Chapter 38

"Yeah, that's true. Let's go in and see. These women are all very fierce, wanting to live or die."

"Hmph, what's the use of seeking death? According to our Magistrate, they will be sent to heaven in a few days."

"Sent to heaven? Isn't this the batch of goods Mr. Wu wants? With so many beautiful women, is he willing to kill them?"

"Who knows? That Mr. Wu feels ghostly. At first glance, he's not a good person. Who knows how he will deal with these abducted women?"

"Yeah, I still can't understand why our master wants to cooperate with that guy."

"Don't talk about you, I can't understand it either, but as servants, it's not easy for us to say anything."

The two chattered as they walked down the stone steps. Soon, through the little white fox's "field of vision," Su Yuanshan saw an infuriating scene:

A group of young women were locked in narrow cages. Their bodies were covered in whip marks and bloodstains; there was almost no intact flesh, and their clothes were tattered. As soon as they saw someone coming, they were as terrified as a group of small deer, clearly beaten into fear.

One of the yamen runners walked to the corner of the wall, picked up a wooden bucket containing a thick, dark green liquid, and the other yamen runner picked up a wooden stick, opened the iron fence door with a "clatter," swung the wooden stick, and beat the women, trying to drive them all up. He shouted while beating them.

"Lazy things, get up, get up, it's time to take medicine!"

At that moment, Su Yuanshan finally understood where all those missing young girls had gone!

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, who would believe that the dignified Huangliang County Magistrate would actually abduct his own people and imprison them in a dark, sunless cell?

I'm afraid even on the stage, they wouldn't dare to perform like this.

Thinking of the white-haired old woman kneeling before the Huangliang County Magistrate to block the road and cry for justice, begging him to make the decision, Su Yuanshan felt a wave of nausea for no reason.

A dignified county parent official, the head of the Yang Si!

Actually acting like a human on the surface but a ghost in secret, two-faced, cunning, insidious, and unscrupulously harming his own people.

Thinking of this, Su Yuanshan wished he could grow wings and feet of clouds, fly over directly, and kick this guy into a ditch!

Fortunately, a rational voice in his heart stopped him and curbed his impulse.

It told him that everything must be based on evidence. Since the other party is a Yang Si official, he should be punished by Yang Si law and punished by Yang Si officials. If he takes action directly, it belongs to overstepping his authority!

The rational voice in his heart advised him not to be impulsive. After all, he is a god of the Underworld, not a knight-errant who acts on impulse.

Su Yuanshan gradually became rational, but the anger in his heart grew stronger. He narrowed his eyes and scanned the two old men playing chess, his heart stirring, and he suddenly had a "vicious" idea.

Very good, since Su cannot take action easily, then Su will find others to deal with you!

The Huangliang County Magistrate is indeed someone ordinary people cannot afford to provoke, and even Huang Daozuo cannot convict him.

He thought to himself, but not everyone can do nothing about you. At least I, Su, and these two inconspicuous old men are not among them!

Outside the gate of the Chenghuang Temple, there was a sea of people. Except for the Huangliang County Magistrate, all the county residents and officials of Huangliang County had arrived.

The fragrance of grains and livestock drifted everywhere. The time for the sacrifice to the gods was coming soon. Amidst the sound of drums, with a "clang" of a copper gong, under the gaze of everyone, an eight-bearer sedan chair arrived late.

Two rows of yamen runners opened the way with gongs in front, one row holding "Silence" and one row holding "Avoidance."

The master in the sedan chair was the protagonist of this sacrificial ceremony—Huangliang County Magistrate Wang Youcheng!

A human who abducted his own people to offer to demonic creatures.

As soon as he got off the sedan chair, Wang Youcheng had a smile on his face, showing his side as a benevolent magistrate who loves the people.

After all, no matter how unbearable it is in secret, surface work still needs to be done.

…………

Hearing the sound of gongs and cheers outside, the fat old man surnamed Pan picked up a chess piece and slammed it heavily on the chessboard, shouting triumphantly.

"Won!"

"How about it, Old man Ji? My one move settled the universe and beat you until you were looking for teeth all over the floor, haha! Convinced, right?"

However, the old man surnamed Ji was not annoyed, but instead said with a smile.

"Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations on finally winning a game back. Your chess skills have improved recently.

Are you still coming?"

The fat old man surnamed Pan gave the other party a white look.

"What do you mean by improved chess skills? This is my strength. I just let you win a few games before."

As he spoke, he pushed the chessboard away.

"Not playing anymore, not playing anymore. The sacrificial ceremony is about to start in a while. I am the finale guest invited by the Huangliang County Magistrate, how can I be late?"

He glanced sideways at the old man surnamed Ji, Huang Daozuo, Su Yuanshan, and others, and said.

"Do you want to follow and watch the fun?"

Then he changed the subject and said with a hint of teasing.

"I'm afraid even if you follow, there won't be any seats, haha."

The old man surnamed Ji looked bitter, as if he didn't know what to say about him.

The old man surnamed Pan then got up triumphantly and was about to call his servants to leave, but Su Yuanshan, who had been silent, finally spoke.

"Everyone, wait! I heard that young girls have been going missing frequently recently. Aren't you curious about who did this?"

Huang Daozuo was startled upon hearing this. He and Su Yuanshan had just asked the old woman about this matter and hadn't had time to start investigating. Why did Su Yuanshan suddenly bring this up now? He not only secretly complained that Su Yuanshan was too impatient and was in a hurry to claim credit in front of two great figures, after all, this case hadn't even started!

The fat old man surnamed Pan narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, and the old man surnamed Ji's eyes flashed with brilliance, and they asked in unison.

"What, do you know who it is?"

Their expressions were clearly full of suspicion.

However, Su Yuanshan's opening was earth-shattering.

"That is natural. This matter was done by the Huangliang County Magistrate!"

"Bold!"

"Nonsense!"

"Slandering a court official is a serious crime!"

A few words made everyone's scalp tingle, making the fat old man surnamed Pan furious.

Even Huang Daozuo couldn't help but smile bitterly and advise.

"Brother Su, don't talk nonsense."

The implication was that if you continue to talk nonsense, even I can't protect you.

Even the bearded middle-aged man frowned and kindly reminded him.

"Young man, you can't say things like that randomly. How could Wang Youcheng, the dignified Huangliang County Magistrate, do such a shocking thing? This is his jurisdiction!"

Even the old man surnamed Ji, who appreciated him very much, stroked his beard cautiously and said.

"Young man, this matter is no small thing. Speaking requires true evidence."

Su Yuanshan said neither humble nor arrogant.

"What Su says is true evidence. If you don't believe it, you can check it yourself. Those innocent women are currently locked in the Yamen."

"What?"

Huang Daozuo was dumbfounded and looked at the bearded man. They seemed to feel that Su Yuanshan was talking in his sleep.

The old man surnamed Pan snorted coldly, waved his hand, and shouted sharply.

"Men! Follow me to the Yamen to search for people!"

Then he glared fiercely at Su Yuanshan and said threateningly.

"If this official finds out you said a single word of falsehood, I will definitely skin you alive later!"

In his rage, the fat old man surnamed Pan finally revealed his identity. He was the Prefect of Langya Prefecture, the direct superior of the Huangliang County Magistrate, and also his former teacher.