Longevity starts with inheriting a friend's legacy

Chapter 9 Someone is coming from the county

"Don't worry, sister-in-law."

Comforting the panicked Wang, Fang Xu said, "Sister-in-law didn't set the fire intentionally. Even if the government finds out, at most they will ask you to pay some money and rebuild the charity cemetery."

"Sister-in-law, don't forget that Brother Erhu is a palace soldier and a warrior. As his sister-in-law, the government will not investigate this matter further."

These words calmed Wang down a lot, but she then said with a bitter face: "But...but repairing the charity cemetery will require a lot of money, right?"

"I...I only have some jewelry and a few dozen taels of silver..."

After marrying Wang Ergou, Wang lived a secluded life and rarely did any work at home. All the big and small things in the family depended on Wang Ergou alone. Relying on more than ten acres of thin land, the two of them could barely feed themselves.

The money saved was all the salary sent monthly by Wang Erhu, a soldier in Huangzhou Prefecture.

Wang Ergou kept part of the salary for himself and gave the rest to Wang.

"Sister-in-law, don't worry. Brother Erhu should be able to handle this matter." Fang Xu consoled her again.

As a palace soldier, it would be unacceptable if Wang Erhu couldn't even handle such a small matter.

"Yes... yes! And uncle..."

Wang clenched her fists slightly, then looked at Fang Xu and said, "Even so, I'd better sell those jewelry as soon as possible, and then go to the government office to turn myself in."

There is a provision in the laws of the Dayu Dynasty that criminals who surrender themselves can be given a lighter punishment.

Wang felt that he had only caused the fire due to negligence and had voluntarily turned himself in, so he should be fined less.

Fang Xu did not stop it, but just silently said "I'm sorry" in his heart.

If Wang could take the blame for the fire, at most he would lose some money, but if he was involved, the secret of "Yanshenzang" would be at risk of being exposed.

"Then please go quickly, sister-in-law. If you don't have enough money, I have some spare cash and can lend it to you temporarily." Fang Xu said.

Wang bowed to him gratefully and left the courtyard in a hurry.

After seeing Wang off, Fang Xu simply washed up, cleaned the blood food that Zhang Mingliang had sent, and put a piece of it in the pot to stew.

The so-called blood food is actually the flesh and blood of wild beasts in the mountains. Compared with livestock raised at home, the flesh and blood of wild beasts in the mountains contain more qi and blood, and are more helpful for cultivation.

While the blood dish was stewing in the pot, Fang Xu turned the soil in the vegetable patch in the yard, then took some vegetable seeds and scattered them, and watered them. After a busy period, the aroma of stewed meat wafted in.

After finishing a pot of stewed meat, he sat cross-legged on the bluestone in the yard and began to guide the Qi and blood in his body to refine his internal organs.

Lu Zhiyuan had already taken him on this tour yesterday, and at that time Fang Xu accidentally entered the state of inner vision, and was able to understand more clearly how to refine the internal organs.

This was the first time that Fang Xu practiced alone. Except for being a little unfamiliar at the beginning, gradually, he was able to skillfully control his own Qi and blood power and strengthen his internal organs.

The internal organs are related to life and are not as resistant as the hands and feet. Therefore, refining the internal organs is a slow and steady process that needs to be done bit by bit.

During this practice, time had already come to the evening. When Fang Xu felt hungry and was about to get up to prepare some food, he found that there was a person standing at the gate of the courtyard.

The man was about thirty years old, dressed in black, holding a golden ring knife, wearing a Pingjin hat with a black crystal inlaid in the middle, and leaning against the door frame in a somewhat lazily manner.

Seeing Fang Xu stand up, he strode over to him.

"Liao Yunfeng, a small flag officer of the Qinghe County Inspection Commission."

"Are you Fang Xu?"

Fang Xu looked at him and bowed slightly: "It's you, kid."

