There is a god in the sky

Chapter 285 The City God Temple Turmoil 12

There was a lot of trash on the ground: oil paper used to wrap food, gnawed meat bones, and empty wine jars.

The shopkeeper's face darkened as he cursed, "Country bumpkins are just country bumpkins, they're filthy!"

Xiao Ji asked, "Do you remember their accents?"

"I remember, but I can't tell from the accent. I only know that they're not from Bianjing."

"Anything else?"

"Oh, right, each of them had a piece of animal hide sewn onto their clothes. It looked like a patch, but nobody uses animal hide for patches, right? Anyway, it was pretty strange."

Xiao Ji still remembered the clothes worn on those corpses; they weren't made of animal skin.

After leaving the inn, Xiao Ji instructed the innkeeper, "If you remember anything about them, go to the Criminal Investigation Department and let them know."

"Yes, yes, this humble subject has remembered and will certainly cooperate with you in the investigation!"

The shopkeeper was terrified.

These people are really brave; they actually dared to assassinate the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince blames them, their inn will be finished.

Xiao Ji led his men to a breakfast shop.

This business is booming and has many customers. It is most famous for its mutton and steamed buns.

Xiao Ji led his men to sit down, ordered some food, and chatted with the waiter while waiting.

"Did anyone come here early the day before yesterday to buy a large amount of food to take away?"

Sui Feng handed over the oil paper he had just picked up. The oil paper didn't have any special markings, but it still smelled like steamed buns.

"Sir, what a question! Our shop is doing well, and people come in to take away food every day. I don't know how to answer your question."

"That's enough for about fifteen people. I suppose you don't get such a big order every day?"

Upon hearing this, the landlady exclaimed, "Don't say that, I remember that man. He was big and burly, bought a lot of things, but he was too good at bargaining. He insisted that I give him an extra jar of wine and a bag of fried beans."

Do you remember what that person looked like?

"I remember, but how should I put it, I just have an ordinary face with a pair of eyes, a nose, and a mouth, nothing special."

"Does his coat have animal skin patches?"

"There was a wolf skin, but it didn't look like a patch. It was sewn onto the left breast. I thought it looked pretty good and took a second look at it."

Xiao Ji raised an eyebrow. It seemed more like a mark of some organization.

But those who use animal hides as markings must be people from the north. Could they be foreigners?

"Oh, right, something fell out when that person took out his money. I glanced at it and it looked like an iron plaque with a bird engraved on it."

Xiao Ji and Sui Feng's expressions both changed.

"Is it an eagle with its wings spread?" Sui Feng asked excitedly.

"I don't know what an eagle looks like, but it definitely has wings. I think ordinary people wouldn't wear something like that; it's something only barbarians would have."

Xiao Ji tried the mutton and steamed buns, and they were indeed quite delicious.

Everyone else knew this was a government-funded meal, so they ate to their hearts' content, each one of them eating until their mouths were greasy.

When it was time to pay the bill, Xiao Ji casually asked, "Boss, when the assassination happened on the street the other day, did you see any suspicious people fleeing over here?"

This street is adjacent to the street where the prince was attacked; if the assassins escaped, they might have taken this route.

The landlord desperately tried to signal to his wife, but she ignored him and stared at Xiao Ji, saying, "I did see a few people running past with knives in their hands, but they disappeared in the blink of an eye."

We ordinary folks wouldn't dare mess with someone like that, so we didn't say anything when the soldiers came to search us before.

"How many people are there?"

"There should be seven or eight, and it seems that a few of them were injured and were being helped away."

Officer Xing scolded, "Why didn't you report such a big matter to the authorities sooner?"

"They didn't ask, and we don't know where those people went either."

What if the authorities think we didn't find the person after all we're offering clues? What if the assassins come back for revenge?

If it weren't for the fact that the host's family saw that Xiao Ji was handsome, they wouldn't have been so honest in telling him so much.

Xiao Ji stopped Constable Xing, thanked him, and even doubled the amount he was owed for the meal.

The case has made great progress, and everyone's efforts over the past half day have finally paid off.

On their way back to the yamen, the group encountered the Imperial City Guard arresting people in the city.

The people arrested were a business owner, a dozen or so people of all ages, who were all tied up and thrown into a car with an iron cage.

Such a scene is rarely seen, not only by ordinary people but also by government officials.

Constable Xing leaned close to Xiao Ji and whispered, "The Imperial City Guard is using all the methods they used more than a decade ago."

Those iron cage carts used to be terrifying; everyone was afraid of them.

Because its appearance means that someone will definitely be taken away.

Those who were taken away by the Imperial City Guard never returned alive.

"Commander Zhao!" Xiao Ji stepped forward to greet Zhao Jinxiao.

People's rights have changed, and even their attitudes and temperaments have undergone tremendous changes.

When I dealt with Zhao Jinxiao before, he was polite and didn't seem like a ruthless person.

Who would have thought that seeing him again now, one could see a hint of ferocity in his face alone.

"Lord Xiao, have you found a new lead?" Zhao Jinxiao saw that he was traveling with officials and must be investigating a case.

"Yes, I have made some discoveries. I wonder if Commander Zhao has time to discuss them?"

Zhao Jinxiao beckoned to a subordinate, gave him a few instructions, and then walked aside to talk with Xiao Ji.

"Commander Zhao, have you heard of the organization 'Desert Lone Eagle'?"

"Of course, this is a killer organization made up of wanted criminals. They only care about money and not people, but most of them operate in the northwestern border area."

Zhao Jinxiao wasn't stupid; he immediately understood what he meant.

"You mean, the assassin who tried to kill the Crown Prince was from Desert Lone Eagle?"

Xiao Ji nodded, "That is indeed my suspicion. Some people have seen that their clothes have animal skin sewn on the left breast and that they carry iron plaques with eagles spreading their wings."

"That could very well be them. They're a bunch of ruthless killers. Letting them roam around the capital will definitely lead to trouble."

With a direct lead, finding the person becomes much easier.

The people in the Northwest have different lifestyles and accents than those in the capital. As long as they haven't left, there's still hope of catching them.

"I believe they haven't left yet. Some of them are injured. If they had left the city, it's impossible that no one would have noticed."

"It seems I'll have to make a trip to various clinics and pharmacies."

In some matters, the Imperial City Guard is much better and more efficient than the Criminal Investigation Department.

Xiao Ji handed the task over to Zhao Jinxiao and led his men back to the yamen.

All the way there, he was still wondering what crime the family arrested by the Imperial City Guard had committed. But as soon as he got back to the yamen, he knew the answer.

"I heard he writes anti-government books. His father was very famous when he was young, and everyone loved reading his stories."

His latest book is titled "The Demonic Cult," which tells the story of a demonic cult leader who dominates the martial arts world and marries a princess.

Although it's just a storybook, he dared to use the name of a princess of the current dynasty—what is this if not a seditious work?

Xiao Ji strongly suspected that the old gentleman probably didn't know the princess's name; it might just be a coincidence.

Even more coincidentally, it happened just when the Imperial City Guard began to exert its power, and that's why he was arrested.