Chapter 236 The Boudoir is Empty

Chen Mu looked up at him. Lu Dachuan beckoned, signaling for Chen Mu to move closer, so Chen Mu walked up to him.

Lu Dachuan lowered his voice, his face wearing a rare expression of solemnity.

"Brother Chen, this mission is wicked. It specifically targets young women and is elusive. You all must be extremely careful. That black shadow has wings... Damn it, I hope it's not some night owl or bat demon that has attained sentience."

"When you arrive, don't act rashly. Ask the village elders more questions. Sometimes, these rural rumors are more reliable than the magistrate's files."

"Wan Chongshan is like a wolf with bloodshot eyes right now; you must keep him in check. But having said that, he is a man worth befriending, truly worth it! During a joint mission in the past, my leg was scratched by a corpse-poison vine, and it was he who climbed over the mountain overnight to find me the antidote herb. The brothers under Captain Ding also respect him; it's just that his temperament is too straightforward, and he doesn't know how to handle social situations, otherwise he would have been promoted long ago..."

As he spoke, he suddenly winked at Chen Mu.

"But this is also an opportunity. He is the type of person who, if you treat him well, will give you his heart. Take this chance to build a good relationship, and won't the remaining brothers under Captain Ding remember your kindness? In the future... perhaps you can interact more often."

His words were blunt, but they were solid, practical advice.

In the Demon Suppression Division, relationships among colleagues are intricate and complicated; having one more trustworthy ally is definitely not a bad thing.

"Many thanks for the advice, Brother Lu." Chen Mu replied.

"Forget the thanks!"

Lu Dachuan waved his hand. Seeing that he had taken it to heart, he felt slightly relieved. He then muttered about having Ling Xiaoning bring a few extra packs of wound medicine and having Shen Suning check the barbs on her soft whip, nagging incessantly like a mother worried about her children.

Just as he was speaking, Bai Junyi walked back quickly from the direction of the main hall, followed by Wan Chongshan. He had already changed into a clean Demon Hunting Soldier uniform, holding a hook-sickle spear, with a simple knapsack on his back.

"Banner Master Cheng has approved it."

Bai Junyi was concise and handed a supplementary order to Chen Mu.

"Wan Chongshan is assigned to your team. All actions are to be decided by you. The limit is three days; regardless of whether you find anything, you must return to the division to report. In making decisions, prioritize the safety of the team."

"Yes!" Chen Mu took the order and replied solemnly.

Wan Chongshan also stepped forward and cupped his fists at Chen Mu.

"Brother Chen, I am troubling you this time."

Chen Mu glanced at him and nodded, "Let's set off!"

The five of them said no more. They led over the horses that had already been prepared, mounted them, and Bai Junyi stood at the doorway, cupping his fists to see them off.

"Take care!"

Lu Dachuan leaned against the doorframe and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"All of you better come back in one piece for me!"

The sound of hooves rose, and the five riders left the Demon Suppression Division office, galloping along the bluestone street towards the south of the city.

Wan Chongshan was anxious, taking the lead to guide the way.

He was born in the Division and grew up in the Division; he was very familiar with every blade of grass and tree in Kaoshan Village. He led the four of them, including Chen Mu, galloping along the mountain path, bypassing several steep mountain cols, and even taking a shortcut.

"Go this way! We can save half an hour!"

Wan Chongshan's voice was hoarse, but his back was straight as a ramrod. Blood was faintly seeping through the bandages on his wound, yet he seemed completely unaware of it.

Military operations value speed.

An hour later, Kaoshan Village was already in sight.

Chen Mu looked up; the village was not small, with houses scattered at the foot of the mountain, earthen walls and tiled roofs, with curling smoke from cooking fires.

If not for knowing beforehand that there was a demon wreaking havoc here, this scene would have had quite a bit of rural tranquility.

Under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village, several old men were squatting and smoking dry tobacco. Amidst the swirling smoke, their eyes would occasionally scan the road into the village. There were occasional pedestrians on the road, but they all walked in a hurry, with little conversation.

