CLX Book 4 Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Who is the Murderer

As soon as Chu Liuxiang opened the door, her face immediately turned red; she had both her hands hidden behind her back, but it was not clear what she was holding in her hands. She wanted to speak but nothing came out. _{Translated by foxs}

Hu Tiehua spoke coldly, “We are talking nonsense here, who would have thought that Jin Guniang unexpectedly guarding the door for us, I really do not dare.”

Jin Lingzhi bit her lip, she turned her head and left. But she only took two steps, suddenly she turned around and spoke loudly, “Zhang San, come out.”

Zhang San immediately jumped out of bed, rushed out, and said with a smile, “Guniang has any instruction?”

Hu Tiehua spoke coldly, “This slave is really obedient. It seems that even if Jin Guniang tells him to kill someone, he would do as instructed.”

Jin Lingzhi did not pay him any attention, she took the bundle she hid behind her back and said, “Keep this bag for me.”

“Yes,” Zhang San said.

Jin Lingzhi said, “This bag, I just picked it up, you can open it to have a look, but if you lose it, watch for your head.”

Zhang San laughed and said, “Guniang, by all means, please don’t worry, no matter what it is, as long as you handed it over to me, even the number one divine thief in the world can forget about stealing it.”

“Humph,” Jin Lingzhi snorted, turned around and pushed open the door across the hall and walked in. ‘Bang!’ she immediately slammed the door shut.

Hu Tiehua said, “We do have the number one divine thief in the world inside the room, you’d better hold on to this bag a bit tighter. To have your head taken away is really not a fun thing.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Before he finished speaking, another door across the hall was suddenly pushed open, Ding Feng poked his head out from the door. Whether intentionally or otherwise, he took a glance at the bundle in Zhang San’s hand, and said with a laugh, “Three gentlemen are not asleep yet?”

Chu Liuxiang laughed and said, “Ding Baozi must be like us, in a new place, sleep does not come easily.”

Ding Feng’s eyes flashing, he spoke quietly, “Zaixia have something I want to talk to Chu Xiang Shuai, I wonder if it is a convenient time?”

Before Chu Liuxiang could speak, suddenly the neighboring door also opened, but the person who came out of the door was not Bai Lazhu, nor Gongsun Jieyu, to their surprise, it was unexpectedly Gou Zichang.

His countenance looked dark green, his eyes looked blank, his hands were still clutching the black leather suitcase tightly. Suddenly seeing Chu Liuxiang, Ding Feng and the others standing at the door, he was immediately startled. _{Translated by foxs}

Ding Feng spoke indifferently, “I thought Gou Xiong really went to relieve yourself again, I was just thinking of introducing Gou Xiong to a doctor who specializes in treating kidney deficiency and excessive urination.”

Gou Zichang’s face alternated between dark green and red, he stammered, “I was going to relieve myself, but as I passed by here, I suddenly wanted to chat with them.”

Ding Feng’s eyes flashing, he fixed his gaze at him, and spoke slowly, “Turns out Gou Xiong and they, two gentlemen already knew each other; I really never expected that.”

He cast Chu Liuxiang a glance, and said with a smile, “Xiang Shuai, I’m afraid you have not expected it either.”

Clearing his throat, Gou Zichang said, “I only met them once or twice before, not familiar at all … not familiar …”

As he was talking, he squeezed himself by Ding Feng’s side and entered the door.

Chu Liuxiang said, “If Ding Xiong have any advice, how about coming over here and talk?”

Muttering to himself irresolutely, Ding Feng laughed and said, “We are all tired today, it should be time to rest. Anything can wait until tonight, it won’t be too late by then.”

He immediately shrank back inside and closed the door.

The door on the other side was also closed, Gongsun Jieyu and Bai Lazhu never showed up. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Hu Tiehua could not bear it anymore, without waiting for the door to be closed, he sighed and said, “It seems that people’s hearts are really hard to fathom these days, I never thought that Gou Zichang is not an honest person, he obviously knows Gongsun Jieyu and Bai Lazhu, but when they got on board, he did not even make a squeak or reveal any expression.”

Zhang San said, “He kept saying that he had just come out into Jianghu, and that other than Chu Liuxiang, he did not know anybody. Turns out it was all a lie. Turns out he knew more people than us.”

Hu Tiehua said, “I thought he really didn’t understand anything, he would offend people or stir up trouble, who would have thought that he is able to suppress his emotion more than any of us.”

