Deities Are All Just My Food-Chapter 2165 - 963: Case Solved!

"Do you think I don’t want to?"

The Prefect was not flustered. Although he didn’t know why these people wanted to find those noblewomen, he knew that for them to achieve this goal, they would have to cooperate with him.

"Losing those noblewomen would lead to my impeachment, and at the very least, I’d face exile!"

"I want to find those noblewomen more urgently than you!"

The Prefect’s expression was stern, exuding a calmness amidst turmoil: "After the incident, I locked down Prefecture City and arranged for trusted aides to guard the city gates."

"If a group of women were hiding in the city, it’s impossible for them not to be discovered!"

The Prefect was furious this time, capturing all the leaders of those notorious gangs, and after a session of punishment, many chose to cooperate.

The information channels of these people were both varied and plentiful, but none of them found any clues.

After explaining the situation, Gu Qingqiu frowned slightly and then instructed, "Untie the Prefect!"

With a swift swing of Xia Hongyao’s dagger, the hemp rope binding the Prefect was cut.

"Have you had anyone monitoring Shen Caishen’s and the Punishment Officer’s residences during this time?"

Lin Baici asked.

"Yes!"

The Prefect glanced at Lin Baici, thinking that anyone with any sense would do such a thing.

"Bring the people you sent aside, I want to question them!"

Gu Qingqiu urged.

"Now?"

The Prefect saw Gu Qingqiu nod and, after a moment’s thought, suggested, "Why don’t you all come back to my office with me? It’s more convenient for work there!"

"Fine!"

Gu Qingqiu did not refuse. She was not afraid of entering a lion’s den; with Lin Baici’s and Xia Hongyao’s combat abilities, they could fight through the entire county.

At dawn, the group returned to the Prefect’s office, and the Prefect called all his trusted aides back.

In the side hall, Gu Qingqiu looked at these servants and began the questioning.

The biggest suspects were certainly Shen Caishen and the Punishment Officer.

Xia Hongyao listened intently, but the servants said that Shen Caishen had secluded himself due to excessive worry leading to illness, during which no abnormalities occurred.

The Punishment Officer was early to leave and late to return, fully dedicated to investigating the case.

"Did the Punishment Officer visit Shen Caishen’s house?"

Gu Qingqiu inquired.

"Once!"

The servant bowed and answered.

"It seems the Punishment Officer is more suspicious!"

Xia Hongyao deduced.

"Wrong, I can confirm Shen Caishen is definitely involved!"

Gu Qingqiu’s expression remained calm.

"Ah?"

Xia Hongyao was stunned: "What’s the reason?"

"Alumni?"

Gu Qingqiu glanced at Lin Baici, wanting him to explain.

"We’ve investigated, Shen Caishen is famously doting towards his daughter, so once such a person loses his daughter, even with a slightest chance to prove she isn’t dead, he’d exhaust efforts to find her!"

Lin Baici reasoned: "Even while sick, he’d leverage all his connections, but Shen Caishen hasn’t!"

"Didn’t he say Shen Caishen sent servants out to search?"

Xia Hongyao objected.

"Indeed, I saw it myself!"

The servant confirmed.

"A bunch of servants, where could they find her? Given Shen Caishen’s shrewdness in amassing wealth, he should understand this!"

Lin Baici chuckled: "With wrong direction, no amount of effort or money would help!"

"So this proves there’s something suspicious about Shen Caishen?"

Xia Hongyao frowned.

"The main reason Shen Caishen didn’t go out to seek connections is because he knows his daughter isn’t dead, he isn’t ill; if he sought connections in this state, others would notice!"

Lin Baici explained: "Hence, he used illness as an excuse to avoid visitors!"

"I think I understand somewhat?"

Xia Hongyao nodded, understanding the causality.

"What now? Capture Shen Caishen and interrogate further?"

Kim Myungjin felt the plan wouldn’t work.

"I’ll send people to arrest Shen Caishen immediately!"

The Prefect was determined. Normally, dealing with such a local power would be troublesome, but for his future, he couldn’t consider the consequences.

"Shen Caishen values his daughter deeply, even under severe torture, he wouldn’t speak!"

Gu Qingqiu sipped her tea: "We’ll have to do it ourselves!"

"What’s the plan?"

The Prefect impatiently asked with a more respectful attitude, believing these foreigners might actually solve the case.

Gu Qingqiu didn’t rush to answer, but instead looked at the servant responsible for watching Shen Caishen’s house: "Are Shen Caishen’s expenses normal?"

"For example, buying more grains or having more dung carts compared to usual?"

"No, everything is normal!"

The servant shook his head.

"That somewhat confirms the missing noblewomen aren’t hiding at Shen Caishen’s house!"

If there were more people, their needs would reveal flaws: "Who are Shen Caishen’s confidantes? Are they home?"

The servant listed several names and confirmed: "All are home!"

"And what about their families?"

Gu Qingqiu asked again.

The servant was silent, sweating profusely, having ignored this aspect.

"Fool, go check quickly!"

The Prefect scolded.

The servant immediately retreated, called back his subordinates, inquired thoroughly, then rushed back to report: "The second steward’s son went back to his hometown to visit relatives!"

Hearing this, the Prefect immediately slapped the desk: "Someone, go bring him back!"

"Prefect, stay calm!"

Lin Baici soothed.

"Regardless of his involvement, we must bring him back, right?"

The Prefect couldn’t understand why Lin Baici stopped him.

"My companion hasn’t finished questioning yet, and I suspect this person might have been deliberately released to mislead us!"

Lin Baici questioned: "We can think of checking confidantes’ families, surely the other party can too!"

"Indeed!"