Chapter 8: What does it have to do with me, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, if your office is demanding evidence?

Peace Town, Ni Shui Xiang.

A four‑entry courtyard residence was sealed off by the yamen runners, and a faint corpse stench could still be smelled.

A bearded head constable walked out of the courtyard with a copper pipe in his mouth, glancing at the two yamen runners beside him.

Any findings?

The yamen runners all shook their heads.

The head constable took a fierce drag on his pipe: 'Send someone to notify the Embroidered Uniform Guard—we might not be able to handle this.'

At dusk.

A scholar knocked on Shen Qing's door: 'Sir Shen, the Peace Town yamen runners request an audience.'

They said that over there a family had been wiped out—all nine members killed—and the place was in turmoil.

The magistrate has sent someone to ask the boss to come over.

After a moment of calm, Shen Qing pushed open the door, a goose‑feather dagger at his waist.

Round them up—let's get to work.

In less than the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, a fully armed squad of the Embroidered Uniform Guard rushed out of the Chief Banner Office.

Only a dozen or so, but Shen Qing still brought the scholar, Hei Gou, and the others.

The original Embroidered Uniform Guard had lost thirty men to Shen Qing, and with his hurried assumption of command, the new recruits still hadn't filled the vacancies.

Shen Qing originally intended to make Hei Gou, the scholar, and Lao Li junior banner officers.

But the three insisted on following Shen Qing, forming his personal detachment.

At nightfall, Shen Qing's party finally reached Peace Town.

Although the people along the road didn't recognize Shen Qing, they could clearly see his clothing.

Every onlooker who gathered to watch the spectacle scattered like birds and beasts.

Even the accompanying yamen runners couldn't help but sigh.

Still, the name of the Embroidered Uniform Guard carries weight.

The scholar murmured from the side: 'That reputation was earned by trading heads for belts.'

Upon arriving, Shen Qing asked directly.

Where are the bodies?

They're all in the room by the front gate; we didn't dare move them for fear of disturbing evidence.

The scholar and his men quickly took over the entire residence and began examining the bodies.

Shen Qing entered the room and at once saw on the bed a girl about eighteen or nineteen, naked, her body covered in wounds—clearly she had suffered inhuman abuse before death.

Judging by the scene's traces, this is not a complicated case.

It's obvious the perpetrator raped the girl, but when her family discovered it he killed them in a rage.

Shen Qing turned his gaze inside; the room was in disarray, cabinets overturned, yet the jewelry scattered on the floor shows the killer wasn't after money—he must be well off.

Shen Qing summoned the head constable: 'Have you finished investigating this household's situation? Any enemies?'

Facing Shen Qing, a chief banner under twenty, the head constable showed especial respect.

Reporting, Sir Shen, we went house to house this afternoon.

The male head of this household is a well‑known teacher in Peace Town, a decent man who often gives porridge to refugees.

Shen Qing glanced back at the head constable.

Is this He Sui the teacher?

The head constable felt Shen Qing's piercing gaze, swallowed, and nodded.

Yes, he's taught for twenty years.

No enemies.

Has he recently offended anyone or gotten into any arguments?

No either.

The scholar muttered under his breath: 'Another case like this, damn it.'

With no grudges and no enemies, whether in a past life or this one, this is the most loathsome kind of case.

This shows the killer very likely had no relation to the victims; the murders were spur‑of‑the‑moment, leaving investigators with no leads.

But this is ultimately a high‑martial world, so there are still plenty of clues to be had.

Shen Qing approached a male corpse over fifty years old; as soon as he entered the room he had noticed this body.

This is the body of the male head, He Sui; Shen Qing found an inconspicuous callus on the tiger's mouth of his hand.

A callus in this spot differs from others; only someone who habitually grips a blade can develop one here.

He Sui's callus is faint; he probably hasn't held a sword in years.

Shen Qing crouched, placed his hand on He Sui's pulse, and a thread of inner energy surged in, quickly coursing through his body.

Over sixty of the meridians required for the Body Tempering Realm had been opened—he was an eighth‑level Body Tempering martial artist.

At that moment, Hei Gou entered the room holding a knife.

Sir Shen, we found a knife in the east wing room.

The head constable blinked: 'A knife? How could there be a knife? Whose is it?'

Shen Qing rose, brushed dust from his hands, and said: 'He Sui's knife.'

The head constable was doubtful: 'Sir, it can't be He Sui's—he's a famous teacher, he doesn't know martial arts.'

