A Mistaken Marriage Match - The Pirate's Daughter

 Volume 1  Chapter 23   Seed of Doubt   Part 1

“Ah Wu!”

A figure wildly rushing anxiously, the shout was filled with grief, dashing from the distant place; the crowd quickly gets out of the way. Yi Dang Jiade saw the lying body on the ground facing upward, covered in blood, the blood from the whole body drained away; his youngest son pale and lifeless, eyes were red. He picked up the dead body from the ground, hugged him and stared at everyone around and loudly exclaimed, ” Who?! Who killed Ah Wu?!”

This roaring have startled the birds in the woods and flew away to escape, that shout of murderous anger, let alone the birds, even people only few could bear it, even the crowd that gathered around couldn"t bear and have to step back several steps, there was no doubt if the killer appeared in front of him, the body of that person will surely be torn apart.

As the scene was playing, that of father and son affection. Followed behind Yi Dang Jiade was Yi Hu , his eyes has  a streak of cold light beamed with ruthless and tyrannical pleasure. It dissipated quickly but Su Su caught it and turned her head towards Sang Nuan, only to find that she was like yesterday. She retreated away from the crowd’s " periphery for a long while ago, half of her body leaning on the tree, like watching an episode of a travesty, seeing no one. Sang Leng was also on her side, they were in the appearance of staying out of the matter.

 Yi Hu stood silent in one side, Su Su thought that yesterday Wu Mu "s death, he seemed to care and now  it was his younger brother who died, he has an indifferent appearance. Apparently, it seems that  Yi Dang Jia"s few children were not getting along entirely well.  Yi Dang Jia hugged the dead body and not willing to let go, finally it was Xiang Erye who goes forward to urge,” Yi Dang Jiade , you must restrain your grief. Now is the most important time, you grieve but not the time to be angry, put your effort to find that murderer. You said that Lao Yue has people that infiltrated the island, first they maybe send an a.s.sa.s.sin to take us  one by one, after waiting for the fog to be lifted, then at one fell swoop they will attack.”  He listened to Xiang Erye favorably , Yi Dang Jia show off some changes in his countenance and secretly sighed, finally put down his youngest son’s body then turned to ask him, “What do you think?”

Xiang Erye looked behind,  Yi Hu beside him was Ye Lie and Mo Yuan beside him was Su Su, he paused to consider twice what he was about to say. " In my opinion, the people who was in the island less than two months are highly suspicious, especially … …Ye Lie and Xiaoshu in particular. They are likely not the average people, they are outsiders and recently they can take a walk around the island and standby anywhere at will. "    

He paused then looked at his master"s face, he has guessed his meaning secretly and to continue saying that ,” At present no one knows the murderer, and find  who is the next victim, better yet we locked them up, find the murderer , if not we might put them out too late.”

Having said these, Xiang Erye obviously still dreaded Mo Yuan and hurried to add,  ” Lord Mo feel relieved that we will provide contingencies, we will not make it difficult for Xiaoshu.”  When Xiang Erye mentioned Ye Lie at that time, Yi Hu was offended at heart but looking at Yi Meng"s state at that moment; he decided not to aggravate nor challenged but decided to hold it in.  Xiang Erye continued to speak but the response of Mo Yuan was not what the people had antic.i.p.ated, they understood from the night before, he made it clear that Xiaoshu was under his wings and no one can touch this young fellow, at this moment hearing Xiang Erye that she will be placed  in prison, he did not show a temper, on the contrary he was full of enthusiasm and support to put them away without delay however all throughout the discussion his gaze  never left the corpse.  

 Xiang Erye"s spoken advice and opinion, Su Su heard them all, word for word, Mo Yuan hid the indifference and bullish mood by playing cool and she also completely felt that, she definitely does not want to be imprisoned, according to her a.s.sessment, the murderer also will certainly continue to kill, but she already have some clues. Su Su went to Yi Dang Jia and said earnestly, "I can help you find the murderer, but you must give me some time.”   “Can you find the murderer?”Yi Dang Jia stared at the small youth that stands only up  to his own chest, the face under red copper mask he cannot see clearly but actually gives people a feeling of a.s.surance. Yi Dang Jia"s pair of tiger eyes stared at her blankly. Su Su straightened her back, confident and calmly looked at him. After some time, Yi Dang Jia  and the crowd out of antic.i.p.ation said, “Good, I give you three days of time, in three days you, if cannot find the murderer,  you will stay in prison!”

