Holy Bone

Chapter 1534: Being Too Clever Is the End of Life

Penglai Inn.

The name of the inn is as good as it sounds. We welcome friends from far away to stay at the inn.

Just by looking at the name of the inn, one would think that the innkeeper is hospitable and generous.

When the Bi'an carriage stopped in front of the Penglai Inn, the inn was still open for business as usual and everything seemed normal on the surface.

"Your Excellency the Commander."

Several members of the Criminal Investigation Department who were hiding in the dark and keeping an eye on Penglai Inn came out to welcome Jin'an.

When the carriage was stable, Jin'an, the old Taoist priest, and Fatty Li got off together, and the old dog that imitated human clothes also followed this time.

Maybe because the food in the Wuzang Taoist Temple was too good, the old dog gained weight rapidly and gradually began to look like a pig or dog. He made a muffled sound when he jumped off the carriage.

Jinan brought this old dog here on his own initiative. When solving cases, he had to rely on the sensitivity of the dog's nose.

The innkeeper was a short and fat middle-aged man with a big belly. The news of the spice shop had already spread. The Criminal Inspection Department chopped off the head of a ninth-rank eunuch as he arrived. He was going to conduct a large-scale search of the spice shop. Seeing the Criminal Inspection Department's commander's carriage parked in front of his inn, the cowardly innkeeper ran out of the inn like a meatball and greeted the Criminal Inspection Department and his entourage with great trepidation.

"I, Li Dajin, have seen the god, the Marquis of Shenwu... No, I have seen the Commander of the Criminal Investigation Department... No, I have seen Wu, the Immortal of Martial Dao..."

Logically speaking, people who can open a shop and do business in a spice shop crowded with all kinds of people are people with extraordinary vision and have seen all kinds of swords and sabers. The innkeeper should not be so timid just because the Criminal Investigation Department came to his door.

All I can say is that he who knows the times is a hero. The Criminal Investigation Department even dares to chop off the eunuchs. Only a fool would confront the Criminal Investigation Department at this time.

Anyone who can open a spice shop and do business does have extraordinary vision, but it is also true that they know how to read people's expressions and assess the situation.

If a stupid and dull person were to run the spice shop, he would have been eaten up to the bone.

When doing business, one must be able to bend and stretch, and to make money through harmony.

What is dignity?

Can dignity be eaten as food?

Can dignity make the neck invulnerable to swords and bullets?

Fatty Li said casually, "We are all members of the Li family. I am the upright Li, and you are the wronged Li. If you don't reason with me, why are you so scared?"

"?"

The innkeeper was a little confused for a moment. What the hell are Li Zhiqizhuang and Li Kui?

Fortunately, he reacted quickly and immediately cried out for justice, "I am innocent, Commander!"

"Now the whole capital knows that the Criminal Investigation Department enters the Spice Shop to arrest spies and rebels! Anti-corruption requires evidence, anti-crime requires a list, and suppressing rebellion does not require evidence or a list, and the entire family will be implicated! The commander suddenly came to our shop. Even if I am innocent, I would be so scared that my legs would go weak and I couldn't stand steadily, for fear that everyone's heads would fall to the ground with a click!"

  Are all members of the Li family so funny?

Jin'an, the old Taoist priest, and the old dog all looked at Fatty Li, which made Fatty Li a little angry. He kicked the innkeeper lightly and told him to straighten his back and speak nicely, and not to make them sound like evil officials who only oppressed the people. As long as you have not done anything wrong, you are naturally not afraid of your own shadow.

With a thud, the opponent sat down on the ground without being kicked.

It seems that his legs are really weak and he is not pretending.

The accompanying criminal investigation officers were all veterans, familiar with all the procedures, and they simply carried the innkeeper and walked into the inn.

Jin'an and his companions also entered the inn and were taken all the way to the back kitchen of the inn.

"Commander-in-chief, my exorcism talisman caught fire for no reason when I was at the kitchen door."

"I am afraid of alerting the enemy, so I will leave Penglai Inn after a quick inspection. I will ask my teammates Liu Ping, Song Laowu, Hai Fu, and Han Xuyin to stay and keep an eye on the inn to prevent anyone from getting wind of it and escaping. Then I will report any abnormality here to Deputy Commander Sun as soon as possible."

Among the several criminal inspectors who were supporting the weak-legged Li Dajin, a 40-year-old man with a thin figure, who did not look strong but gave people a sense of calmness and sophistication, reported the situation to Jin'an with a fist salute.

Jin An looked at the other person with appreciation: "What's your name?"

The big man clasped his fists and dared not look at Jin An: "Your Excellency the Commander, I am Zhang Yong."

Everyone in Jin'an praised: "You did a great job this time. The personal safety of the brothers always comes first. When encountering uncertain dangers, there is no need to risk your life. It is always wrong to be cautious."

"As long as people are still here, there will be no difficulties that cannot be solved, and all of your contributions will be fulfilled."

Jin'an's remarks that put human life first instead of using his subordinates as cannon fodder to gain credit greatly boosted the morale of the Criminal Investigation Department.

This is why it is important to follow the right leader.

