Chapter 12

I don't know whether it's from the cold-bloodedness of the killer or from a healer's duty.

Facing these gruesome corpses, Jiang Yunzhou felt no discomfort.

Altogether ten taels of silver were found on the two; the only thing left were the parasite pouches on their persons.

These are valuable, after all refining parasite pouches is no easy feat, and some even require killing to cultivate.

Carefully removing the parasite pouches from the two, inside were small porcelain vials each bearing different markings; these valuables must be kept.

Also, the man had a waist token carved from bone, inscribed: Zhang Erhe.

After the looting, it was time to clean up the scene.

He pushed all the blame onto the unidentified paper figurines; the victims were those he killed upon entering, having nothing to do with him, so this way he wouldn't bring trouble to the Cang Medical Clinic or himself.

The only needle he admitted to using was the one he stabbed into the arm of the Southern Witch thief for self-defense.

As for the needle that pierced the throat......

Jiang Yunzhou first retrieved the steel needle he had struck into the wall, then directed the paper figurine to thrust its sword into the puncture, destroying the needle hole he had made in the wall, and finally approached the Southern Witch thief.

While pulling down her eyelids to close her eyes, he chanted:

"Amitabha! I am not desecrating the corpse; I am forced to do this, please understand!"

Saying this, he unsheathed his sword without hesitation and thrust it into the Southern Witch thief's mouth.

The blade again pierced the back of the head where the steel needle had struck, stirring a few times to ensure his needle mark would not remain, then he drew the black-sheathed paper sword.

After tidying the courtyard and inside and outside the house, making sure everything was consistent, Jiang Yunzhou placed his hand on the back of the paper figurine.

Following the instructions on the paper slip, he inhaled the pure yang qi stored within into his body; the paper figurine swiftly turned back into an ordinary, loosely bound black-covered strange book.

Having done all that, Jiang Yunzhou opened the west courtyard gate, put on an appearance of great urgency, and heedlessly hurried toward the Cang Medical Clinic.

Seeing Southern Peacekeeping Office banner officer Zou Zhen still there leisurely nursing his wounds, he rushed forward and called out to him:

"Brother Zou! Something happened! I was just threatened by the Southern Witch rebels!"

Zou Zhen, who had been lying in bed, was startled by this, sat up, grabbed his knife, and said:

"Don't panic, don't panic—what's going on?"

"I can't explain it in a sentence or two—come with me!"

Seeing the two rush out of the treatment room in a fluster, Shen Qingli, Bai Zhi, and the medic hall's Uncle Hu, who happened to be downstairs drinking tea, were also bewildered and followed along.

As soon as they entered the small courtyard, seeing the blood on the ground and the corpses lying there, Bai Zhi was frightened to the point of almost screaming.

Zou Zhen, holding his injured arm, paced while thinking and said:

"Let me confirm, Brother Jiang: just now these two Southern Witch rebels burst into your room, forced you to treat their wounds, then suddenly a black-clad swordsman rushed in from outside and slew that man."

"The woman seized you, you pricked her arm with a needle and escaped; then the black-clad swordsman flicked his sword, striking her mouth and pinning her to the wall, after which he drew his treasure sword, said nothing, and left."

Jiang Yunzhou nodded vigorously and said:

"Exactly, exactly, that's how it happened."

"A black-clad swordsman? Hiss—Brother Jiang, you'd better get this straight; I'll immediately have the Peacekeeping Office brothers come inspect, they'll verify everything matches your account."

"Of course."

Upon hearing this, Zou Zhen took a copper token from his waist and clenched it forcefully toward the sky.

Whoosh!

A whistling arrow shot into the air.

After checking several times to confirm Jiang Yunzhou was uninjured, Shen Qingli finally let out a sigh of relief.

My elder brother's precious disciple has been sent to me; if anything happened, how could I face my elder brother's spirit in heaven?

Shen Qingli then asked:

"Officer Zou, you won't take Yunzhou away, will you?"

