Chapter 202
Chapter 202
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 202
Chapter Title: Hu Village
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The officials discovered so many corpses and quickly reported it to Prince Zheng's mansion. Not long after, Lord Zheng Rui arrived at Rouge Alley, leading the chief investigator, the county registrar, the coroner, and others.
After the death of the Three Treasures Eunuch, his adopted son was enfeoffed as a marquis, granted the territory of Yudu, to be inherited generation after generation without interruption.
Zheng Rui was the marquis of this generation, an extremely steady man whose cultivation was unfathomably deep.
Even someone as experienced as Lord Zheng could not help drawing in a sharp breath upon arriving at the crime scene.
Corpses.
Corpses everywhere.
In the two adjacent courtyards facing each other, three bodies—all women—were found in one, each with extremely gruesome deaths.
One woman had her throat, blood vessels, and neck bones shattered by a blow. Another had her brain pierced by a writing brush. The third had her neck snapped and her internal organs pulverized, her back rotted clean away.
But Registrar Zhuge said there were two more women: one in the well, blown to pieces, and the other reduced to a pool of blood.
Lord Zheng and the chief investigator examined the scene carefully, finding only bloodstains in the well. As for the puddle on the ground, it was impossible to tell if it was even human blood. They had no idea how Registrar Zhuge had determined it.
"The murderer used a very strange spell: compressing the victim into an incredibly narrow space and crushing them."
Registrar Zhuge kneaded the glob of blood, rubbing it hard. Once it dried, he inspected the bone fragments inside and reaffirmed his judgment.
"This plasma is from that victim."
They moved to the street, where Registrar Zhuge examined the old women's corpses.
These old women had all been killed while fleeing. Two lay dead on this street, three on the next, and two more on the third.
Registrar Zhuge said,
"There is one more."
"This person cultivated a Golden Body technique. The murderer shattered their Golden Body and exploded them."
The chief investigator could not help asking,
"How did you determine that?"
Registrar Zhuge replied, "My lord, touch this door."
The chief investigator approached the door and touched it. There were misty bloodstains on it, thicker than blood, with a fishy smell.
Registrar Zhuge said, "My lord, lick it, and you will taste that it is plasma mixed with bits of flesh."
The chief investigator was about to lick it when he stopped, hastily wiping the bloodstain from his hand. He exclaimed in shock, "This stuff is human flesh mixed with human blood? How could it be shattered like this?"
"My lord, when a Golden Body technique is broken, the cultivation dissipates."
Registrar Zhuge explained,
"The higher the cultivation, the more violent the dissipation."
"This person's power was extremely high. They had refined their body to be impervious to blades and bullets—even a three-eyed musket could not harm them in the slightest."
"Even if they swallowed a bowl of bullets and the gunpowder exploded in their stomach, they would emerge unscathed. But once their Golden Body was broken, the immense power sustaining it would erupt with nowhere to go, causing the body to swell more and more."
He adjusted the musket on his back, squatted down, and found a drop of still-wet blood at the wall's base. He rubbed it between his fingers and said, "When it exploded, her flesh and blood were already compressed and crushed, her bones ground to powder."
"If my lord pinches these blood droplets carefully, you will feel the bone dust."
"This person should be the matron of Rouge Alley, Big Mother."
Lord Zheng could not help saying, "Registrar Zhuge, you describe it in such detail and even know who the victim was. Did you kill her?"
Registrar Zhuge shook his head. "I have drunk flower wine at Rouge Alley and met Big Mother. I suspected she possessed extraordinary skills and tested her abilities."
"Her hand turned golden, so I guessed she cultivated a Golden Body."
The three of them went to the house across the way.
The chief investigator looked around and said, "Seven bodies here."
"Eleven."
Registrar Zhuge corrected him. "One on the wall, two in the house, and one on the roof."
The chief investigator's face reddened slightly. He coughed and said, "How did these people die?"
Registrar Zhuge picked up a hairpin from the ground and tapped the hollow copper ball beneath it, which jingled crisply like a bell. He said, "My lord, this is the murder weapon."
Lord Zheng and the chief investigator examined the hairpin, both frowning. "Not a magic treasure?"
They had assumed the murderer used a magic treasure to kill so many people, but it was just an ordinary hairpin—not even a talisman treasure or talisman weapon.
Talisman treasures were things like peach wood, jade, or paper talismans inscribed with one or more runes. They could be activated when needed but expended their power after one or two uses.
Talisman weapons were blades, spears, swords, or halberds imprinted with runes, which could unleash power when infused with qi and blood.
As long as the talisman weapon was not destroyed and its runes not erased, it could be used repeatedly.
Magic treasures were rarer, like the Sheep Horn Heavenly Spirit Lamp, the Western King Jade Seal, or the Earth Book Ten Thousand Souls Banner.
The Rouge Alley murderer had used neither a magic treasure, talisman treasure, nor talisman weapon—just the most ordinary hairpin. It was unexpected.
Using the most commonplace object to kill suggested the murderer was either extremely confident in their abilities and arrogant or accustomed to killing.
