There is a god in the sky

Chapter 216 Ghosts or Monsters 9

Fu Qingyan watched as Shen Lan ate while discussing the case with Xiao Ji, her expression remaining unchanged when she mentioned the two mummified corpses.

He was deeply impressed, but at the same time, he felt unwell in his stomach and needed to go out to rest.

When Master Tong arrived with Master Sun and Master Li, they all smiled kindly upon seeing Fu Qingyan, such a handsome and humble young man.

"If the young master is ready, he can go to Class C1 to study today."

The students of Yishan Academy were divided into three classes: A, B, and C. Class A consisted entirely of successful candidates who had passed the provincial examinations.

All the students in Class B failed the provincial examination, but those who ranked higher could pass with a little more effort.

Class C consisted of either poor students who couldn't achieve good results or students who were too young to even pass the preliminary examinations.

When Fu Qingyan first entered school, he should naturally start from the lowest-ranking Class C.

Fu Qingyan bowed and said, "I am here to assist my cousin in solving the case. The matter of attending the lectures will be discussed later."

Actually, he didn't really want to come, but his mother felt that since he wanted to study hard, he should go to the best academy.

The murder case remains unsolved, and the teachers have little interest in taking on new students.

"I wonder if Lord Xiao is here?"

They came to ask Xiao Ji about the progress.

Xiao Ji came out and invited them into a room to the side, where he explained his requirements.

"The headmaster and the masters have come at the right time. I have a favor to ask of you."

"No need for formalities, my dear nephew."

"Please have the headmaster write a notice so that everyone can report each other. Anyone who has secretly slipped out of the academy in the past ten days and provides clues will be given an appropriate reward by the Criminal Investigation Department."

Tong Shanchang stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "This method is good. Let Master Sun draft the announcement."

Master Sun immediately picked up his pen, and a moving reward notice appeared on the paper.

For these students who have not yet entered officialdom, appealing to their emotions and reasoning with them is the most appropriate approach.

"Thank you."

"You're too kind, sir. You're just trying to solve the case as soon as possible."

The academy cannot return to normal until the murderer is caught.

Master Tong left two tutors to help him and went to patrol the mountain with his men.

Xiao Ji happened to have something he wanted to ask Master Sun, so he made an excuse to send Master Li away.

He personally poured tea for Master Sun, saying, "I'm offering this as a token of my appreciation; please try the Longjing tea that Headmaster Tong gave me after the rain."

Master Sun murmured, "It's good tea, but it's a pity that we're drinking less and less of this kind of good tea these days."

He smiled but remained silent.

I heard that this tea was a gift from a high school student who came back to thank his teacher. Indeed, every cup we drink is one less cup we have left.

But given the Tong family's status, they wouldn't lack good tea.

"Could you tell me about Qian An? What is his personality like? He comes from an ordinary family, and how does he get along with his classmates?"

Master Sun sighed, "This child is good in every way. He is studious, ambitious, diligent, and filial. No one in the academy has a bad word to say about him."

Although he was not talkative and had little contact with his classmates, he never made enemies.

I think Lord Xiao is convinced the murderer is hiding in the academy, but I don't believe so. We've always been amicable and have never argued."

"It may not necessarily have been done by students."

Master Sun paused for a moment, then said, “That’s true. With so many people working among the servants, it’s inevitable that some will have wicked thoughts.”

"Does the teacher think Qian An's ranking is accurate? Has anyone expressed dissatisfaction with his results?"

"How could that be? His talent is beyond doubt; he deserves to be number one."

"Did he ever tell you anything about the provincial examination? Such as whether the examination was unfair or not?"

"That's impossible. He earned his title through genuine talent and learning. How could there be any injustice?"

Master Sun asked, puzzled, "Sir, have you discovered something? Or has someone in the academy said something?"

Xiao Ji shook his head, "No, it's just that a top scholar who had never made enemies was murdered. My first thought was that it was a case of cheating in the imperial examinations."

Master Sun was startled and nervously looked around.

"Lord Xiao, you can't speak carelessly. The word 'cheating' is too heavy. You are a scholar, do you know what will happen if these two words get out?"

"Of course, I only say this in front of the Master."

Master Sun quickly took his leave, not daring to say anything more.

Xiao Ji calmly drank a few cups of tea and then ordered someone to bring Li Bing over.

"A lackey of the Duke of Wen's heir?"

When they met Li Bing, he was in no better condition than Tao Cheng, clearly having also spent the night without sleep.

"Sit down, have some tea to refresh yourself." Xiao Ji poured him a cup of tea as well.

Li Bing's hands trembled as he held the cup, looking at Xiao Ji uneasily, afraid that Xiao Ji would think he was the murderer.

Many people outside suspected him, and he couldn't explain himself. They just hoped that Lord Xiao would catch the murderer as soon as possible.

"Young Master Li is from Huai'an. Besides his parents and grandparents, he has seven siblings, right?"

Li Bing nodded blankly.

He had never told outsiders about his family situation, but it would be easy for the authorities to investigate.

"You are a scholar whom your family has nurtured with all its resources. Were you saddened when you failed the provincial examination last time?"

Li Bing revealed a hint of sadness. "How could I not be sad? I'm twenty-five this year, and I have a wife and children waiting for me back home. If I can't return home in glory, wouldn't all my efforts over the years have been in vain?"

"Yes, but there are no absolutes in scientific expeditions. Young Master Li should also relax."

Li Bing laughed self-deprecatingly, "Lord Xiao comes from a prestigious family and is known as a child prodigy. He became the top scholar at a young age and is a reincarnation of the God of Literature. How could he understand the sorrow of us poor scholars?"

"I know a little bit about it. After all, I've seen a lot of students from poor families over the years. Some of them studied their whole lives but couldn't even pass the imperial examinations and ended up draining their families' blood."

Li Bing, seemingly struck by a nerve, slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "What do you know? You think you're so high and mighty, that everyone is like you, born at a height we can never reach in our entire lives!"

"If we want to get ahead, what other way is there besides the imperial examination? If someone fails the exam their whole life, that's their fate! Not mine, Li Bing's!"

Xiao Ji smiled reassuringly, "Yes, Young Master Li is good enough to be admitted to Yishan Academy, so he will definitely pass the imperial examination in the future."

Li Bing was dejected; he had once thought he was very capable.

He also believed that he would definitely pass the imperial examination before he turned thirty and bring his family great success.

But reality slapped him in the face.

Who among those who can enter this academy isn't an outstanding individual? His reputation as a renowned scholar from Huai'an is simply insignificant here.

Therefore, he curried favor with the sons of powerful and wealthy families, hoping to use their connections to find a way out for himself.

"What does Lord Xiao want to ask me? It's not that he suspects me of murder, is it?"

"No, I just asked around, since the case is still unsolved."

"Heh, I've heard that Lord Xiao is a genius at solving cases. I'm sure he'll catch the murderer soon."

Xiao Ji sighed and said frankly, "The murderers in the past were not very smart, but this time the murderer is too cunning. He has wiped away all the traces. I have no way to deal with it."

“That doesn’t sound like something a judicial officer would say,” Li Bing said warily, looking at him.

What he feared most was that if the authorities couldn't find the murderer, they would push him out as a scapegoat and smear him.

This happens all too often.

If the murderer were the heir of the Duke of Wen, he would definitely throw himself out to take the blow.