Chapter 138: The Mastermind Appears

At this point, everyone finally spoke out the things they had been holding back.

The suspicion against the City Office and Shanhe Office is growing larger!

Over three months have passed, and someone dies every few days—yet not a single clue so far?

The malevolent force not only enters homes to devour people, but has escalated by breaking into the Purification Office and Shanhe Office to commit crimes?

Isn't that utterly unbelievable?

A malevolent force capable of such feats could swallow the entire Shanhé County town in one bite.

Does it come to Zhan City to eat people one by one, just to toy with the Purification Office?

Then there is only one possibility: it's not that they can't find the truth—it's that someone doesn't want it found!

Like what Xu Yuan previously mentioned: deliberately assigning ordinary Captains to clean up the scene using Fu Zhong Huo.

But Xu Yuan still had a question: this "Ghost Gauze Curtain" was discovered inside Lü Qiuyang's body; some of the earlier victims had also been autopsied, yet none showed this object—why?

The greatest difference between Lü Qiuyang and the other victims is that Lü Qiuyang was a Seventh-Rank cultivator.

Could it be that because he was too hard to take down, they left behind this flaw?

"Elder," Xu Yuan asked, "can this Ghost Gauze Curtain be recalled after it's released?"

Wu Gu smiled and said, "You're all friends of Xiao Luhua—no need to be so formal. Just call me Wu Gu, like she does."

"Yes, Wu Gu."

"The Ghost Gauze Curtain cannot be recalled, but each time it is released, a piece must be cut off; with this small piece, weaving the next one becomes easier."

Xu Yuan nodded in understanding: "Thank you, Wu Gu, for clarifying. I have no more questions."

Lang Xiao Ba stood beside him, visibly uneasy.

He had stubbornly followed Xu Police Inspector because he had been scolded senseless by Zhu Police Inspector.

But he never expected to accidentally overhear something he shouldn't have!

Human malice!

Who are you talking about?

Will Xu Police Inspector think I was sent by the office to spy on them?

Next… according to the usual plot, I should be told to shut up now!

"Snap!" While lost in thought, Lang Xiao Ba suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder and jumped up in fright: "Ah—"

Yu Yunhang asked in confusion, "What's wrong with you?"

Lang Xiao Ba looked left and right; everyone was staring at him.

"We're leaving. Are you just going to stay here?" Yu Yunhang asked.

He just shouted his name and he acted like he didn't hear—then when I tapped him, he jumped like that. What's going on?

Lang Xiao Ba quickly nodded: "Oh, let's go."

Xu Yuan brought Lang Xiao Ba to meet Wu Gu for two reasons: first, this fellow had clearly made it impossible to shake him off today.

Second, many people had already seen the fine mesh threads, so there was no need for secrecy.

Third… this fellow was probably not sent to watch him; otherwise, yesterday he wouldn't have dismissed him with a single word.

His rank is too low. Even if the Zhan City Office truly harbors secrets… he couldn't possibly access them.

If he were sent to tail me, with his level, even if he discovered something, he wouldn't even be able to escape to report back…

After leaving the inn, Xu Yuan asked him: "Who in the Zhan City Office cultivates the 'Female Weaving Art'?"

Lang Xiao Ba shook his head without hesitation: "No one cultivates this. My lord, it must be Shanhe Office people behind this, using it to extend their claws."

Xu Yuan said nothing.

"Let's return to the office."

After Wu Gu arrived, Xu Yuan felt at ease.

Even if the Zhan City Office truly had problems, once the mask was torn off, their side was not at a disadvantage.

The group hurried back to the yamen, and before they even arrived, they saw a Captain standing at the street corner, craning his neck to look out.

Seeing them return, he rushed forward anxiously: "You've finally come back, my lords!"

"What's happened again?" Xu Yuan's heart sank—had another Purification Office member been killed?

The Captain exclaimed excitedly: "The Master of Discipline has trapped the malevolent force! All the office's senior officials have rushed there—this time, we absolutely cannot let it escape!"

"Trapped what?" Xu Yuan and the others could hardly believe it.

"The malevolent force behind the murders! Since we couldn't find you, Inspector Zhu ordered me to wait here. Let's hurry—otherwise, they'll finish before we get there."

If they finish, there'll be no credit.

The Captain turned and walked off. Xu Yuan and the others exchanged glances, stunned and uncertain: "How did Master Lin suddenly find the killer?"

The Captain was frantic: "You don't really think we in the Zhan City Office have done nothing these past months, do you? Master of Discipline has been secretly laying a trap these past two days—but the thing is extremely cunning, so we couldn't let it escape, hence the secrecy!"

Xu Yuan frowned slightly, then asked: "Where is the thing trapped?"

"In the Old Lord's Grave in Chengxi!"

Xu Yuan gave Song Lu a meaningful glance.

Song Lu looked confused—why are you looking at me?

Fu Jingyu had to lower his head and whisper softly into her ear: "Notify Wu Gu."

Song Lu finally understood.

Xu Yuan suspected Wu Gu and Song Lu had some emergency communication method.

The Captain walked ahead briskly; Xu Yuan and the others followed, quickly exiting the Xicheng Gate.

Xu Yuan asked: "Captain Lang, what exactly is this Old Lord's Grave?"

Last night, the inn boy had mentioned "the Old Lord's Grave gate opened," but he dared not elaborate, and Xu Yuan hadn't pressed for details.

Lang Xiao Ba explained: "Supposedly, hundreds of years ago, before our Laozu Sect had incorporated Southern Jiaozhi into its territory, this place had its own small court. One year, they sent tribute, and the official leading the delegation was eloquent and charming, pleasing Your Majesty so much that he was granted some title.

After returning, this man was valued highly in Southern Jiaozhi; later, he retired and returned home, died not long after, and was buried here.

Gradually, the locals of Southern Jiaozhi forgot the official's name, only remembering he was a great lord granted title by His Imperial Majesty's Ming Dynasty, so they called his tomb the Lord's Grave.

We've followed suit in calling it that too."

The locals thought of him as a "great lord," but back then, the Ming likely saw him as nothing but a servant.

What's written as "eloquent and charming" is read as "master of flattery."

What's written as "valued highly by the Ming" is read as "a good dog."

Lang Xiao Ba continued: "About a hundred years ago, when the Ming army and the canal reached Southern Jiaozhi, one day a family from Champa migrated westward. Over three hundred of them, walking to the outskirts of Xicheng, suddenly saw a grand courtyard in the barren land beside the road.

As they peered curiously, the courtyard gate opened, and an old man in peculiar official robes stepped out.

The old man walked among them with his hands behind his back, raised his hand, and selected from the three hundred: You, you, you, you… come with this old lord.

He picked a hundred men—all the young and strong in the group.

Then these hundred followed the old man into the grand courtyard; once they entered, the gate shut behind them.

Throughout the entire process, not one of the three hundred resisted; for some reason, they felt it was perfectly natural.

Only after the gate closed did the remaining two hundred suddenly snap back to their senses, bewildered, unable to understand why the old lord had taken those men inside.

But the old lord's bearing was extraordinary, so they dared not act rashly and waited outside the courtyard.

They waited until nearly dusk, yet no family members emerged; only then did panic set in. They rushed toward the courtyard, pounding on the gate and shouting for their loved ones to come out.

But as soon as they pounded on the gate, disaster struck—the courtyard transformed, becoming none other than the Lord's Grave!

The gate just now? That was clearly the tomb gate of the Lord's Grave!"

(End of Chapter)