Minglong

Chapter 82 Pressure on the Opponent

The sun rises in the east.

The county lieutenant Fiji brought several officers and carried out the alchemy furnace, medicine jars and other evidence from Wu Su's room, praising him in a low voice along the way:
"Look, what does 'speed is of the essence in war, and a tiger father and a fierce son' mean? When we're done, let's go order a banquet to celebrate our victory. I'll pay for the drinks!"

"Lord Fei is so heroic, Yang Dabiao, look at this..."

"Right, right, right. I'll drink three cups myself first, then toast Master Jibei and Master Jinhuan three cups each... By the way, do we have to see Magistrate Wu off as well?"

"Shhhhhh..."

……

In the courtyard outside, officials in various official uniforms gathered together to discuss the case.

Magistrate Wu, who had just woken up from a coma, stood alone on the periphery, trembling like a minion, his eyes looking as if:
who am I?
Where am i?

By the way, I'm going to Lingnan later to see the monsters baring their fangs...

……

Monk Jingkong, who came from the Imperial Observatory, squatted beside a basket covered with white cloth. The basket contained, um... Wu Su fragments?
Monk Jingkong was kind-hearted and could not bear to search through the broken arm. He just took the broken arm and examined it carefully, his eyes filled with surprise:

"The abnormalities in his limbs indicate prolonged use of demon-transforming pills. There's also a deceased person's heirloom jade pendant in the cellar, so he's undoubtedly the murderer. The methods used by Master Xie and Miss Linghu are truly astonishing."

Linghu Qingmo followed along to gain experience, and was praised as a female detective, feeling a little embarrassed:
"I just followed behind and learned from them. I couldn't help at all. Xie Jinhuan was the only one investigating..."

"Eh~"

Master Jingkong, as always, comforts people:
"When sect disciples are training outside, as long as they have fellow disciples accompanying them, they are usually full of energy. This is also an invisible support. Miss Linghu, there is no need to underestimate yourself."

"Uh……"

Linghu Qingmo wondered, isn't this just a vase?

Is this to insult her or to praise her...

……

Lu Qian, a captain of the Chilin Guard, also assisted in the investigation from the other side.

When Lu Qian received the news that the murderer was arrested in the morning, he was also full of shock and suspicion. Because they had an old grudge, he even suspected that Xie Jinhuan was "killing an innocent person to take credit for it."

But after personally checking inside and out, he found out that it was indeed the murderer. There was no major problem with Xie Jinhuan's investigation route. The only doubt was that the murderer seemed a little weak.

Lu Qian considered carefully and turned back to ask:
"Although this person has learned the Five Elements Technique, with his level of skill, it's impossible for him to detect all the masters within a hundred-meter radius in advance..."

Xie Jinhuan saw that Lu Qian was not here to investigate the case, but to find fault with him. He was not in a position to talk about the confiscation of illegal gains. He responded:

"This person seems to possess the 'Gold Seeking Divine Power'. He doesn't look at a person's level of cultivation, but rather the materials for their magical instruments. Qi can be concealed, but magical instruments are difficult to hide. This is why he's been successful so many times. I was able to catch up to him because I carried a falcon with me, allowing me to spot his movements from the sky."

"Guji~"

Coal Ball stood on my shoulder and shook his head. I guess his expression meant - the four of us are really awesome!

Lu Qian was still a little skeptical, but since he had been beaten into a pulp, there was no way to find out what kind of magical powers he had learned, so he stopped talking.

Also standing there was the prefect Chen Ping.

The prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture was of the third rank, on the same level as the six ministers, and was a powerful official even in the capital.

Chen Fuyin was severely scolded by the emperor two days ago. At first, he thought that the Hades Cult was causing chaos, but when he woke up, he found that the rebellion was exposed just because Xie Jinhuan went out for a walk. It seems that he was really planning to send Wu Yuanhua to Lingnan to retire!
After listening to the others discuss the case, Chen Fuyin looked at Wu Yuanhua:
"I thought there was some powerful demon behind this. You spent eight months investigating such a simple case, and in the end, it was solved by the old county lieutenant's son. If that's the case, what use is there for you as county magistrate?"

County Magistrate Wu was unable to express his grievances and thought to himself:
Whether I am useful or not depends on who I am compared with!

They were talking about a meeting last night, and then I opened my eyes and realized, oh no, we're almost in Lingnan. No one would survive this...

But he dared not talk back to his superiors, and County Magistrate Wu just kept reflecting on himself:
"I know I was wrong! It was my negligence..."

