Chapter 26: The Angry Woman

"Bang!"

A muffled sound erupted suddenly.

Jiang Shouzhong, jolted awake from a nightmare, sat up abruptly in bed, gasping for air.

It was already dawn outside.

The clothes on the rack fluttered in the wintry breeze.

The man looked bewildered, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and realized it was just a dream.

"Damn it, why is it that broken dream again!" Jiang Shouzhong slapped his head forcefully and muttered in a low voice, "How many men would be interested in someone else's wife? It's so bizarre."

"Jiang!"

That signature shoehorn-faced man peered through the broken window, staring angrily at Jiang Shouzhong on the bed,

"What's gotten into you lately? Pretending not to hear me knocking on the door to death, huh? Believe it or not, tonight I will cuddle up and sleep with you!"

Lu Renjia climbed through the window and charged to the bedside, ready to scold.

But seeing Jiang Shouzhong's pale cheeks and the beads of sweat on his forehead, he couldn't help but frown with concern and said, "Another nightmare?"

"Shut the window."

Jiang Shouzhong got up and rubbed his temples forcefully.

As his head gradually cleared, the lingering fragments of the dream faded.

"This situation is rare for you."

Lu Renjia closed the window to keep out the cold air.

"Others hurt by demons have nightmares too, but it lasts only a few days at most. You've had this almost half a month now."

Lu Renjia picked up the warm water kettle from the table, poured a cup of warm water, and handed it over with a furrowed brow, "Is Zhang any good after all? Should we see another doctor? I heard there's a powerful shaman on Linghai Island."

Jiang Shouzhong took the cup and said indifferently, "You must be afraid that the demon energy will kill me."

"I am not worried about that."

Lu Renjia touched his nose and chuckled.

Looking out at the bright daylight, Jiang Shouzhong put on his clothes. While washing up, he casually asked, "Has the court delivered the rest of the transcript volumes yet?"

"Look, I almost forgot the main issue."

Lu Renjia slapped his head, then busily took out a piece of paper filled with records, saying,

"Some findings—four days ago, a man named Zheng Shanqi broke into someone's home to steal but was caught by the owner. The owner beat him up but didn't report it to the authorities.

Zheng Shanqi frequents gambling dens and is known friends with Ge Dasheng. As he stated, that night, Ge Dasheng and he teamed up for the theft.

Stealing and lurking are common practices for these two. Ge Dasheng was supposed to keep watch, and he was supposed to steal.

But that night, for some reason, Ge Dasheng, who was supposed to be on lookout, disappeared suddenly, and that's when Zheng Shanqi got caught by the owner returning home.

The next day, he confronted Ge Dasheng, who argued that he had gone to relieve himself…"

Stealing?

Jiang Shouzhong took the towel, dried his wet hands, and started to carefully review the records.

"Dongping Street, Zhao Wancang's house?"

Looking at the record of the theft location, Jiang Shouzhong expressed surprise, "Isn't that near Zhang's house?"

Just then, Zhang Yunwu also arrived.

The man still had that shiny ax on his back, and a scarf knitted by Zhao Di wrapped around his neck. His bear-like stature made the already small room feel even more crowded.

"Lu, Jiang."

Zhang Yunwu greeted them with his hearty, rough voice.

He took out two oil-paper-wrapped thousand-layer oil swirl pancakes from his chest.

"Jiang, Zhao Di said you might not have had time for breakfast with the recent cases, so she had me bring over two pancakes, still warm."

"Not just, just for Jiang?"

Lu Renjia was a bit stunned.

Both of us are handsome men, so why am I always overlooked?

Is that fair?

Hearing the complaint, Zhang Yunwu was equally confused, "Lu, haven't you had breakfast either? Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"..."

Lu Renjia didn't want to talk anymore.

Jiang Shouzhong unwrapped the oil paper; the unique scent of the flour and the faint smell of oil were a pleasant assault on the senses, and he took a bite, the warm, crunchy layers tantalizing his taste buds.

"Mm, tastes good."

Jiang Shouzhong deliberately flaunted in front of old Jia.

Jia's face grew even more resentful.

Jiang Shouzhong laughed and stopped teasing him, tossed the remaining piece of pancake over, and asked Zhang Yunwu, "Isn't Zhao Wancang's house near yours?"

"Mmm, just across one household," acknowledged Zhang.

Jiang Shouzhong picked up his cup, took a sip of water, swallowed the pastry, and continued to inquire, "A theft occurred here four days ago. Have you heard about it?"

