Chapter 16: City Sealed, Awaiting The Crime
At the city gate entrance, opposite the Jiang Family corpses, the corpses of Li Hao’s bodyguards, including Li Zhen who poisoned himself to death, were placed.
The Jiang Family corpses were already rotten and stinking, while the Li Family corpses were still fresh, emanating a strong blood smell. For a moment, the air at the city gate was like a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
The gate guards standing on the city gate, who thought they were already accustomed to it, felt dizzy and dry-heaved from time to time.
However, Wei Jiao, wearing a black robe with a red lining, sat calmly among these corpses, still eating breakfast.
One Embroidered Uniform Guard knelt on the ground, using his back as a desk.
Another Embroidered Uniform Guard reported the recent interrogation: “The Li Family old madam is barely alive with half a life left, says nothing, and only seeks death. The other women, children, and elderly claim ignorance to every question.”
Wei Jiao picked up a piece of steamed cake and threw it into his mouth, saying, “Her luck is bad; she didn’t act as fast as Li Zhen. If she wants to die, she can only suffer some torment. Bring the Li Family’s women, children, and elderly before her and cut them one knife at a time—see if she speaks or not.”
The Embroidered Uniform Guard acknowledged.
The officials who had been locked in the county office, as well as the local prominent families, were naturally also brought here at this time. Fumigated by the corpses and hearing these words, their expressions turned ashen, and they understood why Li Zhen died so decisively…
Although there were the words “murderers must pay with their lives” on site, it wasn’t necessarily evidence. Li Zhen actually poisoned himself to death, directly indicating that the Li Family indeed had issues. At the time, they thought Li Zhen was really muddleheaded; he could have posed as a victim…
Now it seemed that if not dying at the villain’s hands, they would die at Wei Jiao’s hands. In comparison, dying by one’s own hand was more straightforward.
County Magistrate Huang Zhi no longer said a word for the Li Family. Although he didn’t know why the Li Family annihilated the entire Jiang Family—Wei Jiao said the Jiang Family committed treason, so the Li Family couldn’t have been acting righteously to eliminate traitors, right?
These matters could be set aside for now; wait for the Embroidered Uniform Guards to interrogate the Li Family members.
The most pressing issue now was, who killed the Li Family? He couldn’t help looking around. Was that villain always hiding in Zhao County? Waiting for Li Hao and the others to return?
Or did they follow from outside?
Why not kill Li Hao and the others outside?
Deliberately striking in Zhao County to demonstrate deterrence? Provocation?
This was too rampant.
Was that villain still in Zhao County?
“Captain Wei.” Magistrate Huang Zhi disregarded his status and age, no longer showing his previous arrogance and dissatisfaction. He deeply paid respects to Wei Jiao, his voice trembling, “Please, Captain Wei, quickly arrest the culprit.”
Seeing this, the others all knelt down, prostrating on the ground with pleas of “Please, sir, arrest the culprit” and “Save us Zhao County civilians.”
Wei Jiao looked at everyone whose attitudes had drastically changed and smiled, saying, “I should actually thank this villain for giving me innocence, proving that I’m not making things difficult for you Zhao County without reason.”
With that, he smiled at the people prostrating and kneeling on the ground.
“Rest assured, I’ve long imposed martial law on Zhao County—only entering, not leaving. That villain killed last night and hasn’t been able to escape yet.”
Magistrate Huang said with some urgency, “Please, sir, quickly order the search and arrest.”
The other people kneeling on the ground also eagerly expressed their willingness to do everything possible to assist in the search and arrest.
Wei Jiao lifted his foot and stepped on the back of the Embroidered Uniform Guard kneeling before him, propping his chin and raising his eyebrow.
“No rush. Treason is a capital offense. Whether dying in my hands or in the hands of the traitors, I don’t mind.”
His gaze swept over everyone kneeling on the ground, his beautiful eyes shining with joy.
“I wonder which family will be annihilated tonight.”
Hearing this, Magistrate Huang Zhi and everyone kneeling on the ground looked up in despair at the young captain smiling before them, then at the corpses displayed around. They felt Zhao County was simply a lair of ghosts and monsters.
……
……
The news quickly spread.
Instantly, the streets of Zhao County were empty once again.
The people in the inn were also in a panic.
“The city gate is closed?”
“The culprit is still inside the city? Heavens, isn’t that very dangerous? No, I have to leave.”
“Embroidered Uniform Guards are stationed at the four city gates. Anyone daring to break through will be treated as the culprit and slain on the spot.”
