Chapter 117 Another Murder Case

Xu Changze wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, exaggerating Chen Mu's threat as much as possible; this was both to absolve himself and to hope that he would attract the other party's attention.

If he could use the hands of those above to eliminate Chen Mu, that would be for the best.

However, the focus of the phantom seemed to be entirely elsewhere, not on Chen Mu; after a brief moment of silence, its cold voice sounded once again.

"Xu Changze, this envoy has no time to listen to your excuses. The patience of those above is limited. The amount for this year's tribute was fixed long ago, and it is a matter of great importance. If you cannot deliver the full amount by the deadline..."

As it said this, its voice paused, and Xu Changze immediately felt a chill run down his neck.

"You should know the consequences. Since the official seal was given to you, you must naturally pay the price. If the matter is handled well, wealth and prosperity are yours to command. If you botch it, you will return this seal exactly as you received it, with interest."

"Your official robes, your life, and the entire Xu family are not enough to cover the debt."

The words were filled with undisguised murderous intent.

Xu Changze felt his whole body go cold and repeatedly kowtowed in response.

"This subordinate understands, and I will certainly hasten the process. Regarding Qinglin Town, I have already made arrangements and will surely fill the gap."

The phantom nodded in satisfaction and then asked in a sinister tone.

"Hmph, let me ask you, have you prepared the hard-earned money that this envoy is privately entitled to?"

With just that one sentence, Xu Changze panicked. He knew full well that although the person before him was conveying the will of those above, he was by no means a kind person himself; exploitation at every level was the norm.

If he failed to satisfy even this person, let alone his future, he feared that immediate disaster would befall him.

Xu Changze dared not make any more excuses; he hurriedly took out a key from his robes, turned, and crawled to a rosewood cabinet by the wall, trembling as he unlocked it.

The moment the cabinet door opened, a silver light shone, dazzlingly bright.

Looking closely, silver ingots were neatly stacked inside, each weighing fifty taels. At a rough glance, there was at least four or five thousand taels—this was the greater part of the private fortune he had extorted and accumulated over these years, beyond what he had turned in.

He respectfully bowed to the phantom.

"A small token of my appreciation; it is not much, but I hope the honorable envoy will accept it."

"Regarding the tribute, this subordinate will certainly do my utmost to make up the shortfall as quickly as possible; I would never dare to delay the deadline."

The phantom glanced at the silver but did not make a move, though the cold murderous intent lessened slightly.

"Hmph, remember what you said. Handle the mess here and do not leave any loose ends that might invite suspicion."

"As for this person, Chen Mu, keep an eye on him. If he dares to obstruct the grand plan again, find an opportunity to eliminate him. It must be clean and swift; do not cause too much of a stir."

"Handle the affairs of Qinglin Town more elegantly. The power of the official seal still needs to be properly nurtured; do not let any more mistakes occur."

The phantom flickered, its form gradually dissipating as if it had never appeared, yet Xu Changze remained prostrate on the ground, bowing again.

"Yes, I will strictly obey the honorable envoy's orders!"

The suffocating pressure in the hall finally faded. Xu Changze collapsed to the floor; looking at the female corpse on the couch and the dazed woman beside it, a flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes.

"Someone, come here!"

He shouted in a low voice. Two secret guards who had been hiding in the corner landed silently. Seeing the scene in the room, they remained indifferent, merely bowing their heads to await orders.

"Clean this up."

"Yes!"

The two secret guards nimbly cleaned up the mess and quickly left the room. Xu Changze walked to the window and opened it wide, letting the cold wind blow in to disperse the stench of blood in the room.

"Chen Mu... Qi Huan... it is you who forced my hand."

West of Qinglin Town.

Chen Mu, Qi Huan, and Liu Ziming were in a tea shop, asking several bold villagers for details about the previous demon infestations, attempting to clarify the reason behind the descriptions that mixed features of both foxes and dogs.

Suddenly, chaotic running and cries of alarm came from outside the tea shop. Immediately after, a yamen runner rushed in, stumbling and crawling, his face deathly pale.

"Squad Leader... Squad Leader, it's bad! Yiqing Courtyard... someone is dead at Yiqing Courtyard! The whole room is full of blood!"

