Chapter 21: The Widow Who Still Retains Her Charm

The drill ground.

The men have already finished assembling.

Five men each from the Ding Fire Division and the Gui Water Division, plus two Platoon Leaders.

The business of the Heavenly Qilin Guard is complex and varied, and they often face shortages of manpower; coordination and cooperation between different divisions is a common occurrence.

It is just that the situation this time is somewhat special...

The runners of the Ding Fire Division look at that tall, straight figure, their hearts tense and fearful.

They have seen Chen Mo’s methods with their own eyes; if they were to accidentally anger this god of pestilence, the outcome would likely be exceptionally miserable!

Li Yuan stands to the side, silent, not knowing what she is thinking.

Seeing that the hour is getting late, Chen Mo flips onto his horse.

"Move out."

"Yes!"

The western suburbs.

To be precise, this place does not belong to the capital, but to a prefecture under its jurisdiction.

The place they are going to is called Tongling County, which is not very far from the city area; plus, the Red Blood Horses of the Heavenly Qilin Guard possess the bloodline of exotic beasts and are extremely fast, so it is about an hour’s journey.

Arriving at the county gate, the County Magistrate and a group of government runners who had been waiting there for a long time come up to greet them.

Chen Mo and Li Yuan show their waist tokens.

Seeing that they are Platoon Leaders of the Heavenly Qilin Guard, the expressions of the crowd become even more respectful.

"Greetings, my lords."

Dressed in green official robes, the short and stout County Magistrate bows and says: "This humble official, Li Minghan, has been waiting for you two lords for a long time."

In terms of official rank, he is a seventh-rank official of the imperial court, equivalent to the positions of the two.

But the same rank does not mean the same status.

The Heavenly Qilin Guard is a special agency chartered by imperial power, possessing immense authority and notorious fame, with all sorts of cruel methods that make people’s hearts turn cold...

A small, rootless county magistrate like him cannot be mentioned in the same breath.

"This humble official has prepared some wine and food. It is getting late, and you have all traveled a long way; why not go to the restaurant to rest and wash away the dust of the journey, and discuss other matters tomorrow."

Li Minghan squeezes out a bright smile.

A veteran head constable nearby frowns, seemingly wanting to say something, but seeing the County Magistrate glare at him quietly, he can only lower his head in resignation.

This is not the first time people have been sent from above.

It is nothing more than going through the motions, just dealing with it perfunctorily to get it over with.

Moreover, these two are young; the man is handsome and noble, looking like a pampered young master, and the woman has an exaggeratedly large blade slung over her shoulder... they don’t look like they are here to handle a case at all.

Just serve them good food and drink, and send them off tomorrow.

"Resting is unnecessary. Who will tell me the specific details of this case?"

Chen Mo goes straight to the point.

Li Minghan is stunned; why doesn't this handsome young master play by the rules?

Could it be that there are too many people here, he can't lose face, and wants to put on a show?

Although he complains inwardly, he dares not be negligent and says: "Head Constable Xing, report the detailed situation to the lord, point by point."

"Yes."

The veteran head constable acknowledges and gives a rough account of the ins and outs of the matter.

Ever since three months ago, murder cases have occurred one after another in the city.

And the state of the corpses is extremely similar:

The victims were all male, wearing bright red wedding robes, with eerie smiles on their faces.

Their skulls were pried open, empty inside, as if they had been eaten clean by something.

Hearing this, Chen Mo and Li Yuan exchange a look.

"If it were a wicked cultivator, there would be no need to change the victims into wedding robes; it is likely..."

"A demon or ghost!"

The two confirm the answer instantly.

Only demons or ghosts would act in such a way; their methods are strange and cannot be judged by common sense.

Although the Three Saints Sect has driven out most demons and ghosts, it is inevitable that some have slipped through the net, and incidents of eerie chaos occur from time to time.

However, this is at the feet of the Son of Heaven, under the bright sky, yet it is so rampant?

"How many people have died so far?"

Chen Mo asks.

"Twenty-nine."

Head Constable Xing’s tone is heavy.

"So many?"

Chen Mo raises an eyebrow, "Why was it delayed so long before being reported?"

