Chapter 123 Public Anger Unquenched

She wept heart-rendingly, unable to control herself. Immediately after, several others recognized their own kin, and suddenly, a chorus of weeping, cursing, and pleading merged into one.

The commoners, having confirmed the tragic state of their loved ones, completely lost control. With red eyes, they threw themselves recklessly toward those human skins, only to be firmly held back by the yamen runners, throwing the scene into chaos.

Chen Mu and Qi Huan exchanged a look and both shook their heads.

They could deal with demons and malevolent spirits, but they were powerless when facing these commoners who had lost their loved ones.

Explanations? Comfort? Promises?

In the face of such bloody reality, they all seemed so pale and powerless.

Yet immediately after, the spearhead of anger, amidst extreme grief, was pointed at Chen Mu, who had been entrusted with the heavy responsibility but was also notorious.

"What is the Demon Suppression Division even for? People have ended up like this!"

"My son is dead, eaten by a monster until only his skin remained! You officials, besides visiting brothels, what else can you do!"

"That's right! Go catch the monster! Why don't you go catch the monster? Yes, you only care about having fun at the Peony Pavilion; how could you have any heart to care about the lives of us commoners!"

Qi Huan watched the chaotic scene before him and listened to the harsh accusations, feeling a suffocating tightness in his chest, yet he was unable to refute them.

He could understand that the commoners, having lost their loved ones, were grieving and angry, leading them to speak without thinking. But these stains on their reputation and the pressure were weighing down on them in reality.

Chen Mu looked at the wailing commoners before him, then glanced at Xu Changze, who was standing in the distance looking composed, and sneered inwardly.

He knew that Xu Changze not only wanted to muddy the waters but also wanted to drown him in them.

By turning these commoners, who were dominated by fear and anger, into the sharpest blade, as long as this case remained unsolved, he, Chen Mu, would become the scapegoat to appease public anger, destined to die without a burial place.

And these eerie empty skins at the scene pushed the difficulty of solving the case to the extreme.

With no tracks to follow, how could one pursue the killer?

Just as the weeping and cursing of the commoners intensified, Xu Changze spoke calmly.

"Chief Liu."

Liu Ziming, who had just arrived at the scene, immediately stepped forward and bowed upon hearing this.

"My Lord."

Xu Changze glanced at him, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes.

"Take some men and disperse the commoners, comfort them well, and also…"

He paused, lowering his voice.

"I have said long ago that their conduct is improper, and now they have become the target of public criticism. If you do not wish to be associated with them and be despised by everyone, you must perform well."

"Go now, and do not let them do anything else that damages the dignity of the imperial court."

Liu Ziming's eyes flickered, and he replied in a low voice.

"Yes, this subordinate understands."

He immediately turned around and led a squad of yamen runners toward the crowd, his face wearing a stern expression of official business.

"Everyone disperse, disperse!"

Liu Ziming shouted sternly, directing the yamen runners to separate the commoners.

"The scene needs to be investigated; no unauthorized persons are allowed near it. Everyone go home; the government will give you an explanation!"

Some commoners were unconvinced and wanted to argue, but they were glared back by him.

"What? Want to defy orders? Obstructing an official investigation? I can have you thrown in jail immediately!"

His voice was loud, his tone quite fierce, bearing the look of a snobbish villain.

The commoners were intimidated by his Aura and gradually quieted down.

Only then did Liu Ziming turn to look at Chen Mu and Qi Huan.

"Chief Chen, Officer Qi."

His voice was cold, carrying a hint of mockery.

"Hmph! You two have also seen it; the commoners now have quite a few complaints against the government and the Demon Suppression Division."

"The matter of you two at the Peony Pavilion last night has spread far and wide. Not only have you lost your own faces, but you have also lost the face of the Demon Suppression Division and the face of the imperial court!"

He paused, his tone becoming heavier.

"Now, with the demonic scourge upon us, the commoners are living in constant fear; this is the time for the government to establish its authority. If you two still have even a shred of self-awareness as officials, please restrain yourselves for now, and do not do anything else that damages the prestige of the imperial court."

These words were spoken with righteous indignation and were resonant; the surrounding yamen runners and commoners heard them clearly.

This Liu Ziming, who was calling him "Brother Chen" yesterday, seemed like a completely different person today.

Chen Mu just glanced at Liu Ziming indifferently, and Liu Ziming felt a pang of panic in his heart, subconsciously avoiding his gaze.

"Chief Liu is right; I shall bear it in mind."

After saying this, Chen Mu gave Qi Huan a look.

"Chief Qi, let's go."

Qi Huan was about to lose his temper, but he was stunned upon hearing this.

"Go? Where to?"

"There are no clues here; staying is useless."

As Chen Mu spoke, he had already turned and left, seemingly ignoring the weeping of the commoners behind him.

Although Qi Huan was confused, he immediately followed.

Liu Ziming sighed and hurriedly directed his subordinates to forcibly separate and drive away the remaining commoners; his actions were inevitably rough, drawing even more curses.

Not far away, Xu Changze saw Chen Mu and his companion leave the crime scene so decisively, neither comforting the commoners nor making empty boasts, and a flash of surprise couldn't help but flicker in his eyes.

This kid was harder to deal with than he had imagined.

This nearly cold rationality and indifference to reputation made many of his methods ineffective.

But it didn't matter; the good show had only just begun.

The fear and dissatisfaction of the commoners had already been planted, and the image of Chen Mu's incompetence and cowardice would soon be deeply ingrained in people's hearts through the spreading of those with ulterior motives. When that time came, the pressure would naturally come from all directions, and he would see how long he could hide.

Xu Changze straightened his official robe, stroked his long beard, put on a look of sorrow and responsibility again, and walked toward the commoners who had not yet fully dispersed, starting another round of comforting and guiding.

…Leaving the scene and stepping out of Xu Changze's line of sight, Qi Huan finally couldn't help but ask.

"Chen Mu, what exactly are you thinking? Although that scene is eerie, we still have to investigate. If we just leave like this, there's no telling how Xu Changze will badmouth us behind our backs!"

Chen Mu did not stop his pace, nor did he turn his head.

"Nothing can be found at that scene; the human skin is just evidence, but it itself cannot provide any clues."

"There is no Demonic Qi, no traces, no witnesses. Staying there is meaningless, other than being besieged by the commoners and roasted over the fire by Xu Changze."

Speaking of the commoners and Xu Changze, Qi Huan gritted his teeth, wishing he could punch someone, and growled in a low voice.

"Too bullying! That old dog Xu Changze, that fence-sitter Liu Ziming, and those commoners!"

"We are working ourselves to death, yet they…"

Chen Mu didn't wait for him to finish before interrupting.

"Chief Qi, it is human nature for the commoners to be grieving and angry. What Xu Changze wants is for them to be chaotic; he wants us to be isolated."

"Anger will only make you lose your judgment and serves no other purpose."

"Are we just going to let them splash dirty water on us? Our reputation…"

Qi Huan was still gritting his teeth.

Chen Mu finally turned his head, looked at Qi Huan, and pulled the corner of his mouth into a cold arc.

"Reputation?"

"After last night at the Peony Pavilion, what reputation do we even have left? Since Xu Changze has given us this 'great gift,' we might as well accept it."

"Solving cases doesn't rely on reputation; it relies on brains, evidence, and blades."