Wan Chongshan dismounted, handed the reins to a village man he knew well, and led Chen Mu and the others straight to the village chief's house.

The village chief was surnamed Wang, a man in his early fifties with a dark complexion, who was currently sitting in his main room, staring blankly at his own floor tiles.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Wan Chongshan. He was stunned at first, but then seeing the black official uniforms on Chen Mu and the others, his eyes immediately turned red.

"Chongshan... it's Chongshan who has returned! And the officials from the Demon Suppression Division!"

The village chief was staggering to his feet to salute when Wan Chongshan grabbed him to steady him.

"Uncle Wang, don't stand on ceremony. These are my brothers from the Division, here under orders to investigate the case. My sister... and the girls who have gone missing in the village, what exactly is going on? Tell me in detail."

The village chief wiped his face with his sleeve and invited everyone to sit, but he remained standing, his lips trembling for a long time before he spoke with a choked voice.

"It's a sin... truly a sin!"

"The first one to go missing was Carpenter Li's daughter, named Xiao Cui, sixteen years old. She had just been betrothed to the son of the blacksmith Zhang in the neighboring village, with the wedding set for the eighth of next month. Five days ago at night, her mother got up in the night and still heard the loom ringing in her daughter's room, but when dawn broke, the room was empty, and the person was gone!"

"The doors and windows were all tightly closed, latched from the inside, with no signs of being pried open at all. Carpenter Li smashed the door open; the half-woven cloth was still on the loom, and the sewing basket had fallen to the ground, as if the person had been weaving and suddenly vanished into thin air..."

When the village chief reached this point, he couldn't help but shed old tears.

"At the time, we thought it was a skilled burglar, so we reported it to the authorities. The county office also sent constables to investigate, but after three days, they didn't find a damn thing. Yet, on the very next night, Widow Zhao's second daughter went missing too!"

"That girl was named Xiu Gu, betrothed to the young master of the rice shop in town, with the wedding date at the end of this month. Widow Zhao slept in the next room that night and didn't hear a single sound. When she got up in the morning to call her daughter to eat, there was no one in the room, the quilt was folded neatly, and the person was like... just like she had been snatched away by a ghost!"

"Immediately after that, it was Hunter Liu's youngest daughter, and then your sister Xiao Yuan. In one night, they were all gone!"

The village chief slammed the table, making the teacups jump.

"Four young girls, all sixteen or seventeen years old, just like that... just like that, they vanished into thin air!"

There was dead silence in the main room.

After a while, Chen Mu asked in a deep voice.

"All four disappeared from their own boudoirs, with doors and windows intact?"

The village chief nodded heavily.

"Exactly. We have all checked carefully. The door latches were all latched from the inside, and the windows were closed tightly, yet the people were just gone. It's extremely wicked! It wasn't until later, when Old Man Liu got up at night and saw that ghost shadow, that we realized we had encountered a demon!"

Chen Mu frowned slightly.

Vanished into thin air? Doors and windows intact? If it really was the work of a demon, it would either have immense strength to break in, or the ability to pass through walls or tunnel underground. But in any case, it would always leave some traces.

Shen Suning pondered for a moment and asked.

"Village Chief, please think carefully. Is there anything in common among these girls who went missing? For example, their appearance, family background, or have they encountered any strange things recently?"

The village chief frowned, trying hard to recall.

"Something in common... something in common..."

He muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously rubbing against his trouser legs.

"They were all sixteen or seventeen years old, just at the right age for marriage... That's right, they all went missing at night, all at night! And... and..."

He suddenly looked up, a flash of realization in his eyes.

"These girls were all betrothed, but hadn't yet married; they were all about to leave their maiden homes!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Suning also frowned. Only snatching girls who hadn't yet married? This doesn't sound like a demon seeking blood and flesh, but rather more like something required for some wicked Cultivation Technique or ritual.

She turned to look at Wan Chongshan.

"Brother Wan, your sister... is she also..."