Chapter Thirty-Eight: Interception

His mind worked in leaps. Gu Yu uttered an "Oh?" but quickly regained his composure. "Yes, this man was originally from the North City, but later moved to the South City, where he bought property, married, and had children. His wife passed away early, and he raised his daughter alone. It was only after he entered the Prince’s Mansion that he left the girl in the care of their next-door neighbor." That day at the mansion, he had identified five suspects and learned rumors about them through conversations with others on the grounds.

Dong Xinwu asked, "Have you gone to the neighbor's house to find his daughter?"

Gu Yu let out an "Ouch," slapped his own forehead in regret, and turned to sprint toward the gate.

"Come back!" Dong Xinwu called him to a halt. Gu Yu turned, his eyes full of confusion.

Dong Xinwu said, "Do not go to Jintai Ward now. There is a more important place waiting for you."

This time, Gu Yu reacted quickly. "Understood!" he shouted, and darted away. Dong Xinwu nodded with satisfaction. Back then, Cheng Jie had pressed him to take on another apprentice from among the new recruits. Before that, Cheng Jie had already maneuvered his own distant cousin into becoming a constable in the Quick Response Squad, specifically placing him under Dong Xinwu’s command—the intent could not have been more obvious.

Dong Xinwu had been in the trade for over fifty years and had seen countless cases, large and small. To be taken on as his personal apprentice would be an immense advantage; even if one returned to their hometown, such skills would easily secure a government position. However, Dong Xinwu was merely an official without rank, with nowhere left to rise, and he was due to retire in two years to enjoy his remaining time in peace. Why bother straining himself with an apprentice?

Thus, he had feigned ignorance of Cheng Jie’s intentions and instead selected Gu Yu, an honest, simple-minded, and somewhat dull lad. As long as the boy didn't cause trouble, master and apprentice could spend the next two years in peace, and he could smoothly hand over his duties and retire with his reputation intact.

Unexpectedly, the boy Gu Yu often brought him surprises. But... lost in thought, Dong Xinwu’s face darkened. He stood silently in the courtyard, deep in contemplation. By now, the constables had been dispatched to every corner of the city, leaving the府衙 (prefectural office) strangely quiet. The sun grew increasingly scorching, the summer heat as relentless as the cicadas’ drone in the treetops.

Separated by only a wall was Li Zheng’s office. Aunt Qian sat opposite Li Zheng, her words jumbled and frantic with agitation. Yet, Li Zheng managed to piece together the story: early that morning, strange noises had come from Li Fu’s house, waking Aunt Qian and her husband. When she checked the small bed where Ji'an usually slept, the child was gone. Panicked, and knowing her husband had difficulty walking, Aunt Qian threw on a coat and went to Li Fu’s house to investigate.

To her horror, just as she reached the door, she heard footsteps. Peering through a crack in the door, she saw three robust men sheathing their steel blades and tucking them into their waistbands as they emerged from the Li residence. The man surrounded by the three was Li Fu, who was clutching the child, Ji'an—whether she was dead or alive, she could not tell. Li Fu was clearly terrified; his face was deathly pale, and he was trembling like a leaf.

As the four men passed her door, Aunt Qian covered her mouth with her hand, not daring to make a sound. She waited for what felt like an eternity until the footsteps faded and the alley began to see morning pedestrians. Only then did she dare to emerge. Hurrying to the Li house, she found the front gate locked. She returned home, took the key hanging on a string from the wall, and went back to open the courtyard gate. Because she looked after Ji'an, Li Fu had given her a spare key to facilitate their comings and goings.

A thick, pungent smell of blood filled the courtyard, making her nauseous. Terrified out of her wits, Aunt Qian quickly latched the gate, gave her husband a brief account, and hurried to the Shuntian Prefecture to report the crime.

Hearing this, Li Zheng was overjoyed. He was a shrewd man and knew Li Fu would not have been abducted without reason. Perhaps he was the very mole within the Prince’s Mansion that the authorities had been unable to find. Since no one else knew Li Fu was missing, if he could capture him first, he might be able to follow the trail to Tang Haiqiu.

This case was the top priority for the prefecture. If he could solve it before Dong Xinwu’s group, his standing before Prefect Wan and Judge Cheng would be extraordinary. If he wanted to deal with Dong Xinwu then, his superiors would likely turn a blind eye. Thinking of this, he called out toward the door, "Chai Ping, come in!"

A young, sharp-featured man with a rat-like face pushed the door open and bowed respectfully. "Sir."

Li Zheng said, "You have a knack for detailed sketching. I won't trouble the court artist this time; you will do it for me." Seeing Chai Ping standing blankly by the door, he added impatiently, "Bring the brush and ink."

Chai Ping hurriedly took paper and brush from the desk and stood by Li Zheng. Li Zheng pulled him to the table and spoke to Aunt Qian with forced kindness, "Old woman, if what you say is true, the lives of Li Fu and his daughter are in danger. You said you remembered the appearance of those three abductors—describe their features and clothing to me. I will have their portraits posted throughout the city. We will certainly save them!"

Dong Xinwu was still waiting in the courtyard, seemingly for someone. Before long, footsteps echoed from afar. Fang Wei led Wu Haichao and the others inside. Seeing Dong Xinwu on the stone steps, they paused, then quickly bowed. "Master, we found Gu Lifu’s body at Li Fu’s house. He was the mole in the Prince’s Mansion we were looking for." Originally, they had divided their search areas, and Li Fu’s house had been assigned to Fang Wei. When Fang Wei arrived at noon, the gate was wide open. Inside the house, he found a corpse lying in front of a chest—it was indeed Gu Lifu, the mansion’s guard. The blood beneath him had already congealed; he had clearly been dead for some time.

Dong Xinwu merely nodded. Just then, more footsteps sounded outside, and Zhou Wei returned. Fang Wei relayed the discovery to him. Zhou Wei gritted his teeth, "That bastard hid himself well; we never found a single flaw."

Seeing Wu Haichao trying to slink into the background, he grabbed him by the collar and gave him a playful kick. "You followed the man for half the day—did you not notice a single trace?"

Wu Haichao winced in pain but, knowing he was at fault, gave a wry smile. "The man’s craft was just too deep."

Fang Wei had been watching Dong Xinwu’s expression. "Master, did you already know?"

Dong Xinwu nodded. "Gu Yu went to Li Fu’s house a step earlier, and he was the one who uncovered Gu Lifu’s body." He recounted Gu Yu’s report to Fang Wei, Zhou Wei, and the others, and they finally understood the situation. Dong Xinwu added, "I have already sent him to notify the City Patrol Censor’s office to post an arrest warrant for Li Fu at every city gate. If he is trying to escape with his daughter, his features are too distinct; he will certainly not get past the city guard."

As they were speaking, more footsteps approached. Liu Yongji walked in, his face as grim as water. "Constable Dong, the situation has changed. I’m afraid the brothers from the Garrison Command will have to be recalled!"