Chapter 284: Unexpected Clues

Huanghua Lane. Master Li, the woodcarver, was carrying a pole with wooden carvings on it, heading home.

“This young master, who are you looking for?” Master Li saw a handsome young man dressed in black standing at the gate.

Meng Qi smiled. “I’d like to choose a wooden carving.”

“Alright then.” Master Li was somewhat cautious. Without directly inviting Meng Qi into the house, he placed the pole at the gate and pointed at the bamboo baskets. “Please choose freely, young master.”

As Meng Qi sifted through the wooden carvings, he casually asked, “Are there any two wooden carvings that are exactly the same?”

“That’s impossible. there will always be slight differences when carving.” Master Li replied with a polite smile.

“That makes sense.” After laying the groundwork, Meng Qi took out a wooden carving from his robe and asked, “Have you ever seen this one?”

Meng Qi planned to use the “Primordial Unity Reversion to Emptiness” technique to awaken Master Li’s related memories!

Normally speaking, given Meng Qi’s current level of cultivation, not only would he be unable to awaken fragmented memories from past lives, even memories from this life would require the “Dissolving Purity” technique to access the most painful, unforgettable, and emotionally charged moments.

However, this wooden carving had only been purchased the previous day, about twelve hours ago. Master Li’s related impressions had not faded much. Within the vast ocean of deep memory, or the subconscious, these memories still lay near the surface and were easy to awaken.

Moreover, with the wooden carving itself as a reference, it could directly correspond to related memory fragments!

– There are no identical wooden carvings. Master Li had sensed this while carving, but these subtle differences were not important enough to be consciously remembered. Yet subconsciously, there was still a distinction. As long as it was within three days, there was a chance to identify it. For a craftsman like him, wood was never bought in large quantities to prevent unsold inventory from tying up capital, usually only enough for one or two days’ worth.

Of course, there was another crucial factor—Master Li had no martial arts cultivation, making his mental defenses extremely weak!

Nonetheless, Meng Qi did not intend to force anything, ensuring that the technique would not harm Master Li’s soul or body.

As Master Li was about to speak, suddenly the dim sky turned pitch black, then brightened again. He found himself standing on the street, calling out to passersby. Some stopped to choose carvings, while others casually picked one up and dropped some coins before leaving. This life was no different from any other day.

Suddenly, his gaze fixed on a particular wooden carving, feeling that it was somehow special, different from the others.

Just as this thought surfaced, a shadow fell over the stall, and a hand reached out to pick up the carving.

Meng Qi, employing the “Primordial Unity Reversion to Emptiness” technique and the “Heart-Seal Transmission” skill, held his breath. On the edge of that hand, there were faint ink marks!

The note with the words “Wild Blade” Su Meng had slight ink smudges on its edge, likely from someone accidentally touching it while writing…

“How much?” A male voice sounded in Master Li’s ears as he raised his head to answer.

Meng Qi focused intently, waiting for the response.

Master Li’s gaze gradually settled on the face of the man before him—narrow eyes, broom-like eyebrows, a young man…

It was Jiang Tabo!

Meng Qi nearly lost control of his mind, almost suffering backlash from the Primordial Unity Reversion to Emptiness technique. It was actually Jiang Tabo! The same Jiang Tabo who had been framed and whose death had been used to implicate Meng Qi himself—the cousin of Jiang Hengchuan!

Thoughts surged through Meng Qi’s mind, and suddenly several questions found their answers. It had been said that Jiang Tabo was kidnapped, yet when Jiang Hengchuan arrived in Maoling, Jiang Tabo had merely been detained by a gambling den and had already paid his way out, unharmed. Though Jiang Hengchuan had secretly checked into a nearby inn, how had the mastermind still discovered and lured him away at a crucial moment? Why had Jiang Tabo’s expression at the time shown more disbelief than fear…

But he was already dead, and the clue had been severed…

Master Li’s gaze swept over the person beside Jiang Tabo—a man in his forties, dressed in brocade robes, exuding an air of authority. A small, unremarkable mole sat at the corner of his eye. He stood close to Jiang Tabo, exchanging glances with him.

