Indeed, there were still people in Yeqiao Town. Within half an hour after the man’s tragic death, Li Si had seen almost all the residents of this town. At the forefront was an eagle-eyed elder with gray-white hair, holding a black-headed cane. All the people who rushed from the town gathered in front of Ren Residence. The elder tried his best to calm everyone’s panic, then gestured for a still-young youth to carry the deceased into Ren Residence. The youth and a female family member cried themselves hoarse and exhausted. Li Si had no objections. He moved aside to let the family carry the deceased into Ren Residence.
The elder’s sharp gaze swept across Li Si’s face. He cupped his hands slightly and said, “This old one is Jiang Zhenshan of Yeqiao Town. May I ask the young hero’s esteemed name?”
Li Si respectfully returned the courtesy and truthfully revealed his identity and purpose for coming to Yeqiao Town to catch a thief. After hearing this, Jiang Zhenshan nodded slightly. However, Li Si noticed that a tall man not far behind the elder showed excessive panic on his face—not because he had witnessed the deceased, but because he displayed a nervous expression only after hearing Li Si’s identity. Li Si secretly took note.
Li Si was the last person to see the deceased. Jiang Zhenshan invited him into Ren Residence as well. After consoling most people, Jiang Zhenshan only led a few people into the main hall of Ren Residence. The youth who had just carried in the deceased’s body now threw himself down at Jiang Zhenshan’s feet, crying loudly, “Grandpa Jiang, my father died so miserably. He was murdered. You must find the killer and avenge my father!” Jiang Zhenshan was moved. He sighed, pulled up the kneeling Ren Ling, and said solemnly, “Ling’er, rest assured. Yeqiao Town hasn’t had such a tragic case in many years. The killer is so conscienceless and insane. As long as I, Jiang Zhenshan, have one breath left, I will definitely find the killer for you. Moreover, Magistrate Gao and this Chief Constable Li are also here. As officials, they naturally won’t let the killer roam free.”
Ren Ling had already cried himself unconscious again. The female relatives of the Ren family all came over together, crying with their heads together.
Only now did Li Si learn that the tall middle-aged man who had looked nervous earlier was actually the true parental official of Yeqiao Town—the magistrate of the ting, named Gao Qi. At this moment, a withered, thin man with an iron-gray complexion walked out from the side hall where the body was placed. He walked straight to Jiang Zhenshan’s side and whispered something in his ear. Jiang Zhenshan’s originally composed expression suddenly twisted violently. Then he asked, “Zong Yuan, are you certain?”
The thin man Zong Yuan nodded. Jiang Zhenshan’s gray beard quivered. He gestured and said, “Go, take me to see.”
Zong Yuan hesitated slightly. His gaze fell on Li Si, as if only now discovering an extra stranger in the hall. Zong Yuan immediately appeared somewhat hesitant. Li Si responded with a slight smile. Jiang Zhenshan looked at Li Si carefully and knew that at this moment there was no way to avoid this prefectural constable who had come chasing a thief. He could only say, “Come see together.”
The windows of the side hall had been sealed shut to prevent the body from rotting too quickly. Li Si saw the man who had died suddenly in his arms lying quietly on a wooden bed in the hall—a cold bed, a cold person. The deceased’s face still maintained the expression from the moment of death, eyes glaring furiously as if dying with eyes unclosed. The blood that had begun to congeal clung tightly to the deceased’s cheeks and corners of his mouth.
The elder shuffled to the deceased’s side and gently lifted the burial cloth covering the corpse. Jiang Zhenshan’s gaze fixed tightly on the plum blossom sword wound at the deceased’s chest. This plum blossom sword wound was precisely the fatal injury that had caused Ren Youcai’s death.
Jiang Zhenshan’s vision went black, and the burial cloth in his hand fell to the ground. Gao Qi hurried forward to support Jiang Zhenshan. After pausing for a moment, Jiang Zhenshan shook his head and sighed, looking at Zong Yuan and saying, “As expected, as expected—the Weimei Divine Sword. Like mist, like plum blossoms, the deceased stretches his neck…”
Li Si was confused. After Jiang Zhenshan’s breathing gradually stabilized, he asked, “Elder Jiang, I wonder what matter has moved Elder Jiang so deeply? What is this Weimei Divine Sword about?”
Jiang Zhenshan turned toward the door, his steps heavy, and said slowly, “Chief Constable Li, let’s return to the main hall first and speak slowly there.”
The group left the side hall where the body was laid out and returned to the main hall. The Ren family servants brought hot tea. Jiang Zhenshan drank a few sips perfunctorily, put down the teacup, looked at each person present one by one, and finally nodded and began speaking, “Since Chief Constable Li has inquired, this old one cannot conceal anything. In fact, for all these years, this matter has been a thorn in the hearts of us Yeqiao people. We were unwilling to mention it, yet unable to forget. Many years ago in Yeqiao Town, there was a great swordsman whose might shook the jianghu. People called him ‘Weimei Divine Sword.’ Those in the jianghu described his sword as swift as a faintly blooming plum breath, capable of taking a life in but an instant. Yet such a glorious person was poisoned and murdered in the deep night eight years ago, dying tragically in the Jade River outside Yeqiao Town. Before dying, he cried out to heaven, saying that even in death he would not forgive those who murdered him and would become a fierce ghost to return and claim lives. At that time, I was still the magistrate. After this tragic case occurred, I reported up to the prefecture and county, and together with the officials who came, we carefully investigated this case. But we never found out who had poisoned him. In reality, before his death the swordsman was going to attend a martial arts grand event. At that time, the entire town was proud of him. Every person from Yeqiao came to the Jade River to see him off. Thus, everyone in the entire town became a suspect—it was truly impossible to investigate! Alas, later I resigned in disgrace. All these years, I thought this tragic matter would gradually be forgotten. But I never expected that today, it would truly happen…”
“Grandpa Jiang, please don’t say more,” Ren Ling suddenly said emotionally. “It can’t be like this. My father never fought with anyone. If a malicious ghost really returned for revenge, why wouldn’t it go find those who truly harmed him to death, but instead clung to my father? It must not be like this. Someone must be using a dead person to murder my father!”
