Chapter 561: Mysterious Corpse!

In the next few hours, the interior of Changnan City Public Security Bureau was brightly lit.

Police deployment, equipment inventory, route planning and other preparations were proceeding in full swing.

Lin Yuan waited quietly at the side throughout.

He occasionally, when Mu Lingxue inquired.

Lin Yuan, targeting possible ambush points and movement habits of ancient martial artists, gave several suggestions.

His suggestions were precisely on target, causing LiJiuzhe and others to secretly marvel.

Meanwhile, the female forensic doctor from Hangcheng, Yin Yirou, was also dispatched over, preparing to support this operation.

Yin Yirou is a female forensic doctor; if a gunfight breaks out on scene and casualties occur, she can immediately step forward to perform a forensic autopsy.

Thus, Yin Yirou also rushed to Changnan City overnight, preparing to support Mu Lingxue's operation.

……

The night deepened, the moon hid and the stars sank.

The entire Changnan City fell into sleep.

Only in the suburban direction did a convoy of dozens of police vehicles silently drive out of the urban area……

All the police vehicle lights were extinguished, and they slowly proceeded along the remote mountain road.

Mu Lingxue sat in the lead off‑road vehicle, her beautiful eyes sharp as an eagle's.

She fixed her gaze on the dark mountain road ahead;

Lin Yuan sat beside her, his expression calm.

But Lin Yuan remained tense, his senses alert to every rustle in the surroundings.

This was still his first time going out on a mission with a female police officer.

Moreover, it was cross‑province, executing such a large‑scale sweep operation.

If it were before, Lin Yuan would absolutely not have been able to act.

However, Mu Lingxue is now his woman.

So Lin Yuan also could only take action.

There's no way; his woman can only be protected by himself.

After over half an hour of jolting, the convoy finally reached the mountain hollow outskirts of Stone Cavity Village.

LiJiuzhe was the first to get out of the car, making a silent gesture to the officers arriving behind.

Thereafter, Chief LiJiuzhe, following the established plan, divided the police force into three routes.

The three forces quietly approached the village's east, west, and north exits……

Each officer moved with light steps and crisp motions, trying to make no sound at all.

Mu Lingxue then brought Lin Yuan and an elite squad…… to remain on the edge of the mountain hollow.

Yin Yirou, meanwhile, followed Mu Lingxue.

She is a female forensic doctor; she does not need to go to the front line, she only needs to do rear‑guard security work.

And Mu Lingxue, as the force for a frontal breakthrough, lay in ambush behind the dense thicket.

Mu Lingxue silently waited for the signal that all exits had been sealed.

The night was thick as ink, only occasional insect chirps breaking the silence.

The village was pitch black, every household without light, as if truly fallen into deep sleep.

But just then, Lin Yuan's brows suddenly knit tightly.

Lin Yuan's originally calm gaze instantly turned solemn.

Lin Yuan slightly turned his head, his nostrils twitching a few times, his face gradually darkening.

"What's wrong?" Mu Lingxue sensed his abnormality, leaned to his ear, and whispered in a voice only the two could hear.

"Something's off." Lin Yuan's voice low and urgent, his eyes fixed on the village ahead, "There's a bloody smell, a strong bloody smell, and it's fresh."

Mu Lingxue's heart sank upon hearing that.

She sniffed carefully, but only smelled the grass and trees of the wild, detecting no trace of blood.

But she knew Lin Yuan's perception far surpassed ordinary people, especially his sensitivity to blood and danger, making a mistake impossible.

Mu Lingxue trusted Lin Yuan's judgment.

Thus Mu Lingxue picked up the walkie‑talkie and reported the situation to Chief LiJiuzhe.

"The exits haven't yet sent the seal‑complete signal; it's still too early to act. Moreover, Chief Li, what's the situation with the bloody smell Mr. Lin mentioned?" LiJiuzhe also leaned in and spoke softly.

LiJiuzhe's tone carried a hint of doubt, obviously skeptical of Lin Yuan's judgment.

"I can't wait." Lin Yuan shook his head, eyes firm, "This bloody smell is wrong; something must have happened in the village. I'll go in first to check; you stay here on standby, don't act rashly."

Before Mu Lingxue and LiJiuzhe could object, Lin Yuan's body darted out like a civet cat……

Lin Yuan's steps were light as a falling leaf, instantly blending into the dark night……

In a few leaps, he vanished at the end of the path leading to the village……

Lin Yuan's steps were light; his movement technique was extremely strong, his breath fully restrained, like a ghost in the dark night, he slipped silently into the village interior.

The closer Lin Yuan got to the village, the stronger the bloody smell in the air became……

The air was mixed with a faint smell of gunpowder.

This made Lin Yuan's heartbeat gradually quicken, his face growing more solemn.

Lin Yuan moved slowly along the low wall at the village's edge.

His gaze continually swept warily over the surroundings.

The village remained utterly silent.

Around, there was no sound of fighting, nor any cries for help.

This abnormal quietness instead makes people's scalp tingle.

When Lin Yuan jumped over a low wall and entered the interior of the village……

Lin Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted, and his whole body froze in place!

A chill rose from his soles……straight to the top of his head.

Under the pitch-black night sky, with the faint starlight, one could clearly see……

On the village's stone slab roads, at house entrances, and even in the courtyards, corpses lay scattered everywhere!