Zhang San said, “Perhaps all of his acting was deliberately for us to see, so that we did not guard against him, while actually he may have already been in collusion with Gongsun Jieyu …”

Hu Tiehua suddenly sprang up and said, “Not right, not right, I have to go and take a look.” _{Translated by foxs}

Zhang San said, “What’s not right? What do you want to look?”

Hu Tiehua said, “Maybe he is the murderer, Gongsun Jieyu and Bai Lazhu are his second targets, and now they may have encountered his poisonous hands!”

All along Chu Liuxiang had been deep in thought, only this moment he chuckled and said, “After Gou Zichang went out, there was someone inside the room closing the door, could it be that the dead can close the door?”

Hu Tiehua was stunned, he himself chuckled, and then muttered, “Looks like I have also been infected by you, I become overly suspicious just like you.”

He cast a glance at Zhang San, and then continued, “Why haven’t you opened this bag and take a look?”

Zhang San said, “Why would I want to open it and take a look?”

Hu Tiehua said, “She said it herself, you can open it and have a look.”

Zhang San said, “But what if I don’t want to?”

Hu Tiehua said, “Could it be that you don’t want to know what’s in the bag?”

Zhang San responded indifferently, “Maybe I’ll wait until you sleep before opening it!”

Hu Tiehua was stunned again; hanging his head, he was in a daze for half a day, suddenly he made his move like the wind to snatch the bag in Zhang San’s hand. He laughed heartily and said, “I’m not Chu Liuxiang, I don’t know how to steal, but I can snatch …” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

He tore the bundle three or two times, the sound of laughter immediately stopped.

The bundle contained a piece of clothing.

A long gown full of spots of bloodstains.

The clothes were light blue-green in color, made of very good material, light and soft, it must be very comfortable to wear, but the front part was splattered with blood.

His countenance changed, Hu Tiehua said, “I’ve seen this robe before.”

Zhang San could not help asking, “Where did you see it?”

Hu Tiehua said, “When he went to pick up Kumei Dashi that day, the clothes Ding Feng wore was precisely this long gown.”

Zhang San’s countenance also changed. Emotionally moved, he said, “What about the blood on the clothes? Could it be Xiang Tianfei’s? Could it be that Ding Feng was the murderer who killed Xiang Tianfei?” _{Translated by foxs}

Hu Tiehua spoke hatefully, “I have suspected him for a long time, but Jin Lingzhi clearly obeys Ding Feng very much, why did she deliberately send these clothes to us?”

Muttering to himself irresolutely, Zhang San said, “Maybe she doesn’t know it’s Ding Feng’s clothes, maybe …”

Hu Tiehua suddenly cut him off, saying, “Maybe this is Jin Lingzhi intentionally framing him.”

“Framing him?” Zhang San said.

Hu Tiehua said, “She knew that we had found the pearl on the dead body, and she knew that we already suspected her, so she purposely stole Ding Feng’s clothes and stained them with blood to divert our attention.”

He laughed coldly and continued, “If you wear my clothes to kill someone, could it be that the murderer is me?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “But there are still two suspicious points about this matter.”

Hu Tiehua asked, “Which two points?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “First, Jin Lingzhi is a thousand jin of gold young lady, you want her to kill, she might kill for you, but if you want her to steal someone else’s clothes, I’m afraid she may not necessarily be able to steal.”

Zhang San immediately said, “That’s right, how would she know where Ding Feng’s clothes are kept, so that as soon as she wanted to steal she can steal?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “Secondly, if she really wanted to divert our attention, she wouldn’t have sent this dress herself. A thief will inevitably have a bit of guilty conscience.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Hu Tiehua said, “Do you think these clothes were deliberately placed where Jin Lingzhi could see it, they deliberately wanted her to find it so that she could send it here?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “Naturally that is also possible, but Ding Feng may also be the murderer. After the murder, the time was too short; in haste, he did not have time to hide the bloody clothes …”

Zhang San interjected, “Gou Zichang and Ding Feng stay in the same room, to steal Ding Feng’s clothes, no one has more convenience than he does, so I think my suspicion toward Gou Zichang is growing more and more.”

Hu Tiehua said, “Why don’t you ask your mistress, where did she find these clothes?”

Shaking his head, Zhang San laughed and said, “I don’t dare, I’m afraid of hitting a wall. If you want to ask, why don’t you ask yourself? Could it be that you don’t dare as well?”

Hu Tiehua sprang up, he laughed coldly and said, “Why don’t I dare? Could it be that she can still bite me?” _{Translated by foxs}

Fuming, he rushed out of the room and rushed to Jin Lingzhi’s door.

