The Demon Lords-Chapter 587 - 84: Bastard_1

Why would she commit suicide?

Zheng Fan couldn't understand this hypothesis, even though A Ming supported it with a field assessment.

A Ming shook his head. "My lord, that's a question beyond my ability to answer right now. However, one method is to infer her motive from the consequences. Consider the disturbances her death has caused or could potentially cause."

"You mean she wanted to drive a wedge between Lord Jingnan and the Imperial Court?"

"I am merely offering a conjecture, my lord. You are the one who makes the decisions."

Zheng Fan shook his head. "No, something's wrong. There must be other issues here."

"Do you think Lord Jingnan might already know she committed suicide?"

"I'm not sure, but…"

"But what?"

"My lord, we've been in this world for less than two years. We arrived as adults, so our daily routines, perspectives, and thought patterns are largely from our previous lives. For instance, her wounds and the deduction I just made. In our original world, hardly anyone would consider this angle because there were no high-level martial arts, no magic, and none of the various powerful cultivators or demonic beasts that exist here. But in this world, from Lord Jingnan's perspective, as a veteran general seasoned in warfare and a powerful cultivator himself…"

"You mean it's very likely Lord Jingnan realized she committed suicide early on?"

"Given the marks on her wounds and certain details, I believe it's highly unlikely Lord Jingnan wouldn't have noticed something amiss."

"No, there's another complication here," Zheng Fan said, raising his hand.

"Please elaborate, my lord."

"Let's try to think like the people of this world. Just on this point alone, consider Dujuan. What kind of woman was she? Before becoming Lady Jingnan, she was a spy. She calmly performed a caesarean section on herself despite the medical conditions of this era. That demonstrates her meticulous mind and that her constitution and vitality were extraordinary."

"Yes."

"So, here's the problem. Meticulousness is one thing, and a strong cultivation base is another. With both of these, would she overlook details like the wounds when staging her suicide? If she wanted to use her death to force Lord Jingnan and the Imperial Court to break ties, to forcibly drag Tian Wujing and the Jingnan Army to oppose Yan State, would she make such an elementary mistake?"

"You have a point, my lord."

Damn it, if only the Blind Man were here. That guy's analytical skills are sharp.

A Ming nodded in deep agreement.

She committed suicide? She deliberately let Lord Jingnan see it was suicide? And then she still killed herself? And the child has vanished? I'm so confused.

"I'm also a bit confused. Moreover, the representatives of many factions within the city are equally perplexed. Oh, right, my lord, there's a report that Lady Jingnan killed quite a few people in the residence before she left for the mountain. According to the agent the Sixth Prince planted near His Highness the Crown Prince, Lady Jingnan was eliminating moles."

"Whose moles?"

"Unclear."

It's normal for there to be moles in the residence, as Lady Jingnan herself was a major one.

"When I arrived, Lord Jingnan was just sitting there." Zheng Fan pointed to the threshold of the main hall entrance. "So, that's why Lord Jingnan didn't order a search of the residence and the entire city, and didn't make a big show of looking for the killer or clues…"

At this, A Ming interjected, "It's because Lord Jingnan knew his wife committed suicide. He wasn't looking for a killer or clues, but an… explanation."

Zheng Fan reached out and grabbed A Ming's shoulder.

A Ming felt Zheng Fan's body sway.

"And then, I laid into Tian Wujing. I told him that even if he wanted to die with his wife and child, he should find the killer and get revenge before dying. I berated him for his current despair and self-abandonment."

A Ming's lips twitched. He said, "My lord, you've watched too many TV dramas."

"I think so too."

"But if I were Lord Jingnan, I would be very touched," A Ming said. "Nothing is more moving than a genuine display of emotion."

"That wasn't my intention."

"To achieve victory with no deliberate stratagem—my lord is truly brilliant."

"Go to hell."

"I still have to protect you, my lord."

"What we need to do now is find the child. Who do you think Dujuan entrusted the child to after giving birth?"

"I don't know. But whoever knew has likely already been silenced."

"Silenced by her personally?"

"Yes, that's highly probable."

"A Ming, I want to know the truth."

"As do I."

Zheng Fan frowned, walked to the threshold, and sat down, mimicking Tian Wujing's earlier posture. He asked, "What do you think will happen if Tian Wujing and that old master in the Yan State Imperial Palace can't reach an agreement?"

"We'll be in a very difficult position."

"You're that pessimistic?"

"Li Bao's tens of thousands of Zhenbei Army cavalry are stationed at Quhe City."

"It would be very difficult for him to stop Tian Wujing."

"But destroying Shengle City would be simple."

Zheng Fan fell silent. Theoretically, Quhe City is much closer to Shengle City than to Li Tian City.

"Forget it. Let's not dwell on that now. If the city is lost, it's lost. Finding the child comes first."

Zheng Fan reached into his robe, took out the Mo Wan, and mused aloud, "Can you find the child?"

The Mo Wan gave no reaction, meaning it couldn't.

"My lord, the Mo Wan might be better at finding spiritual bodies, but the child might still be alive. Even if the child is gone, it's unlikely they would have immediately turned into a vengeful spirit, right?"

"Then how should we find them?"

"My lord, the biggest problem is that if the child has no distinguishing marks, even if we do find them later, it will be very difficult to confirm if it's really them."

"I know."

"Besides, my lord, while our personnel in Li Tian City are capable, well-trained, and loyal, searching for a child in such a populous city—let alone the areas outside it—is an incredibly daunting task. We simply don't have enough people."

"When you say 'our personnel in Li Tian City,' are you referring to just yourself?"

