in, Young Master."

After entering, Pei Shaoqing sat down at a table in the outer room, which was sectioned off by a screen, and considered how to begin.

A fragrant scent accompanied Liu Yuheng as she approached and gently poured him a cup of tea. "Young Master, please have some tea."

"Thank you, my lady." Pei Shaoqing picked up the cup and took a sip. After Liu Yuheng sat down, he put the cup back down. "You and Young Master Ye were very close."

"When my husband first took over the Iron Sword Sect, he didn’t have a single disciple. Yebai, Yu’Er, Lan’Er... my husband and I raised them all by hand, as if they were our own children," Liu Yuheng said softly.

She paused, then belatedly asked, "Young Master, for you to suddenly ask about this... is there news about Yu’Er?"

Pei Shaoqing just sighed, saying nothing.

He was mainly trying to give Liu Yuheng time to prepare herself mentally.

"Yu’Er! Something happened to Yu’Er? Something happened to him, didn’t it?" Seeing his reaction, Liu Yuheng’s heart jolted. She shot up and grabbed Pei Shaoqing’s wrist, her lips trembling as she asked.

Pei Shaoqing grasped her hand in return, his voice low. "Young Master Ye’s body has been found."

"Waaah—" In an instant, Liu Yuheng’s tears burst forth like a broken dam.

Pei Shaoqing quickly used his hand to wipe her tears, comforting her, "My lady, Young Master Ye wouldn’t want to see you so heartbroken, even in the afterlife."

"Waaaah..." Liu Yuheng threw herself into his arms, wailing, "Yu’Er, my Yu’Er, how could you be so cruel as to make your master and mistress bury you? How could you..."

Seeing this, Pei Shaoqing could only wait for her to finish crying.

Liu Yuheng cried for a long time. As her grief was vented, her wails gradually subsided into sobs.

Only then did she realize she was still being held in Pei Shaoqing’s arms. She quickly struggled free. "I’m sorry, Young Master."

"It’s nothing. You needed comfort just now. I understand," Pei Shaoqing said, glancing at the wet patch her tears had left on his chest.

Under the circumstances, even holding Liu Yuheng’s soft, voluptuous body, he truly felt no reaction.

Liu Yuheng bit her red lip, her voice low and hoarse. "Thank you, Young Master. Yu’Er... where is his body? I want to see him."

"It’s at the Hundred Households. My lady, should we call for Lan’Er as well?" Pei Shaoqing asked in a gentle tone.

Liu Yuheng pondered for a moment and said, "She has to find out sooner or later. Let’s go see Yu’Er together."

"Alright. Please wait for me at the entrance, my lady. I’ll go get Lan’Er." Pei Shaoqing nodded and walked out.

Zhao Zilan was practicing her swordplay in the courtyard, her movements as graceful as a Wandering Dragon. Her forehead was beaded with sweat. Upon seeing Pei Shaoqing, she immediately sheathed her sword and hurried over. "Young Master."

"Lan’Er, Young Master Ye has been killed." With Zhao Zilan, Pei Shaoqing was much more direct.

Because the two of them were closer.

The smile on Zhao Zilan’s face slowly vanished. Her eyes quickly turned red, and tears streamed down silently.

She stood frozen in place, as if stunned.

Pei Shaoqing stepped forward and gently pulled her into his embrace. "My condolences. Don’t worry, I will help you catch the killer. His body is at the Hundred Households. Your master’s wife asked me to have you see Young Master Ye one last time."

"Mm." Zhao Zilan sniffled and said tearfully, "Actually, when even the Jing’an Guard couldn’t find any news for so long, I was already prepared for this. But now that the day has truly come, I can’t help but feel sad."

There are some things you can prepare yourself for a hundred, even a thousand times, but when the moment finally arrives, your emotions are still beyond your control.

"Let’s go, your master’s wife is waiting." Pei Shaoqing didn’t offer any more words of comfort, simply patting her back.

The two arrived at the entrance where Liu Yuheng was already waiting. Zhao Zilan called out, "Mistress," and ran over to embrace her. The two of them began to cry again.

"Alright, Lan’Er, don’t cry. So many people are passing by. Come, let’s go see your Second Senior Brother."

Liu Yuheng was the first to compose herself. She let go of Zhao Zilan and helped her wipe the tears from her face.

"Mmm-hmm." Zhao Zilan bit her red lip and nodded repeatedly, then looked at Pei Shaoqing. "Let’s go, Young Master."

On the way to the Hundred Households, Liu Yuheng finally asked some questions about Ye Yu’s death, and Pei Shaoqing relayed what Chen Zhongyi had told him.

Before they even entered the Forensic Doctor’s room, the three of them could already smell an indescribable stench. The smell hit them full force as they entered. An elderly Forensic Doctor was patiently stitching Ye Yu’s fingers back on, one by one.

He, however, seemed not to notice the smell at all.

"Yu’Er!"

"Second Senior Brother!"