When the innkeeper heard about the exorcism talisman, his face immediately changed: "Exorcism talisman... there, there are evil spirits?"

Jin An did not answer, but asked the old Taoist priest and Fatty Li to go in and see what was going on. When Fatty Li heard about the evil spirit, he immediately perked up and clasped his fists towards Jin An, "Thank you, Taoist priest Jin An, for your help."

Then he laughed loudly and went into the kitchen one after another with the old Taoist priest.

Next, one heard the sound of rummaging through pots and pans in the kitchen, and soon Fatty Li came out carrying a khaki linen bag.

boom.

Fatty Li threw the sack on the ground, revealing some South Asian spices that looked like water spinach leaves.

"Little brother, do you still recognize this South Asian spice?" the old Taoist asked mysteriously.

Jin An recognized it at a glance and said, "Last time when we had mutton hotpot in Beijing, I remember there was a kind of seasoning to enhance the flavor. It was this, I think it was called laksa leaf?"

Speaking of shabu-shabu mutton hotpot, everyone in the Criminal Investigation Department couldn't help but think of the last time Jin'an and his companions were chased by goats for stealing mutton. Jin'an even hid in the Criminal Investigation Department for several days and didn't dare to go back to the Wuzang Taoist Temple.

That time, Jin'an and his friends chewed some raw garlic, but it still failed to suppress the mutton smell. When they returned to the Taoist temple, the goats still smelled the odor.

The more they recalled that day, the more profound their memories became. When everyone in the Criminal Investigation Department looked at the spices in front of them, their eyes were obviously different. Even raw garlic couldn't suppress the fragrance. Next time when they have mutton hotpot, should they try adding some of these South Asian spices to enhance the flavor?

When investigating a case and encountering evil spirits, their lives may be threatened at any time, but at this moment they still have the mind to think about food. This is the unique sense of security that Jinan brings to the Criminal Investigation Department.

People will only think about solving the problem of food and clothing when they are in an absolutely safe environment.

The old Taoist nodded and said, "Yes, it is Laksa leaf. This spice is famous for its unique spicy taste, which is more like a mixture of mint and thyme."

"If it weren't for your high official position and high salary, we wouldn't be able to enjoy this delicacy." With Jin'an's cultivation level, he could tell at a glance that there was something wrong with the spices in front of him.

At this time, the old Taoist priest said to the innkeeper: "Black dog blood can drive away evil spirits. Do you have black dog blood here? If not, yellow dog blood will do."

"As long as it's bloody."

When the old dog heard this, he got angry and immediately pretended to be lame, deliberately raising his front legs and howling in pain.

"Master, is rooster blood okay? I remember that the kitchen would keep some rooster blood every day and then secretly sell it to the Fushou store to line their pockets. Although I know that the kitchen is a bit shady, I usually turn a blind eye to it. As long as it's not excessive, it's fine." The innkeeper said timidly.

The inn's cook and servant, who were standing obediently by, lowered their heads in shame. It seemed that these people had committed many petty thefts in their daily lives, but they had just met a good-natured host who did not expose their little tricks in person.

Seeing the old Taoist nod, the innkeeper hesitated for a while and said that he was timid and asked if the Taoist could accompany him into the kitchen to get the rooster blood.

The old Taoist priest agreed readily.

The process of getting the rooster's blood went smoothly. After getting the rooster's blood, the old Taoist priest took out a blank piece of yellow talisman paper in public in front of thirty or forty pairs of eyes, and used a wolf-hair brush to soak up the rooster's blood and draw talismans on the yellow talisman paper.

“This is called the Curse of Removal.”

The old Taoist priest put down his writing brush and picked up the yellow talisman, then put out a porcelain bowl brought from the kitchen. He poured half a bowl of Sanyang wine from the wine gourd, then ignited the evil-removing spell and threw it into the Sanyang wine bowl.

Wait until the talisman burns out.

He drank the talisman water, and it sprayed onto the sackcloth bag. Immediately, a black ghost handprint appeared on the sackcloth bag.

The ghost's handprint was as black as ink. When it touched the extremely yang object, it emitted a foul-smelling black smoke that was even more foul than the smell of rotten pork that had been left for a long time in the summer.

The old Taoist priest certainly wouldn't go through so much trouble just for a sack. He went into the back kitchen, drinking talisman water and spraying it, looking for other ghost hand prints in the inn.

After a while, the old Taoist priest walked out of the kitchen and shook his head at Jin An: "The kitchen is very clean. Only this bag of Southeast Asian spices brought back something unclean."

Fatty Li was very careful. He observed the size and palm lines of the handprint on the sack and analyzed, "People who do heavy work all year round have thick and short fingers. The handprint on the sack has long fingers, which means that this person is not someone who does heavy work all year round, or he is still very young and has only been in the inn for a short time."

"First, we can rule out the cook, and then we can rule out the waiters over 30 years old. Then, by comparing the size of the palm print, we can preliminarily infer that this person is very young, has never done strenuous work, and can freely enter and exit the kitchen..."

