Chapter 166: An Unexpected Name Appears

Xiao Chunzhu knelt on one knee, nervous.

Li Lin thought for a moment, then said: “You’re strong, but I don’t currently have a position suited for you.”

“I’m willing to start as a government office runner,” Xiao Chunzhu bowed.

Li Lin smiled faintly: “That would be too much of a waste for you.”

“Not a waste, not at all.”

Seeing Li Lin’s tone soften, Xiao Chunzhu immediately spoke more earnestly: “No matter what order you give, I, Xiao, will complete it at the cost of my life.”

Li Lin looked into the man’s eyes, thought for a moment, then nodded: “Fine. Come back with me first as a government office runner. When the right opportunity arises, I’ll make you a constable or commandant… By the way, which do you prefer—constable or commandant?”

“I leave it entirely to my lord’s decision.”

Li Lin smiled slightly and gave a light nod: “Rise. Stay by my side for now.”

“Yes!”

Xiao Chunzhu beamed, stood up, and fell in behind Li Lin like a servant.

Back at the camp, Li Lin ordered all the village militia to prepare for departure at dawn the next day, immediately sparking cheers from the crowd.

The southern barbarian women, however, appeared uneasy.

But Li Lin didn’t care.

Their stories were tragic, but now they were safe, well-fed, and clothed—far better off than their own people.

Several days later, the village militia returned to Yulin County.

A portion of the militia escorted the hundred southern barbarian women back to the slave broker’s office.

They would now be “sold off,” for the choice of the county’s single older men.

Li Lin took Xiao Chunzhu to the county government office and registered him as a government office runner.

He also showed him an empty side room in the office for lodging.

Xiao Chunzhu bowed and thanked him: “Thank you, my lord.”

Now he finally had a place to stay.

He had lingered in Jincheng for a long time without finding suitable work, and his silver taels were nearly gone.

At that moment, Assistant Prefect Jiang Jili arrived.

“Li County Wei , you’ve finally returned,” Jiang Jili said, looking troubled. “If you hadn’t come back now, things would’ve become a mess.”

“What happened?”

“Is a ghost causing trouble in the county?”

Li Lin blinked: “Where are the spirit hunters? Where are Bai Xunshou and the others?”

“We can’t tell which ghost is responsible.”

Li Lin instinctively looked up at the peach tree phantom in the sky and said: “It might not be a ghost. Could it be a human, framing a ghost?”

“Impossible. Bai Xunshou and the others say the victims’ entire essence was drained. That’s clearly a ghost’s work. Another died last night.”

“But if it were a ghost, the Peach Tree Immortal Lady would act.”

Jiang Jili looked at Li Lin’s confident expression, then glanced up at the peach tree phantom and said: “Then this matter is yours… I’m swamped. The Prefect is missing, and everything falls to me.”

Li Lin said: “You seem to be enjoying this.”

“Don’t say that…” Jiang Jili suddenly said: “The Prefect is missing, yet you’re so calm—could it be…?”

“I already know,” Li Lin said wearily. “When I went to the Jincheng Prefectural Office, the Prefect told me himself.”

“Of course… you’re his son-in-law.”

“I’ll take charge of investigating this. I’m going home to rest half a day—I’ve been out twelve days without a bath. I’m starting to stink.”

“Go, go. I’ve got work to do too.”

Though Jiang Jili claimed exhaustion, he walked with brisk, energetic steps—clearly delighted.

Li Lin returned home and was attended by his two wives.

After a fulfilling night of dual cultivation, Li Lin ate breakfast and went to the county office with a dozen men to investigate the case.

Xiao Chunzhu was naturally among them.

Yulin County was a medium-sized town with over a hundred thousand permanent residents—management was always troublesome.

In this era, there were no cameras to deter crime; people’s dark impulses surfaced easily.

Outside of accidental ghost killings, two to three hundred people were murdered in the county each year.

Few cases were solved; clues were hard to uncover.

Li Lin arrived at the home of last night’s victim.

It was a modestly wealthy household—a three-courtyard residence with several servants.

The victim was a man; his corpse lay in the main hall, beside which a middle-aged woman wept with a hoarse voice.

A plump middle-aged man sat nearby, expression blank.

Li Lin led his runners to the back courtyard; the man rose and Mianqiang bowed to Li Lin.

Li Lin didn’t mind—losing his only son, the man had already shown remarkable composure by remembering to bow.

Without orders, Li Lin’s dozen runners had already lifted the white cloth covering the corpse and examined it.

Xiao Chunzhu observed, then reported: “County Wei , the man’s entire blood essence has been drained—only bones and skin remain. It does look like a gowned apparition’s work.”

Li Lin smiled: “I don’t think so.”

Xiao Chunzhu was startled.

Li Lin didn’t play games—he pointed to the peach tree in the sky: “If a ghost did this, the Peach Tree Immortal Lady would know—and she’d tell me.”

The information in that sentence was staggering.

Xiao Chunzhu understood. He felt even more certain he’d chosen the right man.

Now he trusted Li Lin’s judgment—if not a gowned apparition, then there must be clues.

Xiao Chunzhu bowed again and returned to examining the scene.

Li Lin stood aside, scanning the surroundings.

He was an official now—he didn’t need to investigate personally; his men could handle it.

But he still habitually took out the mask the Peach Tree Immortal Lady had given him. With no clues yet, he put it on.

That cool sensation returned to his eyes.

Li Lin’s gaze swept the area—nothing unusual at first—but after several glances, he noticed a faint gray spiritual residue on a wall.

Unless you looked closely, you’d miss it entirely.

Li Lin walked over and saw the residue formed a palm shape.

Someone had pressed their hand here—and left behind spiritual residue.

Normally, after a full day, no residue would remain. The fact that it did meant this person’s spiritual energy was extremely dense—so dense that merely touching the wall left a trace.

Only a great ghost should possess such spiritual mass.

So… was the killer truly a ghost?

But if so, even if it fooled the Peach Tree Immortal Lady, it shouldn’t fool Li Yanjing.

Not because Li Yanjing was stronger than the Peach Tree Immortal Lady—but as a possessed ghost, she had a strong sensitivity to other possessed ghosts.

He’d asked her last night—definitely not a possessed ghost.

Li Yanjing even said that in all of Yulin County, she was the only possessed ghost—if another appeared, she’d kill it.

Seeing Li Lin staring at the spot, Xiao Chunzhu approached: “County Wei , have you found something?”

Li Lin removed the mask: “There’s a spiritual palm print here.”

Xiao Chunzhu looked at the mask in Li Lin’s hand with envy—he recognized it as a ghost artifact.

Ghost artifacts were coveted—even by martial cultivators, let alone spirit hunters.

Then Xiao Chunzhu stared again at the seemingly ordinary wall. His expression grew increasingly doubtful. After a long while, he said: “County Wei , I think I know who’s behind this.”

“Who?”

“Someone connected, however slightly, to Fomen.”

(End of Chapter)