Discussion

Before long, the dealership owner returned with the land and house deeds.

"Young master and Miss, everything's all set. Here are the keys to your new home and shop. Take good care of them! I wish you all the best in your business and hope your family prospers!"

Qibao took the deeds, thanked the owner, and left the dealership with Xu Wenwu.

"It's almost noon." Xu Wenwu said: "I bet Brother Su will be back soon too!"

Qibao nodded: "Right. Let's head back!"

When they arrived at the inn, they found Su Chenyu had indeed returned.

"I just got back." He said: "My seat's still cold."

"What did you find out?" Qibao asked.

Su Chenyu looked a bit uneasy at her question: "I followed the servant sent by the Wen Mansion, all the way out of the town gate, followed for a long distance, and finally climbed a mountain. I found that there were people patrolling the mountain. If it weren't for my good Qinggong, I would have been discovered. I didn't expect that there was a bandit nest called Black Gang Village on the mountain, and the location was very hidden. It took me a lot of effort to get in. There were quite a lot of people inside. I also overheard the conversation between the servant and the people inside, and roughly understood what they were doing. Xuanyang Town is a relatively prosperous area. Many foreign merchants pass by here. They mainly rob these foreign merchants. Whether it is gold, silver, treasures or other valuables, they will not refuse anyone."

Wen Yuan asked: "So, this Governor Feng is connected to these bandits?"

"Yep! The leader is Governor Feng's mistress's older brother. If those merchants reported the crime to the governor, he'd send some soldiers to look into it. But it was all just for show. Over time, when the money couldn't be recovered, the merchants would have no choice but to accept their bad luck and leave."

"That's outrageous!" Wen Yuan exclaimed: "This is official corruption! It's punishable by death. Aren't they afraid of dying?"

Su Chenyu said: "I've noticed these bandits are surprisingly skilled. They're not just tough in looks. I saw all kinds of weapons, like swords, spears, and knives. These guys are bound to have injured people in the past."

Wen Yuan asked: "Then why did they let these merchants report to the authorities?"

Jing Chen said mildly: "Murder is different. Once people find out someone died up there, it'll cause an uproar. They wouldn't gain anything from that."

Su Chenyu nodded: "My cousin is right, it's just as he says."

"So what should we do now?"

Su Chenyu said: "There are only six of us. I'd guess there's about a hundred or two hundred people on the mountain. It'd take a lot of work to deal with them. Besides, only I saw what happened. I can't prove it with evidence. I plan to write a letter home to my grandfather and ask him to send someone to investigate."

Jing Chen said: "Okay. I think there must be more to this that we don't know yet. We have to get to the bottom of it."

Wen Yuan said: "Oh, right. I heard from my father that there seems to be someone behind Magistrate Feng. He said that this person has a powerful background, but we don't know who it is."

Su Chenyu and Jing Chen exchanged a glance. There aren't that many extremely powerful people around. If Magistrate Feng really has connections to them, then this situation gets much more complicated.

Su Chenyu said: "Even if he has backers, no one can protect him from a beheading offense. Once this comes to light, those behind Magistrate Feng might also be implicated. When that time comes, he'll be kicked aside without a second thought."

Qibao added: "Last night, I heard them talking about sending the silver away ahead of schedule. I bet that's to buy off his so-called protector!"

Su Chenyu agreed: "That's likely true. People won't shield you just because they like you. Especially in the capital, where personal gain is king."

Wen Yuan remarked: "It's no wonder my father always taught us that once money clouds your judgment, you lose your moral compass. I'm willing to bet those at Feng Manor were behind his injury!"

Su Chenyu confirmed: "We know! I've seen several bandits carrying bows with arrows identical to the one they removed from your father's chest."

Wen Yuan seethed: "This is infuriating! We know who the killer is, but we can't get revenge. It's unbearably frustrating."

Su Chenyu said: "Don't rush. This isn't a simple matter. We can't act recklessly. First, we don't have concrete evidence. Second, we don't have the Emperor's permission to kill government officials on our own. Let's go back first. I need to write a letter to the capital and ask my grandfather to send people to investigate secretly. We mustn't alert the enemy."

Wen Yuan knew Su Chenyu's status wasn't simple and didn't ask further. He nodded and said: "I can wait, as long as I can avenge my father in the end."

"You will." Su Chenyu affirmed.

Qibao said: "I'm thinking about that woman who was captured. She must have a grudge against the Feng family. Maybe we can find out something from her."

"Qibao, do you mean..."

Qibao nodded.

Jing Chen said: "Alright, then let Ye Feng visit the prefectural office prison tonight. See if he can rescue her."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The discussion was over, and it was time for dinner. They asked the inn attendant to bring up some food.

After taking two bites, Su Chenyu said: "This food is terrible. It doesn't taste as good as what the Xu family made."

Qibao asked: "Didn't you enjoy the food at Fen Tao's place? Why are you so picky now?"

Su Chenyu replied: "That was different! When Auntie used her best ingredients to treat us, it showed how much she cared. Of course it tasted great. These we're buying with our own money, so if they're bad, they're just bad."

Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but chuckle slightly. As long as it wasn't inedible, satiating hunger was the most important thing.

Xu Wenwu said, "Honestly, Brother Su, Jing Chen, you two seem to have shops in Xuanyang Town too, right?"

Su Chenyu nodded: "Mm, indeed. But this time we came here to investigate, and staying in the shops might raise suspicion. After all, a lot of people will have seen me in court yesterday."

"Exactly! So when do you guys plan to head back?"

"Let's go back tomorrow if tonight's plan goes smoothly." Su Chenyu suggested.

Wen Yuan sighed: "I thought our trip here would solve everything, but instead, we ended up complicating things!"

"It must have taken several years for Magistrate Feng to amass wealth through such schemes." Su Chenyu observed: "Once we unearth his corruption, all that silver will be marked as ill-gotten gains. If the amount is large enough, his entire family might face execution. Isn't that a far more satisfying resolution than taking matters into our own hands?"

Wen Yuan thought for a moment and nodded. Venting their anger would just be a small lesson, far less satisfying than that life on the line.

They didn't leave the room yet, instead staying inside to chat and rest.

As the sky gradually darkened, once the streets were nearly deserted, Ye Feng leapt out of the inn's window, swapping his clothes for a black set.

Su Chenyu declared: "With Ye Feng's skills, I'm sure he'll bring her back!"

"Brother Su." Wen Yuan said: "Are you that confident? We know the prison is heavily guarded. There's a guard every five steps and a patrol every three. Nobody can just waltz in!"