Jujutsu: Eight Magical Skills At The Beginning, Admission Is A Special Level

Chapter 97: Time Brings Worry

A person relies on their attire, and a horse relies on its saddle. Three parts appearance, seven parts grooming.

Lu Bei changed into a set of eagle, dog, and fur clothing, instantly increasing his attractiveness and temperament by one thousand percent. He had the tendency to transition from being a pretty boy to someone who relied on others for a living, and he just wanted someone to praise him fiercely.

Not too much, just three days and three nights would do.

The five dead soldiers couldn't utter a single word, and the golden-scaled snake could only hiss. Apart from showing who the most handsome man in the world was in the mirror, the only person on this ship that Lu Bei could show off to was She Xuan.

However, that was impossible.

She Xuan had already advanced to the Innate Realm before Lu Bei, and her first battle didn't go well, making her doubt her life choices. In the following days, Lu Bei repeatedly pressed her to the ground under the pretense of sparring. Her confidence plummeted, and she regained her previous resentful demeanor. She despised Lu Bei in every way and wanted to pry open her mouth to hear a few nice words from her, but that was probably only possible in her dreams.

"She Jie, how do I look in this outfit?"

"Righteous and suitable for you."

"Take a closer look."

"Looks like a person but acts like a dog."

She Xuan opened her eyes and looked up and down at Lu Bei for a while before giving a quite accurate evaluation. Then, she looked into the distance and said, "Why take a boat? You and I have the ability to travel through the air. We could go quickly and return quickly."

"The news investigated by the Profound Moon Department has already spread to Langwu County. I want to give it a try. If anyone wants to ambush us on the way, with the clues, the case will be easily solved," Lu Bei replied truthfully.

Langwu County was surrounded by mountains and water, with three peaks, the Great Witch, Second Witch, and Fourth Witch, blocking the outside world. All transportation in and out relied on waterways. With such favorable conditions, it was reasonable to lure the enemy into exposing themselves.

"Are you so sure that the killer is someone else?" She Xuan frowned.

"Of course, I am a member of the Profound Moon Department's Qingwei. The county magistrate, Zhu Shiyun, is a promising newcomer favored by the higher-ups. If the killer is someone else, it means their butt is in the right place. Even if there isn't, there has to be," Lu Bei said with a serious face.

She Xuan rolled her eyes and didn't bother to argue with Lu Bei.

She didn't come to Langwu County to accompany Lu Bei on an outing. She had to visit a hidden underground palace. Many years ago, she had a chance encounter there, and now that she had advanced to the Innate Realm, she planned to revisit it.

There was also the golden-scaled snake, which she found near the underground palace. She kept it for her own use, and it had many benefits.

This was a secret that She Xuan had kept to herself for many years and had never told anyone until Lu Bei curiously asked, and she casually revealed it.

There was no other meaning behind it. She thought this person was detestable, but there were still a few slightly admirable aspects. She considered him somewhat trustworthy and told Lu Bei the truth.

Lu Bei became interested as soon as he heard it and discussed with She Xuan. After the case was resolved, they would explore the underground palace together.

One plus one equals five, and then he would collect some travel expenses, administrative fees, interest, and taxes. She Xuan would receive a ten percent benefit.

...

Langwu County.

A small county with a population of two hundred thousand, complex waterways, and almost isolated from the outside world, nurturing unique local customs.

Apart from scattered villages in the surrounding area, the county town resembled a continuous mountain stronghold. Shrouded in thin mist, the county town was built layer by layer along the mountain, giving off a mysterious and exotic atmosphere.

Due to the heavy moisture, outsiders found it difficult to adapt to life in Langwu County. The locals, on the other hand, didn't mind. Nourished by spiritual energy, their bodies adapted to the environment, and they had fair skin, black hair, and big eyes, exuding a delicate and beautiful charm.

At the mouth of the county town's riverbank, Wang Shifang, the acting head, paced back and forth. He saw a boat breaking through the fog and hurriedly signaled his subordinates to catch the rope.

