“Dear God! This… this is exactly what…”

The old constable squinted his eyes, his hands trembling as he gazed at the terrifyingly horrific scene before him. The scorching blazing sun beat down, roasting his slightly hunched back until it burned, but at this moment he was already soaked through with cold sweat and couldn’t feel the slightest warmth. His stomach churned, immediately causing him to vomit yellowish water.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew from behind, frightening the old constable so much that he jumped high. Without time to wipe the filth from the corner of his mouth, he rushed toward his mount, frantically flipping onto the horse and screaming: “Go! Quickly!” He raised his whip and struck hard on the horse’s rump. The horse cried out in pain, immediately letting out a neighing sound, and amid the thunderous hoofbeats had already galloped away. In the vast desert, rolling clouds of dust rose up, looking from afar like a yellow dragon.

Seeing the horse galloping, the old constable still felt it wasn’t fast enough, whipping mercilessly again and again, seeking only to leave this terrifyingly frightful place as soon as possible. Man and horse fled like refugees.

The old constable gripped the horse’s back tightly, muttering to himself: “Lord Wu, now I can only rely on you…”

The swift horse galloped on, its hooves stepping on the scorching yellow sand, leaping high as if afraid of pain. The old constable panted, his wrinkled old face tense with anxiety. He kept looking back, as if fearing some monster was chasing from behind, his palm gripping the knife handle soaked with sweat.

The swift horse rushed into the city. Seeing countless pedestrians blocking the road, the old constable shouted: “Make way! Make way!” The people nearby saw the horse charging and hurriedly dodged aside, some even rolling to the roadside. Seeing the official messenger so urgent that he actually rode his horse into the city, everyone talked among themselves, wondering what great incident had occurred.

The old constable shouted and yelled all the way, rushing through several main roads. Suddenly, before his eyes appeared a towering vermillion gate with a bright clear mirror hanging high above it. The old constable squinted his wrinkled face and finally felt at ease, because righteous justice was right before his eyes. As long as he returned to this place, even the greatest matter would not be frightening.

This was precisely the government office of Xiliang City, the place that maintained justice in the Western frontier!

“Where is Lord Wu? Quickly call Lord Wu!” Old Li shouted himself hoarse.

More than ten constables nearby were gathered in a circle gambling with pai gow, their faces showing lazy indifference. They cursed irritably: “Old Li, what the*** are you yelling about! Have you gone senile?” “***! I’m losing badly and you’re shouting like this – how can everyone continue gambling!”

Another person with a weasel-like face that looked like a thief laughed: “Old Li, why are you in such a hurry? The latrine is in the back – you’re looking in the wrong place.” All the constables burst into laughter together.

Old Li sighed. This was the government office – a great place for gambling with their lives while investigating cases, and gambling with money during leisure time. Old Li let everyone laugh and curse at him without getting angry. He wasn’t that kind of pretentious person, it was just unfortunate that today he had encountered a serious matter.

While the officers were making merry, a low voice came from outside the courtyard: “Old Li, what happened?”

Everyone’s expressions changed, and they hurriedly packed up their gambling equipment, standing up and making faces at each other.

A large man walked unhurriedly into the courtyard. His dark, square face bore an air of authority – at a glance, one could tell he was the leader of these officers, the constable chief of the government office.

Seeing the large man, Old Li showed a relieved expression. Clearly this large man held extremely important weight in his heart.

Old Li said urgently: “Lord Wu, something happened west of the city. You must go and see immediately.” His voice was anxious, not at all like that of an elderly person.

A nearby officer laughed: “What big matter requires Lord Wu to personally take action? You’ve been doing this job for so many years – can’t you handle it yourself?”

Old Li wiped his sweat, his voice hoarse: “This case is extraordinary. Lord Wu must make this trip personally.”

The talkative officer nearby was still laughing and about to speak more when the large man snorted, glared at the gambling officers, and said to Old Li: “Did someone die?”

Seeing Old Li nod, his eyes suddenly flashed and he said in a deep voice: “Where are the bodies?”

Old Li replied: “Reporting to Lord Wu, the bodies are still west of the city.”

An officer couldn’t help but interrupt: “What are you doing? Why didn’t you bring the bodies back? Making Lord Wu travel all that way on such a hot day!”

Old Li showed a bitter smile: “How could I move so many? More than ten people died!”

At these words, everyone was shocked. The large man’s eyes flashed with brilliant light, and he suddenly stood up, shouting loudly: “Brothers! Bring your weapons and let’s go!”

The officers rushed out of the government office in a crowd, the large man leading them as they galloped away. More than ten horses formed a line, quite an impressive sight. The group of officers rode out several li and came to a small hill where Old Li suddenly reined in his horse. Everyone stopped together.

Seeing Old Li’s face filled with terror, the large man immediately asked: “Are the bodies here?”

Old Li nodded slightly, saying hoarsely: “Yes… just… just on the small hill.”

Seeing his extremely fearful expression, the large man became alert and asked: “Is there really something strange about that sand dune?” This Old Li was an old hand in the government office. If something here had truly frightened him, it must be extraordinary indeed.

Seeing Old Li nod repeatedly, two young officers couldn’t help but laugh loudly: “Old Li is really useless now! Living to such an old age and still afraid of this and that!”

These two young men were eager for excitement and completely fearless. They immediately urged their horses forward and charged up the hill.

Seeing these two acting rashly, Old Li wanted to call them back, but fearing others would mock him, he could only endure in anguish.

The large man glanced at Old Li and said: “With me here, there’s nothing to worry about. Let’s go!” He then led the officers forward on horseback. Old Li, despite his bitter expression, could only follow along.

Just as everyone was about to ascend the hill, they suddenly heard several cries of alarm from above. The large man’s heart tightened, knowing something was truly wrong up there. He quickly shouted: “Everyone draw your weapons and charge up together!”

The officers were startled and hurriedly drew their swords. More than ten riders suddenly galloped upward.

The large man took the lead, first rushing to the hilltop, and saw the subordinates who had gone up earlier standing motionless in a daze. The large man shouted: “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Those two officers stood dazed and speechless, only trembling all over. The large man followed their gaze forward and immediately felt his heart shake.

