Tai Xuelin!

Isn’t he the hall master on the duty list responsible for guarding Ding Hui today!

Could it be?!

Upon hearing the news and recovering from the shock, Fa Hongbao had yet to figure things out when Fang Yu swiftly dashed past him and rushed outside.

"Young Master Diao?!"

Qiu Xiaoping was stunned.

Before coming to the Forest Snake Gang, she had done a bit of homework.

She might not know the names of the small fish and shrimps in the Forest Snake Gang, but she had paid attention to the hall master of the gang.

She just couldn’t understand why the death of a mere hall master from the Forest Snake Gang could elicit such a strong reaction from Fang Yu.

According to intel, this person entered the city a few days ago and joined the Forest Snake Gang, not long after moving in.

With such a short time, where did the deep bond with the hall master come from??

Qiu Xiaoping pondered and noticed Fa Hongbao’s face filled with fear as if he had realized something. She quickly caught on and smiled, saying.

"Gang Leader Fa, take it easy. With Young Master Diao’s strength, he’s far superior to the likes of the hall masters of your gang. With him around, your safety is assured. Besides..."

Qiu Xiaoping paused for a moment, then continued with a smile: "I also have some acquaintance with Young Master Diao. His friends are my friends. If you trust me, as long as you don’t leave my sight, I can ensure your safety."

Fa Hongbao was taken aback by her words.

What does it mean?

This young lady... is her capability comparable to Mr. Diao??

Just thinking about this made Fa Hongbao almost unable to breathe. He had harbored some filthy thoughts towards this lady earlier, luckily without expressing them. Otherwise, he might have been squashed to a pulp.

Indeed, my heart belongs only to the lady!

Seeing Qiu Xiaoping speak with such confidence, Fa Hongbao couldn’t help but be tempted.

"With Lord Qiu’s word, I am relieved. However, with Master Tai’s death, I must go and check the situation, investigate it further, could... Lord Qiu, accompany me on this journey?"

He’s worried he might be ambushed on the way.

Such cowardice?

Qiu Xiaoping felt a bit odd but didn’t think much of it; small gangs have limited potential anyway.

Following Fa Hongbao, they hurried to the scene, while Qin Er, unsure of what to do, quickly bit her lip and followed behind. Only the unconscious scarred man remained in the hall, carried by the gang’s servants to a guest room.

The three followed the reporting servant to the scene of the incident.

After glancing at the corpse on the ground, Qiu Xiaoping looked up directly and suspiciously scanned the surroundings.

She saw Tai Xuelin’s body at the entrance of his courtyard, killed by an unknown assailant, a dagger pierced into his chest, presumed to be the fatal wound.

But... Diao Deyi, who was the first to rush out showing concern for the matter, was nowhere to be seen, not present at the scene!

What... situation??

Qiu Xiaoping felt bewildered.

"Lord Qiu, what do you think, who might be responsible for this?"

Fa Hongbao’s voice had just fallen...

"Gang Leader!"

Lady Tai, now a widow, suddenly rushed up, her body tightly clinging to Fa Hongbao, burying her face in his chest, crying uncontrollably, with only occasional sobs.

"Gang Leader, my husband, my husband... sob sob sob sob!"

Her cries spread out, causing the subordinates responsible for the realm, to show expressions of anger and grief.

These people were Tai Xuelin’s trusted aides.

With Tai Xuelin’s sudden death, they wished they could tear the culprit into pieces to vent their anger!

But they were all rough men with essentially zero investigation ability regarding crimes, usually only skilled in fighting, clueless on finding a perpetrator.

So quite a few turned their gaze upon the unfamiliar faces of Qiu Xiaoping and Qin Er.

Their Gang Leader’s intention seemed to suggest these unfamiliar guests might have a way to find the murderer of the hall master?

However, faced with this expectation, Qiu Xiaoping found it rather challenging.

Though meticulous in thought and having a high rank within the Rebel Army, her skills in investigation were truly lacking.

Plus, without any intel, how could she locate the culprit?

Their anticipation of her was destined to fall short.

Luckily, she wasn’t here to join the Forest Snake Gang but to ally with Young Master Diao.

Just... where was Young Master Diao now?

While everyone awaited Qiu Xiaoping’s input, as she fell silent, it was Qin Er beside her who suddenly spoke up.

"Considering... considering he was the hall master, presumably because of his strong abilities. This place is right in front of his courtyard; if there was intense fighting, it wouldn’t go unnoticed... finding, finding those patrolling near the courtyard during that time or the servants inside the mansion, might reveal some clues..."

Qin Er spoke with great courage.

The scarred man’s mistake had implicated her as well; she had to find a way to make a good impression before Minister Qiu in order to survive well in the Rebel Army...

However, after speaking, she regretted it when she realized everyone’s gaze turned towards her, inducing immense pressure, causing her to instinctively lower her head to stare at her cloth shoes, weakly muttering like a mosquito.

"Though, this is just my idea... everyone need not take it seriously..."

But besides Qiu Xiaoping, no one heard this weak voice.

"Patrolling... the one responsible for patrolling today should be Hou Mo, where is that guy now?" A retainer speculated.

"Don’t know, been preoccupied with the Hall Master’s situation, didn’t pay attention to others."

Fa Hongbao, capable of pretending to be a gang leader without exposure, naturally possessed some real skills.

Instantly understanding several key points, he ordered: "Find! You all find that guy for me! Also, Lady Tai, please endure the sorrow, gather all the mansion servants here for questioning, I will dispatch people to assist you. If anyone tries to escape, apprehend them immediately!"