The Elixir is for You, The Poison is for Me

#636 - Too cautious

After leaving the door, Tuo Le didn't rush to speak, but walked ahead, signaling Lu Jing to follow.

Subsequently, the two walked along the narrow path until they reached a shabby tavern with a tattered flag planted in front of it.

The old man selling wine was very excited when he saw Tuo Le, and immediately knelt down and kissed Tuo Le's toes reverently.

Tuo Le said to him gently, "Leave us a jar of yellow wine, and then you can go home."

The old man selling wine didn't object at all when he heard this. After taking out the wine jar, he walked out of the store without saying a word. Tuo Le's words were like an imperial decree to him.

However, he was stopped by Tuo Le after taking only a few steps.

"Wait."

Tuo Le then looked at Lu Jing again, "Since becoming an Aku barbarian, my hands have never touched money again. Do you have any silver on you now? Can you lend me ten taels first?"

"Sure," Lu Jing readily took out a silver ingot from his arms and tossed it to Tuo Le.

Tuo Le then placed the silver ingot in front of the old man, but the latter didn't reach out to take it, and instead repeatedly said that it was unacceptable.

Tuo Le said, "Take it."

"But this is too much," the old man said.

"It's not much. This money is to buy your tavern."

The old man was stunned when he heard this.

"What? Is it not enough?"

"Enough, of course it's enough. My shop only has the worst yellow wine, and it's also mixed with water. Besides that, it's just a wooden shed and a few benches. It's not worth much. This ten taels of silver is enough to buy two of them, but… I've been working here for over forty years. Suddenly selling it like this, I'm a little reluctant."

"But since it's you, Venerable One, who wants to buy it, then I, this old man, must sell it to you."

"It doesn't matter. If you really like it, just come back tomorrow. Anyway, I'm only buying it for one night," Tuo Le said with a smile.

The old man took the silver, kissed Tuo Le's toes reverently once again, and then left with a thousand thanks.

Tuo Le took the initiative to pick up the jar of yellow wine, opened the yellow mud on top, poured two bowls, and then pointed to the long bench in front of him.

"Please, please sit down."

Lu Jing didn't stand on ceremony when he heard this, and sat down in front of Tuo Le.

Tuo Le pushed a bowl of wine in front of Lu Jing, not caring whether Lu Jing drank it or not, and drank half of his own bowl first. After putting down the bowl, he said, "How did you find this place?"

"I asked some people in the county town, and then I found a child from this place to lead the way. You are Aku barbarian. Almost everyone in the city knows you."

Tuo Le shook his head, "You know that's not what I'm asking."

"Oh, you're asking how I came to suspect you?" Lu Jing said, "Because you were too cautious."

"Is there something wrong with being cautious?" Tuo Le asked rhetorically.

"Of course there's nothing wrong with being cautious, but the commotion you made to prevent us from investigating further was too big, and it exposed yourself instead," Lu Jing said.

Tuo Le tilted his ear, listening very carefully.

"You killed Wu Ritu before we did, so we don't know where else similar things have happened in the city."

"I didn't kill Wu Ritu," Tuo Le interrupted Lu Jing.

"I know. He committed suicide, but it was precisely because he committed suicide that I suspected you. People like Wu Ritu know many secrets. Many people wanted him dead before, including some big shots, but Wu Ritu had been living well until today.

"But this time he died, and he committed suicide. I was wondering what kind of powerful figure could force him to death like this.

"The first person I suspected was of course Bu Bule, and his father, Anda Bini. Especially Anda Bini, as the number one fierce general under Chief Tongtu, commanding an army, there must be many experts in the army. I wouldn't be surprised if he killed Wu Ritu, but it seems a little lacking if he wanted to force Wu Ritu to death.

"Mainly because Wu Ritu didn't need to be too afraid of Anda Bini. If Anda Bini was determined to kill Wu Ritu, Wu Ritu could just run away. He shouldn't have just waited to be slaughtered.

"Then I also suspected Chief Tongtu. He is undoubtedly the most powerful person in Shizhou now. Of course, it would be easy to kill someone, but Chief Tongtu is Tong Qianxi's father. He has no reason to deal with his only intellectually normal child.

"And like Anda Bini, Wu Ritu might be afraid of Chief Tongtu, but not to the extent that he would hang himself just because the other party said a word."

"Not really. One person even had the urge to open his mouth, but was stabbed in the chest with a dagger by his companion."

"You thought of me from that stab?"

"No, that stab didn't kill him, because I grabbed the blade in time."

"You are a good person."

"Unfortunately, I still couldn't save him, because he later rammed himself into the dagger. It was precisely his way of dying that made me suspect you."

"Only then did I realize that I had been thinking wrong from the beginning. It wasn't some powerful person who drove Wu Ritu to suicide, but his faith. Only faith could make someone like him willing to end his life."

"Similarly, it was faith that made the other person ram himself into the dagger later. Well, maybe there was also shame… because of the wavering in his heart, he urgently needed to prove his piety again in such a violent way."

Lu Jing said, "I should have thought of it earlier. My five senses are more sensitive than ordinary people, but I didn't feel like I was being followed or monitored along the way. However, the other party was always able to clearly grasp our every move."

"If it was you, all of this would make sense, because with your reputation among the people, you don't need to monitor us at all. Just ask a question afterwards, and someone will tell you our whereabouts. Almost all the people in this city are your eyes and ears."

"Bu Bule was tested by us and wanted to warn you. His method was also very simple. He only needed to let Physician Lu buy a pair of shoes at the market. He didn't even need to find a specific buyer, because as long as Physician Lu went to buy shoes, you would definitely know."

"Even Chief Tongtu can't do this kind of thing, but it's easy for you," Lu Jing said, "That's why I said your biggest problem is that you are too cautious, doing too much, and reacting too quickly."

"Anything else?" Tuo Le poured himself a third bowl of wine.

"There's also… Registrar Luo."