The tavern was closed, and no one was allowed in or out. Qian Sen's body was taken to the government office, and the unrest in Yanran City continued unabated.

Yu Qiu followed behind Jiang Yu and Hu Li, the three of them walking silently until they reached the entrance of the government office. They were about to part ways when Hu Li suddenly spoke up, "Did Deputy Yu really see the man in black that day?"

Yu Qiu lowered his head and said, "Yu Qiu dares not deceive Lord Jiang."

"On the night at the inn, did Deputy Yu really see the man in black?" Hu Li continued.

Yu Qiu nodded, and Hu Li glanced at him before smiling faintly, "Trouble Deputy Yu to fetch that innkeeper here."

Jiang Yu waved his hand, and Yu Qiu went to fulfill the order.

Upon hearing the news of his boss's death, the innkeeper was overwhelmed with grief, tears streaming down his face.

"The dead cannot be brought back to life. Pack up your things and find another way out," Hu Li interrupted the innkeeper.

"But how could he just die like that?" the innkeeper said.

"Then ask the murderer. Why would someone kill your boss for no reason?" Hu Li retorted.

"Hasn't the murderer already taken poison and killed himself?" the innkeeper exclaimed. He had seen the body in the government hall himself, and it was the person he had pointed out as the murderer.

"That's right," Hu Li said, circling around him, his gaze shifting to Yu Qiu. "You and Deputy Yu identified the murderer that day. Now the murderer is someone else. Why are your testimonies the same? Are you two colluding?"

The innkeeper was stunned, glancing at Yu Qiu in confusion. Tears that he had held back were now threatening to fall again. "How could a lowly servant like me have anything to do with the Jinyiwei from the capital? Please don't involve me in this."

"Yeah, how could you know Deputy Yu? Yanran City is not just a stone's throw away from the capital," Hu Li said.

"Deputy Yu, why did you lie?" Hu Li asked.

Yu Qiu panicked, lowering his head again.

Jiang Yu frowned but remained silent, observing.

"On the way to the inn, Lord Jiang and I met Deputy Yu halfway. When Deputy Yu explained the situation, he didn't mention anything suspicious about the man in black at the inn. Later, when I deliberately mentioned it, Deputy Yu followed along. And these past few days, whenever there was something related to the man in black, Deputy Yu seemed uneasy. Now that the murderer has struck again, it's obvious the man in black was just a scapegoat. But you still insisted on identifying him at the inn. Deputy Yu, what are you hiding?" Hu Li's tone became increasingly heavy towards the end.

Yu Qiu was flustered.

Hu Li didn't pursue further and turned to the innkeeper.

The innkeeper turned to leave, "You guys talk, this matter has nothing to do with me..."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"I haven't finished yet, why are you in such a hurry?"

"What are you joking about, sir?" The innkeeper thought Hu Li was unpredictable and still fixated on his calloused hands, "These callouses are just proof of a poor man's hard work, how could they wield a knife?"

"Let me recap the situation at the inn last night. All of you are involved in this case, and until it's resolved, no one can leave. The man in black, a scapegoat, can be discarded. Then there was the death of Qian Sen, the tavern owner who hasn't had a peaceful life in years. Seeing his men unreliable, he decided to take matters into his own hands, visiting the border every half month. He suddenly found the abandoned inn lit up a few days ago."

"Don't talk nonsense, the inn didn't look abandoned," the innkeeper argued.

Hu Li gestured for him to calm down, "Indeed, my mistake. But your boss's death wasn't accidental, someone deliberately framed him, conveniently putting the blame on someone else. Sneaking around the inn at midnight was the best evidence. In addition, the man in black you fabricated."

"You're making baseless accusations," the innkeeper retorted.

"Deputy Yu just wanted to see the man in black. If we talk about Deputy Yu, it's all about self-interest. When there was a murder on the way to the capital, Deputy Yu didn't follow orders and left half a day early to avoid complications, deciding to rush in the rain. But things didn't go as planned, trouble still arose on the way. Unable to explain why he didn't follow the plan, Deputy Yu swiftly changed the subject when I gave him a way out. He did see the man in black on that rainy night, but it was just to cover his own interests at the inn."

Yu Qiu was struck by guilt, finding it hard to face Jiang Yu. However, Jiang Yu didn't look at him, instead gesturing to have the door surrounded.

