Chapter 52

Near the Qingliu Pass, there was a land temple that had long been abandoned and overgrown with weeds. Ye Yu followed the head constable Wang into the temple, and then, under the introduction of Liu Yuanshan, he finally paid his respects to the newly appointed magistrate, Yang Zheng.

"Are you Ye Yu?" Yang Zheng, in his thirties, folded his arms and looked down at Ye Yu with interest.

"Yes, I am!" Ye Yu replied.

Yang Zheng first sized up Ye Yu, then nodded and said, "Liu County Lieutenant has mentioned you quite a bit to me! Before I came to Qingliu County, I had already heard of you!"

Ye Yu stole a glance at Liu Yuanshan and then bowed deeply, "To be remembered by Your Excellency, I am truly honored and humbled!"

"Though you stand alone, you have built a fortune from nothing; though you are wealthy, you still uphold righteousness. For such a young and outstanding individual, it is indeed hard for me not to remember you! Now, there is official business at hand. You may step aside for now, and we can continue our conversation when I have some free time!" Yang Zheng's expression remained calm, giving no hint of his feelings.

Ye Yu then wisely stepped aside but did not leave. Although he knew nothing about investigations, since he was here, he should gain some experience.

Moreover, many things are interconnected. Although he did not delve deeply into case analysis and investigation at the military academy, he had watched many police and crime dramas.

Ye Yu listened quietly on the side and aimlessly surveyed the crime scene. The coroner reported the deceased's condition to Yang Zheng and Liu Yuanshan, while the scribe recorded the autopsy report.

Although the deceased's identity was unknown, from his appearance, he seemed to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. His simple clothing and the thick calluses on his palms indicated that he was from a common family.

The sleeve of his left arm had been torn off, revealing a coin-sized black birthmark on his dark elbow. When Ye Yu saw this birthmark, his pupils dilated slightly, and he momentarily lost focus.

After regaining his composure, he shifted his gaze to the man's abdomen. The coroner had already lifted the clothing, and Ye Yu could clearly see the blackened bloodstains.

The body was then carried out by the constables, and everyone followed Yang Zheng out. Since Liu Yuanshan needed to go to the county office to complete the handover procedures, the two left the land temple first.

When Ye Yu, in his wheelchair, left the land temple, a gentle breeze suddenly blew in his face, making him shiver. He thought to himself that the cold wind of late autumn was indeed piercing.

As he inadvertently lowered his gaze, he noticed a yellow petal on the back of his right hand. This surprised him, and he wondered if there were any flowers in this desolate land temple.

Even if there were, in the late autumn, all the flowers would have withered. What kind of flower could still bloom at this time?

Ye Yu looked around for the source of the petal and finally saw a tall shrub on the west side of the courtyard.

The shrub was about three to four meters tall. Ye Yu wheeled himself closer and observed it for a while but did not know its name. He frowned and asked the person behind him, She Tongcheng, "Tongcheng, what is this...?"

"Oh, this is a yellow locust tree. This season is when the locust flowers bloom!" She Tongcheng replied.

"Oh? I've only seen white locust flowers, but never yellow ones..." Ye Yu grew up in an orphanage and had only seen white locust flowers there, so this was the first time he had seen yellow ones.

She Tongcheng then looked up at the yellow locust tree and continued, "Brother, you may not know, but locust trees can have yellow, white, and even red flowers, as I've heard from someone."

Ye Yu turned his head and smiled curiously, "You know quite a lot!"

"Heh, I heard this from a beggar!" She Tongcheng scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.

"Oh? Tongcheng, are you trying to fool me?" Ye Yu was taken aback, wondering how a beggar could know about things overseas.

Seeing that Ye Yu did not believe him, She Tongcheng patted his chest and said earnestly, "Brother, I'm telling the truth. Three years ago, I saved a beggar, and during our conversation, I learned about these things overseas..."

"Then do you know this person's name and where he is now?"

"Um, I don't know. I didn't ask in detail at the time..."

The mention of overseas stirred a seed in Ye Yu's mind. He wanted to ask more, but seeing that She Tongcheng knew little, he sighed and did not press further.

His gaze returned to the yellow petal on his hand. After examining it for a moment, his brows furrowed, as if something was troubling him.

After a moment of contemplation, he signaled She Tongcheng to push him out of the land temple.

Back at home, Ye Yu locked himself in his study and thought for a long time. Reflecting on the day's events, he found them quite eventful. He had acted like a hooligan with Liu Qianyu due to a bet, and then left the so-called literati gathering early because of the Qingliu Pass incident.