The vision gradually blurred. Master Li shivered, finding the sky still dim, the evening smoke rising as usual, yet no one was in front of him anymore.

“No… I couldn’t have encountered a ghost…” Master Li was so frightened his soul seemed to leave his body. Suddenly, he noticed a corner of silver in the basket. Overjoyed and astonished, after confirming it was real silver, he could only hope such a ghost would visit often.

Meng Qi left Huanghua Lane and headed directly to Guanjin Garden. He didn’t know who Jiang Tabo’s acquaintances were, but Jiang Hengchuan should know at least some of them.

As dusk fell, Jiang Hengchuan was still searching near Tingfeng Cottage, retracing Meng Qi’s described trajectory of the stone to locate where someone might have hidden.

“Master Su, any clues?” Jiang Hengchuan sensed Meng Qi approaching and asked excitedly.

Meng Qi nodded. “I went back to Huanghua Lane and used some methods. Finally, I managed to help Master Li recall the situation at that time.”

The possibility of Master Li remembering anything was almost zero, which was why he hadn’t been killed to silence him. Who could have guessed that Meng Qi possessed the Primordial Unity Reversion to Emptiness technique?

Even among the Reborn, how many could have found this technique among countless martial arts manuals?

It was neither high-level nor low-level, merely possessing a unique effect.

“Who was it?” Jiang Hengchuan asked in slight surprise, pressing for more details.

Meng Qi carefully described what he had seen.

Jiang Hengchuan’s body slightly trembled, his expression turning gloomy. “I always felt it was too coincidental. Now I understand, now I understand!”

It was a mixture of frustration and helplessness, a feeling of anger toward someone who could not live up to expectations.

“Brother Jiang, do you recognize that middle-aged man?” Meng Qi returned to the main topic.

Jiang Hengchuan took a deep breath, his expression returning to normal, his every movement natural and composed. “Although I’ve only seen him once or twice, I won’t mistake him. It’s Chu Guan, a senior member of the Great River Gang and a gambling buddy of Tabo.”

“The Great River Gang…” Meng Qi softly inhaled.

Jiang Hengchuan paused briefly before continuing, “Since this matter involves the Great River Gang, and the mastermind behind it has a history of framing others, we must proceed with caution. We need to request assistance from either a Qing Shou or a Silver Seal constable. Moreover, we must go there openly with either the branch leader or deputy leader of the Great River Gang’s Maoling branch.”

“Exactly.” Meng Qi agreed.

This was different from investigating Jiang Tabo himself. Since Jiang had no prominent background and Meng Qi had the identity of a Qing Shou constable, there would be no danger of being falsely accused and unable to clear his name. This was about a senior member of the Great River Gang, a top-tier force in the martial world. If necessary, they could even eliminate a few non-Gang members from the Roster before the situation escalated.

By coincidence, Jiang Hengchuan had established a connection with Yu Yinzhang and Dai Qingshou from the Maoling Six Bureaus due to yesterday’s events. The two of them set out together, crossed the bustling street, arrived at the yamen, explained the entire situation, and invited Dai Fei, the acting Qingshou.

Then, with Dai Fei’s assistance, they invited Chen Yasong, the deputy leader of the Great River Gang’s Maoling branch. The four of them set off together toward Chu Guan’s residence.

“I never expected someone to stir up trouble in Maoling. If I find out who it is, I’ll make sure they regret it!” Acting Qing Shou Dai Fei, a bold and straightforward man, muttered curses under his breath at the shadowy figure behind the scenes as he walked.

Chen Yasong, the deputy leader of the Great River Gang’s Maoling branch, was also a half-step beyond the mundane, familiar with Dai Fei. He snorted, “The undercurrents have been brewing for months. Who exactly did you make regret it?”

Chen had a pale complexion, resembling a cultured yet sinister middle-aged man.

“Well, we didn’t have any clues before,” Dai Fei turned his head, eyeing Meng Qi. “Young Master Su, are you perhaps skilled in divination? To extract clues like this—truly living up to your reputation!”

Meng Qi smiled. “Just a minor skill, nothing worth mentioning.”

Hmph, trying to pry information from me? Not a chance!

