Chapter 12

“Your Highness, did you read the autopsy report?” As the three of them stepped out of the Linyang magistrate’s office, Jin Shu finally voiced the question that had been bothering her.

Li Jin snapped open his fan with a flick, a trace of anger in his eyes as he glanced back at the plaque above the office gate. “I read it. A few careless words—utter nonsense. It’s still cold in March, and they claim the body’s been dead for eight days? With that level of stench? Do they think I have a diseased nose?”

Usually composed, Li Jin couldn’t hide his displeasure this time. His tone dripped with disdain.

When they first arrived, Li Jin had specifically instructed Magistrate Yang An to keep things quiet. Yet the moment they crossed the threshold, the entire office had lined up in formation, kneeling in greeting. He said nothing, simply frowned, glanced at Yang An, and swept inside with a flick of his sleeve.

That alone had dropped Yang An’s standing in Li Jin’s eyes. And when questioned about the case, Yang An knew nothing—infuriating Li Jin even further.

“Magistrate Yang’s methods aren’t bold—they’re barbaric,” Li Jin said as they walked toward the marketplace. “The deceased shared a courtyard with two others: one was born blind, the other had a severe leg injury. Both are physically impaired, making them suspicious by default.”

“So what does Yang An do? Locks them both up.” He sneered. “Waiting to see who breaks first and confesses.”

In all his years leading the Six Gates, Li Jin had never seen such a crude approach. No evidence. No reasoning. They didn’t even know who the victim was—just grabbed two beggars and waited for one to sign a confession.

He was genuinely angry.

Watching his tense back, Jin Shu glanced at Zhou Zheng, her eyes silently pleading for help. She had many questions about the case, but feared that asking would only make Li Jin angrier.

Zhou Zheng caught her look and said, “Gate Master, Master Jin would like to know the full details of the case.”

Li Jin paused mid-step, raised an eyebrow, and turned to look at Zhou Zheng—then at Jin Shu, who was equally surprised. When did these two become so in sync?

He chuckled, exhaled through his nose, and waved a hand. “Let’s buy the knives first, then find a teahouse.”

Seeing he wasn’t going to elaborate yet, Jin Shu rubbed her temples and gave Zhou Zheng a strained thank-you. “Lord Zhou, I appreciate it.”

“No trouble. It’s a subordinate’s duty to remind the Gate Master to mind his temper.”

Hearing Zhou Zheng’s deadpan explanation, Li Jin’s anger eased considerably.

“Master Jin, shouldn’t you ask who’s paying for the knives?” Zhou Zheng added, perhaps deliberately.

Li Jin nearly burst out laughing.

Behind him, Jin Shu’s eyes widened. After a beat, she asked seriously, “Wait… I have to buy my own tools for work?”

She was stunned. Her heart thudded. Had joining the Six Gates been a trap?

Thankfully, when they reached the knife shop, Li Jin’s first words were, “Pick whatever you like—I’ll pay.” Then he sat back cheerfully, watching Jin Shu select tools with the shopkeeper’s guidance.

“So frugal. I suppose I’ll be paying for tea too,” he said with a smile, eyes fixed on her back.

Zhou Zheng nodded solemnly. “When dealing with Your Highness, one must be frugal.”

Before Li Jin could respond, the shopkeeper suddenly exclaimed, “Sir! Our knives may be sharp, but if you’re planning to use them to kill someone, I won’t sell to you!”

Jin Shu, holding a slender boning knife, looked up in shock and waved her hands. “No, no! Not for killing—just asking if it’s sharp…”

“Who asks like that?” the shopkeeper raised his eyebrows. “I can understand asking if it’s good for cutting open a body, but asking if it’s good for stripping bones? That sounds terrifying!”

Jin Shu bit her lip, flustered, trying to explain—but couldn’t find a way to make either question sound refined.

“Sir, you misunderstood. I just…”

“Just what?” Before she could finish, the shopkeeper snatched the knife from her hands and returned it to the counter, muttering, “There’s been a murder in Linyang, and the killer hasn’t been caught. Everyone’s on edge. Now this outsider shows up asking creepy questions—I can’t do business like this.”

As things took a strange turn, Jin Shu grew anxious. But Li Jin stepped forward, pulled her behind him, and smiled.

“Shopkeeper, you’ve misunderstood.” He gestured, and Zhou Zheng pulled out the black Six Gates badge from his pocket and held it up.

“Official investigation. We’re here about the murder you mentioned.”

Seeing the dragon-engraved badge and Zhou Zheng’s coroner’s robes, the shopkeeper hesitated, scanning the trio.

The man in the pale yellow brocade robe, with its intricate collar and cuffs, clearly held status. Whether the Six Gates were real or not, he wasn’t someone to offend.

With the shopkeeper’s guard lowered, Li Jin smiled. “You seem to know a lot about the case. Care to share?”

As the sun set, golden light bathed the knife shop. The shopkeeper’s face glowed in the light. After a pause, he nodded and spoke quietly.

“I heard it from the lantern vendor across the street. The county office arrested two beggars from that road—said they killed another beggar.”

Three beggars?

“They supposedly lived together in an abandoned courtyard outside town. After the murder, they buried the body—but left half a leg sticking out. Scared everyone.”

Li Jin listened carefully, then asked, “But the two suspects are disabled beggars. How could they commit murder?”

“It’s possible!” The shopkeeper leaned forward, eyes gleaming with gossip. “These three could form a beggar gang. One’s blind, but his hands and feet are nimble—he can climb trees and chop wood. The other has a bad leg, but he’s a fortune teller. Pretty accurate too! He’s saved up quite a bit over the years.”

“As for the one who died…” The shopkeeper tapped his head and shook it. “Not right in the head. Slow and clumsy. If the other two wanted to kill him, I think they could.”