58: Investigation begins

“This is the Medicine Field’s Chief Steward token. From today, it is yours. In two years, I want to see a fifty percent expansion. For the next ten years, it can only increase, not decrease.”

Jiang Hanwen spread his hand, and the token fell from Zhuang Kongming’s hand, landing precisely in his palm.

He was made Chief Steward of the Medicine Field and was required to increase Spiritual Plant supply by fifty percent in two years, maintaining that quantity for ten years.

He who wishes to wear the crown must bear its weight.

This was not a negotiation; these were conditions that absolutely had to be met.

“This request can be fulfilled.

However, in the Medicine Field, can I kill people?”

Jiang Hanwen looked up and met Zhuang Kongming’s gaze. He definitely had to investigate who was behind Elder Du’s murder; this was a condition!

“As long as someone stands in the way, even if it’s a member of the Zhuang family, you can kill them!” Having said that, Zhuang Kongming pointed to the two Black-Robed Guardians beside him and said:

“From today, the two of you are responsible for assisting him in the Medicine Field. No one from the Zhuang family, except for me, can touch him.”

“Yes, Patriarch!”

The two Black-Robed Guardians’ gazes at Jiang Hanwen shifted from surprise to disbelief, then to suspicion.

Could it be that this soon-to-be Chief Steward Jiang was the Patriarch’s biological son? No, even a biological son wouldn’t receive such treatment.

Perhaps a biological brother?

“That’s all.” Zhuang Kongming stood up, not hesitating at all about the conditions Jiang Hanwen proposed. He turned and left, practically screaming, “I favor you.”

Jiang Hanwen watched Zhuang Kongming’s disappearing back. Was this what it meant to achieve great things—that even one’s closest kin could be killed?

This unparalleled trust, whether to win him over or to bet on the Zhuang family’s future, felt incredibly heavy.

Previously, he was just a minor character who couldn’t Cultivate; any position he held would only bring fatal trouble.

Time passed, and his foundation grew.

Now, in terms of combat, he had entered the Qi Induction Realm, capable of both offense and defense.

In terms of intellect, with his accumulated experience, taking over the Medicine Field—let alone a fifty percent increase, he would even dare to pledge a doubling!

However, before everything began, there was still a fundamental prerequisite… Jiang Hanwen walked out of the courtyard.

“Mom, Uncle Jiang is here!” A clear shout rang out.

Following the sound, Su Xin’s daughter, Zhuang Yue, stood under a nearby tree, her fair finger pointing at him.

In the distance, Su Xin, dressed in mourning clothes, heard the sound and quickly walked towards him.

Zhuang Yue looked at Jiang Hanwen with curiosity. She seemed to have seen this uncle before, but she couldn't recall where.

“Are you looking for me?”

“Mm-hmm!” Zhuang Yue nodded seriously.

The little one’s face was pale, with tear stains still in the corners of her eyes, making her look pitiful.

Su Xin ran closer, standing before Jiang Hanwen, her eyes burning like shining rubies.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his brow unconsciously furrowing.

Su Xin bit her lip, looking at him helplessly:

“The Patriarch said I didn’t look after my father well. From today, I am just an ordinary medicine farmer. Yue’er and the others also have to return to the Zhuang family ancestral home, and I can only see them once a month…”

Seemingly a punishment for Su Xin, Jiang Hanwen understood the reality.

Zhuang Kongming was clearing the way for him, removing the last obstruction.

The other party knew he would definitely keep Su Xin, but whoever allowed her to stay would be owed a favor.

Zhuang Kongming was very thoughtful, even considering this favor.

Whether it was to win people’s hearts or to apologize for accidentally releasing Zhuang Jun.

Jiang Hanwen felt a slight stir in his heart. For now, Zhuang Kongming had indeed invested a lot in him; it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he had done his utmost.

“I can’t interfere with the Zhuang family’s internal affairs.

Here in the Medicine Field, I can make decisions. You will be my deputy. Everything else can wait until Elder Du’s first seven days of mourning are over.”

Jiang Hanwen sighed inwardly. The last thing he could do for Elder Du was to settle his beloved daughter.

“And also—”

Su Xin looked at the two Black-Robed Guardians behind Jiang Hanwen, hesitating to speak.

“You two may leave for now. Just report to the Council Hall in a few days.” Jiang Hanwen looked at the two Black-Robed Guardians.

Su Xin’s eyes were full of complexity, with helplessness and even envy!

The Black-Robed Guardians, all at the seventh level of Mortal Transformation, with some reaching the eighth or even ninth level, were the strongest Black-Robed Guardians of the Zhuang family.

They were usually only commanded by core members of the Zhuang family. At other times, they were Cultivating with resources, preparing for external conflicts for the Zhuang family.

