Chapter 263: Missing

Chapter 263: Missing

Cheng Ge's spying mission on the Zhao residence had cost him dearly.

After returning, he lay on the bed like a dead dog, stiff as a board, for several days before the suffocating pain in his chest eased slightly.

Funiang, seeing this, felt for him and went out of her way to make nourishing soups.

She must have stewed dozens of old hens just to bring back a sliver of his strength.

Cheng Ge finally managed to get up and move around. He propped his chin on one hand, and the sunlight traced the slightly thinned outline of his profile.

The fingers of his other hand tapped absently on a sheet of paper spread on the low table before him.

On the paper were only two heavily inked characters—Salt and Iron.

His brows were slightly furrowed, and after a while, he switched to resting his chin on the other hand.

"Sigh..."

That night had been too rushed, and that big guy showing up had thrown everything off.

Plus, worried he'd tip them off completely, he had only skimmed through that ledger.

Looking back, the details were fuzzy, but he could basically confirm that it was a secret ledger tracking illegal trading of salt and iron.

Salt and iron—these were the lifeblood strictly controlled by the court; private mining and trading were capital crimes that would get your whole family wiped out.

He had originally thought that the officials in Yuanzhou were at most extorting the people's hard-earned wealth for their own pockets.

He never thought they'd be so brazen, daring to commit crimes that would get nine generations executed.

And that ledger, based on his rough judgment, was probably just the tip of the iceberg.

However, what really caught his interest was the map tucked in the middle, marked with strange symbols and crosses.

There were no text annotations on it, obviously to prevent mishaps.

The situation had been critical at the time; he only had time for a quick glance and couldn't remember most of the details.

Now, going back for a close look would be like handing them his head on a platter.

Although he had put everything back in place that night, Zhao Yuanliang would definitely be on guard; going back now would be walking straight into a trap.

"Sigh..." Cheng Ge sighed again, cursing that shadowy figure from that night again.

He picked up the pen again, dipped it in ink, and began to scribble on another blank sheet of paper.

The nib moved across the paper, and a crude sketch map emerged.

There were two intersecting mountain range lines, and a vague curve that might be a river.

And also the approximate spot of the cross mark he remembered best.

Aside from that, he really couldn't recall the rest.

Looking at this "map" that resembled a child's doodle, Cheng Ge rubbed his forehead.

"Wufeng." He waved his hand in the air, and in a flash, Wufeng silently materialized in the room.

"Track down all the official maps of Yuanzhou and nearby counties, plus any private maps you can find, and bring them to me."

"Yes." Wufeng acknowledged the order and immediately turned to carry it out.

Cheng Ge's gaze fell back on the paper with the words "Salt and Iron," and his lips pressed into a thin line.

He subconsciously reached for his waist, where he usually wore his jade pendant, but his hand came up empty.

He froze for a moment, then looked down carefully; his waist was empty, just the knot of his belt.

His heart leaped violently. He jumped up and tore the couch apart—under the cushions, under the table, the floor—nothing!

"No way..." he muttered to himself, his expression changing. That jade pendant, which he always wore against his skin, never took off!

Lü Rou entered the room carrying a bowl of freshly stewed ginseng soup, just in time to hear a clatter of stuff being tossed around from inside.

She walked in puzzled and saw Cheng Ge bent over with his butt in the air, half his body almost under the bed, fumbling around.

"Young master, what are you looking for?" Lü Rou placed the soup on the table and asked curiously.

Hearing her, Cheng Ge awkwardly straightened up and poked his head out from under the bed.

There was a bit of dust on his forehead, and his face was clearly anxious.

"Sister Lü Rou, have you seen my jade pendant? The one Yuli gave me.

It's carved with orchids. I always wear it close to my skin. How can it be missing today?"

Lü Rou thought for a moment and said, puzzled,

"I was wondering about that too. Young master, you really always wore that jade and hardly ever took it off.

I was just thinking why I haven't seen you wear it these past few days. I figured you'd put it away."

Cheng Ge's mind went completely blank, and his heart sank instantly. Even Sister Lü Rou hadn't seen it? Had it really been lost? When did I lose it?

He tried hard to recall: these past few days he had been bedridden recovering and hadn't touched the pendant.

Going further back... it was that night he spied on the Zhao residence, the night he fought with that mysterious dark figure.

His mask and hairpin were torn off, his hair was loose... Could it have been then? Or even earlier?

Cheng Ge scratched his head in agitation. That was a gift from Yuli, and it looked pricey!

Cheng Ge immediately became as fidgety as a cat on a hot tin roof, not even touching the soup.

He launched an even more thorough search of the room, checking the wardrobe, bookshelf, windowsill, and even under the flowerpots.

"Where is my jade pendant?"

"Where could it have gone?"

"Impossible..."

He muttered while searching, turning the whole room and every spot in the bureau he'd been to upside down.

He even checked the cracks between the stones in the courtyard, but there was still no sign of the jade pendant.

Finally, Cheng Ge flopped desolately into the chair, staring blankly at the ceiling, looking like he'd lost all hope.

His jade pendant...

Meanwhile, in a secluded private room on the top floor of a high building in Yuanzhou City.

Several figures were seated by the window.

Though dressed in ordinary Han Chinese attire, they were noticeably taller and more robust, exuding an unmistakable air of ruggedness.

One of them lowered his voice, speaking in official dialect with a distinct foreign accent to the man in the main seat:

"The deed is done. We shouldn't linger; we must leave as soon as possible."

The man in the main seat nodded slightly, a faint trace of an unhealed bruise still visible on his nose bridge.

Instead of immediately responding to the talk of leaving, he paused thoughtfully, then carefully took an item from his bosom and laid it flat on his palm.

Raising his eyes, he scanned the few people present and asked in a deep voice, "Do any of you... recognize this object?"

Several subordinates leaned in for a closer look, exchanging confused looks.

After a long pause, one of them, speaking with a distinct Great Zhou accent, spoke up:

"This is a mutton-fat jade pendant. Scholars and nobles of the Great Zhou like to wear jade pendants at their waists.

Judging by the pattern and form, it should be a man's accessory."

Hearing this, the man's heart stirred. He sat up straight, turned the pendant over, pointed to the two characters on the back, and asked: "Then what do these engraved characters mean?"

The subordinate leaned in closer, looked at the engraving, and explained: "Oh, in the Great Zhou, it's common to carve one's name or style name on such pendants to identify oneself or as a token of identity."

"Style name?" A flicker of confusion crossed the man's eyes.

"Yes, a style name is an alternative name taken by literati and refined scholars of the Great Zhou upon reaching adulthood.

It is often used among peers or friends as a form of address, showing greater respect and intimacy than the given name."

Seeming to grasp something crucial, he immediately pressed further: "Then do you know who goes by this name?"

The subordinate stared at the two characters on the pendant, frowning deeply, and searched his memory.

Suddenly, as if recalling something, he said hesitantly: "I haven't heard of anyone named Yuli as their given name.

However, I once heard that Lin Nanshu, the eldest son of the Lin family in the capital, has the style name Yuli."