More than ten riders behind rushed up the hill. Originally chattering noisily, upon seeing the scene before them, they all cried out in shock. For a moment, not a single person on the sand dune spoke, leaving only the whistling wind howling past.

In the swirling sand and wind, a flagpole was stuck upside down in the ground, leaving only the bare upper half exposed. More than ten nameless corpses were scattered haphazardly around the flagpole – some curled up in balls, some lying flat on the ground, but every corpse had an expression of extreme terror, eyes wide open as if they had seen something frightful before death. In the distance by the pole, an overturned mule cart had broken in two, its contents scattered everywhere, making the scene appear incredibly chaotic.

An officer’s body shook as he counted the bodies, saying in a trembling voice: “One, two, three, four, five… this… Dear Lord, eighteen… eighteen people are dead!”

The large man coughed and steadied himself, asking: “Who first discovered these bodies?”

Old Li coughed and said: “A family of three discovered them. This family came to Xiliang to do some small business and happened to pass by here, unexpectedly encountering this bloody case.”

The large man grunted and asked: “Where are they now?”

Old Li replied: “This family of three was terrified by these corpses and are currently being settled in the city by your subordinate.”

All the corpses were male – eighteen men who had died miserably on the ground. Even in Xiliang, where bandits frequented, this was an unimaginably large bloody case.

The large man nodded, staring at the scene. After a long while, he suddenly exclaimed in surprise, then took a deep breath and said: “Something’s wrong. There’s something not right here.”

Hearing him speak this way, the officers couldn’t help but feel secretly alarmed. They all focused their gaze but couldn’t see anything amiss. Everyone scratched their heads, unable to make sense of it.

The large man said in a deep voice: “Look carefully – there’s no blood on the ground.”

The officers looked closely and were shocked, saying in trembling voices: “True… truly, eighteen people died yet there’s no blood on the ground. This… what’s going on?”

Strangely, corpses lay scattered everywhere, yet there wasn’t a trace of blood on the ground. This case didn’t seem like murder, but rather like vengeful spirits claiming lives. The officers looked at the deceased’s terrified expressions and all felt secretly afraid.

As evening approached, the sound of crows cawing in the distance added an extremely eerie atmosphere to the scene.

Seeing everyone standing in a daze as if stupefied, the large man couldn’t help but shake his head: “Everyone stop being dazed and get to work!” Seeing his men still trembling with fear, he went forward himself to examine the bodies.

He saw one corpse was quite robust and immediately crouched down to investigate. The deceased wore short clothing and had a full beard, somewhat resembling a jianghu person. He then undid the deceased’s clothing and examined it for a long time but found no external wounds whatsoever, unable to determine the cause of death.

Old Li crouched beside him and asked quietly: “What exactly happened? How is there no injury at all, yet they died completely clean in an instant? Could it be… could it be these people contracted some acute illness?”

As soon as he spoke these words, he knew they were wrong. Even the most virulent disease in the world couldn’t simultaneously kill eighteen people while leaving them so helpless. There must be another reason.

The large man frowned, also feeling strange. While examining, an officer approached carrying a steel blade, saying quietly to the large man: “Lord Wu, this blade was found at the scene. We don’t know if it’s the murder weapon.”

The large man grunted and quickly took the blade to examine. He saw it was heavy with carved patterns, appearing quite valuable – likely the customary weapon of a famous blade user. The dim evening sun’s reflection dyed the blade blood-red, yet it bore not a trace of actual blood.

Old Li asked: “Is this blade left behind by the criminals?”

The large man looked at the steel blade for several moments, then suddenly bent down to feel the corpse’s palm. Immediately he chuckled and shook his head: “No, this blade is a self-defense weapon belonging to the victims.”

Old Li showed amazement, staring at the large man in confusion, not knowing how he reached this conclusion. Seeing Old Li’s astonished expression, the large man crouched down and grabbed a deceased person’s right palm: “Listen carefully – these murdered people weren’t ordinary folk. They were all skilled martial artists.” At these words, everyone was even more astonished.

Knowing they didn’t believe him, the large man immediately said: “Come over and look at this person’s palm.”

Everyone complied and saw the deceased’s fingers were somewhat abnormal – the joints were unusually swollen and the palms were covered with calluses, appearing extremely strange.

The large man said in a deep voice: “Do you see anything?”

Seeing everyone shake their heads, the large man said: “No matter how hard an ordinary person’s life is, even a porter doing hard labor would at most develop some hard calluses on their palms, never to this extent. Only external martial arts experts who have painstakingly practiced Iron Sand Palm would have hands that look like this. These deceased had unusual identities.”

The officers cried out in shock, only now knowing these were truly martial arts practitioners. Old Li said in alarm: “They really are jianghu people? Then where did they come from, and who killed them?”

The large man didn’t answer, only pondered briefly before turning and walking toward the flagpole. The flagpole was stuck upside down in the ground, its banner buried in the sand, leaving only the bare pole exposed.

The large man frowned tightly and pulled up the flagpole. A gust of wind blew, and the large banner unfurled in the wind, clearly displaying four large characters: “Yanling Escort Agency!”

Seeing those four characters, Old Li immediately stepped back two paces, saying in a trembling voice: “Lord Wu! It’s Yanling Escort Agency! It’s Yanling Escort Agency!”

The large man gave a dry laugh, saying hoarsely: “That’s right, it’s Yanling Escort Agency.” He looked back to see all the officers’ faces change color simultaneously, looking at each other with shock and uncertainty.

Old Li said in terror: “Lord… Lord Wu, how could this happen… killing without spilling blood, and they killed experts from Yanling Escort Agency… what exactly is going on…”

An elderly officer muttered: “This is ghosts… it’s ghosts… if not ghosts, how could they kill without spilling blood…”

Hearing these words, everyone sucked in a cold breath. Several young, inexperienced fellows were so frightened they huddled together, shivering.

The wind whistled eerily at the scene like ghostly wailing. Eighteen corpses of unknown cause lay rigid on the ground, all with their gray eyes wide open as if they might leap up at any moment. Everyone felt afraid and stepped backward. In the distance, the slanted evening sun dyed everyone’s pale faces blood-red.

The large man surveyed his men, seeing his subordinates all frightened and retreating, with several elderly officers chanting Buddhist prayers, adding to the disturbance. The large man’s anger rose, and he shouted loudly: “All of you shut up!” The officers were startled and immediately fell silent, no one daring to speak.

