Chapter 107: Finding the Real Culprit

Upon arriving at Mizhi County, Li Yi summoned Gao Yigong.

“Brother Li, what happened to you?” Gao Yigong exclaimed, startled to see Li Yi’s chest stained with fresh blood.

Li Yi’s face was pale as he forced a bitter smile. “I was ambushed today. Had I not been lucky enough to avoid the fatal blow, I would have died on the spot.”

“Who dares be so bold?”

“I don’t know exactly, but those who want me dead in Mizhi County are no more than a handful of people.”

Gao Yigong immediately understood whom Li Yi was referring to.

Besides the Ai family father and son, it could only be the county magistrate’s advisor or Hong Chengchou.

All of them were not to be trifled with, yet Gao Yigong resolutely said, “Brother Li, you should tend to your wounds first. I will immediately arrange for men to investigate and will surely uncover the culprit.”

Li Yi was moved by the sincerity and smiled. “Brother Gao, no need to trouble yourself. Though the assassin is dead, I have captured several accomplices and am escorting them back now. Since you know Mizhi County well, I ask you to meet with the captives and investigate their connections. That way, we can uncover who ordered this.”

Upon hearing this, Gao Yigong stood and said, “I will ride out at once to meet them and get to the bottom of this.”

Without wasting a moment, he left promptly.

Li Yi, despite his injuries, did not seek treatment but, bleeding profusely, entered the county government office.

The county clerks were alarmed to see him covered in blood.

A tall, lean clerk hurried over. “Inspector Li, what has happened to you?”

Li Yi’s face was expressionless. “I wish to see the magistrate. Please inform him at once.”

“Yes, I shall go immediately.”

The tall clerk went to the inner chamber to see Yan Zibin.

Yan Zibin was equally shocked to hear of Li Yi’s injury.

Given Li Yi’s formidable martial skills, who could have possibly harmed him?

Yet, secretly, he thought it would be better if Li Yi were dead.

Though regretful, once in the front hall, he put on a concerned expression.

“Inspector Li, I hear you have been injured. Who dares be so reckless as to harm an official?”

Li Yi pressed his hand against his wound, looked Yan Zibin in the eye, and said coldly, “Your Honor ordered me to escort the county clerk to collect taxes. Upon arrival, someone incited unrest and tried to assassinate me. Does Your Honor not know of this?”

Yan Zibin trembled and hastily replied, “How could that be? Escorting the county clerk is official business. How would I know that bandits would cause trouble?”

“Heh, if it’s routine business, why then did you send Advisor Zheng along?”

As an advisor, Zheng had no official duties requiring his presence on such errands.

Yan Zibin was momentarily stunned, blurting out, “When did I send Advisor Zheng on this errand?”

Immediately, he sensed something was amiss.

Li Yi’s cold gaze fixed on Yan Zibin.

Judging by Yan’s reaction, Zheng was certainly not sent by him.

That meant Zheng must be involved in something suspicious.

Yan Zibin realized this and calmly said, “It is common for Advisor Zheng to handle errands on my behalf. We cannot jump to conclusions. Inspector Li, please be patient and wait for my investigation. I will give you an answer.”

I know you’re anxious, but just wait; when I find out, I’ll think of a way to placate you.

Li Yi was well aware of such political maneuvering.

He stood, slowly approaching Yan Zibin.

His eyes were cold, revealing a chilling smile. “Your Honor, do you know what it took for me to rise from a humble villager to an official of the Ming dynasty?”

Yan Zibin shivered, forcing a smile. “Inspector, what is it you wish to say?”

Li Yi said coldly, “I want to tell you, every step I’ve taken was paid for with blood. Bandits, robbers, Jurchen cavalry, reckless assassins—anyone who stands against me, I kill without mercy.

Now, I have a strong desire to kill again. I hope Your Honor will act justly. If I find you colluding with assassins, the ensuing bloodshed and carnage will be far from pleasant to witness.”

Yan Zibin trembled violently, asking fearfully, “What do you want?”

“Search warrants, fair trials, and truthful reports.”

“Inspector, please wait—”

“Right now!”

The shout terrified Yan Zibin so much that he collapsed back into his chair, no longer daring to delay.

“Summon the chief constable and officers to accompany Inspector Li in apprehending the criminals. I will issue the warrants immediately.”