However, what puzzled him the most was whether the murderer in the land temple had any connection to the black-clothed man who had helped him in the past.

Ye Yu had never let go of his doubts. He did not understand why the mysterious black-clothed man had helped him. Was it just to use him to eliminate the bandits on Yushan Mountain? But this explanation seemed too far-fetched.

If the map had been handed over to the authorities, wouldn't the bandits on Yushan Mountain have been eliminated? Could it be that the black-clothed man only wanted to ask if he had a birthmark on his left arm, as mentioned in the pavilion that night?

A series of doubts and questions left him frustrated and unable to find an answer, so he had put the matter aside. But today's events at the land temple brought the issue back to his mind.

The more he thought about it, the more complex it seemed. These fragments of the past played in his mind like a movie, and he felt as if he had caught a glimpse of something.

...

The dim light flickered as cold wind blew through the broken windows. This was an abandoned courtyard, but the remnants of the walls, covered in spider webs, revealed that it had once been a courier bureau.

In the dilapidated hall, about a dozen people stood, one of whom was kneeling on the floor with disheveled hair. Whether due to the flickering light or his trembling body, his shadow was shaking.

The people in the hall were silent, all looking at the slender man sitting in the center. Under the flickering light, this slender man was She Tongcheng.

She Tongcheng glanced at Da Huang, who was kneeling on the floor. He had already learned the entire story from Da Huang and was furious at his betrayal, so he had brought him here.

This place was where they had once gathered and sworn allegiance before the statue of Guan Yu.

"Do you know the consequences of betraying your brothers?" She Tongcheng asked sternly.

"Boss, Da Huang did not betray anyone!" Although Da Huang was trembling, his words were defiant.

"Say that again!" She Tongcheng suddenly stood up, pointing at Da Huang with anger.

Da Huang swallowed and then raised his head, trying to remain calm, "Boss, from the beginning, I only recognized you. As for Ye Yu, he is not our brother, so I cannot be accused of betrayal!"

Bang!

As soon as Da Huang finished speaking, She Tongcheng kicked him two meters away, causing him to spit blood and struggle to get up.

She Tongcheng approached and squatted down, looking at Da Huang sternly, "Whether you recognize it or not is your business, but I, She Tongcheng, do! I warned you at Huamao Pond, but you still did not repent. Now that you have done this despicable act, how can you still have the nerve to say these things?"

The fat man, though he wanted to intervene, felt that Da Huang's betrayal was unforgivable after learning about his actions.

He staggered over and said to Da Huang with a complex expression, "Da Huang, you've gone too far! Even if you don't consider the boss as a brother, the incident on Yushan Mountain almost cost the boss his life, all because of your betrayal!"

"I..."

"Enough!" She Tongcheng did not want to hear more and interrupted, "Since you did it, you must accept the punishment! Fat man, you know what to do!"

"Boss, spare me... spare me!" Da Huang was now crying and pleading. They had all sworn an oath before the statue of Guan Yu in this hall, promising to cut off the limbs of anyone who betrayed them.

The fat man, feeling pity, pleaded, "Boss, Da Huang was just confused. Please show mercy..."

She Tongcheng turned away, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, saying solemnly, "Enough talk, carry out the punishment!"

"..."

"Wait, Tongcheng!" Just as the fat man reluctantly turned to punish Da Huang, Ye Yu's voice came from outside the hall.

The others, seeing the moonlight, saw Qiulan pushing Ye Yu into the courier bureau. She Tongcheng hurried over, looking at Ye Yu with a complex expression, "Brother, about this matter..."

"Let it go. I've already said that I won't pursue it further. Besides, we are both alive and well. Why should we dwell on these things? I was worried you wouldn't listen, so I rushed over!" Ye Yu waved his hand, signaling She Tongcheng not to say more.

"Thank you!"

She Tongcheng was silent for a moment, his lips trembling as he expressed his gratitude. Ye Yu nodded in comfort and patted She Tongcheng's arm, saying no more.

Following Ye Yu's instructions, She Tongcheng did not punish Da Huang but expelled him from the Ye family caravan and forbade him from appearing in Qingliu County.

This punishment was almost no punishment for Da Huang, who was now in a difficult position in Qingliu County.

Leaving Qingliu County might be a good thing for him, as it would save him from living in constant fear.

After dealing with Da Huang, Ye Yu turned to Qiulan and said to She Tongcheng, "Have the fat man take Qiulan back, and you come with me to Zui Chun Lou!"

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