Chapter 81: East-West Inn (Part 4): A Zoo! Part 1

The members of the Monster Play Troupe had all arrived and discovered the gruesome state of the corpse on the ground. They all turned pale as dirt, panic-stricken and at a loss. Some knelt and shed tears, while others refused to believe the tragedy and knelt beside the body, checking Hu Sheng’s breathing over and over again. They looked around blankly at the surroundings. “How could this happen? He was fine just last night.”

Mu Qian Tan voiced the classic line from a detective drama. “When was the last time you saw him?”

The man looked over at the sound of her voice and saw that she was a strange woman, not an official from the government. He had not wanted to say much to her at first. But her eyes were clear and profoundly cold, exerting such pressure that an answer was automatically squeezed from his mouth.

“About… xu hour. We were eating together at the vice leader’s place. The leader had a bit to drink and went back after the meal. He even said we had to set off early in the morning and told us not to play too late but to get some rest quickly. Everyone was there at the time. They all saw it.”

Several others chimed in. “That’s right, that’s right.”

Mu Qian Tan repeated, “Eating at the vice leader’s place?”

“It was at my place,” Hu Zhong said. He seemed extremely grief-stricken, his lips trembling as he forced out those four words. He then pursed his lips to compose himself. After a moment, he rubbed his forehead and said, “Our troupe often gathers for a meal after performances. It’s a habit to eat together, even on the road.”

Mu Qian Tan tilted her head. “Tan Que. Is what he said true?”

At that question, a crack appeared in Hu Zhong’s grief-stricken expression, but it quickly sealed over. He said with utmost respect, “Immortal, I am the vice leader. Whatever you want to ask, you can ask me directly.”

There was clearly someone of higher status present, yet she sought confirmation from an obscure underling in the troupe. It was obvious that she did not trust him, and anyone with a bit of pride would feel dissatisfied. Mu Qian Tan ignored his emotions and asked, “You are the vice leader. Then who is this one?”

She nodded her chin toward the side, indicating Hu Sheng’s own son, Hu Xinsu. He was the one most closely related to the deceased, yet no one seemed to remember him. Hu Zhong was about to speak when the woman said, “I didn’t ask you to answer.”

She gave him no face at all in front of so many people.

The man seemed to hear snickers from those around him. His expression shifted several times, and he clenched his fists as if about to explode. Shang Shan grew vigilant and stayed at his side, fearing he might suddenly attack Mu Qian Tan—though he had no chance of harming her. Hu Zhong noticed this and eventually calmed down.

Tan Que reacted quickly and knew the question was directed at her, so she replied, “He’s the one who handles the accounts, the kind who counts money clink-clink-clink. The leader said he’s had poor health since he was young, so he doesn’t perform, doesn’t go on stage, and doesn’t train the demons.”

Just looking at Hu Xinsu’s complexion showed he was someone plagued by chronic illness, like a tree that had grown diligently but rotted from the roots, leaving it so withered and frail.

Under normal circumstances, it was not easy to join the troupe. Tan Que had joined without much effort only because of Lingdang Princess’s healing abilities. Over the years, Hu Sheng had sought out doctors far and wide to treat his son, trying even the most absurd folk remedies from the countryside. He had never tried using a demon for treatment, but that was exactly what he did when he took her in.

“Immortal…” Hu Xinsu had just barely pulled himself out of the pain of losing his father. He stood up shakily. Though his voice was soft and weak, it rang with determination. He cupped his hands and said, “Please help me find the murderer. If you can bring them to justice, I have some savings. I am willing to offer it all up.”

Sympathy appeared on some of the surrounding faces. Mu Qian Tan said calmly, “How much is all of it?”

Hu Xinsu pulled open his outer robe and untied the cloth pouch from his waist. He hurried forward a few steps and presented it with both hands. Mu Qian Tan took it in her palm and weighed it. The pouch was half-full and bulging—not a lot, but not a little either. It should have been his personal savings, unrelated to the troupe.

“Fine.” Mu Qian Tan agreed and unhesitatingly pocketed it.

‘Hold on!’ Li Biyuan nearly spat blood. ‘The original male protagonist didn’t take this money! Where’s your line? “It’s no trouble at all.” Aren’t you supposed to be a gentleman?’

‘He didn’t take it, so I can’t? Gentleman my ass,’ Mu Qian Tan scoffed. ‘Sometimes I am. Not now.’

‘Ah, wait…’ Li Biyuan madly rubbed her temples, trying to get on the same wavelength. ‘But this money belongs to a sick person. It might be his life-saving funds. Is it okay to take it?’

Mu Qian Tan said, ‘Aren’t they about to perform in Pot City? They’ll earn it back then.’

Li Biyuan said, ‘Ah, this, this…’

‘Shut up.’ Mu Qian Tan stowed the money pouch. ‘This kind of side character only appears a few times. The book doesn’t even mention his ending. It’s hard to say if he’ll ever get better. If he doesn’t, won’t the money just go to waste? But in my hands, it can improve my life. Which is more important is obvious.’

Money from a side character—don’t turn it down for free.

