Why do I have so many masters?

"Lord Wuxin, you repeatedly proposed benefits. With such significant gifts and sentiments, how could a humble person like me refuse to come?!"

Wuxin seemed unfazed by Wang Anfeng's complaints hidden in his words, merely twitching the corners of his lips without speaking.

Wang Anfeng raised his hand to rub his brow, feeling a surge of frustration with no outlet.

He seemed to see the bed in the guest room beckoning him once more.

After an adventurous and complex scheme, he longed to set aside all worries and concerns, clear his mind, let his body sink into the freshly sun-soaked bedding, breathe in the scent of autumn sunlight, and feel utterly relaxed...

It should have been like that.

If it weren't for the cold fox in front of him and his gray bird.

Wuxin's lips seemed to twitch slightly, speaking slowly:

"Since you're already here."

Wang Anfeng's lips twitched, then he sighed helplessly, waving his hand, saying: "Alright, alright, since I'm already here, tell me, how is the progress coming along?"

Wuxin and Tie Lin's expressions suddenly turned solemn, departing from their earlier light-hearted demeanor. The two exchanged glances, and Tie Lin spoke:

"We have already investigated the potential persons and finally confirmed the deceased's identity."

"Who is it?"

Tie Lin was about to respond when Wuxin made a gesture, slightly quickening his speech, saying:

"Let's talk while we walk."

Immediately, they took the initiative to stride forward, with Wang Anfeng slightly behind, following them. Tie Lin organized his thoughts slightly, saying:

"He was a gambler, more precisely, a convict who committed a heinous murder and fled by some luck."

"A convict?!"

Wang Anfeng showed a look of surprise. He had considered many possibilities—a commoner or a wealthy person who had lost their fortune—but had not considered this angle.

Did they catch a convict to die in someone else's place?

Tie Lin sighed again and spoke. He was usually not a talkative person, but at this moment, the words seemed to come out endlessly, as if he had held them in for a long time, unable to release them.

Wang Anfeng glanced at Wuxin ahead, comprehending the reason for Tie Lin's pent-up state, then returned his gaze to listen to Tie Lin, who sighed and said:

"This convict, the information you provided mentioned him as a laborer, but there was no registry of him in the Ministry of Households. However, when I was going through the Ministry of Punishments' dossiers, I had seen this person's image and recognized him."

"It seems that after committing the crime, he did not leave the city but hid in the mixed population of Shanyue District, concealing his identity."

"Engaging in theft or robbery daily, he would gamble away any silver coins he got, living a drunken dream, such a person, with no family or ties, made his presence far more obscure than a gambler's death." This content was first released on MVLEMPYR.

Wang Anfeng recalled the words spoken by the man before his death, becoming slightly curious, he said:

"Before he died, he mentioned his mother."

This was precisely why they first focused their attention on the gamblers among these district markets who had a lone mother at home.

Tie Lin said, "According to the dossier, his mother passed away in an accident five years ago. Since he committed the crime, he has lived in repression, leading a dream life daily. Perhaps before dying, he thought of the person who treated him best..."

"Many figures who seem fearless are often reminded of such things before their death. For instance, some infamous martial artists would call out 'Mother' in Wusun dialect as they died. Cases like this are common in the Ministry of Punishments."

"As consciousness fades, it is a time of utmost sincerity, which is common human nature. Regrettably, this common nature becomes the greatest obstacle."

Saying this, Tie Lin's words carried complexity, unsure whether to feel sentimental or frustrated.

Wang Anfeng nodded, understanding that this was an 'unforeseen misdirection,' but suddenly wondered, if it were him who was meeting his end, who would he think of?

His parents, Uncle Li, his mentor, or perhaps Miss Xue? Pondering life and death, his mood naturally became solemn, no longer relaxed.

He immediately realized that since the man of that day had been identified, what he said was likely the ambush site of those few people against him. The two violent figures, an old and a young one, were likely hidden in this dog-eat-dog place, his spirits slightly uplifted at the thought.

Despite Wang Anfeng and Tie Lin chatting idly, they did not fall behind in speed, moving very quickly, almost impossible for an ordinary person to keep up with.

Wuxin seemed quite familiar with this district market, leading them silently but swiftly along familiar routes, reaching the Ministry of Punishments personnel in a short time.

The clothing of these Ministry of Punishments martial artists appeared even darker than before upon closer inspection, and Wang Anfeng discovered upon approach that nearly every one of these elite individuals was donned in armor.

Such heavy armor, when worn, could be easily exploited by martial artists from the Jianghu in drag-and-strike situations, leading to exhaustion and death. However, when forming a military formation for direct confrontation, it provided significant advantages.

Martial Artists below the Middle Third Rank must rely on their own strength and cultivated inner strength in battle. Naturally formidable, they can easily shred flesh and bone.

However, the armor of the Great Qin is made of materials not fit for swordsmithing, and its iron used in standard soldier armor is not suitable for channeling inner strength or qi mechanism.

Pumping ten levels of inner strength into it feels like pouring into a swamp, mostly dissipating with maybe at best one level achieving its goal, a matter despised by swordsmiths as it is bluntness.