"I have seen the Qingwei, I am Wang Shifang, the temporary head of Langwu County," said the head, bowing respectfully.

The Profound Moon Department, also known as the Black Robe Office, was not to be taken lightly, so Wang Shifang didn't dare to be negligent. When he approached and saw Lu Bei's green silk cuffs, he held his breath for a moment.

"I am Ding Lei, thank you for your courtesy, Head Wang," Lu Bei replied.

Out of caution, Lu Bei had now taken on the appearance of a lecherous thief. She Xuan, who was behind him, also did the same, using snake skin to create a face of an ordinary passerby. As for her overly prominent figure, there was a simple solution.

Tightly wrapped in white cloth.

With an ordinary passerby face, others would subconsciously think she was a muscular man who practiced body refinement and wouldn't think too much about it.

"Sir, the county government has prepared a banquet. What do you think..."

"Where is County Magistrate Zhu?"

"He is being held in the backyard of the county government. Several important figures from the Extreme Monarch Sect are guarding him."

"Let's go to County Magistrate Zhu's residence first. I heard that he has a hidden cellar for raising gu insects, which I am very interested in," Lu Bei said. "As for the banquet, Head Wang, you are considerate, but there's no rush. When we return to the county government, I will offer flowers to the Buddha and have a few drinks with County Magistrate Zhu."

"You are right, please come this way."

Head Wang led the way, and Lu Bei noticed sharp gazes fixed on him and turned his head to look at the direction of the pier.

Not far away, a middle-aged man in a green robe bowed with a smile, and his lips moved, conveying a welcome to Lu Bei.

Extreme Monarch Sect's Huang He.

Lu Bei returned the gesture with a fist and quickly followed Head Wang to the Zhu residence in Langwu County.

After the group left, on the large ship of the Extreme Monarch Sect, two men dressed as guards approached Huang He from behind and respectfully said, "Master Huang, the thieves from the Profound Moon Department have arrived. Should we hand over the prisoner directly to them, or should we detain them first?"

"Let's give them directly to them. After all, they are from the Zhu family. If something goes wrong while they are in our hands, it would be difficult for me to explain to my superiors," Huang He said, looking in the direction Lu Bei had gone and shaking his head with a smile. "These people from the Profound Moon Department have small minds and yet they accuse us, the Extreme Monarch Sect, of being narrow-minded."

"What do you mean, Master Huang?"

"Take the Green Guards just now as an example. They pretended to be dead soldiers and found a scapegoat to take the lead. They didn't even consider the difference between the Innate Realm and the Core Incubation Realm. They really think they can fool me," Huang He sneered.

"Master, you are wise."

"Her figure is decent. I am curious about what she looks like under that dead face."

"Master, should I go and investigate?"

"Are you bored with life?"

Huang He shook his head, stopping his subordinate from acting foolishly. He was just curious and had no other thoughts.

Besides, if he really had any thoughts, the girls from the local Red Sleeve Pavilion were all fair-skinned and beautiful, sweet-talking and only interested in money. Wasn't that tempting enough?

"Let the brothers quickly hand over the prisoner, and after that, go to the Red Sleeve Pavilion. Today, I, Huang, will treat everyone well and reward them."

"Master, you are righteous!"

...

In Langwu County, the county government office.

The food and wine were served hot, with a table full of local delicacies.

Lu Bei took off his embroidered sword from his waist and had his attendant, She Qi, hold it. He sat at the table with a majestic appearance, waiting for the head catcher, Wang, to bring the suspect, Zhu Shiyan.

After visiting the Zhu residence and finding the place where the Gu worms were raised in the backyard cellar, he carefully examined it and confirmed that the real culprit was Zhu Shiyan.

There was no way he wanted to help Zhu Shiyan clear his name, but the evidence did not allow it.

The cellar where the Gu worms were raised was located below the master bedroom. By pushing open the bookshelf, one could see the entrance. Judging from the quality of the bricks and stones and estimating the construction time, it was impossible to believe that Zhu Shiyan knew nothing about it.