Liu Yuheng and Zhao Zilan rushed over. Seeing Ye Yu’s horribly mutilated body, they burst into tears again.

’His body wasn’t even left intact!’

"This humble one greets you, Your Lordship!" The Forensic Doctor had to stop his work to bow to Pei Shaoqing first.

Pei Shaoqing raised a hand. "At ease."

He examined Ye Yu’s body, which could only be described as "mostly intact." But its abdomen was almost completely empty.

"Your Lordship, this humble one found something suspicious while preparing the body," the Forensic Doctor whispered, leaning in.

Pei Shaoqing immediately asked, "What is it?"

"The deceased was afflicted with a potent poison," the Forensic Doctor answered.

Liu Yuheng and Zhao Zilan both looked up at the same time.

"It must have been that woman! She killed Second Senior Brother for his money!" Zhao Zilan said through gritted teeth.

A harsh glint flashed in Liu Yuheng’s eyes as well.

Pei Shaoqing asked, "Anything else?"

"On the parts of the body that are still relatively intact, I found no wounds or Palm Seals. He was likely poisoned to death." The Forensic Doctor also seemed a bit uncertain.

After all, the body had been mangled by wild animals.

Any other traces could have been destroyed.

Pei Shaoqing nodded and said, "When you’re finished here, go directly to Standard-Bearer Sun to collect your reward."

"Thank you for your generosity, Your Lordship!" the Forensic Doctor said, overjoyed.

Liu Yuheng suddenly said, "Young Master, please help us by sending men to return Yu’Er’s body to the Iron Sword Sect."

"I will personally lead the escort. Sect Leader Gongsun’s beloved disciple was killed; the least I can do is attend the funeral myself," Pei Shaoqing said in a steady voice.

Liu Yuheng bowed deeply. "Thank you, Your Lordship!"

Zhao Zilan followed suit with a bow.

After returning home that night, Pei Shaoqing told Xie Qingwu what had happened, and she too sighed with regret.

She also used it as an opportunity to warn Pei Shaoqing that lust is a blade poised over a man’s head, and he shouldn’t fool around with women outside.

You never knew which one might be secretly hiding poison.

Pei Shaoqing laughed. "My heart has room for only my wife, no other woman. Just as my wife’s heart has room for only me."

It wasn’t that his wife was small.

It’s that he was massive.

"Oh, please. All men are the same," Xie Qingwu pouted, then added, "Since you’re going to Tongzhou tomorrow, I’ll wait for you to come back before I go into seclusion for my Alchemy. Otherwise, there’ll be no one in charge of the house."

Ye Yu’s body was already starting to decompose, so it had to be sent back to the Iron Sword Sect for the funeral and burial without delay.

............

「The next morning」 Before setting out, Pei Shaoqing made a point of meeting with Chen Zhongyi. "Standard-Bearer Chen, did you find anything when you investigated that girl Cui’Er yesterday?"

"Your Lordship, I recall that Cui’Er was new to Qunfang Garden this year. She’s pretty and good at her work, very popular with the clients. I went to ask yesterday, and the madam confirmed she arrived this year. Her indenture contract at Qunfang Garden states that she is from Bazhou." As he spoke, Chen Zhongyi took out the contract. "Your humble subordinate brought it with me."

Pei Shaoqing took the contract and glanced at it. It detailed Cui’Er’s real name, place of origin, and other information. "What a coincidence. I happen to be going to Bazhou today. Bring a few of our brothers and come with me."

’Aside from Cui’Er being pretty, good in bed, and skilled at sweet-talking, it was probably her Southwestern Mandarin with its Bazhou accent that made Ye Yu lower his guard.’

’Young people are just too naive. They don’t know that when you visit a brothel in an unfamiliar place, you have to be wary of the girls from your hometown!’

’And with a girl from your hometown, you have to take her from behind.’

’As the saying goes, "When fellow townsmen meet, shoot them in the back."’

’There’s truth to these old sayings. If you’re behind her, you have the initiative. You don’t have to worry about her pulling any tricks where you can’t see.’

"Yes, Your Lordship," Chen Zhongyi replied with his head lowered.

About an hour later, Pei Shaoqing bid farewell to Xie Qingwu and set off. He left Ye Hanshuang behind to protect her and took Chen Zhongyi and more than twenty other Jing’an Guards with him.

Ye Yu’s coffin was carried on a horse-drawn cart.

The large procession set off for Bazhou.

Liu Yuheng was of the senior generation, and Zhao Zilan was of the same generation as the deceased.

Neither of them had to wear sackcloth and mourning clothes for Ye Yu.

But they had both changed into plain-colored clothing. Liu Yuheng wore a pure black dress that revealed the curves of her full figure. The grief still lingering on her face only made her seem more alluring.

Zhao Zilan, on the other hand, wore a simple white dress. She looked pure and graceful, and her tear-stained appearance was pitiable and lovely.

Both rode on horseback with somewhat numb expressions, swaying with the motion of their mounts. The heavy, full contours of their chests jiggled lightly with the movement, a breathtaking sight.