 After she got the answer she wished for, Su Su turned around, returned next to the corpse looking intently.

Just like the day before, Su Su started to touch the body, examined, finally she also crouched by the corpse and stared at the foot of the corpse. When she did not say anything for sometime , Yi Hu grew very impatient, pretending to look deep, scoffed at her,  ” What are you looking at, is not Wu Mu dies exactly the same?”

Su Su shook her head, "” It is a little different.”

 “Where is the difference?”

She  pointed to the foot that was bare, Su Su replied, ” He did not wear shoes.”

 Yi Hu  grunted with disdain, ” It was likely that he was chased down by the murderer and hurriedly ran and he couldn"t put on shoes, there’s not enough time.”

Su Su got up and withdrew two steps, ” If he were chased down by the murderer and in a flurry run in this piece of jungle I do not know that,  I only knew that he rushed in this stretch of grove to  lie down and die here, breath his last but definitely he was  wearing shoes for sometime.”

   “How do you know?”

 Su Su just shrugs, confidently answered, ” I can naturally see.”

Look only and saw it?! The people now look at her with panic and horror.

Su Su"s corner of the eye twitched under the mask, there was silence and then sweeping eyes of the people wonder if the mask was used as a device for something? Su Su pointed to the corpse"s feet and explained, "Carefully look at his feet. Two days ago there was a storm and piece of jungle must be heavy with moist but at his feet, it looks like the shoes wasn"t worn properly, it were not all stuck in, looking at his feet, the soil has spread and obviously came up but still there was no mud in between the gaps of his toes, considering the distance from the jungle to here, it was not near, if he walked barefoot, how is it that his feet doesn"t have a trace of branches or scratches, even injury caused by rough stones?"

 The people carefully looked that truly as Su Su had said that although the foot of Yi Wu was covered entirely of mud, but the toes seam and on the nail seam were clean, and the foot was smooth and doesn"t have any traces of  injuries  and even people  wanted to refute her opinion, it would be very difficult.

 “Let"s looks at this again.” Su Su went to the right rear of the body, stood outside the scope of pool of blood, crouched down and pointed at the bloodstain in middle of the shallow depression saying that, ” in Wu Mu"s house the floor was different, here the blood was seeped into the ground, therefore you should be able to see, this slightly depressed place, obviously was not a footprint, but a shoe impression.”

Along the  direction Su Su"s  finger was a large tract of bloodstain such as the trace of foot wear impression size, but was too shallow, if she did not pointed it out  it was very difficult to note its existence.

 On Yi Wu wearing a shoes at this point n.o.body has any objection, some people around watching cannot bear it finally, the rustling sound of discussion and one of them said, ” You  are saying that the murderer took away his shoes.”

 ” I guess ……”, Ye Lie one of the suspect, suddenly came beside Su Su and said, “On shoes should have any clue, that will expose the murderer, it was too late for the murderer to deal with the shoes and simply took it away.”

  Su Su glanced at Ye Lie and he winked at her unexpectedly, and gaving her the "I was right" look. Someone has said the words that she wanted to say, Su Su come easy with it and just nodded.

After hearing Ye Lie"s the words,  Yi Dang Jiade  roared to the crowed immediately, “Quick, sent to his room to search .”

 Yesterday Wu Mu died, he was only gloomy, but now he was but actually pouring his temper, obviously Yi Dang Jia valued his youngest son. 

Su Su blocked the people who was just to leave and said that, “I thought that it was better to divide in two groups, one group go to the log cabin and another group stay to look around.”

 “Are you saying the shoes were only around here?" Yi Hu asked with facial appearance of disbelief.

 “His body was not yet stiff, he probably died an hour ago, it was day time already at that time, if the murderer was walking, it is uncommon to walk holding a pair of muddy shoes, that will be certainly attract attention, therefore I guess that he might buried the shoes.”

 “Find it quickly!” Yi Dang Jia  rough voice loudly giving a command, ” Everyone help me to find and the first one who turned the shoes will be rewarded with 200 ounces of gold!”

