TEFSCBSS Chapter 96

Chapter 96: Give It Your All, Candidates!

There weren’t any new clues in the remaining scenes, which caused the investigation to fall into a lull once again.

Number Five couldn’t help but wonder—if he had encountered such a bizarre case ten years ago, how would he have handled it?

Right now, there are three possible leads. The first was the recent case of a missing girl. Butcher Liu had brought it up on the very first day. Though it didn’t seem directly connected to the case so far, it still felt like a trigger—something that hinted at a deeper connection.

The second was the web of relationships tied to the Yuexian Brothel. Though brothels were places steeped in worldly pleasures, they were also hubs of gossip and information. The women there might know more than they let on.

The third possibility was the lantern float. Even though the performers at the time all claimed not to know the “Scholar” and were unaware of anything strange about their float, it was still a large structure—one that had clearly been used by him. Its origins were suspicious. Who made the float? Who scheduled the performances? All of that needed to be investigated to determine what role the Scholar played.

While Number Five locked down his next steps, elsewhere, Su Li signaled the staff to raise the curtain again.

With her hands clasped behind her back, she addressed the crowd with a stern expression.
“Another round of investigation. Two murders in a row have left everyone in South City on edge.”
“At the time, the Ministry of Justice, the Garrison Command, and the Patrol Division were all under intense pressure. They were ordered to solve the case within three days!”

The crowd below nodded along. Some older folks even fell into a quiet reminiscence. The case had left a deep impression. But since it had happened so long ago, all they remembered was that the killer had been caught and executed at the market square. After a few days of buzz, life went on.

Life was already tough. Ordinary people struggling for rice and flour didn’t have time to dwell on such things. After all, the killer had been caught, hadn’t he?

What lingered most from that time were the nightly curfews. Vendors closed shop earlier, and aside from the town criers and patrol guards, everyone kept to themselves. Oddly enough, birth rates even went up for a while.

So now, asking them to recall the case’s details felt like a tall order.

Su Li looked at the expressions in the crowd and let out a quiet sigh. But there was some comfort in that sigh too—only in times of peace could people afford to forget their fear. It was just a shame for the innocent lives lost—perhaps only their families still carried the weight of their memory.

Su Li led a brief “debate session” as usual, then signaled Zhao Si and the others to pull back the curtain once more.

Clang clang clang—

All eyes turned to the stage, where the setup had once again changed. This time, it was divided into four sections.

Section One: Yuexian Brothel

A tall wooden sign stood prominently, with the words Yuexian Brothel written in elegant calligraphy.

Behind it were two Eight Immortals tables, with a dozen beautiful, veiled women seated. Only their curious eyes were visible as they gazed at the crowd.

These women were indeed from Yuexian Brothel. Ever since the case ten years ago, the brothel had adopted a new rule: talent only, no intimacy. Guests came to discuss poetry and enjoy performances—nothing improper. Many of the brothel’s women were known for their kindness, taking in orphans, offering them jobs, and teaching them practical skills. As a result, they were well respected.

Su Li had asked around extensively before inviting them to participate. Of course, they were paid by the day. If things went well, Su Li planned to bring them back for future roles or large-scale murder mystery games, helping them earn extra income.

Section Two: South City Riverbank

To the right of the brothel section was a model riverbank, designed by Su Li. It mimicked the Qu Shui Liu Shang tradition, creating a flowing scenic miniature.

Several floating lanterns drifted along the stream.

Section Three: Lantern Float

A giant wooden float stood on the stage, decorated with colorful flowers. Two men stood beside it—Li Tiechui, who had built the float just a few days ago, and Li Tiezhu, who had helped organize the parade schedule (and was mostly there to fill space).

Section Four: Case Files

This area was more straightforward—a long table stacked high with case files. At a glance, there were easily over a hundred of them.

They had been carefully prepared by Su Li, Wan Niang, Yun Yang, Gu Qing, and Gu Ming—each file filled with twists and traps to challenge the candidates.

The candidates and audience members alike took deep breaths as they looked at the stage.

“Damn, I mean… damn. Just that mountain of case files is enough to kill someone with reading alone.”

“This script is next level. So many actors! The set design is amazing!”

“Honestly, if you want realism, nothing beats Haunted Village, but hey, this is a competition. They need judges. Otherwise, I bet the boss would’ve gone full immersive scene recreation.”

“No kidding! This case is insanely complicated. Just listening backstage, I already feel like I’ve got a thousand clues and no idea how they connect. It’s brutal!”

“Exactly! And that’s why so many of us are here today. With all the evidence and witnesses out in the open, we still feel totally lost. Those detectives from ten years ago were amazing. Respect!”

In the front row, junior officials from the Garrison Command and the Ministry of Justice straightened their backs proudly. They hadn’t worked on the case themselves, of course—but they were proud of their uniforms all the same.

Their eyes glanced toward the Minister of Justice, who was hidden in the crowd. Silently, they gave him a thumbs up.

See? This was why they followed him—getting ahead of the game by teaming up with Su Li, letting the public witness their righteousness and integrity. Finally, they could shake off the corrupt image that haunted them.

Su Li raised her megaphone and cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention.

“Ladies and gentlemen, time is short. Just like before, when the detectives had only three days, we’ll use incense as our timer today. When three sticks of incense have burned out, the candidates must present the full truth of the case and identify the culprit!”

“As for the culprit?”

“It might be a single person—or multiple people.”

“They might appear on stage—or only be mentioned in the clues.”

“All of the answers are hidden within the evidence. Whether or not the truth is uncovered depends on our candidates!”

“Since this part will take some time, audience members are welcome to grab food and refreshments nearby. You can also stay and watch the candidates conduct their investigations—just don’t interfere.”

Then, Su Li looked warmly at the ten candidates and handed the stage over to them.

Number Five: …

He stared at the elaborate setup on stage, his head spinning.

Only three sticks of incense?

Could he uncover the truth in time?