Jiang Zhenshan nodded slightly, “Ling’er, what you say is not without reason. I’ve lived my whole life cautiously—how could I not understand this point? However, even if someone is impersonating a malicious ghost to kill, this unparalleled ‘Weimei Divine Sword’ technique cannot be faked in any way.”
“But how could my father… harm anyone?”
“Ling’er, rest assured. Whether it’s a person or ghost, I will definitely find them out and let your father rest in peace.” Jiang Zhenshan spoke too emotionally, his gray beard trembling incessantly. He slumped down in his chair. Seeing that Jiang Zhenshan couldn’t sustain much more, Gao Qi said, “Elder Jiang, you mustn’t be too anxious. This matter still has no leads for now. I think Elder Jiang should return to your residence to rest first. After your health has recovered, then investigate this case.”
Jiang Zhenshan knew he was willing but unable. He instructed Gao Qi a few words, then turned back to Li Si and said, “Chief Constable Li, I must trouble you. As for the thief matter, I’ll send people to help you investigate carefully. As long as he’s hiding in Yeqiao Town, he definitely can’t escape.”
Li Si cupped his hands in salute and watched Gao Qi and Jiang Zhenshan leave. Then he walked to Ren Ling’s side and asked, “Young brother, what was the name of the swordsman Elder Jiang spoke of just now?”
Ren Ling’s gaze carried threads of hatred as he said word by word, “His name was Yan Zige.”
The thief matter still had no leads for now. Li Si explained to Wu Wen, then returned to Ren Residence himself. He obtained the consent of Madam Ren and Ren Ling to stay the night. Naturally, Li Si also personally promised Ren Ling that he would help find the real killer who murdered Ren Youcai.
Regarding Li Si, this constable from the prefecture, Ren Ling seemed to place even greater hopes. Through Ren Ling’s eyes, Li Si could read this. He just vaguely felt that Ren Ling was concealing something, but he didn’t press the matter. After leaving Ren Ling’s quarters, Li Si came alone to Ren Youcai’s study. According to Ren Ling, before Ren Youcai died, he had locked himself in the study continuously for more than ten days. Except for meals, he didn’t let anyone enter.
The study door was pushed open. Li Si saw that inside the study was a complete mess, as if someone had deliberately destroyed it. All the books on the reading couch had been torn to shreds. Li Si picked up a few broken books—they were just ordinary volumes. Nearby was an overturned incense burner, already broken in half. A shelf of fine porcelain had also been smashed to powder. In short, this study was in complete disarray.
Who—who had made such a mess of the study?
Li Si ate dinner alone in his sleeping quarters. Li Si could understand this—after all, having suffered a family tragedy, who still had the mood to care about such courtesies? After dinner, Li Si went to bed early, but tossed and turned unable to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, Li Si would always see an empty, sinister river area. A pair of hands suddenly appeared on the river surface, slowly beckoning toward Li Si. Curious, Li Si walked over. He finally saw that below this pair of hands was actually a pile of bones.
From the pitch-black eye sockets of the skeleton shot out threads of black light. The black light seemed to possess ghostly power, pulling the skeleton to slowly stand up and suddenly pounce toward Li Si.
“Hah!” Li Si suddenly turned over and rose from bed, cold sweat already seeping from his forehead. Li Si walked to a small water pool not far outside his wing room. A cool breeze blew, splashing cold water droplets that scattered and fell on Li Si’s face, causing his chaotic thoughts to gradually calm.
“Jie… jie…” A strange sound entered Li Si’s ears. Li Si listened carefully. The sound was faint—unless one was a martial artist with considerable skill, it would be difficult to capture.
This sound was extremely bizarre, like sharp fingernails scraping on a wooden board, and also like someone pinching their throat while gasping for air. Li Si couldn’t determine for the moment. He followed the sound, trying to keep his noise as low as possible, unwilling to disturb the Ren family old and young who were already in troubled times.
The sound was light and faint, but Li Si carefully grasped it. Just as he was about to find it by ear, suddenly this sound disappeared, as if evaporating into the air, leaving not half a trace. Li Si stopped in his tracks and only then discovered he had walked to the main hall of Ren Residence.
Li Si listened carefully again but still heard no sound. Li Si shook his head and was about to turn back, but his heart seemed to be held by an invisible fine thread. Li Si turned back around, and a question that had flashed through Li Si’s mind now quietly became clear. He looked toward one side of the main hall—there, Ren Youcai’s corpse was being kept.
Li Si slowly pushed open the door to the side chamber. At this very moment, that strange sound rang out again.
Jie————