The large man glared at everyone, then with a sharp sound drew his sword, declaring loudly: “Listen carefully! With me, Wu Dingyuan of Xiliang here, there’s no case that can’t be solved! Whether it’s human, beast, ghost, or monster, if it dares commit murder in Xiliang, this Wu will still bring it to justice!”

Under the slanted evening sun, the large man held his steel blade, looking proudly toward heaven with an indescribable heroic spirit emanating from him.

This case came fiercely and could be called the most serious case Xiliang had seen in decades, yet it had met its match. This large man was none other than Wu Dingyuan, the constable famous throughout the Xiliang region. Now thirty-five years old, he had served for six years. Relying on his careful case investigation and skilled martial arts, he had already solved more than ten major cases. His “Flying Silver Shuttle” was renowned throughout Xiliang’s underworld and legitimate circles alike, making him a rare talent in Xiliang. At this moment, Wu Dingyuan’s voice was passionate as he raised his blade and made this vow, causing all the officers to feel reinvigorated.

Wu Dingyuan shouted: “Xiao Jin! Quickly invite Master Huang the coroner!”

Xiao Jin was shocked: “Master Huang has long since retired from the profession. Do we really need to disturb the old gentleman?”

Wu Dingyuan removed the token from his waist, saying solemnly: “Take my token immediately and request Master Huang to make this trip. This matter must not be publicized – don’t let Yanling Escort Agency know about this yet!”

Xiao Jin dared not say more and rode away.

Wu Dingyuan snorted: “Good lads, where did all these martial artists come from? Turns out they’re all Yanling escorts.”

Everyone remained shocked and uncertain, no one daring to respond. Old Li stepped forward two paces and said quietly: “This Yanling Escort Agency has powerful influence and hasn’t had incidents for decades. How could someone dare to pull the tiger’s whiskers and bring down Yanling’s escort masters? Have they lost their minds?”

Wu Dingyuan chuckled coldly: “Who knows? These desperados become blinded by money. When they see gleaming silver, they’ll do anything.”

There were many fierce desperados in the jianghu willing to take risks – Wu Dingyuan had seen plenty. Some, obsessed with wealth, would open an inn but never do legitimate business, spending all day drugging and harming traveling merchants. He had solved many such cases. It seemed Yanling Escort Agency’s reputation attracted attention, as they handled gleaming official silver and glittering jewels. No wonder jianghu thieves were envious – as long as they saw profit, they’d probably risk their lives.

Old Li asked: “Who exactly committed this case? Does Lord Wu have any ideas?”

Wu Dingyuan pondered briefly: “I can’t say for certain. In past cases, I could usually investigate starting from the corpses, but these eighteen escort masters died too strangely – each without external wounds. I really can’t determine the perpetrator’s martial arts style. We’ll have to wait until Master Huang the coroner arrives before we can say anything definitive.”

Old Li said: “Looking throughout Xiliang, probably no one has the ability to simultaneously defeat eighteen experts from Yanling Escort Agency. I think the criminals definitely used poison, employing knockout drugs, confusion wine, and such tricks.”

Wu Dingyuan nodded: “That must be it.”

Wu Dingyuan was considered a renowned expert in Xiliang, but with his martial arts foundation, he still couldn’t single-handedly defeat eighteen escort masters – how much less others? The criminals must have either poisoned the food or used small hidden weapons for assassination; otherwise, how could they handle so many tough opponents?

He summoned everyone and carefully instructed: “Since the deceased are escort agency personnel, they must have been transporting some priceless treasures. Go investigate what they were carrying and account for all the missing valuables.”

His subordinates responded and hurriedly went to search. Wu Dingyuan walked aside alone, constantly calculating in his mind. Actually, this case wasn’t difficult to solve – as long as they could determine the real cause of death, they could definitely find the perpetrator. In this vast desert, even if this group wanted to hide, there was nowhere to go. When the time came, regardless of who the criminals were, they need only dispatch large numbers of officers to surround and pursue them, and could certainly capture them easily.

This case wasn’t troublesome for him. What worried him was one person – one untouchable, troublesome victim: Qi Runxiang of Yanling Escort Agency.

Wu Dingyuan sighed lightly. He walked forward to find a large rock to sit on, gazing distantly at the desert sunset while constantly calculating in his mind.

That Yanling Escort Agency had been established for decades and had always been a solid, established business. Chief Escort Qi Runxiang was highly skilled in martial arts and, relying on his many jianghu friends, never associated with government officials. Wu Dingyuan had been a constable for six or seven years and had never dealt with him. Even so, Yanling Escort Agency had never committed crimes, only doing business honestly. Wu Dingyuan was happy to maintain a relationship of non-interference with Qi Runxiang, never crossing paths.

Originally, wouldn’t it be good for everyone to live peacefully? Who knew that when Yanling Escort Agency had problems, it would be a major case – eighteen people dead in a row. This Qi Runxiang was someone who cared about face. Thinking that his agency had encountered such a major incident, how could he not privately investigate and seek revenge? The fear was that he would take action himself, and then when killing and arson began, it would cause chaos throughout the land. At that time, if Xiliang City erupted in private feuds with blood flowing like rivers, where would his face as constable go?

Old Li was also an old jianghu hand. Seeing Wu Dingyuan’s worry, he knew he was concerned about Yanling Escort Agency seeking private revenge, and said: “Lord Wu, after we finish examining the corpses, let’s visit Yanling Escort Agency. That Chief Escort Qi surely won’t refuse to give us face, and the matter won’t be difficult to handle.”

Wu Dingyuan shook his head: “This Qi Runxiang is an old fox. The fear is that he’ll say one thing but do another – we’ll get the face but lose the substance.”

While the two were talking, several officers hurried over to report: “Reporting to Lord Wu, these are the items found on the deceased!”

They presented several objects. Wu Dingyuan looked down and saw his subordinates holding a bag of silver, while another held some jewels. Wu Dingyuan picked up a ring to examine carefully – he saw this ring had an extraordinary color and should be top quality.

An officer said: “This item is a Han jade ring – the jade is warm and crystal clear, worth at least a hundred taels of silver. Yet the murderer abandoned it, which is truly strange.”