Going to the Zhu residence was just routine business. The cellar had already been searched thoroughly by the Extreme Monarch Sect. Even if there were any overlooked evidence, it was not his turn to pick it up.

Lu Bei was well aware of this. He just wanted to try and see if going to the Zhu residence with great fanfare to investigate the case would attract any strange and unusual people.

There is a saying that criminals always return to the scene to admire their own masterpiece. Whenever they see the impact of their actions on society, whether it is the fear of the onlookers or the busy figures of law enforcement personnel, they always feel an indescribable sense of accomplishment that cannot be shaken off.

Some more ambitious criminals want to see if there are any loopholes left behind so that they can commit a more perfect crime next time.

Lu Bei, lacking experience and skills in solving cases, can only rely on unconventional methods to find a breakthrough. Waiting on a boat for an assassination is also based on this consideration.

The results are mediocre. It is possible that the Extreme Monarch Sect has repeatedly reviewed the case and directly messed up the real culprit. Faced with Lu Bei's temptation, they are not moved and have no intention of returning to the scene to observe again.

However, Lu Bei did not leave empty-handed. Before leaving, he encountered the wife of the county magistrate.

A beautiful woman in her prime, who has lost her appetite for half a year, worried about the safety of her husband. She heard that the imperial court sent the Profound Moon Department to re-investigate the case, which means they are on the same side. She dressed up and grabbed Lu Bei's hand when they met, crying so pitifully that it was hard not to feel sorry for her.

The wife of the county magistrate is not the type with good eloquence, and her intelligence is quite average. After being summoned by Lu Bei for a private conversation, she handed him a handful of silver notes before leaving, asking him to take good care and make sure to be fair to the honest people.

After being rejected by Lu Bei face to face, the wife of the county magistrate remembered that she had another advantage and left behind a pink handkerchief, inviting him to discuss further in the evening.

Seeing that she was desperate, Lu Bei couldn't refuse. He accepted the pink silk and made it clear that he would visit her tonight.

"Do you suspect that the wife of the county magistrate is the real culprit?"

She Xuan was concerned about Lu Bei accepting the handkerchief, considering that this guy still had some bottom line, at least he wasn't easily swayed by women. So she pushed further, "The county magistrate has conflicts with the county lieutenant and county magistrate. Every night when he returns home, he complains to his wife. The wife loves her husband very much, so she secretly uses poison to kill them one by one... Isn't that right?"

She Xuan's eyes lit up, feeling like she had seen through the truth.

"Are you out of your mind?"

Lu Bei glanced at She Xuan, "If it were really as you said, she loves her husband so much, after half a year, she would have turned herself in long ago. Why would she need to desperately seek help and seduce a scoundrel like me?"

Speaking of this, Lu Bei sighed repeatedly. Time makes people worry. She Xuan used to be a clever woman, but now she's becoming more and more foolish. If this continues, he could easily deceive her eight times in one night.

She Xuan frowned, "If that's the case, why did you accept the silk? Wasn't it to find a reason to uncover her true intentions?"

Lu Bei raised an eyebrow, "Indeed, it is to uncover the truth, but not hers, it's Zhu Shiyun's. First, Mr. Zhu needs to prove to me that he is indeed wrongly imprisoned. Otherwise, why would I bother to help him clear his name?"

"How do we uncover it?"

"You'll find out later."

As they spoke, Wang, the head of the arrest team, brought in the suspect Zhu Shiyun. Due to half a year of imprisonment, his mental state was exhausted. His once presentable scholar's face now looked ten years older.

"Have you met..."

Bang!

Lu Bei slapped the handkerchief on the table, "Enough nonsense. This handkerchief was given to me by the honorable lady. If you continue to hide anything, you'll be shedding tears behind bars tonight. As for me..."

"Hehehe, whether I can shine alone tonight and help the lady relieve her worries depends on Mr. Zhu's performance next."

(End of this chapter)