Hearing this, the people about to rush out became weak in the legs, terrified and at a loss, some demanding the inn waive room and meal fees, others demanding the inn guarantee safety—quarreling noisily.
The shop assistants in the inn also lost their tempers: “If you’re dissatisfied, go find the Embroidered Uniform Guards!”
Mo Zheng took a few pieces of broken silver from her sachet and handed them to a shop assistant: “Then we can only trouble you for a few more days.”
The shop assistant waved his hand, refusing: “You not quarreling with us is already consideration. How can we take your money?”
Mo Zheng stuffed the money to the shop assistant, not allowing him to refuse again: “Please prepare some more of the herbs I used before. My young lady is frail; just in case.”
Since medicine was needed, the shop assistant was no longer polite: “Rest assured, I’ll prepare it right away.”
Night fell, and the inn returned to quiet.
The customers didn’t dare to break through the city gates guarded by Embroidered Uniform Guards and feared the villain in the city going mad and committing random murders, so they hid in their rooms praying for safety.
Mo Zheng carried a bowl of medicinal soup and pushed the door in. A rich medicinal fragrance immediately filled the room.
“Young lady.” He looked at Yang Luo, who was sitting with furrowed brows, seemingly pondering something, and softly asked, “Are you divining something related to the Embroidered Uniform Guards?”
Yang Luo was slightly nervous at the question. Indeed, she was recalling information about the Embroidered Uniform Guards from her previous life.
After entering the capital, she had always been confined at home by her aunt, rarely going out—even if she did, it was only to a temple. However, her cousin was a princess’s companion reader, able to move about outside and enter the imperial palace, well-informed, and fond of showing off, so she shared quite a lot of fresh news.
Among them was naturally Wei Jiao, who commanded the Embroidered Uniform Guards.
“Wei Jiao is very good-looking.”
“The princesses all like him.”
“Princess Wuyang and Princess Nangong quarreled over Wei Jiao. It was pointless; Wei Jiao ignores them. Wei Jiao only listens to Princess Pingcheng.”
At the time, she listened with great interest, but whether he was good-looking or not, and making princesses vie for affection, were all useless information.
“How is it?” The hunter youth asked expectantly, “Is there a usable way to resolve this predicament?”
Yang Luo felt somewhat ashamed under his expectant gaze: “Well, my prophet abilities aren’t always accurate.”
Mo Zheng let out an “oh” and asked no more, handing over the medicine bowl: “Young lady, drink the calming soup and get a good sleep.”
This youth knew his place and wouldn’t endlessly press her. Yang Luo felt grateful in her heart, but looking at the proffered medicine bowl, she shook her head: “I won’t drink it. I’ll stay vigilant too; I can’t always make you worry alone.”
This medicine smell was stronger than yesterday’s, presumably more effective. She didn’t want to sleep like the dead again.
Although she had asked him to act as guard and trusted his skills, she wouldn’t truly rely completely on others.
Mo Zheng didn’t persuade further: “It’s brewed and can’t be wasted. Please, young lady, take the trouble. I’ll get a good sleep tonight.”
With that, he tilted his head back and gulped down the medicine.
Yang Luo couldn’t help laughing: “Alright, I’ll keep vigilance. You sleep well, conserve your energy. If there’s danger, you’ll have enough spirit to respond.”
Because the villain was in the city, in case they went mad and killed indiscriminately, tonight A Sheng and Yang Luo slept in the same room.
Mo Zheng went to the makeshift bed made of a chair nearby. Yang Luo fetched a quilt for him. Mo Zheng wrapped himself in it without ceremony and lay down to sleep.
Whether truly exhausted or the calming medicine taking effect, the youth quickly fell into deep sleep. The knife and sword bought on the road for self-defense were placed beside him, along with a bamboo pole.
Yang Luo remembered the hunter youth always carrying a bamboo pole in his hand, and he hadn’t discarded it when leaving Lu County.
“It’s a bamboo pole from the mountains. With it, I won’t miss home.”
Yes, the hunter youth was leaving home for the first time. Though an orphan, his homeland was hard to leave.
After all, he was just a youth of sixteen or seventeen.
Actually, this youth was younger than her.
Yang Luo felt some affection, but as she leaned in slightly, this bamboo pole seemed a bit new, different from before…
Perhaps getting too close disturbed the youth; the hunter youth turned over.
Yang Luo quickly straightened up, no longer disturbing him. She extinguished the lamp on the desk, sat in the darkness, and recalled that life.
She had to diligently search her memory, recall, and memorize all the information—any one might save her life.
She couldn’t waste the opportunity heaven gave her for rebirth.
