Chapter 260: Chapter 220: Women May Lie, but Fists Do Not
With that, Jiang Xiu hurriedly left.
On the verge of tears, Xu Kai could only trudge back to his room.
The next morning, Wu Liangchen waited until the sun was high in the sky before Xu Kai finally emerged, shaky on his feet and sporting two dark circles under his eyes.
"Master Wu, you’re up early?" Xu Kai said with a yawn.
"You call this early?"
"Oh dear, I must have overslept!" Xu Kai said with a feeble smile.
"Didn’t you say you were going to the office today? I’ll go with you!"
Wu Liangchen planned to kill two birds with one stone: he could check out the famous masters of the Imperial Capital’s martial world while also searching for Zen Master Jingxin’s whereabouts.
"Alright, alright. Let me get dressed, and we’ll set off!"
Soon enough, Xu Kai had changed into his official uniform.
I have to admit, once he put on the uniform, Xu Kai’s entire demeanor changed.
Even though his second-rank position came with no real duties or authority, he was still a high-ranking court official and had an air of prestige about him.
However, upon seeing Wu Liangchen already waiting by the door, he dared not dally and trotted over to his official sedan chair.
"Let’s go! To the Ministry of Justice Office!"
To be an official in the Capital City, a sedan chair was indispensable. Even if one couldn’t afford a private one, they had to rent one just to keep up appearances.
It was a matter of face that allowed for no carelessness whatsoever.
As a result, there were many businesses in the Capital City that rented out official sedan chairs. Moreover, these establishments also engaged in other lines of work.
Namely, pallbearing!
The term might sound like it means ’to argue,’ but in this case, it was meant literally.
The so-called pallbearing referred to carrying the coffin during a funeral procession.
Because coffins were heavy, they required hemp ropes to be threaded through and then slung over a large wooden pole for carrying. Hence the name.
And one shouldn’t look down on this profession.
After all, any business related to funerary affairs was very profitable.
Pallbearing was no exception; it had long since formed a complete set of rules and procedures, making it difficult for outsiders to enter the field.
The officials weren’t squeamish about it; they even preferred to use wooden poles from grand funerals as their sedan poles.
In their words, it was a "promotion pole," which they believed was wonderfully auspicious!
Once Xu Kai was settled, the bearers straightened their backs, lifting the sedan off the ground. They then set off at a quick yet steady pace toward the Ministry of Justice Office.
Wu Liangchen followed at an unhurried pace, finding the bearers’ footwork quite interesting. The front two were not in sync with the back two; they were offset by half a step.
This half-step shouldn’t be underestimated, as there was a great deal of technique behind it.
It was this technique that prevented the person in the sedan from feeling the undulation and jolting of their steps.
On the street, rickshaws zipped back and forth, and horse and mule carts kept to their own lanes. The official sedan, however, wove through the traffic at an incredible speed, slipping through every gap until it quickly arrived before the Ministry of Justice Office.
After getting out of the sedan, Xu Kai casually handed the bearers a signed voucher.
This served as proof of one ride, which would be settled up at the end of the month.
The bearers nodded, took the voucher, and quickly departed.
They were clearly off to find their next fare.
Wu Liangchen watched with fascination and couldn’t help but ask, "How much does one trip in the sedan cost?"
Xu Kai sighed. "It used to be one hundred coppers from my house to the Ministry of Justice Office. Now the price has gone up to a hundred and twenty. It’s outrageous!"
It might not have seemed like much, but Xu Kai had to take it every day. A round trip meant two fares, so over two hundred coppers a day was not a small expense.
Just as Xu Kai was sighing over the soaring prices, an exceptionally luxurious official sedan chair stopped in the distance, and an old acquaintance of his, He Chang’an, stepped out.
The moment he saw Xu Kai, He Chang’an broke into a wide, toothy grin.
"Lord Xu, you just got back and you’re already reporting for duty? Why not rest a few more days?"
Xu Kai snorted coldly, not bothering to spare He Chang’an a word.
He Chang’an didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he glanced at Wu Liangchen and suddenly cupped his fist in salute.
"You must be Young Hero Wu. Your heroic bearing is truly extraordinary. Impressive, very impressive!"
Wu Liangchen finally understood how this He Chang’an had gotten so far in his career.
That kind of slickness was not something an ordinary person could possess.