Wu Dingyuan asked: “Where was this ring found? Was it discovered in a chest the escort agency was transporting?”

The officer replied: “No, this ring was removed from the deceased.”

Old Li was greatly amazed, saying strangely: “The murderer didn’t even want such fine items – how odd.”

Wu Dingyuan pondered: “It seems the few chests the escort agency was transporting are the real target. The contents must be priceless treasures!”

The officer shook his head: “Your subordinate carefully examined the chests – inside were only some clothes, nothing that seemed valuable.”

Old Li was puzzled: “Only some clothes? What’s this about? Why would someone hire an escort agency to transport clothes?”

At Yanling Escort Agency’s rates and standards, without a thousand taels of silver, it would be difficult to get them to take a job. How could someone pay such heavy compensation to have the escort agency protect such worthless items? There truly was no such business in the world.

Wu Dingyuan and Old Li looked at each other, both seeing the confusion in the other’s eyes. The two hurriedly walked forward to examine the items the escort agency was transporting.

They saw the mule cart overturned on the ground with several iron chests fallen nearby – three in total. Wu Dingyuan crouched down and picked up an iron lock from the ground. The lock had been pried open and broken in two. A nearby officer said: “These chests originally had locks, all pried open by someone using brute force.”

Wu Dingyuan turned to look and saw clothing scattered all over the ground. The officers were organizing them. An officer reported: “Those clothes were all thrown on the ground by the criminals. We just counted them – they’re all ordinary items with nothing really valuable. If we’re to say what the criminals took, we can’t tell.”

Wu Dingyuan picked up a brocade robe from the ground. The material was Shandong silk – though finely tailored and of good quality, it wasn’t anything remarkable, far less valuable than the jewels on the escort masters. He really didn’t know why the criminals would search through these unimportant items while abandoning the precious gems like trash. He thought hard but couldn’t fathom these bandits’ intentions.

Old Li smiled bitterly: “Lord Wu, what exactly were these murderers after? Can you figure it out?”

Wu Dingyuan shook his head: “No matter what they wanted, none of it matters. As long as we find the real culprits and bring them to justice, won’t we be able to recover the items?”

Several nearby officers, seeing his confident words, originally worried and fearful, all felt relieved. One said loudly: “Lord Wu is right! In all these years, which case haven’t you solved properly? This time, though it’s Yanling Escort Agency, with Lord Wu’s methods, can those few murderers still escape?” Another said: “Exactly! As long as Lord Wu takes action, won’t those thieves flee like rats?”

Hearing his subordinates’ flattery, Wu Dingyuan felt no pleasure whatsoever. He shook his head: “Everyone listen well – this case is quite different. We must be careful and attentive.”

The officers said in unison: “Please instruct us, Lord Wu.”

Wu Dingyuan said: “The victim in this case isn’t an ordinary citizen, but a troublesome martial arts expert. You’ve all heard of Qi Runxiang, haven’t you? If we can’t solve the case, Yanling Escort Agency has experts everywhere – won’t they take action themselves? Then they’ll catch people and judge cases themselves. What face will our government office have left to continue in Xiliang? What face will any of you have to come out and work?”

Hearing the three words “Qi Runxiang,” the officers unanimously fell silent.

Wu Dingyuan paused, then continued: “No matter what, we must solve the case quickly and not let Yanling Escort Agency get ahead of us. Do you all understand?”

Before everyone could respond, they heard an officer laughing incessantly: “What kind of background does this Qi fellow have? Why should we be so afraid of him? Look, his escort masters were killed and corpses scattered everywhere – what kind of thing is that!”

Everyone was shocked to hear this and hurriedly turned to look. It was A’San, the teacher’s brother-in-law, speaking wildly. This person had only been at the government office for a few days, didn’t understand the rules or human relations, and had a completely unrestrained mouth, making him very unpopular.

Wu Dingyuan was slightly stunned and hadn’t yet spoken when Old Li already reprimanded: “A’San! How is it that after working for a month or so, you still don’t understand? Don’t you know what background Yanling Escort Agency has?”

A’San laughed: “An escort agency is just an escort agency. What’s so special about it?”

Old Li spat: “You can say such words inside the government office, but if you say them outside, you’d better watch that mouth of yours! How is Yanling Escort Agency ordinary? For thirty years they haven’t made a single mistake. Their escorts go north to Mongolia and south to Guangdong – that’s incredible ability! Not only can’t you find a second one in our Xiliang Prefecture, but even in a big place like the capital, you probably couldn’t pick out two or three!”

A’San looked disdainful: “Even so, it’s just a very famous large escort agency! What’s so shocking about that!”

Old Li sighed: “A’San! You inconsiderate young fellow, you should know there are people beyond people and heavens beyond heavens! Even if you don’t know Yanling Escort Agency’s power, you should at least know that Songshan Shaolin Temple isn’t to be trifled with!”

Hearing the three words “Shaolin Temple,” A’San finally said “oh” and asked: “How does that Qi fellow have any connection with Shaolin Temple?”

Old Li cleared his throat and said loudly: “Listen well! Yanling Escort Agency’s Qi Runxiang is none other than an orthodox lay disciple of Shaolin Temple – a genuine Buddhist martial arts expert!”

A’San pursed his lips: “So what about Shaolin Temple? So what about lay disciples? It’s not that I look down on them – look for yourself!” He glanced at the several corpses on the ground, his meaning clear: since you praise Yanling Escort Agency so highly, how did they end up completely defeated?

Seeing Old Li speechless, A’San said disdainfully: “I think these people are all incompetents. They probably couldn’t even beat me!”

Just as A’San was being arrogant, suddenly a sharp shout came from behind, followed by a blade sweeping over, slashing past A’San’s forehead. Swish, swish, swish – three consecutive strikes chopped down. A’San screamed: “Mother!” and rolled to the ground.

All the officers didn’t know who had made the move and were startled, hurriedly turning to look. They saw the one wielding the blade was their immediate superior, the famous Constable Wu of Xiliang. He held his blade across his chest, coldly staring at A’San.

