Compendio de hombres apuestos en el mundo de las artes marciales

Capítulo 115

Seeing this, Zhan Yun quickly guessed what was going on. He gently stroked her chin with his fingers and said softly, "Don't think so much. Just let things take their natural course." As he spoke, he lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips. "If you don't want to, we won't be in a hurry even if we get married. Hmm?"

Duan Chen suddenly remembered what Qingzi had said before, and her ears burned slightly. She turned her face away slightly, avoiding his lips. Although he didn't understand why, Zhan Yun could tell that she was a little shy. He gently slid his fingers under her chin, and said with a smile, "Don't think too much. Anyway, everything is up to you. I can wait patiently."

The problem that had been bothering him all night was easily resolved by Zhan Yun's few words...

Because of a sudden case, Duan Chen and Zhan Yun's travel plans were temporarily put on hold. During the day, they went into the city with Zhao Ting to gather clues, returning to the manor in the evening. They ate and drank together, then split into two groups and chatted animatedly. Six or seven days passed like this, but the case still made no progress.

Duan Chen didn't say anything, but he was getting increasingly anxious. This time, the murderer was obviously striking every two weeks or so, and with the two-week deadline fast approaching, they had no clue whatsoever. Even Lord Ding and everyone in the government office were feeling anxious and uneasy.

On the eighth day at noon, Duan Chen and others were having lunch with Lord Ding and the registrar at the government office when they suddenly received a letter. Lord Ding opened it and his expression changed drastically. Without saying a word, he handed the letter to Zhao Ting.

Meanwhile, Qingzi also received a letter from Jiangcheng in Hangzhou, the contents of which were exactly the same as those received by Lord Ding. About seven days ago, two murders occurred in Hangzhou. The victims were both young women, with marks on their necks from being bound with strips of cloth, and their clothes and accessories were neat and new.

Because Lord Ding had recently written down the details of the case that occurred in Suzhou and distributed a copy to all the prefectural offices in Liangzhe Road, officials at all levels in the Liangzhe region now know the specific details of the case. Therefore, Li Qinglan hurriedly sent a letter to Lord Ding after the incident. Jiang Cheng, on the other hand, because of his personal relationship with Duan Chen and knowing that she was currently at Xingyun Manor, wrote a letter to Qingzi, briefly describing the events of the case and hoping that Duan Chen could come over and help investigate.

Therefore, on the second day, Duan Chen, along with Zhan Yun, Zhao Ting, and Qing Zi, embarked on their journey to Hangzhou Prefecture, while Xiao Yiyi rode alone back to Mulian Mountain in Qingxi Town.

Author's Note: There will be an update this Saturday at 9 AM!

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101

Chapter Five: Reunion • Consideration...

Suzhou Prefecture was not close to Hangzhou Prefecture, and the four of them hurried along the way, finally arriving in Hangzhou on the afternoon of the eighth day. Fortunately, Qingzi was in good health to begin with, and after the first three months, her spirits had improved even more. Despite the bumpy carriage ride, she didn't feel any major discomfort.

The four of them traveled for a while, and when they reached the section of road leading to the government office, Qingzi started complaining that she wanted to get out and walk around, saying her back and waist ached from the long carriage ride. Duan Chen, having changed back into men's clothing for convenience, helped her out of the carriage and strolled leisurely towards the government office. Since they were already there, there was no rush. Besides, sitting in a carriage for so long was indeed uncomfortable, and it was kind of Qingzi, being pregnant, to not complain at all along the way.

Zhan Yun and Zhao Ting followed side by side behind, finding the situation strange no matter how they looked at it. They exchanged a glance, their expressions subtly different. A gentle light flashed in the corner of Zhao Ting's eye. He narrowed his deep eyes, glancing at the simple silver ring on Zhan Yun's left little finger, and a slight smile curved his thin lips.