Li Biyuan was speechless.

Some of the onlookers discussed in low voices. “The troupe makes that much money, huh.”

“No matter how much they make, hanging out with non-humans is asking for trouble sooner or later.”

“Look at that one—the black monkey. So scary. And that frog, huge and pink. You ever seen one like that?”

“Never. Hope it doesn’t eat people…”

“Shut up,” Mu Qian Tan glanced back. The people behind her instantly fell silent. She scanned the crowd. “Has everyone arrived?”

The torch-bearing waiter said, “Everyone’s here, everyone’s here. The folks from over there have come too. Immortal, give the word!”

Mu Qian Tan said, “Roll call. See if anyone’s missing.”

The crowd gathered. Torch Brother was a waiter from the West Lane Guest, so he only called out for his side. Over at the East Host, it was the Black-Faced Man who took charge and had the people from the east count off as well. They even matched up the guests’ names one by one. In the end, they found that the West Lane Guest was missing one waiter.

The Black-Faced Man immediately erupted. “See? It was your side that did it! Raising waiters or thieves? You were just trying to pin it on someone else. Shameless!”

Torch Brother slapped his thigh. “The guest stayed at your place, ate and slept there. How could it involve my shop’s waiter? He must’ve slept through the noise in a daze. I’ll go upstairs and call him now!”

He ran back into the inn as he spoke and searched high and low. When he came out, his face showed sudden realization—he clearly hadn’t found the man. The Black-Faced Man said, “What do you have to say now? It was your guy who killed him!”

The accusation was too severe, and Torch Brother nearly buckled at the knees from fear. Mu Qian Tan asked, “Who is the missing one?”

Torch Brother hurriedly answered, “His name’s Zhang Bai. He’s a good kid, soft-natured. No way he could do something like murder and robbery.”

The Black-Faced Man sneered. “Tch, of course you’d defend your own. But I saw him out greeting guests today. One look and I knew—he must’ve seen this troupe come to my inn, felt jealous, spotted their money pouches, and acted on impulse!”

So it was the one who had complimented Shang Shan earlier. Torch Brother had no way to refute and could only say urgently, “But the guest was yours. Why would my guy go to your place to commit a crime?”

If they kept arguing like this, it would never end.

Mu Qian Tan rubbed the bridge of her nose, thoroughly annoyed.

In the original story, Jiang Yuanqi seized the chance to crack the case and put on a dazzling show in front of Shang Shan, earning her heartfelt admiration. So even though he had long spotted the most suspicious person, he dragged it out step by step with deductions, complicating a simple matter.

Mu Qian Tan had no need for such a performance, so she sped things up. “Check the sleeping quarters. See if his luggage is still there.”

The shop’s reputation and future were in the immortal’s hands, so Torch Brother immediately agreed without delay. He gathered a few people and returned to the inn, going around to the back sleeping quarters. After a moment of rummaging, they dragged out his belongings: a trunk of clothes, a trunk of sundries, and a small locked money box. When shaken, it still jingled inside.

Mu Qian Tan took the small money box and twisted open the lock with her hand, revealing fragments of coinage inside—savings accumulated bit by bit over a long time. She said, “If he was greedy enough to kill for money, he wouldn’t abandon his own years of savings. Not a single horse is missing in this wilderness. Where could he run to?”

“Exactly!” Torch Brother called for everyone to look. “See for yourselves—it’s all here. Stuff’s here, money’s here. How could he have run?”

The Black-Faced Man did not know how to respond and stayed silent. The crowd quieted again. Suddenly, Hu Zhong said, “Actually, I saw him in the middle of the night.”

Mu Qian Tan: “Oh?”

Hu Zhong said, “We ate in my room, and the smell lingered, so I opened the window to let it out. By chance, I saw the waiter from across the way sneaking over here. Not knowing what he was up to, I didn’t make a sound.”

He seemed angry, then sighed. “If I’d known he was going to murder my righteous father, I certainly wouldn’t have turned a blind eye.”

“The murderer hasn’t been confirmed yet. No need to convict him first.” Mu Qian Tan straightened her sleeve without looking at him. Casually, she said, “You say you saw him. Then why weren’t you sleeping in the middle of the night?”

This attitude had been grating on people from the start. Hu Zhong held back his anger, raised his arm, and yanked hard on the Black Fur Monkey.

The Fur Monkey was strangled until her tongue lolled out, her mouth and tongue covered in wounds. He said, “We’re about to perform in Pot City. My demon pet hasn’t been in good shape lately, so I wanted to spend more time training her. That’s why I stayed up late.”

“No wonder,” Mu Qian Tan looked him up and down. “You haven’t even taken off your clothes.”

Only then did the crowd notice that this vice leader was the only one among those present who was fully dressed. He clearly had never gone to bed.

This discovery stirred a small ripple. Mu Qian Tan glanced back. Torch Brother’s eyes turned, grasping her meaning, and he ordered, “Go count the horses in the stable. If none are missing, that kid Zhang Bai couldn’t have escaped. The nearest town is days away on foot!”