Old Li hurriedly helped A’San up, urgently asking: “Where are you hurt?” A’San, still in shock, said tremblingly: “I… I’m not injured…”

Wu Dingyuan glared at A’San and said in a deep voice: “Remember this well – those few strikes were Shaolin Temple’s ‘Arhat Blade.’ I’ve only learned a bit of the basics, but it would be more than enough to kill an ignorant little punk like you who doesn’t know his place. Think about how skilled Qi Runxiang’s martial arts are – if you provoke Yanling Escort Agency, they definitely won’t just scare you so simply.” He stepped forward and lightly patted A’San’s cheek, saying in a deep voice: “Today I’m giving you a small lesson to make you understand the principle that there are always people beyond people, lest you speak arrogantly in the future without restraint and not even know how you died.”

A’San was scared witless and couldn’t speak for a long time.

Wu Dingyuan sheathed his blade and said: “Our only hope now is Master Huang the coroner. With his eyesight, he’ll surely be able to see who did this. As long as we find the murderer, we can easily solve the case and give Yanling Escort Agency an explanation.”

All the officers nodded in agreement.

While everyone was talking, they heard the thunderous sound of hoofbeats. Master Huang the coroner had arrived. This Master Huang’s single name was Ji. He had a face full of wrinkles and was at least seventy years old, but his eyes still shone brightly. Years ago, the imperial Ministry of Justice had specifically invited Huang Ji to the capital to examine corpses for a major case, not daring to show the slightest disrespect. He could be called the top expert in the Western frontier. Seeing Huang Ji come personally, Wu Dingyuan felt much more at ease.

Everyone went forward to greet him, about to speak, but Huang Ji waved his hand, signaling for silence. It was now sunset, and the setting sun dyed the vast desert bright red, with everyone’s shadows stretching long on the ground. The group of officers standing among the pile of corpses all felt heavy-hearted.

Huang Ji took out his examination knife, silently reciting prayers for the dead, then began examining the corpses. Wu Dingyuan said: “These corpses have no external injuries – they must have died from poisoning.”

Huang Ji nodded but didn’t respond. He took out silver needles from his bosom and probed each person’s throat, chest, abdomen, and other areas, examining all eighteen corpses in succession.

Wu Dingyuan knew he was using silver needles to test for poison. He stepped forward a few paces and asked: “What poison did these people take? How could this poison be so domineering as to poison eighteen people at once?”

Huang Ji examined the silver needles and suddenly shook his head: “No poisoning. Not one of the eighteen died from poison.”

Wu Dingyuan was shocked and said tremblingly: “Not poisoned? Then how did these people die? They were martial arts experts!”

Huang Ji didn’t answer and continued examining the corpses on his own. After a long while, he suddenly said: “Lord Wu, come and look!”

Wu Dingyuan hurried over. Huang Ji pointed at a deceased person and said: “Look at this person’s wrist.”

Wu Dingyuan focused his gaze and saw a small bruise on the person’s wrist. Not understanding Huang Ji’s intention, he said strangely: “What? Is there something special about this bruise?”

Huang Ji said: “Lord Wu, please look at the other corpses.”

Wu Dingyuan complied and was immediately shocked to discover that every corpse had a small bruise on their wrist.

Wu Dingyuan said in alarm: “Could this small bruise be the cause of death?”

Huang Ji shook his head: “I don’t know either. Lord Wu, wait a moment – the truth will become clear.” He took out a short knife and cut into the bruise on the person’s wrist.

Huang Ji made a light cut. Everyone held their breath and watched intently, seeing thick blood slowly flow out and continue for a long time.

Wu Dingyuan said in astonishment: “It’s just a small bruise – how can so much blood flow?”

Huang Ji didn’t answer. Holding the examination knife, he cut upward along the corpse’s wrist. As the knife cut through, Huang Ji’s body trembled and he said in a shaking voice: “Constable Wu, look at this wound! What is this?”

Everyone hurried forward to look. Instantly, everyone’s faces turned ashen, looking at each other speechlessly. Wu Dingyuan sucked in a cold breath and couldn’t speak for a long time.

Deep in the deceased’s wrist appeared a deep bloody hole, about the thickness of a little finger, with the wound hidden deep in the flesh and blood. Through the torn skin and flesh, they could see a long bloody tunnel – indescribably eerie and terrifying. If Huang Ji hadn’t cut it open with his knife, looking from the outside alone, it would never have been discovered.

Huang Ji cut open along the hollow bloody tunnel, revealing that the little finger-thick bloody hole started from the bruise and went all the way through the upper arm and shoulder, finally opening a small hole in the heart about the size of a fingertip, with the wound hidden on the inside of the heart. It was like a centipede had burrowed into a living person’s arm and gnawed out a bloody channel with sharp teeth inside the living body.

Wu Dingyuan was greatly horrified. He and Master Huang the coroner looked at each other, both seeing the fear and amazement in the other’s eyes.

Huang Ji’s face showed terror as he said tremblingly: “The cause of death for these people is too strange – I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”

Wu Dingyuan steadied himself and said: “Within a hundred li of Xiliang City’s outskirts, only Boss Shi of Black Wind Stronghold could be considered an expert. Could he have done this?”

Master Huang the coroner’s face was ashen as he shook his head slightly: “Boss Shi excels at the Stone-Breaking Palm external martial art. Though fierce and powerful, he cannot break through a person’s heart. Moreover, with his skill, he probably couldn’t kill eighteen experts from the escort agency at once.”

Wu Dingyuan was stunned and asked: “If it wasn’t Boss Shi, then who was it?”

Master Huang the coroner looked grave and hung his head in silence.

Old Li said tremblingly: “Could it be some poisonous insect that can crawl and wriggle inside a person’s body?”

Hearing this, everyone immediately began vomiting.

Wu Dingyuan’s mind was in turmoil. He looked at the nearby terrain – yellow sand everywhere in a flat plain, with no hills or large rocks nearby for hiding. Clearly these eighteen martial arts experts hadn’t fallen into an ambush but had fought openly with the murderer before being killed. Whether the attacker was human, ghost, demon, or monster, these people must have faced their enemy before death.

Wu Dingyuan gripped his blade handle tightly, suddenly feeling an ominous premonition he’d never experienced in his ten-plus years on the job. He thought: “Could I really stumble over this? No, I absolutely cannot!” He shook his head forcefully, mounted his horse, and shouted: “Everyone clean up quickly and return to the government office!”