Registrar Zhuge examined the bodies and judged, "This murderer is both confident and arrogant, and kills frequently."
"The wounds on the bodies are all one-hit kills."
"I have seen similar wounds before."
He paused here and said no more.
He spotted familiar wheel tracks. Though no black dog hairs were found, a sense of familiarity washed over him.
"Summon their souls!"
Registrar Zhuge instructed the coroner, who hurriedly took out soul-summoning talismans to call the souls of these old women.
"Registrar Zhuge, I cannot summon their souls!"
The coroner reported.
Registrar Zhuge exhaled heavily, muttering inwardly,
"He has come to Yudu? Last time because of him, I resigned as registrar of Water Buffalo County. It was not easy to find a post in Yudu, and now he has chased me here?"
"Registrar Zhuge! Registrar Zhuge! Zhuge Jian!"
Lord Zheng called him several times without response, then used his true name and barked,
"What are you spacing out for? What else is there?"
Zhuge Jian steadied himself, bowed, and said, "Replying to the marquis, the murderer cultivates a Golden Body technique. Though not indestructible like a diamond, it is no weaker."
"His"
"cultivation is at the Golden Core Realm. He has not formed a Nascent Soul."
The chief investigator interrupted. "How do you know the murderer has not formed a Nascent Soul?"
Lord Zheng's gaze fell on him, and Zhuge Jian felt immense pressure. He replied, "My lord, the Golden Body of Great State-Protecting Temple could not have been fully taught to a brothel madam like Big Mother, so she had not achieved a true Golden Body."
"With the murderer's strength, if he had formed a Nascent Soul, there would be no need to break her Golden Body—he could simply crush her with a heavy palm strike."
"Thus, this official guesses he is at Golden Core Realm cultivation."
Lord Zheng and the chief investigator both frowned.
A Golden Core cultivator facing a Nascent Soul grandmaster, shattering the opponent's Golden Body in a single exchange—this was too domineering!
"Where did the murderer take these child prostitutes?"
The chief investigator pressed. "How could he leave Yudu under our noses with so many child prostitutes?"
Zhuge Jian said, "When he killed the fourth woman, he drew her into an incredibly narrow space."
"He can use this spell to kill and also to hide people."
"There were over twenty child prostitutes here. For him, a palm-sized box would suffice to conceal them all."
The chief investigator frowned and murmured, "If we cannot solve this case, how will we explain to the young master?"
Zhuge Jian was inwardly alarmed and bowed. "The young master likely knows who the murderer is. No need for my lord to worry."
Lord Zheng nodded lightly. "This is still an oversight by our government. We must inform the young master and apologize."
"This mansion will contact the young master personally regarding this matter."
He paused, then said, "Zhuge Jian, you have received favors from the young master. If you know any leads on the murderer, do not conceal them."
Zhuge Jian bowed even lower. "This official dares not."
At this moment, several men in short jackets and long trousers pushed through the crowd into the courtyard. They looked quite fierce but paled upon seeing Lord Zheng and the others, their arrogance vanishing as they bowed.
"Greetings to the lords."
Lord Zheng's gaze swept over them coldly. He sneered, "When did the Luban Sect get to interfere in a murder case at Rouge Alley?"
The leader kowtowed hastily. "Commoner Situ Wen greets the marquis! Greets the chief investigator!"
The chief investigator smiled. "Situ Wen, rise."
"I know you and Big Mother were close. Her death grieves you more than most."
"But this case is Yudu Prefecture's affair. Do not interfere."
Sect Master Situ Wen of the Luban Sect's face changed slightly. He straightened halfway and said, "This is not just Yudu Prefecture's affair—it is also the young master's! The Luban Sect will definitely intervene."
"You!"
The chief investigator was about to retort when Lord Zheng raised a hand to stop him. "I will return to Prince Zheng's mansion first and contact the young master."
"You all stay and continue investigating the case."
The chief investigator assented.
Lord Zheng departed. Once out of Rouge Alley, his brows furrowed tightly, and he sighed.
"The Scholar and the young master—two taboos colliding. Why must I be caught in the middle?"
His head throbbed. Others might not know the murderer was Chen Shi, but he knew full well. Before entering the city, Chen Shi had sent birds to scout Yudu's layout, even sending them into Prince Zheng's mansion. The one who struck them all down with a wave of his hand was none other than Lord Zheng.
He knew Chen Shi's background all too well.
Prince Zheng's mansion's stance toward the Western Capital had always been non-interference, non-involvement. The Zheng family was not among the Thirteen Great Houses, but they knew all the world's major events clearly.
No one knew what Chen Shi was better than Lord Zheng.
"If he dies in my Yudu, the people of Yudu will have to accompany him in death!"
At this thought, his head hurt even more.
Back at Prince Zheng's mansion, as Lord Zheng prepared to contact the young master, the chief steward approached. "Marquis, this subordinate has already contacted the young master."
Lord Zheng raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly. "Zhang Ji, you did well. But you are Prince Zheng's chief steward, not the young master's."
