Chapter 124: Someone died!

Ah? He just left?

Hawei seems not yet satisfied.

Sir Jiang, have a few more cups.

No, I still have business to attend to.

Jiang Xiaomu waved his hand.

Let's meet again another day.

Having said that, he left the tavern without looking back.

On his way home, Jiang Xiaomu remained uneasy.

The oppressive feeling that man gave him lingered; he always felt something was about to happen.

Back home, his younger sister Jiang Xiaoyu was already asleep.

Jiang Xiaomu gently walked to the bedside, covered his sister with the quilt, and his cold eyes finally showed a hint of tenderness.

Returning to his room, he took out the Night Pearl from his bosom and placed it on the table.

Faint green light illuminated the whole room; Jiang Xiaomu stared at the Night Pearl and fell asleep in a daze.

Bang bang bang!

Who is it? So early in the morning...

Jiang Xiaomu, half-asleep, muttered irritably.

Boss, boss! Someone from the government office has come; Sir Li urges you to go right away!

A gruff voice came from outside the door: Xiong Kuohai's.

Jiang Xiaomu shuddered and became fully awake.

Li Wenqing? What does he want from me?

Could it be that the mysterious Night Pearl from last night caused some trouble?

He muttered to himself, quickly put on his clothes, and opened the door.

Xiong Kuohai looked anxious.

Boss, you finally showed up—Sir Li has sent people to urge you three times already! He said it's extremely urgent!

Okay, okay, you're like a grim reaper urging me on.

Jiang Xiaomu gave him an annoyed glance.

What's there to panic about? I'll hold up the sky if it falls.

After washing up briefly, Jiang Xiaomu rushed to the government office.

Arriving at the government office, he saw Li Wenqing seated in the main hall.

His face was ashen, he held a document, and his brows were tightly furrowed.

Upon seeing Jiang Xiaomu enter, he immediately went up to him; his already thin face looked even more haggard, his eyes sunken as if he hadn't slept well for days.

Mr. Jiang, you've finally come!

Li Wenqing grabbed Jiang Xiaomu's arm, his tone urgent.

Something big has happened!

Jiang Xiaomu's heart sank; it seems the situation is worse than he imagined.

Sir Li, what happened to make you so panicked?

Li Wenqing took a deep breath, his face deathly pale, and said:

The Liu Assistant Official's family in East City… the whole family has been murdered!

They were exterminated, not a single survivor left! Moreover, all the household's property was looted clean!

Jiang Xiaomu gasped upon hearing this.

Assistant Official Liu? He was a well-known wealthy merchant in the city, yet his whole family was wiped out?

That's incredibly audacious!

When did this happen?

Jiang Xiaomu suppressed his shock and asked in a low voice.

It happened last night! Li Wenqing's voice trembled slightly.

This morning, the Liu Assistant Official's steward went to deliver breakfast and only then discovered… discovered this horrible case.

Jiang Xiaomu frowned, and the image of the mysterious man he met at the tavern last night surfaced in his mind.

Could it be… him? A sudden ominous premonition rose in his heart.

Sir Li, have you found any clues?

Li Wenqing shook his head, looking dejected.

I have already sent Pei Dongyong to inspect the scene; the killer's methods are extremely brutal.

They left no useful clues; the only thing we can be certain of is.

The killer is not acting alone, and all are martial arts experts.

Jiang Xiaomu pondered for a moment, then said:

Sir Li, take me to the scene to have a look.

Li Wenqing nodded, immediately leading Jiang Xiaomu and a squad of constables toward the Liu Assistant Official's residence in East City.

The Liu mansion is located in the affluent eastern district of the city, covering a vast area, with carved beams and painted pillars, magnificent in scale.

Yet at this moment, this once lavish and splendid estate is shrouded in a gloomy, terrifying atmosphere.

The gate stood open, with shards of pottery and furniture scattered on the ground.

Passing through the front courtyard and reaching the rear, the scene before them was even more horrific.

Bodies lay scattered in disorder on the ground, dozens of corpses—a shocking sight.

Assistant Official Liu, his wife and children, servants and maids—all lay in pools of blood, their deaths gruesome.

Jiang Xiaomu suppressed the turmoil in his stomach and carefully observed the scene.

Each victim bore multiple knife wounds, deep and inflicted ruthlessly.

"Sir Li, look."

Jiang Xiaomu pointed at one corpse and said:

"Although the victim has many wounds, there is only one fatal wound, and each is a killing blow."

"This shows the killer's martial arts are extremely high, and they struck decisively without hesitation."

Li Wenqing nodded solemnly, his face grave.

"What Mr. Jiang said is correct; this is certainly not the work of ordinary bandits."

"It seems this is a carefully planned murder case."

Jiang Xiaomu looked around; his gaze fell on a large tree in the backyard.

On the trunk was a deep slash, almost cleaving the tree in half.

He stepped forward to examine the slash closely.

The slash was exceptionally smooth and delivered with tremendous force—far beyond what an ordinary blade could produce.

"What formidable swordsmanship!"

Jiang Xiaomu secretly marveled.

He suddenly recalled the man he had met yesterday evening at the tavern.

"Could… this slash have been left by that man?"

In these troubled times, it's normal to go out carrying a weapon for self-defense.

Furthermore, Wangjiang Cheng has no rule against privately carrying weapons.

At that moment, a sturdy constable in uniform approached, clasping his fists in greeting:

"Sir Li, Mr. Jiang."

The visitor was Pei Dongyong, the famed constable captain of the city.

Jiang Xiaomu gave a slight nod and asked in a low voice:

"Constable Pei, any findings?"

Pei Dongyong's face was solemn, his voice low as he said:

"According to the scene investigation, the killers numbered five, all experts."

He paused, pointing at the wounds on several corpses on the ground, then continued:

"From the victims' wounds, the killers' weapons were steel claws, a sickle, an iron rod, a chain, and a long sword."

He walked to Assistant Official Liu's corpse, pointing at a deep sword wound exposing bone on the chest, and said:

"The one who used the long sword should be the boss, and his cultivation likely surpasses the other four."

"That sword strike was swift, precise, vicious—straight to the heart, a killing blow with no hesitation."

Jiang Xiaomu listened to Pei Dongyong's analysis while carefully observing the scene, secretly admiring his observational skill.

Indeed, Constable Pei lives up to his reputation—meticulous in thought, keen in observation.

"Five people, five weapons…"

Jiang Xiaomu muttered to himself, a sudden inspiration flashed in his mind.

"Five weapons, five different martial arts styles—this reminded him of a notorious killer organization in the jianghu—the Five Absolutes Sect!"

"The Five Absolutes Sect has five top experts, each mastering different weapons and martial arts."

"They act ruthlessly, coming and leaving without trace; mention of them makes the jianghu turn pale."

"Could… Assistant Official Liu's family have fallen victim to the Five Absolutes Sect?"

"That thought made Jiang Xiaomu's heart turn cold."

"If it really was the Five Absolutes Sect, then this case would be troublesome."

"Constable Pei, have you heard of the Five Absolutes Sect?"