Though Jiang Hengchuan remained calm, he didn’t speak at all during the journey, his eagerness barely concealed.

The four moved quickly, and soon they reached Chu Guan’s courtyard, which was eerily silent.

“This feels off. Isn’t it too quiet?” Meng Qi’s expression turned grave.

Chen Yasong shook his head. “Chu Guan’s wife is in their hometown taking care of his elderly parents, and their children have married and moved out. Besides, he enjoys gambling. There’s only a mute servant at home. No need to worry.”

“Still, we mustn’t be careless.” Dai Fei took the opportunity to tease Chen, quickened his pace, and leaped over the wall into Chu Guan’s courtyard, with Meng Qi and the others following closely.

As soon as they landed, a low, guttural scream echoed out. Without exchanging glances, the four simultaneously quickened their steps.

Meng Qi was quite startled. They had arrived so quickly, and there had been no sign of their approach. How could something have already happened?

Dai Fei waved his palm from afar, unleashing a gust of wind that blew open the main door, revealing a bloody scene inside the hall:

The elderly servant lay on the floor, a sword wound through his chest, clearly dead. Chu Guan, sitting in the senior chair, had a mole at the corner of his eye. He gripped the sword with both hands, having plunged it into his own chest. Blood soaked his entire body.

He glared at Meng Qi and the others with eyes full of hatred, crying out fiercely, “The Star God Wenqu will avenge me…”

His voice abruptly cut off—he bit through his own tongue. With the double wounds, he died instantly, beyond rescue.

“Star God Wenqu…” The piercing scream echoed in Meng Qi’s ears, as if foretelling something.

The four exchanged grim glances, carefully searching the premises but finding no clues.

“Star God Wenqu? There’s no such person in the martial world! Could it be an ancient deity has revived?” Dai Fei growled in frustration. Chen Yasong and Jiang Hengchuan also wore expressions of confusion.

Meng Qi, however, did know of the Star God Wenqu’s origins. But regardless, Wenqu was merely a code name. He must have a public identity in Maoling. Who was he?

Since Meng Qi had deliberately avoided discussing this matter, the four discussed it for a while without reaching any conclusions. They decided to report the incident to the Divine Capital headquarters and the Great River Gang’s central headquarters, hoping to uncover some leads.

The four parted ways, and the night passed without incident. The next morning, after waking up, Meng Qi felt the matter had once again hit a dead end, and his mood turned irritable.

He took a deep breath, stepped out of the courtyard gate, and set off for a walk in the cool morning air.

Unconsciously, he arrived at the entrance of a lane with a dragon-shaped locust tree. He saw the elderly man with graying hair carrying a small stool, holding a piece of wood and a carving knife, once again concentrating fully on his work.

Focused, reverent, he seemed to treat the task in his hands as the most important thing in the world, carving with complete single-mindedness, each stroke as if shaping his own life.

Silent, tranquil, serene—an indescribable feeling. Meng Qi’s irritation once again calmed as he sat cross-legged nearby, watching.

“Young man, anything on your mind?” Unknown to him, how much time had passed. The old man finished carving a piece and looked up at Meng Qi.

This time, Meng Qi didn’t leave immediately. After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke, “Old sir, watching you carve with such concentration stirred something in me, so I stayed to watch.”

Both times had given him a similar feeling. Based on all the novels he’d read, this was the rhythm of encountering a master of great skill!

Could it really be true?

Meng Qi felt a slight anticipation, like discovering small joys in life.

“Nonsense, nonsense. My old wife was clumsy, so I had to focus.” The old man self-deprecatingly replied.

Meng Qi’s face twitched slightly. After a moment’s thought, he changed the subject. “Old sir, judging from your accent, you don’t seem to be a local?”

“That’s right.” The old man sighed. “I came here a month ago, and I’ll leave after watching the Jinshui River’s great tide.”

“The Jinshui River’s great tide? You’re quite an elegant person, old sir.” Meng Qi smiled.

The old man’s expression softened, gazing at the wooden carving in his hand—a statue of a noblewoman. “My late wife loved the Jinshui River’s great tide the most. Since her passing, I come here every year to watch the tide.”