Chapter 38: Investigation and Apprehension

Words appearing out of thin air, like a divine miracle—the crowd present was extremely horrified to witness such a scene.

Some even knelt and kowtowed immediately, believing, just like Chu Deshun, that Heaven had seen the injustice in the human world and sent down divine punishment.

Meanwhile, following the report to the authorities, in just half an hour, the Zhongshu Fuyamen and even the Jingwu Division were alarmed, and the entire East City yamen was blockaded by a large number of officials.

The news of the deaths of East City Assistant Magistrate Tian Ming and Qinglong Gang West Hall Protector Zhao Hailong also spread like a hurricane, stirring up huge waves.

While the officials blockaded the East City yamen, the commoners who heard the news and came to watch the excitement gathered in large numbers, forming a dense, black tide of people outside the cordoned area.

"That corrupt official Tian Ming is finally dead; it's truly gratifying, we must drink a large cup of wine to celebrate!"

"I heard people say that Tian Ming was struck by divine punishment from Heaven and had his throat severed on the spot. Is this true or false!?"

"Of course it's false. If there really were a Heaven, how could there be so many unjust and filthy things in this world, and how could the Western Powers invade our great land?"

"That's true."

"That might not be the case! I was watching from outside the hall at the time. Assistant Magistrate Tian Ming had taken money and deliberately favored Zhao Hailong. Chu Deshun was cursing Heaven for being unfair, and then the necks of the first two snapped for no reason without any warning! As soon as they died, two lines of blood-red words appeared out of thin air on the ground. If this isn't the might of Heaven, what is it?"

"But I heard that the blood-red words left on the ground claimed to be Qingyike? Isn't that the assassin who killed Kundu two days ago?"

"That goes without saying. This Qingyike must be the agent of Heaven's punishment; otherwise, how could he possess such god-like and ghostly abilities as severing throats from the void and making words appear out of thin air?"

Tian Ming was notorious as the East City Assistant Magistrate, and Zhao Hailong was also infamous in certain areas. The deaths of both immediately caused a huge sensation, leading countless commoners to run and tell each other, discussing it with great relish. The impact was no less than the death of Kundu, and perhaps even greater.

At this moment, inside the public hall of the East City yamen where the incident occurred.

Whether it was the plaintiffs Chu Deshun and Xu Lang, or the yamen runners and onlookers who were present earlier, everyone was now gathered outside the hall waiting for questioning.

Inside the public hall, the atmosphere was exceptionally heavy and murderous. Over a dozen elite officials were busy, and Jingwu Division Commandant Yu Xianting was also carefully staring at the two lines of blood-red words on the ground with his subordinates, his expression extremely grave.

At this time, a middle-aged man wearing the uniform of a Chief Constable walked down with several Constables, his face looking ugly as he said:

"How is it, Officer Yu? Any discoveries? I have already examined the corpses; looking at the wounds alone, they were all severed by a sharp weapon. One cannot discern any technique or style at all."

Yu Xianting's brows knitted into a knot, and he took a deep breath:

"This handwriting is the same as the one left at the Feng'en General Mansion. It is indeed the same person. I never thought he would appear again so soon."

Over these two days, because he had become suspicious of Li Junxian, he had been secretly investigating the other's past experiences.

He never expected that before finding any clues, Qingyike would appear again, and the target of his second strike was also someone from the Qinglong Gang!

This undoubtedly completely overturned his previous deductions.

East City Chief Constable Hu Weibang's eyes shifted, unable to suppress the shock and suspicion in his heart:

"But everyone present said that the handwriting appeared out of thin air on the ground, like a divine miracle. How did this Qingyike do it? Is he a man or a ghost?"

"How can there be ghosts or gods in this world?"

Yu Xianting also frowned tightly, his heart full of suspicion:

"However, the situation is indeed very strange. I must carefully question the people at the scene again."

After speaking, he came outside the hall.

At the entrance, there were eighty or ninety people who had witnessed the event. Yu Xianting's eyes were sharp, and after a brief scan, his gaze fell on the few officials at the very front:

"When Zhao Hailong and Assistant Magistrate Tian Ming died with their throats severed, you all must have witnessed it with your own eyes at close range?"

The few officials were still shaken to the core even now, and they nodded busily: "Exactly, exactly!"

"Are you sure that it was really without any warning that Assistant Magistrate Tian and Zhao Hailong had their throats severed and died?"

"Absolutely certain! We saw it very clearly!"

