Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Eerie
"Ah..."
The change was so sudden. One mont, the woman was swaying her slender waist as she gracefully approached Chu Mu. The next, with a piercing scream, she collapsed to the ground, huddling in a corner, her face a mask of terror.
"Brother... Brother Mu?"
Xu Yuan swallowed, instinctively looking at Chu Mu.
Chu Mu stared intently at the window from which the wails were coming, then his gaze shifted to the mangled corpse.
The person had clearly suffered an agonizing death. The body was so mangled that it was impossible to recognize who it had once been.
"Brother Mu, there’s an Inspection Order!"
While Chu Mu was observing the scene, Xu Yuan rushed forward and snatched up an Inspection Token. His expression changed drastically, and he snapped his head up to look at Chu Mu. "Brother Mu, it’s a Hundred Households’!"
Chu Mu snatched the Inspection Order from him. The engraved rank of Hundred Households and the na He Ping were perfectly clear.
"Go notify the Inspection Office!"
After giving the order to Xu Yuan, Chu Mu looked back at the chaotic scene inside Fengyue Tower, his expression grim and uncertain.
He was certainly no stranger to who the Hundred Households He Ping was.
Strictly speaking, He Ping had been the one to directly command the operation to suppress the mountain bandits. The Thousand Households, Li Jinghong, had been more of a figurehead.
Although He Ping rarely acted himself, the subtle clues he revealed suggested his Martial Arts were likely no weaker than Chu Mu’s forr team leader, Li Gang.
A man whose Martial Arts skills ranked among the top at the Nanshan Inspection Office. A man who held the rank of Hundred Households and stood at the apex of power in Nanshan Town.
For a man like that to die here, in Fengyue Tower, and in such a grueso manner...
Chu Mu gripped his Sword tightly, his gaze on Fengyue Tower now filled with a new wariness.
"Stop playing God and die!"
Just as Chu Mu was hesitating about whether to enter Fengyue Tower to investigate, a furious roar followed the wails. Imdiately after, the sound of crashing and splintering wood carried clearly to his ears from the open window.
Looking through the open main doors of Fengyue Tower, he could see many of the brothel’s enforcers rushing up the stairs. So of the Inspectors who had been enjoying themselves inside were right behind them, swords drawn.
At that, Chu Mu hesitated no longer. But just as he was about to enter Fengyue Tower, a figure suddenly leaned halfway out of the window directly above him.
The man scanned the surroundings before his gaze quickly locked onto Chu Mu.
"Did you see anyone co out of here?"
"Only him."
Chu Mu pointed to the corpse on the ground and asked, "What’s the situation inside?"
"I don’t know."
The man shook his head and explained:
"After I burst in, I only saw a shadow flash by. I threw a few punches and smashed the cabinet to bits, but I didn’t see a thing..."
Chu Mu frowned. He took a few more steps back and surveyed the entire layout of Fengyue Tower, his eyes finally settling on that sa window again.
The window was on the south side of Fengyue Tower. To its left was a wall, to its right was the window of another room, and above it was the third-floor attic.
Chu Mu had so recollection of Fengyue Tower’s layout. The second floor was a simple linear design: a single corridor with guest rooms on both sides.
’Based on what this man is saying... he rushed in, saw a shadow, threw a few punches, and then it vanished without a trace?’
’The window is right above him. As for the door, it opens onto that single corridor. With all that commotion, where could it have escaped?’
Chu Mu shot the man a suspicious look but didn’t break his stride, quickly walking into Fengyue Tower.
Up the stairs, the second-floor corridor was already packed with people, all crowded outside the door to that room.
Fortunately, it seed so Inspectors were maintaining order, and their shouts kept things from getting too chaotic.
"Squad Leader?"
Chu Mu walked forward and only then noticed that the one organizing the crowd was none other than his imdiate superior, Wu Shuo.
However, Wu Shuo looked rather disheveled. Traces of makeup still lingered on his face and neck, and he hadn’t even had ti to properly put on his armor.
But then again, none of the other Inspectors on site looked much better, so he didn’t particularly stand out.
"You brat, you’re just in ti! Hurry and notify the office, tell them to send people over! Sothing big has happened!"
Wu Shuo said hastily, fumbling with the straps of his armor.
"I already sent Xu Yuan to the Inspection Office to notify them."
Chu Mu nodded and peered into the devastated room. "What’s the situation in there?"
Wu Shuo’s face was pale. He glanced around before leaning in and whispering in Chu Mu’s ear:
"The Vice Thousand Households, two Hundred Households, three Squad Leaders, and a few of the Fengyue Tower girls... they’re all dead!"
Chu Mu’s pupils contracted. He instinctively looked into the room. Amid the wreckage, the shocking sight of blood was everywhere, and the mangled bodies were a jarring sight.
Chu Mu quickly asked, "What about the killer?"
At Chu Mu’s question, Wu Shuo’s face grew even paler. He just shook his head, gesturing for Chu Mu to see for himself, and said no more.
Chu Mu’s brow furrowed slightly. Raising his sword, he walked into the room.
The room’s layout was just as he rembered. The only ways in or out were the outer window and the door and windows facing the corridor.
By now, several Inspectors were already inside, examining the scene. Every one of them was pale, unable to hide their terror.
’From the ti the commotion started to the mont I arrived... it’s only been a minute or two. A Vice Thousand Households, two Hundred Households, three Squad Leaders...’
’Even slaughtering pigs couldn’t be this fast, could it?’
’And these weren’t ordinary people. Their skills were anything but weak!’
’Who could possibly slaughter all these highly skilled Inspectors in just a minute or two, and then vanish into thin air?’
Chu Mu carefully inspected every corner of the room. After scanning his surroundings, his gaze finally locked onto the mangled corpses on the floor.
A single glance sent a sudden chill down his spine, and he instinctively looked at the other bodies.
It was then that he realized the reason they were so mangled... they had been skinned!
Chu Mu strode to one of the corpses and lifted its clothing. The sa mangled, bloody flesh was revealed beneath.
In that instant, it was no longer just a chill down his spine. Chu Mu felt an indescribable coldness envelop him completely.
’Never mind how all these high-ranking Inspectors from the Inspection Office were killed in just a minute or two. The question is, how were they skinned while their clothes are still perfectly intact?’
’Committing a massacre in one or two minutes, the killer escaping without a trace... that might be barely explainable.’
’But for all of them to be skinned, yet have their clothes untouched?’
’How can that be explained?’
’Was this preditated?’
Chu Mu could see it clearly. The woman who had been clinging to the windowsill screaming for help just a minute or two ago was now also a mangled ss of flesh, her clothes similarly untouched.
Chu Mu took a deep breath. A sudden, urgent feeling surged within him.
An urgent need... to leave this bizarre and terrifying place!
...
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