Chapter 13

In the end, the tools Jin Shu had carefully selected were refused by the overly cautious shopkeeper, who insisted that the county office provide a guarantee before he would sell them. So they were neatly stacked off to the side.

Faced with such stubbornness, Li Jin could only laugh helplessly. With no better option, he sent Zhou Zheng back to the Linyang magistrate’s office to fetch Yang An for payment, while he and Jin Shu waited at a nearby teahouse.

The teahouse sat at the corner of the street, open-air, shaded by a canopy, with three old wooden tables and chairs. On one side, they could see the knife shop’s entrance; on the other, the gradually bustling night market of Linyang.

Jin Shu sat facing the market, chin resting on her hand.

Seeing her deep in thought, Li Jin raised an eyebrow. “Master Jin, you have a theory?”

A theory?

In the same courtyard lived a strong blind man who could climb trees and chop wood, a lame man with a leg injury, and a mentally impaired cripple who ended up dead.

“Too many possibilities,” she sighed, sat upright, and picked up two teacups from the center of the table, placing them side by side.

“Both suspects have mobility issues, but so did the victim. So it could’ve been a joint effort…” She paused, then separated the cups by three inches. “Or one acted alone. Either is plausible.”

Li Jin smiled faintly, adjusted his sleeve, and poured tea into one of the cups. “While you were examining the body, I visited the jail. The blind man claims the lame man hired someone to kill. The lame man says the blind man did it by accident.” He looked at her, picked up the remaining cup, and poured her a drink. “That’s everything you didn’t already know.”

Jin Shu stared at the warm tea, her fingers tracing the rim. The reflection rippled gently with the water. After a moment, she frowned. “I need to see the suspects. Only then can I assess how ‘limited’ their mobility really is.”

But Li Jin shook his head. “Seeing them won’t help.” He lifted his cup and blew away the foam. “Yang An used torture. Their faces are unrecognizable.” His voice was cold, laced with fury, though his smile remained eerily calm.

“What? That’s outrageous. Is Magistrate Yang trying to force a confession?” Jin Shu watched him sip his tea in silence, a chill creeping down her spine.

She’d guessed right—Yang An really was trying to beat a confession out of them.

“How can he treat human life so carelessly!” She crossed her arms, lowered her head, and muttered bitterly, “Corrupt official.”

She looked like a wronged wife, which made Li Jin chuckle.

Seeing him laugh, Jin Shu grew more annoyed. She glared at him. “And you can still laugh?”

Li Jin raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. “You’re quite rare, Master Jin. Few people today still believe in equality and justice for all.”

Jin Shu paused, watching his smiling face. She remembered the case of the murdered courtesan and realized he was teasing her again. She smirked. “Just like you.”

She hesitated, studying him for a moment.

He poured tea leisurely, eyes on the market, his face relaxed—hardly the look of someone burdened by a mystery.

“Gate Master… do you already know who the killer is?”

Li Jin’s teacup froze midair. He met her gaze and nodded. “I just don’t know the motive.”

As they spoke, night fell. Stars dotted the deep blue sky. Lanterns lit up the teahouse, swaying gently in the early spring breeze.

Li Jin didn’t elaborate. Watching the growing crowd in the market, he picked up his fan and stood. “Come. Let’s go find the motive.”

The knife shopkeeper’s earlier comments, combined with known clues, had allowed Li Jin to piece together most of the case. But to reconstruct the full picture, more was needed.

As they walked through the vibrant night market, Li Jin scanned the stalls. Soon, he spotted a lantern vendor. He folded his fan and picked up a freshly made tiger lantern, inspecting it closely.

“Sir, take a lantern,” the young vendor said with a grin, flashing two tiger-like teeth. “Handmade. Just three copper coins. A bargain.”

Li Jin hesitated, then nodded and handed the lantern to Jin Shu. He reached into his sleeve for the coins—just as two children ran out from a nearby alley, bowing and kneeling before him.

“Sir! Please, have mercy!”

“Sir! Spare some food!”

The lantern vendor rushed forward, grabbing the boys by their collars. “Not again! These beggar brats!” He smiled apologetically at Li Jin, bowing as he dragged the boys aside.

The commotion drew curious glances from passersby.

Li Jin remained expressionless, pulled out a few more coins, and said, “Let them come.”

The boys lit up, eyes full of hope. They shook off the vendor’s grip and ran to Li Jin, even making a cheeky face at the vendor as they passed.

Five coins each.

They thanked him profusely and ran off, clutching their money with joy.

Watching them go, Li Jin turned to the vendor. “Are all the beggars on this street kids like that?”

“Not at all!” The vendor wrinkled his nose and wiped his hands with a cloth. “There used to be three beggars who ran this street like a gang. These kids couldn’t even beg here—it was their turf.”

“And those three?” Li Jin laid five coins on the vendor’s table, one by one.

The vendor blinked, then beamed and scooped up the coins. “Ah, you must be from out of town. You haven’t heard—Linyang had a big incident.” He leaned in, lowering his voice. “Those three beggars—definitely had a falling out.”

“Oh?” Li Jin placed five more coins on the table. “Consider it payment for a good story.”

Delighted, the vendor pulled out a stool for him.

“This one’s juicy—full of drama! The gang leader was a lame man who hung out at the far end of the street. The second was blind, led around by the third.” He chuckled. “The blind guy couldn’t see, so the third started skimming money from his bowl whenever he could!”