Chapter 331: Key Evidence

Zhu Zhanmei pointed outside: "Dawn is breaking."

These words reminded everyone else in the camp.

Checking the time, only half a shichen remained before dawn.

Yet the Ghost King Wang Shen and the former dynasty's Yin Ghosts had not yet launched their rebellion.

"They... truly resolved it?" Lieutenant Liao could not believe it.

Except for Zhu Zhanmei and Miao Yu, everyone else's hearts were in turmoil.

They hoped the Purification Bureau had resolved it, so their own guilt would be lighter.

Yet they also did not hope the Purification Bureau had resolved it, for then the Purification Bureau would have achieved great merit.

Thus their hearts were tortured back and forth; they waited half a shichen until the sky fully brightened.

Everyone's moods grew even more complex.

Moreover, they simply could not understand how the Purification Bureau had resolved it.

The River Patrol Commissioner kept shrinking backward, carefully avoiding Miao Yu.

What if this surname Miao asked in a sarcastic tone whether Inspector Xu had "turned the tide" and "resolved the Zhan Cheng crisis"—how should he respond...

Miao Yu rose and walked out: "I shall go ask how Young Master Xu resolved this crisis."

This Chief Lawkeeper and Xu Yuan are close friends.

Zhu Zhanmei immediately followed out.

Both of them belong to the Shanhe Office.

The two led their subordinates quickly into the city, heading straight for the Nancheng Patrol Station.

They thought they were moving fast, but someone was faster.

Upon arriving at the Nancheng Patrol Station, they heard Zhu Zhanlei's loud voice: "I heard yesterday those fools from the Canal Office kicked you out?"

"They politely invited me back; how did that become being kicked out?"

"Don't polish the truth; it's just that, isn't it? I understand perfectly! Tell me quickly, how did you resolve this problem? When I used to listen to storytellers in teahouses, I loved these plots where someone is looked down upon, only to leave everyone dumbfounded in the end!"

Miao Yu and Zhu Zhanmei entered together; Miao Yu also smiled: "I want to know too. How did you kill the Ghost King Wang Shen?"

Xu Yuan chuckled: "We did not kill the Ghost King Wang Shen; we left that thing for your Canal Office to resolve."

Xu Yuan did not beat around the bush; he continued: "We exterminated all the former dynasty's Yin Ghosts."

After hearing Xu Yuan recount the events, the three of Miao Yu, Zhu Zhanlei, and Zhu Zhanmei slapped their foreheads: "Ah, indeed so! We all focused only on the Ghost King Wang Shen, yet forgot that without those former dynasty Yin Ghosts, the Ghost King Wang Shen is just a lone figure!"

In Zhu Zhanmei's beautiful eyes, light flickered as she silently gazed at my lord Xu, wondering what she was thinking.

Xu Yuan had worked hard last night; the three did not stay long, and after clarifying the matter, they took their leave, allowing Xu Yuan to rest.

Coming out of the Nancheng Patrol Station, Zhu Zhanmei praised: "This trouble of the Ghost King Wang Shen, the Canal Office must take on."

The younger brother did not understand, looking utterly bewildered.

Miao Yu thought for a moment and explained to him: "The matter originally belonged to the Canal Office. But the Purification Bureau achieved great merit; the Canal Office must seize the credit for exterminating the Ghost King Wang Shen, otherwise they cannot answer to the court."

Just wait and see; today reinforcements from Shunhua City will arrive, surely bringing Lieutenant Liao and the others, scouring the mountains to hunt down the Ghost King Wang Shen."

Zhu Zhanlei went "Oh," understanding, then asked: "Did Xu Yuan foresee this?"

"Need you even ask?" Zhu Zhanmei smiled: "Moreover, when he went to the Canal Office yesterday, he must have already realized he should adopt a strategy of avoiding the heavy and tackling the light: first resolving those former dynasty Yin Ghosts to avert the imminent crisis."

As for the Ghost King Wang Shen, he can be dealt with slowly later."

The three returned to the Shanhe Office and then separated.

Miao Yu hurried to bathe and change clothes.

Having not slept all night, if he did not properly tidy himself, he would lose the elegance of a Young Master.

Zhu Zhanlei was about to return to his room when his third sister grabbed him.

Zhu Zhanmei spoke mysteriously: "What do you think of Xu Yuan?"