Spending these days with the two of them still brings a pang of pain and sadness, yet somehow, a warmth and peace, rarely felt before, has gradually arisen within me. Seeing Duan Chen smile more often than before, her expression increasingly serene and gentle, listening to her share, under Zhan Yun's gentle guidance, some of the interesting things she encountered during her travels…

While Zhao Ting was captivated by Duan Chen's previously rarely displayed gentle demeanor, he was also resentful that this change wasn't caused by him. Her radiant smile wasn't for her, and her soft words weren't spoken to him... He didn't know when it started, but he could only be an observer, unable to touch or speak, yet so humble that he felt content simply to witness it.

He wasn't unaware of Zhan Yun's tolerance and understanding towards him; sometimes, he even felt he was being too domineering and greedy. If the roles were reversed, and Duan Chen became his queen, he admitted he would find it difficult to be even half as magnanimous as Zhan Yun, even if the other was his closest friend…

The four walked quietly for a short while when Qingzi suddenly stood on tiptoe, put one hand on her hip and waved the other hand vigorously into the distance. Her big eyes were bright and sparkling, and her cheeks were flushed: "Husband, Xiao Huizi!"

Duan Chen quickly pressed down her raised arm, while carefully holding her waist to stop her from running forward: "You shouldn't do anything too strenuous right now."

Jiang Cheng waved repeatedly in their direction, then ran up to them, panting, one after the other. He hurriedly greeted Duan Chen and the other two, then smiled and took Qing Zi's arm, looking her up and down: "You've gotten even more plump than when you were here." Chu Hui smiled to herself.

Before they could finish speaking, Qingzi violently suppressed them, flicking their foreheads hard with her finger and roaring fiercely, "What did you say!"

The master and apprentice shook their heads and smiled in unison, neither reaching out to rub nor arguing. Jiang Cheng then bowed to Zhan Yun, saying, "Over the past month, my wife has received much care from Young Master Xingzhi. Jiang Cheng would like to express his gratitude to Young Master Xingzhi."

Zhan Yun quickly raised his hand, a smile playing on his lips: "Mr. Jiang, what are you saying! It was originally for the sake of me and Chen'er that I troubled Madam Jiang to make this trip. If anyone should thank you, it should be Xingzhi who should thank you first."

Qingzi rolled her eyes and pinched the fabric on Jiang Cheng's shoulder with her finger, gesturing for him to leave quickly: "We've known each other for so long and you're still playing these tricks? Aren't you two jealous? I'm starving! Hurry up and go..." At the same time, she rubbed against Jiang Cheng's arm and said coquettishly, "Husband, I want to eat vinegar fish, and the mushroom and egg drop soup you made..."

Jiang Cheng blushed slightly and cupped his hands in apology to the three of them, saying, "I'm sorry... I've prepared quite a few dishes. If you don't mind, please join us."

Duan Chen glanced at Qing Zi, then shook her head with a slight smile: "No need. We need to go to Lord Li's place first. Please enjoy your meal." Even if she wasn't very perceptive in this regard, she still understood this basic courtesy. The two in front of her were a classic case of absence makes the heart grow fonder. Anyway, there were other people involved in the case, and the coroner's autopsy report had definitely already been transcribed. Besides, judging from the looks of it, Lord Li had certainly granted them a holiday, so they shouldn't disturb him.

Chu Hui was usually aloof, but being young, she couldn't hide her joy at the heartwarming scene of everyone's reunion. She gently chimed in, "Master, Mistress, I'll have lunch with you two." The implication was clear: you two should hurry up and leave!

Jiang Cheng bowed to the three of them again, then helped Qingzi walk in another direction. As they walked, he turned back to Duan Chen and instructed him, "Ask Xiao Hui for the case records. Ask him about any details. If you really don't understand, wait for me tomorrow morning. I'll definitely come early tomorrow..."

They all smiled. In the past six months, Chu Hui had grown half a head taller and was now at eye level with Duan Chen. However, her expression remained respectful as she looked at him: "Brother Duan, Brother Duan."

Duan Chen smiled slightly and nodded gently: "Long time no see."