But when he really raised his hand to knock on the door, his rage was gone.

Thinking of Jin Lingzhi’s hands akimbo, her eyes glowering at him, he only felt that the hair on his scalp standing on its end a bit.

“She may be sleeping already. If I wake her up, she gets angry is only natural, when someone wakes me up, why shouldn’t I be angry? Besides, knocking on a woman’s door is also some kind of great knowledge, not only it is an extreme skill, but also requires courage, definitely not everyone can beat it.”

Hu Tiehua heaved a sigh, he muttered, “We will all meet tonight anyway, asking her at that time won’t be too late.”

Most men have one good thing – when they do not dare to do something, they always find a good excuse for themselves, definitely they will not admit that they have no courage.

There were two beds in one room, plus a mattress put on the floor.

By the time Hu Tiehua returned to the room, the two beds were already occupied.

Zhang San raised one foot and was mumbling to himself, “Strange, strange, how come I didn’t hear the sound of knocking on the door? Could it be that just like me, Hu Xiansheng’s guts is not big, that he was just blowing air, but when the time comes he did not dare to knock on the door?”

With a bellyful of fire Hu Tiehua said loudly, “This is my bed! Why did you sleep on it?” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Zhang San spoke leisurely, “Your bed? Who made the rule that this bed should be your bed? Did the governor-general’s office make the rule?”

Hu Tiehua was so angry that his teeth itched, but there was nothing he could do; laughing coldly, he said, “The bed on the boat is simply like a child’s bed, short, narrow and small, a grand manly man like me sleeping on the floor is actually more comfortable.”

He was just lying down, he sprang up again and shouted, “You, this person, really obtain a cun, you press on a chi [give him an inch, and he’ll want a mile]; unexpectedly even my pillow was stolen!”

Zhang San laughed and said, “Since sleeping on the floor is spacious and comfortable, perhaps Hai Kuotian was afraid that you will sleep too comfortably and can’t get up, so he did not prepare a pillow for you at all”

Hu Tiehua gritted his teeth in anger, rolled his eyes, but suddenly laughed and said, “Looks like you are also like the old stinky bug, your nose is not effective, otherwise how could you not smell the stench?”

Zhang San could not help asking, “What stench?” _{Translated by foxs}

Hu Tiehua said, “Just now I sat on this pillow, I released a fart …”

Before he finished talking, Zhang San already threw the pillow over.

Hu Tiehua roared in laughter, he said, “Turns out you, this kid, can also be fooled.”

Pulling his face, Zhang San said, “You said other things, I may not believe it, but when it comes to farting, you are indeed the number in the world. The farts that other people release in thirty years added together is not much as you fart in a day.”

What have happened in the past two days were simply too many, too dreadful, and they still did not know how many more dreadful things were about to happen, merely tonight …

Hu Tiehua originally thought that he would not be able to fall asleep.

He heard that when one could not fall asleep, the best way was to count. By counting, one might unconsciously fall asleep. This method was very effective for many people.

He was prepared to count to ten thousand, and if he still could not sleep, he would go out and drink.

He counted to sixteen and was already falling asleep.

Hu Tiehua was awakened by the sound of knocking on the door.

The knocking was very light, ‘Knock! Knock! Knock!’, one after another it rang, as if whoever it was had been knocking for a long time. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

“This room’s business is not bad, at any time there are always guests coming to visit.”

Hu Tiehua twisted around and crawled up, his brain was still in daze; he opened the door forcefully, ready to spit out his bellyful of anger on the person who knocked on the door.

Who would have thought that unexpectedly there was not even a shadow of a ghost outside the door?

‘Knock! Knock! Knock!’, the noise kept ringing.

Composing himself, Hu Tiehua just realized that it was not the sound of knocking on the door, but someone in the next room was knocking on the wooden partition.

“What is that kid doing? Could it be that he wants to make so much noise that others won’t be able to sleep?”

Hu Tiehua also pounded hard on the wall, and called out loudly, “Who is it?”

The one knocking on the wall must be either Gongsun Jieyu or Bai Lazhu, he practically did not even have to ask. _{Translated by foxs}

Sure enough, someone inside the room next door said something.

Hu Tiehua had to press his ear against the wooden partition before he could hear that it was Gongsun Jieyu’s voice.

His voice was very low, he spoke word by word, “Is it Chu Xiang Shuai? How about coming over here to have a chat?”

Turned out he was looking for Chu Liuxiang.