A gust of wind blew, stirring up sand all over the sky. Wu Dingyuan squinted at the sinister scene – the ground littered with highly skilled martial artists, no clues to be found, the motive for murder incomprehensible, even the cause of death mysteriously inexplicable. This case was strange everywhere. Wu Dingyuan felt as if a hundred-pound burden had been placed on his shoulders, pressing down so hard he could barely breathe.

Wu Dingyuan ordered his subordinates to transport the corpses and escort cart back to the government office, while he himself returned slowly, pondering the case along the way.

In the past two years, based on merit and seniority, he should have been promoted long ago. Last year he had risked his life and worked hard, finally solving the “Red Ridge Bandits” case that had remained unsolved for years, earning a personal promise from the Governor-General of Shaanxi-Gansu that he would be transferred to Hedong Prefecture after the New Year, first occupying the position of Chief Constable. Who knew that at this critical juncture, this rare major case would explode? If he couldn’t solve it now, forget about eastern transfer and promotion – he probably couldn’t even keep his current constable position.

Wu Dingyuan shook his head and sighed, knowing he was facing the most significant test of his life. No matter how difficult this case was, he had to get through this hurdle.

While traveling, he suddenly saw Old Li riding toward him in panic. Wu Dingyuan reined in his horse and asked in a deep voice: “What happened now?”

Old Li, sweating profusely, said urgently: “Lord Wu, quickly think of something – the brothers have all been intercepted by people from Yanling Escort Agency!”

Wu Dingyuan was shocked, never expecting Yanling Escort Agency to get the news so quickly. He hurried to say: “Don’t panic first. I’ll go to Yanling Escort Agency immediately.”

Old Li said urgently: “Lord Wu, you don’t know – the people from Yanling Escort Agency spoke insolently, saying we arbitrarily damaged the corpses and want to… make you pay. I think you should return to the government office first and gather the brothers before deciding!”

Wu Dingyuan snorted. He was the dignified Constable of Xiliang – if he were scared off by a few threats, how could he command respect in the future? He waved his hand slightly and said in a deep voice: “It’s nothing. You go back to the government office first. I’ll go explain things clearly to Qi Runxiang myself.”

Old Li was about to say more, but Wu Dingyuan had already spurred his horse into the city.

When he reached the escort agency, it was already in chaos inside, with no one coming out to greet him. Dozens of escort masters sat in the main hall – some gnashing their teeth, some quite fearful. Everyone in the agency was already in mourning, with crying that shook the heavens. His own several subordinates responsible for transporting the corpses all sat in the main hall looking helpless.

Seeing Wu Dingyuan enter the hall, everyone hurried over and said: “When we returned to the city, we were intercepted by people from Yanling Escort Agency. Everyone had some disputes with them and… were brought here.”

Wu Dingyuan saw his subordinates’ faces were bruised and swollen, obviously having been severely beaten. He nodded, signaling them not to panic, while feeling extremely angry at Yanling Escort Agency’s tyrannical behavior.

Seeing no one paying attention to him, Wu Dingyuan walked to the memorial tablets himself, about to burn incense and pay respects, when suddenly a burly man rushed out and blocked him, grabbing his collar with his left hand and saying viciously: “Surnamed Wu! Such a big incident happened and you didn’t notify us first! Look what you’ve done to our escort agency brothers’ bodies! Do you think Yanling Escort Agency people are easy to bully?”

Wu Dingyuan recognized this fierce man named Qi Bochuan, Qi Runxiang’s only son. Probably accustomed to being imperious, he was even so rude to a government constable. In Wu Dingyuan’s six years of service throughout Xiliang, he’d never encountered a second such person. He waved his hand to push the burly man back a step, saying in a deep voice: “Speak properly – don’t use your hands and feet.”

Pushed by him, Qi Bochuan’s upper body swayed slightly, but his feet didn’t retreat half a step. His lower body foundation seemed quite solid – truly a tough opponent as rumored. He said coldly: “Surnamed Wu, with your three-legged cat tricks, you probably don’t have the ability to teach this young master a lesson!” He hooked his little finger and sneered: “Let’s have a one-on-one fight – do you dare?”

Wu Dingyuan was furious. He suppressed his anger and said: “Young Master Qi, please understand clearly – I came here to investigate the case, absolutely not to make trouble for you. Why such a big temper?” Escort agencies never liked government interference when incidents occurred – Wu Dingyuan wasn’t unaware of this, but this case was too big for him to ignore.

But Qi Bochuan didn’t appreciate it, only sneering continuously, then assuming a horse stance, about to throw punches at Wu Dingyuan.

Suddenly an aged voice said: “Bochuan! Don’t be rude!” Qi Bochuan spat and stepped back.

Wu Dingyuan turned to look and saw an old man sitting in the inner hall with a long beard reaching his chest and a purple-complexioned face – this was Qi Runxiang, the chief escort of Yanling Escort Agency. Wu Dingyuan cupped his hands and said: “Master Qi, what offense did my brothers commit that your escort agency invited them here?”

Qi Runxiang’s expression changed as he said: “It’s all my son’s foolishness. Bochuan, quickly invite the officers to return!”

Qi Bochuan looked displeased: “Father, didn’t you see those dog officers’ behavior? If I hadn’t intervened forcefully today, our brothers’ corpses would still be in the government office being randomly defiled by them!”

Wu Dingyuan knew this wasn’t the time to create more complications. He immediately said in a deep voice: “Young Master Qi, you’re not new to the jianghu either. When our government office encounters murder, how can we not examine the corpses? We absolutely didn’t intend disrespect to the deceased – please be understanding.”

Qi Bochuan snorted and said loudly: “If you wanted to examine corpses, why didn’t you notify us first? Taking such liberties shouldn’t be done so casually – what do you take us for?”

Qi Runxiang coughed and said: “Bochuan, stop wasting time here. Go apologize to the officers and let them return!”

Yanling Escort Agency was wealthy and powerful, never taking government constables seriously. But to offend Wu Dingyuan over such trivial matters was too unworthy. So Qi Runxiang disciplined his son in front of outsiders. Though Qi Bochuan was angry, filial duty was hard to disobey, so he could only leave the inner hall to instruct his subordinates to release the men.

