The saying goes that many hands make light work, and indeed, within two days, the blacksmith brought back word. He had gathered the people of Jinzhou, and they had found all the locations listed on the paper Zhong Li had given him. They had even unearthed abandoned ships belonging to the Wu Family Silver Bank docked at the port.
Zhong Li placed a thick stack of Xuan paper in front of Lu Wuxie and remarked, "I didn't expect them to be so fast."
Lu Wuxie replied, "When people's own interests are involved, they will treat others' affairs as their own."
Zhong Li nodded in agreement with Lu Wuxie's sentiment. "I've taken a look. New maritime merchants have recently risen at the Jinzhou port. The Wu Family Silver Bank possesses quite a number of ships, which, judging by their age, are still usable.
"There are even some passenger ships that these maritime merchants are in short supply of.
"If we sell them quickly, both new and old, and convert them to cash, it would alleviate some of the worries for the citizens who are in urgent need of money."
Ren Wenshu, listening to Zhong Li's analysis, took the papers from her and began to read them. After a while, he asked, "Does Lord Zhong recall the case of Guo Qi from last year?"
Zhong Li glanced at him and nodded.
"Her daughter, Guo Xin, is married, isn't she? Her husband's family, the Li household, are among the newest batch of maritime merchants. I've heard that the Li family has been commissioning ships recently. I can try to sell these ships to the Li family." Ren Wenshu offered.
Upon hearing Guo Xin's name, Zhong Li recalled the few times she had seen her last year and wondered how she was doing after a year had passed.
"From what you're saying, is Guo Xin doing well in the Li household?" she inquired.
Ren Wenshu pondered for a moment before replying, "The Li family and Guo Xin's mother-in-law are old family friends. When Guo Xin's situation came to light, it was naturally impossible to hide it from the Li family.
"The child was born, and someone was sent to deliver it to a nearby temple. Although the Li family outwardly said nothing, they have already planned to take a concubine for the young master of the Li family."
Zhong Li sighed. She really didn't know what to say about Guo Xin's situation.
Guo Xin was indeed a victim, but wasn't the Li family also?
"Then go and try," Zhong Li said.
Upon hearing this, Ren Wenshu folded the papers in his hand, tucked them into his chest, and left.
Lu Wuxie watched Ren Wenshu's departing figure and walked over to Zhong Li, observing her intently studying a piece of paper. "Have you found something?"
After handing the paper to Lu Wuxie, Zhong Li took out a map of Jinzhou from a nearby drawer and said,
"I've reviewed all of the Wu Family Silver Bank's fixed assets. Their merchant ships are used for trade, their shops in prime locations are for rent, and some residences in lively surrounding areas are for sale or appreciation. However, I truly cannot fathom why the Wu Family Silver Bank would purchase a property at the location on this land deed in your hand."
Lu Wuxie did not understand Zhong Li's term 'fixed assets,' but he grasped the general meaning of her words.
He opened the land deed in his hand, glanced at its contents, and located the correct place on the map according to the information provided. "It's in the southwest of Jinzhou, not close to the coast, surrounded by woods and peaks. Building a house in this area, where it's perennially cold, damp, and humid, is truly quite suspicious."
Zhong Li nodded and handed the remaining land deeds to a nearby petty officer, instructing him to give them to Ren Zhong for sale. She then continued Lu Wuxie's thought, "Yes, this place is uninhabited, and no one would want to buy it even if it were put up for sale. Out of the ordinary circumstances often hide something sinister. My suggestion is that we go and take a look."
Lu Wuxie put away the map, called for a carriage, and with a few petty officers, prepared to set off.
Initially, when the petty officers heard they would be accompanying the Deputy Minister of the Dali Temple and the Judicial Inspection Officer on a case, they eagerly volunteered. However, upon seeing the map in Lu Wuxie's hand, everyone's expression darkened. Some of the fainter-hearted even began to retreat.
"My Lord, honored sir, I have an elderly mother at home who needs medicine. I must take my leave."
"My Lord, honored sir, my wife is pregnant and about to give birth. I must be by her side."
"My Lord, honored sir, my child at home needs milk, and I..."
...
"You don't have milk, so you don't need to feed!" Finally, after the third petty officer began to refuse Lu Wuxie's assignment, he couldn't help but interrupt, sneering.
The petty officer who was preparing to go home to feed his child froze. He looked at Lu Wuxie's grim face and, terrified, knelt on the ground. "My Lord, it's not that I am deliberately shirking. I only serve to earn a living. My family truly has elders above and children below, and I don't wish to meet my end over this matter."
Zhong Li looked at the petty officer's timid and frightened demeanor, then glanced at the others. "You were all so eager just now. Why are you so resistant when you heard we were going into the mountain forests southwest of Jinzhou?"
The several petty officers exchanged glances.
A bolder one stepped forward and said, "My Lord, honored sir, you are not from Jinzhou and do not know, but that place is haunted. Legend has it there is a drought demon that specializes in killing and devouring people!"
Drought demon?
Zhong Li's eyebrows furrowed. The drought demons she knew of were monsters in mythology that transformed from corpses, and it was rumored that droughts were caused by them. However, Jinzhou was perpetually humid; how could it be connected to such a creature?
Lu Wuxie was also perplexed. He looked at the man and said, "If one were to say there was a drought demon in Linzhou, it would be understandable. But how could there be one in Jinzhou?"
The man explained, "Judging by the place you want to go to, My Lord, it should be an abandoned residence, right?"
"Yes!" Zhong Li replied, looking at the land deed in her hand.
"Then that's right! Southwest of Jinzhou is close to Shu Rong, which is extremely wicked! More than ten years ago, the Shu Rong kingdom suffered a drought, and many people died. The Emperor of Shu Rong found a sorcerer to drive away the drought demon that was causing the disaster.
"It's said that the banished drought demon came to this place for refuge, killing more than ten people in this residence. The yamen was involved at the time, and the scene was utterly tragic!
"Since then, no one in Jinzhou dares to go to that place."
After hearing the petty officer's account, Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie exchanged glances.
Zhong Li had a habit of reviewing old case files. A couple of days ago, when she had free time, she happened to be looking through them. However, she had not encountered the case the petty officer was describing.
But he had narrated it with such uncanny detail and conviction that there could only be one explanation: this information had been released by the Wu Family Silver Bank. As for the reason...
She lowered her gaze to the land deed in her hand, certain there was something unspeakable hidden there.
"Knowing there are tigers in the mountains, yet heading towards them. I have never seen a drought demon in my life; this has indeed piqued my curiosity."
As Zhong Li spoke, she took a horse from one of her subordinates and mounted it.
Lu Wuxie looked at her and smiled. He also mounted his horse and said to the constables, "You have all seen how the Wu Family Silver Bank operates in Jinzhou.
"Lord Zhong's skill in solving cases has been widely known throughout Jinzhou for a year now.
"If you wish to earn merit and fear no death, upon our return, I, this young lord, will reward each of you with a hundred taels of silver."
With that, he no longer looked at the hesitant and wavering men. He raised his horsewhip and, along with Zhong Li, galloped towards the southwest of Jinzhou.