At 9:00 a.m., Zuo Zhengyang asked someone to keep an eye on the horses, picked up the toad he had picked up from the ground, and walked up the stone steps.
"The door plaque is not ostentatious, so the owner of the house should not be difficult to get along with."
For a constable who has been arresting people for years, it is only a matter of a glance to tell the character of the owner of the house from the gate of the mansion. This time, he actually has something more important to ask the scholar.
He knocked on the already open gate, but did not go in without permission. After a while, the doorman came over and saw that he was wearing a constable's uniform.
"Captain, what brings you to the Zhou residence?"
"A case has something to do with the master of the mansion. Come over and ask about it." Zuo Zhengyang raised the toad and made a fake gesture.
"Wait a moment, Captain. I'll go in and report."
The concierge glanced at the upside-down toad in Zuo Zhengyang's hand, and walked inside with a hunched back, shaking his head and muttering, "Are they starting to give toads as gifts?"
As a warrior, how could Zuo Zhengyang not hear what the old man at the door said? He smiled and looked at the toad in his hand. Coming here today was just a routine matter. If it was a visit, that would be another matter.
The toad in his hand had its cheeks bulging, as if it was very angry, and was staring at him with its eyes wide open.
"It has grown so big and has learned human nature? No wonder Mr. Lu wants to keep it."
Considering that Lu Liangsheng is a cultivator, it is reasonable for him to raise some exotic animals. Who knows what they will be used for? What if they have any medicinal effects
After a while, the doorman came back with a steward from the mansion and invited him in. In the living room, Zhou Zhen had already come over from the study. The two of them happened to meet and bowed to each other, but Zuo Zhengyang spoke first.
"Hegu County Chief Constable Zuo Zhengyang greets Scholar Zhou!"
As a man in the government, he knew something about the dignitaries in the city. Just like Zhou Zhen in front of him, he was once a minister in Denglong Pavilion in the capital. He offended officials in the court and was dismissed from his post. He returned to his hometown in Hegu County in despair. However, his two sons, one civil and one military, both served in the army and the Ministry of Personnel.
In a remote small county, the old man's status is very significant.
"It's Chief Constable Zuo, please take a seat!"
The old man asked the maid to serve tea and snacks, extended his hand to invite the other party to sit down, picked up the teacup and blew the tea leaves on the water.
"The captain of the police came here at this time, probably to inquire about the matter between me and the Zhang family, right?"
Zuo Zhengyang nodded.
"The government office arrested the sorcerer yesterday, but there is no evidence, so I came here to ask Scholar Zhou. In addition, this person is also related to a murder case involving sorcery in Fushui County that year. After all, the scholar also knows that there are many Taoists in this prosperous world, and many of them have evil thoughts."
Zhou Zhen hummed and nodded: "The chief detective is right."
The old man was quite cooperative when the official asked about the case, but he couldn't help but lose his temper when it came to anger. Zuo Zhengyang just listened solemnly to what Zhou Zhen knew. He basically knew what the other party knew, he just checked it.
Less than half an hour passed and they had finished talking about everything. Zhou Zhen looked at the toad in the other person's hand, stroked his beard, and stood up.
"The Chief Constable will probably go look for Lu Liangsheng, right? Are you two acquainted?"
Zuo Zhengyang stood up and shook the toad: "I saw it at the door when I came here. This officer and Lu Liangsheng are from the same hometown."
"Well, please come in. He's in the side yard, but it's a bit cold there, so don't be offended if you go over there, Captain."
Zuo Zhengyang didn't take it seriously, as he had never seen any magic before. But as a martial artist with a strong bloodline, he was naturally not afraid, but he was still a little curious.
"It's summer, why is the side yard of the scholar's house so cold?"
"Humph! It was the work of the demon that the chief detective caught. That was the side room where my daughter and I lived. That demon used to use magic for three consecutive months..."
Zhou Zhen brushed his sleeves and snorted, "... In the final analysis, it was Zhang Dongming who caused all this. Fortunately, there are good people living there, so it won't be wasted."
After saying that, he didn't say anything more. Immediately, he ordered a servant to lead the way. Zuo Zhengyang followed behind, and was quite curious about the side yard.
The courtyard is not big, but there are many flowers, plants and trees, probably because of the old man's preference. Now that the haze in the mansion has dissipated, the sunlight shines through the gaps. Butterflies and bees are flying among the flowers and plants. When someone comes over, they fly away and come back soon.
The mansion was filled with liveliness, and even the servants and maids passing by had smiles on their faces.
"Sir, the side yard is in front." The servant who led the way pointed to the end of a small path and said, "The master has instructed us not to go near Mr. Lu's residence unless necessary. I can only go here."
Since it was the rule of the mansion, Zuo Zhengyang did not ask too much. He strode towards the crescent gate with the toad in his hand. He turned a stone path and felt a gust of cool air on his face. It was not as eerie as the old man said.
"It's hot outside, but it's cool here. Lu Liangsheng is enjoying it."
In front of the field of vision, there was a low table with steam rising from the tea. Behind the easel, Lu Liangsheng sat holding a brush, sketching and embellishing. Under the eaves was Sun Yingxian, who was on crutches and covered in bandages.
The scholar behind the easel put down his brush, closed the "Illustrated Records of Mountains and Seas" beside him, and stood up.
"Captain Zuo."
The Taoist priest under the eaves turned his neck to take a look, snorted, then turned sideways to continue basking in the sun.
The captain of the police who was walking over looked at the Taoist priest and said with a smile, "It seems that someone still remembers a misunderstanding three years ago."
Misunderstand?!
Sun Yingxian glared at him with her eyes outside the bandages: "Is that a misunderstanding? You rode your horse to chase me up a hill without feeling tired, while I was digging underground, tired and thirsty, with rocks and tree roots everywhere, and I almost died and was buried in the soil!!"
"I see."
Zuo Zhengyang suddenly raised his hands towards him and said, "Then I'd like to apologize to you."
This action made Sun Yingxian curl her lips and was at a loss for words. After a moment, she waved her hand.
"Forget it, forget it. I'll just pretend that I didn't check the almanac before going out that day..."
Zuo Zhengyang smiled and lowered his hand, then placed the toad in his hand on the low table next to him.
"I saw it on the road when I came here, and I knew at first glance that it was the toad you raised, so I brought it to you on the way."
As soon as the Toad Taoist touched the table, his tongue hung crookedly at the corner of his mouth and he let out a breath. He had been held in someone's hand for a long time and now he finally felt at ease.
… There is no reason for me to run away if I have nothing to do.
Thinking about it, Lu Liangsheng heard his apprentice's words from above, and he made a gesture of invitation: "Captain, please take a seat. I'm afraid you must have something else to do besides returning my toad?"
"Um."
Zuo Zhengyang sat down and looked at the figure of a human head with a snake body outlined in green ink on the scroll. He did not care what it was. After pondering for a moment, his expression became serious and he spoke in a low voice.
"That Taoist priest Yangming died early this morning."
A cool breeze blew over people's bodies, and the yard suddenly became quiet.
Only the rustling of pine branches remained.