The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 226 Revealed! Liu Shuyi's Trump Card! The Situation Reverses! (5.5K)

"My sleeve?"

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, Xiao Liu subconsciously looked down at his sleeve.

But his sleeves were clean and tidy, and he found nothing.

Just as he was about to tell Liu Shuyi the result with a cold laugh and mock Liu Shuyi for finally making a mistake, Liu Shuyi seemed to see through the stone door and see his expression, saying, "Below the sleeve, not above."

"Below the sleeve?"

Xiao Liu frowned and raised his hand to let his gaze see under the loose sleeves of his clothes.

then……

"This is!?"

His pupils suddenly contracted, and his expression changed drastically in an instant.

"what happened?"

Seeing Xiao Liu's expression, his companions quickly asked, "Is there something wrong with the area under your sleeve?"

Guan Feng's eyes were also fixed on Xiao Liu.

Xiao Liu swallowed hard, stiffly raised his head, and looked at Guan Feng with a shocked expression, saying, "Boss... Boss, there's something stuck under my sleeve..."

"Is it stained with something?" his companions asked hurriedly. "What is it...?"

Inside the stone gate.

The same question was also asked by Cheng Chumo and others.

Liu Shuyi didn't keep everyone in suspense and said to Cheng Chumo and the others, "Do you remember in Cao Rui's room, after I questioned the shopkeeper, I released him, which made Guan Feng and Xiao Liu think that I listened to the shopkeeper and didn't trust their judgment, leading to Xiao Liu's offense against me?"

"of course I remember!"

Cheng Chumo remembered it clearly. He said, "If Guan Feng hadn't explained for him, and if he hadn't later sensibly bowed and apologized, I would have been prepared to teach him a lesson myself!"

Changsun Chong nodded. He had specifically discussed with Liu Shuyi that Xiao Liu was Guan Feng's mouth double, and that when Xiao Liu spoke, it was actually Guan Feng expressing his dissatisfaction with Liu Shuyi.

He said, "What did you discover about this?"

Liu Shuyi nodded: "At that time, Xiao Liu was scolded by Guan Feng. Even if he was dissatisfied, he had to show that he was wrong and bowed to me to apologize. As the county magistrate, I naturally could not get angry with a mere yamen runner, so I helped him up and forgave his mistake."

"He bowed to me, so when I helped him up, my hands happened to be under his sleeves, supporting his arms as I helped him up..."

"At that time, I didn't realize anything, but when I withdrew my hand, I suddenly discovered..."

Liu Shuyi lowered his head and looked at his slender palms: "There's something on my palms."

"It was a dark blue and gray powdery substance. Although there was only a small amount, my hands were very clean, so I noticed it at a glance."

“Blue-black and gray powder… what is that?” Cheng Chumo asked.

Everyone looked intently at Liu Shuyi, waiting for his answer.

Then they heard Liu Shuyi say, "The gray stuff is very common; it's dust."

"Although dust is common, Heshun Inn is not considered dirty. With so many of us walking around, we didn't see anyone with dust on their clothes."

"How did Xiao Liu get dusty?"

Everyone looked thoughtful. Indeed, it's not easy for dust to get on a clean place.

"As for the bluish-black powder..."

Liu Shuyi continued, "At the time, I didn't recognize what it was, since it's not as common as dust. But when I put my finger under my nose and sniffed it... I instantly understood what it was."

Changsun Chong's eyes flashed. He recalled that when he left Cao Rui's room with Liu Shuyi, Liu Shuyi had indeed touched his nose with his finger. At the time, he thought Liu Shuyi's nose was itchy and he was scratching it.

"What is it?" he asked eagerly.

Liu Shuyi and Changsun Chong exchanged glances, and Liu Shuyi said in a deep voice, "Black powder!"

"Gunpowder!?" Changsun Chong's pupils dilated violently. At that moment, he understood everything.

He said, "So, the one who actually committed the murder was Xiao Liu!"

"When he was attaching gunpowder to Cao Rui, some gunpowder powder accidentally got on his sleeve, and the ash... came from when he was placing the fuse and burning incense on the roof beam!"

Gunpowder? Fuse? Incense?

Deng Hui and the others looked completely bewildered, having no idea what Changsun Chong was talking about.

But it sounds quite reasonable.

Moreover, there had been no sound outside the stone gate for a long time, so it must have been completely accurate. Otherwise, Guan Feng and his group, who were so arrogant and conceited, would not have remained completely silent.