"Precisely, my lord."

"Joking like this in front of Dujuan's body isn't appropriate right now."

"It would be much more convenient if she could sit up as a Zombie."

"Huh?" Zheng Fan said, puzzled. "Why don't you try biting her? See if she turns into a vampire?"

"My lord, she's already dead and completely cold…"

"So, our only option is A Cheng?"

"A Cheng could turn her into a low-level Zombie without much trouble. But I suspect if that happened, Lord Jingnan would fly into a rage and slaughter us all."

"Can't she retain some intelligence? Like Old Sha does, for example?"

Zheng Fan wasn't sure why Dujuan had wanted to kill herself. To be blunt, he wasn't that close to Dujuan. If she hadn't been Tian Wujing's wife, or the mother of his godchild, he wouldn't have cared if she lived or died. Zheng Fan simply didn't want to see Tian Wujing grieve; he hoped Old Tian could have something to hold onto. Putting himself in Tian Wujing's shoes, Zheng Fan felt it would be a kind of happiness if Old Tian could be like him, bringing some wine and food to Shatuo Queshi's coffin from time to time to talk.

"Shatuo Queshi was a powerhouse in his own right. He might have made his own arrangements before going to the Earl of North Border's residence, or perhaps someone else made them for him. It was only after the Barbarian Royal Court's priests were nearly wiped out as a sacrificial price that they barely managed to awaken him. My lord, that scenario is very difficult to replicate. Of course, it's not that A Cheng can't do it, but we'd probably have to wait until…"

"Wait until what? My rank isn't high enough, is it?"

"Correct."

"Then what rank do you think I need to reach?"

"One where you can knock out Lord Jingnan with a single punch."

… Zheng Fan was speechless.

***

The Blind Man was exhausted from severe overexertion. As a psychic, his physical constitution wasn't particularly strong. After his hurried journey, he was feeling the strain. He couldn't just collapse and die from exhaustion on the road before even reaching Li Tian City, could he? So, he decided to rest for a bit at a courier station.

The courier station naturally belonged to Yan State, but it wasn't newly constructed; it was an existing fort repurposed for the role. In the short term, rapidly establishing a network of new courier stations was difficult. However, the lack of courier stations and dedicated roads was highly inconvenient and detrimental to governing the New Jin territory.

Therefore, the Yan State Imperial Court adopted a very pragmatic solution: they issued official "plaques" to the Jin people's forts along the routes, authorizing them to function as courier stations. Yan State officials and couriers could rest, eat, drink, and even exchange horses at these forts, all free of charge. This system was somewhat analogous to how highway service areas might be franchised in later times.

Providing free food, drink, and fresh horses was undoubtedly a money-losing venture. Nevertheless, the masters of these Jin land forts scrambled for the opportunity. After all, the Yan people were the new sovereigns of this region. With Yan swords metaphorically at their throats, they couldn't dare utter a "no." Furthermore, the Yan State would inevitably consolidate its rule over the Jin lands, a process that would naturally require the assistance of these local powers. These local powers, in turn, needed a pathway to gain favor and secure a position with their new rulers.

Operating a courier station was a losing proposition financially. However, for these fort masters, the small monetary loss was a pittance compared to the potential future gains. This role could, at the very least, earn them the status of being "one of their own" in the eyes of the Yan, paving the way for their family's descendants to advance within the Yan State's officialdom. In reality, it was still a profitable endeavor.

The Blind Man held an official position; in fact, all the Demon Kings did. Their official rank was "Captain," a title as common as cabbages in Yan State, which Zheng Fan had procured for them in bulk.

Upon entering the fort, the Blind Man presented his token and documents for registration. He was then entitled to a full day and night of food and lodging, free of charge. Of course, he couldn't expect overly refined cuisine. He simply ordered a bowl of meat broth and two flatbreads. Eating flatbreads with hot broth was far more comforting than gnawing on dry rations. After his meal, he planned to take a short nap before resuming his journey. He estimated it would take just under two more days to reach Li Tian City. Alas, I have no idea what the situation in the city is actually like.

When the meat broth and flatbreads were brought out, the Blind Man remarked, somewhat surprised, "It's quite crowded here today."

The courier station functioned much like an inn and tavern, even offering "diverse services" behind red curtains. Since it was already operating as a station, it naturally took on other patrons besides Yan State officials. While Yan officials received free food, drink, and lodging, others could also avail themselves of these services by paying.

In fact, many forts and stockades within Yan State itself offered similar "services." Of course, the more unscrupulous ones might well operate as "human-flesh bun shops"—such establishments were particularly common in times of chaos.

"Indeed, Officer. For some reason, we have an unusual number of guests today."

The Blind Man nodded and, paying no further mind, began to drink his broth. After drinking half a bowl of the hot broth, he felt much better. Just as he was about to tear off a piece of flatbread to dip into the broth, a swordsman entered. The swordsman wore a conical straw hat, had a sword at his waist, and was cradling an infant in his arms. No sooner had the swordsman sat down than the baby began to wail, its cries heart-rending.

At that moment, a man at an adjacent table, who had been eating and drinking, suddenly stood up and shouted angrily, "Damn it, that racket is splitting my ears! Where did this bastard brat come from, wailing like someone's mourning?!"

The swordsman showed no anger. Instead, he nodded and concurred, "Indeed. A bastard."

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(Author's Note: Thank you to 'Call me Brother Xiaofei' for becoming the 86th Alliance Lord of *Demon's Arrival*! Thanks to everyone for your monthly tickets and recommendation votes!)