Soon, the chief constables entered the hall.

Yan Zibin, fearful, glanced nervously at Li Yi and hastily commanded, “Inspector Li was attacked by bandits. Obey his orders, investigate the matter thoroughly, and apprehend the culprits to uphold the law.”

The chief constables naturally responded loudly with “Yes, sir!”

Li Yi turned back to Yan Zibin, clasped his hands, and said, “Thank you, Your Honor.”

With that, he left with his men.

---

Seeing Li Yi depart, Yan Zibin breathed a sigh of relief.

He immediately summoned his close aides and ordered, “Ride swiftly to find Advisor Zheng. Inform him that Li Yi has the warrants and is investigating the assassins. He must quickly cover his tracks and avoid being caught.”

The aide nodded and rode off at once.

Li Yi had deliberately not returned to Suijin Town to tend his wounds in order to investigate the culprit before Advisor Zheng’s return.

Liu Zongmin and the others were still on their way back.

Li Yi called over the chief constables and handed over a handful of silver coins.

The officers looked at him, puzzled.

“The bandits tried to kill me. If I can’t find who’s behind this, I won’t be able to rest. I ask for your help. Follow orders diligently without slackening. This silver is for you to have a drink. If you find those who ordered the attack, there will be a generous reward.”

The chief constables were pleased at the prospect of reward.

The tall, lean clerk immediately said, “Inspector Li, rest assured. We will do our utmost.”

The others nodded in agreement.

Li Yi smiled. “Good, as long as everyone is sincere. But if I catch anyone betraying us, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

Thinking of Li Yi’s methods, the chief constables shivered and became more cautious.

After settling the officers, Li Yi instructed the tall clerk to station men at the city gate to watch for suspicious figures and report back immediately.

He himself went to the neighborhood where Xiu Niang had lived, intending to find Madam Xie, who had previously worked for Advisor Zheng.

The rogues and scoundrels of Mizhi County were well known to these officers.

As soon as Li Yi arrived at the neighborhood and mentioned Madam Xie, the officers quickly rounded up several ruffians.

After a thorough beating, they extracted all needed information.

Soon, the richly dressed Madam Xie was brought before Li Yi.

“You damned fools, do you know whose people you’re messing with? Advisor Zheng is my benefactor in the county office. How dare you be so insolent? I’ll have him skin you alive!”

Two officers pushed Madam Xie to the ground and used water fire sticks to pin her down so she couldn’t get up.

Madam Xie wanted to curse again but fell silent when she saw Li Yi’s cold expression.

One officer smiled. “Inspector Li, this woman is the notorious madam of the southern district. She keeps seven or eight women for prostitution and is very fierce.”

Madam Xie, intimidated by Li Yi’s demeanor, softened her tone. “Sir, I merely make a living. If I offended you before, I was blind and apologize.”

She then touched her forehead to the ground in a contrived manner, which made Li Yi feel disgusted.

“Are the thugs Advisor Zheng uses arranged by you?”

“What thugs? I just run my business. I know nothing about those.”

Li Yi snorted coldly.

The chief constable stepped forward and slapped her sharply.

“Answer truthfully, or I’ll gut you.”

Madam Xie covered her face, trembling. “I do keep some ruffians to deal with poor men who don’t pay.”

“Where are they?”

“At my establishment.”

Li Yi frowned, realizing these troublemakers were not sent by Advisor Zheng.

That made sense; Zheng was a man from the south, aloof and disdainful of the lower classes, unlikely to keep thugs.

It was clear someone else was behind this.

“Who does Advisor Zheng usually associate with?” Li Yi suddenly asked.

Madam Xie thought for a moment. “There’s a young master named Ai. Sometimes he and Zheng book four or five girls and entertain in the backyard. They seem close.”

A name flashed through Li Yi’s mind.

He recalled the bony old Advisor Zheng hosting an unrestrained gathering with Ai Wanhua, which made him feel nauseated.

He hadn’t expected these two scoundrels to share such tastes.

But this made it obvious who was behind Zheng.

Li Yi raised his chin. “Bring her with me to the city gate.”

The officers dragged the limp Madam Xie, and the group proceeded to the west gate.

Soon, Gao Yigong returned at a gallop.

“Brother Gao,” Li Yi greeted, holding the reins as Gao dismounted.