Liu Shuyi said, "Guan Feng's plan has too high a time requirement. They don't have extra time to change clothes, so when they take action, they can only wear the loose clothes they usually wear."

"If it were any other method of murder, loose clothing might not have been a problem, but they chose gunpowder, a powdery weapon, and even went so far as to set up an ingenious timer on the roof beams..."

"If Xiao Liu is careful and pays attention to his loose sleeves when setting up the scene, nothing will happen."

"Even if he conducts a self-examination afterward, there will still be no problem."

"But he was too confident and never thought that he would leave evidence on himself... Also, when he looked down, and when others looked at him, all they could see was the top of his sleeves. Therefore, even Guan Feng, who was cautious and meticulous enough, did not discover the evidence hidden under his sleeves!"

Liu Shuyi looked at the stone gate again, a hint of emotion flashing in his dark eyes: "If Brother Guan hadn't been dissatisfied with me, and hadn't made Xiao Liu speak rudely to me, and then pretended to be a good person afterward and made Xiao Liu apologize... I wouldn't have had the opportunity to directly touch Xiao Liu's sleeve, so in this respect, I should thank Brother Guan."

Upon hearing this, Changsun Chong chuckled and said, "Tell me, should this be called karma, or should it be called trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead, losing both wife and army?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Chumo and the others burst into laughter.

Outside the stone gate.

Hearing the piercing laughter coming from behind the stone gate, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

If Liu Shuyi hadn't told them, they would have racked their brains and never known that Liu Shuyi could discover their deepest secret, and the reason behind it was so dramatic!

Now they are being ridiculed, and they can't utter a single word in rebuttal.

Xiao Liu's face had turned deathly pale, and he was covered in cold sweat.

With every word Liu Shuyi spoke, he felt the temperature drop by one degree; now, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Especially when he saw Guan Feng with a tense face, expressionless and silent, the sense of panic made him break out in a cold sweat and his hands and feet turn ice cold.

grunt.

He couldn't help but swallow hard, and said, "Boss... Boss, it's all my fault. I wasn't careful enough, I was careless! It has nothing to do with you!"

Upon hearing Xiao Liu's words, Guan Feng finally glanced at Xiao Liu.

Seeing Xiao Liu's trembling appearance, Guan Feng did not blame him, but calmly said, "If there is a next time, you know the consequences."

Xiao Liu shuddered, as if he had thought of something terrifying, and couldn't help but shiver.

But Guan Feng's words clearly indicated that he would not pursue the matter further, which relieved Guan Feng.

"call……"

Xiao Liu breathed a sigh of relief, at the same time his hatred and fear of Liu Shuyi reached their peak.

He wasn't unfamiliar with people of extraordinary talent, nor was he unfamiliar with people who were capable and decisive. The boss in front of him was an example of the latter... But compared to Qin Yu behind the stone gate, these people were like stars meeting the moon. Even if he didn't want to admit it, he couldn't deny that Qin Yu had completely overshadowed the boss's brilliance today.

If they hadn't acted quickly and decisively to close the door, the outcome would have been uncertain.

No wonder the boss cherishes Qin Yu so much and hesitated so much about whether to kill him. If Qin Yu could become their partner, he would definitely be a great asset to them.

Unfortunately, they are now at odds with Qin Yu and can no longer be allies.

Hearing the shrill laughter coming from behind the stone gate, Xiao Liu, fearing that Guan Feng would lose his composure, whispered to Guan Feng, "Boss, we know what we need to know. We should go."

Guan Feng did not respond to Xiao Liu. After a long silence, he suddenly clapped his hands and said, "A brilliant deduction!"

"Now, how about I try to reason it out?"

Behind the stone gate.

Upon hearing Guan Feng's words, the group of people who were laughing loudly subconsciously stopped laughing.

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "What are you trying to deduce, Brother Guan?"

"Let's deduce your true identity."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Chumo and the others' expressions changed drastically.

The guests looked bewildered.

Real identity?

What is his/her real identity?
Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes, and then heard Guan Feng say calmly, "When I was investigating with Brother Qin before, I was impressed more than once by his investigative skills. He is second to none, even Liu Shuyi, the so-called 'divine detective' in the Ministry of Justice, is probably only as good as him..."

"Just now, Brother Qin pointed out three flaws in my plan in one breath, letting me know just how many loopholes there were in my seemingly perfect plan..."

