After parting ways with the three men, Su Cen returned directly to the Dali Temple. He requested a register from Xiao Sun and then hurried off to the Eastern Market during lunch.
The Eastern Market had two gates on each of its four sides. The market gates, like city gates and palace gates, were opened and closed at specific times, following the sound of the street drum. Anyone still loitering around after curfew would be apprehended by the street patrol and punished for being out at night. The city gate officer managed the daily opening and closing of the gates, but the keys were held by the gatekeepers. The keys to the city gates were stored in the east corridor of the city gate and were taken by the gatekeeper on duty each night and handed over to the city gate officer at the designated time.
Su Cen arrived under the west-north gate corridor of the Eastern Market and called a gatekeeper over, asking him to use the register to summon everyone, one by one.
Being called over in the middle of lunch, the men were clearly unhappy. Seeing Su Cen’s official robe, showing him to be a mere junior seventh-rank official, coupled with his scholarly and youthful appearance, they felt emboldened, standing with poor posture—leaning or lounging around casually in the corridor.
Su Cen glanced up at them, raised his chin slightly, and pointed to a man as thin as a monkey. “Starting with you—what’s your name, where do you live, which gate were you guarding on the night of April 8th, and did anyone come in or out during that time?”
The monkey-like man raised his eyelids, flashed a yellow-toothed grin, and said, “Sir, it’s been several days already. Who could remember that? Why don’t you chat with us first, give us some time to think about it. By the way, what’s your name, sir, and where are you from? Let us know where such a fine gentleman like you comes from.”
Su Cen’s brow furrowed slightly. He stared at the man for a moment, nodded, casually closed the register, and stood up to leave.
“Oh, leaving already? Not going to ask us anymore?” The monkey-like man jeered behind him, and the corridor erupted in laughter.
At the doorway, Su Cen paused, “I advise you all not to go back just yet. Stay here and wait. It’ll be easier for the Dali Temple to take you in later. If you don’t want to stand and answer questions, you can kneel and speak in the courtroom.”
The corridor fell silent immediately. These people were just commoners making a living; they were good at talking back but would never want to end up in a court office, which would be a serious matter. Seeing that Su Cen was about to leave, the monkey-like man hurried forward and grabbed his sleeve, “Sir, sir, let’s talk this out. We remembered, we remembered.”
Su Cen glanced at him sideways, and the monkey-like man immediately began talking rapidly: “My name is Hou Ping, from Hama Ridge. I was on duty at the southeast gate on the night of the eighth. After the gate was closed, no one went in or out.”
Everyone else quickly stepped forward to report their own situations.
After bustling around for most of the midday, Su Cen finally verified everyone—except for one person.
“Where is Wu Deshui?” Su Cen asked, staring at the register.
“Him—” Someone muttered under their breath, but as Su Cen looked up, the voice fell silent.
“You,” Su Cen pointed at the monkey-like man, “speak.”
“Sir, well…” Hou Ping hesitated, squirming for a long time without saying anything meaningful.
Su Cen didn’t say a word, but his sharp, icy eyes narrowed slightly, and everyone felt a chilling frost amidst the blazing sun.
Hou Ping cautiously stepped forward and said, “Sir, this Wu Deshui, well, he’s not very capable, but he’s got luck on his side. His beautiful sister married a big shot in the capital as a concubine. We don’t dare offend him. He came from the countryside and took this post, acting all high and mighty. Eight days out of ten, you can’t see him around. He’s either soaked in a wine vat or hiding under some woman’s skirts.”
Su Cen frowned. “So, on the day he was on duty, he wasn’t there.”
And it was the northwest gate closest to Pingkang Alley.
“He did show up that day,” someone murmured from the crowd, “but he left after taking the city gate keys. By the time the gate opened at the hour of Yin13am to 5am, he was already gone. Luckily, the keys were left on the corridor table, or we would have missed the gate-opening time.”
“Does he do this often?”
“All the time,” Hou Ping sneered. “When his thirst for wine kicks in, he even opens the city gate at midnight to bang on the doors of the wine shops.”
Su Cen’s brow furrowed further. “Who is this big shot he’s connected to?”
For him to be so neglectful of his duties and yet not sent back home, it was clear this person held immense power.
The gatekeepers exchanged glances, and someone quietly whispered from the crowd, “Chancellor Liu.”
Su Cen was taken aback. Now that was indeed a big shot. Not only could these gatekeepers not afford to offend him, even Su Cen would have to lower his head in the man’s presence.
So, when were the keys placed on the table? Did anyone use them to open the city gate during that time? Was it done unintentionally, or was it deliberate?
“Where does Wu Deshui live?” Su Cen asked.
“He lives in Guiyi Ward,” Hou Ping replied. “Just ask around for Old Wu laolai, and you’ll find him.”
It wasn’t until Su Cen returned from the Eastern Market that he felt his stomach growling with hunger. As he ate a bowl of plain noodles in the small kitchen at the Dali Temple’s backyard, he regretted not having a bowl of pearl jade dumplings at the Eastern Market. He could’ve also gotten a portion of chilled red bean cake to take away and snack on while copying case files. Now, all he could do was stare blankly at the plain noodles, his chopsticks in hand and tears in his eyes.
Halfway through eating, he heard the rumbling of thunder in the sky, and the daylight suddenly dimmed.
Unexpectedly, Su Cen felt a sense of relief.
Sure enough, heavy rain soon began pouring down and didn’t stop.