Wu Dingyuan originally wanted to gather information about the case. Seeing the hot-tempered Qi Bochuan leave, he knew the opportunity couldn’t be missed and hurried to say: “Master Qi, this case came strangely. I have many things I don’t understand – could the chief escort inform me? It would help me contribute to your escort agency.”

Qi Runxiang looked at Wu Dingyuan and said slowly: “Constable Wu, which escort agency in the world doesn’t encounter some troubles? Our escort agency can handle our own small matters without troubling your great presence.”

Wu Dingyuan hit a snag and could only say: “Master Qi, I’m not here to curry favor with you, nor do I want to offend your escort agency. It’s just that I’m positioned in the government office, and now such a major incident has occurred – I cannot but investigate the case thoroughly. I hope Master Qi will understand.”

Qi Runxiang looked at him and picked up the tea bowl from the table, gently sipping and saying: “To speak frankly, in my thirty-plus years traversing Xiliang, I’ve relied on this old life and these two fists, never making connections with government people. Constable Wu, I appreciate your sentiment.”

Wu Dingyuan heard him speak heavily and couldn’t help frowning, realizing Qi Runxiang intended to seek private revenge and truly didn’t take him seriously. He snorted, feeling somewhat displeased, but considering the situation – Yanling Escort Agency was the victim in this case, so even if they were unwilling to reveal case details, he couldn’t break relations with them.

Wu Dingyuan pondered for a while, then changed the subject and said to Qi Runxiang: “Master Qi, you’ve seen the deceased’s wounds, haven’t you?”

Qi Runxiang’s expression changed greatly, but immediately became calm: “Yes! Constable Wu worked so hard to cut big holes in our brothers’ bodies – I couldn’t not look even if I wanted to!”

Wu Dingyuan heard him again complaining about the government office arbitrarily dissecting corpses, so he could only give a dry laugh: “Master Qi, the case was urgent at the time – I had no choice but to act expediently.”

Qi Runxiang said expressionlessly: “Easy to say, easy to say.”

Wu Dingyuan had no grasp of the case at this point – first, he didn’t know who had killed people; second, he didn’t know what the murderer was after. Seeing Yanling Escort Agency’s dismissive and tyrannical attitude, he decided to provoke Qi Runxiang and immediately said: “Master Qi, the deceased’s heart was inexplicably pierced with holes, tunneled from wrist all the way to the heart chamber. This murderer’s martial arts are quite strange! Probably not of small background – can you handle it?”

Qi Runxiang’s face changed, and before he could answer, Qi Bochuan happened to enter from outside. Suddenly hearing Wu Dingyuan’s question, he was immediately furious and said angrily: “Surnamed Wu! Yanling Escort Agency hasn’t been famous for just a year or two – what do you mean by saying this?”

Wu Dingyuan knew Qi Bochuan had a young master’s temperament, always impetuous and impulsive. He just shrugged, pretending not to care, and said: “Young Master Qi, I absolutely don’t mean disrespect to your escort agency. I just fear the murderer is too powerful and vicious for your escort agency to handle. It was meant with good intentions – if the young escort master is so angry, aren’t you wrongly blaming a good person?”

How could Qi Bochuan not know he was using provocation? He said coldly: “Surnamed Wu, if you know who killed our escort agency people, why don’t you go arrest them instead of staying here talking nonsense? I tell you, you’re the first person bold enough to speak insolently before my father!”

Wu Dingyuan said coldly: “Young Master Escort, there probably aren’t many people in Xiliang City who dare openly beat government officers either, are there?”

Seeing the two speaking stiffly, Qi Runxiang said: “Constable Wu, let me be frank with you! Our Yanling Escort Agency isn’t unreasonable – with such an expert like you to assist us, how could we refuse? It’s just that escort agency matters don’t need outsiders’ concern. We can only appreciate your good intentions.”

Wu Dingyuan sighed: “So Master Qi still won’t cooperate with me?”

Qi Runxiang coughed: “Bochuan, see the guest out.”

Wu Dingyuan looked at Qi Runxiang, hoping he might change his mind. Qi Bochuan said coldly: “Go! Stop being long-winded here!”

When Wu Dingyuan reached the government office, Master Huang the coroner was still waiting for him. Wu Dingyuan hurried to say: “Does Master Huang have something?”

This Huang Ji was already seventy-eight years old. Wu Dingyuan always regarded him like a teacher and was very respectful.

Huang Ji said: “You went to Yanling’s agency?”

Wu Dingyuan said: “Qi Runxiang’s mouth is tight as anything – couldn’t get anything out of him. At least I brought the brothers back.”

Huang Ji sighed: “You can’t blame them either. They eat from the escort protection business – if they go to the government for help whenever something happens, who will respect them in the future? I think Yanling will definitely plan a big slaughter in the coming days.”

Wu Dingyuan frowned and remained silent for a long time.

Huang Ji continued: “Being this constable is truly not easy for you. Above you fear the prefect and high officials, below you dread jianghu heroes. Sigh! One careless step and you might lose your life.”

Of the three constables before Wu Dingyuan took office, only one retired peacefully – the rest were all killed. The newly arrived prefect didn’t particularly like any of the old staff and was especially strict with Wu Dingyuan. Originally he was to be promoted to Chief Constable of Hedong and wouldn’t have to endure this prefect’s anger anymore, but if this case became a major incident, everything would probably be ruined.

Huang Ji asked: “Do you know what escort this Yanling Escort Agency was carrying?”

Wu Dingyuan said: “I don’t know about that. The three escort carts at the scene were carrying nothing valuable – just some daily items and clothing. The things in the escort carts had been searched through, but we couldn’t tell what was missing.”

Huang Ji said: “Hmm, that’s strange. For this escort job, Yanling Escort Agency sent out eighteen experts, then they were all annihilated in one battle. Logically, this escort should either be priceless or involve something of great importance – how could it be worthless clothing?”

While the two were talking, an officer came in and said: “Lord Wu, Yanling Escort Agency sent someone with gifts, saying they were too offensive earlier and asking you not to take it to heart.”

Wu Dingyuan was puzzled and said to Huang Ji: “Yanling Escort Agency’s behavior is strange – first arrogant then respectful. Wonder what medicine they’re selling in their gourd?”

