The Criminal Department conducted an overnight investigation into the list, but the progress was extremely slow in the absence of a case, and in the end, it was Prince Zheng who intervened and secretly reminded Cai Hezong, the head of the household department, to withdraw the case early, and only then did he find out the origin of all the missing persons on the list.

There were nineteen women on the list, the youngest being seven or eight years old, and the oldest in his early twenties, all of whom had disappeared in the past three years. The strangest thing is that the Criminal Department has never received a report from anyone, because it knows nothing about selling people, about the dark market, and even about Tan Cen, the eldest grandson Wuzheng.

"Nineteen women have gone missing in three years, and this list is just the tip of the iceberg. Su Yan pushed away the bamboo pole that stood in the way, she was originally full of interest in the investigation of the case, but the deeper she went, the more angry she became, and that anger always made her tense nerves, but she didn't vent.

Su Yan and Wang Yan brothers both wore hats, tattered linen clothes, crude ropes wrapped around their waists, straw shoes, and walked heavily into an alley in the downtown area.

All three of them wore human skin masks, and now they were starting to itch a little after being exposed to the sun and rubbing their skin with the special potion they had applied. Su Yan couldn't help but scratch his chin and cursed softly as a 'charlatan'.

On the corner of the downtown area, a place called 'Black Fish Fang' is the smallest, most dilapidated, and least populated of all the squares in the downtown area. In the early years, there were shops and teahouses, all kinds of small trades, and later, for some reason, only the old and weak remained here, and it became a desolate place.

Su Yan found that a considerable number of these missing people came from Blackfish Fang, and it seems that the reason for the destruction of Blackfish Fang was caused by the continuous disappearance of personnel, which was the reason why Su Yan came here.

Wang Yan followed Su Yan cautiously, without saying anything all the way, but Yang Lian and Su Yan were chatting vigorously, and at this time, the conversation was rising, but suddenly a voice came from the other side of the dilapidated wall.

'Boom-boom-'

The expressions of the three of them instantly became tense, and they stood in a row in the same posture, turned their heads to stare at the wall on the left, and held their breath.

'Boom-boom-'

Su Yan's reaction was the most agile, and he immediately climbed into the wall, followed by Brother Wang Yan.

As far as the eye could see, it was an old man with gray hair, sitting between a pile of rotten wood and yellow, smelly pots and pans, which could not be used no matter how you looked at them. Behind them was a wooden house that felt like it was about to collapse at the slightest hint of the wind, with a crooked door and a lock long gone. Su Yan's eyes glanced over and saw that there was no other furnishings in the room except for a pair of low stools and a table, and there was a dead air everywhere, just like this couple.

The movement of the three of them climbing over the wall made the old couple's crying stop abruptly, they wiped their tears and looked at Su Yan, and suddenly hugged tighter in fear.

"Don't get me wrong, old man, the three of us brothers passed by here, heard the crying, and thought that you would rush over the wall after being bullied, please forgive me!" Su Yan hurriedly explained, and at the same time retreated to the corner, not daring to disturb them again.

The old man was skeptical, and only said: "We're fine, we just think of sad things, and I'm sorry for the three little brothers." ”

"It's okay, it's okay." Su Yan wanted to say some comforting words, but unexpectedly found a portrait of a woman hanging in the corner of the wall in the wooden house, the candle seemed to have just been lit, and offerings were placed, and the name 'Chen Ajiao' was written on the tablet. At the foot of the inconspicuous courtyard wall, there is a small mound, a stone tablet has been erected, and Chen Ajiao's name is still engraved on it, because the small mound is surrounded by bamboo, so the three of them did not notice it when they came in at first. Su Yan read this name repeatedly, and always felt familiar in his heart, or Wang Yan reminded him that Chen Ajiao was one of the missing people!

Su Yan was inexplicably shocked into a cold sweat, and looked at the portrait again, as if he had suddenly come to life, the red clothes that had faded were bright red as if they were stained with blood, and the person on the portrait suddenly closed his eyes, and a line of blood and tears flowed down the clothes, full of blood......

