Chapter 129
Chapter 129
When they heard that all nine men were dead, even Yan Zhengchu could not help asking, “How did they die?”
Yu Lang speculated, “Could they have been poisoned?”
“No matter how they died, those nine got exactly what they deserved!”
“They certainly did!”
The two of them spoke one after the other, but Ren Fengjue only frowned in thought and asked no questions.
Beside them, Xia Ximo’s eyes darkened, though she lifted her head and glanced toward the Earth-Class Room.
Thirteen gave another cold sneer. “The officials said those nine men had been bitten to death by wild beasts.”
Yu Lang started. “What wild beasts? Where did they come from?”
“No one knows.”
Contempt showed in Thirteen’s eyes. “At the time, the officials took everyone in the inn to the county office and questioned them all. When they couldn’t get anything out of them, they closed the case as ‘an animal attack.'”
“As for our shopkeeper’s disappearance, they simply ignored it.”
Yu Lang said angrily, “That Yan County Government Office… They really are all snakes in the same den. Last time, the case of Liu Shi and her son’s tragic deaths was falsified by them too, wasn’t it?”
Ren Fengjue did not say so outright, but anyone who thought about it could understand the interests involved.
The Yan County Government Office had closed the case in haste because they certainly did not want the matter to blow up.
Half a year ago happened to be the last six months of the old county magistrate’s tenure. Advanced in years, he surely wanted to retire and return home in as peaceful a manner as possible.
A murder case involving nine lives was no small matter.
But if it could be closed in the safest, least troublesome way, why would he not do it?
As it happened, Ge Town was surrounded by mountains at the back. To say wild beasts were responsible was not entirely absurd.
As for the disappearance of one woman?
That was even less worth reporting or paying attention to.
Ren Fengjue glanced at Thirteen and asked, “While you were unconscious, did no one else in your inn discover anything at all?”
Thirteen’s voice was icy. “A pack of unrighteous cowards who feared for their lives. The moment they realized something had happened in the inn, they ran.”
“Even when I shouted for them to report it to the authorities, they said it was too late and the office wouldn’t want to bother.”
“Though later, when I thought about it, they were right. Even if they had gone to the authorities, why would those people have cared whether we lived or died?”
Yu Lang opened his mouth as if to say something, then stopped.
He knew every government office had runners on duty day and night, but judging by their attitude toward murder cases, if such a report came in at night, they would surely be hard-pressed to arrive at the scene right away.
Ren Fengjue continued, “So no one knows what happened at the scene at the time?”
“No.”
“Your shopkeeper disappeared then?”
“Yes.”
“Are you certain you never saw her again after that?”
Thirteen paused noticeably at those words, but he immediately answered with absolute certainty, “I never saw her again.”
Ren Fengjue looked at him deeply and deliberately said, one word at a time, “Then I have reason to suspect that those nine men were killed by your shopkeeper.”
Thirteen glared at him at once. “Those nine men were mangled beyond recognition. They were torn apart and eaten. Our shopkeeper is only a petite, frail woman. How could she possibly have the strength to bite nine grown men to death?”
Ren Fengjue asked in return, “Then did you go looking for her?”
“I couldn’t find her.”
“But earlier, you said it was the shopkeeper who told you to watch the inn, and that you promised to wait here for her return. When, exactly, was that said?”
Thirteen seemed a little surprised that Ren Fengjue remembered so clearly what he had said.
He froze for a moment before replying, “I don’t remember. Before this happened, I had already promised her that I would stay with her and guard the inn.”
Ren Fengjue nodded, then said, “Very well. I’ve asked everything I need to ask. I will continue investigating this case. Go on with your work.”
Thirteen froze again.
He seemed to find Ren Fengjue’s words somewhat hard to believe.
Just then, however, shouting and cursing came from upstairs. “I want hot water for a bath! Go get it ready right now!”
With a loud slam of the door, the servant came back downstairs, looking utterly dejected.
He walked up to Thirteen, bowed respectfully again, and asked, “Young man, sorry to trouble you, but if I need hot water, may I boil it myself?”
Thirteen saw the clear palm prints on both sides of his face and guessed he must have been beaten again just now.
Perhaps unable to bear it, he said, “Come with me. I’ll take you there.”
“Thank you. Much obliged!”
Seeing Thirteen lead the servant to the back courtyard, Yu Lang could hardly wait before asking Ren Fengjue, “My lord, do you think this worker might be lying?”
Ren Fengjue glanced at him and deliberately shook his head. “I don’t know. What do you think?”
Yu Lang said, “You said so yourself just now. His story doesn’t add up, and a lot of what he said sounded like he made it up on the spot.”
“In my opinion, he’s the most suspicious one here.”
Ren Fengjue gave a slight nod.
For now, everything they had heard was only one side of the story.
As for the details, they would have to go to the county yamen and learn more before they could determine whether his account held up.
If Huang Yuqiong, whom Thirteen had mentioned, was not dead, then where could she have hidden?
At that moment, Xia Ximo was also listening to Wuyou ramble beside her ear. “There isn’t a single soul in this inn. If that many people really died here, it shouldn’t be this clean, should it?”
No sooner had Wuyou finished speaking than Yan Zhengchu, standing nearby, said the exact same thing to her. “So many people died. How can there not be a single soul?”
Wuyou: “…”
Xia Ximo said, “Why don’t we consider instead why the Fu Tower Ghost appeared here?”
Yan Zhengchu immediately said, “I think so too. Bai Qingshuang definitely wouldn’t show up here for no reason. She was clearly trying to lure us here on purpose-”
“To kill with a borrowed blade.”
The four words fell, and thunder rumbled again.
Immediately after, a heart-rending scream came from upstairs.
Everyone exchanged a glance, then rushed to the second floor at once.
Upstairs, only one guest room was lit-the very room where Second Master Liao was staying.
Axia stepped forward first and kicked the door open, only to be startled by what he saw.
“Young Master…”
Ren Fengjue approached and saw Second Master Liao lying on the floor, his flesh and blood mangled beyond recognition. His death did indeed look as though he had been torn apart by a wild beast.
It was exactly the same as the ghost who had died so miserably in the Earth-Class Room.
But they had clearly been downstairs just now. Aside from that one scream, they had not heard the slightest sound.
What on earth had killed him?
At the sight, Yan Zhengchu once again couldn’t withstand the shock and leaned over the railing, retching.
“Yu Lang, you and Axia search everywhere, inside and out!”
After giving the order, Ren Fengjue immediately entered the room to inspect the scene.
Behind him, Xia Ximo suddenly grabbed Yan Zhengchu by the clothes and dragged him into the room as well.
“Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing?”
Forced into the room, Yan Zhengchu looked at the bloody corpse and turned to leave, only for Xia Ximo to give him a cold glare. “Stay there.”
Seeing this, he glared right back without any courtesy. “What are you trying to do?”
Xia Ximo said, “He just died. His soul consciousness hasn’t formed yet.”
At that, Yan Zhengchu immediately understood what she meant.
The man could not be saved, but his soul had to still be there. It was another lead.
Suppressing the discomfort in his stomach, he immediately cast a Soul-Gathering Spell over the corpse. A weak soul gathered above the body, but it had no awareness.
Seeing this, he took out the Bagua Jade Gourd he had obtained from South River Courtyard and directly drew the soul inside.