As Chu Hui looked down, she caught a glimpse of the identical silver rings on the little fingers of Duan Chen and Zhan Yun's left hands. Her eyebrows shot up, and she looked up in surprise: "Brother Duan..."

Duan Chen couldn't help but smile slightly. This child always stuttered twice when calling his name, and it had been like this for several years without him changing it... Zhan Yun, who was standing to the side, did not change his expression, but he saw the changes in the boy's expression clearly.

Chu Hui couldn't help but glance at Zhan Yun, then quickly lowered her head: "Let's hurry up, Lord Li and Mr. Tao must be getting impatient." After saying that, she walked forward quickly, her back view showing that she was forcibly suppressing something, her body was slightly stiff, and her steps were somewhat unnatural.

Duan Chen frowned slightly but said nothing. Zhao Ting, however, gave Zhan Yun a meaningful look, his thin lips pressed tightly together.

Li Qinglan and Tao Hanzhi hadn't seen Duan Chen for a long time, so they naturally exchanged pleasantries and chatted for a while. They were also somewhat surprised to see Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun come along, but they were very welcoming.

After all, it's always good to have more people helping with a case. Moreover, these two are quick-witted and skilled. Although they had some unpleasantness at the end because of Zhou Yufei's antics, overall, the three of them worked together quite well with Duan Chen, solving two cases in succession and relieving Hangzhou Prefecture of its urgent crisis.

The group chatted over lunch and soon got to the case. Li Qinglan's expression turned serious: "Xiao Duan, since the last letter I sent you, the murderer hasn't committed any more crimes. You've all seen the checkpoints at the city gates—easy entry, strict exit. But even so, we can't guarantee that the person is still in the city."

Tao Hanzhi stroked his beard and nodded: "To be honest, we're both afraid he'll commit a crime and afraid he won't."

Duan Chen and the other two nodded slightly in understanding. If the murderer committed another crime, it would mean that another innocent woman would be harmed, which, as local officials, they would naturally find extremely distressing. However, if the murderer did not commit another crime, it meant that the person had likely escaped to another place without attracting anyone's attention, which would also mean that Duan Chen and the others had once again come up empty-handed.

And if it is indeed the latter situation, then it is extremely bad. Firstly, although the people of Hangzhou will be at peace, innocent people in other places will be harmed. Secondly, this person is committing crimes everywhere without any reason, staying in each place for a short time, leaving few clues, and it is almost impossible to figure out his modus operandi. If Duan Chen and the others just chase after him, it will be difficult to stop him from committing crimes in time.

The atmosphere at the dinner table became somewhat somber. Li Qinglan and Tao Hanzhi were clearly troubled by the case, sighing repeatedly as they recounted the backgrounds of the two victims. After lunch, during a brief tea break, Tao Hanzhi handed the case files to the three of them for careful review. Chu Hui waited to the side, ready to take them to examine the bodies later.

Both murdered women were young married women, from well-off families. Duan Chen recalled the records in the previous case file while Chu Hui explained the autopsy results. Although Chu Hui was usually taciturn, she spoke fluently and logically about this matter, rarely using obscure words or explanations, making it completely understandable even to laymen.

Duan Chen intended to test her, so he asked two rather tricky questions, mainly based on common sense that coroners had taught her over the years while solving cases. Unexpectedly, Chu Hui answered them quite well, and her expression remained neither humble nor arrogant.

Similar to the three previous cases in Suzhou Prefecture, the victims all had suffocating ligature marks on their necks, and the murder weapon was likely a strip of cloth. There were no other injuries on the bodies, and all the clothing and accessories on their bodies and in their hair were exceptionally neat. It seems that the murderer stayed at the scene for quite some time after strangling the victims, only leaving after carefully tidying up the bodies.

Based on the various clues left on the body, the modus operandi is indeed identical to that of the previous crimes in Suzhou Prefecture. If nothing unexpected happens, it is undoubtedly the work of a single person.

Duan Chen frowned as she looked at the faces of the two deceased, her fair brows furrowing deeper and deeper. Zhan Yun followed her gaze and asked gently, "Is there something wrong?"