"This not only shocked me, but also terrified me!" "What kind of terrifying observation skills, what kind of terrifying reasoning ability, and what kind of cunning would it take to keep me completely in the dark and do all this..."

"How could Brother Qin, with such abilities, be trapped in a small county town and unable to hold his head high?"

Guan Feng said, “It’s not that I look down on those pot-bellied officials, but the fact is that with your abilities, Brother Qin, as long as you’re willing, I believe no one can suppress you… Even if the county government doesn’t give you a chance, there will always be someone who will be willing to take you in!”

"But Brother Qin kept sighing and complaining to me, saying that he would never have a chance to be promoted in his life... That's not right!"

"In addition to Brother Qin's terrifying investigative abilities, it's impossible for him to be unknown. If not widely known, he should at least be quite famous in Hebei Province. But I've never heard of anyone named Brother Qin in Hebei Province..."

"Coincidentally, there is someone like Brother Qin, renowned throughout the land for his investigative skills, who happens to be in Hebei Province..."

Guan Feng narrowed his eyes: "Brother Qin, do you know who I'm talking about?"

Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered slightly, and he smiled, "What if I say I don't know?"

"Then I can tell Brother Qin!"

Guan Feng said, "This man is named Liu Shuyi. He is a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Justice. In just over a month, he went from being unknown to becoming famous throughout the world. Now, he is known as a detective in the world!"

"It is said that Liu Shuyi can solve a case in no more than a day. Even from the investigation to the solving of a case, even an old case from many years ago, it only takes a few hours... And he relies on his terrifying reasoning ability and keen observation of details."

"Coincidentally, these similarities are quite similar to those of Brother Qin. In this case, Brother Qin solved the case in less than an hour, relying on his observation and reasoning abilities to discover the problems..."

"So, Brother Qin... don't you think it's quite a coincidence? You're good at what Liu Shuyi is good at, and you also have Liu Shuyi's skills. Liu Shuyi was in Xingzhou a few days ago. If he didn't return to Chang'an by the same route, but instead went around Jizhou to Zhengzhou, he would arrive here around the same time..."

Upon hearing this, the guests finally understood what Guan Feng meant.

They stared wide-eyed at Liu Shuyi, their faces filled with surprise. Zhu Shan, the examinee who had been questioned by Liu Shuyi earlier, exclaimed in astonishment, "You...you're Detective Liu Shuyi!?"

These words immediately caused an uproar among the crowd, who began to discuss the matter animatedly.

"real or fake!?"

"Is he really the legendary Liu Shuyi?"

"His investigative skills are simply amazing, just like the legendary detectives!"

"But didn't he say he was Qin Yu? Why is he hiding his identity?"

"Doctor Liu must have his own plans for doing things; how could we commoners possibly understand them?!"

"I never imagined that I would one day meet Doctor Liu! And even die alongside him! How fortunate I am!"

It's better not to have this kind of luck... Liu Shuyi listened to the crowd's discussion, his eyelids twitching a few times.

He kept glancing at everyone out of the corner of his eye, observing who was surprised, who couldn't believe it, who was overjoyed, and who... had a murderous look on their face after learning his true identity!
"Now, should I call you Physician Liu or Brother Qin?" Guan Feng's voice continued.

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately looked at Liu Shuyi.

This time, however, their expressions were different from before: curiosity, awe, respect, and fear—each person's expression was unique.

Liu Shuyi ignored the crowd and didn't directly answer Guan Feng. He simply said calmly, "Then what about Brother Guan? Is your name real or fake? And your identity as a county magistrate, it probably isn't true either, is it?"

"The county magistrate's identity is obviously not real; it's just a disguise used to make things easier. I just didn't expect that Physician Liu is also an imposter! It's really interesting that neither of the two who stepped forward is genuine."

Cheng Chumo and the others nodded repeatedly. They also found it amazing that, in the end, only the dead had not lied.

"As for the name..."

Guan Feng said calmly, "That's just a pseudonym. I can change my name at any time depending on the mission. Today I'm called Guan Feng, as for tomorrow..."

He shrugged and said, "I don't even know what my name will be."

Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes. Although Guan Feng's words made some sense, he was still cautious and unwilling to reveal his real name.

No matter how many pseudonyms he has, there will always be a name that someone familiar with him would use. Otherwise, how would his companions address him? How would his relatives address him?
"All right!"

Guan Feng's voice came: "Thank you, Physician Liu, for pointing out the problems in my plan. I will remember these problems and never make the same mistakes again. I will not let down Physician Liu, who gave me the experience and lessons he learned at the cost of his life!"