Zhu Zhanlei was baffled: "What do you mean, 'what do I think'?"

"Big Sister needs a suitable match." Zhu Zhanmei's eyes flickered: "But that fellow Miao Yu is the same kind as you; if Big Sister marries him, I cannot feel at ease."

Zhu Zhanlei's eyes widened: "You, you..."

"You what, you?"

Zhu Zhanlei snorted: "Xu Yuan is about my age; Big Sister is five or six years older than him. Do you think that is suitable?"

Zhu Zhanmei blurted out: "A woman three years older brings a gold brick..."

Zhu Zhanlei waved his hand impatiently: "Stop talking nonsense. You are three years older than me; you and him are the ones truly bringing a gold brick; Big Sister would have to bring two."

Zhu Zhanmei's pretty face instantly flushed red; she reached out to twist his ear: "I told you not to talk nonsense!"

Zhu Zhanlei pushed her hand away: "Don't worry about things that aren't your concern all day. Big Sister's lifelong matter, let her decide for herself."

Then Zhu Zhanlei left; he did not take this matter to heart at all and forgot it in an instant.

Zhu Zhanmei stamped her foot in anger, pouting and muttering to herself: "Dead younger brother, you dare tease me; later I will definitely report you severely to Father and Mother."

Last night's events had truly made her admire this young man a bit more.

Her character was straightforward; if she admired someone, she admitted it openly; even if Xu Yuan stood before her, she would admit it frankly.

But she felt she absolutely had not thought in terms of romantic feelings.

She dismissed her younger brother's remarks with contempt.

Yet she herself did not notice that the blush on her face had never faded.

In the afternoon, reinforcements from Shunhua City arrived.

Three Fifth-Rank Great Cultivators led the way!

Additionally, nine Sixth-Rank cultivators!

In addition, the main force of the Luo City River Canal Camp also sailed upstream by boat, arriving almost simultaneously at the Zhancheng Canal Wharf.

As soon as my lords arrived, they forced the River Supervisor and Lieutenant Liao to lead them straight into Xiao Yu Shan, searching for the Ghost King's Body.

Behind Miao Yu and Zhu Zhanmei were excluded instead.

The River Supervisor and others whispered slander.

They claimed that they had grown too close to the junior inspector from the Purification Office.

The three my lords feared that if they accompanied the expedition, they would warn Xu Yuan.

The merit of slaying the Ghost King's Body must not be snatched away by the Purification Office again.

Not even a share of the spoils for the Purification Office was allowed!

After searching continuously for two days, they finally found the Ghost King's Body.

A great battle ensued.

As expected, though the Ghost King's Body was formidable, it could not withstand three Fifth-Rank cultivators plus thousands of the River Canal Camp's main force!

The River Canal Office's army returned in triumph.

Everyone was cheerful, but all secretly knew: there was nothing to boast about.

Such a massive force, just to exterminate a single malevolent spirit…

The River Canal Office had already decided internally: upon returning, they would investigate how the Ghost King's Body had escaped.

The blame would be pointed straight at the Demon-Slaying Army!

If they could drag the Demon-Slaying Army into this, the River Canal Office's responsibility would be reduced somewhat.

Xu Yuan had been enjoying a comfortable few days.

He waited in the Nancheng Patrol Quarters—waiting for the River Canal Office to come begging to him.

The cargo ship's malevolent spirit had been burned to ashes, leaving behind a fine material.

This material was half of a Demon-Slaying Army Commander's waist token!

Embedded on it was a sliver of a tiny finger bone.

A Sixth-Rank fine material.

But the greatest value of this item lay not in the material itself, but in its power as concrete evidence against the Demon-Slaying Army.

Xu Yuan had also guessed that the River Canal Office would spare no effort to prove that the Demon-Slaying Army had released the Ghost King's Body.

This evidence could fetch a high price.

Xu Yuan estimated the time of the River Canal Office's triumphant return and spread the word that he possessed this piece of evidence.

But instead of the River Canal Office, he received another piece of news.

Lang Xiao Ba heard this news and immediately came to report to my lord: "It is said that while the River Canal Office was returning after slaying the Ghost King's Body, they accidentally encountered a vicious jiao. After a fierce battle, the jiao was gravely wounded and fled into the canal…"

(End of Chapter)