My experience of grinding in another world

Chapter 8 Suspicion
"Young Master Chen?" Officer Lu looked at Chen Mu calmly.

"It's me." Chen Mu got up from the ground, cupped his hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you for saving me, Officer Lu."

"It was nothing." Officer Lu glanced indifferently at the two people on the ground.

The two men lying on the ground, groaning, noticed the look in Officer Lu's eyes and immediately trembled, their voices becoming much softer.

They seemed terrified of this constable surnamed Lu.

"May I ask Young Master Chen to come to the county office? There are some things I would like to ask for your assistance with," said Constable Lu politely.

“No problem.” Chen Mu agreed without hesitation.

"Please!" Officer Lu, his right hand on his sword, stepped aside to make way.

Chen Mu patted the dirt off his clothes and walked towards the alley entrance.

As he passed the short man, he stomped hard on the man's left hand with his right foot.

what……

Caught off guard, the man let out a bloodcurdling scream like a pig being slaughtered.

Officer Lu's expression immediately turned strange.

Noticing Officer Lu's gaze, Chen Mu smiled shyly. Then, he stomped his right foot hard twice.

Officer Lu's lips twitched instantly.

They walked side by side as they exited the alley.

Chen Mu suddenly spoke up: "Does Officer Lu know the identities of these two people?"

"I don't know him," Officer Lu answered instinctively.

She looked at Chen Mu with surprise. What, did he want to get revenge?
"Being blocked for no reason, you should at least know which powerful figure you've offended, right?" Chen Mu sighed and said, "It's mainly for future safety. If we can't afford to offend them, we can at least avoid them."

“I really don’t recognize either of them,” Constable Lu said after a moment’s hesitation. “But judging from their clothes, they seem to be from the Miaohua Painting Shop in the East Market.”

East Market? Wonderful Painting Workshop?

That artist Yan?!

I was just selling a painting, and they actually sent someone to break my hand.

He really wanted to retaliate directly.

But he was just a poor scholar who made a living by selling paintings.

However, the other party has been entrenched in Anlefang for many years and can command thugs and hooligans. If you go to take revenge, isn't that like throwing an egg against a rock?

Chen Mu said with a look of resentment, "I can't go to the East Market anymore."

Officer Lu glanced at Chen Mu, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but didn't.

The two were not related, and he did not know the specific details, so he could not directly help.

He could only remain silent and led Chen Mu straight to the county government office.

……

Qingshan County Government Office

Chen Mu stood alone in the main hall of the county government office, looking around.

The main hall is spacious, with two rows of wooden shelves on both sides, neatly arranged with wooden canes, gongs, parasols, ceremonial weapons and other items.

Deep inside, there is a large desk with documents, slips of paper, a pen holder, and an inkstone.

On one corner of the desk was a palm-sized bronze mirror covered in verdigris.

"Was the county government in ancient times really this unreliable? They called me here, and then just left me standing here by myself?" Chen Mu muttered.

Since arriving at the county government office, he had been left standing in the empty hall.

Officer Lu went into the back room and disappeared, and it was unknown when he would return.

"My predecessor's memories don't contain any criminal record. I haven't done anything outrageous either, so there's a high chance I'll be fine." Chen Mu remained relatively calm.

"It's a pity that the portrait skill I just acquired seems a bit difficult to monetize." With nothing else to do, Chen Mu silently pondered how to deal with the painter Yan.

It's not hard to guess why the other party was plotting against him.

It's nothing more than attacking competitors and protecting their own interests.

The method is simple and crude, but very practical.

"Until we figure out a way to break this deadlock, we can't go to Anlefang," Chen Mu thought regretfully.

They had just found a way to make money, but unexpectedly, they had to shut it down after only one day. "Fortunately, they earned ten taels of silver from the Wang family, so they don't have to worry about food and drink for now."

But if you want to learn martial arts and see the wonders of this world with just ten taels of silver, that's clearly not enough.

……

The back hall of the county government office.

Du Huai, the county magistrate of Qingshan County, sat nervously at the head of the table.

