However, there were many unclear aspects, such as the medicine pill taken by the witness, Zheng Ersha, Qin An's confession about the miraculous manifestations of the Goddess of Life, and the incorruptibility of the victim's corpse...
These unsolved mysteries became the most popular gossip topics among the public of Jin Sect.
As the people in the Government Office were finally catching their breath after dealing with this case, an arrow was suddenly shot into the main gate with a petition nailed to it.
The petition contained only a few words, written about a stranger witnessing injustice, seeing that Jiang Maocai, a fisherman, was framing and extorting money, leading to the tragic death of a worker at Yu's diner and the owner hiding the body in the vegetable garden, yet still evading justice...
It's strange how this stranger seems to have four eyes, spotting everything!
Upon seeing the letter, Zhao Zhonghe immediately said, "What did I say before? Who continues fishing peacefully after bringing up a head? This Jiang Moan Bucket probably has a string of cases on him!"
"Alright, no rest for anyone! Let's deal with this case and afterward, I'll treat you all to drinks!"
Meanwhile, at Yu's diner.
Shang Shaoyang was having a meal with Chen Liu'Er, eating Xu Qing's dishes, when they suddenly tasted a sour flavor after just a few bites!
"Waiter! What's with your food? How can you fool people with leftovers from the night before? This dish is spoiled!"
The waiter took a bite and, realizing the mistake, quickly apologized: "Please don't be upset, sir. I just started here, and in my rush, I might have grabbed the wrong plate. Please give us a moment, and I'll bring fresh dishes out immediately!"
Next to Xu Qing, the ghost girl who hadn't eaten for days finally let out a burp, feeling sated at last.
"Isn't the food at Zhai's Restaurant better? Why insist on coming here, Brother Xu?"
Xu Qing took a sip of tea and said, "Brother Shang, what do you see outside?"
They were sitting in quite a cleverly chosen spot, and with a small turn of his head, Shang Shaoyang could see the large locust tree by the street.
"Wow? Could she still be under the locust tree?"
Upon hearing Shang Shaoyang's words, Chen Liu'Er immediately corrected him: "Wow is sitting beside Uncle Xu, not outside."
"..."
Just as Shang Shaoyang was about to speak, four or five Government Officials came bustling through the door.
The moment Zhao Zhonghe laid eyes on Shang Shaoyang, he had a hunch this was the owner of the letter pinned at the Government Office gate!
Throughout Linjiang County, only this young Master Shang could pull off something like this!
Everyone was familiar with one another, so after exchanging a few words, Zhao Zhonghe called for the waiter to take him to the back garden.
Not daring to refuse, the waiter led all of them to the back garden.
Shang Shaoyang loved excitement and Xu Qing knew his nature, or he wouldn't have idly invited him to a meal.
As Shang Shaoyang moved, Xu Qing followed suit as a matter of course.
They reached the vegetable garden, and Zhao Zhonghe immediately noticed the land where the green leaves and vegetables should have been absent.
With years of experience as a constable, he knew places with obvious signs of upheaval and different crops from the surrounding could most likely hide valuables or bury bodies.
"Dig!"
In a few moves, without much delay, Government Officials unearthed the body of the former waiter.
"Where's your shopkeeper!"
The new waiter was terrified, saying, "The shopkeeper is in the shop..."
Zhao Zhonghe searched back and forth but found no trace of the shopkeeper, only discovering the ajar back door of the diner.
The shopkeeper had already fled.
"Chase!"
They rushed through the back door into the alley, but with people bustling about at the alley's entrance, it was hard to find the shopkeeper's trace!
"He can't have gone far! Ge Xiu, you take two people and search along the street, the rest follow me to the Tanggu River."
As Zhao Zhonghe walked, he said, "Jiang Maocai is acquainted with Yu's diner shopkeeper; he might know where the shopkeeper has fled."
"Jiang Moan Bucket? Isn't he the one who couldn't catch fish but caught a head?"
Shang Shaoyang had heard of this from the forensic doctor and was quite impressed.
Xu Qing glanced afar and suddenly smiled: "It's perhaps fortunate that Jiang Moan Bucket never catches fish; whether it'll bring fortune or misfortune is anyone's guess if he ever did."
The two of them, each holding a child, strolled to the Tanggu River as if on a casual walk.
Zhao Zhonghe inquired along the riverbank where a fisherman said he saw Jiang Moan Bucket heading to his boat just recently.
Following the directions given by several fishermen, they meandered to the mouth of the Tanggu River, where they saw Jiang Moan Bucket and the diner shopkeeper arguing by the riverside.
Upon seeing the oncoming rush of Government Officials, the shopkeeper handed a parcel to Jiang Moan Bucket.
The latter, after peeking into the parcel, stopped arguing, pushed the boat pole, and started heading away.
Seeing the criminal about to flee, Zhao Zhonghe was quick to act, stepping onto the water and catching up with the boat in a blink.
Jiang Moan Bucket was stunned; he, a scholar who relied on his wits, had never encountered such an unreasonable person!
Shang Shaoyang clicked his tongue and said, "Old Zhao's skills are almost catching up to mine; truly remarkable!"
Xu Qing glanced at the self-praising Shang Shaoyang; the two together might manage to hold out for a few more moves under a thick-headed bouncer...
Once the boat was ashore, Jiang Moan Bucket and the diner shopkeeper were immediately detained by the Government Officials, yet Jiang Moan Bucket was still pleading.
However, he wasn't begging for leniency from the Government Officials, but rather—
"Chief Zhao, your skills are great! Suppressing ten skills with strength, I'm convinced from the heart, but you can't just take me back like this. You must let me take the netted fish with me. This is the first big fish I've ever caught in my life, and if you don't let me show it around, I'll die with regrets!"
Seeing Jiang Moan Bucket turn red-faced and frantic, Zhao Zhonghe had an idea and asked, "Alright then, recount each crime you've committed in the past. As long as you're truthful, I'll let you take the fish along, and even parade it around the market three times. What do you think?"
"..."
Seeing Jiang Moan Bucket fall silent, Zhao Zhonghe raised a brow and instructed, "Zhao Yuan, go release the fish from the boat!"
"Alrighty!"
"Wait! I'll confess, I'll admit to everything!"