Head Constable Xing shakes his head and says: "As early as two months ago, this matter was reported to the capital’s government office. They sent government runners over, and the leader was a seventh-rank martial artist, but he died an unnatural death that very night, and the state of his corpse was exactly the same as the other victims."

"Later, your Heavenly Qilin Guard sent people again..."

"Ahem!"

At this moment, Li Minghan coughs loudly, and Head Constable Xing realizes what he is doing and immediately stops speaking.

Even a seventh-rank martial artist died?

No wonder this case requires two Platoon Leaders.

Chen Mo’s thoughts stir, and he asks: "Who did the Heavenly Qilin Guard send last time?"

Head Constable Xing hesitates for a moment and says in a low voice: "It was a lord surnamed Yan from the Ding Fire Division. He wandered around the city, said the case was closed, and returned to the capital the next day."

He also drank ten jars of premium wine and took two hundred taels of silver as travel expenses!

Li Minghan adds silently in his heart.

Squeezing the marrow from the bones, eating, taking, and demanding—if the Heavenly Qilin Guard comes a few more times, I fear the county office will be emptied out!

Hearing this, the people from the Ding Fire Division all have unnatural expressions.

A cold glint flashes in the depths of Li Yuan’s eyes.

If he was just corrupt, that would be one thing, but with so many people dead, he still handled it perfunctorily—how is this any different from treating human lives like grass?

That day, I really should have let Chen Mo cut him down with a blade!

"According to the pattern of the murders, one person dies every three days on average."

"It has been exactly three days since the last death; I fear tonight..."

Head Constable Xing’s voice is low and slow.

The crowd shows expressions of terror, and the atmosphere is extremely oppressive.

It is like a guillotine hanging over their heads; who knows if they will be the next to die.

"Let’s go, enter the city and take a look."

Chen Mo takes the lead and enters the county gate.

It is not yet the Hour of the Rooster, but the streets are already empty; every household has its doors and windows tightly shut, and some have even used wooden planks to seal them completely.

An atmosphere of panic spreads through the city.

"Which family did the first incident happen to?"

Chen Mo asks.

"The Liu family in the west of the city."

"Master Liu was taking a secondary wife and held a grand banquet that night; it was only when they went to tease the newlyweds that they discovered he was already dead..."

Head Constable Xing replies.

"Take me to the Liu residence."

"The others go to the homes of the previous victims to investigate; if you find anything unusual, sound the signal whistle."

"Gather at the county office before the Hour of the Pig."

Chen Mo gives orders in an orderly fashion.

"Yes!"

The runners disperse quickly, led by the constables to various parts of the city.

Li Minghan and Head Constable Xing exchange a look, only then realizing that this young master does not seem to be here to slack off...

And Li Yuan, who has always had a strong personality, expresses no opinion and follows silently behind Chen Mo.

The Liu residence.

The mansion is quite luxurious and grand, with high walls and deep courtyards, the main gate tightly shut.

Head Constable Xing steps forward to knock on the door ring and says loudly: "I am Head Constable Xing from the county office, the Heav..."

Before he can finish, an impatient voice comes from inside: "The mistress has ordered that we close the doors and decline visitors; please come back another day, Constable."

Head Constable Xing wants to say something else, but Chen Mo directly raises his foot and kicks the door.

Bang!

The door bolt snaps, the thick solid wood gate bursts open, and the servant is knocked flat to the ground.

He clutched his bright red forehead, pointed at Chen Mo, and shouted angrily, "How dare you trespass into a private residence? Do you know what place this is..."

"Insolent!"

"This is the Platoon Leader of the Heavenly Qilin Guard!"

Head Constable Xing said in a deep voice.

"The, the Heavenly Qilin Guard?!"

Upon hearing these three words, the manservant nearly lost his wits in terror.

He scrambled to his feet in a panic, knelt on the ground to kowtow, and said with a trembling voice, "This lowly one is blind and failed to recognize a superior; I beg you to forgive my offense, my lord!"

Chen Mo ignored him and lifted his leg to walk into the courtyard.

Just then, a woman dressed in mourning white walked out from the main hall.

She was graceful and curvaceous, her waist swaying with every step, much like a perfectly ripened peach.

At the same time, a notification flashed before Chen Mo's eyes:

[Special event triggered: The widow of the Liu family.]

"It seems I really came to the right place."

The corners of Chen Mo's mouth curled up slightly.