Su Yan hurriedly avoided his gaze, adjusted his mood and said to the old man: "I don't know if you are paying tribute to the deceased, you are making a mistake," as he spoke, he collected the only silver from Wang Yan's body, cautiously went over, put it on the small square table in front of the old man, and said to them, "There are no good things in the rivers and lakes, these silver are earned by running errands for others, so they should make amends." ”

The old man glanced at the silver, raised his gray eyes, looked at Su Yan for a long time, and said to Ai Ai: "The little girl has been missing for two years, she can't see anyone alive, she can't see her body dead, I think most of them died outside, our husband and wife are old and frail, and they won't live long, little brother, take back the silver, we can't use it!" ”

It seems that the tomb is a well-dressed mound.

"Missing? Didn't you report to the police? Wang Yan couldn't help but ask them.

The old man seemed to be told that he had reached the sore spot, and he cried again, and after a while, he said, "I have reported it, but it is useless!" ”

However, the eldest grandson Wuzheng made it clear that no one had ever reported his disappearance, so the dark market became more and more rampant, to the point where it was out of control today. Su Yan felt that there must be something greasy in it, so he immediately asked, "Did you go to report to the official yourself?" When reporting to the official, which adult will try the case? Is it the current eldest grandson, or is it someone else? ”

"I don't know what the eldest grandson is, I can't read or write, I don't know how to report to the official, I asked a letter gentleman to go, and during that time, I asked him to help. That gentleman is also a good man, he does not ask for money, but wholeheartedly helps us poor people, and I see that he is even better than those officials! ”

"Helping you?" Su Yan smelled the clues, "Do you mean, that Mr. Epistle has also helped other people, and he is also a report officer?" ”

"Yes," the old man wiped away his tears, and Fang Cai's pain eased slightly, "In addition to the little girl, there are many people's daughters in several nearby squares who have also disappeared, all of them are the help of that gentleman, he was busy going back and forth between the government and various families during that time, he is a good man!" In addition to this, he usually helps us write letters, and he also ghostwrites the couplets of the New Year. ”

"A great guy indeed. Old man, the three of us brothers are illiterate, and we also want to write a letter to our parents and relatives in the distance to report safety, I don't know where that gentleman lives? ”

The old man stood up tremblingly, pointed to the east, and said, "You leave this place and go east through two squares, which is the 'Qinghefang' where he lives, which is the best place to go in the downtown area. ”

Indeed, Qinghefang can be said to be the cleanest place in the downtown area, close to the mountain peak, built along the river, and the layout here is more neat than other squares. Passing through the Qinghefang archway full of copper bells, you can see the main street at a glance.

Due to the small size of Qinghefang and the neat arrangement of the houses, the three of them found Mr. Letter in a short time, living in a tiled house around the corner, with a dilapidated doorway, a wall that had fallen into disrepair, and even a lot of weeds had grown. This person's surname is Wang Dan, a cool character, a seven-foot figure, a delicate face, and a scholarly temperament.

Su Yan saw Wang Liang on the grounds of seeking a letter, just talked a few words, bought the letter, and left here.

Yang Lian remembered that when he was in the 'heavenly water', Mr. Su was also like this time, pulling around, and did not pick the key point, the explanation at that time was 'put a long line to catch a big fish', but later I didn't see that guy play any role. At this moment, is it possible to fish again?

Su Yan explained to them: "The line is released, if you don't accept it today, you will receive it tomorrow, if you don't accept it tomorrow, you will receive it one day, even if you don't accept it, I just need to get what I want at that time, don't reveal my identity, don't ask for too much else." ”

"Then what did Mr. Su get from that person this time?"

"I have three questions, one: whether he is talking about the people around Cen, whether I have seen it; Two: What else did he do besides letters? Three: His whereabouts and origins. I've confirmed the first question, but I haven't seen it. As for the last two questions, I can already guess one or two from his words. ”

"Guess what?" The two brothers asked at the same time.