"Do you still remember that rainy night? It was dark inside the inn without a candle," Hu Li said.

"I remember it clearly," Jiang Yu responded.

"That night there was indeed chicken blood in the kitchen, but beneath it was human blood," Hu Li pointed at the innkeeper, "You replaced the person. We saw the cook at the inn only once, but he never appeared again. We called for you many times at the inn, but you claimed to be asleep. How could you manage to play two roles? You had to divert our attention desperately. As for the man in black who came and left early that night, you were describing yourself. And the one who later died in the temple was the scapegoat you set up. Originally, this could have ended with the man in black. Unexpectedly, Qian Sen pretended to cooperate with you but had his own agenda. So you decided to get rid of him too."

"Your words mean nothing without evidence," the innkeeper said.

Jiang Yu knocked on the table, saying, "Five years ago, a family in the capital was wiped out. Due to insufficient clues, it was judged as a vendetta. It's somewhat similar to the recent cases. This family was a court official, involved in flood control like the group of exiled convicts."

"Now that I think about it, this case needs to be re-examined," Jiang Yu said.

Before the innkeeper could defend himself, Hu Li continued, "Your calloused hands claim to be proof of a poor man's hard work, that's half true. The lines on your palms are deep, and dust accumulates in the crevices all day long. You used to do heavy labor before handling a knife, and over the past two years, the knife has added a thick layer of calluses, but the lines haven't changed."

"So what?" the innkeeper sneered.

"It's alright, we'll dig up every inch of land within a hundred miles where bodies can be buried, and we'll eventually find your corpse. Or even simpler, let the tavern owner decide who's telling the truth and who's lying. Or even simpler—" Hu Li stepped forward and punched the innkeeper's face, his fist accompanied by Hu Li's mocking words, "Your attempt to divert trouble didn't work well. Trying to escape during Lord Jiang's pursuit? You're too naive."

The innkeeper dodged and stood firm, smiling sardonically, straightening his back and tearing off his fawning mask. He spoke loudly, "You officials never speak any truth. Qinghe suffered floods for hundreds of years. During the previous dynasty, there was a flood management officer named Xiao, and Yizhou was peaceful for over a decade. But that pathetic emperor accused Mr. Xiao of baseless crimes. Since then, the common people near the Qinghe River have never had peace."

"They're no different from parasites. Splurging with the people's hard-earned money, how many of the disaster relief funds allocated by the court actually reach the people? They even demand more. The person five years ago was killed by me, and the one five years later was also killed by me, yes. I want to kill every single one of those damn corrupt officials."

"You're from Yizhou," Hu Li said.

"That's right," he said, "My family lives near the Qinghe River."

"Eight years ago, when the Qinghe River flooded, all the fields were submerged. Without crops, it was as good as cutting off our lifeline. So many people died, luckily, I was saved by them. I've said it before, as long as I'm alive, those damn corrupt officials will have no way to escape."

"According to you, doesn't Lord Shi, who's sometimes admired by the people, also become corrupt?" Hu Li laughed, "If Lord Shi didn't have you..."

Hu Li paused for a moment, "Or should I say, what you wanted, this trouble wouldn't have found its way to Lord Shi?"

"So what? I've never had anything to do with seeking justice. Whether people live or die depends entirely on my mood."

Jiang Yu threw the killing card onto the table, asking, "Yours?"

The innkeeper glanced at it, his mouth twitching, "My lord, what do you think?"

But Jiang Yu didn't respond to the innkeeper's question. He turned to him and said, "You're from Yizhou. Eight years ago, when the Qinghe River flooded, you were saved by them. When you said 'them,' were you referring to the Moonlight Pavilion?"

The innkeeper remained silent, and Jiang Yu glanced at him, "The Moonlight Pavilion's business is a matter of life and death. They accept any job, no matter how dangerous, as long as the price is right. The Moonlight Pavilion is elusive, unpredictable. For these past few years, the court has always been one step behind them."

"This plaque, I had it five years ago, but I didn't understand it. Five years later, you delivered yourself to my door," Jiang Yu said.

"Give you fifty more years, and you still wouldn't be a match for the Moonlight Pavilion. A mouthful of loyalty to the court... lapdog." The innkeeper spat.