TGCFNM -Chapter 484 Returning to the Prefecture Under Cover of Night

When Su He returned dragging the already unconscious Madam Hua Lou, two thugs dressed in black were lounging on the ground, resting in a lazy, careless manner.

Su He held back a sigh, then simply dropped Madam Hua Lou to the ground, yanked out the bundle she was holding, and strode over.

Seeing the approaching figures, Chu Ling raised her hand in greeting. “Ah, Officer Su, I took a bottle of poison from the outside of your poison chest—it’s that itching powder, right?”

Su He frowned slightly. “Sir, what did you do?”

Wan Sanjin then recounted everything that had just happened. “Chu Yue ran off, and we don’t dare go to that place. Since you’ve got the bundle back, let’s head back.”

Su He tossed the bundle to the two sitting men, then strode over to the spot Wan Sanjin had indicated.

Chu Ling and Wan Sanjin opened the bundle. Beneath the clothes was a box of jewelry, and under the jewelry were stacks of silver notes, the amounts not small.

Wan Sanjin took out all the silver notes and jewelry, tapped the bottom of the box, and after removing a wooden block, revealed a hidden compartment.

Inside the compartment was a folded piece of paper. Wan Sanjin handed it to Chu Ling.

Chu Ling passed the other items aside and, using the dim light from the folded fire paper, examined the map drawn on the paper.

The Ghost Scholar instructed Chu Ling to hold it up. Tilting her head, Chu Ling brought the paper closer to the fire paper for a better look.

The Ghost Scholar studied it carefully. “This should be a grain transport route map. The starting point is Luozhou, and the destination is… Liangzhou, not Cangning County.”

Chu Ling handed the fire paper to Wan Sanjin, then folded the map and put it away, looking at Wan Sanjin. “This is a map for transporting grain from Luozhou to Liangzhou. The route is very hidden, so I suspect Prefect Yang was secretly selling the stored grain for cash, rather than transporting it to Cangning County to incite a rebellion.”

Wan Sanjin whispered, “So do we still investigate Cangning County?”

“We must, but we’ll avoid Chu Yue. We’ll investigate secretly on our own.” Chu Ling had decided not to help Chu Yue, so she would naturally not follow her expectations.

Meanwhile, Su He strode back, a twisted smile on his face as he glanced at Chu Ling. “It should be itching powder, and I added a tiny bit of aphrodisiac powder. It makes her hot and itchy, hard to concentrate.”

Chu Ling and Wan Sanjin’s eyes widened, staring at Su He with expressions of disbelief at his twisted look.

“It’s only a tiny bit of aphrodisiac powder—won’t make anyone lose reason, and won’t affect a woman… I wouldn’t use those despicable poisons!” Su He barked, deadpan.

Chu Ling exhaled in relief. “Then it’s probably that kind of heat poison that makes one itchy, agitated, and distracted… how long does it last?”

“About a month, not certain,” Su He said casually. “She can make antidotes, right? If she makes her own antidote, maybe three or four days.”

Chu Ling nodded, satisfied. They had a few days to get a lot done.

“Also, to avoid her using her own methods against us, I’ll work on the Hundred Poisons Pill in the next day or two. Once you take it, it might not make you immune to all poisons, but at least it will block some of them,” Su He said, taking a deep breath. “Against her poisons, I will not lose!”

Chu Ling looked at Wan Sanjin. “We’re basically just Su He’s test subjects.”

Wan Sanjin: “…I can tell.”

Su He grabbed them both. “Let’s go, back to the lab. Time to make some antidotes!”

Wan Sanjin held the small box, while Chu Ling brushed off the dust. The group moved with lightness and speed, narrowly slipping through an unnoticed side gate. Then, under the cover of night, they moved across the rooftops and walls, finally returning to the prefecture office.

Xuanwu and the others had returned about half an hour earlier. They hadn’t gone anywhere, only removing their face coverings and sitting in the small courtyard, waiting for Chu Ling and the others.

As soon as Chu Ling and the group entered the office, she relaxed, her steps light as she walked into the courtyard.

Xuanwu turned back, noticing that only Wan Sanjin was holding a small box, while the others carried nothing. He couldn’t hide a hint of disappointment. “Didn’t you dig up the stolen silver?”

“We did,” Wan Sanjin said, placing the box on the stone table. “It’s all been converted into silver notes. I also brought back Madam Hua’s jewelry.”

Su He didn’t linger to chat and left after greeting them.

Chu Ling, meanwhile, was surprised at the large chest they had carried back. “You dug this out?”

Xuanwu nodded, then glanced at Xiao Hua with some astonishment. “Thanks to Miss Xiao Hua, otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to retrieve it! That chest is full of palm-sized silver ingots—very heavy.”

Chu Ling opened the chest and was momentarily dazzled by its contents. “Perfect Yang really knew how to amass wealth. His death was hardly a loss.”

“Sir, should we dig up the prefecture’s stolen silver tonight, or wait until morning?” Xuanwu asked.

Chu Ling’s eyes flickered. “Tomorrow, we’ll proceed with the trial. During the trial, we’ll dig it up ourselves in front of the public. That way, we can conclude this case quickly and then focus on the traitor investigation.”

“You’re right, sir. Then I’ll go rest tonight,” Xuanwu said, rising and bowing in farewell.

After they left, Zhang Dong lowered his voice. “Sir, someone followed us, but we handled it slowly as instructed. By the time we carried the silver away, those people should have dispersed.”

Wan Sanjin spoke quietly. “No wonder only Chu Yue went after Madam Hua. The others were all left behind in the capital.”

Ghost Scholar suddenly patted Chu Ling on the shoulder. “I know Chu Yue’s weakness—she’s too arrogant.”

So far, everything had gone exactly according to her plans. She had never imagined the possibility of failure.

Of course, for the strong, a powerful and determined mind is a good thing.

But for Chu Ling and the others, it was both Chu Yue’s strength and her weakness.

Chu Ling cast a barely perceptible glance at Ghost Scholar—this was something she had considered before.

Tomorrow’s trial, she decided, would involve rerouting the trip to Cangning County to Liangzhou, catching Chu Yue completely off guard.

“During tomorrow’s trial, I expect Young Lord Xiao and Fu Qingyu will attend as spectators. So Master Wan will personally lead the team to dig up the stolen silver. In the end, we’ll have Du Shiya and the head constable review it again,” Chu Ling instructed.

Wan Sanjin nodded in agreement.

“Also, I need Young Master Wan to do me a favor,” Chu Ling lowered her voice and quietly explained her plan.

Wan Sanjin raised an eyebrow. “No problem. My elder brother will definitely help.”

Chu Ling exhaled in relief. “Then it’s all set. We just wait for tomorrow’s trial!”