Chapter 967: One Person Missing (2)
Editor: Henyee Translations

Chu Tang said, “I need to see the bodies.”

It was important to maintain appearances, especially since they had received such a substantial amount of grain in return.

Li Hongyu replied, “I’ll take you to Shang City.”

Chu Tang took a few steps but then stopped and suddenly asked, “Why do you want to know the truth about this matter?”

Li Hongyu responded, “Can you not ask?” Fearing Chu Tang might be suspicious, he quickly added, “You see, I didn’t ask too much about your affairs.”

Chu Tang nodded, “Okay, I won’t ask about that, but there’s another thing I must ask. Why are you asking me to investigate this for you?”

Li Hongyu stated matter-of-factly, “Because you’re an outsider and just happen to have the capability. If not you, then who?”

Chu Tang corrected him, “I’m not a detective.”

Li Hongyu expressed his trust, “Even though you’re not a detective, I know you have the ability. Chu Tang, you’re not thinking of backing out, are you?”

“I’m not thinking of backing out; I’m worried I might not find anything.” Chu Tang knew he wouldn’t uncover the truth since he was already aware of it, so he probed Li Hongyu’s intentions.

Li Hongyu reassured, “No problem, just do your best.”

Feeling assured, Chu Tang agreed, “Let’s go.”

Using his connections, Li Hongyu successfully got them into the morgue.

The morgue was cold and eerie, sending chills down one’s spine, and the air was filled with the unpleasant smell of decay.

Li Hongyu couldn’t stand it after a while and covered his nose, “I’m going out first; you take a look.”

Soon, Chu Tang heard the sound of retching. He walked forward, planning to just take a cursory look since he knew what was going on.

Suddenly, he noticed something—the number of bodies seemed off!

Chu Tang counted again and confirmed a body was missing. He quickly walked out.

Li Hongyu saw him and asked, “Can’t stand it either?”

Chu Tang urgently asked, “Who is responsible for retrieving the bodies and guarding the morgue?”

Seeing Chu Tang’s serious expression, Li Hongyu asked worriedly, “What are you going to do?”

An elderly voice came from the side, “I’m the guard of the morgue, young man, what do you need?”

Chu Tang approached the old man, urgently asking, “Are all the bodies that were brought from the ship here?”

“Yes, I’ve been handling bodies for many years and never missed one. Please rest assured.” The old man then trembled as he handed Chu Tang a register, “If you don’t believe me, you can check for yourself.”

Chu Tang opened the register, where each body was recorded. He counted them; the numbers matched what was in the morgue, indicating that the discrepancy had occurred before the bodies were delivered. This meant one person was either still alive and had escaped or had been washed away, their fate unknown.

If someone was alive, the news should have spread by now. But there was no word yet, which deepened the mystery.

Chu Tang was puzzled.

His thoughts refocused on the immediate need to find this person…

“Chu Tang, what’s wrong?” Li Hongyu noticed Chu Tang’s fluctuating expression and his concern grew.

Chu Tang ignored Li Hongyu, handed the register back to the old man, and asked another question, “Who retrieved the bodies?”

“Hold on, I’ll call him.” The old man was quite helpful, “Son, this young master has a question for you.”

This was a mentally challenged big man who smiled innocently, “Little brother, what do you need?”

Adjusting his approach, Chu Tang asked softly, “Did you retrieve the bodies?”

The big man nodded, “Yes, I did it alone. It took all day.”

Chu Tang further inquired, “Did you miss anyone?”

The big man confidently said, “Impossible. After I retrieved them, I checked again. There were others searching nearby too; no one was missed.”

Chu Tang thoughtfully considered this information. It seemed he would have to check for himself. He motioned to Li Hongyu, “Let’s go.”

Li Hongyu was confused, “What happened?”

Chu Tang couldn’t tell Li Hongyu about the missing body; it would be too complicated to explain. “I found a clue that needs verification.”

“What clue?” Li Hongyu knew finding Chu Tang was useful; he had already found a lead so quickly.

Chu Tang quickly walked out, “I’ll tell you once I’ve confirmed it.”

The two went to the riverside, where Chu Tang stood for a moment observing the water, then suddenly jumped into the river. He expanded his spiritual sense, searching the riverbed.

Li Hongyu was left standing on the bank, bewildered.

Soon, several of his subordinates approached, “Master, what are you doing here?”

Worried, Li Hongyu said, “You arrived just in time. Chu Tang has gone into the water. Go in and check on him; something just happened here, we can’t take any chances.”

“Right away,” the subordinates agreed, and one by one, they dove into the river, disappearing beneath the surface.

Li Hongyu paced back and forth on the shore, torn about whether he should also enter the water.

Chu Tang swam a good distance underwater. There were no bodies or remains to be found, reinforcing his belief that the missing person might still be alive.

In some cases, people who drown enter a state of suspended animation that resembles death — no heartbeat, no breathing, indistinguishable from a corpse but potentially revivable once ashore.

He might have encountered such a person.

Having figured this out, Chu Tang swam back to the surface. He asked Li Hongyu, “How many people do you have at your disposal?”

Li Hongyu, still puzzled, replied, “Over a thousand.”

Chu Tang spoke urgently, “Search along the river. Look for anyone who has been pulled out of the water recently. You have one day, or it might be too late.” The situation described by General Chen to Tang Jinghong was severe; he needed to act quickly to avoid further complications.

Seeing Chu Tang’s urgency, Li Hongyu didn’t ask further questions and immediately organized his men to start the search.

“Where are you going?” Li Hongyu caught up to Chu Tang, who was walking downstream.

Chu Tang was succinct, “Helping with the search.”

Li Hongyu was confused, “Why do you need to find that person?”

Chu Tang explained, “I’ll tell you once we find them.”