Hu Tiehua was not in a good mood, he was about to scold him, but when he looked back, he found out that the two beds were empty, Chu Liuxiang and Zhang San had slipped away to God knows where.

The man next door was talking again, he spoke in heavy voice, “Chu Xiang Shuai may not know who Zaixia really is, but …”

Hu Tiehua said loudly, “I know who you are? But Chu Liuxiang is not here.”

The man next door said, “I wonder where he went?”

Hu Tiehua said, “That man was born in the year of the rabbit, he runs around all over the place, only ghosts know where he slipped off to.”

The man next door said, “Gexia is …”

Hu Tiehua said, “My surname is Hu, why do you want to look for Chu Liuxiang? Telling me is just the same.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

The man next door said, “Oh …”

After saying the ‘Oh”, he did not continue talking.

Hu Tiehua waited for half a day; the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was not right.

Gongsun Jieyu had nothing to do with Chu Liuxiang at all, why did he suddenly look for Chu Liuxiang? Moreover, he did not want to come here openly to speak; it was a bit sneaky.

Could it be that he also had some secrets to tell Chu Liuxiang?

“This old stinky bug is becoming more and more useless, he slips away and did not even utter a word to me.”

Hu Tiehua squeezed his nose hard, he muttered, “I wasn’t drunk yesterday, why did I sleep like a dead pig?”

Actually, he himself did not realize that as long as there was Chu Liuxiang by his side, he would sleep especially deeply, because he knew that even if the sky fell, there would be Chu Liuxiang to prop it up, so he need not worry about it.

He quickly put on his shoes, thinking of going next door to ask Gongsun Jieyu, why did he look for Chu Liuxiang, and how he did he know Gou Zichang? _{Translated by foxs}

But he knocked on the door for half a day, there was still no response.

The door across the corridor opened, Gou Zichang poked his head out, “Hu Xiong is looking for them?”

Hu Tiehua did not even look back, he spoke coldly, “I don’t have any ailment, why would I knock on their door if I did not look for them?”

Laughing apologetically, Gou Zichang said, “But those two had just went upstairs, I saw them go!”

Hu Tiehua turned around abruptly. Fixing his gaze at him, he said, “It seems that you pay much attention to other people’s movements.”

Gou Zichang was startled, he stammered, “I … I …”

Hu Tiehua said loudly, “Since I knew you, I have always regarded you as a friend, haven’t I?”

Gou Zichang sighed and said, “I have always been very grateful.”

Hu Tiehua said, “In that case, whatever it is that you have to say, I hope you will tell me honestly, don’t hide it from me.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Gou Zichang said, “I never lie in front of Hu Xiong.”

“All right,” Hu Tiehua said, “Let me ask you then, what is Gongsun Jieyu and that Bai Lazhu’s background? How did you know them?”

Muttering to oneself irresolutely for half a day, Gou Zichang sighed and said, “Since Hu Xiong asked, I have no choice but to tell you, it’s just that …”

Lowering his voice, he continued, “This matter is of great importance, but the time is not yet ripe. After I tell Hu Xiong, I hope Hu Xiong can keep the secret for me. You must never, ever mention it in front of others.”

Without even thinking, Hu Tiehua immediately said, “All right, I give you my word.”

Gou Zichang said, “Even Chu Xiang Shuai …”

Hu Tiehua said, “Since I gave you my word, even in front of my laozi [father], I definitely will not say it. I, this person, have always been more trustworthy than Chu Liuxiang, could it be that you don’t trust me?”

Gou Zichang heaved a sigh of relief, he laughed and said, “With Hu Xiong’s word, I feel reassured.”

He pulled Hu Tiehua into his room and locked the door. _{Translated by foxs}

Ding Feng was also out.

Gou Zichang asked Hu Tiehua to sit down first, and then he spoke in heavy voice, “More than two months ago, a huge case occurred in Kaifeng Mansion [orig. Fu, could also mean ‘government office’]. Zhenyuan Jiangjun [General] who escorted the tribute from outside the Pass to the Capital, was originally stationed in Kaifeng’s yamen [government office in feudal China], but suddenly he lost his head in the middle of the night, and the batch of goods that was intended as tribute to the imperial court also went missing. Unexpectedly all 120 men accompanying him were killed, not a single living mouth was left.”

Thrilled, Hu Tiehua said, “Such a big matter happening, how come I never heard of it?”

Gou Zichang sighed and said, “Because this case is too big, if the imperial court is alarmed, no one can take responsibility, so we can only suppress it first, and report it when the real culprit is discovered.”