Chen Mu and Qi Huan stood up abruptly, exchanged a glance, and frowned deeply.

The smell of blood in Xu Changze's private residence this morning was definitely not an illusion, and now another incident had occurred at a brothel in Qinglin Town; this was all too coincidental.

"Let's go!"

Chen Mu made a prompt decision and set off toward Yiqing Courtyard. Qi Huan followed closely behind, and Liu Ziming gritted his teeth, dragging his injured leg to keep up.

On the way, they learned the gist of the matter from the yamen runner.

It turned out that last night, a girl named Yan Hong had not appeared after serving a wealthy merchant from out of town. When the pimp checked the room this morning, he found it in complete disarray. The bed was stained with blood, torn silk garments were faintly visible, and the person had died a miserable death.

Several other girls in the same courtyard seemed to have heard some strange whimpering and chewing sounds in the middle of the night, but no one dared to get up and check.

This scared the entire population of Qinglin Town into an uproar. They were already anxious because of the rumors of fox demons and dog demons, and now everyone felt endangered.

The victim was a prostitute; who could guarantee that the next one wouldn't be an ordinary citizen?

Chen Mu's expression was grave; he only wanted to immediately inspect the scene and the corpse to discover some clues. However, just as the three of them approached the bustling center of the town, they were stopped by a team of yamen runners.

The one leading the team was a Clerk whose face they did not recognize; he was not under Liu Ziming's command, but another trusted aide whom Xu Changze had brought from the county government office.

His surname was Hu, and he had a leopard's head with round eyes, and a burly, thick-waisted build.

"Stop! Lord Xu has ordered that the crime scene at Yiqing Courtyard is now sealed off; no unauthorized persons are allowed to approach!"

Clerk Hu stood firmly in the middle of the road with his blade held horizontally, his eyes unkind as he scanned the three of them.

Qi Huan raised his eyebrows.

"Insolence! This official is a Banner Officer of the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division, and Chen Mu and Liu Ziming are Squad Leaders of the county Demon Suppression Division."

"Investigating murder cases and apprehending demons and evil spirits is our duty; how can you call us unauthorized persons? Move aside at once!"

That Clerk Hu put on a fake smile and cupped his hands; his attitude appeared respectful but was actually unyielding.

"Officer Qi, please calm your anger; Squad Leader Chen, please forgive me. Lord Xu specifically gave instructions: although the actions of you two at Peony Pavilion yesterday were understandable, they ultimately tarnished the reputation of imperial officials and caused quite an uproar."

"To avoid further incidents, public criticism, and interference with the investigation, you two do not need to personally inspect the scene today. Lord Xu has already gone to oversee it himself and has dispatched capable personnel to investigate."

Chen Mu gave him a cold glance and spoke.

"Capable personnel? Who are you talking about?"

"Naturally, the other experienced brothers from the Demon Suppression Division."

Clerk Hu said this on his own accord, his face full of arrogance and disdain.

"Lord Xu is considerate of your fatigue and, more importantly, wishes to maintain the dignity of the imperial court. He has ordered you two to rest at the guesthouse; once there is progress in the case, he will naturally inform you."

His words were needles hidden in silk; he was clearly making a big deal out of the auction at Peony Pavilion last night, implying that the two had damaged their reputations and should not be seen in public to intervene in the case, so as not to further damage the court's dignity.

Qi Huan was instantly furious, his blood boiling in his chest.

"Bullshit! Xu Changze is effectively placing us under house arrest. What exactly is he trying to cover up? Chen Mu, let's go; let's see who dares to stop us!"

Having said that, he pulled Chen Mu and prepared to force his way through.

Clerk Hu's expression immediately changed, and seven or eight yamen runners behind him immediately stepped forward.

Their hands pressed against the hilts of their blades; although they were not drawn, the threat was self-evident.

"Officer Qi, please conduct yourself with dignity."

"Lord Xu is the Yunmeng County Magistrate and oversees the military and civil administration of this place; his orders are the law. Although you are a Banner Officer of the Prefecture, you must still comply with the orders of your superior here."

"If you forcibly resist, it will be considered contempt for a superior and disruption of official business; this subordinate will have no choice but to offend you."

The atmosphere instantly became tense, as if swords were drawn and bows were strung.