He counted the gifts sent – three large chests in total, all daily clothing and ornaments like jade belts, brocade robes, silver crowns and such. Wu Dingyuan wanted to see the servant who delivered the gifts, but he had already left.

Huang Ji saw these clothes were finely crafted. Though not precious items, one could still see the thoughtfulness. He smiled at Wu Dingyuan: “This Qi Runxiang – ginger is still spicier when old. After all, he doesn’t want to openly offend the government. You should accept the items to avoid spoiling things.”

Wu Dingyuan pondered for a moment, thinking: “It seems Qi Runxiang wants to make peace with me. At present, it’s not appropriate to create more friction with him – I’ll give him face!” With this thought, he couldn’t refuse and ordered his subordinates to put them away.

An officer laughed: “Lord Wu, you’re such a dignified person – wearing these clothes would definitely look good.”

Wu Dingyuan was naturally frugal and had never used such fine things. He smiled slightly: “These clothes are too luxurious – I’m not used to wearing them.”

An officer egged him on: “Lord Wu, the belt at your waist is worn out – this jade belt could be used.” He picked up a jade belt with a beautiful piece of jade mounted on it, warm and lustrous with an antique shape.

Wu Dingyuan hurried to say: “This is too precious – I’m not used to wearing it…”

The nearby officers wouldn’t let him refuse. They quickly grabbed and held him while one rushed over to firmly fasten the jade belt around his waist. Indeed, fine clothes make the man – with this jade belt fastened, Wu Dingyuan looked extraordinarily imposing and majestic. Everyone cheered loudly.

Wu Dingyuan looked down and also thought it wasn’t bad. Not wanting to go against everyone’s good intentions, he didn’t take it off again.

That night Wu Dingyuan stayed overnight at the government office. With the case at a standstill, his mind was troubled and he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Xiliang was located in the desert – hot during the day and cool at night. Wu Dingyuan got up, put on an outer garment, and sat at the edge of his bed.

The quiet night was deep, with only the dim moonlight faintly shining into the room through the window.

Wu Dingyuan recalled his years as constable, remembering how many forest heroes he’d dealt with and how many fierce battles he’d fought, but none had been as difficult as this – first, he couldn’t determine who had done it; second, the victim was extraordinarily tyrannical, making everything difficult for Wu Dingyuan.

Wu Dingyuan sighed and stared blankly out the window. After a long time, hearing the night watchman’s clapper strike the third watch, he thought: “Sigh… since I can’t sleep anyway, I might as well look at some official documents.”

Wu Dingyuan stretched, then took out official documents, holding flint and steel, about to light a candle. Suddenly he felt a chill behind him, and instantly his whole body broke out in goosebumps, as if something was wrong.

Wu Dingyuan’s heart tightened and he hurriedly looked up, seeing the silvery moonlight shining into the room, casting his shadow on the wall. For a moment he couldn’t see anything unusual.

Wu Dingyuan smiled bitterly, thinking: “Really, even I’m becoming paranoid.” He paid no more attention to the strange feeling and just lit the candle. Suddenly a slight breeze came from behind his neck, and the tiny flame immediately went out.

Wu Dingyuan cursed and had to strike sparks again. This time he successfully lit the candle. He stretched, about to take out documents to read, when suddenly his whole body felt chilly and the candle was again blown out by a slight breeze.

Wu Dingyuan’s heart jumped in alarm, knowing there must be something strange in the room. He suddenly turned around and saw in the dim room what seemed to be a human figure standing by the window. Wu Dingyuan was shocked and immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

Though Wu Dingyuan was startled, he was after all a constable by profession. Though his heart shook at this moment, he felt no fear. He slowly reached under his pillow to retrieve his famous weapon of many years, the “Flying Silver Shuttle,” gripping it tightly. Whether that shadow was ghost or demon, he would have to fight it out.

Wu Dingyuan took a deep breath, his whole body filled with martial energy. As soon as that shadow made any unusual move, he would immediately strike.

The room was silent. Wu Dingyuan could only hear his own pounding heartbeat, his palm gripping the silver shuttle soaked with sweat.

Suddenly the shadow swayed and slowly drifted toward him, its movement so light and ethereal like a boneless ghost. Wu Dingyuan’s heart jumped in great alarm, his scalp tingling: “This… could this really be a ghost?”

At this moment, even someone ten times braver would panic. Wu Dingyuan shouted: “Someone! Quickly, someone!” He threw the “Flying Silver Shuttle.” The shadow swayed, and somehow the silver shuttle missed its target and fell to one side. Seeing the shadow approach step by step, he immediately felt his mouth dry and cold sweat dripping down.

Just then, several night-duty officers hurried over, knocking on the door and calling: “Lord Wu! What’s wrong!”

The officers didn’t hear him respond and panicked, immediately pushing the door open. In that instant, everyone’s vision blurred as if something flashed by, but no one could see clearly.

The officers saw Wu Dingyuan standing dazed and motionless, and all asked: “Lord Wu, are you alright?” One person saw his face was ashen and hurriedly reached out to shake him. Only then did Wu Dingyuan come to his senses.

An officer, feeling the oppressive atmosphere in the room, quickly lit a candle. Instantly everyone cried out in alarm.

The room was in complete disarray. Except for Wu Dingyuan’s bed, everywhere in the room had been carefully searched. Seeing this scene, the officers couldn’t help but say in shock: “What happened?” They all talked at once, asking questions.

Wu Dingyuan’s heart tightened, knowing that shadow was definitely not some ghost but a skilled martial artist. He steadied himself and said calmly: “I’m fine. You all go down!” Everyone didn’t dare ask more and withdrew from the room.

That night Wu Dingyuan didn’t dare sleep again. He carefully pondered the case, knowing tonight’s uninvited guest must be related to the murder case – perhaps even the murderer himself. But he didn’t know for what reason they had broken into the government office.

Wu Dingyuan was furious. In his six years of service, he’d never seen such arrogant criminals. This group dared to so brazenly despise the government office – after committing murder, they even dared to openly enter and exit the government office. Was there no law or justice? If he couldn’t bring these arrogant criminals to justice, how could he continue in the future?

Wu Dingyuan sat with an ashen face through the night until dawn before briefly closing his eyes.