Chapter 34: Kindred Spirits

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Kindred Spirits

After exchanging a few words with his father, Zeng Anmin clarified everything, and the misunderstanding was resolved.

"Since you’re here on official business, come in. An Shiyi is inside." His father shifted his gaze to the nearby window. Obviously, bumping into his son in a place like this was too much to bear, even for someone with the thickest skin.

"Alright." Zeng Anmin actually wanted to ask what his father was doing here, but feeling it was a redundant question, he kept his mouth shut.

"Ms. Shiyi?" Stopping outside the folding screen, Zeng Anmin straightened his clothes and assumed a serious expression. His every gesture exuded the aura of a government official.

*SWISH.* The vertical curtains to the side swayed as a figure slowly walked out. The moment she appeared, an inexplicable floral fragrance drifted over. The rich, intoxicating scent was irresistible.

Looking at her attire, she wore a soft white jasmine mist-silk blouse and a trailing white plum blossom skirt that pooled on the floor like smoke. Tied with a soft silk sash, her beauty was breathtaking, like a fairy descending to the mortal realm. Her face was the picture of innocence, reminiscent of a first love, subconsciously stripping away any worldly desires from whoever looked at her.

She truly lived up to the title of a Cultured Courtesan; she certainly knew how to present herself. This was a stark contrast to the women downstairs, who competed to wear the most revealing clothes, terrified that people wouldn’t know they were selling their bodies.

"Greetings, sir," An Shiyi said, pursing her lips with an extremely elegant and dignified bearing.

Zeng Anmin gave a calm nod. "There is no need to be nervous. I will just ask a few questions and leave."

His voice was steady, his movements measured, and even after seeing An Shiyi, his gaze remained stern.

An Shiyi blinked and looked at Zeng Anmin with utmost seriousness. "Please ask your questions, sir." Her voice was soothing, like a babbling brook.

"Let me ask you, three months ago, on the seventeenth of the eighth month, did Shen Jun, the son of Jin Taiping, come looking for you?" Zeng Anmin asked, his face serious.

Jin Taiping was known as the number one shipping merchant in Jiangnan. Shen Jun was also a notoriously big spender in the flesh trade.

"Shen Jun..." An Shiyi’s delicate brows furrowed slightly as her eyes clouded with memory. A moment later, she slowly looked up and nodded in confirmation. "He did come. If I remember correctly, he arrived at the end of the Mao hour, and he was in a great hurry."

A sharp glint flashed in Zeng Anmin’s eyes. He stared straight at An Shiyi for a moment before asking, "Why do you remember it so clearly?"

It was highly suspicious for her to remember something from three months ago so clearly, down to the exact hour. It felt a bit like collusion.

An Shiyi lowered her head. "I was still asleep at the time and was hastily woken up by Ms. Yun. Mr. Shen was rather impatient..." At this point, she pursed her lips, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Therefore, I remember it a bit more clearly."

Hearing the whole story, a look of realization dawned on Zeng Anmin. Ah! Then there was no issue. He was impatient because he had just been teased, and Shen Jun was only seventeen. Plus, he had been drinking. It was normal for a young man to be full of vigor and easily aroused.

That made sense.

Zeng Anmin flushed slightly. He cleared his throat and was about to ask another question when his gaze suddenly froze. After a long pause, his expression turned grave. "Before my arrival, did anyone else ask you about Shen Jun?"

"No." An Shiyi looked up blankly, then added an extra question, "Did Mr. Shen commit a crime?"

Zeng Anmin didn’t answer. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, recalling the face of Xu Yunfeng, the Right Chief Clerk of the Observation Department.

There was something wrong with Xu Yunfeng. It was obvious that the man hadn’t investigated this case. If he had, how could he not have come to the Imperial Music Bureau to question An Shiyi?

Zeng Anmin’s brows knitted tightly together.

"Sir?" An Shiyi raised her head, secretly observing Zeng Anmin through the gaps in her bangs.

