10: Chapter 10 Discovering the Murderer

"Where did you get this scorpion?" Xia Shaoxin asked in a deep voice.

"I obtained it as soon as I entered the mountains. Since it is so precious, I decided to come back and hand it in first, then head back into the mountains in a few days."

The answer was airtight; it explained both the origin and the reason for coming to deliver the goods right at the beginning of summer.

This was, of course, a pre-planned answer.

Li the Toad, impatient, said to Liu Xinglong, "Gu Bureau Official, hurry up and settle my account."

Gu Bureau Official Liu Xinglong put away the cage and announced happily, "Li the Toad, your family's quota for this year is complete."

Xia Shaoxin roared, "Wait! This scorpion was raised by my family for an entire winter; it was stolen by him!"

"You've lost your mind. Whenever you see something good that belongs to others, you claim it's yours." Li the Toad was furious.

Liu Xinglong was stunned and asked Xia Shaoxin, "What did you say?"

"This is my family's Five-colored Scorpion." Xia Shaoxin's face was livid. He had thought his grandfather's death was an accident, but it appeared otherwise.

"Do you have any proof?" Liu Xinglong asked.

"There is a thin red line on its tail stinger, a green circle around its eyes, a purple marking the size of a small fingernail on its back, and its feet are blue. You can examine it carefully, my words are true."

Xia Shaoxin listed four colors in one breath, the evidence seemed conclusive.

He suppressed his anger and glared hatefully at Li the Toad.

The colors of a Five-colored Scorpion vary greatly and do not have a fixed pattern.

That Xia Shaoxin could so decisively state so many features caused everyone to look over, and they all turned their gazes toward Li the Toad.

Liu Xinglong covered the bamboo cage, took another glance inside, his expression somber, and cast a cold look at Li the Toad.

Everyone knew what that meant.

Unexpectedly, Li the Toad was not panicked at all and sneered, "You've seen my Five-colored Scorpion before, so of course you can describe its features."

"I only took one look, how could I have identified it in such detail?"

"Who knows? Perhaps you are gifted with extraordinary insight!"

Xia Shaoxin hadn't expected that someone as crude as Li the Toad would be so meticulous, quick-witted, and possess first-rate skills in unreasonable arguing.

This was truly hard to refute, and he was momentarily speechless.

"My Five-colored Scorpion has other features; can you name them?" Li the Toad shouted loudly.

Xia Shaoxin was stunned. Were there other features?

"Can't say, can you?" Li the Toad pressed, "Does it have any other features? I'll give you one more chance."

Xia Shaoxin hesitated for a moment. Li the Toad said loudly, "My Five-colored Scorpion has an injured second leg that's almost broken off!"

Liu Xinglong took the bamboo cage into the inner hall and ordered someone to bring a large wire cage. He prepared to open the bamboo cage and drive the Five-colored Scorpion into the large wire cage.

When everyone looked, sure enough, one of its legs was crippled.

Xia Shaoxin stared fixedly at the Five-colored Scorpion.

The unique markings on the scorpion's body were fully displayed in the large copper basin. The evidence was even more conclusive: this was the Poisonous Insect his family had raised for an entire winter!

"Gu Bureau Official, it is my family's scorpion. As for the injured leg, it likely happened recently." Xia Shaoxin's eyes were cold.

"You can check whether it's an old injury or a new one."

Liu Xinglong rolled his eyes, "I don't have that kind of ability!"

The scorpion's legs are thin; it's impossible to judge unless you kill it and dissect it.

"You say you raised it for a winter, can anyone else prove it?" Liu Xinglong asked with a sharp gaze.

Xia Shaoxin shook his head.

Bug Catchers live in seclusion, and whenever they have a treasure, they hide it away. Who would know?

"I dare to swear to the heavens that this Five-colored Scorpion is my family's! I raised it for a winter, how could I not recognize it?"

Liu Xinglong shook his head, "Swearing is useless. Although you could list its features, you did indeed take a look at it. It didn't move in the small bamboo cage, so you didn't know its leg was injured. That is why you cannot produce evidence."