Chief Steward Zhang Ji bowed. "Loyalty to the marquis is no different from loyalty to the young master."
Lord Zheng was somewhat angry and waved him off irritably. "Get out."
Chief Steward Zhang Ji withdrew.
"As you command."
"Come back!"
Lord Zheng called him back, eyes flickering. "What did the young master instruct?"
Chief Steward Zhang Ji said, "The young master is visiting the Xu family in Lingzhou (prototype, Massachusetts). Upon hearing of this, he was very angry."
"The young master said we should handle it ourselves. The marquis need not concern himself."
"Whatever the marquis conveys to the young master, he will inform the marquis."
Lord Zheng said indifferently, "No need."
"Get out."
"As you command."
Chief Steward Zhang Ji bowed and left.
Lord Zheng watched him go, sighed, and murmured, "Is this Prince Zheng's mansion the Zheng family's or the young master's? But this matter concerns the lives of a million in Yudu—it cannot be ignored."
Chen Shi and Hu Feifei sat in the cart. Guoguo stared fixedly at Blackie Pot trotting ahead, the little girl puffed up with anger, convinced the dog was some evil thing waiting to reveal its true form.
Hu Feifei held the compass, steering the wooden cart and occasionally calling Blackie Pot to direct it.
After half a shichen like this, over a hundred li from Yudu, they finally arrived at a mountain village of moderate size.
The village's geography was peculiar: surrounded by mountains on three sides—a branch of Mount Henggong—in the center of the flat land stood a solitary peak.
A pond of thirty or forty mu lay before the peak. As the cart passed, bubbles gurgled up from the bottom.
Seeing this, Chen Shi thought, "Beneath this mountain must lie a great marquis's tomb!"
"This mountain is called Little Qingqiu. It is thick with trees, and our Hu Village is atop it."
Hu Feifei explained to Chen Shi, "There is a large tomb below, but it has been emptied by grave robbers."
The cart entered the village. Fertile fields at the base grew corn, mulberries, and rice. Chickens and ducks roamed in flocks. The villagers were handsome men and beautiful women, dressed brightly and speaking elegantly.
Some were elderly with white hair like frost, yet spirited.
However, the village revered female foxes, with male foxes holding lower status.
There was even a private school, where a fox spirit resembling a juren taught a group of little foxes to read, write, and cultivate spells, looking perfectly human.
They appeared human, while the little foxes were in fox form.
But they stood upright on two legs, wore tiny clothes, and mimicked human speech.
They could not yet shapeshift.
The clan elder of Hu Village came to greet them, kowtowing to Hu Feifei upon sight. "Granny has come! What妖 wind blew Granny to Hu Village today?"
Chen Shi looked at her in surprise. Hu Feifei hurriedly explained, "Our fox clan divides into main line and branches. I am of the main line, so my seniority is high—not my age. Do not call me Granny, understand?"
She scolded the clan elder. "You make me sound old!"
"Very well, Fei Granny."
The clan elder welcomed them into the village. Then the village's handsome men and beautiful women rushed out, kneeling en masse and kowtowing to Hu Feifei in unison. "We kowtow to Fei Granny!"
Hu Feifei looked troubled and muttered, "I just do not like coming to fox villages..."
The fox spirits looked at Chen Shi. The clan elder whispered, "Is this the grandfather-in-law?"
"What grandfather-in-law?"
Hu Feifei snapped. "Have you ever seen a grandfather-in-law without even a beard? This is Brother Chen of the Chen family! Sworn brother to Little Liang the clan head—from the old Chen family."
"You know how to address him now, right?"
"Chen Family Grandpa!"
The fox clan kowtowed to Chen Shi.
Chen Shi was at a loss.
The clan elder asked, "Fei Granny, where is Old Master Chen?"
Hu Feifei said, "He has passed away."
The clan elder rejoiced. "Heaven has eyes! Now our clan head will not be led astray!"
Hu Feifei glared at her, recounted the matter of rescuing the girls, and said, "Can you arrange it?"
"Leave it to us!"
A fox cultivator thumped his chest.
Chen Shi had the girls brought out and produced three thousand taels in banknotes for their daily needs. "Please take good care of them."
Still uneasy, he stayed in the village to see how the fox spirits would arrange things for the girls.
The fox spirits felled trees and fired bricks to build houses for them, sent others to buy pots, bowls, basins, bedding, and daily necessities. Some took the girls to the private school to teach them cultivation.
Soon, the girls grew familiar with the fox spirits, showing no sense of them as outsiders.
The fox spirits found the girls' speech and manners full of charm, even more foxy than foxes, and felt an inexplicable kinship.
Seeing this, Chen Shi relaxed.
At that moment, a little fox hurried over. "Chen Family Grandpa! Chen Family Grandpa! An official is looking for you outside!"
Chen Shi was slightly stunned. "An official looking for me? I am in Yudu and do not know any officials."
He walked out of Hu Village and saw an official standing outside, dusty and travel-worn, as if he had come a long way.
"Chen Shi."
Zhuge Jian heard footsteps, looked up, and smiled. "You have committed another crime!"
End of chapter.