Chapter 323: Chapter 226: Some Clues Emerged
"Back when I lived in my hometown, there was a household in the neighborhood with two blind elderly raising a foolish son. One day, they suddenly sent out invitations to the villagers, saying their son had the fortune to marry into the family of Mr. Liu from the neighboring village. Mr. Hu didn’t mind their poverty, nor the fact that the son was a fool.
Hearing this, everyone was surprised and collectively decided to visit the neighboring village three days later on the day of the wedding to attend the fool’s wedding. However, when we inquired with the locals, we discovered that there was no Mr. Liu in that place, not even anyone with the surname Liu.
We were all puzzled and angrily returned to the blind couple’s house, intending to confront them on why they were deceitful. But, who would have thought that the couple had already died? Judging by their post-mortem appearance, they’d been deceased for at least ten days or half a month, and no one has seen their foolish son since then."
"When I was twenty, I went out to do business in the county. One night during the journey, it started to pour with thunder and lightning. Being in the desolate wilderness, I was truly frightened, so I took refuge in a dilapidated temple beside the road. Though the temple was in ruins, it was perfect for sheltering from the rain. I placed my goods around the Buddha pedestal and prepared to rest.
Suddenly, I heard a large commotion outside the temple. Afraid it was bandits passing by, ready to rob and kill, I didn’t even dare to leave a last testament, so I hid under the offering table with my goods, fearing that I’d be discovered.
Soon enough, a group of people entered, although the tablecloth of the offering table concealed them, I couldn’t see them fully. All I saw were colorful embroidered shoes moving around, with the feet appearing to belong to a group of women.
Just as I was pondering whether to leave, these women began singing and dancing within the temple. The song was as melodious as a yellow oriole, truly captivating, far better than what I’d heard in the neighborhood brothels back home.
As I listened more, I became increasingly entranced and couldn’t help but crawl out from under the table, wanting to openly watch rather than hiding sneakingly like a rat.
Who could have imagined, those lady’s small feet I saw beneath the table were just feet...
The next day, I slowly woke up lying in a chaotic graveyard, surrounded by mountains, not knowing where I was for a while."
After they finished speaking, the four of them turned into ashes, dissipating into the air.
Qin Yuesheng was utterly confused—what is this? Each telling their own eerie ghost story?
This left him without any leads at all.
No choice, Qin Yuesheng had to instruct the White Lotus Sect followers waiting in the main hall to buy some items that ward off evil spirits.
Since the matter with the Seven Stars Bureau officials remained unsolved for another day, Qin Yuesheng naturally couldn’t leave. The White Lotus Sect followers had to stay with him living in Antong County. To prevent further incidents, Qin Yuesheng had to let them make some self-defense arrangements themselves.
After dispersing all the White Lotus sect followers, Qin Yuesheng began to act alone. He conducted a thorough search around Antong County, hoping to find some clues similar to those at the Wujiang River ferry.
If he could find the corpses of the six Seven Stars Bureau officials, then this matter would be considered complete. At that point, he’d report to the Chang’an Seven Stars Bureau that everyone had died at the hands of evil spirits and done.
Antong County was flat on three sides, except the eastern side bordering a valley filled with dense plants. As Qin Yuesheng approached, intending to use a knife to forge a path and venture further for a better look, he suddenly heard shouting from afar on the left. Turning his head, he saw two groups chasing each other, screaming fiercely, with swords raised high in a display of violence.
"Stop, you dogs from Hongyan Manor!"
"You people only know sneak attacks. If I escape this time, I will definitely ask the Grandmaster to deal with your vile sect!"
The two groups raced as one fled in a mess, many were injured, and Qin Yuesheng noted they were heading directly towards him, feeling some speechlessness.
"Senior Brother, there’s someone here," a disciple from Hongyan Manor remarked seeing Qin Yuesheng.
The young man the disciple referred to as Senior Brother saw Qin Yuesheng, shook his head, saying, "This person is young, his martial arts probably aren’t outstanding. Let’s not get close to him, to avoid involving him."
Though a distance separated Qin Yuesheng from them, every word was clearly audible to him, making him nod in approval.
In the martial world, most are deceitful and vicious, few uphold chivalry and kindness.
People carry out acts of selfish harm without delay, mindful of only their safety, regardless of others’ fates.
Qin Yuesheng admired how the young man avoided implicating him even in peril. He took a leap onto a large rock two meters high next to the valley, deftly breaking stones into fingernail-sized pieces and flicking them at the group pursuing the young man.
The wind hummed, and the skilled immediately reacted, raising their weapons instinctively to block.
But Qin Yuesheng’s rock shots fired with Inner Strength weren’t something these bandits, untrained in external martial arts, could withstand. Their weapons fell, they stumbled, or their arms cleaved in two, no matter the outcome, all ended wretchedly.
"Who? Who dares meddle in Taicang Sect’s affair!" shouted the leader of the group upon realizing an attack.
Qin Yuesheng flicked four fingers, sending four stones linearly, each accurately hitting the man’s limbs, leaving four bloody holes on his body.
"Senior Brother!" The others immediately gathered around the injured man, helping him up and hurriedly asking, "Senior Brother, are you alright?"
"Damn it, the one who ambushed us has formidable skills; we can’t defeat them." The injured man decisively ordered his junior disciples to carry him and retreat from the area.
With the enemies retreating, Hongyan Manor’s disciples breathed a sigh of relief and moved towards Qin Yuesheng.
Even if they couldn’t see Qin Yuesheng use the hidden weapon, the fact that only he was in this place implied he was likely responsible.
A life-saving grace naturally demanded thanks.