Liao Yunfeng directly extended his hand and gestured: "Let's go, my master wants to see you."

"But is it because of Wang Ergou's death?" Fang Xu asked.

Liao Yunfeng nodded without saying anything more.

Fang Xu did not ask any more questions and followed him out of the courtyard. When Liao Yunfeng and Fang Xu arrived at the Fenglin Town Government Office, Huang Dechuan, the mayor of Fenglin Town, and the lawyer with a mole on the corner of his mouth were bending over and flattering a man in a green official robe.

"Sir, Fang Xu is here."

Liao Yunfeng clasped his fists and bowed.

The middle-aged man in a green official robe stretched out his hand to disperse Huang Dechuan and the master to the side, stood up and walked slowly to Fang Xu and said in a deep voice: "Are you Fang Xu?"

Fang Xu bowed slightly: "Yes."

The middle-aged man continued, "I am Zheng Ming, the prison official in charge of criminal investigation in Qinghe County. I came to Fenglin Town to investigate the death of Wang Ergou."

"Now tell me everything you know, without leaving anything out."

Fang Xu cupped his hands and recounted in detail what happened before and after Wang Ergou's death.

After hearing this, Zheng Ming frowned at Fang Xu and said, "So, you and Wang were the only ones who discovered that Wang Ergou was dead?"

"Tell me what you found at the crime scene?"

Fang Xu once again briefly recounted what he had seen at the crime scene. When he mentioned Wang Ergou's strange ox, Liao Yunfeng, a small flag officer at the side, slightly changed his expression and leaned over to whisper something in Zheng Ming's ear.

After hearing this, Zheng Ming's face became unusually serious. He then turned to look at Liang Yunfeng and asked, "Are you sure?"

Liao Yunfeng cupped his hands and said, "I am sure, sir, this matter still needs to be allowed..."

Zheng Ming raised his hand to interrupt him, glanced at everyone present, and then asked Huang Dechuan: "Where is the body of the ox now?"

Huang Dechuan was stunned and quickly looked at the master beside him.

The master hesitated and said, "Master... the body of the man was brought back, but I don't know what use the little cow is."

"waste!"

Huang Dechuan kicked the master to the ground, wiped the sweat from his forehead and approached Zheng Ming and said, "Sir, I will send someone to bring back the body of the ox!"

Zheng Ming waved his hand and looked at Liao Yunfeng who was standing beside him and said, "Take two people and go with this Brother Fang."

Liao Yunfeng bowed in response, and left the government office with two inspectors and Fang Xu.

When the four of them arrived at the scene of the crime, it had already darkened. Fortunately, it was early spring and not too hot. The crime scene was at the foot of Tilan Mountain, so no other wild animals approached and the body of the ox was still there.

Liao Yunfeng came to the corpse of the working ox, drew out the golden ring knife in his hand, and gently cut open the shriveled cowhide. Seeing that no blood was flowing out, he frowned slightly and put the knife back into the sheath, then looked around carefully.

"Brother Fang, these two footprints..."

"It belongs to the kid and Sister Wang." Fang Xu explained quickly.

Liao Yunfeng compared it with his eyes and then found the footprints of a third person.

After squatting in front of the footprint and examining it for a while, he slowly stretched out his hand, and the accompanying auditor quickly took out a piece of white paper and a bottle of medicine. Liao Yunfeng sprinkled the medicine evenly on the footprint and then covered it with the white paper.

After a moment, a clear footprint appeared on the white paper.

Fang Xu found it amazing, but didn't dare to ask more questions.

After collecting this set of footprints, Liao Yunfeng looked around carefully again. He found no other clues and his face became solemn.

"Okay, bring back the dead oxen!"

After looking around for a long time, Liao Yunfeng gave the order to take Fang Xu and the body of the ox back to Fenglin Town.

　Please vote for recommendation and read on. Dear readers, please move your hands and click to read on.
　　

(End of this chapter)