I was just solving crimes, how could I become an immortal?

Chapter 168 Going to Death
  Pavilions, pavilions, green mountains and strong pine trees are covered with a layer of snow-colored silver fabric. Shangjiang City in winter is magnificent.

On the street, the prince, who was wearing armor, led the soldiers swaggering out of the city amid the cheers of the people.

In order to ensure the stability of the people's lives, the royal family organized this winter hunt to hunt the wild beasts around the imperial city, which sounded high-sounding.

But the secret hidden in this winter hunt has made all parties entangled and anxious.

The prince rode in front, and behind him, Cao An, as a celebrity of the day, naturally attracted much attention.

The fifth prince came immediately on horseback and said in an unabashed tone of provocation: "Cao Shuixiu, I heard that you received a death invitation? Didn't the prince advise you to give up this winter hunt?"

"Back to Your Highness, participating in the winter hunting happened before I received the invitation. Since I have agreed, I will naturally go to the appointment."

"It's just an agreement, why do you care? The prince asked you to come today just because he wants to win the honor of being the first in hunting. It's not worth risking your life for this."

To sow discord between the prince and him, this kind of trick is only played by children.

It wasn't even Cao An's turn to respond. Someone was already snitching in the prince's ear.

The prince immediately ended his handsome parade, pulled the reins and fell behind, forced his way out of the way, and dominated Cao An.

This move caused chaos in the formation and attracted everyone's attention.

But the prince ignored him and tried hard to look gentle and courteous to the corporal.

He smiled and said in greeting: "Cao Shuixiu, I sent someone to consult with you yesterday. Regarding this winter hunt, it's okay for you not to participate."

From the prince's point of view, he didn't want Cao An to attend. After all, he had managed to close the relationship. If he took personal risks and died early, he would lose all his money.

In this person's eyes, he will be a very powerful assistant when he ascends to the throne in the future.

such a pity! I'm afraid you won't give up the throne.

She silently mourned for the prince for half a second, but her face was still very calm: "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am fully prepared this time and there will be no danger."

The prince glanced behind him and saw three people from Five Flags, plus a female monk from Si Tianjian. The lineup was quite luxurious.

"Well, since Cao Shuixiu has made up his mind, I won't persuade him any more. I have a heart-protecting pill that can save his life in times of crisis, so I'll give it to you."

"Haha! His Royal Highness is so polite. How can you be so embarrassed?"

When he finished speaking, the jade bottle of the elixir was already in Cao An's pocket. He was so skilled in receiving gifts that even the prince couldn't see the traces of his actions. He was really a master.

After dismissing this person with a few words, the person Cao An wanted to wait for the most finally arrived: the six-door blue-clad policeman, Qiao Yundong.

"Didn't I tell you it was dangerous? Are you really not afraid of death?" Qiao Yundong's face was dull, unable to understand Cao An's behavior of seeking death.

Cao An smiled. There were not many people in the world who could not care about his safety for profit.

Apart from the Tsing Yi Department, this person is the one who hopes for the best for him the most. After all, Qiao Yundong has been clamoring to return the favor.

Unfortunately, Cao An didn't appreciate it.

"I'm not as unbearable as you think, right? But you, talking to me so blatantly? No need to insert a note?"

Qiao Yundong glanced at him: "I know you are trying to find out about me, but it doesn't matter. This time, I don't need to worry too much."

Cao An tried his best to attack from the side, but this time he met his opponent. Qiao Yundong saw through his thoughts at a glance.

It's a pity that such a person would sacrifice his life for the rebellious officials and traitors.

"Is it necessary to be so loyal? Risking your life?" Cao An's eyes flashed fiercely.

Qiao Yundong did not avoid the temptation just now, and told him straightforwardly: there is no need to worry anymore.

This answer either means that this person has defected;
  Or, he must be loyal to his master today. Today's mission is dangerous to the point of death.

Qiao Yundong raised his head and glanced at the sky. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, as if he remembered a lot of past events: "My life is more complicated than you think. I have no way of turning back."

"If you are alive, you will definitely have a chance. If you leave now, I can protect you from death." Cao An made a promise.

Cao An also kept this person in mind for helping him many times. No matter what kind of favor he wanted to return, at least in Cao An's view, this person's conscience was still intact and he could be saved.

It's a pity that his temper is as stubborn as Cao An's and he just doesn't accept it.

He said with a self-deprecating smile: "I don't regret dying, but you, you can still live if you leave now, but if you really go in, there will be no retreat."

Qiao Yundong's voice was cold, but his words were full of warnings. He was more anxious than his colleagues in the Tsing Yi Department and wanted to force Cao An back.

"Thank you. I accept your kindness. I hope to see you come out alive and tell me personally how much of a huge favor you owe me."

Seeing that Cao An was still persistent, Qiao Yundong could only shake his head helplessly: "It's a pity that this secret will be buried with me. I can't thank you enough in this life. If I have a chance in the next life, I will buy you a drink again."

After saying that, Qiao Yundong shook the reins vigorously and died gracefully.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, you humans are living so awkwardly." Next to him, Ying Huorong complained incoherently.

