Futile Devices Scans

Tao Mo ran another two streets in pursuit, but he was like a headless fly darting about aimlessly. Even after asking several people, nobody knew anything. Helpless, he was just about to return to the county yamen and have the constables continue the search when he heard a laborer shouting as he rushed past, “Someone’s dead! Someone’s dead…”

Tao Mo’s heart lurched, and he immediately sprinted toward the direction the man had come from.

There was an old pond in the county, long abandoned. It was not large, but it was deep.

At this moment, dozens of people were crowded around the pond. Tao Mo tried squeezing through twice and failed. Hearing splashing sounds from within, he shouted anxiously, “I am the magistrate of this county! Everyone stand aside!”

It worked immediately.

The tightly packed crowd instantly split apart, revealing a path.

Tao Mo hurried to the front, only to see Cai Fengyuan lying soaked on the ground. Judging by the stiffness of his body, there was clearly no life left in him. A laborer sat beside the corpse, panting and shivering while hurriedly pulling on his clothes, muttering nonstop about his terrible luck.

“What exactly happened?” Tao Mo managed to ask after a long pause, his face already pale.

The laborer had originally intended to head straight home, but when he saw Tao Mo asking about the matter, his eyes lit up. Ignoring the cold biting through his body, he stamped his feet and described the entire sequence of events with trembling lips.

It turned out that after learning the truth, Cai Fengyuan had completely lost the will to live. When he rushed out of the Tong residence, it had initially been an act of emotional release, but later the desire for death had taken hold. Upon seeing the pond, he simply threw himself in. Afraid his resolve might falter, he had hugged a large stone when he jumped. According to the bystanders, the stone was so heavy that even ordinary butchers or blacksmiths might not have been able to lift it, yet Cai Fengyuan—a weak scholar incapable of trussing a chicken—had not only lifted it, but never loosened his grip even after falling into the water. It was clear how overwhelming his obsession with death had become.

After finishing his story, the laborer stared expectantly at Tao Mo.

Tao Mo grew embarrassed under the gaze and quickly praised him. “Thank you for acting bravely in the cause of justice.”

“Acting bravely in the cause of justice?”

The laborer’s already blue face turned even bluer. After a stunned pause, he gave a dry laugh. “Your Excellency jests.”

“No, I’m not joking,” Tao Mo replied seriously. “In weather this cold, not everyone would be willing to jump into the water.”

The surrounding crowd all showed expressions of shame.

The laborer inwardly groaned. The only reason he had tried to save the man was out of gratitude and a desire to repay kindness. Yet after struggling so hard to pull him out, the man had still turned out dead. He had originally hoped Tao Mo might reward him a little for his bravery, but now it seemed that had merely been wishful thinking.

Squatting beside Cai Fengyuan’s corpse, Tao Mo checked his pulse and felt for breath, but the dead could not return to life. No matter how many methods he tried, it was futile.

Just as the onlookers were hesitating whether to disperse, a series of shouted commands rang out, followed by Cui Jiong arriving hurriedly with several constables.

“Your Excellency?” Cui Jiong exclaimed in surprise.

Tao Mo stood up quietly. “He’s dead.”

Cui Jiong’s gaze flicked toward the body on the ground, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. Another death case. The aftershocks of Tong Yinghong’s case had not yet passed, and now another life had been lost. With the New Year approaching, the succession of deaths was giving him splitting headaches. Worse still, he had noticed that Tao Mo seemed connected—directly or indirectly—to both recent deaths.

“Your Excellency, forgive me for overstepping,” Cui Jiong said while signaling to the constables behind him with his eyes.

At this point, few people remained at the scene, but the accounts they gave were largely identical.

Still dissatisfied, Cui Jiong asked one of them, “Where is the laborer you mentioned?”

The man answered, “Probably already went home. He got soaked saving the man and was shivering from the cold.”

“Exactly, exactly! I can testify to that.” Tao Mo’s head suddenly poked out from behind the speaker.

Cui Jiong jumped in fright. “Your Excellency, this matter… leave it to this subordinate.”

“As the magistrate of this county, naturally I must—” Tao Mo had not even finished speaking when Gu Xiaojia called out to him from the other side of the street.

Cui Jiong watched the usually turtle-like Tao Mo suddenly transform into a lively white rabbit, hopping and bounding toward the opposite side.

“Y-you… came?” Tao Mo stammered awkwardly. To encounter Gu She twice in a single day was beyond mere good fortune.

Gu Xiaojia jerked his chin toward the cluster of constables. “Someone died?”

“It was Cai Fengyuan.” Tao Mo’s expression dimmed.

