Chapter 784: Jin Ling Suspicions

In the back hall of the Jin Ling Yamen, sandalwood was curling.

On both sides of the rosewood long table, the atmosphere was tense.

The Jin Ling Prefect sat in the main seat, his face white and clean, his eye bags swollen, his fingers unconsciously twisting his beard, his eyes flickering.

Beside him was the Yingtian Prefecture Assistant Prefect, his square face stretched tight, his lips pursed into a thin line. The local officials sitting below all lowered their heads and said nothing; no one dared to speak.

Battalion Commander Zheng of the Commandant's Office, who was there before, was also seated. He sat up straight, but the knuckles pressing on the saber hilt were slightly white. He looked gloomy, but his eyes were full of helplessness.

He secretly glanced at Li Yan and Wang Fu sitting opposite, opening his mouth as if to say something, but swallowed it back, only feeling stifled in his chest.

"Young... Young Hero Li."

The Jin Ling Prefect coughed dryly, forcing a smile, with the characteristic slowness of official jargon, "The Huai Tree Village matter is shocking. This prefecture is also heartbroken to hear it. However, this matter is of great importance, involving evil cult monsters, and naturally, it will be investigated by the Commandant's Office in conjunction with the Mystic Sect Dharma lineages."

"Young Hero's righteous assistance in finding out the cause of Battalion Commander Tian's sudden death will be reported to the imperial court by this prefecture to request a reward for you. As for the Lin Firm case..."

He dragged out the tone and looked at the Assistant Prefect.

The Assistant Prefect beside him immediately intervened, full of flattery: "Lin Yaozu colluded with Japanese pirates, causing chaos in the Yangzhou grain transport hub. The evidence is conclusive, and the Ministry of Justice has already issued a document, ordering the Hangzhou Prefecture to preside over the trial."

"This is a case decided by the central government, nailed down. Our Jin Ling Yamen has no right to interfere. Young Hero holding the Qiankun Academy token can indeed observe the people's feelings, but intervening in local criminal law and interfering in the imperial court's designated case is, after all... overstepping!"

Li Yan didn't waste words, looking directly at Battalion Commander Zheng.

He had long expected that it wouldn't be so easy to get the Lin family out.

These officials in Jin Ling were all more or less related to those two families, plus the power of the Open Sea Faction in the court, so they would inevitably not handle it impartially.

Therefore, he went directly to Battalion Commander Zheng.

Battalion Commander Tian was murdered in the capital, and the local area was infiltrated by the Cocoon Clothing Sect.

If he didn't want to die, he naturally couldn't stay out of it.

Sure enough, Battalion Commander Zheng coughed, his brow locked, and he said in a deep voice: "Assistant Prefect, the Huai Tree Village matter is of great importance. Battalion Commander Tian's death is clearly inseparable from that 'Cocoon Clothing Sect,' and the true culprit has already been found. Those few people..."

"Battalion Commander Zheng's words are wrong!"

Another official from a local powerful family interrupted, "Battalion Commander Tian's death was caused by evil arts, and the Lin family's collusion with pirates is a file in black and white! How can they be confused?"

"The Qiankun Academy token is noble, but it cannot control our Great Xuan law and criminal law! Young Hero Li, we know your hard work, but don't be used by others and get involved in right and wrong that you shouldn't."

He was from the Gusu Lu family, so naturally, he spoke harder.

"Right and wrong?"

Li Yan drank tea and spoke slowly.

His voice was not high, but it covered the noise in the hall.

"Hundreds of people in Huai Tree Village were turned into silkworm cocoons alive by the evil cult in the name of the 'Divine Silkworm,' sucking their essence and blood. This is right and wrong!"

"Battalion Commander Tian was responsible for escorting, but was turned into withered bones by the evil thing 'Forest Old Man' in the wilderness of Jurong. This is right and wrong!"

"The artisan status of the weaving households in Wu Zhong was driven to a dead end by harsh taxes and levies, turning to evil cults to seek life. This matter... is even more of a great right and wrong!"

This move, carrying the spirit of fist intent, went straight into everyone's mind.

His gaze was like electricity, sweeping over the officials whose expressions were changing: "You said the Lin Firm case is presided over by Hangzhou, and the files are sealed. I will naturally go find them."

"But in Jin Ling City, Battalion Commander Tian's sudden death, the Huai Tree Village tragedy, the evil cult 'Cocoon Clothing Sect' controlling the people with silkworm silk, and plotting internal response, each and every one... cannot be separated from the relationship!"

"The Jin Ling Yamen and the Commandant's Office are responsible for guarding the land and protecting the people, and investigating illegal acts. Now that the evil cult is rampant, the evidence is right under their noses, yet they use 'no right' and 'designated case already decided' as excuses to shirk responsibility, sitting by and watching the evil atmosphere grow, and even... not hesitating to obstruct the investigation?"

He paused, his tone suddenly turning cold, carrying a biting balefulness, "Is it powerlessness, or... unwillingness? Or is it fear of pulling out the radish and bringing out the mud, implicating some people who shouldn't be implicated?"

"Li Yan! You are presumptuous!" The Assistant Prefect slapped the table and stood up, his beard and hair bristling, "Daring to discuss imperial court officials in the public hall of the yamen, slandering superiors?!"

