Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

"Especially these porters who don't know martial arts..."

"What does it mean that their expressions clearly show that they are aware of impending death, feel fear and anger?"

This indicates that they were fully aware of the process of death at the moment they were killed.

They had ample time to feel the approach of death, and even witnessed the killer's movements!

"You mean... that the Bloodthirsty Thief killed these people... slowly?"

Are you going to let them watch themselves get killed?

Chen Tao suddenly realized.

"This...this is too cruel and perverted!"

He paused, taken aback.

"But that's not right, these people were all killed in one blow."

Even the few martial arts masters who died were all the same; it must have been a lightning-fast move.

How could we possibly let them realize what was happening?

These two things seem to be in conflict.

"Could it be that the killer wasn't slow to act, but rather used some extremely sophisticated and advanced martial arts technique that is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people?"

Seemingly slow but actually fast

The victim sees the attack and thinks they can dodge it, but it's just an illusion, and in the end, they are still killed in one blow!

It gives them a sense of despair, a feeling that they clearly see it but cannot escape it, and ultimately they die in anger and terror.

As Chen Tao pondered, his eyes lit up, and he began to think outside the box, gesturing with his hands to indicate the name, and quickly said.

"Maybe..."

Li Fu looked thoughtful, but did not rule out the possibility.

Because he actually knew a subtle martial art that seemed slow but was actually fast—Tai Chi.

At the same time, he also thought of another possibility—a simpler and more direct one.

After walking a few more steps and examining all the corpses, Li Fu turned them over and compared their stiff expressions, discovering something else.

"Who are these people...?"

He suddenly pointed to five or six of the corpses and asked, "There are both men and women."

Chen Tao quickly flipped through the autopsy files he had brought with him, searching for the missing information.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, these people are bodyguards and porters from the Jinwei Escort Agency, as well as the agency's maids and servants."

Jinwei Escort Agency is a well-known escort agency in Yanzhou, and many people hire them to escort goods.

Four days ago, they successfully escorted a priceless mutton-fat jade pendant to Mozhou, but upon their return, they were assigned another shipment of some unknown treasure, which attracted the attention of a notorious treasure-hunting bandit.

In one night, more than a dozen people from the escort agency, including the head escort, were wiped out!

This is one of the major cases that has occurred recently.

Most of the bodies have been taken back, but the remaining ones, whose relatives far away may not have received news of their deaths, are still kept in the mortuary.

"Most bodyguards left their hometowns and risked their lives to make a living. They had wives and children at home who were waiting to go back. Unfortunately, all of these bodyguards fell victim to the treacherous bandits who robbed treasures."

After sighing, Chen Tao asked.

"Sir, what's wrong?"

"The treasure robber is indeed rampant and hateful. If he is not caught as soon as possible, more people will surely be killed."

Li Fu nodded, his gaze remaining fixed on the frozen faces of the corpses. "Take a close look at these people's expressions. How are they different from the other corpses?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Tao suppressed his discomfort and carefully discerned the truth.

The victims of the Jinwei Escort Agency all had their eyes wide open, their mouths agape or contorted in a grimace, their stiff faces displaying not only the terror, anger, and despair common to the other corpses, but also something else entirely...

Chen Tao looked at it carefully again and again, and said with some uncertainty.

"Sir, their...their expressions seem to show a bit...surprised?"

It was as if they had witnessed something extremely unexpected and unbelievable.

"good.

Compared to the simple terror, anger, or despair of the other victims, the people from Jinwei Escort Agency displayed a profound sense of astonishment, as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight!

Li Fu said in a deep voice.

Chen Tao frowned and pondered: "If you hadn't reminded me before, I would have definitely thought... that the great thief's martial arts were too high, and he suddenly appeared in front of them and killed them, so they looked bewildered when they died."

But how could they possibly have time to show expressions of fear, anger, and despair...?

This...this is yet another contradiction.

He was completely stunned and couldn't make sense of it. Looking at the corpses, a chill ran down his spine.

Li Fu's calm gaze flickered.

"The astonishment on their faces had no direct relation to the killer's skill level."

This shock may have stemmed from the fact that they saw the killer's face—a face they recognized, a face they thought could never have committed!

"Sir, you mean... these people know the murderer?!"

Chen Tao's eyes suddenly lit up; he had grasped the key point.

"We can't rule out that possibility," Li Fu said. "The Jinwei Escort Agency case is the most recent bloody case committed by the Blood Hand Thief, and it's strange in every way compared to the other cases."

He held up two fingers: "First, what exactly were the stolen goods?"

The case file was vague, failing to find out what kind of shipment they had taken, only guessing that it was a valuable treasure, priceless, but without any specific description.

Secondly, they killed too many people, even silencing innocent people like servants and maids who posed no threat!

This doesn't seem like a simple robbery; it's more like... silencing them!

He pointed to the faces frozen in astonishment.

"Combined with the incredulous expressions on these people's faces before they died... I guess this case is the key to catching the Blood Hand Thief!"

"Return to the yamen and immediately mobilize manpower to thoroughly investigate the Jinwei Escort Agency, identifying all their close associates, especially... those with high martial arts skills!"

Li Fu then prepared to leave and return to the yamen to issue orders.

"A person with exceptional martial arts skills..."

Upon hearing that the case might be solved, Chen Tao felt a surge of excitement, but it was quickly replaced by overwhelming fear.

His voice trembled: "My lord...aren't you...aren't you afraid?"

"What are you afraid of?"

"Just how skilled was that killer... what kind of powerful and unorthodox martial arts did he use?!"

All the victims were killed in one blow!

Even masters like Zhang Niangzi, the "Poisonous Thorn of Emei," and Fu Longshu, the "Nine Distant Escorts," were no exception!

Of those renowned, world-famous masters I've heard of, I believe some might be able to defeat them, but to say that one could take their life in a single move... I truly cannot imagine anyone in the world who could do that!

Chen Tao felt a chill run down his spine at the thought of capturing such a ruthless and terrifying thief with such formidable martial arts skills.

Having clues is a good thing, but facing such a killer head-on is extremely dangerous!

"This man killed dozens of people, all with a single blow. Before they died, people could clearly see him make his move, but none of them could dodge it. Perhaps he did not use martial arts."

"Not martial arts? Then what is it?"

Chen Tao was stunned.

"It might be—a sleeping potion."

Li Fu thought for a moment and then uttered two words.

click-

"A drug?!"

Chen Tao was taken aback.

Li Fu's gaze darted almost imperceptibly toward the outside of the mortuary wall.

Almost at the same moment he finished speaking.

A very faint sound came from outside the courtyard wall.

Startled, someone made a slight movement, producing a barely perceptible footstep.

However, Li Fu, with his profound internal strength, still managed to detect it.

Is someone eavesdropping?

He's a pro!