Miss Truth
Chapter 246 - 155: The Beggar

Chapter 246: Chapter 155: The Beggar

Yunsheng didn’t ask further, only saying, "As long as Yan is happy, that’s good."

He himself also hoped to marry a woman with whom he shared a mutual understanding. How could he force Ran Yan to marry Sang Chen?

"Brother..." Ran Yan felt warmth in her heart. Yunsheng’s words seemed simple, but in Great Tang, probably only he could spoil her so indulgently.

"Silly girl." Yunsheng gently ruffled Ran Yan’s hair and said softly, "Rest early, tomorrow we leave at noon."

"Isn’t it still an unsolved case?" Ran Yan asked.

Yunsheng laughed and said, "The deceased used to be a constable. His status wasn’t high, and I imagine it won’t be difficult to make accommodations."

Ran Yan nodded and stood up to see Yunsheng out.

During the rule of Zhenguan, under Emperor Taizong’s governance, the officialdom was relatively clean, but no dynasty lacked officials who amassed wealth. Ran Pingyu’s goods urgently needed to be sent to Chang’an; there could be no delays. Ran Yan was also not the kind who was oblivious to the ways of the world.

Moreover, Ran Yan believed that the perpetrator of today’s case, even if not a local, must have stayed in the area for a long time. This was because the state of the corpse said it all: First, the body temperature was too low, some parts hadn’t completely thawed, suggesting the body had been moved from a cold place not more than three hours ago; second, the corpse initially had a sallow complexion, which only began to turn rosy after it had been in the crowded restaurant for some time, indicating that the murderer did not use fire or heat beforehand to thaw the body. Also, it hadn’t been under the stairs long, or it would have been rosy earlier. Third, the murderer created a large bloodstain, which Ran Yan felt was not primarily to make it look like the person was crushed, but more to conceal watermarks or white frost from thawing on the body.

To be able to break the stairs beforehand and time the placing of the corpse precisely, as well as find a large quantity of fresh animal blood, it could not have been done by a guest of the inn, Ran Yan couldn’t believe.

And, in such a small town, there probably weren’t many ice cellars.

Ran Yan felt that in attempting to conceal, the murderer had left behind many flaws. From a criminal psychology perspective, this type of behavior belonged to disguise psychology: moving the body after murder to create confusion...

Perhaps because she was too tired from the past half-month, Ran Yan, lost in thought, soon fell asleep without realizing it.

Outside, the bright moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, and the town gradually sank into darkness. Sparse jujube trees planted along the streets, the night wind stirred up piles of fallen leaves, rustling across the cobblestone streets, while distant wolf howls echoed, casting the night in an even more terrifying light.

In a dark alley not far from the docks, a beggar in tattered clothes clutched his worn cotton jacket and kept looking out as if waiting for someone. His thin face was half-covered by disorderly hair, yet the horrific scars where his left eye should have been, an empty, dark socket, were visible, more frightening than the night itself.

About half an hour later, a middle-aged man in fine clothes hurried over. Upon seeing the beggar, he immediately pushed him into the alley. Once inside, he lowered his voice and said, "Something’s happened at my shop. The government is on high alert. Why did you call me here at this hour?"

The beggar grinned, his thin lips forming a beautiful curve, revealing snow-white teeth that appeared somewhat sinister in the night, coupled with his terrifying face, more like a fierce ghost, yet his voice was unexpectedly refined, "If I don’t call you now, I might not have another chance, Ze San, don’t think I don’t know it was you who killed Zhang Xuan!"

Ze San’s expression turned cold, "What nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly kill someone in my own shop? Stop babbling, and get to the point!"

"One hundred strings of cash!" The beggar held up a finger, seeing Ze San’s expression change drastically, he continued, "What you do behind the scenes is none of my concern. Back then, you forced me in a betting oath to gouge out my eye, leaving me neither human nor ghost, unable to even participate in the imperial examinations. Now I am a cripple. You’ve done well these years, but killing Zhang Xuan means I lose some money. Shouldn’t you compensate me for that?"

Ze San suddenly grabbed the beggar by the neck and said menacingly, "Greed makes you desire the impossible, Liu Shisan. You don’t know when to stop. I guess I’ll have to show you myself!"

Just as Ze San squeezed harder, he felt a pain in his abdomen. Looking down, he saw a short sword, gleaming coldly, pressed against his belly.

The beggar’s face, red from lack of oxygen, broke into a difficult smile, "Let go now, or we’ll see who dies first!"

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