"Elder brother, don't you find it strange? Judging from the couplets written in this man's study, he should be a cherished person who is good at calligraphy and painting. This kind of person usually does things in an orderly and well-behaved manner, and it is absolutely impossible for him to
I ground half of the ink stick myself and casually pulled it into the inkstone."
Yang Ji spoke in a low voice, pointing to the half of the inkstone he found in his hand.
Yang Ji himself is good at calligraphy and painting, and he cherishes pen and ink. Generally, people who are good at calligraphy often use the four treasures of the study and take special care of them. After writing, they will definitely return them to their proper places and will not throw them away casually on the inkstone.
inside.
This principle is just like a "warrior" who pursues powerful power will not place his martial arts secrets randomly, but will keep them close to his body.
"If no one has touched the things here, then I feel that when this person died, he was either writing a letter. Or he was killed before he had time to clean up. Anyway, he must have left some writing and ink, and he had no time to pass it on.
Come out. But I didn’t see any letters in this study.”
Yang Jidao said this in a low voice to Chen Shien and others.
After listening to Yang Ji's words, Chen Shi'en couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. He had been to this study many times during the day, but he didn't notice anything at all.
But Chen Shien had to admit that what Yang Ji said did make sense. A person who writes so well should not just throw away his used ink sticks in the inkstone.
"I dare not say anything else. But this house has indeed been sealed since the incident and has been kept as it is. After all, the person who died was an official."
Chen Shien thought deeply.
At this time, I heard the voice of the fat old lady:
"Practice calligraphy? That's what you said. I seem to remember it. Kanehara was in a hurry, so I asked him where he was going. He said he was going to buy paper, and seemed to have run out of paper. Then he kept mumbling that something big had happened.
Something big happened... I asked him what it was about, but he wouldn't tell me. You said such a good person, no one would have thought that something would happen to him..."
Hearing what the old lady said, Yang Ji, Fang Bai, Jiang Jianqing and others were all shocked. No one listened to what the old lady kept talking about.
"Auntie, do you still remember where he bought the paper?"
Yang Ji and the others looked at each other, then turned back and said seriously.
"I do know that the place where Jin Yuan buys pens and ink will always be the same. He is a regular customer there..."
The nagging old lady mentioned the name of a shop.
"Whoosh!"
Yang Ji flicked his sleeves and walked straight out.
Everyone also looked solemn and walked out quickly.
"Now, this ingot of silver is for you."
When Fang Bai passed by, he stopped deliberately, threw a piece of silver, and then strode away. The old lady was so happy that she couldn't close her mouth.
…………
The store is not far away. Places like Langya County are bustling with commerce. The store opened much later than places like Pingchuan County and Jin'an City.
"Qingyun Bookstore!"
Under the dim light, Yang Ji stood on the street, using the firelight of the lantern to clearly read the words on the plaque:
"The name is very elegant. No wonder Jin Yuan often comes here to buy stationery."
Knocking on the door, an old shopkeeper in his forties yawned and was ready to call it a day.
Chen Shien didn't say much. He went straight to the point and explained his purpose.
"Letter paper? Yes, that's right! Mr. Jin always bought things from me before he was alive. He came a lot, so I often gave him some discounts. Sometimes I would ask him to help me write some couplets. What? This
Does it have anything to do with his death?"
The old shopkeeper looked surprised and suddenly woke up from his sleep.
"Old shopkeeper, think about it. Did Jin Yuan leave anything here for you before he died?"
Yang Ji, who had been silent all this time, suddenly took a step forward and spoke.
"Something? What something?"
The old shopkeeper looked surprised: "Why did Jin Yuan put something here for me?"
"Really not?"
Yang Ji stared at the old housekeeper, as if he had discovered something, with a completely unbelieving look on his face. He took a few steps forward and suddenly whispered in the old housekeeper's ear.
"That thing? Do you really want that thing?"
The old housekeeper looked surprised.
When the others heard this, their hearts moved, and they immediately knew that Yang Ji had indeed discovered something. All their eyes looked at the old housekeeper.
"Junior Brother Yang is really amazing. It seems that even the old shopkeeper doesn't know that Jin Yuan left something here. But Junior Brother Yang can tell it at a glance."
Jiang Jianqing was filled with admiration in his heart.
After what happened with the ink stick in the study, Jiang Jianqing is now completely convinced of Yang Ji's observation and delicate thoughts.
The old shopkeeper hurriedly left and went into the back room. When he came out again, he already had something like a cylinder for holding calligraphy and paintings in his hand.
"Is it this one?"
The old shopkeeper held the shaft cylinder in both hands and handed it over.
Yang Ji took the shaft cylinder, slightly unscrewed the lid, took a glance, immediately nodded, and put the lid back:
"Yes, that's it. It's exactly the same as Kanehara's handwriting."
"boom!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Ji suddenly stretched out his palm and struck the old shopkeeper on the neck amidst everyone's exclamations. The old shopkeeper of Qingyun Bookstore didn't even say a word and immediately collapsed.
He went down and was caught by Yang Ji.
"Junior Brother Yang, what are you doing?"
Chen Shien said in surprise.
Yang Ji's turning movement was so sudden that not only Chen Shi'en, but others were also shocked.
