[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-dark-and-dawn-light-years":3,"chapter-dark-and-dawn-light-years-dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-166":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Dark and Dawn Light-Years",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2264766,4420,"Chapter 166: An Unexpected Name Appears","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-166",166,"\u003Cp>Xiao Chunzhu knelt on one knee, nervous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin thought for a moment, then said: “You’re strong, but I don’t currently have a position suited for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m willing to start as a government office runner,” Xiao Chunzhu bowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin smiled faintly: “That would be too much of a waste for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not a waste, not at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I leave it entirely to my lord’s decision.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin smiled slightly and gave a light nod: “Rise. Stay by my side for now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Chunzhu beamed, stood up, and fell in behind Li Lin like a servant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The southern barbarian women, however, appeared uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Lin didn’t care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their stories were tragic, but now they were safe, well-fed, and clothed—far better off than their own people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several days later, the village militia returned to Yulin County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A portion of the militia escorted the hundred southern barbarian women back to the slave broker’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would now be “sold off,” for the choice of the county’s single older men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin took Xiao Chunzhu to the county government office and registered him as a government office runner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also showed him an empty side room in the office for lodging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Chunzhu bowed and thanked him: “Thank you, my lord.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he finally had a place to stay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had lingered in Jincheng for a long time without finding suitable work, and his silver taels were nearly gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Assistant Prefect Jiang Jili arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“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.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is a ghost causing trouble in the county?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin blinked: “Where are the spirit hunters? Where are Bai Xunshou and the others?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can’t tell which ghost is responsible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impossible. Bai Xunshou and the others say the victims’ entire essence was drained. That’s clearly a ghost’s work. Another died last night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if it were a ghost, the Peach Tree Immortal Lady would act.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin said: “You seem to be enjoying this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t say that…” Jiang Jili suddenly said: “The Prefect is missing, yet you’re so calm—could it be…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I already know,” Li Lin said wearily. “When I went to the Jincheng Prefectural Office, the Prefect told me himself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course… you’re his son-in-law.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“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.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go, go. I’ve got work to do too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Jiang Jili claimed exhaustion, he walked with brisk, energetic steps—clearly delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin returned home and was attended by his two wives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Chunzhu was naturally among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulin County was a medium-sized town with over a hundred thousand permanent residents—management was always troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this era, there were no cameras to deter crime; people’s dark impulses surfaced easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside of accidental ghost killings, two to three hundred people were murdered in the county each year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Few cases were solved; clues were hard to uncover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin arrived at the home of last night’s victim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a modestly wealthy household—a three-courtyard residence with several servants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The victim was a man; his corpse lay in the main hall, beside which a middle-aged woman wept with a hoarse voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A plump middle-aged man sat nearby, expression blank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin led his runners to the back courtyard; the man rose and Mianqiang  bowed to Li Lin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin didn’t mind—losing his only son, the man had already shown remarkable composure by remembering to bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without orders, Li Lin’s dozen runners had already lifted the white cloth covering the corpse and examined it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin smiled: “I don’t think so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Chunzhu was startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The information in that sentence was staggering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Chunzhu understood. He felt even more certain he’d chosen the right man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he trusted Li Lin’s judgment—if not a gowned apparition, then there must be clues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Chunzhu bowed again and returned to examining the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin stood aside, scanning the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was an official now—he didn’t need to investigate personally; his men could handle it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he still habitually took out the mask the Peach Tree Immortal Lady had given him. With no clues yet, he put it on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That cool sensation returned to his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless you looked closely, you’d miss it entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin walked over and saw the residue formed a palm shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone had pressed their hand here—and left behind spiritual residue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a great ghost should possess such spiritual mass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So… was the killer truly a ghost?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if so, even if it fooled the Peach Tree Immortal Lady, it shouldn’t fool Li Yanjing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d asked her last night—definitely not a possessed ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yanjing even said that in all of Yulin County, she was the only possessed ghost—if another appeared, she’d kill it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Lin staring at the spot, Xiao Chunzhu approached: “County Wei , have you found something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin removed the mask: “There’s a spiritual palm print here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Chunzhu looked at the mask in Li Lin’s hand with envy—he recognized it as a ghost artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ghost artifacts were coveted—even by martial cultivators, let alone spirit hunters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone connected, however slightly, to Fomen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1233,"2026-06-19T19:39:18.782Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","662561fcb96ae4999c2ba47ae65244d709428277c8d4de16b6c982f8c6c98780","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-167","dark-and-dawn-light-years-chapter-165",221,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdark-and-dawn-light-years-cover.jpg"]