Chapter 67: Discovering an Important Clue, the Greater Yin Soul-Summoning Art (Seeking Monthly Votes)

"Lord Lu is truly a good superior!"

Three days later, after receiving the reply brought back by Sun Youliang from Lu Dingchuan, Pei Shaoqing said this from the bottom of his heart.

"Thousand-Household Lu is indeed very easy to get along with." Sun Youliang, who had interacted with Lu Dingchuan many times, expressed his agreement.

Pei Shaoqing asked again: "Is there anything else?"

"My lord, that kidnapping case from a few days ago is not that simple," Sun Youliang said. "Thousand-Household Lu said that it is not just in our Tongzhou; there are also cases of Martial Artists kidnapping unmarried women in other counties of Shu. This group of people is elusive and their methods are clean; there are no clues as of yet."

"Oh?" Pei Shaoqing frowned slightly.

Sun Youliang continued: "Thousand-Household Lu wants us to be alert and root out this organization that operates across multiple cities as soon as possible, so as not to let the situation escalate."

"Call General Flag Chen and the Small Flags to discuss this." Pei Shaoqing felt it necessary to convey the latest instructions from his superiors.

Soon, a group of people gathered in the main hall of the Hundred-Household Office.

Pei Shaoqing sat in the seat at the very top that should have belonged to the Hundred-Household, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone. "Recently, there have been successive incidents of Martial Artists kidnapping women within Shuzhou. The Thousand-Household has urged all Hundred-Household Offices to investigate this case vigorously. Everyone, make sure the brothers are alert."

"Yes!" everyone replied in unison.

Pei Shaoqing named Song Youcai, "Small Flag Song, go see those three women from last time again and see if you can ask them for any useful clues."

"Understood!" Song Youcai stood up and cupped his hands.

Pei Shaoqing looked at Chen Zhongyi, "General Flag Chen, go to the County Government and ask the County Magistrate to send men to patrol the city at night."

"Yes, my lord," Chen Zhongyi replied immediately.

Pei Shaoqing waved his hand, "Go, all of you."

Everyone stood up, saluted, and dispersed.

In the afternoon, Pei Shaoqing was practicing sword techniques in the backyard of the Hundred-Household Office with Zhao Zhilan and Ye Hanshuang. He was using the Yao Guang Sword Technique of the Saintess, which was still somewhat immature.

Zhao Zhilan and Ye Hanshuang's swords were like Roaming Dragons, their bodies like startled swans; as they turned and leaped, their heavy chests rose and fell, forming an extremely beautiful landscape.

"My lord! My lord!"

Just then, Song Youcai hurried over.

The three of them immediately sheathed their swords at the same time.

Pei Shaoqing casually threw the sword to Zhao Zhilan, who caught it, performed a sword flourish, and held it behind her back.

"What is it?" Pei Shaoqing looked at Song Youcai.

Song Youcai stepped forward twice, saluted, and said with a grave expression: "My lord, as you instructed, I went to the homes of those three women. I didn't get any clues from them, but I discovered another common point besides them all being virgins."

"Speak quickly," Pei Shaoqing urged immediately.

Song Youcai said in a deep voice: "They are the same age, and all were born in the Yin year, Yin month, and Yin day."

"Yin year, Yin month, and Yin day." Pei Shaoqing frowned. Women born at this time have extremely heavy Yin energy.

He instantly thought of various literary works he had seen in his past life; whenever someone needed to collect such women, it was generally to engage in some evil, heterodox deeds.

After pondering for a moment, he said: "Immediately arrange for people to keep watch around their three homes, and check which other women in the city were born at this time."

"Yes, my lord!" Song Youcai turned and left.

Zhao Zhilan asked: "Young Master, shall we continue practicing?"

"No more practice." Pei Shaoqing shook his head and walked out, "Have someone prepare the horses; we are returning to the manor."

He needed to go back and consult the encyclopedia.

When in doubt, ask Wu Niang; voice search is available.

………………………

After arriving home, Pei Shaoqing headed straight for the bedroom.

Xie Qingwu was embroidering a pouch on a daybed and looked surprised to see Pei Shaoqing enter, "Shouldn't you be on duty at the Hundred-Household Office? Why have you returned so suddenly?"

