Chapter 20: Iron Eagle of the Six Gates

It must be said that when a man acquires an intriguing toy, he can't help but become excited. And truly, the thrill of opening blind boxes is unparalleled!

Ji Huo didn't bother choosing a target, grabbing several times in succession—handkerchiefs, silver coins, and other ordinary items. After all, this was the residence of the Duke, surrounded by servants unlikely to carry anything interesting.

What stopped Ji Huo from continuing his pilfering was the moment he reached out and pulled forth a hole-ridden, foul-smelling sock. Clearly, it had just been taken from someone’s foot, steeped in the pungent aroma of fermented sweat and feet. Ji Huo immediately gagged upon retrieving it, needing several rinses before he regained his composure. The ordeal left him too frightened to dig around thoughtlessly.

"Serves you right for stealing!" Little Candied Red Fruit gloated quietly, clutching her lone remaining sugar-coated hawthorn as if guarding it from thieves.

By afternoon, Ji Huo took Little Candied Red Fruit to the Six Gates Bureau. At the entrance, he merely flashed the token given by Ji Junhong; soon enough, a tall, imposing man hurried out from within, bowing respectfully to Ji Huo.

"I am Iron Eagle. May I ask if you are Second Young Master Ji?"

Iron Eagle, one of the Four Famous Constables of the Six Gates Bureau—Ji Huo was momentarily surprised that just presenting the token would warrant the personal appearance of such a figure.

"I am Ji Huo. Greetings, Chief Constable Iron Eagle," Ji Huo replied with a smile.

"No need for formality, Second Young Master. Just call me Iron Eagle. Your elder brother is a close friend to us; don't be so reserved," Iron Eagle answered, grinning.

He glanced at the curious Little Candied Red Fruit beside him, noting her red clothing and bare feet with a hint of astonishment in his eyes. "And who is this?"

"My little sister, Little Candied Red Fruit. She's my father's adopted daughter," Ji Huo introduced simply.

Little Candied Red Fruit beamed a silly, sweet smile at Iron Eagle. "Hehe."

Iron Eagle's stern face softened with a trace of a smile as he bowed, "Greetings, Miss Red Fruit."

"Chief Constable, I'm here to investigate the cause of death of the owner of the Tongji Inn. May I trouble you for assistance?" Ji Huo inquired.

"Your elder brother has already informed me. Please, Second Young Master, come inside." Iron Eagle immediately led the way.

The trio entered the Six Gates Bureau unimpeded. Inside, uniformed personnel rushed about, everyone appearing busy and hurried.

"Are there many cases lately?" Ji Huo asked curiously. "Or is it always like this?"

Iron Eagle chuckled. "You jest, Second Young Master. Normally, we don't have so many cases. The ones sent to Six Gates are usually tricky, high-impact, or involve demons and the like—cases with no clues. Simpler matters are handled by local offices. We're usually quite relaxed."

"It's just that the capital has been unsettled recently, too many incidents cropping up. The local authorities can't keep up, and these often involve court officials or the palace, so we're busy."

Ji Huo nodded in understanding.

Even Little Candied Red Fruit was wide-eyed with curiosity, gazing all around. In theory, Six Gates Bureau should be their natural enemy, yet here they were, assassins openly touring the place—a feat few could claim. It was an achievement worth boasting to the younger ones for ages.

Little Candied Red Fruit was visibly thrilled, skipping and bouncing along, her small bare feet tapping lively on the floor.

"Miss Red Fruit doesn't wear shoes?" Iron Eagle asked, intrigued.

"Oh, my sister has a chronic ailment; whenever she wears shoes, she becomes extremely uncomfortable," Ji Huo lied without batting an eye.

"Such a condition exists? The world is truly full of wonders," Iron Eagle replied, his gaze towards Little Candied Red Fruit full of sympathy. "It must hurt, always walking barefoot."

"No worries, after enough walking, her feet are covered in calluses—it doesn't hurt at all," Ji Huo answered offhandedly.

Iron Eagle was speechless.

Little Candied Red Fruit pouted, and while Iron Eagle wasn’t looking, she kicked Ji Huo’s foot, making him grimace in pain.

They arrived at Iron Eagle’s workspace—or at least, it could be called that. Piles of case files lay everywhere, evidence the constable had been working hard lately. The desk was cluttered with documents of various investigations.

"Chief Constable! Chief Constable!" A constable hurried over as they arrived. "Minister Guo's family is asking about that case again! Any progress?"

Iron Eagle slumped in his chair, annoyed. "Soon, soon! Give me a little more time!"

"Chief Constable, how’s the monster disturbance case in the neighboring town?"

Iron Eagle clutched his head, irritable. "Almost done! There’s progress! Tell them to wait a bit longer!"

Ji Huo found the scene familiar, reminiscent of his own days in the corporate world, hounded by clients for work... On the surface, a legendary constable, but in reality, just another overworked employee. Ji Huo felt a pang of sympathy, seeing a reflection of his own past.

It proves that it’s better to study how to be born into a good family than how to earn money through toil.

Finally, after pushing aside other matters, Iron Eagle retrieved a file from the pile and handed it over.

"Second Young Master, here is the Tongji Inn case. Honestly, I didn’t want to take it—was going to pass it to the local office. But Tongji Inn is a renowned business in Great Zhou, and the owner’s family paid generously and kept making a fuss. Plus, it might involve the assassin Red Umbrella, so it landed with me."

Ji Huo took the file and flipped through it casually. Little Candied Red Fruit clung to his side, peering curiously at the case file as well.

Iron Eagle explained, "From our assessment, the killer wasn’t Red Umbrella. Someone deliberately used her name to commit murder."

He produced several more files, handing them over. "These are similar cases, all reported as Red Umbrella killings, witnesses claiming the killer carried a red umbrella and was a short, diminutive figure. The route suggests a trail from Jiangnan all the way to the capital, committing murders along the way as they received assignments."

Ji Huo raised his brows, scanning the other files. He quickly formed an opinion and asked with a smile, "What’s your take on this, Chief Constable?"

Iron Eagle grinned. "I don’t meddle in underworld affairs. My job is to catch the culprit. In fact, I already know who’s behind it; it’s just the actual killer I haven’t pinned down yet."

"Oh?" Ji Huo smiled. "How did you figure it out, Chief Constable?"

Iron Eagle explained, "Assassins kill for money, nothing more. This time, the killer wanted to draw out Red Umbrella, so set up this scheme. Essentially, just look at who benefits from the death—simple."

Ji Huo nodded. Since Iron Eagle already had a conclusion, he didn’t press further, instead bowing with a smile. "Then I wish you success in catching the culprit soon."

"Thank you for your kind words," Iron Eagle replied. "But may I ask, Second Young Master, why are you so interested in this case?"

"I’ve long heard of the famed Six Gates Bureau. This case was a good excuse to pay a visit," Ji Huo replied with a wink.

Iron Eagle laughed. "If you enjoy it here, you’re always welcome. Six Gates Bureau is open to you anytime."

"Thank you!"

"My pleasure!"

Having obtained the information he sought, Ji Huo stopped reading the files and prepared to leave with Little Candied Red Fruit.

"Second Young Master," Iron Eagle’s voice suddenly sounded from behind.

"I hear that Red Umbrella is a little girl, dressed in red and barefoot—quite like Miss Red Fruit’s attire."