Yan Fei

The snowfields in Qizhou were still in a state of endless falling, and they fell one after another a few days before the New Year's end. I thought that I was afraid that after this period of time, they would continue to drift down piecemeal, but I didn't expect that when the New Year's end was approaching. It's a little smaller, but now, the weather has immediately warmed up, and it's raining continuously in spring.

Xu Zhiming was sent by Xu Muzhang to buy wine.Although he couldn't see the ground clearly, he could walk steadily with a bamboo pole close to him.

There are not many wineries in Fuzhou, and it is not easy to make wine in this cold place, but the wine made from a special fruit in Qizhou is very delicious, so there is only one restaurant left.

"Shopkeeper, I want a jar of fruit wine."

The shopkeeper took the money and went to the back room to get the wine, leaving a young daughter to watch the shop.

Suddenly, a trace of fragrance appeared in the air, and it deftly found a way out from the slightly cold wind, spreading wantonly.

Xu Zhiming walked to the door with a smile and called out, "Mr. Yan."

In fact, Yan Zi had been standing in the distance looking at Xu Zhiming before, and just came closer, unexpectedly Xu Zhiming's nose was like a dog's, and he smelled it all at once.

"Buy wine?"

"En. Give me two glasses of bar." Xu Zhiming turned around and said to the shopkeeper's daughter, and pulled Yan Zi to sit down at a wooden table.

"With your eyes like this, you still want to go out to buy wine?"

Xu Zhiming laughed and said: "My father's order, I have to obey."

Yan Zi frowned and said hesitantly: "...your father..."

At this time, the girl came with a jug of wine and two glasses.Xu Zhiming reached out to touch the jug, but Yan Zi stopped him halfway.He sighed, poured the wine into the exquisite wine glass, and put the glass in front of Xu Zhiming.

Xu Zhiming smiled again, seemingly relaxed and said: "It's just that you don't like me, it's not a big deal."

"I don't cherish having a son who can hurt..." Yan Zi muttered softly, "Is it because of your eyes?"

Xu Zhiming shook his head: "Because of my mother. She loves the house and hates it... and naturally hates it too. Where is your father?"

Yan Zi pursed his lips and took a sip of the wine in his glass.Somewhat sweet, not very intoxicating.

"We've only known each other not long ago, and now you're starting to inquire about my seven aunts and eight aunts?" Yan Zi rolled his eyes, then remembered that the blind man couldn't see at all, "By the way, I'm going to ask about Ya Zi's matter then." I went to other counties to check, do you want one?"

"...Maybe. Actually, my father can't control me at all. Although he is older than me, but outside the door, my words carry more weight... than him."

The shopkeeper brought out the wine and put it on the table: "My lord, it's your wine."

"Thank you. Let's go together. I have to go to the Yamen later. Shall I go and have a look?"

Yan Zi got up without saying a word, and followed Xu Zhiming out.

The Xu family is a big family in Qizhou, so there are naturally many people who want to cling to it.When the two of them first walked to the gate of Xu's Mansion, there was an endless stream of people giving gifts after the year, and the wooden threshold was almost crushed.

Yan Zi glanced at it, and saw that Xu Zhiming's face suddenly darkened.

It happened that Mama Liu was standing at the door, and when she saw Xu Zhiming coming, she quickly called him over.

"Master, where have you been?"

"Father sent me to buy wine."

Mother Liu choked for a moment, took the wine in his hand, and said in a babbling voice: "Master, it's true, how can I ask you to buy wine, Master, we'll leave these matters..."

"Servant?" Hearing this, Yan Zi turned to look at him.

Xu Zhiming didn't speak.

It happened that there was a father and daughter at the door who saw Xu Zhiming, showing disgust and whispering.Yan Zi's eyes were poisonous, and he saw it at a glance, but Xu Zhiming couldn't see it, so he could guess roughly, and vaguely heard something like "no future".

Xu Zhiming also heard it, laughed "puchi", and patted Yan Zi's shoulder: "Hey, I'm worthless, so aren't my two elder brothers the threshold stepped on by thousands of people? ... I still can't accumulate merits in life kind of."

After finishing speaking, he went to the Yamen.

Yan Zi was slightly taken aback, then nodded to Liu Ma, and hurriedly followed him.

"Are you OK?"

"It's nothing... just annoying." Xu Zhiming pushed open the side door of the yamen and walked in swaggeringly, "I hope there is some case in the yamen that will make me happy."

"It's just Chinese New Year, what are you expecting to happen?"

Xu Zhiming said: "It's not that I'm looking forward to it, but there will definitely be some cases. The closer to the New Year's Eve, the more accidents are likely to happen. It's as small as someone stealing a chicken for entertaining relatives, and it's as big as foreign countries coming to commit crimes and sending troops to fight. During the period around the New Year's Eve When people are always relaxed, everyone feels that those sneaky people should go home for the New Year in peace, but how can people who are really at the end of the road care about the New Year? Maybe there will be no one during the New Year. What about the foreigners? It's not the new year, and it happens to be a time when the whole Minghan is rejoicing...Come on, catcher Yang!"

Yan Zi glanced at him.

Catcher Yang, who was in a hurry, stopped quickly, and turned his head with worry on his face, seeing that his forehead was going bald: "Master Xu."