Shen Qing took the knife Hei Gou handed him, drew it slightly, and a flash of cold light flickered in the room.

Its blade was like autumn frost, the body slightly curved, bearing twisted patterns, inlaid with an exquisite copper‑wood hilt, and engraved with the characters 'Qinghe'.

All the yamen runners and Embroidered Uniform Guard in the room let out a quiet sigh.

Good blade!

Shen Qing had no hesitation, directly threw away the long blade at his waist, and hung the Green River on his waist.

Only then did he speak.

"This murderer also shares your view, thinking that He Sui has no skill."

"So the first move didn't use much force; who would have thought that He Sui actually has some cultivation, not low, having reached the eighth layer of the Tempered Body realm."

"This murderer panicked for a moment, used full force, and thus beat He Sui to death."

"Hei Gou, examine the corpse."

Hei Gou didn't speak, directly squatted down and took out a set of coroner's tools from the cloth bundle he carried; the Embroidered Uniform Guard is not equipped with mobile coroners.

Generally, in emergencies, Hei Gou serves as the team's coroner.

Although he's not a professional at this, after all the Embroidered Uniform Guard sees many corpses, they have forcibly trained Hei Gou from a clumsy coroner into a veteran.

Hei Gou skillfully undressed He Sui's clothing.

Shen Qing commanded: "Between the chest and abdomen, just cut open the skin layer."

Hei Gou's hand was steady as an old dog; a straight line was drawn directly from the chest to the abdomen, then the skin layer was lifted.

Shen Qing had the constable bring a torch for Hei Gou, letting Hei Gou hold it ten centimeters above He Sui's chest.

The constable leaned close to the captain and whispered: "Chief, what are you doing?"

The captain's face sank: "Want to learn now? Why all the talk? Watch closely, learn well."

"Now shut up, I'll lecture you again when we get back."

The constable gave an embarrassed laugh, rubbed his head, and thought secretly, "The boss is really strict; I'd better study hard."

Actually, the truth is, the captain is also clueless, knows nothing, just putting on a tough front; he can't lose face in front of his subordinates.

After a while, the constable's pupils widened, he stammered and shouted: "Sir... sir, the chest!"

Only He Sui's chest gradually revealed a black palm print, as big as a palm-leaf fan.

The captain also sucked in a breath of cold air.

Shen Qing, leaning to the side, slowly opened his eyes; now the clues are sufficient.

"An extremely yin-cold palm technique; ordinarily, only an expert of the Acquired Realm who cultivates yin-cold arts could produce such a palm."

"But the Tempered Body realm is also enough, provided one's palm technique is formidable."

Shen Qing turned his head to look at the constable and the captain.

"Do you have a target now?"

The constable swallowed, scratched the corner of his clothes, wiped the sweat from his palm: "Yes, yes, I'll go investigate right away."

Although Ping'an Town is not large, there are indeed not a few martial artists who use palms.

But before the constable could even step out the door, Shen Qing called him back: "Investigate? Are you a pig?"

The constable turned his head in confusion, only to see Shen Qing pointing at the man's chest.

"Such a big black palm print, you can't not see it."

"This palm print is like a palm-leaf fan, bigger than your head; are there many people in Ping'an Town with hands this big?"

After saying that, the constable froze, 'Right, are there many people in Ping'an Town with hands this big?'

It's just that he was startled by Shen Qing's methods just now and momentarily forgot about this.

Several constables thought for a moment, then shouted loudly.

"Black Palm Gang! Lu Heizhang!"

The captain also remained silent for a moment, then said: "There's another person; I saw him this morning, staying at the Hongfu Inn, not a local of Ping'an Town; he's two meters tall, his hands as big as a palm-leaf fan, and his cultivation is extraordinary."

Shen Qing nodded satisfactorily; isn't the target now locked?

The captain continued: "But these two have no grudge against He Sui, no murder motive, and we also lack sufficient evidence; what if they refuse to admit it?"

Shen Qing gave a cold laugh: "Evidence? What does your office needing evidence have to do with my Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

The captain wiped the cold sweat from his forehead; indeed, that seems to be the case.

When did the Embroidered Uniform Guard need evidence to make an arrest?

Once the Embroidered Uniform Guard deems you guilty, you'd better actually be guilty.

Afterwards, he lifted his foot and strode toward the door, letting out a low shout.

"Set out, seize the person."