Having never had such an experience, the few yamen runners were all still fearful, speaking over one another:

"I was less than a zhang away from Zhao Hailong at the time. Suddenly, his throat just snapped. There really wasn't any warning at all."

"And Magistrate Tian, it was exactly the same. Suddenly, his throat was severed. It's eerie, too eerie!"

Yu Xianting's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and then he looked at Chu Deshun:

"You are the plaintiff who brought this case to court, right? You should have been closest to Zhao Hailong at the time. Did you notice anything unusual?"

Having been slapped by Zhao Hailong earlier, Chu Deshun's cheeks were still highly swollen, and half his teeth had fallen out, looking miserable.

But after his great revenge was satisfied, he seemed to have undergone a spiritual cleansing, actually revealing a satisfied and pious smile:

"Of course not. This humble commoner begs to speak frankly, my lord: this was a punishment sent by Heaven. That Qingyike is clearly an incarnation of Heaven walking the earth, which is why he could sever throats from the void and make words appear out of thin air, displaying such incredible divine wonders.

Tian Ming and Zhao Hailong were wicked to the core, drawing down the judgment of Heaven; they deserved to die. If you, my lord, continue to investigate, wouldn't you be going against the will of Heaven?"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the officials, gentry, and even ordinary commoners present who had witnessed the event shuddered, their faces showing awe.

Yu Xianting's face sank: "Ignorant fools, this official does not believe in any divine punishment from Heaven!"

Hu Weibang, however, looked slightly uneasy and gave a wink, coming to Yu Xianting's side to whisper:

"Officer Yu, everything else is easy to explain, but that method of making words appear out of thin air with blood is so bizarre, it is simply unheard of. It is definitely not something that can be done by martial arts or street tricks... Could it be that there really is divine punishment in this world?"

Cold light flickered in Yu Xianting's eyes:

"Impossible, this is absolutely not any divine punishment. As far as I know, although martial arts cannot achieve severing throats from the void or making words appear out of thin air, there is one method that can!"

Hu Weibang was startled, as if remembering something: "You mean Daoist Arts?"

"Correct!"

Yu Xianting narrowed his eyes:

"After thinking it over, only this path of cultivation, which once flourished in the previous dynasty, could achieve this."

As the East City Chief Constable, Hu Weibang was naturally not a bumpkin who knew nothing, and he immediately hesitated:

"But as far as I know, these so-called Daoist Arts are obscure and profound, and they have no great advantage compared to the Martial Arts, so very few people practice them. They began to decline continuously from the previous dynasty, and by now, their traces are hard to find.

Moreover, I heard that Daoist Arts cultivate the so-called soul and spirit. This path has almost no special means in the first three realms; even a strong man who has practiced fisticuffs might not be defeated by one. For this Qingyike to be able to sever throats from the void and make words appear out of thin air, how high must his cultivation be?"

"That is indeed the case."

Yu Xianting took a deep breath and said:

"According to some files and classics I have read in the Jingwu Division, practitioners of Daoist Arts are extremely fragile in the first three realms, far from being the opponents of martial artists. Only when they reach the fourth realm, the Realm of Essence and Soul, can they cast some illusions and nightmare spells that confuse the mind, or even manipulate objects from a distance, displaying strange abilities.

And this so-called severing of throats from the void and making words appear out of thin air, in my view, might be a more advanced manifestation of illusion. The fact that he can deceive so many people on such a large scale shows that this Qingyike's Daoist cultivation is at least a Fifth Realm high-level mage, or even a Sixth Realm high-merit mage!"

"What?"

Hu Weibang was immediately shocked and turned pale:

"If it truly is such a person, how could it be someone we are capable of investigating?"

He had vaguely heard that Daoist Arts, like Martial Arts, were also divided into seven realms, with titles categorized by cultivation achievement as Daoist Child, Daoist Practitioner, Dharma Master, Mid-Rank Dharma Master, High-Rank Dharma Master, High-Merit Dharma Master, and Dao-Attained Perfected Person.

Although this path of cultivation had long since declined and become rare, those who could reach the level of the Fifth Realm or Sixth Realm still belonged to the ranks of absolute experts who could roam freely, and were not people that small fry like them could provoke!

"Indeed, such a person's methods are bizarre and strange; without Martial Arts cultivation of the Fifth Realm or higher, it is simply impossible to deal with them."

Yu Xianting was also exceptionally wary at this moment:

"In such a situation, we can only report it immediately and let the superiors decide."

(End of chapter)