As he left the Dali Temple at the end of the workday, Su Cen was surprised to see someone waiting for him. Qu Ling’er stood outside, wearing his usual everyday attire and holding a silk umbrella. When he saw him, he stepped forward and shielded him under the umbrella.
“Where’s Ah Fu?”
“Ah Fu is helping Old Zhang’s girl next door gather the laundry.”
Su Cen glanced at Qu Ling’er. “This rain started around the hour of Wei21pm to 3pm. Has it really taken him an hour to collect it?”
“You even know that?” Qu Ling’er’s face fell. “I was just too bored at home, and I wanted to take advantage of the rain to get some fresh air. I wouldn’t dare to come out on a clear day.”
“Getting some fresh air all the way to Dali Temple? That doesn’t sound like someone who’s afraid to come out,” Su Cen remarked.
“I’m just passing by, getting familiar with the place,” Qu Ling’er grinned. “Just in case one day you actually send me here, I can figure out a way to escape.”
Su Cen rolled his eyes. “You won’t end up here. Dali Temple handles criminal case trials. Someone like you would be sent straight to the Ministry of Justice’s prison to wait for execution after autumn.”
“Brother Su, you’re so heartless,” Qu Ling’er pretended to wipe away nonexistent tears with his sleeve, then turned around with a mischievous smile. he walked backward while facing the grand gate of Dali Temple, commenting with interest, “This Dali Temple is quite impressive. They say, ‘The court gate faces south; without money, don’t come in.’ I hope Dali Temple isn’t like that.”
Then he shook his head and murmured to himself, “It definitely isn’t, especially since you’re in there.”
Su Cen couldn’t help but smile. “Even if I’m in there, Dali Temple isn’t run by my family. I don’t get to decide how others behave.”
“But I know you’ll stand up for the common people,” Qu Ling’er said confidently. “Besides, you’re not short of money. Maybe you’d accept a beauty as a gift instead.”
Su Cen: “…”
Before Su Cen could retort, Qu Ling’er turned around and smiled, “You don’t know how much we common folk fear places like this. Officials and merchants protect each other, and money talks. Even the stone lions at the gate could bite someone and make them bleed. But I believe you aren’t like that.”
“Oh?” Su Cen swallowed back his sarcastic remark and asked, “Then what kind of person am I?”
“You’re a good person,” Qu Ling’er smiled brightly. “Brother Su, you’re a good person.”
What does it mean to be a good person? Su Cen couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly. Villains live freely, and bad people are unrestrained, but good people must meticulously navigate the world’s norms and laws to uncover the truth. Being a good person is the hardest thing in this world.
As they turned into an alley, the rain intensified, pattering against the umbrella. The rain fell like a curtain from the ribs of the umbrella, and the surroundings seemed shrouded in a light mist, making everything indistinct.
Qu Ling’er suddenly stopped and tugged on Su Cen’s sleeve.
“What’s wrong?” Su Cen asked, only to see Qu Ling’er frowning and staring straight ahead.
Following his gaze, Su Cen saw someone approaching from the misty rain. The person didn’t have an umbrella, and their black clothes were soaked through. As they got closer, Qu Ling’er suddenly thrust the umbrella into Su Cen’s hand and pushed him back. “Run!”
In the next instant, the flash of a cold blade appeared.
Su Cen stumbled from the push and barely steadied himself, just in time to see Qu Ling’er lean back to narrowly dodge a knife slashing through the air. he twisted his body in an eerie manner, flipped back, and slid next to Su Cen, grabbing him. “Why are you still standing there? Run!”
Su Cen, nearly bending the umbrella ribs in his grip, realized it was cumbersome to hold. Just as their pursuer closed in, he loosened his grip, letting the wind carry the umbrella right into the assailant’s face.
Catching his breath as he ran, Su Cen asked, “Who is this person?”
“I don’t know!” Qu Ling’er pressed on the wound on his waist. During the earlier flip, his wound had reopened, seeping threads of blood, and with every step, it throbbed painfully.
Both of them—one injured, the other weak—were clearly not a match for the man. The man in black did a somersault and landed firmly in front of them.
Qu Ling’er quickly stopped, shielding Su Cen behind him, and whispered, “I’ll hold him off. You don’t look back. Run as far as you can.”
“Are you sure you can handle it?” Su Cen frowned.
“Stop wasting time, go!”
With a burst of energy, Qu Ling’er leapt forward. Su Cen gritted his teeth and turned to run.
After only a few steps, there was a loud thud. Qu Ling’er flew past him in a bizarre posture and smashed into the wall directly ahead. Half of the wall collapsed instantly, and Qu Ling’er’s body, hitting the sharp bricks and corners, left him disoriented and gasping for breath. Instead of recovering his breath, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Su Cen: “…”
He hurried forward to help him up. “Weren’t you supposed to be really good? What happened to your ‘Flowing Clouds and Flying Swallows’ and ‘Walking Without a Trace’?”
Leaning on Su Cen’s support, Qu Ling’er barely managed to stand up and used his last bit of strength to roll his eyes. “Brother Su, I only have two skills: hidden weapons and light-footed martial arts. I kill and then run. You took my hidden weapons. If I ran, what would happen to you?”
“Fine.” Seeing the man in black approaching step by step, Su Cen casually picked up a brick and stood sideways in front of Qu Ling’er. “Brother Su will protect you.”
![Flying Dust [Fei Chen]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9k.png "Flying Dust [Fei Chen]")