Zou Zhen waved his hand and laughed:

"Shopkeeper Shen, you're joking—we haven't even had time to claim credit for killing the Southern Witch rebels; this man is the scoundrel who poisoned me yesterday, and I never expected the two of them to hide in the city."

"Fortunately Brother Jiang is quick-witted; if those two had slaughtered innocents in the city, the garrison brothers and Peacekeeping Office personnel would likely be punished. I'm just curious where a righteous black-clad swordsman came from."

Jiang Yunzhou shrugged helplessly and said:

"I'd also like to know; I thought it was one of your Peacekeeping Office people—at least let me thank them."

Not long after, Yang Hanlu arrived with his men at the small courtyard, learning the situation also left him somewhat doubtful.

"Young Master Jiang, duty calls—would it be convenient for us to conduct an inspection?"

"Of course, please proceed."

Soon the Peacekeeping Office personnel searched inside and out, confirming they were the two fleeing Southern Witch rebels, possessing nothing but their clothes and hand spikes.

The combat traces inside the house matched exactly what Jiang Yunzhou described, and even passersby outside claimed to have seen a black-clad swordsman fly out from within the wall.

Yang Hanlu had originally doubted Jiang Yunzhou, but since everything matched, he dispelled his suspicions.

Yang Hanlu pondered briefly and said:

"It seems Young Master Jiang's account is truthful, though I cannot confirm the identity of that black-clad swordsman; perhaps he is an external attaché of the Peacekeeping Office. We'll first take the bodies back for investigation, Young Master Jiang—do you need us to leave someone to protect you?"

"I think that's unnecessary; just have you confirm it was the Peacekeeping Office's doing and announce it outwardly—I don't want to invite trouble."

"You can rest assured on that."

"By the way, although I didn't kill them, I did help a bit, and the indoor fight ruined my furniture—could the Peacekeeping Office give some compensation?"

Yang Hanlu thought to himself, I've never seen such a greedy person—his life was almost over, yet he still cares about this.

Nevertheless, he produced a ten-tael silver note from his waist and handed it to Jiang Yunzhou, saying coldly:

"Consider this my personal provision to Young Master Jiang; once I identify that black-clad swordsman, I'll seek reimbursement from him."

Jiang Yunzhou thought, that money of yours is probably never coming back.

He took all the evidence from the scene, left personnel to clean up, and thanks to Zou Zhen's guarantee, Jiang Yunzhou also avoided having to go back with them to give a statement.

Shen Qingu's willow brows slightly furrowed as she said somewhat self-reproachfully:

"Yunzhou, it's my lack of foresight; this place isn't safe—move to my courtyard over there to live."

"No need, Qingu sister; after being inspected by the Southern Pacification Office, this place counts as the safest in the city."

While saying this, Jiang Yunzhou pinched his thigh hard; he actually refused such a wonderful request, after all he and the paper person need some private space, otherwise his identity would easily be exposed.

Damn! I never expected that one day I would refuse a beautiful person for a doll's sake.

And it's a male doll, damn it!

Seeing Jiang Yunzhou insist on his own opinion, Shen Qingu also couldn't say anything more, merely turning back and saying:

"Then come to the clinic this side; I and Bai Zhi will go help you brew some medicinal soup to calm the spirit and alleviate fright."

Zou Zhen whispered in Jiang Yunzhou's ear:

"Jiang brother, come over a bit later, buddy will show you something good."

After saying that mysteriously, he also returned to the clinic.

Hearing that, it really feels weird, making one's rear tighten involuntarily.

Only Uncle Hu beside him still had his arms crossed, looking inside the house.

Jiang Yunzhou asked curiously:

"What is Uncle Hu looking at?"

But Uncle Hu whispered:

"Next time when you want to frame a swordsman, when doing so, fling the blood and brain matter to both sides; this kind that scatters upward, experienced killers can tell at a glance it's caused by a long spear or a thrusting needle."

"???"