Chapter 122: Spare Others When You Can

Hmph!

The Assistant County Magistrate stared at Li Lin, not even blinking.

A certain aura seemed to radiate from him.

Many government office runners instinctively stepped back two paces.

Li Lin regarded him calmly, a smile on his face.

After a moment of mutual gaze, the Assistant County Magistrate looked away and said, “Young man, when you can spare someone, spare them—it benefits you.”

“Some refuse to spare others; why should I spare them?”

The Assistant County Magistrate frowned.

Li Lin turned, pointing at the women with maimed bodies, and asked, “Assistant County Magistrate, do you think these women, in this state, were ever spared?”

The Assistant County Magistrate stared at Li Lin for a long moment, his eyes filled with what looked like humiliation.

Then he turned and walked away.

Li Lin watched him leave and snorted.

The count was quickly completed: one hundred thirty-three women.

And every single one of these women had maimed bodies—without exception.

Li Lin looked at them for a moment and said, “Chief Constable Yan, investigate whether anyone in recent years has reported missing daughters or sisters.”

Chief Constable Yan bowed and turned to leave.

Then Li Lin looked at the group of government office runners around him and said, “I know you all know some secrets—perhaps even took part. Now, confess, and I may consider leniency; otherwise...”

The government office runners fell silent for a moment, then one bowed and said, “County Wei , we do know something, but we didn’t take part. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be getting only a few copper coins each month.”

“Best be so,” Li Lin nodded. “Otherwise, when I uncover the truth, there won’t be any leniency.”

All the government office runners bowed.

“Take the women to Anji Fang for treatment, then move them to Futian Yuan for shelter.”

The government office runners immediately moved into action.

The day was still early; Li Lin returned to the Military Office.

Yu Tong sat in the corner of the courtyard, looking worn out.

Li Lin walked over and asked, “Speak—where did you abduct so many women, and how did you control them for prostitution?”

Yu Tong looked at Li Lin and sighed, “Why don’t you suspect Chief Constable Yan at all?”

In truth, if they’d had one more day, they could have moved all the women away, dumped them in the wild to be devoured by wild supernatural beasts—and then nothing would be left, no witnesses, no proof.

“Why should I suspect him? Just because of a piece of paper?”

“Then why suspect me?” Yu Tong’s eyes were full of confusion. “I thought I hid it well.”

“I don’t suspect you—I directly suspect the Assistant County Magistrate.”

Yu Tong looked at Li Lin and sighed again. “People raised by noble families are truly different. If I had your background, I’d be no worse than you.”

“Indeed!” Bai Bofan, who stood guard nearby, said. “Li Brother, do you know how insane his brothel ghost is? He raised it himself—unbelievable.”

“Ghost-raising art?”

“Yes.”

Yu Tong said, “After I became a government office runner and earned some silver, I hired someone to teach me to read. I met a Daoist priest by chance and learned ghost-raising from him. He never succeeded in raising a female ghost—I did. I think I’m no worse than you hunting spirits.”

“If you’re so skilled, why not become a hunting spirit practitioner?”

Yu Tong fell silent.

“You can raise ghosts but can’t master yin-based heart methods?” Li Lin laughed. “You’re so unbalanced—how dare you claim you’re better than us?”

Hunting spirit practitioners aren’t stronger than martial artists in killing humans, but they’re equally capable against both humans and ghosts—well-rounded.

Yu Tong snorted. “Fine, I admit I’m not as good as you... I just want to ask—can I live?”

“Depends on what you confess, and what the gangsters confess.”

Yu Tong paused, then said, “I never killed a single dark prostitute. I didn’t abduct them either—I only guarded the place.”

“For whom?”

“The Assistant County Magistrate.”

Li Lin nodded. “If you expose what these gangsters did and identify him as the mastermind, I’ll plead with the County Magistrate to reduce your sentence.”

“Just reduce the sentence? No acquittal?”

Li Lin shook his head. “Of course not!”

“Fine,” Yu Tong rubbed his face. “If you want to arrest the Assistant County Magistrate, do it now!”

“Why?”

“Knowing the Assistant County Magistrate, he always plans thoroughly,” Yu Tong said, grimacing. “Two nights ago, he already arranged for his family to leave Yulin County.”

“Without escort guards or hunting spirit practitioners, how did his family leave?”

“What if his family also serves an ancestral ghost?”

Li Lin nodded. “That’s plausible.”

Like the ancestral ghost of the Qin family—it was formidable.

At night, it could protect an entire household and help them escape.

“Then why didn’t the Assistant County Magistrate leave?”

“He’s over fifty—he wouldn’t live many more years anyway,” Yu Tong said, sounding resentful. “Staying might not get him caught. But if he fled with them, his whole family would die. If you were him, what would you choose?”

“I’d choose not to do evil.”

Yu Tong was silenced by this, yet had no reply.

At that moment, a government office runner entered and bowed. “County Wei , the County Magistrate is holding court. Please bring these witnesses.”

Li Lin nodded.

Bai Bofan said, “I’ll watch the Assistant County Magistrate—won’t let him escape.”

“Thank you.”

Bai Bofan waved dismissively. “No need for thanks.”

Li Lin arrived at the courtroom; Yu Tong and the gangsters were brought in as well.

Huang Yan sat on the bench, nodded warmly at Li Lin, then began the public trial.

Many townspeople stood outside the courtroom, listening.

When they heard Yu Tong admit that Xingzhuang held many maimed women, abducted from elsewhere and deliberately injured to prevent escape, the crowd erupted.

At the same time, over a dozen gangsters began accusing and exposing each other.

Yu Tong directly accused the Assistant County Magistrate as the mastermind.

At these words, Huang Yan slammed the gavel hard on the table: “This is outrageous! A government official breaking the law—punishment doubled! Li County Wei , lead your government office runners and arrest the Assistant County Magistrate, and bring him here!”

Li Lin bowed and left swiftly.

Before, he had no way to arrest the Assistant County Magistrate—no evidence, no order from the County Magistrate.

Now he had both.

The group rushed to the Assistant County Magistrate’s gate. Bai Liwei jumped down from the roof. “Bai Bofan is guarding the back—don’t worry, he won’t escape.”

Li Lin nodded. Dozens of government office runners pushed together and smashed open the gate, storming inside.

The house was quiet, with only a few servants working.

Seeing the government office runners burst in with fury, they scrambled aside in terror.

The government office runners broke into rooms, searching for the Assistant County Magistrate.

Soon someone cried from the back courtyard: “County Wei , come quickly—the Assistant County Magistrate is here!”

Li Lin hurried to the main hall of the back courtyard.

There hung a figure, swaying slightly. Closer look—it was none other than the Assistant County Magistrate.

Li Lin walked over and instinctively covered his nose.

The stench of feces and urine was overwhelming.

Beneath the body, a puddle of liquid.

The dead, when hanged, often lose bowel control.

Li Lin said, “Send someone to report to the County Magistrate—the Assistant County Magistrate hanged himself out of guilt.”

Li Lin thought for a moment and added, “Send the coroner. Have him perform the autopsy—I need to know the Assistant County Magistrate’s true cause of death.”

“Wasn’t he hanged?”

“There’s no stool beneath his feet—he couldn’t have stood on anything to hang himself. Did an old man jump up?” Li Lin glanced around and sneered. “Someone else hung him.”

(End of Chapter)