November 26th. Two consecutive days of gloom shrouded the sky above Dougu County. Meng Rui had monitored Chunfeng Hall for two days, but since Madam Dou’s departure, no new buyers had appeared.

Furthermore, from the Dougu County yamen’s case files over the years, Meng Rui discovered that no fewer than forty disappearance cases had occurred in the county town over the past decade. Those mysteriously disappeared or abducted were all girls around ten years old. His own younger sister Wan Xiang was also among these missing girls. Behind these disappearances lurked a terrible and vast conspiracy that had even continued for ten years. Thinking of this, Meng Rui couldn’t help but feel a wave of grief in his heart.

The missing girls were definitely connected to the Jin father and son of Sanfen Village. The Jin father and son’s sudden rise to prosperity originated from the Moluo secret medicine in the Death Gorge. Exactly what kind of connection existed between the missing girls, the Jin father and son, and the Moluo Gorge? Meng Rui couldn’t figure it out despite racking his brains, so he decided to take a desperate risk.

On the evening of the 26th, Meng Rui returned alone to Sanfen Village. Before coming to Sanfen Village, Meng Rui had already explained the situation to Wen Nansheng and Kua Lao, telling the two to stay safely at the Yizhuang and not go out lightly. When departing, Wen Nansheng wanted to speak but stopped himself. Recalling Wen Nansheng’s eager and restless expression, could it be that he wanted to retrieve the lower half of the Moluo Gorge map and then explore the Death Gorge again? Meng Rui also felt anticipation in his heart, but at this moment he couldn’t think much more about it.

The Jin Residence’s estate clustered with more than a dozen large courtyards and small pavilions, front and back. Between the red buildings and green tiles flowed clear springs and secluded paths, quite simple and elegant in their ancient style. Meng Rui infiltrated by climbing over the wall from the back courtyard. Following the secluded pavilion and treading the long corridor, he explored his way inward. Suddenly he discovered a tall man in red robes approaching from the opposite direction. Who else could it be but Jin Chuang? Meng Rui concealed his figure among the pavilions and terraces. After Jin Chuang passed, Meng Rui followed behind him.

Jin Chuang came to Jin Yaoguang’s study. After looking around to confirm no one was present, he opened a hidden mechanism and entered the secret chamber.

Jin Yaoguang’s complexion was withered and yellow. Jin Chuang said, “Father, your complexion doesn’t look good. Has your old illness relapsed?”

Jin Yaoguang had a chronic old illness of lung cough. He shook his head and said, “It’s nothing serious, just feeling somewhat stifled. Have you gained anything?”

Jin Chuang pursed his lips and said, “Yes. I cast a net in Dougu County, offering a large reward for anyone providing leads on Wen Nansheng. Today at the hour of Wei, several ragged beggars came to claim the reward, saying they had beaten a man whose appearance closely resembled Wen Nansheng.”

“Beggars.” Jin Yaoguang’s gaze was heavy. Jin Chuang nodded and said, “Yes, beggars. Those beggars said that after beating the man, they threw him at the rocky mound in the western suburbs of Dougu. Later, he seemed to have been rescued by people from the Yizhuang. These beggars were sallow and emaciated. I don’t know if what they said was true or false, but I’ve already sent A’Bao and our men to the rocky mound area. If it’s Wen Nansheng, he definitely won’t escape.”

Jin Yaoguang’s eyes grew sinister and ice-cold. “If he refuses to tell the truth, remember, you must do it cleanly.” Jin Chuang acknowledged.

“Mm, you came back for something else?” Jin Yaoguang could tell his son still had something to say, so he asked.

“Yes. Madam Dou’s missing spirit medicine has already been delivered, but in the past two days we’ve successively received two more secret letters requesting to purchase medicine. Father, what should we do? Should we continue to hold back, or should we conduct these two transactions?” Jin Chuang sought Jin Yaoguang’s opinion. Jin Yaoguang hesitated slightly and said, “Wait a bit longer.”

“I always feel somewhat uneasy about Madam Dou’s spirit medicine being robbed, and there’s also that constable who suddenly barged into Chunfeng Hall…” Jin Yaoguang coughed twice. Jin Chuang continued, “I asked Chen Shang at the county yamen. This constable seems quite formidable. Moreover, Father, do you know who he is?”

“Who?” Jin Yaoguang raised his head.