Seeing Cao An's eyes, Ying Huorong quickly swallowed the roasted wing meat in his mouth and explained: "I didn't say that, it was Sister Huhu who said it."

Red fox? That person is indeed qualified to evaluate.

Some people seek death if their lives are not what they want.

Some people even seek death with broken arms and legs.

Look at our red fox, his whole body was beaten away, but he is still alive and strong. This is called inspiration.

"But having said that, we seem to be in quite a lot of trouble! Seeing our lineup, he even said that I was in danger. What did that group of people want to do?"

These rebellious officials and traitors are really getting more and more aggressive.

One or two people are scrambling to come up with plans to celebrate the New Year?
  Fortunately, I still have a trump card. Cao An looked at the senior sister behind him.

Because she had to go on a mission, Cao An specifically told her not to sleep today.

But even though the person was awake, he still looked blank.

The ignorant people around her waved to her, and she waved back with a smile, making it seem like a happy interaction.

Can this person really be the best candidate to break the situation as Xiaojiu thought? Why does it feel unreliable?
  Cao An turned around and asked the senior sister: "Have you eaten all the chicken legs last night?"

"Well, I've eaten. I'm so full!" The senior sister touched her slim belly and looked very satisfied.

"Just eat enough. If you run into trouble later, it's up to you."

"Ah! Do you rely on me? But I don't know anything!" The senior sister has a very straightforward character. She is timid when encountering trouble and listens to the enemy's advice.

In this regard, Cao An had no choice but to take one step at a time.

……

Following the team, they exited the city from the west gate and soon came to a mountain range.

In addition to the garrisoned soldier outposts, there are also a large number of abandoned huts covered in snow, which have obviously been uninhabited for a long time.

According to records, this place was supposed to be a quarry. Later, it was said that there was a landslide in the cave, so the area was completely closed and gradually deserted.

Now looking at the cautious posture of the prince and others, I am afraid that all the external propaganda is all lies.

"Attention Jinwu Guards, exit the cave 20 miles away. The other teams will fight on their own. The final winning team will be judged based on the ashes of ghosts that everyone has hunted..."

Eunuch Yu read out the rules on his behalf. At least from the outside, he was still maintaining the dignity of the royal family. When he said he was hunting for merit, there was no ambiguity.

Every time a ghost is killed, a cluster of ashes will fall, which is a unique product of this place. Collect them and you can claim credit from the court after the end.

Of course, Cao An didn't have much interest in this, and the reward for receiving merit was not as much as what he got from cheating the Three Laws Division.

He came today just to solve the case. The Tsing Yi Department acted alone, wandering around the mountains at will, waiting for the "winter hunting" to come.

……

The prince and others entered the cave, and soon a miasma of fog rose around them.

The heavy snow melted strangely, and the environment changed from the severe cold just now to the freezing cold.

In the distance, the dilapidated and abandoned villages have become noisy again. Men are farming, women are weaving, and people are everywhere. It is a prosperous scene.

"But there's something wrong with this scene! How did this come about?" Cao An looked at the people and things in front of him and was a little undecided for a moment.

To say that this village must be a ghost village.

But whether it is the faces of the villagers or the scenes of their happy lives at the moment, they are far more real than ordinary ghosts.

Most of the ghosts he sees in daily life are the ghosts of wrongdoers. They have unresolved obsessions during their lives, and they go crazy for revenge after death, only repeating some of the actions they performed during their lives.

But these people have smiles on their faces, and they will even comment on people when they see them.

Cao An looked at Pan Daxi who was standing aside: "Was it the same when you came here before?"

"Yes, these ghosts look quite normal, but after a while, they will start to attack madly." Pan Daxi patted his chest, the flesh and blood split, and Sister Pan crawled out.

Sniffing the surrounding environment, it felt like I was home again. There were so many delicious ghosts in front of me, and my mouth was watering.

"Huh?" Sister Pan bit the bamboo tube, tilted her head and blinked her big eyes to look at Cao An, as if asking: Can I eat?

Cao An shook his head: "Don't move for now. I'll try to find out some clues."

The ghosts have not made any offensive moves for the time being, and he will not rush to take action. Maybe he can learn something about the changes in this area from them.

"It would be great if I could communicate with these ghosts."

"Can we communicate? I can!" Senior Sister heard his murmur and volunteered.

Cao An was stunned. This man would usually be scared to death when encountering a monster. But now he saw a ghost and became calmer.

"Can you really communicate?"

"Of course!" The senior sister was very confident. She touched the big scroll in her arms and suddenly waved to the old man beside her: "Sasha?"

"Shashasha~"

One person and one ghost made strange noises.

"Well, he said he was a villager." The senior sister acted as a translator seriously.

What a miraculous ability. No wonder Xiaojiu thinks that she can break the game just because she can understand ghost languages.

Cao An instantly saw hope: "Please help me ask, is the day they are living in the forty-eighth year of Wanjingli?"

"Okay." The senior sister seemed to have arrived at her home court and chatted easily with the old man next to her.

The answer she got made the senior sister's not-so-smart mind fall into doubt.

"Huh? You guessed wrong. He said it is the forty-fifth year of Wanjingli."

"Forty-five years?" Cao An's eyes narrowed, and this matter became more complicated.

(End of this chapter)