inspire-indiana Chapter 328 The Divine Deer's Heart Traces Rewind
Chapter 328 The Divine Deer's Heart Traces Rewind
Meanwhile, at the other end of Chang'an, the stench of decay mixed with dampness from beneath the bluestone slabs of the East Market softened Song Xiaobai's coarse cloth shoes. Clutching her last few copper coins, she stared at the swaying tortoise shells on the old man Gu Banxian's fortune-telling stall when she suddenly heard the divination sticks scatter with a "clatter"—three bamboo sticks were engraved with "Big Celery" and "Two Leeks," which, together with the "Xiaobai" embroidered on her cuff, formed a strange name for a vegetable.
"Three esteemed guests, it's time to repay your debts from past lives." Gu Banxian's cloudy eyes suddenly gleamed, his withered fingers pointing to a dark corner of the street. Two veiled women were fastening silver hairpins into their hair, their movements as swift as imperial guards sheathing their swords. When Song Xiaobai accepted the invitation jade pendant engraved with the dark pattern of "Wuji," she had no idea that the deception she was about to step into was far closer to the darkest secrets of Chang'an than the tattered secret manual in Du Xiaobing's hands, worn down by a ruler.
In the bustling crowd of the West Market, three figures appeared and disappeared. Song Daqin's sachet concealed a silk handkerchief laced with a sleeping potion, Song Erjiu's hairpin was tipped with a deadly poison, and their first prey was none other than the young apprentice doctor at Jirentang, who always seemed to be dozing off with a stack of tattered books in his arms…
As the moonlight climbed over the wall of the workshop, Du Xiaobing was still drooling over the Wuji Secret Technique, completely unaware that he had become the most crucial chip in this life-or-death gamble.
Meanwhile, Niwan Zi learned from Cong Xiaoye that there were clues to an old case hidden in the canal warehouse, so he led his men to search for it overnight with lanterns. Among the yellowed case files, he finally found Du Xiaobing's whereabouts, and immediately wrote a letter and sent it to the post station by fast horse.
On this ninth day after the theft of the Divine Deer Heart, a foreign merchant rushed into the Jingzhao Prefecture government office to report the crime. Niwan Zi was busy organizing case files, so she ordered Cong Xiaoye to inquire on her behalf.
It turned out that the merchant, Dunzhu, was a goldsmith who traveled to and from Lhasa. He would wait for his carriage at the post station after each purchase. This time, when he was being inspected at the Zhuque Gate, he was suddenly bumped into and then scalded with boiling sesame soup, which splattered oil stains all over his robe and boots.
When Dunzhu returned from changing his clothes in the post station's washroom, a postman insisted that he had booked a welcome banquet. The merchant became suspicious and hurriedly changed his ticket to an earlier post horse.
Cong Xiaoye reported the case to Niwan Zi, and the two deduced that it must have been a gang crime, and the thieves would definitely make their move on the post carriage. Sure enough, it was all Wolf King's doing.
That day, during the inspection at the Vermilion Bird Gate, it was the Wolf King who deliberately bumped into the merchant Dunzhu and then ordered Song Xiaobai to spill the soup. Afterwards, the Wolf King took Song Xiaobai under his command and even brought her to the temple's vegetarian dining hall for a meeting. During the meal, Song Xiaobai tried to ingratiate herself with Song Daqin, but was met with a cold shoulder; when Song Erjiu arrived, she hurriedly poured tea, but was still met with disdain. She then turned to flatter the Wolf King, but was sent to the kitchen to urge him to prepare the food. Erjiu and Daqin were even more dissatisfied with Song Xiaobai and complained incessantly to the Wolf King.
After a hearty meal, Erjiu told the Wolf King without reservation the train number and carriage number of the merchant Dunzhu. That night, the Wolf King took Erjiu and Daqin to the inn. Meanwhile, Niwanzi and Cong Xiaoye, who were secretly monitoring the merchant, followed him into the train disguised as merchants. Song Xiaobai also mingled in the crowd and boarded the same train.
The foreign merchant clutched the sandalwood box filled with pure gold magical artifacts tightly, fearing any mishap. Song Xiaobai, carrying a basket of grapes, deliberately tossed it beside the carriage shaft, scattering the agate-like grapes across the ground, attracting the courier's scramble to collect them. In the chaos, Cong Xiaoye noticed a dark bundle left in the corner of the carriage; opening it, he found it contained a blue brick.
Cong Xiaoye was shocked and immediately got out of the carriage to report to Niwanzi. Niwanzi suddenly remembered that a man in gray had indeed carried this item onto the carriage and then hurriedly left. He immediately ordered the yamen runners to search the entire city, but they found nothing.
The carriage slowly drove out of the city gate. Hu merchant Dunzhu let out a long sigh of relief and murmured to himself while looking at the wooden box hidden beside him. The yamen runners left behind in the carriage relayed the news back to the Jingzhao Prefecture. Seeing that the pure gold magic artifact was unharmed, the king ordered everyone to lead the group back to the yamen.
When the wolf king learned that his plan had failed, he smashed a teacup in anger and hurriedly wrote a letter to inform the mysterious man.
Niwan Zi returned to the yamen and found that Zhi Nu had prepared a roast goose feast for everyone. During the meal, Zhi Nu said meaningfully, "The security of the capital is related to the face of the Tang Dynasty. You all need to do your best."
Niwan Zi silently tore at the roasted goose meat, while Cong Xiaoye swallowed all the admonitions. They secretly resolved to solve the case of the stolen Divine Deer Heart as soon as possible.