No one in the Gu Bureau made a sound.

Xia Shaoxin saw that Zhang Yan was standing in the back, watching silently.

His eyes flickered, looking like he was unconcerned.

Liu Xinglong turned his head and said to Li the Toad, "This Five-colored Scorpion counts as yours; you have completed this year's task."

"Thank you, Lord!" Li the Toad bowed, turned around, and left without even glancing at Xia Shaoxin.

Li the Toad had secured ownership of the Five-colored Scorpion at the Gu Bureau, but for Xia Shaoxin, his suspicion as the murderer was confirmed.

"Gu Bureau Official..." Xia Shaoxin shouted in grief and indignation.

Liu Xinglong was expressionless, "Kid, I am just a Gu Bureau official, not the Punitive Division. Cases involving you Bug Catchers are the hardest to investigate; don't make things difficult for me."

Zhang Yan, standing in the back, shook his head slightly.

Xia Shaoxin didn't understand what that meant, but one thing suddenly became clear to him.

Since all Bug Catchers smuggle, and they all do it through single lines—he had Zhang Yan, and he didn't know whose single line Li the Toad belonged to.

No wonder Zhang Yan didn't say anything.

No one present spoke up for Li the Toad either.

They didn't want to break the balance and tacit understanding.

Although the Gu Bureau is a small office, it is extremely complex.

Xia Shaoxin stomped his foot and turned to rush out of the Gu Bureau. In the blink of an eye, Li the Toad had already vanished.

He chased after him all the way, and only when he reached the city gate did he see Li the Toad.

Xia Shaoxin asked angrily from behind, "My grandfather was bitten to death by a Five-colored Scorpion; was it you who did it?"

Li the Toad didn't even turn his head, "Whether your grandfather is dead or not is none of my business!"

Xia Shaoxin sprinted forward, blocked Li the Toad, and shouted with a voice that shook the Nine Heavens, "The scorpion you handed in is mine! Do you dare deny it!"

Li the Toad stopped and sneered, "Do you have any proof?"

"I raised that insect for a winter, how could I not recognize it?"

"Just empty words, you say it is, so it is? I think your money is also mine."

The two were shouting loudly, attracting onlookers.

An old man said fairly, "Everything must be based on evidence. You say the scorpion is yours; do you have any witnesses or material evidence?"

Another fair-minded old man retorted, "This is an insect; even if there were witnesses, how could they tell them apart?"

Xia Shaoxin said angrily, "You are laymen, of course you can't tell; don't butt in arbitrarily."

The old man was displeased, "This has nothing to do with being an expert or a layman. To me, this is just a theft case, and you have to provide evidence."

Xia Shaoxin rolled his eyes at the old men.

Of course there was evidence, but it couldn't be presented; it was in his own heart.

Whether a Bug Catcher in the mountains was bitten to death by a Poisonous Insect or killed by someone else, only a Bug Catcher could tell.

At this moment, he no longer cared about the Five-colored Scorpion; what he cared about was how his grandfather died.

He grabbed Li the Toad by the collar and growled, "Did you discover that my family was raising a Five-colored Scorpion and develop evil intentions?"

Li the Toad's face instantly darkened. He pushed with both hands with great force, shoving Xia Shaoxin away.

"You are simply crazy, slandering me again and again. I'll beat you to death."

Xia Shaoxin's pupils contracted; that was exactly what he intended!

He clenched his fists, like a fierce tiger descending from the mountain, and punched Li the Toad on the shoulder.

With a bang, it felt like he had punched a wall.

Xia Shaoxin was shocked. He hadn't expected that although Li the Toad looked wretched, he was so formidable.

Li the Toad didn't make a sound, taking the punch head-on. With Killing Intent raging in his eyes, he also swung his fist to strike back.

Xia Shaoxin didn't dodge and took the punch squarely. It was powerful and heavy, knocking a surge of anger out of his chest.

Everyone scattered and watched from a distance.