7: Go to the brothel and find a storyteller

Jiang Lan’s eyes flickered repeatedly, and he suddenly asked:

“Forensics Master Zhang, can you tell when the person died?”

Zhang Qianshan: “Last night.”

Jiang Lan: “...”

Yu Zhi, who was standing nearby, glanced at Jiang Lan’s expression and immediately understood. He said to Zhang Qianshan:

“The Head’s meaning is, Big Brother Zhang, can you determine the exact time?”

“Then I’ll have to take a look...”

Zhang Qianshan had only been startled by the corpse’s state earlier; he wasn’t afraid.

As a forensics master, he had probably spent more time dealing with the dead than with the living. If he were scared by a corpse, it would be a laughingstock.

He leaned forward, pried open Zhao Guisheng’s eyelids, and then forced open his mouth.

After examining for a good while, Zhang Qianshan pondered slightly, then said:

“From what I see, this person should have died around the end of the Zi hour or the beginning of the Chou hour. The error won’t exceed half an hour either way.”

Jiang Lan lowered his gaze in thought.

The time Zhang Qianshan mentioned was around 1 AM, with a half-hour margin of error, meaning the person died between 12 AM and 2 AM.

He frowned slightly.

It wasn’t the Black Wolf Demon who did it... Jiang Lan had seen with his own eyes that the moment the Black Wolf Demon died, Scholar Qian’s family was freed.

Even if the Black Wolf Demon had other Tiger's Accomplice under his command, they would likely dissipate with his death.

And the time he killed the Black Wolf Demon was around 10 PM, which was the middle of the Hai hour.

Looking up, Jiang Lan took out a piece of broken silver from his pocket.

“You’ve worked hard. Take this and buy some wine to drink.”

“Oh, no need, no need!”

Zhang Qianshan waved him off while opening the satchel he carried with him.

Jiang Lan: “...”

“Everyone’s working; there’s no reason for you to run around for nothing. Take it.”

Saying that, Jiang Lan directly tossed the piece of broken silver into the open satchel.

“Oh dear... you... Little Jiang, oh my...”

Yu Zhi couldn’t watch anymore. “Big Brother Zhang, please stop ‘oh dearing,’ if you don’t want it, give it to me.”

“Oh dear... Little Jiang, I’ll treat you to drinks another day!”

...After Zhang Qianshan left, Yu Zhi asked:

“Head, looking at dead people is his job anyway. Even if you didn’t call him, the higher-ups would eventually tell him to come and see, so why give him money?”

“The higher-ups are the higher-ups, and I am me.”

Yu Zhi pondered for a moment, then suddenly said seriously:

“Head, I’ve noticed you seem to have changed a bit.”

Jiang Lan was startled.

“How have I changed?”

“You’ve become awesome!” Yu Zhi said excitedly, “Before, I could understand what you said, but now, I don’t understand anything you say.”

“...”

“Then look for the reason within yourself.”

“Awesome, I don’t understand that either!”

“I’m telling you to read more books.”

“Head, have you forgotten? I can’t read!”

Jiang Lan was speechless.

“I’m going to Wuwei Hall. You go do whatever you need to do.”

“Alright, I’ll go to the Brothel to find a storyteller to tell me stories.”

“Brothel?”

“Ah? No, no! Teahouse!”

...Inside Wuwei Hall.

“Tiger's Accomplice...”

Chen Heguang paced back and forth.

He only stopped when Jiang Lan started to feel dizzy from watching him.

Looking at Jiang Lan, Chen Heguang said:

“Do you have any clues?”

Jiang Lan shook his head slightly, remaining silent.

Seeing Jiang Lan not speak, Chen Heguang suddenly walked up to him.

“Lan’er.”

“Hmm?”

Jiang Lan subconsciously looked up.

“These past few years since your father left, honestly, how has Uncle Chen treated you?”

“Very well.”

Without needing to recall, Jiang Lan blurted it out.

Ever since the original body took over his father’s position, Chen Heguang had taken care of him in every possible way.

Otherwise, a Demon Suppression Guard who hadn’t even entered the ranks would not find it easy to live as comfortably as he did in the Demon Suppression Division.

Chen Heguang’s expression was complex.

“Give me your saber.”

Jiang Lan didn’t ask why, directly unfastened the saber from his waist, and handed it to Chen Heguang with both hands.

“Clang!”

The standard long saber was shiny and new, without a speck of dirt, reflecting half of Chen Heguang’s face on its blade.

Chen Heguang: “...”

“You cleaned it?”

Jiang Lan nodded.

“Isn’t it a rule in the Demon Suppression Division that one’s saber must not be dusty?”

“How come I didn’t know you were so rule-abiding.” Chen Heguang sheathed the long saber and tossed it to Jiang Lan, “Where were you last night?”

“Sleeping at home.”

Chen Heguang laughed.

He laughed out of exasperation.

“You little rascal, whether you were home or not, don’t I know? After drinking yesterday, my token fell on the table, and you didn’t even notice?”

Jiang Lan was startled; he clearly hadn’t seen the token on the table after returning home yesterday.

Chen Heguang reached out, pulled out the token.

“I returned less than fifteen minutes after leaving your house, but you weren’t home.”

Jiang Lan twitched the corner of his mouth.

He had thought his plan, though not meticulous, wouldn’t be exposed the very next day.

But he hadn’t expected that a single oversight, failing to notice the token, would be his downfall.

He still wanted to struggle a bit.

“Uncle Chen, if I said I went to the Brothel, would you believe me?”

“It would be better if you had those skills; do you really think I can’t tell you’re still a virgin?” Chen Heguang looked disdainful, “Tell me, was it you who dealt with that Black Wolf Demon?”

“It was me.”

Jiang Lan leaned back in his chair.

Since Chen Heguang asked, he must have been absolutely sure.

Even if he tried to argue, it would be meaningless now.

“Nice technique, kid, a single slash to the neck.” Chen Heguang narrowed his eyes at Jiang Lan, “What Realm are you in?”

“Bone Refinement.”

“Bone Refinement, ah, still... Hmm?” Chen Heguang’s eyes widened, “Say that again? What was that? Bone what?”

“Bone Refinement.” Jiang Lan emphasized, “Second Stage!”

After thinking, he added: “Perhaps close to the Third Stage.”

Chen Heguang abruptly thrust his head close to Jiang Lan’s face.

“Come, my nephew, look into my eyes and tell me again, what Realm are you in?”

“Even if I say it a hundred times, it’s still Bone Refinement Second Stage.”

Chen Heguang’s pupils constricted violently.

Twenty years old, Bone Refinement Second Stage.

A Genius among Geniuses!

He had idled away over forty years and was now only in the Bone Refinement Third Stage Realm.

“When did you enter this Realm?”

Jiang Lan was silent.

The two faced each other without speaking for a while, then Chen Heguang stood straight and patted Jiang Lan’s shoulder.

“Forget it, I won’t ask you. Having strength is a good thing; this way, even if your Uncle dies at the hands of a demon one day, I can still brag to your father down below.”

Chen Heguang paused, then asked with some confusion:

“You say you’ve hidden it for so long, why did you only expose it with this wolf demon?”

Jiang Lan twitched the corner of his mouth.

He could have kept it hidden.

However, this was also good; constantly concealing his strength wasn’t a solution.

Now that he had come clean with Chen Heguang, when he slayed demons in the future, he wouldn’t need to bother hiding himself or worry about being discovered by others.

Chen Heguang and the original body’s father were genuine sworn brothers, having faced life and death together.

Therefore, Jiang Lan wasn’t worried about any negative consequences from revealing his strength to Chen Heguang.