"It's getting late, so I won't keep you company any longer, Physician Liu. You've investigated so many cases, but haven't you ever truly experienced what the deceased felt? You'll have to experience it for now. I'll come to collect the body myself in half a month."

After saying that, Guan Feng turned to leave.

"Brother Guan, are you leaving already?"

At this moment, Liu Shuyi's voice suddenly rang out: "Brother Guan, don't you want to know why I didn't expose you directly when I had already confirmed your identity as the murderer through these three aspects while I was in the kitchen?"

Xiao Liu, who had just lifted his foot, suddenly stopped and subconsciously turned to look at the stone gate.

Guan Feng frowned slightly and said calmly, "Sometimes, knowing too much isn't a good thing."

"Leaving this mystery unresolved will also allow me to remember Doctor Liu, so let's bury this secret along with Doctor Liu."

After saying that, he turned and walked away.

Xiao Liu couldn't help but say, "Aren't we going to listen? What if he has some kind of conspiracy?"

Guan Feng frowned, his steps unwavering: "After hearing this, I've truly fallen into his trap... no, we may have already fallen into his trap."

"What?" Xiao Liu was taken aback.

Others were also puzzled.

Guan Feng said, "Didn't you notice that Fifth Brother hasn't returned?"

"Fifth brother?"

Xiao Liu blinked: "It really is! After we closed the stone gate, the boss sent Fifth Brother to deal with the two women who weren't with Qin... Liu Shuyi and the others investigating the case. Judging by the time, with Fifth Brother's abilities, he should have already crushed one of them and come back. Why hasn't he returned yet?"

The burly man standing nearby asked, "Has something happened?"

Xiao Liu shook his head and said, "It shouldn't be. They are just two weak women... Liu Shuyi didn't bring them with him when he was investigating the case. He was obviously afraid that the scene would be too bloody and scare them."

“They were hiding in the room, which is why we couldn’t bring them all down to the ground at once. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have needed to take action.”

"With Fifth Brother's abilities, let alone two weak women, he could easily handle even two guards of decent skill! So there's definitely no surprise."

He looked at Guan Feng: "Boss, don't worry. Perhaps something is holding Fifth Brother back. Liu Shuyi has already been locked up by us. This stone door can't be opened from the inside. No matter how clever he is, he couldn't possibly have plotted against us from inside—"

bang bang bang...

But just then, before Xiao Liu could finish speaking, something suddenly rolled down the steps.

"Be careful, old man!"

Xiao Liu exclaimed in surprise and quickly protected Guan Feng. The others also drew their weapons and stood ready for battle.

However, before they could make a move, the rolling object stopped.

They were just three steps away.

They instinctively stretched their lanterns forward.

then……

"this!?"

"how come!?"

Xiao Liu's pupils suddenly contracted.

The others' expressions also changed drastically!
What rolled down the steps... was none other than the fifth brother who had left not long ago!

At this moment, the fifth brother's clothes were covered with cuts from sharp blades, and blood kept gushing from the wounds... His eyes were tightly closed, his face was as pale as paper, and his expression was ferocious and distorted, as if he had experienced something terrible.

Xiao Liu was completely dumbfounded: "Fifth Brother, how could he... how could he become like this? Who did it?"

He rushed forward and patted the fifth brother's face: "Fifth brother, wake up! What happened to you?"

No matter how he shouted or yelled, Lao Wu's tightly closed eyes showed no sign of opening.

Xiao Liu swallowed hard and looked up at Guan Feng: "Boss, this..."

Guan Feng's face was already very pale. He said, "Carry him on your back and we'll talk outside!"

Xiao Liu quickly carried Lao Wu on his back, with the others supporting him from behind, as they followed Guan Feng uphill.

But they hadn't gone more than a few steps when they suddenly stopped.

because……

They discovered that two women were standing at the exit leading to the ground.

A woman with a delicate, boneless figure and fair skin stood behind the woman in front, looking both nervous and excited. She held the woman's arms tightly and stared at them.

The woman in front of them had a cool and aloof demeanor, and was incomparably beautiful. Her pretty dress was stained with scarlet blood.

She looked down at them from her high position, and even as they approached, her cold and beautiful face showed no sign of tension or fear.

Seeing that they were looking at her, she slowly said, "He said that I am his trump card, and I can't let him down. So, you can all stay... You have to listen to what he has to say, whether you want to hear it or not."

(End of this chapter)