"A theft?"

Zhang pondered for a moment and then shook his head forcefully, "I haven't heard of it."

While stuffing himself with fragrant pancakes, Lu Renjia, without minding the oil on his hands, murmured indistinctly, "The fellow didn't report it to the authorities, how would Zhang know anything about it?"

Jiang Shouzhong tapped the written record in his hand, stating, "It is stated here that on that night, Zhao Wancang came home and saw Zheng Shanqi stealing, and he gave him a beating. If the noise was significant, it would inevitably alert the neighbors."

"It makes sense. If anyone hears about a thief, even if they are asleep, they would jump out of bed anxiously."

Swiftly finishing his pancakes, Lu Renjia grabbed a cup of water from the table, gulped down two mouthfuls, and looked at Zhang, "Zhang, are you sure you didn't hear anything?"

"I really didn't."

Zhang shook his head.

He had been sleeping heavily these past few nights.

Lu Renjia immediately offered an analysis, "That must mean that the disturbance was quite minor, hence the neighbors heard nothing."

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Shouzhong put away his records and said lightly, "Let's go, let's first talk to Zheng Shanqi and ask about the specifics of that night."

...

Silver Moon Tower.

In an elegant yet luxurious room, the steamy vapor passed through the lace curtains of the twin arched windows, emitting a faint white mist.

Situated in the rear private bath of the main house was a rosewood bathtub.

With a diameter of about half a zhang.

The bathtub was not filled with warm water but instead stored the most exquisite Luohan red wine from the Western Regions, warmed from beneath with heated stones.

At this moment, a beautiful woman in the giant wine bathtub was gently rinsing her porcelain-like skin with the wine, her delicate and fair cheeks showing a faint peachy hue due to the warmth of the wine.

This lady was the same one Jiang Shouzhong had encountered at He Daya's house, a woman from Silver Moon Tower.

"Madam,"

A crisp female voice came from outside the door.

The woman, languidly leaning on the edge of the bathtub, squinted her alluring eyes and replied with a charming yet cold voice, "Come in."

A female bodyguard wearing a tight uniform entered the interior bath, respectfully saying:

"Madam, we've discovered some clues. It's said that a maid from the Sky Demon Sect, specifically from Qu Hongling's side, stole a bottle of Netherworld Demon Qi intending to trade it with someone in the Capital. During the transaction, she was killed by the other party, and the bottle of Demon Qi has vanished."

"It seems someone is engaging in the same dealings as us."

The woman slightly furrowed her brows, two gleaming, well-shaped legs crossed in the tub, and said lightly, "Did you find out with whom she was making the deal?"

The bodyguard named Dong Xue replied, "Sister Three is still investigating, but it seems to involve Xichu Pavilion."

"Xichu Pavilion..."

The woman's eyes sparkled, and she suddenly stood up.

Her rosy and supple body was pale as jade cream, infusing the entire room with a sudden burst of spring.

Beads of wine rolled and bounced off her body, splashing into the tub, creating enchanting ripples.

It is often said, 'No fragrance can match the charm of a beauty and no wine is as sweet as a beauty,' but this woman truly embodied 'beauty as intoxicating as aged wine.'

Even the bathwater after her bath would probably be wildly sought after by many men.

Dong Xue fetched a towel and helped the woman out of the bathtub.

"Xichu Pavilion has a deep background and hides many experts; tell Qiuye to be careful," the woman said coldly.

"Yes, I will remind Sister Three,"

Dong Xue nodded lightly.

After dressing the woman, seeing no further instructions from her, Dong Xue quietly withdrew.

"Truly a turbulent autumn."

The woman, reclining lazily on a golden phoebe bed, rubbed her brow somewhat irritably.

She casually picked up her favorite book, 'Yunxiang Dream Record.'

Just the day before, that talented Oiran had penned a new volume, perfect for distracting and calming her mind.

As the woman read, her mood gradually settled.

When she reached the depiction of intimate moments in the story, her eyes became dreamy, almost dripping with tears.

Her beautiful toes curled like bows.

However, just as she reached the climax of the story, the content abruptly ended.

The woman paused, annoyed, and threw the book to the floor, muttering under her breath, "Damned author, so brief and feeble."

—

[Author's Note: Some readers might not have paid close attention earlier. The divorce paper was left before the village was attacked, not after everyone in the village was dead, and then left for the male protagonist.]

Wishing everyone a happy New Year.