There is a god in the sky

Chapter 211 Ghosts or Monsters 4

Xiao Ji asked Sui Feng to go with Sun Wei to check on the residence, hoping that Qian An might have left some clues before leaving.

He then led his men to see Headmaster Tong.

When Shen Lan met this highly respected scholar, her first impression was: Would such a wise and refined old man kill someone for a prescription?

His hair and beard were completely white, he wore an indigo cotton robe, and a pair of old cloth shoes. He had no accessories whatsoever.

If he were walking in the village, she would mistake him for the village schoolteacher.

"Young man of the Xiao family, it's been many years, you've grown up." Headmaster Tong clearly still remembered Xiao Ji.

Xiao Ji was the youngest top scholar in the imperial examination and was born into the Xiao family, making him a household name in Bianjing.

"You're too kind, Headmaster Tong. I apologize for bothering you today, but I've come to discuss a case."

Tong Shanzhang's residence was very simple, a wooden building with all the usual decorations, even the flower vases were made of ceramic.

The most valuable thing in this house is probably the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls.

"Please sit down. You haven't eaten yet, have some simple food with me."

Before Xiao Ji could refuse, a servant came in carrying a food box and set out a table of food.

Shen Lan glanced at the food and saw that it was indeed quite simple, but it looked to taste pretty good.

Two tables were specially set out for the meal, clearly including the officials as well.

Based on this alone, Shen Lan felt that this headmaster was indeed a good person.

Perhaps he wasn't involved in the events in Guli Town, Shen Lan thought.

Master Sun rushed in, and as soon as he entered, he asked, "Who said Qian An is dead?"

After bowing to Headmaster Tong, he looked at Xiao Ji and asked anxiously, "Qian An is dead? How did he die?"

Xiao Ji then recounted what had happened, but he did not tell the two how Qian An died.

The concern and grief on Master Sun's face seemed genuine. He slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Which villain is so heartless! Qian An is a shoo-in for the top spot in the next imperial examination!"

While this statement may be an exaggeration, it is enough to show how much Master Sun valued Qian An.

Anyone would be saddened by the death of their beloved student.

Headmaster Tong frowned and instructed Master Sun, "Think carefully about when this child left the academy, and whether there was anything unusual about his departure."

Students from the academy had to report to their instructors and ask their teachers for leave before going down the mountain.

Master Sun tried hard to recall and said, "He attended classes all day that day and came to find me at sunset, saying that he had important business to attend to at home and that his return date was uncertain."

I assumed a family member was sick, so I didn't dare ask any more questions. I granted him leave, and then I heard nothing more from him.

"Did all his family members die from illness?"

"Yes, in the past two years, his grandparents and mother have all passed away."

Sui Feng couldn't help but ask, "He doesn't have any brothers or sisters either?"

"No, he is an only child. I heard that his mother had a difficult childbirth and could not conceive afterward. Fortunately, he is also very hardworking and studies very well. He is well-known in the surrounding villages."

Such a good child died under mysterious circumstances; no wonder his father couldn't accept it.

“But he did not return home.” Xiao Ji can now conclude that he was killed on his way down the mountain.

Headmaster Tong said in a deep voice, "Please, Lord Xiao, investigate freely. If you need manpower, our academy will provide full cooperation!"

Xiao Ji stood up and said, "Thank you. I need to question a few more people. Please arrange it, Master Sun."

Master Sun hurriedly pulled him outside, saying, "Come with me, everyone is in the dining hall now, so we can find someone easily."

Qian An was a man of few words, keeping to himself at the academy. Besides his roommate Sun Wei, he was only close to Gao Dounan and Tao Cheng.

When these two were mentioned, Master Sun's lips curled into a smile, clearly indicating that they were his prized students.

When they arrived at the dining hall, some students had already come out and greeted Master Sun and Xiao Ji with respect.

"Where are Tao Cheng and Gao Dounan? Come out here for a moment!" Master Sun shouted.

A young student ran out of the dining hall, bowed, and said, "Master, you wanted to see me?"

"This is Tao Cheng," Master Sun introduced, glancing inside and asking, "Do you see Dou Nan?"

"No, Master, you've forgotten, he took sick leave three days ago."

“But he hasn’t come down the mountain? Could it be that he can’t even eat?” Master Sun became anxious. “No, I’ll go check on him.”

Xiao Ji took Tao Cheng aside and asked him some questions.

But he knew less than Sun Wei, and he didn't care at all about Qian An's life or death.

Xiao Ji asked with a smile, "You and Qian An are both students in Class A. Who is better at academics?"

Tao Cheng looked somewhat awkward and replied hesitantly, "Of course, Brother Qian is better."

"Where is Young Master Tao from?"

"A student from Xingyang."

"How many years have you been in the academy?"

"Two and a half years."

"Are there two people sharing a room in the academy?"

"Generally speaking, yes, but if there is a vacant room, you can apply to live alone, since many people come with their servants."

"Oh? I didn't see the pageboy along the way."

Tao Cheng replied, "The academy has a rule that servants and pageboys are not allowed to come to the front yard, so as not to disturb everyone's studies."

"I see."

Shen Lan looked back at the layered houses, wondering which one her cousin was in.

As she was pondering how to find Shen Qing, she saw Master Sun stumbling and running towards her.

"Something terrible has happened... Dou Nan is dead!"

Xiao Ji and the others were taken aback when they heard this, and then hurriedly ran over.

"Master Sun, where is the deceased?"

“In…in his room…” Master Sun gasped for breath, half from fright and half from running away.

Xiao Ji pulled him along, "Please lead the way."

The group ran to the backyard and entered the accommodation area through a round arched gate. The rows of houses were almost identical, except that they had numbers hanging on the door.

Gao Dounan's room was number 33. At this moment, the door was open, and a student was sitting outside the door crying, his trousers soaking wet.

"This is Li Bing, who shares a room with Gao Dounan."

Xiao Ji gave Sui Feng a wink, and the latter took Li Bing aside for questioning.

He stepped into the house and waved to the people behind him, "Don't come in yet."

He looked around the room.

The room is divided into east and west sides, each with a bed, a set of table and chairs, and a wardrobe.

At this moment, he could see that the wardrobe door on the east side was open, and a mummified corpse was hanging inside.

At a glance, Xiao Ji could tell that the shape of this mummified corpse was the same as that of Qian An's corpse.

He was wearing a student gown, which was now empty, clearly put on after the body was moved.

"Coroner Shen," Xiao Ji called out, and Shen Lan carried the box inside.

She didn't walk directly to the body, but instead squatted down and looked at the floor first.

The door is located between the east and west wings, meaning that unless there are special circumstances, people from the west side generally will not come to the east side.

After all, each side is a person's private space.

But the floor was very clean, without any footprints, as if it had just been mopped.