Xie Jinhuan knew that the county government really couldn't catch this evil bandit, and even the immortal officials would be at a loss. If it weren't for him, this person would have been caught only by bad luck, running into an unarmed master while committing the crime, or being seen by super bosses like Lu Wuzhen and Cao Fuer.

The county government was punished, and Uncle Pei and his friends and relatives would also suffer. Xie Jinhuan thought about it and decided to step forward and interject:

"Lord Chen, you're too kind. It was only after talking with Magistrate Wu and Lieutenant Fei yesterday that I realized the demon bandits might be independent cultivators. I've known Magistrate Wu since childhood, and he's diligent in his duties and incorruptible. If Magistrate Wu and Lieutenant Fei hadn't often taught me a few words over the years, I wouldn't have learned so much."

Whoops!
When County Magistrate Wu heard this, tears came to his eyes. If the occasion had not been inappropriate, he would have kowtowed twice on the spot.

Seeing Xie Jinhuan's kindness, Chen Fuyin stopped scolding his subordinates in person. He turned his gaze back and smiled warmly:
"A few days ago, I heard from Danyang that you were highly capable and modest. It seems they were understated. If the King of Dan hadn't valued you so highly and promised you an important position in advance, I would have definitely petitioned to have you take over his position..."

Xie Jinhuan bowed and said, "Thank you, Lord Chen, for your kindness, but this case cannot be concluded like this."

"..."

After these words were spoken, there was a moment of silence in the courtyard.

Many people who were investigating turned their heads.

Chen Fuyin had issued a military order to the emperor and was eager to close the case and put this matter behind him. Upon hearing this, his heart skipped a beat:
"Is there any further explanation for this case?"

Xie Jinhuan knew that there were two murderers in this case, and the other one was a demon bandit from the Hades Cult who was taking advantage of the situation, but it was not easy to say it out loud, so he just said:
"After I stopped Wu Su, I asked him why he was willing to degenerate and harm the people, doing such a selfish act!

"But he said he only killed thirteen people, and the other four were framed by someone who took advantage of the situation. A dying man would not tell such a lie.

"I wanted to leave him alive, but as you all know, I was injured a few days ago and haven't recovered yet. This person's Five Elements magic is really powerful, so I can only protect myself."

Faced with a demon who acts unscrupulously and has amazing vitality, everyone follows the principle of 'kill when necessary', otherwise he can be revived with full health at any time, and no one will blame Xie Jinhuan for killing him.

However, these words still made everyone hesitate.

With the primary goal of closing the case as quickly as possible, Chen Fuyin asked:

"The demonic bandits are adept at playing tricks on us. I'm afraid this statement... is truly a joy. Do you think this statement is true or false?"

Xie Jinhuan said it was false, so the case was truly closed. He then carefully considered his words:
"If there really are evil bandits taking advantage of the situation, they'll eventually show up and cause even greater harm. How about we continue investigating this case? If there's no leads within a month, Lord Chen can make a final decision."

If there is no clue for a month, then Wu Su is lying and the case can be closed on the spot. Chen Fuyin naturally has no objection to this and turns around and orders:

"Just do as Jinhuan said. But this is a 'case within a case,' so we need to investigate it separately. Even if we do find clues to the demon bandits, the 'mummy case' will already be closed."

"Yes."

County Magistrate Wu nodded vigorously.

After giving his instructions, Chen Fuyin thought of Xie Jinhuan's father and sighed:
"When your father got into trouble, I spoke out, but the palace was haunted and disturbed the emperor, and the noise was really too loud.

"Well... you can look at the files from that year for the specific circumstances. I'll have someone bring them over later. You can go to the county government office tomorrow morning to get them."

Xie Jinhuan only knew that his father had been transferred to Nanning, Ruizhou. His father had never told him the specific reason. Seeing this, he naturally bowed:
"Thank you, Master Chen."

……
-
At noon, in a basement somewhere in the outer city.

The dim firelight illuminated every corner, and the air was filled with a strong smell of medicine.

A plank bed was leaning against the wall, with a blood-stained man lying on it, his hair disheveled and covered in wounds. A horizontal wound was visible on the back of his waist, as if he had been hit by a dragon python, and his skin and flesh were directly torn to pieces.

Zhang Chu, the incense master of the Dark God Cult, leaned against the wall, his sword hanging from his waist. He held the newly delivered letter from the government office in his hand, and examined it with a frown. A few days ago, in the battle at Huaijiang Bay, Tai Shudan and his men were all slaughtered. When the news reached the Dark God Cult, it caused an uproar.