Zeng Anmin glanced over, catching her eye. Looking as though she had been startled, An Shiyi quickly lowered her head like a little girl who had done something wrong.

"Mm, I understand now." Zeng Anmin nodded slowly. There was no need to ask anything else. He had almost entirely ruled out Shen Jun as a suspect in his aunt’s murder, shifting most of his attention to the Right Chief Clerk, Xu Yunfeng.

Just as he turned around, he saw the somewhat impatient look on his father’s face nearby.

"Then I won’t disturb your leisure any longer." Zeng Anmin raised an eyebrow at his father.

His father remained speechless.

"Have fun and enjoy yourself." Zeng Anmin bared his teeth in an extremely suggestive grin. After stepping out, he even considerately closed the door for his father.

Once the door closed, the room descended into complete silence. His father sat expressionless, but a faint, sharp glint flickered in his eyes as he looked at An Shiyi.

"Does Your Excellency have any further questions?" An Shiyi asked, her expression incredibly respectful.

His father spoke in a flat tone that betrayed neither joy nor anger. "..."

Outside the door, Zeng Anmin turned around and looked at Dachun, who had been staring blankly into space for quite a while.

"Let’s go," Zeng Anmin said, frowning. He gave Dachun a push and took the lead downstairs. "What are you thinking about?"

With his usual "astute" gaze, Dachun asked foolishly, "Young Master, what were you and the Master... doing with that woman in there?"

What the hell?! Zeng Anmin could never have imagined Dachun’s imagination being this outrageously wild.

The next moment, his face flushed red. He practically jumped up and delivered a vicious slap to the back of Dachun’s head!

*SMACK!*

*HISS.* This kid’s head was quite hard. Suppressing his twitching eyelids, Zeng Anmin said, "Don’t talk nonsense! How could my dad be in there?! That wasn’t him."

"Oh..." Dachun blinked. He then reached out to push the door open, muttering, "Did I see wrong??"

"Hurry up and let’s go!" Zeng Anmin grabbed Dachun’s sleeve and dragged him downstairs.

At the Observation Department.

Zeng Anmin dismounted and walked slowly into the Government Office. His eyelids drooped, his Dan Feng eyes hinting that he was deep in thought.

*SWISH!!!* A sharp sound of something tearing through the air suddenly rang out nearby.

Zeng Anmin instinctively looked up, only to see a sharp arrow flying at an incredible speed toward the nearby shooting range.

*THWACK!!!* The arrow struck dead center on the bullseye, its Arrow Fletching vibrating violently.

What incredible Archery! Before Zeng Anmin could even voice the compliment, the target exploded into pieces!

Fuck! Was that a damn gun?! Zeng Anmin was dumbfounded. In his past life, he had only seen this kind of destructive power from a Barrett sniper rifle! Was this really an arrow shot by a human?

"Great Archery, Commander!!!" shouted a voice nearby.

Not far away, Wang Deli, the Commander of the Observation Department, chuckled smugly. Thumping his chest with a loud *THUMP THUMP*, he boasted, "This is nothing! If I used my full strength, this arrow wouldn’t just shatter the target—it would blow up the wall behind it too!

"What the hell are you laughing at?! Believe it or not, I’ll shoot an arrow right into your wife’s bed!"

Hearing this, Zeng Anmin’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. No wonder his father disliked this kind of crude Martial Artist.

"Eh? Young Master Zeng?! You’re back from your case?" Spotting Zeng Anmin, Wang Deli jogged over, grinning broadly as he tried to cozy up to him.

Zeng Anmin didn’t bear any ill will toward the man. He simply smiled and replied, "I had a case. I went to the Imperial Music Bureau to ask the courtesan Shiyi for some clues."

"The courtesan Shiyi?" Wang Deli’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. He grinned in an extremely exaggerated manner. "I had the pleasure of doing her once two years ago. Tsk tsk, she was so tender!!"

He was a Martial Artist through and through—his focus wasn’t even on the case.

Zeng Anmin’s mouth twitched. It seemed this man and his father were kindred spirits after all!