Curiously, Gu Xiaojia asked, “Who’s Cai Fengyuan?”

“Miss Tong’s sweetheart.”

Gu Xiaojia thought for a moment. “Ah! The one who ran out of the Tong residence?”

Tao Mo nodded.

“How did he die?” Gu Xiaojia asked.

“He threw himself into the pond.”

Gu Xiaojia stared in shock. “Died for love?” He had never imagined such devotion truly existed.

“Get in.” Gu She’s voice drifted from within the carriage.

“Wait a moment.” Tao Mo hurried back to the corpse, apologized briefly to Cui Jiong, then immediately ran back.

Just as Tao Mo was climbing aboard the carriage, Gu Xiaojia suddenly remembered something and grabbed his trouser leg. “Wait! Did you touch the corpse?”

Turning around, Tao Mo answered honestly, “Of course.”

“You’re not allowed on the carriage to contaminate my young master!” Gu Xiaojia tried pulling him back down.

Just as Tao Mo was about to cooperate, he felt a folding fan lightly press against his shoulder. Gu She said calmly, “It’s fine.”

“But—” Gu Xiaojia wanted to continue, but Gu She coldly ordered, “Drive.”

Helpless, Gu Xiaojia could only watch Tao Mo climb aboard.

Once inside, Tao Mo sat uneasily. Not only did he curl himself into the smallest ball possible, he was also careful not to let his hands touch the carriage walls.

“Drink tea.” Gu She poured him a cup.

Flattered beyond measure, Tao Mo accepted it with both hands.

“The one who died was Cai Fengyuan?” Gu She asked.

The brightness in Tao Mo’s eyes from Gu She’s considerate gesture dimmed once more. “Yes.” Just moments ago the man had still been vividly alive, yet in such a short time he had become a corpse incapable of knowing the love and hatred of the mortal world.

Gu She suddenly remarked, “He achieved his wish in the end.”

“But if Miss Tong knows in the underworld,” Tao Mo replied, “she would surely want him to live well rather than follow her into death.”

“Even had he lived,” Gu She said, “he would only have lived trapped in regret. Better to die and be done with it, seeking release.”

“That shouldn’t be said.” Rarely, Tao Mo contradicted him. “As long as one lives, there is always hope.”

Seeing the heartfelt emotion on Tao Mo’s face, Gu She merely curled his lips and stopped arguing.

The carriage turned around.

Seeing Gu She fall silent and continue drinking tea leisurely, Tao Mo felt immediate regret. He reproached himself for arguing and several times wanted to speak again, only to find no suitable words. Left with no choice, he lifted the curtain to look outside. The moment he did, he startled. “Where are we going?”

“The county yamen,” Gu She replied. “I’m taking you back.”

Tao Mo’s cheeks reddened, though delight spread openly across his face.

The county yamen was not far away. Before long, they arrived.

Never before had Tao Mo hated the county yamen for being located so close by.

Reluctantly, he jumped down from the carriage and turned to look at Gu She.

Gu She said, “Tomorrow evening, I’ll come pick you up.”

Tao Mo froze. Just as he was about to ask why, the carriage had already sped off down the street toward the opposite direction.

Returning to his room, Tao Mo was just about to order someone to prepare a bath when Hao Guozi slipped inside mysteriously and whispered, “Young Master, did you know that Young Master Yiyu has already left Pingcheng?”

Tao Mo froze.

The name Young Master Yiyu felt both distant and familiar, intimate yet strange. After a long moment, he finally steadied himself and asked, “How do you know?”

Hao Guozi replied, “It was mentioned in a letter sent to Old Tao.” Seeing Tao Mo stare at him, he shrank back and muttered, “I only saw it accidentally. I never expected Old Tao would still be paying attention to news from Pingcheng.”

Tao Mo sighed softly. “He does it for my sake.”

“Where do you think Young Master Yiyu went?” Hao Guozi asked. “Could he have settled down? Or maybe he followed that—”

“Guozi!” Tao Mo cut him off sharply.

Realizing he had misspoken, Hao Guozi looked embarrassed. “Maybe he came looking for Young Master.”

“He wouldn’t. He won’t come,” Tao Mo murmured softly.

Seeing Tao Mo sink into gloom again, seemingly trapped once more in old memories, Hao Guozi hurriedly said, “That’s hard to say. After all, back then he treated Young Master quite well too.”

After a long silence, Tao Mo said, “What’s past is past.”

Hao Guozi nodded frantically. “Right, right. Compared to Gu She, Young Master Yiyu is far inferior.”

“Gu She…” Tao Mo softly repeated his name, but his thoughts had already drifted ahead to tomorrow evening’s appointment.

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