“Brother Li, I examined the bodies. Two of the men recognized were thugs from the western part of the city, and one was a servant of the Ai family. But no one recognized the assassin.”

“So it really was Ai Wanhua.”

Li Yi clenched his fist and smiled coldly.

He hadn’t confronted the Ai family in a long time but never expected they would secretly send someone to kill him.

This time, he would not let Ai Wanhua off easily.

He said, “Brother Gao, please send men to investigate Ai Wanhua’s residence.”

Gao Yigong hesitated. “Investigation is fine, but do you really want to arrest Ai Wanhua?”

Li Yi sneered, “One must reciprocate insult with insult. Since Ai Wanhua wants me dead, I won’t let him get away.”

Gao Yigong nodded. “I’ll dispatch men immediately.”

A chief constable nearby took a step back nervously. “Inspector Li, those Ai family youngsters are not to be trifled with.”

Li Yi grabbed the constable’s neck, causing him to scream as if being slaughtered.

Releasing him, the constable was caught by other officers, fear evident on his face.

“You are government officers and must enforce the law impartially. Now that we have a lead, how can you be afraid of the Ai family and refuse to arrest? Are you more afraid of them than of my scolding?”

The officers felt utterly defeated.

Neither the Ai family nor Li Yi was someone they dared offend.

Though the county magistrate was weak, and the Ai family was powerful in the region, none wished to anger the fierce killer before them.

The officers had no choice but to tremble and follow orders.

Quarter of an hour later, Gao Yigong gave Li Yi an address.

Without hesitation, Li Yi grabbed his tiger-tooth spear, mounted his horse, and rode straight to the neighborhood market, with the officers following behind.

Passing through the gate, they arrived at a small courtyard.

The gate was ajar; Li Yi kicked it open and charged inside.

Two fierce-looking servants wielding weapons rushed out, seeing the intrusion.

“Who dares break in here? Don’t you know whose residence this is? How dare you be so insolent!”

Li Yi’s voice was stern. “This is an official investigation. Where is Ai Wanhua?”

Hearing their young master’s name, the servants’ hearts skipped a beat.

One pointed his blade at Li Yi and cursed, “Government officials mean nothing here. If you know what’s good, get lost, or we’ll kill your entire family.”

Li Yi hesitated not an instant and moved to break in further.

The servant’s eyes blazed as he cursed, “You must be tired of living!”

He swung his saber in a wide arc.

Li Yi parried with his tiger-tooth spear.

Before the servant could react, his saber was disarmed.

The rushing air howled as Li Yi’s heavy spear struck his arm, breaking it with a crack.

The other servant’s face paled and charged, cursing.

Li Yi did not hesitate and thrust his spear through the man’s thigh.

Both servants clutched their wounds, crying out in pain on the ground.

Had Li Yi not held back, they would have been left with no trace, like the other ruffians.

Kicking the blocking servant aside, Li Yi rushed into the inner courtyard.

Inside, Ai Wanhua was flirting with a young maid.

Hearing the cries outside, his expression changed as he went to investigate.

Suddenly, a tall, handsome youth burst in, eyes coldly sweeping the room.

“Li Yi.”

Recognizing Li Yi, Ai Wanhua was shocked and turned to flee inside.

Two attendants reacted and tried to block him.

Li Yi stepped forward, sweeping his tiger-tooth spear, knocking the attendants to the ground.

One broke ribs and screamed in agony.

As Li Yi prepared to follow into the inner room, an attendant grabbed his ankle.

Li Yi halted, then ruthlessly stomped on the wrist, eliciting a piercing scream, and entered the room.

Taking advantage of the moment, Ai Wanhua escaped through a window, swiftly crossing a small garden.

Agilely, he climbed over the backyard wall and fled the premises.

Li Yi pursued and leapt onto the wall, just catching sight of Ai Wanhua disappearing around a corner.

Without hesitation, he chased after him.

Ai Wanhua knew Li Yi’s martial prowess and quickness.

In this life-or-death moment, his mind was clear.

He turned down a small alley after several twists and turns.

Familiar with the area, he entered a dilapidated courtyard by climbing over the wall without hesitation.

A woman’s startled cry echoed before silence returned.

Soon after, Li Yi arrived.

He scanned the two courtyards nearby, uncertain which one Ai Wanhua had hidden in, but certain he was close.