The Prefect also sank his face: "Young Hero Li, this prefecture respects you as a member of the Qiankun Academy and has tolerated you many times. But the imperial court's law cannot be lightly insulted! The Commandant's Office will naturally investigate the Huai Tree Village matter thoroughly. As for the Lin family case, it cannot be changed! If you continue to pester, don't blame this prefecture for not being sentimental!"

For a time, the air seemed to freeze into a block of iron.

At the same time, the excavation and cleaning work in Huai Tree Village was also in full swing under the leadership of local Mystic Sect Daoists.

With the Commandant's Office monitoring on the side, no one dared to play tricks.

One by one, the twisted human figures wrapped in thick silkworm cocoons, having long lost their vitality, were carefully lifted out of the underground cave of the ancestral hall and arranged in the open space in the village, which was shocking.

Those few "Divine Silkworms" the size of wild boars, which had been poisoned to death by Long Yan's special medicinal powder, were also dragged out. Their ferocious mouthparts were exposed to the sunlight, causing the soldiers and yamen runners cleaning the scene to retch and turn pale.

More importantly, several letters with sloppy handwriting and blood stains were found in the kang hole of Zhou Dayong's house.

The letters were written secretly by Zhou Dayong in despair, detailing how the "Cocoon Clothing Sect" divine messengers used secret methods to extend life as bait, luring villagers to worship the "Silkworm God Lady," and how they forced villagers to contribute young and strong labor to enter the underground cave to "serve the Divine Silkworm," eventually turning into cocoons.

The letters even mentioned the names of several nearby villages that also worshipped the "Silkworm God Lady," as well as the process of how he was bewitched by others to use special bells to lure "Forest Old Man" to kill Battalion Commander Tian, clearly pointing out that this was to silence him and prevent Battalion Commander Tian from investigating the oddities behind the Lin family case!

These bloody ironclad proofs were sent to Jin Ling City by fast horse.

The atmosphere in the hall also gradually became subtle.

Battalion Commander Zheng looked at the evidence in his hand, feeling a lingering fear in his heart, and said sharply:

"Prefect! Assistant Prefect! Battalion Commander Tian's death was indeed silenced by the evil cult! That suicide note of Zhou Dayong points directly to someone manipulating behind the scenes, intending to obstruct the truth of the Lin family case! This is no longer an ordinary criminal case, but a great disaster of the evil cult causing chaos in the country and shaking the foundation of the state!"

"It is the duty of the Commandant's Office to earnestly request the Yamen to immediately issue documents to surrounding prefectures and counties to thoroughly investigate the evil cult strongholds! At the same time, the Lin Firm case is full of doubts and must be retried!"

"Young Hero Li of the Qiankun Academy intervening is reasonable, sensible, and legal!"

"Whoever dares to obstruct again is a ghost in their heart, shielding evil monsters!"

He was also anxious. If this matter was not clarified, he estimated that he would have to wear shackles.

Looking at this evidence, plus the almost murderous gaze of Battalion Commander Zheng, the Jin Ling Prefect's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he lost his momentum just now.

The two major powerful families were indeed not easy to offend, but these major cases all happened on Jin Ling ground, not to mention the Taihu monster chaos. If one didn't handle it well, they would be labeled with the crime of dereliction of duty, leading to the evil cult growing strong, or even being an internal response for the monster army.

At that time, copying the family and exterminating the clan would be light!

Just at this moment, rapid and neat footsteps came from outside the hall.

A yamen runner rushed in stumbling, his voice carrying a trace of panic: "Report—! Report to the Prefect! Jingcheng Mystic Sacrifice Division's Criminal Battalion Commander Lord Qiu, and the Commandant's Office Northern Town Fushi Lord Chu, have arrived outside the yamen, following the imperial edict and the Ministry of War's general order!"

Everyone in the hall was shocked.

Before they could go out to welcome them, they saw two officials wearing mysterious black official robes, their auras deep and heavy like an abyss, striding into the back hall.

The leader had a face like jade, three long beards, and thunder light vaguely flashing between the opening and closing of his eyes. The hem of his robe was embroidered with ferocious Xiezhi beast patterns, and a jade tablet engraved with cloud and thunder talismans hung at his waist.

It was exactly Qiu Mingyuan, the Criminal Battalion Commander of the Mystic Sacrifice Division.

The Chu Fushi beside him was burly, his face cold and hard like iron and stone. He wore the mysterious iron scale armor unique to high-ranking military officers of the Commandant's Office, revealing the bloodiness of the battlefield. Hanging at his waist was actually a pitch-black tiger tally!

Qiu Mingyuan's gaze was like electricity, sweeping over everyone in the hall, pausing slightly on the table full of evidence and Li Yan, then loudly said: "Qiu Mingyuan of the Mystic Sacrifice Division, following the imperial edict and the Ministry of War's transfer order, has come to Jin Ling to supervise the 'Cocoon Clothing Sect' monster chaos and the Japanese pirate remnants!"

"The Jin Ling Yamen must fully cooperate and must not make any mistakes! Anyone who is negligent, shirks, or obstructs will be treated as an accomplice and executed on the spot!" ===== CHAPTER 785 =====