"He should have participated in the imperial examination, but his name fell to Sun Shan, and he had no merit other than writing letters to others. As for whereabouts...... He should be away a few days a month. ”

Yang Lian couldn't help but wonder, he was there during the whole process of the conversation, and Mr. Su didn't ask anything except for talking about irrelevant topics! He scratched his head and didn't understand, Su Yan helplessly explained: "The people who live in the downtown are all barely alive, how many can they get ahead?" And he is obviously knowledgeable but has fallen to this, if you think about the twists and turns, most of them are famous Sun Shan, maybe more than once, otherwise why is he so angry? ”

"Awesome!" Yang Lian clapped his hands and exclaimed: "Then, how does Mr. know how many days he will leave every month?" ”

"Didn't you notice that there is a statue of Guanyin in his house, although it is not jade, but it is also a good thing, how can ordinary people afford it? So I deliberately mentioned the Jade Workshop, he was really interested, and then he mentioned Yunlai Pavilion again with the mentality of giving it a try, and his eyes were shining! As long as a person has been to Yunlai Pavilion once, there will be a second and a third time, so he should leave every month to go to the place of flowers and willows. ”

Wang Yan seemed to think of something critical, and immediately said: "The jade workshop releases goods in the middle of the month every month, and a dozen pieces are put together, all of which are very valuable, and it is rare for ordinary people to get one or two pieces." The Guanyin in Wang Liang's house should be from the Jade Stone Workshop, a letter writer, where did the money come from? I guess he may not be a scholar who is famous in Sun Mountain, maybe he is a doorman of some official, or maybe he is Murphy's hidden stake in the downtown area! ”

"This question will be handed over to the two of you brothers, it is better to choose a day than to hit the day, and the two of you will immediately go to the Jade Workshop and Yunlai Pavilion to verify."

Yang Lian asked, "Even if you ask it, what does it have to do with this case?" ”

"Maybe it doesn't matter, but as long as you find it out, you can determine his identity, and maybe you can find out other places besides Yunlai Pavilion and Jade Workshop. In the downtown area, I will continue to check from house to house, and I will do it synchronously with you without delay. ”

Yang Lian reluctantly agreed, but Wang Yan suddenly thought of something again, and said, "Just in case, I still report to Lord Changsun and ask him to send some people over to keep an eye on Wang Liang." ”

Wang Yan was worried that the appearance of the three of them would arouse Wang Liang's vigilance, so he sent some people to lurk in Qinghefang in disguise, and he was always at ease.

Su Yan couldn't help but praise in his heart, this kid was really careful.

To the south of Qinghe Fang, separated by two squares, is the ink stone, this workshop is located in the southeast corner of the downtown area, the most remote place, compared with the black fish square, here is a little more noisy.

Su Yan came all the way, not daring to stay, but he could also see many strange things. Like those stalls placed on the streets and alleys, most of them are buying and selling vegetables and game, which is not a big deal, but in the black alleys behind the stalls, you can faintly see a few panicked people coming in and out, carrying sacks, which should not be a good thing.

Most of them are traffickers.

There is no archway in the ink stone square, only two stone lions at the entrance. Walking along the dilapidated stone pavement into the main street, through the sparse crowd, she turned into a small road, and the shops on both sides of the road were closed, and there was not a single person, but a haunted imp followed her all the way. Su Yan felt that someone was following him as soon as he stepped into the Moshi Workshop, and deliberately led him into a secluded place, which was winding and winding, and was the most suitable for setting up an ambush.

Su Yan turned a corner and quickly dodged in the dark, pulled a fairly thick wooden stick from the pyre beside him, and when the little ghost was about to turn the corner, he rounded his arm and split it. Only a wail was heard, and the imp had fallen to the ground.

It's an eleven or twelve-year-old girl! Her withered hair was scattered, and her clothes were in tatters, except for this face that still looked like a little girl.

Su Yan didn't know what to do for a while, moved a few steps forward, and poked the girl's face with a wooden stick, fortunately, there was still a breath.

was about to help her up, and suddenly felt a pain in her waist, Su Yan hurriedly pushed her away: "If you don't study well at a young age, you actually started this kind of unsightly deed, why don't your adults care about you!" Cursing in his mouth, he snatched the dagger from the girl's hand, and took advantage of her falling to the ground and couldn't move, regardless of the wound to control him in the corner, "What is the purpose of your follow-up all the way?" Who sent you?! ”

"You're not from the city, who are you?!"

The little girl's rhetorical question caught her off guard, and the meaning of this was not like Tan Cen's gang. Su Yan lifted her up from the corner of the wall and carried her deeper into the alley, where she couldn't see her five fingers, which was the most scary.