“County Commandant Du, that person has been standing under the warding-off evil bronze mirror for half an hour, so it should have nothing to do with evil spirits,” said Constable Lu.

A middle-aged Taoist priest next to him shook his head and said, "That's not necessarily true. If it can fool the Heartless Bell of Qingfeng Temple, it may escape the Evil-Repelling Mirror."

If Chen Mu were here, he would have discovered that this middle-aged Taoist priest was none other than Cheng Yi of Qingfeng Temple.

County Magistrate Du immediately stood up, facing the back door, ready to flee at any moment. Then, looking at Constable Lu with a tense expression, he asked, "Did he really commit the massacre of the Wang family?"

To be able to evade the Heartless Bell and deceive the Evil-Repelling Mirror, what kind of ferocious evil spirit must have such ability!
“According to our investigation, Chen Mu’s whereabouts after leaving the Wang family are clear; he didn’t leave home after returning. It’s unlikely to be him.” Officer Lu hesitated for a moment before stating the investigation results truthfully.

“If he sneaks out of the house in the middle of the night, no one will notice,” Cheng Yi said calmly.

Officer Lu glanced at Cheng Yi: "It seems that the other party has some conflicts with Miaohua Workshop. They have been being watched all day yesterday."

"That's good." County Magistrate Du breathed a sigh of relief and plopped back into his chair.

"What's with that headless portrait?" Cheng Yi frowned and said, "The painting is headless, so the person's head is gone. It doesn't look normal at all."

Du, the county magistrate who had just breathed a sigh of relief, immediately tensed up again.

"Perhaps someone is deliberately making things mysterious," Constable Lu said, squinting.

"Humans? Impossible! The massacre of the Wang family must have been done by evil spirits!" County Lieutenant Du glared at Constable Lu and said.

A massacre of an entire family occurred under his jurisdiction; evil spirits causing chaos were one thing, but another.

If it was done by human hands, and he, as the county constable, couldn't catch the criminal, he'll be in big trouble with his year-end performance review!
The Wang family massacre must have been the work of evil spirits!

"Whether he's human or not, Chen Mu is highly suspicious," Cheng Yi said calmly.

"It seems we can't let Chen Mu get away with this," County Magistrate Du said thoughtfully.

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now," Cheng Yi said calmly, glancing at Constable Lu.

"Alright, Officer Lu, please see Master Chengyi off for me," said County Magistrate Du with a smile.

……

In the lobby, Chen Mu, who was waiting idly, stared at himself in the bronze mirror.

The bronze mirror is round, with flame-shaped patterns carved around the edges, covered in green patina, and rests on a small wooden stand. It's unclear which dynasty it dates from.

Just as he was pondering this, two figures emerged from the back room.

"Master Chengyi?" Chen Mu looked at the middle-aged Taoist priest with surprise.

"No matter how well you hide it, you'll eventually slip up!" Cheng Yi glanced at Chen Mu and said coldly.

After saying that, he ignored the bewildered Chen Mu, turned around and quickly left the hall.

"When did I offend this Taoist priest?" Chen Mu asked, his face full of confusion.

What's with all that harsh talk?
A short while later, Constable Lu returned to the main hall, carrying a painting in his hand.

Approaching Chen Mu, he unfurled the scroll and asked, "Young Master Chen, did you paint this?"

Chen Mu looked closely and immediately felt a chill run down his spine.

The meticulous brushwork and three-dimensional portrait were precisely the portrait he painted for the late Master Wang.

But strangely, the head in the portrait had disappeared. It was as if it had been erased from thin air.

“I drew it, but I drew a full-body portrait, with a head.” Chen Mu instinctively felt that he was in trouble.

"The entire Wang family was wiped out last night; all their direct blood relatives perished. Just like in this portrait, their heads have vanished without a trace!"

Chen Mu felt a chill run down his spine.

broken!

This means they're starting to doubt themselves!
"If you can't prove you have nothing to do with the Wang family massacre, I'll have to put you in jail for a few more days," Officer Lu said calmly.

This……

(End of this chapter)