"Junior Brother Yang, we've got the stuff. Why did you knock this shopkeeper unconscious?"
Fang Bai's eyes widened. Judging from past situations, Yang Ji didn't seem like someone who would do this.
"Hmph! The old shopkeeper said at first that there was nothing belonging to Kanehara here. But now he brought it out again. His words were untrue and unreliable at all. I suspect that he had already known what was inside. There was even something inside.
There may have been consequences with those who killed Kanehara."
Yang Ji said in a deep voice:
"And... this was originally meant to protect him. After what happened today, do you think those who murdered Kanehara would let him go?"
Yang Ji's eyes flashed with light, and his voice was sonorous and powerful, leaving no room for doubt. This was the first time that everyone had seen this look on him.
It seemed that Yang Ji had a complete plan in mind for the whole matter.
"Senior Brother Fang, you have to endure some hardships during this period. I will leave this shopkeeper to you to protect."
Yang Ji pushed the unconscious "old shopkeeper" in his arms to Fang Bai.
"Um."
Fang Bai nodded subconsciously, and didn't react until he took out something solid in his arms. He looked at Yang Ji with surprise and uncertainty in his eyes.
On the side, Meng Shenji couldn't help but his eyelids twitched, as if he was very surprised by Yang Ji's decision.
"Let's go!"
While others were still immersed in this series of accidents, Yang Ji had already stepped firmly through the door and walked towards the inn where Waiqiju was staying.
"Shopkeeper. Shopkeeper..."
A few streets away from "Qingyun Bookstore", everyone heard a panicked shout from the shop assistants behind them. It was only then that the shop assistants discovered that the shopkeeper had been kidnapped...
"I'm afraid I can't keep this matter a secret..."
Halfway through, Chen Shi'en looked back at the light in the direction of Qingyun Bookstore, and thought to himself. He still doesn't know what was in the cylinder that Jin Yuan left at the old shopkeeper of Qingyun Bookstore.
Except for Yang Ji, no one seems to know what Jin Yuan left behind before his death and why he was killed.
"After I go back, I must ask my junior brother."
Chen Shien secretly thought in his heart.
Even he himself didn't realize that from being disgusted with Yang Ji's tardiness, to being displeased, to respecting Yang Ji and obeying his opinions, Chen Shi'en had unknowingly followed Yang Ji's opinions and formed a negative attitude towards him.
trust and dependence.
Before setting off, he probably didn't even believe it himself.
That night, Chen Shien summoned Yang Ji. Yang Ji did not hide anything and told everything he knew and his plans.
"Just do as you say."
After coming out of Yang Ji's room, Chen Shi'en felt relieved and felt much more relaxed.
…
The "Iron Crown Sect" discovered important information in Jin Yuan's study. Before Jin Yuan died, he may have left an important letter...
This news came from the obese "old lady" next door to Jin Yuan. "Money can make the mill push ghosts". What she could tell the Tieguan sect could also be told to other sects.
The shopkeeper of "Qingyun Bookstore" was kidnapped, and the letters that Jin Yuan left there before his death were also taken away by the Iron Crown faction...
The second news came from the clerk of "Qingyun Bookstore". The young clerk's face was flushed, and he was so excited that he didn't sleep all night. He swore to the visiting disciples of various sects, and he swore with certainty,
The people who kidnapped the old shopkeeper were people from the Iron Crown Sect, and he saw it with his own eyes.
No one expected that an ordinary pursuit case would cause such a disturbance. But no one was a fool, and disciples from various sects immediately smelled something different from it.
…………
"Senior Brother Chen, this meal is indeed delicious. But I'm afraid you Iron Crown Sect won't be able to eat it."
At noon, Yang Ji and others were having dinner in the inn. Someone from the Tongyi Sect broke in.
The senior brother of the Tongyi Sect "Tan Yuanzhuan" squinted his eyes, looked at the rice in Chen Shien's bowl, and threatened with a pun.
"Brother Tan, why did you say this?"
Chen Shien raised his head and said in surprise.
"Hmph! Don't tell secrets in front of Akito. Hand over the shaft cylinder left by Kanehara. Paper can't contain the fire. You don't think you can hide this matter, do you?"
The senior brother of the Tongyi Sect said with a sneer.
"Brother Tan, what do you mean by this? The task of recruiting orders in the imperial court is to do it according to one's ability. What can be concealed can't be concealed. Do we, the Iron Crown Sect, still have to make wedding clothes for your Tongyi Sect? - Tan Yuanzhuan, if
If you want to take action, just come. If you want to gossip, just leave quickly."
Chen Shien raised his head and said with an angry expression.
"you!"
Tan Yuanchuan was furious, but on the opposite side, Chen Shien had already stood up from behind the table, with a cold look in his eyes. He was obviously ready to take action.
Although Tan Yuanchuan was furious in his heart, he also knew that Chen Shien was very powerful. The strength of the Iron Crown Sect was not inferior to that of the Tongyi Sect. If he took action rashly, he might not be able to take much advantage.
"Okay! Chen Shi'en, I hope you can really keep that thing. Don't regret it when the time comes!"
After leaving these words, Tan Yuanzhuan puffed up his sleeves and left angrily with the Tongyi Sect people. In public, he didn't want others to take advantage of him.