“The one I mentioned to you two days ago who broke Cun Tao’s wrist—Meng Rui.” Jin Chuang revealed.

At this very moment, Meng Rui behind the artificial mountain of the Jin Residence was staring fixedly at that tightly closed study door.

Another quarter hour later, Jin Chuang withdrew from the study. Turning back, he closed the study door tightly and securely, then left the courtyard. Meng Rui hesitated for a moment but still followed Jin Chuang out of the courtyard. Jin Chuang returned to his own bedroom. Meng Rui waited for the lamp in the bedroom to be extinguished, then quietly revealed his figure.

Fine and rhythmic breathing sounds came from inside the bedroom. Meng Rui felt reassured and circled around the bedroom and corridor. On the inner side of the rear corridor behind the bedroom, Meng Rui found a small patch of grayish-white mark, sticky like vomit. Meng Rui was stunned. Soon he walked out of the corridor and began wandering like a ghost through the vast Jin Residence estate.

Dougu western suburbs Yizhuang. The hour of Hai had just arrived. Wen Nansheng opened his eyes wide but couldn’t fall asleep. Since Meng Rui left, he always felt a pair of eyes secretly spying on him in the darkness. He told this feeling to Kua Lao. Kua Lao comforted him, saying that besides dead people, there wouldn’t be anyone else here, telling him to relax.

Wen Nansheng slept in the side room on the left of the Yizhuang’s main hall, with Kua Lao next door. The sound of wind continued in his ears, and faintly a trace of unusual sound merged into it, like a woman sobbing with wailing cries, and like the intermittent sorrowful crying of a baby. Wen Nansheng clutched his head. Of all the nights he had slept at the Yizhuang, tonight he felt was the most terrifying. He wanted to wake Kua Lao, but just as he started to rise, he gave up. For what reason would he wake Kua Lao? Just because of this mournful wind?

Wen Nansheng sighed lowly. Suddenly he glimpsed the reflection of a person’s silhouette on the stone slabs outside the side room, gradually approaching closer.

Kua Lao? No, the shadow moved freely, not a lame person. It wasn’t Meng Rui either. Meng Rui wouldn’t be so furtive. If it wasn’t Kua Lao and wasn’t Meng Rui, then who could it be? Wen Nansheng suddenly thought of Ma He who had died with his body split open. His body shuddered with a cold tremor. He slowly hid in the dark corner of the side room, staring unblinkingly at the doorway.

The person’s silhouette gradually became clear. It was a thin, tall shadow. He was about to enter Wen Nansheng’s side room. Wen Nansheng didn’t even dare to breathe heavily. Suddenly from next door came Kua Lao’s shouted question: “Who’s outside!”

The shadow flickered and scattered. Kua Lao, gripping a sharpened wooden plank, walked out of his own side room. In the main hall there was only the whooshing sound of wind blowing through the cracks in the coffins. There was no other movement, and no one. Kua Lao paused, then walked into Wen Nansheng’s room next door.

“Wen Nansheng?” Kua Lao called out in the darkness. But in the side room, Wen Nansheng had disappeared.

When Meng Rui returned to Dougu County town, it was already the hour of Mao on November 27th. A quarter hour after Mao when the city gates opened, Meng Rui was the first to rush inside. Meng Rui was somewhat worried about the increasingly gravely ill Niu Zhiying, so he first turned to the Fu residence. Niu Zhiying was alone at home. Meng Rui looked at her gloomy complexion and asked, “Where’s your husband?”

Niu Zhiying smiled miserably. “It’s still because of this heart ailment I shouldn’t have. Nianyu went to the medicine shop early this morning to get medicine.”

“Take good care of yourself. Fu Dan won’t want to see a sickly mother when she returns.” Meng Rui said sincerely. Niu Zhiying smiled bitterly and nodded.

The sky grew light. Meng Rui left the Fu residence, preparing to rush back to the Yizhuang. There weren’t many people on the main street yet. Suddenly from an alley came incessant dog barking. The dog barking gradually increased, rising and falling in succession. Meng Rui was startled and entered this deep alley.

The deep alley turned left and right, arriving at a dilapidated old building. Not far from the old building was the Dougu city wall. Meng Rui stood before the old building. He smelled a faint scent of blood. The dog barking came from the back courtyard of the old building. Meng Rui rushed over with several swift strides.