  “Wait!” This were bandits after all, after hearing the reward of 200 gold their mulberry eyes were shining  with greed  and  wished they could to dig three feet right away. Su Su quickly said in a  loud voice, “You look at the places with weeds and stones,  look for traces of movement of the ground, that will be a suspicious place, gently dig to have a look, if there"s the shoes shouted really immediately that do not dig casually, do not destroy the surroundings. Understood?”

 “Understood!”  The crowed now proceeded to their previous activity, the hundreds of people encircled around the corpse immediate fled towards the surrounding woods, for fear of getting there one step late and missed the 200 rewards .

 Half an hour, from the body of more than 30 ten feet places there came a few shouts, “It"s here, here! Found! I found it!”

A group of people quickly walk towards the place where few people cried out, several people pointed to the ground to a dug a pit, the whole face was the excited.

Su Su took one round of look, the soil was very soft, the pit that was dug was not deep, except for that several footprint of person, he had not seen any other marks around that periphery. Su Su leaned down her body and gently dug out the wet soil and it showed a pair of white satin boots. Yi Dang Jia glanced and confirmed,” Indeed, it is Ah Wu"s shoes.”

 Su Su turned over the shoes to examine the sole. It was covered with very thick soil and she pushed the thick mud aside on the shoes with a stick and discovered that the mud around the area was not different from the mud on the sole, however the left leg instep of one shoes was dirtier. Su Su opened the mud with finger and flick a little mud fragment and discovered on the white satin flat surface, but also moistened were some hidden dark purple dust. Su Su took time to examine carefully, using her finger nails shoves it gently, the texture and taste of the powder she was very familiar with it and she used it many times.

Su Su frowned and said in a whisper, “Stops bleeding herbs*.”  * ( or also hemostatic herbs)

The crowd heard Su Su"s  soft whisper and  the people looked to Sang Nuan in the crowd. Sang Nuan slightly narrowed her eyes, eyes swept the shoes, after she look once she said, ” Certainly, stops bleeding herbs.”

People gasps a lump of cold air and looked at Sang Nuan with incredible eyes, "that is absurd" look. Huan Lang Island, hemostatic gra.s.s of this type were used to make medicinal powder and only Sang Nuan possessed it.

 “Sang Nuan does not have martial arts skill, delicate and fragile who can"t even run two steps without difficulty, even using the methods, it was impossible to kill Ah Wu, let alone Wu Mu. I see connivance and conspiracy! By Sang Leng"s martial arts skill, it is very possible!”Yi Hu"s voice has a hint of delight and pleasure for making the twins suspects of this misfortune obviously.

 Su Su was still holding the shoes, the sound said with steady voice,  ” When Wu Mu died, Sang Leng and Sang Nuan were at the seash.o.r.e, at that time many people saw them, later Sang Leng and I went to the cave, Sang Nuan with Lord Mo …. Master was inside the room to witness that they did not have time to kill people.”

After hearing Su Su spoke for the siblings, Yi Hu maliciously glared at her and shouted in a clear voice, “Wu Mu they did not kill, how about Ah Wu?  What about the hemostatic herbs on that shoes?”

 Sang Nuan who was  standing on a distance suddenly laughed while walking towards Yi Hu, and in defense,” Hemostatic gra.s.s was commonly used medicine, in this stretch of woods you can find it anywhere, my medical shed  was not secured all year long,  when I am away it is not strange if  anything were  stolen. If I have remembered correctly, Yi Hu, you,  one month ago was scratched by the reef and  looked for my recipe, I gave you entire two bottles of hematischesis powder,  so many people in the island have taken this powdered medicine from me, could be that their probability to commit the crime is also like mine ? Or ……”  her line of sight fell on the crowd, Sang Nuan sneered, ”  Perhaps, someone deliberately set a trap to intentionally frame someone also !”

 “Yi Sang Nuan, this time you can quibble again but also useless, even if you did not do it personally, there is a possibility that you instructed  others to do it, otherwise, why can the murderer bury this pair of shoes? To frame you? How the murderers know that we can certainly find this pair of shoes, if he is to frame, he does not need to take off shoes. No matter what, currently most suspicious are the two of you, sister and brother!” Yi Hu Yu declared excitedly and his hand has not left the long sword currently on sheath but now wave it before Sang Nuan"s face.