He glanced at Yan Zi behind Xu Zhiming and was startled.How did the two people who were full of sex before get together?

"Can you take me to the warehouse? I want to see what's been done recently."

"The latest case? Isn't there one right now?" Detective Yang sighed quickly, "I'm going to investigate it. You said that the case at the beginning of this year is not safe, what's the matter!"

"What's wrong?" Yan Zi asked, crossing his arms.

"As for the matter just now, I received a report that a woman... er... died last night."

"How did he die? Where did he die?"

Detective Yang's face suddenly turned red.Xu Zhiming didn't see it, but Yan Zi saw it clearly: "...why?"

"Yes, it's in... the Drunken Fragrance Hall..."

"Cough, cough." Xu Zhiming's expression suddenly changed.Yan Zi glanced at him: "A brothel?"

"Yes...you also know how chaotic the brothel is, and the causes of death are all kinds of strange, some of them are really embarrassing and embarrassing...so now we are thinking about who to send there..."

Yan Zi looked at him quietly, his eyes kept drifting towards her body, and the phrase "please trouble Mr. Yan" was about to blurt out, and he kept his mouth shut several times.

"I'll go." Yan Zi sighed.

Xu Zhiming smiled and said, "Then I will go too."

"That's right, what are you afraid of, a blind man?" Yan Zi joked.

"Zuixiangtang is the largest restaurant in Qizhou." Xu Zhiming said, "There are many people and girls. But the most unique thing about Zuixiangtang is that there are not only prostitutes but also artisans. Huh, what a pity That old bustard can support so many girls...here?"

Yan Zi raised his head and took a look—it was a two-story building with a fancy plaque hanging above the gate, with the words "Zuixiangtang" written eloquently; red gauze was hung on the gate, making it more ambiguous; There are some girls sitting crookedly by the window, and there are two girls in front of the door soliciting business, and you can smell the smell of all kinds of spices mixed together, and the inside is full of singing and swallowing.

"Why are there still so many people..."

"The madam isn't here, right? I'm afraid the madam secretly told the Yamen, so he didn't say anything. That's right, if you tell it, it's bad business."

With that said, Xu Zhiming walked in.

The girls all recognized this evil god, they looked at each other, and then at Yan Zi.

"Master Xu...is this son behind here...he's here to listen to the piano or..."

"Where's the late wife?"

"Master Xu!" The old bustard of Zuixiang Hall rushed out from the back room to welcome her. The makeup on her face was not evenly applied, it was obviously piled up in a hurry.

The late wife drove the girls away and led them to the second floor.Seeing his appearance, Yan Zi could only help him condescendingly.Xu Zhiming was taken aback, and said helplessly in a low voice, "Thank you."

"I didn't tell the girls about this. Firstly, I was afraid of disturbing the officials and lords. Secondly...this person was gone when I went to see him this morning. I only had time to go to the yamen to report it. Old lady, I am afraid that the person who did the murder is in the restaurant."

"Huh? Killing him?" Xu Zhiming asked.

"Yes...Young master, take it easy, the old lady was almost scared to death when she first went in and saw it."

Yan Zi nodded nonchalantly.

"It smells like blood." Xu Zhiming said in a low voice.

As soon as he entered the door, the smell of blood suddenly became stronger.The late lady hastily pulled them into the door and closed the door.

Xu Zhiming walked towards the source of the smell.It was the bed in the room.

"Mr. Yan, how are you? Just tell me."

Yan Zi looked at the corpse: "Girl, the hair has been shaved—no, it should be ripped? The scalp is damaged." He stepped forward and lifted the quilt covering his body, revealing the dilapidated hair underneath. body.The late woman took one look and immediately retreated to the side, leaning on the wall, stroking her heart to relieve the pain of retching.

Yan Zi continued to say in that undulating voice: "The belly was cut open, the internal organs were smashed—well, looking at her face again, the eyeballs were also smashed." He paused, and carefully opened the mouth. touched her mouth, "Sure enough, the tongue is gone."

"How are your hands and feet?"

"Wrists and ankles are...broken."

"Looks like a loyal believer."

"But what's the matter with hair?" Yan Zi turned to look at him.

At this time, the late wife finally recovered.She looked at Xu Zhiming without squinting, and asked, "Master Xu...what do you mean?"

"I haven't figured it out yet, but it should be related to the strange power... Wait a minute, Wan Po, please go out for a while."

"Ah? Ah, good, good." The late lady walked out tremblingly, closing the door behind her.

Yan Zi leaned against the bed and asked, "What?"

"You said she lost her hair? How bad is her scalp?"

"It's bloody—"

"Like an eagerness to get the hair out, huh?"

Yan Zi was stunned for a moment, then looked at Xu Zhiming.

"It is said that Yazi's teachings are based on other religions or superstitions. Although I am just guessing at the moment...but maybe this girl's death has something to do with Yazi."

"How can you be sure that the hair is related to superstition?"

"It is said that if you smash a person's eyes, pull out a person's tongue, break a person's hands and feet, and go to the underworld, even if there is a huge grievance and resentment, it will be difficult to explain it to the ghost messenger. This is a superstition, so why bother? You can figure it out after pulling your hair out?"

"Your statement...is a bit blunt."

"Then let's think about it bluntly," Xu Zhiming said with a smile, "Let's go downstairs and have a look."