The butcher’s hands were trembling.

He stared at the meat on the chopping block beneath the cleaver.

Thinking to himself that he hadn’t done anything immoral or unconscionable.

How did a murder investigation end up at his doorstep?

And it was a murder case at that!

He certainly hadn’t killed anyone.

The guards were methodically removing the pork hanging from the wall, piece by piece.

During this time, the common people from the marketplace had all gathered around.

Everyone was pointing and gesturing.

Whispering amongst themselves.

Someone remarked, “What’s going on here?”

“Can’t you see? The authorities are investigating a case.”

“Whose case? How did it lead to Old Pig?”

“Who else’s case could it be in Gaoding City right now?”

“Du Mubai’s?”

“Exactly!”

“But what does this have to do with Butcher Zhang? Could it be… that he killed him? My goodness, I’ve been buying meat from him for over ten years. Despite his large build and loud voice, he’s actually very honest and sincere! How did he get mixed up in this case that’s been causing such an uproar lately?”

“Who knows? You have to remember, you can’t judge a person by their appearance!”

“True, let’s just wait and see…”

…

All sorts of voices emerged from the crowd.

People were discussing everything imaginable.

Making up wild speculations.

Soon, all the meat on the wall had been taken down one by one, and the wall surface indeed revealed small “mounds” made of cement, all uniform in size and evenly spaced.

Row upon row, at least fifteen of them.

A guard quickly said, “Sir, Master Ji, look at these. They’re just like door studs, and their size and spacing match the protrusions on Du Mubai’s rib exactly. Du Mubai’s back must have struck these.”

He spoke with logical reasoning.

Li Cheng squinted as he examined them!

Pondering.

Then he asked Ji Yunshu, “Young Master Ji, what do you think? Is this the place?”

Ji Yunshu silently walked forward and examined those small mounds.

Then she ran her hand over them.

Her eyes darkened slightly.

She roughly estimated based on Du Mubai’s height and the height and spacing of these protruding mounds. Generally speaking, the place where Du Mubai’s back had struck did indeed match this location very well.

The size, spacing, and height were all the same…

She said, “From an initial assessment, this does appear to be the place.”

Li Cheng seemed to hear only the word “confirm” in what she said, completely ignoring the word “appear.”

He took it as Ji Yunshu giving an affirmative response.

He suddenly clapped his hands, “Then this means Du Mubai very likely died here.”

Feeling like they were about to solve the case!

Ji Yunshu hadn’t continued speaking yet.

But he was already glaring menacingly at the confused butcher, interrogating him, “This official asks you, six years ago, did you kill Du Mubai?”

Uh!

The surrounding common people erupted in astonishment.

The butcher was even more shocked and quickly asked, “What? I… I killed Du Mubai? How could I… how could I possibly kill someone? I’ve been selling pork here for over ten years. All the neighbors know what kind of person I am! Sir, you’re clearly wrongly accusing me.”

“The evidence that struck the deceased has been found at your place, and you still dare to argue?”

“I… I truly didn’t do it.”

Li Cheng didn’t care about anything else and directly ordered, “Men, arrest him.”

The guards received the order and rushed forward, seizing the butcher firmly.

“You… you’re wrongly accusing me! I didn’t kill anyone! I didn’t kill anyone!” The butcher struggled while shouting loudly.

But helplessly, he was held too tightly and couldn’t move at all.

This naturally caused another commotion among the surrounding people.

They began discussing again.

“Did he really kill someone?”

“Who knows?”

“This is a major case! Killing someone means paying with your life.”

“Old Pig probably can’t escape this time.”

“What a tragedy.”

“Does this mean we won’t be able to buy pork from him anymore…”

…

However—

Just when everyone thought he was the murderer, Ji Yunshu calmly walked around the area in a circle, seemingly observing something.

But no one noticed her actions.

They were all absorbed in the incident of the butcher being treated as the killer.

Li Cheng seemed to have the impulse to behead the butcher on the spot.

Seeing this, Jingrong had no choice but to step forward.

He asked Li Cheng indifferently, “Does Young Master Cheng know what kind of place this is?”

Hmm?

Why ask this suddenly?

Li Cheng answered, “Of course I know. This is a marketplace!”

“Since it’s a marketplace, then who would arrange to meet here? And drink tea and eat here?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Young Master Cheng, would you arrange to meet someone for tea here?”

“Of course not.”

“Then do you think Du Mubai would?”

“…Ah?” Li Cheng was stunned on the spot and said, “Perhaps… it’s also possible. Just because I wouldn’t come here doesn’t mean others wouldn’t, so Du Mubai might have arranged to meet someone here.”

“Impossible!” After observing the surroundings in a circle, Ji Yunshu suddenly said this.

After hearing her words, everyone looked at her in unison.

Jingrong knew she must have found a clue.

And her thinking must be the same as his own.

Li Cheng was puzzled and asked, “Why is it impossible?”

Ji Yunshu slowly explained, “Young Master Cheng can look around. Du Mubai died in winter, and it was snowing at the time. In this place, once winter arrives, the road surface becomes extremely filthy, with potholes everywhere. Just now when we walked here, our shoe soles and robes were covered in muddy water.

However, according to what I know, the case file states that when Du Mubai died, his clothing was clean, and his shoe soles were also clean! He didn’t look at all like someone who had been to this kind of place. Moreover…”

She walked to that wall, ran her fingers over several of those “small mounds,” rubbed her fingertips together, and said, “The butcher himself just said he’s been selling meat in this place for over ten years, so these surfaces must be covered with pork fat. You can tell just by touching them! If Du Mubai had really struck this wall, his back clothing would definitely be stained with pork fat. But as I said before, according to the coroner’s report in the case file, his clothing was clean, without even any muddy water, so naturally there wouldn’t be any pork fat either. Therefore, he couldn’t possibly have come to this place, much less have struck this wall.”

Suddenly it was clear!

Everyone understood!

Li Cheng swallowed and carefully reviewed what she had just said.

Then he nodded and said, “What you said… is right! This way, Du Mubai indeed doesn’t seem… doesn’t seem like he came here.”

“He never came here at all, so…” Ji Yunshu glanced at the arrested butcher and said, “You’ve arrested the wrong person.”

Pfft—

These words were undoubtedly a reassuring pill for the butcher.

He had been wrongly accused.

Finally, someone had cleared his name.

The panic and agitation in his heart disappeared in an instant. He felt much more at ease.