"I see that you are acting suspiciously, and I don't know what you are calculating in my heart, hurry up and tell the truth, I will spare you once!"

The little girl said no more, and a pair of eyes that shone brightly in the darkness glared at her angrily. Su Yan had no choice but to let go of her hand, muttering in her mouth: Strange, it's not an enemy, it's a girl with a brain problem!

Su Yan didn't want to stay longer, she just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, but she heard the person behind her shouting to her, "You are not a wicked person. ”

Su Yan looked back at her, looking at the girl opposite, her beautiful eyes as bright as the moon were shining with tears, in the dim and damp path, so out of place, she was like an official lady who grew up on a long street, wearing brocade clothes and enjoying the glory, but the reality told her that the girl in front of her was deep in the quagmire and couldn't eat.

"What about you? Are you wicked? Su Yan asked her with interest.

"Me neither, but they are!"

"They? Who are they?! ”

"Powerful!"

Su Yan was stunned and continued to ask, "Which one is powerful?!" ”

"There are two, one is burly, with a scimitar on his waist, and the other has a scar on his forehead, and I know them all when they turn to ashes!"

A scar on the forehead?

Su Yan realized that he was getting closer and closer to the truth.

The little girl went over and grabbed Su Yan's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Did you come here because you lost your family?" ”

"What do you mean, your family is missing?"

The little girl took two steps back vigilantly: "I didn't, but I saw you go to Qinglou, and you also went to Heiyufang and Qinghefang, so, are you the person sent by the imperial city, are you investigating the downtown area?" ”

Su Yan couldn't help but look at her with admiration, this little girl still has such skills, she has already followed her twice, and the most important thing that makes her feel upright is that she doesn't notice it! This person doesn't go to the Criminal Department for training, it's a waste of talent!

Su Yan explained to her: "I'm not an official, but I'm really here to investigate the case, little sister, how did your family disappear?" What does those two people have to do with your family's disappearance, you tell me everything, and I will help you find your family! ”

The little girl stared at Su Yan, frowned again, and asked her cautiously, "Are you really here to investigate the case?" ”

"You little girl is really interesting, one moment suspects that I am here to investigate the case, and the other moment suspects that I am not here to investigate the case, turning your face is faster than turning a book!" Su Yan was a little helpless, "Since you have been following me for so long, you must know a thing or two about me, do you think a bad person will have such a sincere attitude as me?" If I'm not here to investigate the case, why should I disguise myself and go to all corners to investigate? ”

The little girl's eyes gradually became firm, and she didn't say a word, just took Su Yan's hand and went back to the outside of the path.

As the sky was getting dark, the city was already dark, and the little girl's home barely lit up the lobby with only a burning candle, a dilapidated house with no windows or doors.

The yard was deserted, overgrown with weeds, and the moonlight was shining down with no beauty but a chilling fear.

Su Yan pulled the girl into her arms, she only reached Su Yan's waist, small, and her voice was slight.

"You...... Living alone? Although Su Yan asked, she also knew the girl's situation in her heart.

The little girl curled up in her arms and said, "I am dependent on my sister, who was abducted from her home a year ago, and if I hadn't been hiding under the bed, I am afraid that she would have been arrested." ”

The lobby is unpopular, and not only here, but everywhere you can see, it doesn't look like anyone has lived there.

"Where are you hiding this year?"

"Qinglou, the shopkeeper there took me in and let me live there, so that I can live for two meals a day, so that I can live to this day."

Su Yan understood that the girl didn't follow them at first, she should have happened to hear their conversation in Qinglou, so she would always follow.

"Are the two men you are talking about the bad guys who captured your sister?"

The little girl nodded with red eyes.

Su Yan hurriedly found a piece of firewood from the courtyard and drew a line on his forehead, "Is it such a scar?!" ”

The girl brought the candle, looked closer, only glanced at it, and nodded very firmly: "I recognize it when it turns to ashes, it's this scar!" ”

It seems that it's really him, it's really hard to find a place to step through the iron shoes, and it takes no effort to get it!

Su Yan immediately went back to the academy and asked Buddha to paint a portrait of a man with a scar, and planned to send it to the Qinglou the next day to identify the girl.