In order to refine a Blood Demon Pill, the Hades Cult gave Tai Shudan great authority. Not only did they provide him with maximum support in terms of money, resources, and intelligence, they even managed to lure away all the masters including Mu Yunling to create an opportunity for Tai Shudan to take action.

With such a perfect layout, it can be said that even a dog ranked third can produce the Blood Demon Pill.

As a result, Tai Shudan and his group of more than 20 people were completely slaughtered by a junior with low Taoist skills alone.

Zhang Chu originally thought that Tai Shudan's old illness had come back, and that he was faking his own death to escape, and was preparing to continue his betrayal and join the dark side.

But the Hades Cult has become evil, how much lower can Tai Shudan fall?

If you go down further, you will reach the animal realm!

Therefore, we can only assume that Tai Shudan was incompetent and failed to coordinate the work well, which led to the leakage of information and the failure of the plan.

But the secret agent buried in Danwang Mansion picked up a seriously injured and dying survivor. After being rescued and waking up, he insisted that they did their job perfectly and that Xie Jinhuan was too evil.

Zhang Chu certainly didn't believe this nonsense, and used various methods of torture to interrogate the suspect, trying to restore the truth of the incident.

But this man was also stubborn. After fighting for three days and three nights, he refused to tell the truth and insisted that it was Xie Jinhuan's problem.

If this person's surname was not "He" and he had some background, he would have captured him and made him a puppet blood slave.

But what they never expected was that just after Xie Jinhuan arrived in the capital last night, the wandering Taoist fellow in the Antique Street died directly in the Temple of the Underworld in the middle of the night, and they also found out that there was another murderer hiding in the mummy case.

Counting from the time Xie Jinhuan arrived at the county government office last night, it took less than four hours!
In contrast, Tai Shudan relied on the method of "diverting the trouble" to drag it out until the Mid-Autumn Festival even when the Crazy Corpse Flower was exposed, the corpse-hiding cave was discovered, and he was bitten by Xie Jinhuan. He almost succeeded. His ability is simply amazing.

Faced with this completely incomprehensible method of tracking down the murderer, Zhang Chu was obviously under tremendous pressure!
The thing about 'collecting and replenishing Yuan Yang' in the city was done by Zhang Chu for convenience. According to this method of investigation, he may not be able to hold on as long as Tai Shudan.

After looking at the letter for a long time, Zhang Chu put down the paper and looked at the man on the plank bed:

"Now it seems that Taishu Dan was able to hold out for six or seven days before returning to the Nether God Temple. He truly lived up to his former reputation. I suppose I misunderstood you, master and disciple."

He Cancong was the young leader of a criminal group, but was directly slaughtered and turned into an orphan. He was also captured and tortured by his allies. He was filled with resentment, but he couldn't express it at this moment. He just gritted his teeth and said:
"Do you believe it now? I've told you eight hundred times, Xie Jinhuan is too weird, anyone would have the same result. If I didn't have the 'Anaconda Armor', I would have died eight times already...

"Why would you kill someone's father for no apparent reason? If this hadn't happened, would Xie Jinhuan risk his life with us?

"Who killed his father? You'd better tell me. I can't let my master die in vain..."

Zhang Chu put down the letter and shook his head:
"In the case of the haunted palace, his father may have discovered the identity of the cult's undercover agent, which led to the cult's eradication of the cult. However, the man they sent out never returned. We don't know the specific circumstances at the time, or whether this child was in the convoy."

He Can turned around, in disbelief:
"You're so crude, and you still call yourselves the Dark God Cult? Now that this guy has come to the capital, I estimate that in less than a month, he will dig you all out.

"What did you save me for? I died in Danyang, at least quickly. If I followed you, I'd have been chopped off a second time. Those bastards were so cruel. They really meant it when they said they'd kill my whole family..."

Zhang Chu had already seen that Xie Jinhuan was a difficult person, and thought for a moment:

"This boy lives in the Prince's Mansion and is likely to go to the Golden Tower tonight. I will get rid of him tonight and avenge your master."

"You? Excluding Xie Jinhuan?"

He Can was silent for a moment, then nodded:

"Before you go, remember to tell the other people to bring you food, so that you don't die in the Golden Building and I don't starve to death in this damn place."

?

Zhang Chu frowned and said, "You've been frightened to death. You're not fit to continue practicing cultivation. Considering your last name, after your injuries heal, take the money and leave."

