Mysterious Lotus Casebook

Chapter 9: Where The Path Is

Fang Duobing felt troubled as he sat at the Moonlight Inn and watched Li Lianhua walk back and forth. He had been pacing around the room with the inn owner’s baby in his arms for what felt like forever, and the thing was howling like a wolf.

“Tell me, is that your son?”

“No,” Li Lianhua said, holding the not-so-cute-looking baby close to his chest and patting him gently.

“That’s right, it’s not your son, so why are you acting like this and carrying him around like you’re his mother?” Fang Duobing was almost mad at Li Lianhua, “I’ve been sitting here for an hour. I have many things I must get done, and I came all the way to this tiny inn to find you. Yet here you are taking care of someone else’s baby when I need your help.”

“Cuihua has gone out.” Li Lianhua pointed to the door, “She went to buy soy sauce and her baby had no one to watch over him…”

“There are plenty of widows with children in this world. Are you going to find them all and marry them just because there’s no one to take care of their babies?” Fang Duobing stared at him, slamming his fist on the table.

“I’m telling you, Fobi Baishi gave me this mission. It’s very important since it involves the famous ‘Iron Boned Warrior’ Wu Guang and ‘Shameless Killer’ Murong Wuyan. If you don’t investigate their murder with me, this case will involve three bodies instead of two!”

He looked threateningly at Li Lianhua, “Are you going to help me? If you don’t, there’s no telling what I’ll do to you!”

“Wait, Wu Guang has died?” Li Lianhua flinched, asking in a frightened tone, “And Murong Wuyan too?”

“Even Li Xiangyi and Di Feisheng will die at some point, why would these two people be any different?” Fang Duobing glared impatiently at the child in Li Lianhua’s arms as he hit the table again. “How much longer are you going to care for this child?”

There was a creak, the sound of the door opening and closing, and a young man’s embarrassed voice came from outside the door, “Um… I’m Ge Pan, a disciple of Fobi Baishi.”

He had opened the door and heard Fang Duobing’s shouting, which scared him. He closed the door with shaking hands.

Fang Duobing composed himself and straightened his clothes. Unfortunately today he hadn’t brought his sword he named Er Ya.

Showing an elegant smile, Fang Duobing spoke.

“Ahem. Please come in. This uncivilized person’s name is Fang Duobing.”

Ge Pan pushed the door open and entered. He was wearing a blue silk robe and thin-soled speed boots, and he seemed to smile more kindly than young people of his age.

“I, Ge Pan, greet Master Fang and Master Li.” He clasped his fists together in front of himself, greeting the sickly man and Li Lianhua.

Ge Pan was taken aback when he saw Li Lianhua holding a baby in his arms, but he quickly recovered and pretended not to notice.

“How is the situation at Yipin Tomb?” Fang Duobing put his hands on the armrests of his chair. 

“When Master Biqiu sent me his message, he only said that Wu Guang and Murong Wuyan died at Yipin Tomb, and the rest of the details would be discussed in detail when you arrive.”

Ge Pan clasped his fists together again. 

“Master Biqiu’s information is not accurate. According to the information obtained by Master Bai Jiangchun, the two men’s upper bodies were thin and shrunken, their lower bodies were swollen, and there were no scars on them. The bodies were located in the forest of Xiling Mountain, about ten miles away from Yipin Tomb. They were fifteen feet apart, both with a very strange appearance. The person who discovered them was Zhang Qingmao, originally a Shaolin disciple. Although this matter has nothing to do with the tomb guards, this is still a major event in the martial arts world. Master Bai checked the information and found that this was not the first case like this that happened at Xiling Mountain. In the past 30 years, eleven people have disappeared there, many of whom were good and honest people.”