Fatty Li stood up and said to the innkeeper, "You are most familiar with the staff in this store. Call all the staff who meet the above conditions. I will know who is a human and who is a ghost with just one question."

But the innkeeper said, "I already know who it is!"

Then, with a sullen face, he picked out a tall, thin waiter of about seventeen or eighteen years old from the inn waiters standing in a row, threw him in front of Jin An's feet, and said with a sullen face, "Whether to beat or kill this man is entirely up to the Criminal Investigation Department. I hope the commander can see clearly. This man's activities have nothing to do with our inn, and I really know nothing about it."

When the 17 or 18-year-old waiter saw that the innkeeper was going to abandon him, he immediately became frightened and turned pale. He knelt down and hugged the innkeeper's legs, regretting and crying that he was wrong.

Jin'an always had a calm expression, showing no joy or anger, making it difficult for outsiders to figure out what he was thinking.

In fact, with Jin An's Yang Nian, he could see the root of the problem as soon as he entered the kitchen. He had noticed from the beginning that the 17 or 18-year-old waiter who was kneeling on the ground and crying bitterly had a strange fate.

This person has black hair on his forehead, which represents his parents. He has a life without a father or a mother. People without a father or a mother are more likely to be poor than rich. However, this person has gold in his wealth palace, but it is only vaguely visible, which means he is not born rich. He must have made a fortune recently. The gold is evil, and a black air is approaching his life palace. The life palace is showing signs of collapse, which means that the fortune is not from a legitimate source and he will die a violent death.

Looking at the bulging blue veins on his ears, it is clearly visible that this is a sign of insufficient Yang Qi, stagnation of Qi and blood due to dampness and cold, and a weak spleen. He must have seen something he shouldn't have seen in the past few days, and has been in a state of panic and fear.

Jin An did not reveal all this at the beginning, but watched the old Taoist priest and the people from the Criminal Investigation Department struggling with it. He wanted to train the Criminal Investigation Department.

All good things must come to an end. He will leave the Criminal Investigation Department one day, so he should help the Department as much as he can now.

After all, the other party was just a boy of seventeen or eighteen years old. In addition, he had been frightened by the unexpected events in recent days and lived in fear every day. His mind was at its most vulnerable. Fatty Li could easily get all the inside information out of him with just a few threats.

This person, Li Yan, was not a native of Beijing. He could barely be considered a distant relative of Li Dajin who had no connection with him in eight lifetimes.

A few years ago, Li Dajin returned to his hometown to worship his ancestral grave. Seeing that this man was an orphan and very pitiful, and since they both had the surname Li, he felt pity for him and brought him to the capital to help out and give him food.

Perhaps because he lost his parents early and matured mentally early, Li Yan's cleverness made Li Dajin admire his talent. At the same time, he also wanted to cultivate his confidant, so he transferred Li Yan from running errands in the front hall to the accounting office, making him an apprentice to the accountant and helping him manage some unimportant business.

Due to the shortage of manpower, he handed over the kitchen purchasing work to Li Yan last year.

Logically speaking, Li Dajin treated Li Yan well. As long as people have kind hearts, they should know how to repay kindness. Moreover, Li Yan was only responsible for simple purchases and was not responsible for specific financial transactions, so he had no chance to get kickbacks.

However, Li Dajin underestimated the temptation of the prosperous and extravagant capital city to a man who had lived in poverty since childhood.

Li Yan did appear to be very clever, but because he was so clever, he gradually became more thoughtful.

The rich man behind Li Dajin was a man of some power in the capital, and in the spice shop. Some people saw that Li Dajin's freight carriages were rarely checked in the spice shop, so they bribed Li Yan with gold and silver to help them secretly transport some shameful things.

The things that Li Yan was asked to smuggle in the first few times were normal. Although Li Yan did not see it with his own eyes, he knew in his heart that the other party was a middleman who was reselling South Asian spices.

The huge profits in the spice shops are almost monopolized by just a few companies, so there are always some fearless ditch rats who are eyeing this huge piece of fat meat.

He didn't have to help the other party smuggle goods every day, usually two or three times a month, so Li Dajin never found anything unusual. And the other party was also generous, giving him a hundred bucks every time.

It’s not that easy to make money by doing illegal things.

Li Yan thought that he didn't have to worry about anything. He just needed to help people smuggle things honestly, not look at things he shouldn't look at, and not ask things he shouldn't ask, then no trouble would get into him.

But there is a saying that goes, "Being too clever means the end of your life."

A person is not afraid of not being smart, but of being too smart.

The first few times seemed to be just a test of whether he could keep his mouth shut, but the trouble began after that. In addition to smuggling and reselling spices, the other party even smuggled living people. Several times, they sneaked people wanted by the court into the spice shop.

However, the reward for smuggling living people is also high, and one can get two hundred coins at a time.

Money can make the world go round.

Seeing that the other party paid enough money, Li Yan chose to remain silent and pretend that he knew nothing. He planned to do a few more jobs, then quit his job at the inn, leave the capital, return home and open a restaurant, and his life would be worth it.

however.

He still underestimated how much trouble he was in.

Until one day, the other party used spices to cover up the stench of corpses and let him smuggle the dead...