In the back courtyard, a man knelt on the ground with his back to Meng Rui. Before him was a circular earthen pit. Several gray-haired old dogs circled around the man, pacing back and forth. Bright red blood flowed from beneath the kneeling man’s body. This man’s back silhouette was somewhat familiar. Meng Rui walked up close and blurted out, “Wen Nansheng?!”

The one who died miserably in the deep alley beneath the city wall was none other than Wen Nansheng, whom Meng Rui had met and befriended at the Yizhuang.

Wen Nansheng’s eyes were wide open in fury. There was a hole in his chest. Blood had nearly all drained from the hole. How could Wen Nansheng have come here? How did he die? Meng Rui had countless doubts. His gaze finally fell on the earthen pit before Wen Nansheng. Wen Nansheng’s hands were covered in mud. He had been trying to dig out something buried in the pit.

What could it be? Meng Rui gradually understood. It was the lower half of the Moluo Gorge map. The murderer had killed Wen Nansheng and then seized the map. Meng Rui silently closed Wen Nansheng’s furiously opened eyes.

After the hour of Chen, people from the county yamen came to transport Wen Nansheng’s corpse back to the yamen. There were no useful clues in the deep alley’s old building. Meng Rui was the last to walk out of the deep alley. Outside the alley gathered anxious common people from the surrounding area. The successive murder cases in Dougu had given these innocent citizens more than a few worries. At a glance, Meng Rui spotted Fu Nianyu in the crowd.

Fu Nianyu asked, “Are the murder cases related to Dandan’s disappearance?”

Meng Rui was silent for a moment and said, “Not just Dandan, but connected to other matters as well.” Fu Nianyu’s body swayed. He took his leave from Meng Rui and walked toward his home.

Meng Rui watched Fu Nianyu leave and called out, “If there’s an urgent matter, you can find me at the western suburbs Yizhuang.”

Meng Rui rushed back to the western suburbs Yizhuang. Meng Rui told Kua Lao about Wen Nansheng being murdered. Kua Lao’s wrinkled eyelids closed slightly. When they opened again, his gaze had already become murky. He said, “Last night someone secretly infiltrated the Yizhuang, and then Wen Nansheng disappeared. Wen Nansheng came for several days. Now he’s gone, and I’m left alone again as a solitary old man.”

Meng Rui lowered his head and let out a long breath. Kua Lao’s voice was low and deep. “Wen Nansheng’s death is very much related to Sanfen Village. They didn’t want the map exposed, so they silenced the witness.”

Meng Rui slowly nodded. “I think the same. It’s just that with Wen Nansheng dead and the lower half of the map missing, it will be very difficult to gather ironclad evidence to capture the Jin father and son.”

Kua Lao rose from his chair and said, “Constable Meng, don’t you still have the upper half of the Moluo Secret Gorge map in your hand?”

“Only half.” Meng Rui said with some disappointment. Kua Lao turned his face to look outside the Yizhuang and said slowly, “I’m reminded of a story from long ago. There was a man called Zhang the Cowherd. Although his name was Cowherd, his family was very wealthy. From childhood, when he went out he always rode in a sedan chair or horse carriage, right up until he grew into adulthood. One day Zhang the Cowherd was traveling by carriage past a solitary mountain. Several wolves suddenly charged down from the mountain. The carriage happened to be stuck in a mud pit. The coachman and attendants fled in panic. Zhang the Cowherd shouted for help from inside the carriage. The fleeing people couldn’t possibly go back to save him, and the wolves couldn’t possibly not eat him. Constable Meng, can you guess the ending of this story?”

Meng Rui looked at Kua Lao’s profile and smiled faintly. “I believe the wolves couldn’t devour him.”

“Yes, an easily guessed ending. Zhang the Cowherd jumped down from the horse carriage himself. He ran on his own, even outrunning the attendants who had fled early. For the first time, Zhang the Cowherd understood that he could actually run so fast. And the reason for this was because he abandoned the carriage he most relied on and chose himself.” Kua Lao turned around and looked calmly at Meng Rui. “As you said, I believe you also won’t be devoured by wolves.”

Kua Lao handed something to Meng Rui. It was a black wooden whistle. Meng Rui asked thoughtfully, “Kua Lao, this is…”

“Keep it. You’ll have use for it.” Kua Lao slowly paced into the side room. In the main hall, only the dazed Meng Rui remained, along with the wooden whistle in his hand.