I became the Counterpart of the Winner in a Period Novel-Chapter 294 - 280: Black Phoenix (Part 2)

Liu Chu’s face grew even darker.

"I’ve underestimated you!"

"You don’t need to think highly of me. Actually, we have no need to fight. As long as you reveal who’s behind this, I can offer you some benefits."

Liu Chu sneered, "Benefits? Do I lack them? Unless you use the Taotie Pocket Watch for exchange."

"Oh! You finally spoke the truth! Why make life so hard? You should have told me earlier, I was just about to give it to you."

Liu Chu’s breath caught for a moment, then he thought of something, "Giving another fake one?"

"Yang the Sixth is indeed one of yours. Wait, Yang the Sixth and the others moved into Qiong Bamboo Temple a year ago, but the Taotie Pocket Watch was still in my uncle’s possession at that time. My uncle was at the machine factory, he wouldn’t go to Qiong Bamboo Temple. You couldn’t have stationed Yang the Sixth there to wait for the pocket watch, you must have another purpose, so tell me?"

Liu Chu was secretly shocked, this girl was too perceptive, the secret of Qiong Bamboo Temple must not be revealed to her.

"You overestimate those beggars. A year ago, they had nothing to do with us. If it weren’t for knowing you siblings were investigating around Qiong Bamboo Temple, I wouldn’t have let Yang the Sixth act opportunistically. After all, when the meat is delivered right to your mouth, it’d be a waste not to take it."

Jiang Mingyue was certain, Qiong Bamboo Temple had a secret. Those "beggars" appeared homeless and were temporarily staying at Qiong Bamboo Temple for shelter, but in fact, they were guardians of the temple.

Jiang Mingyue couldn’t help but ponder conspiracies. Only a few months ago, the nation started to become unsettled, the temple was burned and vandalized, monks scattered, and now the temple was deserted. Under normal circumstances, the beggars would come to benefit afterward, not last year.

Wait, something must have happened at Qiong Bamboo Temple last year.

"Bang!" Jiang Mingyue lost her patience, grabbed an iron rod from the corner of the wall, and fiercely struck at Liu Chu.

Liu Chu was momentarily stunned, truly surprised that Jiang Mingyue would grab a weapon, but he quickly recovered. With a quick shift, the iron rod still landed ungraciously on his shoulder.

At the moment the iron rod fell, Jiang Mingyue heard the sound of bone breaking, Liu Chu winced in pain, sweating profusely, glaring at Jiang Mingyue, "I’m going to report this to the authorities."

"Hurry up!" Just right to catch a turtle in a jar.

Liu Chu: So angry!

Ten minutes later, Jiang Mingyue released her spiritual power, those people had already withdrawn.

Jiang Mingyue: This is it?

She had thought that the other side would not give up easily because of the Taotie Pocket Watch, she even considered buying a yard across from the South Gate, so people could instantly move between a few yards. Even if Magpie Street was surrounded all year, it wouldn’t affect her. But now it’s unnecessary.

But she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off: gave up so easily?

Or are they after something else besides the Taotie Pocket Watch?

But things seemed urgent, she couldn’t spare time to investigate, someone else had died.

When Jiang Mingyue arrived, she already smelled the stench of a corpse at the door. This odor she had encountered many times in her past life, was habituated to it. Compared to the mountains of corpses and seas of blood from her past life, the single corpse on the bed before her stirred no ripple in her heart.

An Jianxian was there, already examining the scene with his team. Seeing her arrive, he gestured for her to come over.

An Jian was surprised, his brother just took a glance at the bed and then looked away calmly, unlike the newcomers who would retch and vomit messily, Look at them, their psychological resilience is simply remarkable.

"Seen anything?" Close enough, An Jian asked in a voice meant only for the two of them.

Jiang Mingyue was speechless.

"At least dead for three days, flies have gathered in bunches, I’m no deity."

An Jian rubbed his nose, "Look at this..." He said, picking up a pearl from under the bed with a gloved hand.

"Could be the deceased’s. The deceased has ear piercings, bloodstains on the left ear, likely injured when pulled. The pearl earring broke, in haste, the killer only took the deceased’s other earring and collected the fallen pearl, this one fell under the bed. Either the killer didn’t see it or assumed no one would notice it under there."

"Of course, it might also be left by the killer, but I lean towards the former."

Just then, Little Chao returned with questions.

"Captain, Li Youcai was drinking with someone, our people have already brought him back for questioning."

"Besides Li Youcai, what about the other family members of Li Hongmei?"

"Captain, Li Hongmei’s family has thirteen people: grandparents, parents, and two brothers, both of whom are married, each family has two children, the eldest brother has two sons, the second brother also has two sons. The Li Family favors males over females, from grandparents down to the four nephews, they all looked down on Li Hongmei.