Xie Lingjiang has been taking personal care of Ouyang Rong these days.

Wherever the latter goes, she will follow.

Except Ouyang Rong sleeps at night.

Well, maybe Xie Lingjiang was watching over him when he slept at night, but he was just sitting on a roof somewhere far away from him.

But Ouyang Rong didn't know this.

besides.

Even when Ouyang Rong summoned Liu Ashan and Yan Liulang secretly discussed, Xie Lingjiang was still standing outside the house, holding his sword and leaning slightly against the pillars of the corridor.

The sunset is setting in the west, somewhere in the west hall of Longcheng County Government Office.

Ouyang Rong glanced at the shadow of his little junior sister stretched out by the setting sun on the ground outside the gate.

Slowly look away.

Apart from him, there were only two people in the west hall.

Liu Ashan and Yan Liulang.

Ouyang Rong said to them:

"How did that go?"

"Master, it has been confirmed without a doubt that on the day we took Ah Qing back, a female swordsmith who worked with Ah Qing was indeed missing from the Guyue Sword Shop's sword workshop."

Liu Ashan's expression was serious, with a hint of fear on his face. He continued:

"Before, the master asked me to withdraw all the brothers who were stationed in the sword shop, so the information collected was still a bit slow. When the master sent me to inquire, the information I got was limited. I only knew that the news of her disappearance was received during the reception.

The news started to spread the day after he returned to Ah Qing. No one knows exactly when he disappeared.

"And not many people know about it. It only spreads within a small area, and no one cares about it. We don't even know the name of this female ear worker.

"but……

"Fortunately, I asked A-mei, and she said that on the morning of the day she was picked up, a female worker disappeared. A-mei also said... She said that the missing female worker's name was Zhang Qian, and she usually spoke to

She... is quite strict, so Amei pays special attention to her.

"It's just that my sister didn't know that Zhang Qian was missing until I told her about it. Before that, she just thought it was because she was absent from work willfully again.

"I estimate that most of the managers and workers in the Sword and Sui Workshop at that time had the same idea as Amei, so the news of Zhang Qian's disappearance did not start to spread until the next day, and it seemed that it was covered up by some people.

It's very tight and only spreads in a small area."

The tall, thin and dull man couldn't help but glance at the young county magistrate who was listening attentively and with a calm expression. He sighed:

"Slaves disappearing like this happens every month in Longcheng. It is usually difficult to attract attention. However, I am very careful and know everything about things like a god. I asked me to check it out, and I found some clues.

"Master, do you think this was done privately by the Liu family?"

Ouyang Rong did not nod or shake his head.

He stood up and clasped his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth in the room.

That day, he urgently picked up Ah Qing from Guyue Sword Shop, and he began to doubt the matter.

Looking back now, although it seems like hindsight, it is not too late.

Faintly caught a small tail from the Liu Family and Guyue Sword Shop.

Looking back now, Ouyang Rong's worries and speculations about Ah Qing that day were not wrong.

That morning, the inexplicably large increase in merit points was related to Ah Qing, and it was likely that he indirectly saved her life.

After all, if a female swordsman named Zhang Qian is missing from the sword and spike workshop, it can also miss a Qing.

As for how he indirectly saved Ah Qing, Ouyang Rong suspected that it was the birthday gift he gave to the little girl, which was the blue paper butterfly flower.

Later I heard from Ah Qing that this flower was left in the hands of an old craftsman from Guyue Sword Shop and was not brought back.

This further confirmed his guess:

The old craftsman who took away A Qing's flower was probably an important figure in Guyue Sword Shop.

Or maybe the blue butterfly paper flower was made by this old craftsman and went through a strange experience unknown to Ouyang Rong, and fell into the hands of a certain talker in Guyue Sword Shop, such as Liu Ziwen and Liu Zian, and had some influence.

Indirectly saved Ah Qing's life.

Ah Qing was not allowed to disappear that morning like the female worker named Zhang Qian.

Moreover, it was impossible to say that the female worker who was about to disappear was actually Ah Qing, but some kind of causal relationship caused it to deviate, resulting in the result they saw now.

