Chapter Eighty-One: No Wonder You Went Roaming the Brothels

The shopkeeper pointed to the very end of one page in the ledger and said slowly, “Most importantly of all, there is no such person as Duan Gen at all. The entire account of the Duan family ends here.”

Fang Mu took the ledger and read through it from beginning to end. Indeed, Duan Gen never appeared once.

From the description on the page, Duan Gen was nothing more than a fabricated figure.

Fang Mu set the ledger down and recalled the peddlers he had met when he first came to Eastwind Prefecture. It seemed those merchants had been up to something too.

But now the problem was this: Duan Lin was already dead, Duan Gen was dead as well, and in fact had been a made-up fake all along.

Who, then, was the hidden hand behind all this? Could it be that they had no connection at all to the Sun and Duan families, and were simply killing for the sake of the hidden treasure?

Fang Mu stroked his chin and turned the ledger to the page about the Sun family.

Aside from Duan Wei and Duan Lin, every member of the Duan family was fake. Duan Gen was fake too. Duan Lin was dead.

The Sun family was tied to the hidden treasure, and also the starting point of the entire matter, so the clues now shifted to them.

“Came to Well Dragon County twenty-five years ago,” Fang Mu muttered as he flipped through the pages. “Started from nothing, rose from an ordinary household to a wealthy family in Well Dragon County, prospering smoothly all the way. Later, in Eastwind Prefecture, he met Zhao Mei from an ordinary family... Zhao Mei! Why would he kill Zhao Mei?”

It was as if a blocked channel had suddenly been opened; Fang Mu’s mind cleared all at once.

If the hidden treasure was a secret of the Sun family, then why would they go so far as to kill the Zhao family? Could Sun Chang have told the Zhao family about it?

Would Sun Chang really disclose a hidden treasure that even a strange practitioner would covet, and do so so casually?

It was all just conjecture, with no proof.

“Recently, a strange practitioner was killed in Eastwind Prefecture,” the shopkeeper said. “That uncanny being seemed to be looking for someone in Eastwind Prefecture.”

Fang Mu stroked his chin. “Looking for someone? Do you know who it was searching for?”

The shopkeeper shook his head. “Not sure. The strange being didn’t find them, and neither did we. But this thing was found on its person.”

With that, the shopkeeper produced an item.

It was a silver longevity lock, engraved with the character Wei.

“Wei? Sun Wei?” Fang Mu frowned. “The young master of the Sun family?”

According to the secret letter, Sun Wei was already dead. Could this longevity lock be connected to Sun Wei?

The shopkeeper handed the lock to Yan Xian beside him. “See if you can trace it with blood aura.”

Yan Xian took it and said solemnly, “No problem. But let me make one thing clear, I’m a saber fighter, not—”

Smack—

The shopkeeper sent him flying with a kick. “Hurry up.”

Yan Xian got back to his feet and looked at the shopkeeper in confusion.

That was odd. Why was a relay office supervisor so strong?

Still, he didn’t dawdle. He spread open his right hand.

The wound he had cut earlier had already healed. Yan Xian slit it open again, and fresh blood welled out, surrounding the longevity lock.

Yan Xian closed his eyes, and no one could tell what he was doing.

“It’ll take some time,” the shopkeeper said. “Since it involves both the Duan family and the Sun family, we may as well look at the bloodline connections among these people. Yan Xian is very professional in this sort of thing.”

Fang Mu said nothing, only looked at the shopkeeper with quiet interest.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” the shopkeeper asked in puzzlement. “I remember washing my face today.”

Fang Mu smiled. “Of course you did. I mean the face you’re wearing on the outside.”

“Hm? Hm?” The shopkeeper blinked. “You just called me... an old man?”

Fang Mu nodded. “The old man is very strong, but not especially skilled at disguise.”

The shopkeeper said nothing, then burst out laughing.

Among Fang Mu’s many abilities was a unique skill called disguise, though he had never used it before.

Having the skill meant he had mastered it. In truth, from the moment Fang Mu first laid eyes on him, he had already seen that this shopkeeper was in disguise.

He simply hadn’t given it much thought. After all, the enigmatic Bureau of Heaven-Observation had its share of strange characters, and that was only natural.

But the more he thought about it, the more something felt off. The shopkeeper’s strength was terrifying. When he kicked Yan Xian flying, Fang Mu had not even seen the slightest movement before Yan Xian was already launched away.

The shopkeeper laughed, reached up, and wiped his face. A sheet of human skin peeled away.

Beneath it was an elderly face, with proper, even features, yet somehow the whole expression gave off an especially sleazy air.

Yes, sleazy. Extremely sleazy.

“Kid, I’ve heard Li Gun mention you. Since I happened to be passing by recently, I came to take a look. You really do have some ability,” the shopkeeper said, giving Fang Mu a once-over. “Such a strange and wondrous power.”

Fang Mu said, “How strange?”

“Because I can’t see through it. That’s why it’s strange,” the shopkeeper replied.

Fang Mu smiled. “More than that, I’m even more curious about your identity. I doubt you’re merely the supervisor of a relay office.”

While the two were speaking, Yan Xian, who had been tightly shutting his eyes and guiding his blood aura, suddenly opened them.

“I’ve got it!” Yan Xian was just about to speak, but when he saw the shopkeeper’s true face, he immediately dropped to one knee without another word. “This subordinate greets Director Wu!”

Director Wu?

Fang Mu said with interest, “So it was a director’s distinguished visit.”

He had long heard of the Bureau of Heaven-Observation’s several directors; he hadn’t expected to see one today.

Director Wu waved a hand. “No need for that. I’m only handling an important matter and happened to pass through.”

The gesture was grand, but paired with that sleazy face, the sense of incongruity was overwhelming.

Director Wu looked at Fang Mu, patted him on the shoulder, and said, “Li Gun was right. You really do fit my definition of wild.”

Fang Mu smiled. “Since the director himself has come, dealing with the Five Gods Sect should be child’s play.”

“Don’t even think about it,” Director Wu said, shaking his head. “I’m only passing by. There’s something far more important I must deal with immediately. I’ll be leaving at once.”

“No wonder!” Yan Xian, standing nearby, frowned for a while as if piecing something together. Then, with sudden realization, he said, “No wonder I thought it was strange that the shopkeeper went wandering through a brothel yesterday. So it was Director Wu in disguise. That makes perfect sense...”

Boom!

A crushing pressure fell from the sky. Yan Xian was instantly forced flat to the ground, unable to move at all.

Fang Mu bared his teeth. “I saw nothing.”

“I’m just a lonely old man,” Director Wu said, spreading his hands. “Going to a brothel to soothe my solitary heart—what’s wrong with that? Besides, I went there to compose poetry and discuss tea arts. Would anyone think I went there to do filthy things?”

Fang Mu nodded very seriously. “Exactly. We’re both men, so I understand. It’s a pity the brothel isn’t suited to me.”

“Oh?” Director Wu said in surprise. “With a hundred styles and countless pleasures to choose from, and you still say it doesn’t suit you? Kid, your tastes are quite high.”

“Yes, they’re all too big,” Fang Mu said earnestly.

“Big? You mean old?”

“Of course not. I mean the shape.”