CHAPTER 428: CHAPTER 425 DEDUCTION

As Song Xian entered, Xie Liangchen was talking to Liu Ji about Liu Xi.

Liu Ji said, "He has always been very careful. Often encountering vassal people and pirates on sea, he has always managed to find ways to lead the fleet away. No one is better than him at discerning directions."

Liu Ji’s eyes were red, and the shock of the news left him dazed. Even when Song Xian lifted the curtain and entered, he hadn’t snapped back to reality.

"Brother-in-law."

It was only Chen Zigeng’s voice that made Liu Ji suddenly sober. He hurriedly stood up to greet Song Xian.

Song Xian quickly walked over and helped Liu Ji up, then bowed to Xie Shao Yuan.

"Uncle," Song Xian looked at Liu Ji and asked, "I just heard the news myself. Has it been confirmed?"

Since Xie Shao Yuan went to Liao after his recovery, Liu Ji has been secretly assisting him. Although Liu Ji has always followed Xie Shao Yuan, in Song Xian’s heart, Liu Ji and Xie Shao Yuan are close friends, indistinguishable from each other, so it is appropriate to call him ’uncle’.

Liu Ji said, "It’s confirmed. My cousin had injuries on his hand, and there were knife marks on his ribs. I’ve identified them all, there’s no mistake. The forensic doctor also examined the body carefully; the age and height match my cousin. They even found a wooden plaque in the stomach with my cousin’s name on it."

"My cousin, who spent years at sea, feared he might someday meet misfortune at sea, leaving friends and relatives without a body to bury. So he sewed a wooden plaque into his clothes just in case. If one day he were indeed to die...if the body washed ashore, and his clothes were intact, his identity could be known from the plaque."

"We surmise that when my cousin knew he was certain to die, he seized an opportunity when those people weren’t looking to swallow the plaque. After they killed him, they intended to burn his body, but coincidentally, it rained heavily for several days, and those people hurried to leave. Thus, the body wasn’t fully burned, just the skull was smashed, ensuring the scorched body couldn’t be identified, and they buried it in a pit, leaving the plaque in the stomach."

Song Xian did not interrupt Liu Ji, who wiped his eyes and continued, "If not for the heavy rain, with the flood washing the body from the mountains, we would’ve remained unable to find any sign of life or death of our cousin."

Liu Ji stopped speaking, took a long breath, "My cousin was a good person, helped us a lot, never imagined such a calamity would befall him."

Xie Shao Yuan’s voice was also strained, "Without Liu Xi, I wouldn’t have been able to escape either."

Song Xian said, "If the murderer deliberately masked his identity, then likely they are people Liu Xi knew; doing so, they feared you would confirm Liu Xi’s death and suspect them."

Liu Ji nodded, "That’s also what people at the government office say, advising us to carefully consider any recent conflicts my cousin had with anyone. I questioned those who were with him, my cousin encountered sea bandits... and pirates over the years, but their whereabouts are uncertain and unprovable at the moment."

Xie Liangchen looked at Song Xian, "There’s a report from the forensic doctor on the autopsy and case files."

Song Xian came over and accepted the documents from Xie Liangchen, scrutinizing them. Naturally, such documents aren’t casually accessed at the government office, but with Song Xian’s connections, getting a copy wasn’t difficult.

After reviewing them himself, Song Xian furrowed his brow slightly, "From Liu Xi’s disappearance to the forensic doctor’s estimated date of death, it’s a little less than a half-month gap."

Xie Liangchen nodded, "The Liu Family hasn’t received any ransom letters or messages from the killers either."

Song Xian said, "If it were purely for revenge, they’d want his life quickly, not delay. If for money, they should’ve informed the Liu Family. Liu Xi, being at sea for years, would’ve accumulated some savings; having captured him, they’d think of this method."

Xie Liangchen said, "Unless what they wanted was something Liu Xi had with him, or something only Liu Xi knew."

What did Liu Xi possess that was worth such fixation?

Liu Ji’s chaotic thoughts gradually cleared, "We often say, my cousin’s most valuable asset is his skills, and... the compass in his hand, which he used for navigating at sea."

Upon hearing the word "compass," Xie Liangchen’s gaze tightened. She recalled her younger brother’s death, Ji Yuan meticulously captured him for a reason—to take the maritime compass from his hand.

Song Xian inquired, "When Liu Xi disappeared, did he have the compass with him?"

"He did," Liu Ji affirmed, "During the identification at the government office, my cousin’s young disciple mentioned the compass. But even if someone else took the compass, they wouldn’t be able to use it. My cousin had removed parts from it; he would never assemble it until he boarded the ship, as a precaution against others coveting it."

Upon finishing, Liu Ji was astonished, looking at Song Xian, "Military Governor implies those people wanted my cousin’s compass, so they captured him for interrogation; could it be my cousin was killed to protect the compass?"

Xie Liangchen inclined more towards the idea that Liu Xi hadn’t handed over the compass; as long as he didn’t, those people wouldn’t kill him. Perhaps because Liu Xi tried to escape, angering them, or perhaps the Liu Family’s search startled them, leading them to act against Liu Xi.

Liu Ji pondered thoroughly, apparently thinking of this too, his expression suddenly turning very grim, "Could it be our search along the coast instead... instead... doomed my cousin? We received word someone saw a person resembling my cousin, so I took people to find him..."

"The place described was not far from where my cousin’s body was discovered in the mountains."

Liu Ji couldn’t imagine they were once so close, yet he still missed by a step, not only failing to save his cousin but possibly causing his demise.

"Uncle, don’t think too much," Song Xian said, "Those people captured Liu Xi with no intent to let him survive, regardless of whether you went searching, the result would be the same. Now what matters is identifying those people."

Liu Ji finally calmed his emotions after a while, "I’ll inquire if anyone asked my cousin about the compass. Those who wanted it, it wasn’t a sudden interest. Once the direction is clear, we can trace the clues."

Song Xian added, "Anyone who uses a compass would be someone who frequents the sea like Liu Xi. They might’ve even approached Liu Xi to buy the compass and were refused. Those people are not only familiar with the sea but have connections in Daqi, allowing them to discreetly abduct Liu Xi."

Liu Ji stood up, eager to question Liu Xi’s disciple about such a person.

Xie Shao Yuan expressed concern, "I’ll go with you."

Liu Ji nodded.

Song Xian instructed Chang An to send more people to accompany them.

After sending off Xie Shao Yuan and Liu Ji, Xie Liangchen tugged at Song Xian’s sleeve, "I know who in the previous life had designs on the compass."

No need to say the whole thing, Song Xian replied, "Ji Yuan?"

Xie Liangchen nodded, back then her younger brother didn’t tell her about those maritime matters, nor whose hand the compass came from.

In the previous life, Ji Yuan wanted the compass ultimately for Prince Lu, so now with Liu Xi, skilled in making compasses, being killed, could it also be connected to Prince Lu?

These all need to be verified one by one.