But this raises another question: does he save Ah Qing, but does it count as indirectly killing Zhang Qian? If so, merit should be deducted, but he only gained merit.

Does it count, or have the increases and decreases canceled each other out?

Or is it because this person named Zhang Qian is not a good person? It would not be a pity to die. For example, the last time Ouyang Rong cut off the traitor's head with his own hands, no merit was deducted. There is a mechanism similar to the red name, killing

Merits will not be deducted from those who have negative merits.

If none of these are true, then there is only one guess left. The blue paper butterfly flower was used elsewhere, and the merit increased due to other things. It is not the key hand that determines Ah Qing's life or death. Even without it, Ah Qing's

Still fine...

Ouyang Rong was thinking a lot.

Regarding the above set of guesses, he is not sure whether they are correct, and there may still be some deviations. After all, he is not a god, and he has no clues.

But this is the only possibility that Ouyang Rong can think of that is relatively self-explanatory after he gradually understands the underlying mechanism of the Merit Tower.

Of course, there are not all loopholes and doubts.

For example, Ouyang Rong couldn't figure out why the blue paper butterfly flower he gave to Ah Qing had such a big effect?

Isn't it just a simple paper art? It involves some simple geometric principles.

What other huge impact could it have?

This is not some transcribed poems or songs, or a new technology that promotes productivity.

Or...did it bring back the beautiful childhood memories of Liu Ziwen and Liu Zian?

This is a bit ridiculous.

In addition, there are two questions.

First of all, who is the old swordsmith? From Ah Qing's description, he seems to be an ordinary old swordsmith, but with a more withdrawn personality.

Secondly, what happened to the missing female worker named Zhang Qian, or... how did she die, and what was she used by the Liu family?

Ouyang Rong has always felt that the truth is hidden in the simplest reality.

Look at it from the simplest logic.

Think about what the old craftsman does for this job, and what the Guyue Sword Shop is for.

The Liu family, which puts profits first, definitely doesn't care for idlers.

Then the answer is obvious.

Forged sword.

Guyue Sword Shop is the core property of the Liu family.

Guyue Sword Shop is used to make swords.

Sword making requires the help of a swordsmith.

Therefore, is it possible that the old craftsman is helping the Liu family cast some important swords? This matter involves the core interests of the Liu family, so the old craftsman has a transcendent status in the Guyue Sword Shop and can influence the decisions of Liu Ziwen, Liu Zian and others.

So that day indirectly affected Ah Qing's fate?

In addition, the disappearance of the female shepherd Zhang Qian, and that day happened to be the completion of the flameout of the Jia San Sword Furnace, and the sword baptism ceremony was held at Longshou Terrace... so all these things were added together.

Is it possible that the old craftsman worked in the Jiasan Sword Furnace and forged something that looked like the legendary tripod sword, and then used the female shepherd Zhang Qian to replace Ah Qing and sacrifice the sword.

Ouyang Rong was very skeptical about this.

However, the junior sister repeatedly told him that the casting of the tripod sword was not something that only one family could do, and that it did not require magic sacrifices, which were only used by alchemists.

In addition, it is said that the birth of the Ding Sword will bring about wonders and visions, and it seems that on the day when the Jia San Sword Furnace was completed, the sky was clear and clear in Dragon City, and there were no strange sights.

Regarding the possibility of tripod sword, it seems that it is not feasible.

My thoughts stopped here, as if I had hit a wall.

This puzzle piece that Ouyang Rong put together in his mind still lacks many fragmentary clues.

Wait... Alchemist?

In the west hall, in the sight of the tall, dull man and the headhunter in blue, the young county magistrate who had been wandering around the room suddenly stopped and looked out the window, frowning slightly.

He whispered something softly:

"Remember... the last time we burned the accounts in the east warehouse... Junior Sister had a thief that we didn't catch... It seemed that he was suspected of being a magician... and he suddenly burned the Liu family's account... I guess he was sent by the Liu family.

"Does the Liu family have any Qi practitioners from the Alchemist lineage? Is human sacrifice related to this?"

Ouyang Rong looked thoughtful.
To be continued...