However, he had no interest in these seasoned bureaucrats. Without even giving the man a glance, he just said coolly,
"Let’s go."
"Let’s go! Let’s go!" Xu Kai cheered up again. He shot He Chang’an a smug look, then trotted ahead eagerly to lead the way.
The smile never left He Chang’an’s face. He quietly watched Wu Liangchen’s back, his thoughts a mystery.
"Lord Xu!"
"Morning, Lord Xu!"
All along the way, colleagues greeted him one after another.
Xu Kai was rather overwhelmed by the attention.
After all, this was a courtesy he had never been afforded before.
But then he remembered Wu Liangchen was walking behind him, and it all made sense.
’These old timers must have heard the news,’ he thought. ’That’s why they’re so eager to greet me.’
Wu Liangchen completely ignored the curious stares, and they soon arrived at Xu Kai’s office.
It was a room in the east wing, and quite damp and cold inside.
Xu Kai smiled, a little embarrassed. Just as he was about to order someone to fetch a brazier, one was brought in, already filled with the finest silver charcoal.
Warmed by the fine charcoal, the room quickly grew comfortable.
"What time period are you planning to search? I’ll have the clerks bring all the relevant records over."
Wu Liangchen thought for a moment. "From about this time last year until the present."
Wu Liangchen had arrived at the Huangpu Guard after the New Year, and the people at Jingxin Courtyard had told him that Zen Master Jingxin had already been gone for some time.
If he counted back from then, it was almost exactly a full year.
Xu Kai looked troubled.
"What? Is there a problem?"
"No, no, not a problem. It’s just that a huge number of people pass through the Capital every day. The cumulative total for a year is massive. To find the person you’re looking for in all that... it’s going to take some time!"
Wu Liangchen nodded. "I know. Just do it as quickly as possible."
Soon, the records were delivered. They filled two whole desks, forming stacks that were half a man’s height.
Wu Liangchen helped search for a while before his brow furrowed.
The information recorded within was too chaotic; there was no discernible pattern at all.
Every last detail was included—from farmers to Martial Artists, men and women, old and young—all mixed together without any sort of categorization.
This method may have saved the scribes some trouble, but it made searching for anything specific as difficult as ascending to heaven.
After patiently looking for a long time, Wu Liangchen rubbed his aching eyes.
’This won’t do.’
’If it’s just me and Xu Kai doing the searching, we won’t make any headway for at least ten or fifteen days.’
"Get a few more people to help. I’ll pay them for their time," Wu Liangchen said.
Xu Kai hesitated, unsure if anyone would be willing to do such a thing.
The result, however, far exceeded his expectations. The moment he put the word out, over a dozen of his colleagues expressed their willingness to help.
Many hands make light work. With their help, the progress accelerated significantly.
Even so, it took them the entire day. It wasn’t until dusk, when the lanterns were beginning to be lit, that they finally finished going through all the records.
The result: nothing.
Xu Kai was crestfallen.
’How could there be nothing?’
Wu Liangchen, however, was not surprised.
This Zen Master Jingxin was clearly no ordinary person.
If a person of his caliber were to sneak into the Capital City, it would be very difficult for anyone to detect him.
Of course, it was also possible that Zen Master Jingxin had never come to the Imperial Capital at all, but Wu Liangchen felt that this was a very small possibility.
It was a strange feeling, like some kind of intuition from the great beyond.
"Alright, everyone has worked hard. Take this money—consider it my treat for drinks!"
Wu Liangchen placed a stack of silver coins on the table and, ignoring their polite refusals, walked straight out.
Outside, the city lights were brilliant, and the faint aroma of cooking food drifted in from the distance.
Only then did Wu Liangchen realize he hadn’t eaten all day.
But he didn’t feel hungry.
In fact, ever since Wu Liangchen broke through to the Blood Exchange stage, he rarely felt hungry.
He could even go a day or two, sometimes three, on a single meal, just enough to replenish his consumed Qi and Blood.
But Wu Liangchen still preferred three meals a day, not just to accumulate his Life Fire, but also to enjoy the simple pleasure of food.
’What should I eat tonight?’
’Maybe some roasted meat. The weather is perfect for it!’
Mulling it over, Wu Liangchen walked out of the Ministry of Justice Office.
Then he stopped in his tracks.
Because a pale pink carriage was parked across the street.
Wu Liangchen frowned, knowing trouble had arrived.
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