# 185. Embezzlement
"I used the Sitianjian’s Qi-watching technique to observe them. All of them have a blood aura," Xu Qi'an said.
In the context of Qi Watching, anyone with experience, especially a Gold Gong, would undoubtedly know what a blood aura signifies.
"How do you know Qi-Watching?" Jiang Lyuzhong asked, before turning towards the government ship, extending his hand towards a white-robed arcanist who had come out to watch the commotion.
An invisible force distorted the air, pulling the flailing white-cloak onto the ship.
"Check their qi," Jiang Lyuzhong said gently.
The white-cloak frowned, expressing his displeasure. Despite facing a high-ranking martial artist, his pride as a arcanist gave him the confidence to stand firm.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up," Xu Qi'an urged.
"Oh, oh..." The white-cloaked arcanist obediently nodded, and after a moment of silence, a clear light shone in his eyes.
He carefully observed the cabin, then retracted the light and said, "Indeed, their blood aura is overwhelming."
Jiang Lyuzhong's eyes sharpened instantly. To be thorough, he asked, "Any other abnormalities?"
"Yes!"
Xu Qi'an, confident in his actions, continued, “There are a few other suspicious points: One, there are signs of a recent fight in the cabin.
“Two, these people aren't seasoned boatmen because they don't even know how to remove the muddy taste from river fish.
Three, their guilty conscience is too high. From their initial panic upon meeting us to their complete compliance with all my demands without any resentment... Hah, from my understanding of officials, they're usually a tough bunch. Even if they wouldn't dare offend a Nightwatcher, if they were truly innocent, they should have complained a bit. After all, the Transport Office doesn't fall under the Nightwatchers' jurisdiction.
“Their behaviour, eager to appease us with whatever we wanted, is too suspicious."
*Not knowing how to remove the fishy taste—even remembering such details—Xu Ningyan is indeed a genius in investigation.* Jiang Lyuzhong marveled inwardly but maintained a calm exterior as he nodded, "Well considered, good job."
He then asked, "This place is only half a day's journey from Yuzhou. They have a blood aura and have taken lives, but how did they manage to kill near Yuzhou?"
"At night," Xu Qi'an replied.
Jiang Lyuzhong pondered for a moment and understood. Based on the current time, this ship had set off from Yuzhou during the night.
Killing under the cover of darkness wouldn't attract attention.
Moments later, the Nightwatchers gathered everyone on the ship onto the deck, all tightly bound.
Zhu Guangxiao clasped his fists and reported, "There are a total of sixty-two people on the ship, all accounted for."
Jiang Lyuzhong nodded, looked at the bearded man disguised as a Transport Office captain, and said sternly, "Wake him up."
The awakening process was rough. Zhu Guangxiao slapped the bearded man awake, causing him to moan in agony.
This man, disguised as a Transport Office constable, scanned his surroundings and quickly realised his predicament, his face turning ashen.
He still couldn't believe that he had been exposed. Where did it go wrong?
"I ask, you answer. If you lie or hide anything, you'll lose a finger," Jiang Lyuzhong's emotionless voice rang out.
The bearded man looked up and, upon meeting those penetrating eyes that seemed to see through his soul, shivered and prostrated himself on the ground.
"Your real identity!"
"This commoner is called Fang He, a wanderer in the Jianghu, I formed a group called the Yellow Flag Gang in Yuzhou to make a living."
"Does making a living include killing government officials and seizing imperial iron ore?"
"No, no, sir… I was just hired to do the job. The one who directed me to do this was the Director of the Transport Office in Yuzhou. He informed us that tonight, there would be a barge headed to the capital carrying iron ore. He instructed us to kill the ship's guards and seize the iron ore."
*Who the hell is that… director of shit out of my arse…* Xu Qi'an's mind was full of questions.
Since joining the Nightwatchers and gradually getting involved in official matters, Xu Qi'an often found himself confused by the myriad of official titles.
*The Director of the Transport Office orchestrated all this?* The Nightwatchers exchanged silent glances, all showing shock.
Even Jiang Lyuzhong's expression became serious.
It was clear they were dealing with a major case of embezzlement.
"This doesn't make sense," Xu Qi'an shook his head, raising a question, "Why have you kill and seize the ship? If the goal was just to steal the iron ore, it would be much safer to cooperate with officials. Working with you is riskier."
Jiang Lyuzhong glanced at him and explained, "The Transport Offices in each province are divided into the Shore Patrol Division and the Transport Division. The Shore Patrol Division manages the canal, including the inspection and storage of grain, salt, and iron. The Transport Division handles the escort duties."
So, the Transport Division officials could only act while at sea... Xu Qi'an nodded, "So, to completely cover up the crime, they made the ship and its guards disappear? That way, the Transport Division would also appear to be victims."
Jiang Lyuzhong continued questioning, "After seizing the iron ore, how would you handle it?"
The bearded man shook his head, "We were only responsible for delivering the iron ore to Yunzhou. The route was from Yuzhou, via Shazhou, and to Yunzhou, where someone would take over."
Yunzhou?!
Jiang Lyuzhong's expression changed immediately.
