Chapter 3: Flying Fish Suit, Green Edge Sword

Du Kang Village, named after the liquor Du Kang, is renowned for its winemaking and wine sales, which are its most notable characteristics. Ye Weiming could smell the faint aroma of wine permeating the air right after he got off the carriage. A variety of wine shops, taverns, and wine stalls could be seen everywhere, forming a unique wine culture in the village.

If you were a wine enthusiast, you would be deeply attracted to the atmosphere here, kick back and relax with a few friends, and enjoy the bliss of being tipsy.

In fact, Ye Weiming wasn't fond of drinking alcohol. He was the kind of person who never drank when he was alone, and even when gathering with friends, he couldn't distinguish the quality of the drink. He could only tell if it was beer, liquor, or wine he was drinking.

Firstly, he had no love for wine, and secondly, he had come here on a mission, so he naturally wasn't in the mood to appreciate the wine culture here. Instead, he headed straight to his mission target location: Old man Li's house.

Why did he know the way?

The answer was simple: Du Kang Village was the starting village where Ye Weiming was born into.

Just as he got to Old man Li's doorstep, he heard two voices arguing from inside the house.

"Although Old man Li was aged, he was quite optimistic about life. He asked me to find some premium timber a few days ago, hoping to make a fine chessboard for Ah Ren. Yesterday noon, I heard from Uncle Zhao, the blacksmith next door, that Old man Li was collecting Calculation Scriptures as he wished to broaden his skills."

The one speaking was a young and beautiful player, excitedly rattling off recent news about Old man Li then loudly questioned, "How on earth could such an optimistic man, full of hope and vigor for the future, suddenly commit suicide?"

"What would a greenhorn like you understand?" An NPC dressed as an arrest officer dismissed the female player's doubts, "Solving a case requires evidence. The crime scene does not show any signs of struggle, and there is no evidence of burglary in the room. Moreover, the deceased was found hanging from the beam. If it's not suicide, then what is it, a murder?"

This man was Captain Liu from Luoyang City, who was on a mission to catch the one-eyed bald eagle, Chou Ba. Ye Weiming had once inquired about the mission clues from him when he was in Novice Village. Behind him, two constables stood silently at the door.

As Ye Weiming's eyes fell on Old man Li's body, a series of notifications flashed from the system in the background:

Ding! Passive skill "Autopsy Technique" activated, you discovered three distinct fingermarks on Old Man Li's neck.

Ding! Passive skill "Autopsy Technique" activated, you discovered...

...

Wow, really?!

With this skill, it would seem that he wouldn't need to look for clues himself. Detective work appeared to be a lot easier than expected!

After reading all the system prompts, the argument between the young lady and Captain Liu concerning the cause of Old Man Li's death raged on.

Seeing this, Ye Weiming knew it was time to show off... ahem... show real skills! So, he stepped forward and spoke up, "Suicide? I'm not so sure!"

"Who dares to...." Hearing someone supporting the female player, Captain Liu immediately turned around in anger. However, as soon as he got a glimpse of Ye Weiming's attire, his angry expression vanished, replaced by a hypocritical smile as he asked, "Young man, I think we've met before. Judging by your current appearance, could it be that..."

After joining a faction, players could exchange faction-specific equipment in return for faction contribution and money. The quality of these suits was far superior to all the equipment currently on the market. So, for a long period, just glancing at a player's outfit would reveal which faction they belonged to.

The Divine Arrest Division, unlike other factions, issued its faction suits free of charge to its members upon joining. There were four parts to the suit: A Flying Fish Robe, a Palm-Fibre Hat, Long Official Boots, and a Green Edge Sword. All of these were of blue quality. At a time when most players could barely gather white-board equipment, his outfit could definitely be considered super luxurious.

Of course, top-grade equipment wouldn't make NPCs look up to you, but Ye Weiming's outfit represented the Divine Arrest Division!

According to an NPC called Zhan Zhao, the God Capture Division was formed by the imperial court merging the Imperial Bodyguards and the Six Doors Institute, under the personal leadership of Huang Shouzun. It was a professional body specifically tasked with maintaining order in the martial arts world, and local officials must unconditionally cooperate with all its actions during the investigation of a case!"

Ye Weiming directly presented his token from the God Capture Division, effectively dispelling the doubts in Constable Liu's mind, and said, "I also came here to investigate the cause of Old Man Li's death."

"So, young hero, you're now a member of the God Capture Division. I must apologize for the oversight." Even though he was apologizing, Captain Liu's gaze was full of hostility. "According to what you've just said, you also believe that Old Man Li didn't commit suicide?"

Ye Weiming nodded, "Exactly."

"Hehe." Captain Liu couldn't help but reveal a contemptuous smile, "Since you're a high-ranking official of the God Capture Division, you must know that the investigation needs to be based on solid evidence. I suppose you wouldn't be like that naive girl, and conclude that Old Man Li was murdered just based on subjective impressions, right?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Weiming calmly stepped into the center of the room, pointed to a place on Old Man Li's neck where there was a bruise not concealed by the rope, and said, "There are obvious finger marks on Old Man Li's neck. In addition, the direction of his head's twist is clearly different from that of a common hanged man. Most likely, his neck was first broken by a master using finger force, and then he was hanged."

"But…"

"Don't be in a hurry, I haven't finished." Ye Weiming continued, "The window behind the room is open, and there is a clear footprint on the windowsill. Could it be left by the killer during his escape?"

"This…"

For each point of suspicion mentioned by Ye Weiming, the female player's eyes brightened, and she forced down a shout of joy. By contrast, Captain Liu's face turned darker the more he listened, and at this point, it was almost exuding a gloomy air.

Before he could argue any further, Ye Weiming casually picked up a stool from the ground and placed it under Old Man Li's feet, making sure there was still half a foot distance between the stool and the tip of Li's hanging feet.

From this point on, there was no disputing the fact that Old Man Li had been murdered. After all, a person committing suicide absolutely would not adjust the noose to be higher than their own head!

Only then did Constable Liu pretend to realize suddenly, followed with, "As you've pointed out, it is certain that Old Man Li was murdered, and the murderer is likely to be a skilled martial arts master. I will return to the Yamen and report this to the prefect, and ask him for more manpower to assist you in capturing the culprit!"

This old fox!

Ye Weiming inwardly cursed, slightly annoyed, and waved, "Since this case involves people from the martial arts world, the God Capture Division should naturally take over. You have no role here any longer."

Upon hearing this, Captain Liu was overjoyed. His previous arrogant attitude dramatically changed, and he respectfully bowed to Ye Weiming, "I will follow your command! If there is any requirement from you, sir, you can find me at any time. I will fully cooperate in capturing the true criminal."

Ye Weiming just nodded, without any pleasantries, "If so, then could you please prepare a mat for me."

"I'll comply with your command!"

While Captain Liu departed with two constables, a young girl immediately approached, "Hello, big brother. My name is March. I have also received the task to investigate the cause of Old Man Li's death. Since we both have the same mission target, could you team up with me, and let us complete the task together?"

While speaking, she had already sent a friend request to Ye Weiming.

"My name is Ye Weiming." Upon revealing his game ID, Ye Weiming accepted her friend request and subsequently sent her a team invitation.

March joined the team, and Ye Weiming casually asked, "What is your view on this task?"

March responded with a pout, "I strongly suspect that Captain Liu. At least he might be an accomplice, otherwise, his previous irrational behavior would be inexplicable."