Chapter Sixty: The Secret of the Wooden Box

Shopkeeper Xu shook his head and said, "I have no idea!"

"Although Shiqi is clever, she hasn't received the Constable inheritance and doesn't know how to investigate cases."

"That old fellow Shi Chongguang, before he passed away, worried about Shiqi and entrusted her to my care. But I am old now and useless. Besides this tattooing skill and fortune-telling, what else can I do to help Shiqi?"

"When I was tattooing you, I had a sudden urge to cast a fortune-telling hexagram. It turns out you can help Shiqi!"

Shopkeeper Xu continued, "I don't have anything impressive to offer in this lifetime. Along with the gold and pearls you gave me, I only have two properties left of any real value. Consider them my compensation!"

Shopkeeper Xu pulled out two property ownership certificates and said, "If you are willing to help, we can go process the paperwork right away!"

As he spoke, Shopkeeper Xu looked up at my face with eyes full of eager anticipation.

At that moment, he was no longer a fierce and unrestrained martial arts wanderer seeking vengeance and retribution, but simply an old man doing everything in his power to protect his granddaughter.

Old Thief Yuan and Ghostly Elder Ye couldn't help sighing simultaneously—Shopkeeper Xu's helplessness and expectations at this moment struck a chord with them.

They were also old. Even if they could still pick up their blades and fight someone to the death, how much longer could they protect me and Ye Huan?

Heroes facing their twilight years and brave warriors turning gray—this was a reality that every Jianghu wanderer was unwilling to experience yet had to face.

The two old men also looked at me: they wanted me to take on this job.

However, Old Thief Yuan had already handed Number One Peace Street over to me, so I had to make the final call on business matters.

I gently pushed Shopkeeper Xu's property certificates aside. "Take your money back, and I'll take the job."

Shopkeeper Xu's previously dimming gaze instantly lit up. "Then I must thank—"

"Don't thank me just yet!" I waved my hand. "I have a blood feud with the Thirteen Ghost Gates. Once the job is done, I will definitely go looking for trouble with them. If Shiqi gets dragged into it then, you mustn't blame me."

Shopkeeper Xu gritted his teeth and said, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it!"

I nodded. "As long as you don't have any objections. How do I find Shiqi?"

Shopkeeper Xu said, "I'll give you Shiqi's address. You can go straight there once your injuries have healed, and I'll call her right away."

"These minor injuries are nothing; we can still fight!" Seeing that my IV drip was almost finished, I pulled out the needle myself and jumped off the bed. "My name is Yuan Zheng, and he is Ye Huan. We are from Peace Street in Shengtian. Don't forget to tell Shiqi."

"Little Third Master of Shengtian?" Shopkeeper Xu asked in shock. "Then these two gentlemen, which one is Third Master Yuan Kaishan?"

Old Thief Yuan cupped his fists in a salute and said, "Untalented as I am, I am indeed Yuan Kaishan."

Shopkeeper Xu acted as if he were meeting an idol, becoming so excited he stumbled over his words. "So, you are the Third Master?"

"When Shi Chongguang was alive, he said that throughout his life he only truly admired three people, and the Eastern Evil Hero Yuan Kaishan was number one!"

"That's ancient history, ancient history!" Yuan Kaishan waved his hand and said, "Nowadays I'm just an old codger who drinks tea and walks birds. The Jianghu now belongs to the young people!"

Shopkeeper Xu was even more in awe. "Mr. Yuan, to be able to let go of your great reputation in the turbulent Jianghu and live in peaceful seclusion—that is a state of enlightenment beyond the mortal world!"

*Sigh*—

I sighed inwardly. Another one taken in.

The Evil Hero was my grandfather, not Old Thief Yuan.

What kind of enlightenment did he have!

If you threw him back into the Jianghu right now, he'd probably cry!

Unable to bear the sight of a white-bearded old man looking with utter adoration at an old swindler, I grabbed Ye Huan and left.

Although Shiqi did not live within Changchun city proper, it wasn't far away. Following the address Shopkeeper Xu gave me, I found Shiqi's detached courtyard house, and she was already waiting at the entrance.

Wearing a sports outfit with her hair tied in a long ponytail, the girl wasn't exceptionally pretty, but she possessed a natural amiability. No wonder Shopkeeper Xu treated her like a precious treasure.

Seeing me, Shiqi proactively extended her hand. "You must be Little Third Master, right? I'm Shiqi, nice to meet you!"

I politely shook her hand and said, "I prefer addressing each other by our names; save the formal pronouns for the old men! My name is Yuan Zheng, not some Little Third Master!"

Shiqi blinked and said, "Then let's reintroduce ourselves. Yuan Zheng, I'm Shiqi!"

For a moment, I didn't know how to respond, so I put on a serious expression and said, "Shopkeeper Xu told me about your situation. Have you made any progress this past month?"

Shiqi shook her head. "I haven't even stepped outside this house! Those predecessors of my grandfather... it's a long story."

I couldn't help frowning. "Take me in to see!"

After Shiqi led me into the house, the first thing I saw was half a circle of six wooden chests arranged neatly.

Someone inside a chest said, "What good is bringing in help? If anyone offloaded with investigating could handle cases, what would be the use of us constables?"

Another voice chimed in, "Shiqi, this is an unsolved case from decades ago. Without our help, you won't even find a clue on how to investigate, let alone crack the case."

"Listen to us, accept the constable inheritance, and become a ghost constable. We can help you thoroughly investigate all the cases from back then."

"This is your only chance!"

Someone else spoke up, "There's nothing wrong with becoming a constable! With our help, you will soon become the number one divine constable under heaven, gaining both fame and fortune."

"It's a win-win situation; why must you be so stubborn?"

Just as Shiqi was about to reply, I stopped her. I looked at the centermost chest and said, "What if we refuse?"

Someone in that chest laughed and said, "If you refuse, we have plenty of time to wear you down. Eventually, you will agree."

I said indifferently, "One inch to the left of the chest."

Ye Huan's wooden blade flashed out of its sheath instantly, piercing straight through the wooden panel of the chest. Before Ye Huan even withdrew his blade, wisps of green fire began to drift out from the splintered chest.

The ghost inside that chest shouted angrily, "How dare you commit offenses against your teachers and ancestors!"

I sneered and said, "Whose teachers and ancestors are you supposed to be? Keep hacking! Just don't ruin the things inside the chests."

Ye Huan thrust his wrist forward, and a gentle internal qi began to continuously vibrate inside the chest. The miserable shrieks of the ghost echoed endlessly, and puffs of green fire spilled out from the cracks in the lid.

The ghost in another chest shouted furiously, "Even if you are not the successors of the constables, you have no right to destroy souls at will. Our seniority is even higher than the ancestors of the Six Fan School. If you dare lay a hand on us, the Six Fan School will not let you off."

I sneered. "The Qing Dynasty fell ages ago, and you're still babbling about the Six Fan School."

"Ye Huan, leave that chest alone and destroy the entities inside the remaining four chests. I'll give him time to contact the Six Fan School; I'd love to see what kind of big shots they can summon."

Without saying another word, Ye Huan raised his blade and slashed at one of the chests. His wooden blade didn't smash the chest apart, but his internal qi penetrated directly into the wood. Someone inside immediately wailed, "We didn't provoke you, show some mercy!"

Yet Ye Huan showed no intention of stopping, continuously channeling his internal qi into the wooden chest, and phosphorescent flames once again drifted out from within.