Throughout the night, there were no less than five pairs of eyes watching Zhao Chongwu’s house, but not long after dusk fell, the lights in Zhao Chongwu’s home went out.

When dawn arrived the next day, they saw Zhao Chongwu come out of his house looking refreshed, buy some congee and steamed buns nearby for breakfast, and then, not hurried at all, head straight to the Government Office for his shift.

"This guy’s life is so monotonous!" Zhang Liao had kept watch all night, expecting to see something unusual, but to his surprise Zhao Chongwu was exactly as Flying Dragon’s men had recorded: on shift, off shift, eating, sleeping—boringly predictable.

"Tell the team not to tail him too closely, just hang back once he gets near the Government Office, don’t alert him unnecessarily."

"Understood."

Everything seemed to go smoothly, but Shen Hao couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. For instance, Zhao Chongwu was simply too ordinary—was someone like him really the culprit behind the Liu Yan Case and those other missing persons cases?

Those questions lingered in Shen Hao’s mind.

"General Flag, the surveillance team reports that Zhao Chongwu has entered the Government Office. The rest of our people are watching all entrances and exits—he won’t slip out unnoticed."

"Alright, let’s go check out his house."

Shen Hao pushed open the door and stepped out, accompanied by two others. One was Zhang Liao’s best investigator, the other was Zhang Liao himself, making three with Shen Hao.

The houses on West City Old Street didn’t have courtyards; they were lined up in rows, and their layouts were nearly identical, usually consisting of a bedroom, a kitchen, and a washroom.

So even with just three people, it was more than enough to thoroughly search this small home quickly.

Using a Blinding Magical Artifact to conceal the area within three meters of Zhao Chongwu’s door, the three gathered at the entrance.

"General Flag, there are no traps set on the door, no hidden arrays—just an ordinary slid copper lock. I can open it without damaging anything, and restore it afterward."

"Go ahead, let’s get in."

Shen Hao had barely finished speaking before a click sounded, and the copper lock on the door was deftly opened. The work was astonishingly quick.

Once inside, there was a musty odor—the smell of damp rising from the ground and poor ventilation, which wasn’t unusual for homes on West City Old Street. Houses here were badly ventilated and always humid.

Nobody was in a rush to enter after opening the door. Only after scanning every inch inside with careful eyes did Zhang Liao take the lead and step in, followed by the investigator, with Shen Hao bringing up the rear.

As soon as he entered, glancing around, Shen Hao’s first impression was "poverty"—just like the homes of the lowest folk he’d once visited. Not quite destitute, but truly poor. Other than a table, chairs, and benches, there was only a narrow bed and a lone cabinet.

Who could associate living conditions like these with a squad leader in the Government Office? He lived worse than many ordinary hardworking folk.

When things are abnormally strange, there’s always something off!

"Search! Don’t miss any corner. But make sure to restore everything—don’t leave traces."

With that command, Zhang Liao and his companion began their search, each taking a room and working carefully yet efficiently.

The first thing found was a palm-sized round disc, made of yellowed copper, covered with complex mana patterns. From the line of inscription on its back, it was clear this was the "Hundred Beauty Disc" that was wildly popular in the Black Market. Beside it was a box containing three General Spirit Stones, with one stone already slightly dimmed.

However... they didn’t find the tool they most wanted—the kind of Magical Artifact capable of concealing an entire street from people’s perception, quietly and undetected.

"Why isn’t it here?!"

No matter how Zhang Liao’s team searched, there was not the slightest trace of a crime tool in any of the three rooms.

Shen Hao also searched, but he wasn’t fixated on finding the crime tool. The place was small, and Zhang Liao’s men weren’t amateurs—if they hadn’t found anything after such a thorough search, chances were it wasn’t here.

Even if the crime tool wasn’t found, Shen Hao still thought they should look for other clues. He was certain Zhao Chongwu was hiding something; he didn’t believe the man could cover up every trace of his daily life without flaw—there had to be something.

The bedroom offered nothing special. Even in the lone cabinet, aside from the Hundred Beauty Disc and the box of three General Spirit Stones, there was nothing else... Wait a minute!

Shen Hao remembered clearly—the last time Zhao Chongwu bought General Spirit Stones was half a year ago, two stones then, and before that, more than half a year earlier, also two stones. So in over a year, he’d bought four stones, and now he still had three?

That would mean he’d used the Hundred Beauty Disc very few times? Or was the Disc just a front?

This guy definitely had something going on.

Next, they checked the washroom. It was bare except for two wooden buckets and a water ladle. But... does a single person need two big wooden buckets? Even for bathing, one is surely enough?

Then they moved to the kitchen, equally basic—besides the usual pots and dishes, there were two large cauldrons. Why did he need two such enormous pots? Aren’t these pots normally used in places like a canteen? In the corner was also a big carrying basket.

Apart from the big pots, Shen Hao also spotted two bamboo steamers covered with cloth in one corner. They looked just like steaming racks, only much thicker—about three inches—and very large, big enough to hold an entire pig. Looking at the cauldrons, Shen Hao suddenly realized these steamers and cauldrons were meant to be used together.

But... what would you need such big steamers and pots for?

Shen Hao leaned in, wiped his hand inside one of the cauldrons, rubbed his fingers, felt oily, then sniffed—no odd smell, just a faint scent of meat. That meant the pot had been used recently.

He checked the steamer, same thing—a faint meat aroma.

After about the time of a meal, Zhang Liao and his partner gave up their search, stone-faced. There was nothing else to find unless they started digging, which clearly wasn’t an option right now.

"Check everything one last time—no missed spots, no traces left behind. Then let’s leave."

...

After making triple sure they hadn’t left any evidence of breaking in, the investigator used a special scent remover to clear away every trace of odor the three had left. In this regard, Xuanqing Guard were truly experts in covert entry.

Seeing the disappointment on Zhang Liao’s face, Shen Hao shook his head. "Tell me about your findings."

Shen Hao naturally wanted to use this chance to evaluate his own men’s abilities. If Zhang Liao lacked insight, he probably wouldn’t be sent out on frontline detective tasks anymore.

"Reporting to General Flag, I think Zhao Chongwu isn’t actually living alone—at the very least, he sometimes has people over to bathe or soak, otherwise he wouldn’t need two large wooden buckets. Also, the Hundred Beauty Disc he bought is probably just for show. He almost hasn’t used it; otherwise, in more than a year, he wouldn’t have three General Spirit Stones left."

"Anything else?"

"I... I’m lacking, General Flag. Please correct me!"