The August weather was still very hot; even though there were ice blocks in the room, the sweltering heat was hard to dispel. Thus, she was dressed somewhat lightly, wearing only a layer of transparent, thin gauze over a goose-yellow bodice, with thin silk trousers on her lower body, and no shoes or socks on her jade feet.

The trousers were very thin, and the outline of her toes was visible.

"There is a case..." Pei Shaoqing walked over and sat down beside her. After briefly explaining the case, he asked: "Have you ever seen in books any evil arts that require using women born in the Yin year, Yin month, and Yin day?"

"There are far too many of those." Xie Qingwu put down the pouch in her hand, knitted her delicate brows as she recalled, and parted her jade lips, "However, you said they have already kidnapped more than thirty people. As far as I know, the only evil art that requires that many Women of Pure Yin at once is the Greater Yin Soul-Summoning Art."

"Greater Yin Soul-Summoning Art?" Pei Shaoqing raised an eyebrow.

Xie Qingwu nodded, pulled her slender feet that were dangling off the daybed up, and sat cross-legged facing Pei Shaoqing, looking at him as she explained further:

"After the spiritual energy dried up, the path to immortality was severed, and it became difficult for Demons to be born. After a person dies, their soul is also hard to preserve; it will completely dissipate into nothingness within a day at the fastest, or seven days at the slowest, leaving nothing between heaven and earth.

Therefore, hundreds of years ago, some people combined ancient immortal arts to create this evil method, using forty-nine Sanyin virgins to set up an array, and then torturing them to death by slow slicing.

The ghosts they turn into after death are extremely fierce to humans, but they are a great tonic for other ghosts. Consuming them can strengthen one's own spiritual body, not only extending the time one can survive in the human world but also enhancing one's strength."

Pei Shaoqing's eyes were cold, "In other words, this Greater Yin Soul-Summoning Art is a method to extend a ghost's life?"

"Correct." Xie Qingwu nodded, looked into Pei Shaoqing's eyes, and said: "For the whole of Jiuzhou, Sanyin Nu are not hard to find, but for Shu alone, Sanyin Nu are not many. So, if the mastermind really wants to perform this evil art, they will definitely come to Tongzhou to catch the three women who luckily escaped."

"Hmph! I'm only afraid they won't come." Pei Shaoqing said coldly. To extend the life of a ghost by torturing living people to death—such an evil art is simply devoid of conscience.

Even a bad person like him couldn't stand to watch it.

The mastermind had better not fall into his hands.

Otherwise, he would definitely make them know what it means to be brutal!

Xie Qingwu offered a word of comfort, "Perhaps the mastermind might not be planning to perform the Greater Yin Soul-Summoning Art."

"Whatever art they want to perform, it's clearly not a good one," Pei Shaoqing said expressionlessly.

Xie Qingwu suddenly tilted her head and looked at him.

Pei Shaoqing felt a bit uncomfortable, "What is it?"

"I really couldn't tell; you, a mountain bandit who kills husbands and steals wives, actually have quite a sense of justice," Xie Qingwu blinked her eyes and said with a serious face.

Pei Shaoqing felt she was mocking him and said righteously: "I can do bad things, but others can't! One bad person like me is enough. If the whole world were bad, who would I go to bully?

Besides, they are doing bad things on my turf! They simply don't take me seriously! Every commoner in the city is my private property; they are seizing my assets, and they have brought this death upon themselves."

That shows quite a sense of ownership.

"Hmph! Hypocrite, you clearly still have a conscience after all," Xie Qingwu said with a beaming smile.

Pei Shaoqing sighed, "I didn't expect you to see through me. That's right, I am a good person. They say good people get good rewards, my lady, could you let me take a look?"

"Fine, I admit I was wrong. Not only are you not a good person, you aren't even human." Seeing his shameless expression, Xie Qingwu darkened her face and kicked him.

Pei Shaoqing looked up at the sky with a face full of melancholy, "So good people don't get good rewards. From today on, I will turn dark and become a villain, because evil will eventually be rewarded, and you shall bear the primary responsibility for all the suffering you have caused me."

Xie Qingwu was speechless; he had a whole set of fancy words just to take advantage of her—are you going to take the imperial examination!

(End of this chapter)