*Damn, Yunzhou again... Right, the Transport Office is under the Ministry of Industry, controlled by the Qi clique. The Qi clique is colluding with the Church of the Warlock God, secretly supplying military materials to Yunzhou... This all adds up. But transporting iron ore... the implications are terrifying.*
"Who is your contact? From your tone, this isn't the first time you've done this."
"This year... we've done it three times. In total, we've transported a hundred thousand pounds of iron ore to Yunzhou."
Jiang Lyuzhong asked a few more questions, then instructed, "Stay on this barge, change course to follow us to Yuzhou. Keep a close watch on these criminals."
He then said to Xu Qi'an, "Bring him and come with me back to the ship."
This time, Xu Qi'an didn't rely on his own strength to return to the official ship. Instead, a burst of qi carried him, floating in the air, following Jiang Lyuzhong as they flew across several dozen meters, landing beside Inspector Zhang.
"What happened? Why did you intercept an official barge?" Inspector Zhang asked repeatedly.
"There was indeed an incident..." Jiang Lyuzhong made a gesture inviting him, "Please, Inspector General, come inside."
Jiang Lyuzhong recounted Xu Qi'an's findings and Fang He's confession to Inspector Zhang. Then, in Inspector Zhang's presence, he re-interrogated Fang He.
After hearing Fang He's testimony, Inspector Zhang's expression grew solemn.
"Besides the Director of the Transport Division, which other officials were involved?"
“I… I don’t know…”
Inspector Zhang looked at Xu Qi'an, "Take him away first, then come back. We have some matters to discuss with you."
This statement implied that Inspector Zhang already regarded Xu Qi'an as a peer he could consult with, rather than a mere subordinate.
Xu Qi'an escorted Fang He out of the room, and handed him over to Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao, instructing them to keep a close watch on him. He then returned, closing the door behind him.
Inspector Zhang watched him return, his expression serious. "What do you make of this?"
"Your subordinate has a question," Xu Qi'an replied.
When Jiang Lyuzhong and Inspector Zhang looked at him, Xu Qi'an shared his thoughts, “The Minister of Industry has already fallen from power. As a member of the Qi clique, he should be lying low and retracting his claws to observe the situation. Why, then, is the Transport Office in Yuzhou continuing to send iron ore to Yunzhou at such a critical moment?
“Furthermore, even though bandits in Yunzhou are rampant, they are ultimately nothing more than local warlords. It's understandable for the Ministry of Works to send military supplies, cannons, and other equipment, but secretly transporting iron ore to Yunzhou... Can the bandits even handle that? What is their intention?”
Inspector Zhang closed his eyes, lightly tapping the table with his fingers, murmuring, "The Qi clique is colluding with the Church of the Warlock God... supplying Yunzhou with military equipment, cannons, and now iron ore... Salt, iron, and gunpowder are prohibited from being exported by the Great Feng..."
He paused, then suddenly opened his eyes wide with a look of horror, spitting out one word: "Rebellion."
The Qi clique was massively supplying Yunzhou with military necessities, and now with the addition of iron ore, if not for rebellion, it was hard to think of any other explanation.
If it was just supporting bandits, why go to such lengths?
Realising this, Inspector Zhang stood up and paced the room, glancing occasionally at Jiang Lyuzhong and Xu Qi'an.
"Xu Ningyan, you've given me another headache... encountering this matter will undoubtedly delay our journey."
Although he said this, his tone and expression showed no sign of blame, instead, there was a strange mix of concern and excitement.
Jiang Lyuzhong said, "Reporting this to the capital will be a significant achievement for you, sir."
"And you deserve credit for this as well," Inspector Zhang said, patting Xu Qi'an's shoulder firmly.
Regardless of the outcome of the Yunzhou trip, the mere fact that Xu Qi'an uncovered this case was a major achievement. Even if they accomplished nothing in Yunzhou, this would more than make up for it, and even bring merit.
All of this was due to Xu Qi'an's keen "sense."
After a moment, Inspector Zhang calmed down, sat back in his chair, and considered the current situation. He had three options:
First, pretend this incident never happened and continue to Yunzhou, avoiding complications.
Second, disguise some men as the Transport Office's escort guards, forcing Fang He to lead the way and meet the contact in Yunzhou.
Third, head to the Yuzhou Transport Office to handle this case and apprehend the mastermind.
The first option was immediately ruled out. The second option would be too time-consuming, as traveling by water to Yunzhou, via Shazhou, would take at least ten days to half a month, which didn't fit their schedule. The Yuzhou Transport Office was a much closer lead.
Inspector Zhang voiced his choice and received unanimous approval from Jiang Lyuzhong and Xu Qi'an.
At that moment, Inspector Zhang felt that having their support was enough.
...
At noon, the government ship arrived at the largest transport dock in Yuzhou, slowly docking.
As soon as the barge docked, it drew the attention of the dockworkers, who swarmed around. However, upon seeing the heavily armed Huben Guards escorting the Transport Office's men, they retreated in fear.
Leaving some Guards to watch over the ship, Inspector Zhang and Jiang Lyuzhong, along with a large contingent, headed straight to the Yuzhou Transport Office.