"Young hero, today it’s purely because of you that we, a few fellow brothers, can escape calamity. I am Hong Ping from Hongyan Manor—may I ask the young hero’s name?"
Sitting casually on the rock, Qin Yuesheng spoke lightly: "No need for courtesy. I’ve heard of Hongyan Manor’s good reputation in the martial world. Why were they chasing you?"
Immediately, Hong Ping couldn’t help clenching his teeth in hatred, "Those people are from the Taicang Sect, their disciples are rampant and arrogant, specializing in all manner of thieving acts. We were escorting a benefactor back home, never thought we’d be targeted by these ruffians for robbery. We refused, fought them yet—"
Qin Yuesheng understood and didn’t inquire further, saying: "Since those people have left, I advise you to quickly escort your benefactor home. I have matters pending, so I won’t linger."
"Young hero, would you share your identity with us? I shall repay you someday."
"It was just a small effort, no need for such thanks." Qin Yuesheng turned to leave.
"Young hero, are you planning to enter this valley?" Hong Ping suddenly asked.
Qin Yuesheng frowned, displeased.
"Young hero, pardon my intrusion, but this valley is extremely ominous. In the past half-year, many who attempted to enter the valley for firewood have died, causing no woodcutters to dare come here any longer." Hong Ping quickly explained.
"Ominous?" Qin Yuesheng hadn’t expected the valley to have such a reputation, and his interest in it grew.
Antong County is full of strangeness, and this attached valley also has many problems. If one wants to uncover its secrets, there’s every reason to explore it. Perhaps those officials from the Chang’an Seven Stars Bureau have also been here.
"Thank you for the warning." Qin Yuesheng cupped his fist, then vanished from sight in an instant.
He moved so swiftly that without keen vision, it was hard to track him. The disciples from Hongyan Manor could only see Qin Yuesheng disappear before their eyes in the blink of an eye, and they couldn’t help but feel admiration, realizing they truly encountered a master this time.
"Senior Brother Hong, let’s escort them away first." someone suggested.
Hong Ping nodded, and the group quickly left the spot, fearing that the people from the Taicang Sect would come chasing after them again.
...
Inside the valley was overgrown with vegetation, with large trees clinging to the cliff above, blocking out a lot of sunlight, making the valley appear dim.
Qin Yuesheng held the Celestial Demon Evil Blade and the Dragon-Slaying Sword to clear a path. Those plants, which had grown too thick to pass, were quickly cut into pieces by Qin Yuesheng, creating a narrow pathway.
"Hmm!"
Suddenly, a piece of cloth hanging from a tree branch caught Qin Yuesheng’s attention. The cloth was of high quality, clearly not something an ordinary person could afford. It looked familiar to Qin Yuesheng because the two corpses of the Seven Stars Bureau officials found at the Wujiang River ferry were wearing uniforms of this material.
"So they had been here." Qin Yuesheng was delighted, as this presented a new clue.
Taking down the piece of cloth, Qin Yuesheng continued deeper into the valley.
The valley was shaped like a gourd, with the depths forming a basin with only one entrance and exit. After passing through a curtain of hanging vines, he saw a heap of burial mounds and gravestones immediately come into view.
Dense and everywhere, it was like a scene from a mass grave.
The burial mounds piled upon one another, and the gravestones covered with gravestones, were so numerous that it was impossible to distinguish how many there were.
Getting closer, Qin Yuesheng saw that each gravestone read ’The Tomb of So-and-so’.
As he walked, he suddenly stopped in front of one gravestone, full of disbelief.
The inscription on the stone read ’The Tomb of Ning Houbo’.
Judging by the weathering of the carvings, it had been there for a while.
"Why would someone build a grave and erect a stone here for that County Magistrate?" Qin Yuesheng pondered for a moment, and disregarding any taboo, he began digging with the Celestial Demon Evil Blade. Soon, he reached the bottom, revealing a wooden coffin.
Crack!
With a single palm strike, the wooden pegs securing the coffin lid were no match for Qin Yuesheng’s Palm Force, breaking instantly, sending the lid flying sideways to the ground.
Looking inside the coffin, he saw the mostly charred body of Ning Houbo lying within, the very same man he had met just yesterday.
"How is this possible!" Qin Yuesheng was shocked.
Hadn’t he just seen Ning Houbo yesterday, so who was lying in this coffin now?
There were no signs of fresh earth disturbances on the grave, indicating that, like the gravestone, it had been settled for quite a while.
Qin Yuesheng immediately activated the Yellow Springs Eye, causing a yellow aura to swirl in his vision. The corpse of Ning Houbo in the coffin began to tremble, as if electrocuted.
Before long, Ning Houbo struggled to climb out of the coffin, his whole body twitching uncontrollably, and he began to speak faintly:
"Ah! Someone help me! There’s a fire! There’s a fire! I’m on fire! Someone quickly pour water..."
Hiss hiss hiss!
Ning Houbo’s body shuddered and instantly disintegrated into a pile of ashes, scattering on the ground.
"There’s not much information left by this person, but it’s clear that his residence caught fire before he died, and there was nothing he could do to escape it." Qin Yuesheng thought to himself.
Ning Houbo perished in a great fire, but what about the Ning Houbo in the yamen? Could someone be impersonating him deliberately?
Qin Yuesheng quickly dug up several more graves, using the Yellow Springs Eye to rouse those interred, and coincidentally, each deceased uttered words like ’fire’ or ’put out the fire’.
In other words, all these individuals perished in a similar manner, all succumbing to a great fire.
"A great fire..." Qin Yuesheng pondered.
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