Chapter 842 - 844 Clues and Portraits_1
Bai Zepei didn’t nod in agreement, but instead looked towards Qin Kaichang and Tu Bai, and asked, "Are you familiar with that Du Xueru?"
Qin Kaichang shook his head, "I’ve only spoken to him a few times, not very familiar, but I remember he wasn’t outstanding in the delegation, seemed to be a substitute even? In that case, he poses no threat to anyone, so why would anyone target him?"
Tu Bai, who had spent the most time at the Beiyu Study Palace and was known for his forthright personality, making the most acquaintances, stroked his chin and said, "That Du Xueru is somewhat introverted and not much of a talker. His knowledge is actually not bad, but his ability to express it isn’t great, which is why he ended up as a substitute."
"If someone disappeared and nobody noticed, I would find it strange, but with Du Xueru, I actually think it’s quite normal. He often lacks presence; otherwise, after coming all this way, why haven’t you guys spoken to him more, right?" Tu Bai said as he shrugged, his demeanor suggesting a lack of fondness for Du Xueru.
Bai Ruozhu picked up on this and asked, "Tu Bai, do you dislike him?"
"It’s not that I dislike him, but he looks too delicate, and he’s introverted and silent. It’s not the way we martial artists are used to interacting," Tu Bai replied.
Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but burst into laughter, "I think my elder brother is also quite delicate and usually aloof, yet you guys became friends. How come?"
Tu Bai touched his nose and lowered his voice, "Your elder brother has a killer aura!"
Unable to hold back, Bai Ruozhu laughed out loud. Bai Zepei looked somewhat embarrassed, saying with a cold face, "Okay, let’s focus on the matter at hand."
From the side, Tu Bai muttered, "See, the killer aura is coming."
This made Bai Ruozhu laugh again, and even Tu Ying and Qin Kaichang joined in, while Bai Zepei, although keeping a straight face, also showed a hint of a helpless smile in his eyes.
After a while of laughter, they returned to the topic at hand.
"Maybe there’s no conspiracy here, but I’m certain someone noticed why Du Xueru disappeared, they just don’t want to say," Bai Ruozhu stated.
"Why?" Tu Bai couldn’t quite comprehend.
"Interests, obviously." Tu Ying shot her brother a look, finding him too naive in his thoughts.
Standing up from her chair, Bai Ruozhu said, "We can’t afford to waste time. Let’s go find the head of the literary academy to gather everyone. I have some questions to ask. If we delay our departure any further, it could affect our travel."
Everyone thought it made sense and followed Bai Ruozhu to the head of the literary academy. After hearing her request, the head didn’t ask much and soon gathered the delegation in the conference hall.
As everyone waited for Bai Ruozhu to speak, the sight of her holding a baby in her arms made for a somewhat humorous scene.
"Sorry for taking a bit of your time, everyone. Please think back and remember where you last saw Du Xueru," Bai Ruozhu spoke up.
The head of the literary academy was the first to respond, "I remember seeing him at mealtime. We got off the boat and took a look at a bookshop in the City, and then we went to a Restaurant to eat. After the meal, Dang Youshen wanted to buy some medicine, and we all followed to the Pharmacy. On the way back, that’s when we realized Du Xueru was missing."
Bai Ruozhu nodded. The head of the literary academy was smart. Without her having to ask much, he had already clarified all the places they had visited.
"I remember seeing him at the Pharmacy as well," Liu Jianzhou spoke up. "Everyone was saying it’s good to have some common medicines on hand, so as not to trouble Madam Jiang too often, but he was just standing at the door, not buying anything."
"Did anyone else notice him after that? And has anyone noticed anything unusual along the way? Try not to miss any small detail," Bai Ruozhu said with a faint smile on her face, as she quietly observed everyone’s reactions.
"We can’t leave Du Xueru behind, but you all know we are pressed for time. Departing a day or two late could mean missing the itinerary and losing the eligibility to participate in the Competition. I don’t want all our efforts on the journey to be in vain if we end up missing the Competition, so please, think hard," she continued.
With an even hoarser voice, Dang Youshen said, "It’s all because of a certain someone..."
He struggled to speak and was interrupted by Bai Ruozhu before he could finish, "Shut up! Don’t digress and waste time in searching for the person!"
She had maintained a light smile since the start of their trip, even when Dang Youshen tried to provoke her several times, she always spoke softly and never raised her voice, so now that her tone had suddenly become strict, it silenced everyone in the room.
"How dare you disrespect me! I am at least a Scholar," Dang Youshen said, clutching his throat with difficulty.
Bai Ruozhu let out a cold laugh, "Being a Scholar entitles you to oppress others, is it? How come I don’t see others acting like you do? Besides, if we’re talking about status, I’m a fifth-rank Lady of Imperial Command, so who is being disrespectful to whom?"
As she spoke, she continued to quietly observe the expressions of everyone in the room. When she mentioned losing eligibility for the Competition, several people looked upset, but one person’s eyes darted around, clearly a sign of pondering over something, undoubtedly hiding something.
As she walked toward that person, she suddenly turned her head towards them and said, "Speak up, what are you hiding?"
Everyone was stunned. How did Bai Ruozhu abruptly change the subject, and why did she say Sun Zhong was hiding something?
Sun Zhong never expected Bai Ruozhu to so suddenly see right through him, and panic inevitably appeared on his face. By the time he reacted and tried to cover it up, it was already too late.
The headmaster of the Study Palace also showed surprise, looking at Sun Zhong, he asked, "Speak up, if you have something to say. The Study Palace won’t hold you accountable for failing to report what you know."
With the headmaster’s words, Sun Zhong visibly relaxed, no longer as panicked as he was before. Thinking carefully, he said tentatively, "I didn’t want to keep silent, but I was afraid I might be mistaken and damage Du Xueru’s reputation."
"Speak freely. Even if you are mistaken, I will clear up any confusion and restore his good name. I won’t blame you in the slightest," Bai Ruozhu responded.
"It was just that during the journey, I saw a woman always smiling at Du Xueru, and it seemed that he saw her too. When he was at the Pharmacy, he didn’t go in to buy anything, just stood outside looking at that woman," Sun Zhong explained.
Everyone looked shocked. Could it be that Du Xueru ran off with a woman? But no one dared to voice their thoughts, as they feared a mistaken accusation could ruin someone’s reputation, just as Sun Zhong had mentioned.
"What did that woman look like? Describe her, and Jianqi, you draw her portrait. Let’s confirm the person," Bai Ruozhu instructed.
Though Jianqi was a dark guard by title, he had a special skill: he could draw people’s portraits based on descriptions. As long as the descriptions were clear enough, he could manage to recreate the target’s likeness. It was said that this was a requirement from Lin Zhenghui and Jianqi had spent a lot of time practicing it.
As Sun Zhong recollected the details, Jianqi sketched on paper. After a while, he held up the drawing and asked Sun Zhong, "Does it look like this?"
Sun Zhong’s eyes bulged in surprise, "This, this is too accurate, isn’t it?"