 “Do not go too far!”Sang Leng came and stood behind Sang Nuan, suddenly shot and gets rid of epee to one side.

The long sword almost feel and Yi Hu"s facial expression becomes pale, ”  What, don"t you want to kill me out!”

 “That"s enough!” Yi Hu drew his sword  and Sang Leng appearance was like the one not willing to give up, Yi Dang Jiade expelled a big shout and stopped both man from killing each and in the end they can"t strike. Yi Dang Jia silently sighed and look at the twins and said, ” You, both return to the medical shed , without my order,  you  are not allowed to come out.”

Sang Leng chilly eyes were staring at Yi Dang Jia, " Ah Leng. "  Sang Nuan gentle a soft words, stopped Sang Leng  from speaking his mind and  said lightly , ” We will return to the medical shed.”

Sang Leng "s pair of armed hand formed a tight fist, finally maliciously stared at Su Su, then quickly left, as if slowly he would walk then he might be tempted to do something.

 Sang Nuan also looked at Su Su, the corners of her mouth has a slight smile like ever, her eyes naturally did not have any warmth , the smile in the corners of her mouth was somewhat has a deep meaning, Su Su bow slightly and they turned around to walk in the direction of medical shed, calm posture and elegant.

Su Su watched  as the two people leave quietly, her dark pupil  under the mask has not fluctuated, kept the eyes on Sang Nuan until her back vanishes in the grove, she recouped the line of sight and said, “I want to go to the room of Yi Wu to have a look.”

  Today this pair of shoes, made things tumultuous and unclear, framed? Does intentionally calmly? Su Su currently has no answer but that"s Ok because mother said, all acquired clues, the evidences was to unlock the rings of case, no matter how dense was the fog, do not need to be anxious of the present,  do not panic, the murderer to do more, the flaws are more. When you find that line that connects them in series, it was the time for the truth to be revealed.

  “I will take you there.” Since after Xiang Erye identified him as suspect too like Su Su ,  Ye Lie seemed to draw himself around Su Su"s side.

 Yi Dang Jia turned his head to look at a distant place , into the mountain where the corpse was left, he rubbed his forehead and whispered, " Second child, you too have a look."  

This several children that he has, the twin siblings, Sang Lean and Sang Nuan, were never intimate with him since they were children.  Although Yi Hu was the most valued son, also he intends him to received the leadership of the Huan Lang Island in the future. Unfortunately, he was short tempered, reckless and every now and then, disobedient and he always made him angry. But Yi Wu was young; actually he was his most understood son who asks for his favor, who thought he will die this way, the murderer unexpectedly also was after his own children! Thinking of this, he was exhausted.

Yi Dang Jia was mentally and physically exhausted and wanted to ignore everything,. Xiang Erye quickly replied, ” Yes, master rest a.s.sured.”

 “I will also go with you, together.” Yi Hu  walked after Xiang Erye, followed them behind.

Su Su was feeling positive and excited . She couldn"t wait to find more evidences to prove that the murderers were the twin siblings, Sang Leng and Sang Nuan. She was the only daughter but since young she had Elder Sister Chen and Elder Sister Ning in the same place. They spoiled her and protected her, and several uncles"s several younger brother, always willing to accompany her nonsense, accompanied her making deliberate troubles, always having their deep sentiment. She was really unconceivable, to have his twin older brother constantly risking his life for her, what a frame of mind?

Su Su suddenly thought that Sang Nuan grew up in the environment of such cold blood, dirty and poor, really pitiful, so pitiful.

After they left the jungle, only then Su Su came back to her senses, look for Mo Yuan but unexpectedly she cannot find him. He was not with them. When did he last saw him?  She turned her head and she also saw that the people on the grove also dispersed, for awhile she couldn"t find anybody so she can only coldly proceed with Ye Lie.

 Several people were being lead by Ye Lie,  after about seven or eight turn they reached a log cabin comparable to  Sang Nuan"s medical shed and Mo Yuan log cabin only that this was more remote and also near the grove.  

There was a big lock hanging well before the door, confirming Su Su"s speculation that Yi Wu did not run outside in panic.   

 Yi Hu came forward with the sword in his hand, wields it and broke the lock, then he conveniently shove open the wooden door.

 “What is that smell?”

 When the door was opened a pungent aroma was blowing.

 ****