They all became female demons after being reborn.

Chapter 39 The Clues Are Broken

Shen Tu Lie plopped back down on the stool, threw the filthy rag on the ground, and said, "I just want to do some honest business, why is it so hard to make a living?"

Wu Cheng asked curiously, "Aren't you from the Demonic Sect? How did you end up like this?"

"The Holy Gate's three sects and six paths have long since fallen apart. Some of them are eating meat and others are drinking soup. We, the Lord of the Burial Path, died young. What else can we, a few rats of varying sizes, do but cower and live?" Shen Tu Lie slapped his thigh in anger. "Now, every day when I open my eyes, I have to serve more than a dozen people's food, drink, and toilet needs. My life is miserable! It's as bitter as bitter herbs in a crack in a rock or weeds under a cartwheel."

Wu Cheng smiled and said, "Mr. Shentu, playing the victim won't work. Do you think I don't know? There's a lot of money to be made from weddings and funerals. You guys can handle all the weddings and funerals in and around Luoyang. You must be making a fortune."

"Make money? All the money belongs to others!" Shen Tu Lie, who had been holding back his anger, seemed to have found an outlet, and his spittle flew everywhere. "Your Great Yu emperor is a devout Buddhist! He's always going to Buddhist temples! Those bald monks are worshipped wherever they go now. Everyone wants them to chant sutras and perform rituals for the deceased. They've stolen all the funeral business! We, the Burial Path, are in the business of dealing with the dead, but now we can't even get a single job as a mourner! And when we finally get a job, we have to offer sacrifices to those bald monks!"

"Buddhism?" Wu Cheng smirked. "Then it seems the Great Yu Dynasty is doomed sooner or later."

Four hundred and eighty temples of the Southern Dynasties, how many are shrouded in mist and rain.

Southern Dynasties? And they worshipped Buddhism?

It would be difficult for the Great Yu Dynasty not to perish!

Shen Tu Lie's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"It's nothing," Wu Cheng changed the subject. "Mr. Shentu, how long until we get news about Sun Xiaohu?"

Shen Tu Lie turned around and roared, "Wang Laosan! Go and call the stewards from the west and east of the city over here! You won't get any wine money for the rest of the month!"

The man responded and turned to leave.

Shen Tu Lie turned around, his tone hard but softening, "Young Master Mei, let me make this clear: I can help you find someone, but if the imperial court gets involved, don't blame me for not taking responsibility!"

Wu Cheng smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, Mr. Shentu. The name of the Wentian Sect is still worth a lot in Luoyang. Also, my real name is Wu, and my given name is Cheng, the Cheng of 'accomplished nothing.' Please don't call me by the wrong name next time, Mr. Shentu."

Shen Tu Lie's eye twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything.

Wu Cheng understood the implication in Wu Cheng's words. The reason why Fushengtang had been able to operate peacefully in Luoyang City until now was because the hidden identities of the remnants of the Burial Path had not been exposed, or because they had been suppressed by people above.

But some things are weightless on the scale, but once weighed, they are worth more than a thousand pounds.

The other party was a disciple of the Wentian Sect. If this matter were to be exposed, he would be doomed and would have nowhere to live in Luoyang City, let alone earn a living.

When the time comes, Wu Cheng only needs to deliver the message "Fushengtang has buried the remnants of the Daoist sect" to Wentian Sect. Without Wentian Sect having to do anything themselves, even the magistrate of Luoyang can uproot their shop just to distance himself from the matter.

If he weren't outmatched, he would have liked to kill these people right now.

But unfortunately, I was powerless to do so.

Shen Tu Lie's scarred face twitched, and he finally managed to utter only one sentence, "Where the hell are they! Why haven't they arrived yet?"

Wu Cheng smiled but remained silent.

However, the news did come faster than he expected.

Less than half an hour later, Wang Laosan, the shop assistant who had just left, led a skinny old man into the back room.

After entering, the little old man wearing a felt hat first bowed to Shen Tu Lie and addressed him as Elder. Then he glanced at Wu Cheng and the others before whispering something in Shen Tu Lie's ear.

Shen Tu Lie frowned, and after the old man finished speaking, he waved him away, then turned to look at Zhang Cheng.

"The person has been found."

"Where?"

"In an empty courtyard in Shuijing Lane in the west of the city." Shen Tu Lie paused, then continued, "But the person is already dead. Their neck was snapped, and they've been dead for at least a day."

Wu Cheng showed no surprise.

Sun Xiaohu was Yuan Congwen's servant and the only witness to report Xue Jianren.

If the Wentian Sect were to close the case here, that would be fine. But if they saw through Yuan Congwen's clumsy operation, they would naturally investigate further.

The fact that Sun Xiaohu is dead in Luoyang shows that the person behind him never intended for him to live from the very beginning.

The fact that he had been dead for more than a day suggests that he may have been taken to Luoyang and silenced upon arrival.

"Is there really no trace left in that courtyard?" Wu Cheng then asked.

"When my men left, the place was completely deserted, not even a hair was left behind. I was even planning to take back some cabinets and chairs to use."

Shen Tu Lie paused for a moment, then said, "However, the constables patrolling the west side of the city haven't been to Shuijing Lane these past two days, and the watchman in that area used to stay there every night, but last night he was sent away for some reason."

Wu Cheng narrowed his eyes. "Could it be that the person who sent him away was from the imperial court?"

Shen Tu Lie stared at him blankly, "Young Master Mei... how do you know everything?"

Wu Cheng smiled and said, "I only know what I should know."

The fact that the night watchman was found by Shen Tu Lie's men even though he hadn't patrolled at night means he wasn't held accountable, so the person who sent him away must have been someone from the imperial court.

Or someone who can impersonate a member of the imperial court.

Shen Tu Lie couldn't help but sigh, "The Shen Family Village incident is not unjust... That's right, the one who sent the watchman away was a messenger from the Luoyang government office, but I don't know who it was. I have no other clues here either."

Wu Cheng nodded, then stood up and cupped his hands in thanks, "Thank you, Mr. Shentu. Today's matter is a debt of gratitude to Wentian Sect."

Shen Tu Lie snorted irritably, "Don't give me that! You left without even taking a sip of tea? Do you look down on my cheap tea?"

Wu Cheng smiled slightly, picked up the cup of tea on the table that had already cooled down, and drank it all in one gulp. Only after seeing him drink tea did Xue Jianren and the others dare to follow suit.

Then Wu Cheng put down the empty cup and turned to leave.

Qingque followed closely behind, and Xue Jianren and Zhou Ke quickly caught up.

As they reached the door, Wu Cheng paused, turned his head slightly, and said, "Mr. Shentu, if you ever find yourself unable to make a living in Luoyang, remember to go far away and find a place where Buddhism doesn't prevail to live a good life."

Qingque suddenly looked up at Wu Cheng's profile.

That phrase...she knew it so well...

For a moment, even the view seemed to become somewhat hazy.

Shen Tu Lie remained seated on the stool, waiting until Wu Cheng and the others had been gone for a long time before he picked up his cup of cold tea and gulped it down. Then he muttered under his breath, "In this damned chaotic world, where can we hide?"

After putting down his teacup, his gaze suddenly paused, fixing on the small table next to Wu Cheng's seat.

There were three silver ingots there.

He strolled over leisurely, quickly grabbed the silver ingots and stuffed them into his pocket, then shouted, "Wang Laosan! Go buy a few jugs of wine! And two catties of cooked beef! I'm rich now!"