These corpses were dressed in ordinary villager clothing, exactly the disguise of the Thunder Tiger Gate members!

But at this moment, they had all lost their vital signs!

Some had their chests pierced, some had their skulls shattered……

Blood flowed from the wounds, gathering on the ground into dark red streams; the strong smell of blood rushed into the nostrils, making one want to vomit.

The whole village was like a slaughterhouse that had been meticulously cleaned.

Besides the corpses and blood, no trace of any living person could be seen……

Nor were any extra traces left behind.

Lin Yuan walked forward slowly, squatted down, and examined a corpse's wound.

He found that the wound's edges were neat, the force strong—clearly inflicted by a top-tier ancient martial artist.

Just then, from Lin Yuan's ear mic……came Mu Lingxue's low, urgent voice.

"Lin Yuan, how's your side? What's the situation in the village? All exits have been sealed. Report the situation!"

Lin Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart.

He spoke with difficulty into the ear mic, his voice grave: 'They……they all died……they all died.'

The other end of the ear mic instantly fell silent.

A moment later, Mu Lingxue's voice, filled with disbelief, said: 'What did you say? Everyone died? The Thunder Tiger Gate people?'

'Well, it looks like they're all Thunder Tiger Gate people, corpses everywhere.' Lin Yuan stood up, his gaze sweeping over the gruesome scene before him, and he said in a heavy tone, 'Come in and have a look, watch your step, don't disturb the scene.'

'Received!' In the ear mic, Mu Lingxue's voice quickly regained its composure.

……

Outside the village, an ambush point.

Mu Lingxue's pretty face was solemn; she immediately gave a low order to the nearby police officers and LiJiuzhe: 'All teams, pay attention, immediately move toward the village center, stay alert, protect the scene!'

As her words fell, Mu Lingxue stood up first, drew her sidearm from her waist, and cautiously moved toward the village.

LiJiuzhe followed closely, gesturing for the elite squad to follow.

A group of people moved swiftly and cautiously, advancing into the village interior.

When Mu Lingxue and LiJiuzhe led the police officers into the village……

Everyone was stunned by the sight before them……

Many young police officers couldn't help but cover their mouths, their faces instantly turning deathly pale.

The dark red bloodstains on the stone slab roads, the scattered corpses, the suffocating smell of blood in the air—none failed to make people's scalps tingle.

The police had anticipated a fierce arrest, but it turned into a gruesome corpse cleanup.

'This……this is too horrible……' a police officer's voice trembled, his eyes full of fear.

LiJiuzhe's face was also unusually grim.

LiJiuzhe suppressed his nausea and ordered his deputy: 'Quick, notify the forensics department! Have Yin Yirou immediately bring her team to examine the scene! Also, seal off the entire village perimeter, no one allowed in or out!'

'Yes, chief!' The deputy replied immediately, turned and hurried to make arrangements.

Less than half an hour later, a forensic examination vehicle sped over!

The car door opened, and a woman in a white coat, with an exquisite face, stepped out—none other than the forensic doctor Yin Yirou, who had come from Hangcheng to assist.

Behind her followed several forensic staff members from Changnan City, each holding a heavy examination kit.

Yin Yirou walked up to LiJiuzhe, gave a slight nod, and said: 'Chief Li, I'm here.'

Her gaze swept over the village scene; her expression showed no change, evidently accustomed to various gruesome scenes.

'Forensic Doctor Yin, thank you for your hard work.' LiJiuzhe said in a deep voice, 'Please carefully examine these corpses to determine the cause and time of death.'

'All right.' Yin Yirou nodded and immediately put on gloves and a mask.

Yin Yirou and Mu Lingxue nodded.

Then Yin Yirou picked up the examination tools and was the first to squat beside a corpse.

She skillfully examined the corpse's wound.

She at times used tweezers to inspect the wound's edges, at times used a flashlight to illuminate the wound's interior, and occasionally had an assistant record the data.

Yin Yirou examined five or six corpses in different locations in succession; her brows gradually furrowed, then relaxed. More than half an hour later.

Yin Yirou stood up and walked to face LiJiuzhe and Mu Lingxue.

She removed her mask and said confidently: 'Chief Li, Officer Mu, the preliminary examination results are out.'

'How is it?' Both spoke at the same time.

'The time of death for these deceased is between one and two hours ago; most wounds were caused by sharp weapons, a few by blunt force, and the fatal injuries were all in vital spots.'

Yin Yirou spoke clearly: 'The key is, from the direction and angle of force on the wounds, as well as the traces at the scene, these people were not slaughtered by outsiders; it is more like……mutual slaughter.'

'Mutual slaughter?' Mu Lingxue's pupils contracted, her face full of shock, 'Are you sure?'

'Basically, yes.' Yin Yirou nodded and added, 'I examined the hands and fingernails of several corpses; they retained other people's flesh tissue and blood traces, and some wounds showed characteristics of close-quarters combat, not like a one-sided slaughter.'

'Furthermore, no footprints or traces of external intruders were found at the scene; instead, there were many chaotic traces of mutual shoving and fighting. Overall assessment: this group of Thunder Tiger Gate members likely suffered an internal conflict, ultimately leading to the tragic death of all.'