Knitting his brows, Hu Tiehua said, “Since the perpetrator did not leave any living mouth, his movement must be very clean, I am afraid it won’t be easy to investigate.”

Gou Zichang said, “But man proposes, God disposes [idiom]. They thought that the case was clean enough, but they did not know that Laotian [Ol’ Heaven, God] plainly left someone to be a witness, so that sooner or later they will not escape the net of justice.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Hu Tiehua said, “Who?”

Gou Zichang said, “It was Zhenyuan Jiangjun’s concubine. That night, she was serving Zhenyuan Jiangjun sleeping in his room, originally she could not escape their murderous hands. But when the accident happened, she was just relieving herself behind the bed. Finding a change was happening, she lay down under the bed. Although she could not see those two men’s faces, she could hear everything they said clearly.”

Blurted out laughing, Hu Tiehua said, “It seems like women’s lives are indeed longer than men’s.”

Gou Zichang said, “According to her, the perpetrators were two men, one old and one young. After accomplishing their deed, they intended to flee overseas, to look for a ‘spending gold cave’ [dictionary’s definition: money squandering establishment (e.g. gambling den, brothel, etc.)] to enjoy the rest of their lives. I pursued to this place just based on this clue.”

Astonished, Hu Tiehua said, “Listening to you, could it be that you are from the six doors[1]?” _{Translated by foxs}

Gou Zichang said, “I’m not an official constable, but only a personal guard of Xiong Da Jiangjun from outside the Pass. Entering the Pass this time, I am precisely under Xiong Da Jiangjun’s order to investigate this case.”

He chuckled, and then continued, “Only because Zaixia already entered the Jiangjun Fu [General’s Mansion, or seat of government] since I was young, and never moved about outside, I am very unfamiliar with the affairs in Jianghu, hence Hu Xiong mocked me.”

Listening to him, Hu Tiehua was already dumbstruck, only this time did he let out a long breath, shook his head and said with a laugh, “So that’s the case? Why didn’t you say it earlier? We almost blame you wrongly, the one who catch the thief is regarded as the robber instead, wouldn’t it be an extreme injustice?”

Smiling wryly, Gou Zichang said, “Because the mission Zaixia undertaking this time is extremely serious and extremely secret, hence I do not dare to casually reveal my identity, not to mention that Hai Kuotian, Xiang Tianfei, and Ding Feng are not quite law-abiding people. If they know that I’m the officer handling this case, I’m afraid it won’t be beneficial to me.”

Hu Tiehua nodded, and said, “Now that you told me, I completely understand … I wonder if you suspect that Gongsun Jieyu is the one who committed the crime?”

“That’s right,” Gou Zichang said, “The suspicion against these two men is indeed too great, so I went to their room this morning, precisely to sound out what they have to say.”

Hu Tiehua said, “What did you find out?”

Gou Zichang sighed and said, “People like them, naturally they guard their mouths like a closed bottle [idiom]. I went one time, it is clearly and easy to see that it did not yield any result, on the contrary, I beat the grass to scare the snake, they must have seen my identity. I’m afraid …”

His expression changed a couple of times, he did not continue.

“That’s right,” Hu Tiehua said, “Since they have seen your identity, I’m afraid they won’t let you go. Hereafter you really need to be more careful.”

He patted Gou Zichang on the shoulder, while laughing and said, “But now that I know about this matter, I definitely will not allow them to run amuck, you need not be worried.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Gou Zichang said, “Thank you very much; obtaining Hu Xiong’s help, what else do I have to worry about, it’s just that …”

He knitted his brows again, and spoke heavily, “These two men’s viciousness and deviousness are not something that ordinary people can match, plus currently we have no real evidence on them, so for the time being it is still better not to act blindly without thinking [idiom].”

Nodding his head, Hu Tiehua spoke slowly, “But these two men have no reason to kill Xiang Tianfei. Could it be that their purpose is to kill all the people on this boat to shut our mouth?”

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[1] Six Doors, lit. Six-leaf Doors, referring to the collective name of the three law divisions in ancient China. In other words: law enforcement agencies. In traditional Chinese architecture, building’s shape was strictly restricted by laws and rituals. No matter how big a state or county is, the gate can only have three bays (the bay on the front of the building, one bay is the space between the two pillars). There are two black lacquered doors on each bay, so there are six doors in total, so prefecture and county government offices are often commonly called ‘six doors’. (baike.baidu.com)