Chapter 386: Receiving Guidance Instead

That Assistant Regional Commander was named Lu Renxing, and the law officer came from Shunhua City, named Jia Luojing.

When An Chengyuan ordered people to go to Shi Yang Village again to "urge" Xu Yuan to return to the ranks immediately, he had originally only sent Lu Renxing and Jia Luojing.

Zhu Zhanmei volunteered, persuading An Chengyuan to allow her to join this team.

As soon as Xu Yuan spoke these words, Lu Renxing and Jia Luojing both turned their heads to look at Zhu Zhanmei.

No wonder you insisted on coming along; it turns out it was to protect this person.

Zhu Zhanmei knew the relationship between the Zhu family and Xu Yuan; she could not hide it, nor did she intend to hide anything.

So she openly admitted it: "Very well, we will absolutely not enter."

She squeezed her horse's flanks with her two long legs, and the steed beneath her obediently backed away.

Zhu Zhanmei had brought only two subordinates, and the three of them all retreated to the side.

Moreover, they deliberately cleared the path, indicating that they would not obstruct Lu Renxing and Jia Luojing either.

If you are in a hurry, please proceed.

At this moment, Lu Renxing and Jia Luojing truly did not dare to enter.

Often, things are just this absurd.

You do it for their own good, not letting them enter, yet they simply will not listen to you and insist on going in!

When you are weary at heart and no longer wish to manage it, saying "You may enter"—they instead become suspicious and, on the contrary, dare not enter.

Lu Renxing and Jia Luojing looked at each other; finally, Jia Luojing had the thicker skin. He coughed and said, "It is good that Lord Xu has arrived. We, by order of Lord An, have come to urge Lord Xu to return as soon as possible."

Xu Yuan spread his hands: "You have come to arrest me and take me back? This place has already become the Ghost Gate Village; this official simply cannot get out."

Jia Luojing's eyes rolled, and he said, "What exactly has happened inside? Lord Xu might as well speak it out, and we can ponder it together."

Xu Yuan naturally had nothing to conceal, so he recounted the situation in the village from yesterday until today.

Of course, he concealed his whereabouts last night and the deaths of Zhao Xianze and the other four.

Xu Yuan thought Jia Luojing was merely asking about the situation casually.

But after listening, Jia Luojing stroked his chin and pondered, "A hundred years ago, a horrific event occurred in this village due to gold sand mining..."

Jia Luojing struck his palm with his fist and stated decisively, "Lord Xu, immediately go back and investigate the tree where that young man and his family were hanged a hundred years ago. The main evil spirit of this Ghost Gate Village must be directly related to that tree!"

Jia Luojing felt his analysis was absolutely correct; the ghost case in this village was not complex, and he did not know why Xu Yuan had made no progress in two days.

How had he previously built such a huge reputation?

Xu Yuan, inside the village, merely nodded calmly and said, "I have investigated; there is nothing suspicious."

Jia Luojing was stunned: "Did you really investigate?"

"I really did; I almost turned that small earthen mound upside down."

Jia Luojing was extremely confident in his deduction, feeling this must be the key to solving the case, so he stubbornly said, "Lord Xu might as well investigate again..."

Xu Yuan rolled his eyes: "Since Lord Jia feels this official lacks ability, then you might as well come in and investigate yourself."

"This..." Jia Luojing hesitated.

Xu Yuan smiled: "If Lord Jia is confident enough to solve the ghost case in this village, then even if it is the Ghost Gate Village, what harm is there in walking in?

Once the case is solved, the restrictions of the Ghost Gate Village will naturally be lifted, and Lord Jia will face no danger."

This single sentence forced Jia Luojing into a corner.

If you do not believe me, come in and investigate yourself.

If you dare not enter, that proves you are not as confident in your deduction as you claim.

If you are not confident, why urge me to investigate again?

Jia Luojing wanted to demonstrate his ability to solve cases, yet he was stuck right there.

Xu Yuan shook his head inwardly; this Jia Luojing was overly arrogant, treating everyone else as trash.

Xu Yuan also knew that whether in the Three Offices of Ghost Affairs or the county yamens and prefecture yamens of the Great Ming, those who truly know how to solve cases are extremely rare.

That is why stories of those "Great Lord of the Clear Sky" circulated in various regions.

Because once a case occurred within their jurisdiction, those constables and Yamen Runners would simply ask a few questions—who held a grudge against the deceased, who was having an affair with the deceased's wife, and so on—then arrest the person, subject them to severe torture, and they would all confess.

The overall standard of case-solving was like this.

There was no such thing as detailed analysis or peeling back the layers.

Perhaps in the Dali Temple or the Jinyi Wei there were some case-solving experts, but in the local areas, they were absolutely scarce talents.

Jia Luojing became the "general among the lame," and he thought Xu Yuan was also a "lame man."

Jia Luojing dared not enter, but after thinking carefully again, he said, "Then... did you investigate the home of that young man from back then?"

Xu Yuan shook his head: "It cannot be found; it was a hundred years ago, and even the elders in the village cannot remember clearly."

Xu Yuan was certainly not making excuses.

While searching that small earthen slope, Xu Yuan had asked the old village head.

The old village head had clearly answered that it had long been impossible to find.

The house must have been demolished long ago.

Jia Luojing frowned again, at a complete loss.

His level of ability could only think of these things.

Xu Yuan shook his head lightly and said, "Lord Jia, in future case-solving, you must pay more attention to details. For instance, this village's ghost case appears to be certainly related to the tragic case a hundred years ago.

But the young man who appeared by the river yesterday? Why did he specifically choose old man Chen Baonian?"

Jia Luojing instinctively said, "Coincidence..."

"Hehehe," Xu Yuan laughed: "Where in this world are there so many coincidences? Furthermore, just now I mentioned the young man by the river—only Chen Baonian saw him, and we know this situation was stated by Chen Baonian's two grandsons.

But... did that young man really appear by the river yesterday?"

Jia Luojing instinctively said again, "Yes, this should be that young man who was killed a hundred years ago..."

"Hahaha!" Xu Yuan burst out laughing: "My lord Jia, that's your own inner conviction."

As an official investigating this case, if you form fixed conclusions in your mind about matters you've never personally verified, you'll surely produce many wrongful and false cases."

Jia Luojing's face turned purple as a pig's liver.

Yet he could not utter a single word of rebuttal.

He did possess some ability in handling cases, so after Xu Yuan's few words, he realized he was indeed wrong.

This made Jia Luojing feel deeply humiliated.

He had intended to instruct Xu Yuan on how to investigate, only to end up being instructed himself!

And worse, the instruction was sound—he even felt he had "learned" something.

Xu Yuan did not wish to say more; he waved his hand: "You two officials decide for yourselves. My subordinates have just calmed down Chen Baonian's two grandsons; I'm about to question them carefully about yesterday's events. Excuse me."

Xu Yuan gave a slight bow and turned to leave.

Then he remembered something and turned back to say: "The evil presence in this village uses eyes to erode the heart. If any of you see the golden figures in the village, remember at once to look away and restrain your inner greed—otherwise, you will surely be corrupted!"

"Do you really think we need your reminder?" Jia Luojing muttered under his breath, displeased.

Clearly, he was no longer as defiant as before…

Behind Jia Luojing and Lu Renxing, Zhu Zhanmei's face bore an expression barely suppressed mirth.

(End of Chapter)