Ji Yunshu looked at those people locked in the prison cells, each one filthy with dirty clothes, faces covered in stubble, and hollow vacant eyes.

Clearly these past few days of confinement had been hard on everyone!

She looked toward that old merchant, saying: “Elder sir, this matter is of grave importance and may even involve extensive connections, so regarding what I ask you, you’d best tell me every detail without omitting anything.”

“Yes, I definitely won’t conceal anything.” The old merchant nodded heavily.

Ji Yunshu asked: “Do you know… Su Qiao?”

“Su Qiao?”

“The deceased was a woman named Su Qiao, about fifteen years old, who drowned! Three years ago she came to Gaoding, claiming to be searching for someone, but shortly after, she mysteriously disappeared.”

The old merchant searched his mind intensely for information about this woman named Su Qiao.

But found nothing!

He then shook his head.

“I don’t know her!”

The hired hands in the prison cell also shook their heads saying: “We don’t know her!”

Seeing their appearance, Ji Yunshu felt they didn’t seem to be lying.

She continued asking: “These stones were all transported by you from Ruili, correct?”

The old merchant answered: “That’s right, they were all transported from southern Ruili.”

“Before those gambling stones were packed in the boxes, were they all inspected one by one?”

“All inspected. If we had known the stones were so light at the time, we definitely would have discovered it and wouldn’t have transported them to Gaoding.”

“You never opened them along the way?”

“No.” The old merchant was very firm.

Ji Yunshu pressed him on his words, asking: “Is it that you didn’t open them? Or can you confirm that no one opened them the entire journey?”

“Well…” The old merchant paused.

He looked like he didn’t dare make a definite statement.

Then he turned to look at his hired hands.

The hired hands shook their heads one by one.

Indicating that none had opened them.

Only then did the old merchant look at Ji Yunshu, saying: “The keys to open those boxes have been in my hands the whole time. Even when sleeping at night I kept them with me. Without the keys, no one could open them.”

Ji Yunshu didn’t think so: “If someone was determined, even without keys, they could still open them.”

“Sir, are you saying someone opened my boxes?”

“You came from Ruili to Gaoding, passing through large and small places. On this journey, even traveling through the night, it would take at least ten days to half a month, right? During that previous period there were continuous heavy rains. You certainly must have stopped to rest along the way, and even stayed at inns. So can you guarantee the boxes were always within your line of sight?”

“…No.”

“Since you can’t, that means if it wasn’t someone among you who switched the gambling stones in the boxes, then someone switched them when you weren’t paying attention!”

The old merchant didn’t understand. He thought about it, his face troubled, and asked: “But… why would they do this?”

Yes, why would they do this?

Specifically using plaster to encase a human head, and having to switch things into the boxes when they weren’t paying attention—why?

They were honest-to-goodness businessmen, and had not even the slightest connection to this person named Su Qiao!

And this was precisely Ji Yunshu’s puzzlement as well!

No matter how she thought about it, if the person who switched the gambling stones was the murderer, why would he or she seal the head in plaster, then go to great lengths to switch it into that pile of gambling stones to bring into Gaoding?

Weren’t they afraid of their crime being exposed?

But if it wasn’t the murderer, why would that person go to such trouble to do all this?

Strange!

Ji Yunshu pondered for a moment, then raised her eyes and asked: “So along this journey, did you encounter anything strange?”

“Strange things?” The old merchant thought carefully but really couldn’t think of anything.

Ji Yunshu reminded him: “For example, any suspicious people who approached those boxes? Or did you encounter anyone traveling the same route as you?”

“None of that.”

It could be said there were practically no clues at all!

Wanting to know who had opened that box was like finding a needle in a haystack.

These cases were truly getting harder one after another.

The old merchant saw Ji Yunshu’s face clouding with worry, and his heart tightened as well.

He grasped the wooden posts in front of him with both hands, saying anxiously: “Master Ji, is what I’ve said useless?”

It truly was useless!

The same as saying nothing.

But Ji Yunshu didn’t say so directly. She only said: “Elder sir, think about it some more. Perhaps something happened on the road that you simply didn’t notice at the time.”

“Well…”

“Think slowly. If you remember anything, just have the prison guards come tell me. For now, that’s all I need to ask.”

Seeing that Ji Yunshu intended to leave.

The old merchant quickly asked: “Will I be beheaded?”

“The case hasn’t been solved yet, so naturally your guilt won’t be determined. If you and your hired hands didn’t commit murder, naturally you can leave safely.”

“Sir, I trust you. You must help me.”

Ji Yunshu couldn’t respond to this statement.

After all, if you are the murderer, then I can’t help!

She said a few comforting words and left!

…

Li Cheng obtained Du Mubai’s case file and hurried back to the City Administration Department.

As he entered, he instructed the person beside him: “Quickly go find Master Ji and tell her that what she wanted, I’ve already prepared.”

The junior official said: “My lord, Master Ji went to the prison.”

His steps halted: “Went to the prison? Why wasn’t I notified?”

“She came early this morning. This subordinate didn’t dare delay, so I had someone escort Master Ji there. Besides, my lord, you also said that seeing Master Ji is the same as seeing you, which is why I didn’t report to you. By now, Master Ji should…”

Before he finished speaking—

Li Cheng raised his hand to interrupt him: “Fine, I’ll go to the prison now.”

He had just taken a few steps when the junior official called out to him, saying: “My lord, please wait.”

“What is it?”

“Well…”

“Speak.”

He was quite anxious at the moment, eager to rush to the prison to question those merchants together with Ji Yunshu. He had no time to waste.

The junior official said: “Master Ji did go early this morning, but that Young Master Jing didn’t go. He’s been sitting inside… drinking tea.”

The last two words were said very softly.

Drinking tea?

How amusing!

Li Cheng’s expression stiffened.

The junior official continued: “Moreover, Master Ji said to tell you not to go there, my lord. She’ll come over after finishing the interrogation.”

“So that means I’m to wait.”

“Approximately so. She wants you and Young Master Jing to sit for a while first.”

Sit for a while?

Li Cheng was helpless. Holding that case file, he went inside.

In the hall of the City Administration Department, Jingrong was indeed sitting inside drinking tea.

Looking completely leisurely and at ease.

Li Cheng hesitated.

He was afraid whenever he saw Jingrong’s iceberg face!

Always felt inexplicably fearful!

Jingrong saw him arrive and indicated with his gaze toward the seat beside him, saying: “Sit.”

“Alright!”

Li Cheng agreed, swallowed, sat down in the seat beside him, and placed the case file on the table.

Suddenly—he felt something wasn’t quite right!