"I know better than you how to practice Taoism. If you want to go, go ahead. I'll be waiting for your good news. Take care on your journey."

"Humph……"

Zhang Chu's face was icy cold, but he ignored the broken-back dog and turned to leave the basement...

……
-
Wangjing Qianhu Suo, back hall.

Han Jingchuan, dressed in a red Qilin robe, paced back and forth in the hall, his tiger eyes filled with anxiety:
"Is Xie Jinhuan really a god? He killed Tai Shudan in six or seven days. I thought he was lucky because he ran a lot. The mastermind behind the mummy case, the county government has been investigating for half a year, and he was killed in the middle of the night..."

Captain Lu Qian stood in the hall, his brows furrowed.
"I've personally investigated and confirmed that he's the mastermind behind the mummy case. And it wasn't just a random apprehension. Xie Jinhuan first went to the ghost market, then tracked down the drug dealer. He found the man through the list, and then used a falcon to track him down..."

This process is indeed reasonable, but combined with the efficiency of 'four hours', it is indeed a bit scary!
Han Jingchuan was originally worried that Xie Jinhuan would assassinate him in the near future to seek revenge, but now it seems that it doesn't need to be in the near future.
With Xie Jinhuan's efficiency, he was able to survive last night because others were busy catching the murderer of the mummy case and had no time.

If Xie Jinhuan has nothing to do today, he will probably be dead tonight!
Han Jingchuan realized that Xie Jinhuan was too aggressive, and he couldn't openly punish the hero who solved the case, so he could only say:
"Have you found out where Xie Jinhuan is?"

Lu Qian thought briefly and said, "The Dan King's prince will go to the Golden Tower to watch a play tonight. Xie Jinhuan should be accompanying him. I'm afraid he won't come to Changle Street tonight."

Han Jingchuan clenched his fists behind his back and began to pace back and forth, thinking about how to deal with it.

Lu Qian has always been Han Jingchuan's subordinate. Three years ago, he let Xie Wen take the blame, so he managed to escape punishment.

Now that his partner Zhou He had died suddenly, he felt a sense of vulnerability. He thought for a moment and said,
"This guy's style is too swift and his methods are hard to predict. We may not be able to trick him. Besides, there's no such thing as a thief on guard for a thousand days. If we just wait like this, he'll probably take advantage of us..."

"What do you mean?"

"How about I go to the Golden Building tonight and see if there's any chance to strike first..."

Han Jingchuan thought of Lord Li's instructions and frowned:
"How could he dare to take action when he's staying beside the Dan Prince? If the matter is exposed, it would be like handing a knife to others..."

Lu Qian covered his mouth with his hand and whispered:

"Xie Jinhuan will definitely have the opportunity to get up and go to the bathroom. As for the aftermath, didn't he say there was another murderer in the mummy case?

"He solved the case so quickly, the hidden murderer must be terrified, so it's normal for him to come and silence him at night. We just need to clean up the traces and put the blame on the demon bandit later..."

Han Jingchuan thought about it and was really tempted. He hesitated and said:
"But what Mr. Li said was, if the enemy doesn't move, I won't move..."

Lu Qian advised earnestly:

"What kind of status does Lord Li hold? Even if Xie Jinhuan becomes the Dan King's son-in-law, it will be difficult for him to overthrow Lord Li. Naturally, he can afford to wait.

"We are different. Xie Jinhuan has been noticed by the Pill King and has made remarkable achievements. It won't be long before he soars to the sky.

"By then, you'll be three levels higher in rank. If Xie Jinhuan wants to kill you, there's no need for assassination. Just one word will be enough, and you'll have to commit suicide, and you'll have to thank him for letting you do it quickly..."

Han Jingchuan felt a huge pressure when he heard this!

If you want to make a good living in the capital, you don’t rely on studying hard and taking the imperial examinations, but on your abilities and connections.

Xie Jinhuan happened to have both of these abilities, and judging by last night's momentum, Li Gongpu had no way of suppressing this young dragon.

If we don't seize the opportunity to kill him now, once Xie Jinhuan has established a firm foothold, we'll be raising a tiger to harm him...

Han Jingchuan hesitated again and again, and said:
"The news of patrolling Changle Street has spread. I will wait for the opportunity to come tonight. You go to Jinlou to investigate. If we are sure that Xie Jinhuan will not come and there is a chance to take action, we will wait and act!"

"Yes……"

……

(End of this chapter)