Jiang Hanwen being able to command the Black-Robed Guardians was a sign of trust and status!

If the Zhuang family had provided her with Black-Robed Guardians back then, would she have needed to kill her adoptive father?

“Yes.” The two cupped their fists and left.

Seeing them leave, Su Xin took out a letter from her hand, her eyes instantly becoming sharp:

“I found this at the bottom of my father’s drawer. As long as I can avenge him, I’m willing to do anything!”

Jiang Hanwen opened the letter and read it word by word, his expression growing increasingly grim.

The handwriting was indeed Elder Du’s, and the content was very secretive.

It mentioned the past disagreement between Elder Du and Lu Xingwang, their strained relationship, and how he later promoted Wu Qinghe to repay a favor for books.

However, Wu Qinghe had always resented Elder Du being above him, and his grievances accumulated. He privately approached Elder Du several times, asking him to step down.

But as soon as Elder Du retired, he immediately had his daughter, Su Xin, take his place. So, in Wu Qinghe’s heart, he always harbored resentment towards Elder Du.

The letter was written by Elder Du to him, stating that if he were to be poisoned one day, the culprit would definitely be Wu Qinghe!

“What about Wu Linsheng?” Jiang Hanwen asked.

“He’s already gone. I sent people to look for him, but they all said they hadn’t seen him.” Su Xin took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, looking incredibly vulnerable.

In a trance, a saying surfaced in his mind.

To be beautiful, wear mourning.

Su Xin was exactly like that now, her neat black mourning clothes draped down, solemn white patterns inlaid within, cinching her slender waist.

Her unpainted lips were full and moist, and the tears in the corners of her eyes traced a gentle curve, making one want to pull her into an embrace and cherish her.

Jiang Hanwen nodded.

“Okay, I understand. I will handle this matter.”

With that, Jiang Hanwen strode out of the side courtyard. He neither went to Wu Qinghe’s courtyard nor sought Wu Qinghe’s godson, Wu Linsheng, but instead went straight home.

Caution always came first.

Elder Du’s death seemed a bit peculiar no matter how he looked at it.

Before investigating, what Jiang Hanwen needed to do was protect himself and his father, not pursue the truth.

The next day, the news of Jiang Hanwen’s appointment as Chief Steward spread throughout the Medicine Field.

At noon, thin rainwater clung to the leaves. Jiang Hanwen, having just finished casting the Spirit Rain Technique, pushed open his door.

Inside, his father had already been taken away by Xiao Bu Dian, leaving Jiang Hanwen without worries.

Gong Qing, hearing that the investigation was dangerous, nearly jumped out of bed, insisting on joining Jiang Hanwen on any perilous mission.

Jiang Hanwen arranged for him to stay in the cellar of the neighboring Guo Bei’s house, ensuring his safety.

No one knew about his Breakthrough to the Qi Induction Realm.

Even if the killer turned out to be Zhuang Kongming, he could leave at any time.

But if he couldn’t find anyone, in a sense, he was also one of Elder Du’s murderers.

After all, it was he who had recommended Wu Qinghe to complete the book writing for him.

Elder Du’s first seven days of mourning were still five days away. He had to find the killer before then!

Now, it was time to uncover the truth!

Jiang Hanwen looked up, his first gaze directed towards the Zhuang family ancestral home.

Zhuang Kongming said he didn’t act, but talk was talk, and action was action. Jiang Hanwen wouldn’t forget Elder Du’s death just because the other party gave him enough trust.

“He who has milk is mother” didn’t apply to him. He knew the world wasn’t black and white.

But some things were one thing, and others were another. There needed to be a clear distinction, not confusion.

“Hopefully, you truly didn’t act.”

The cool summer breeze carried Jiang Hanwen’s murmur away. On both sides of the shaded trees, greetings and bows were constant from his deferential colleagues.

The difference in status brought by power, besides unfamiliarity, also brought the inevitable vigilance of class opposition. From today, Jiang Hanwen was no longer the amiable physician but the superior of their superiors.

On the flat black earth, four gray-clad Black-Robed Guardians with long knives at their waists stood outside a high courtyard with black tiles and white walls.

“Greetings, Chief Steward Jiang!”

“Is this Wu Qinghe’s courtyard?” Jiang Hanwen looked. Around the wall were some grayish-brown, fragmented vines, Erhu grass, winding along the ground.

This kind of weed was almost extinct in the Medicine Field, appearing only when someone neglected their duties. Logically, it shouldn’t be found near Wu Qinghe’s courtyard.

“Yes, after Elder Du’s incident, the Patriarch ordered us to guard it well. Besides you, no one else has entered.”

“Was it the Patriarch who personally gave the order?” Jiang Hanwen frowned. If Zhuang Kongming gave the order, it meant that the other party might have already eliminated the evidence.