stjorthotic Article 38 has been delayed and is missing.
Article 38 has been delayed and is missing.
"Have you heard? Lord Cheng has gone missing?"
"Which Lord Cheng?"
"Chief Cheng of the Soul Suppression Division led a team to Caojiazhuang three days ago to arrest Yin Muhua, but disappeared en route and has not been heard from since. The government has posted notices everywhere to search for his whereabouts."
"Damn Yin Muhua, is that old hag dead?"
"I heard she escaped. Sigh, with Chief Commander Cheng dead, Jiangyin County is going to be even more chaotic."
...
In a teahouse in the inner city, a large group of people sat together, discussing the matter with great regret.
Cheng Yannian served as the chief magistrate for only five years, but he was a responsible and dedicated person. Although Jiangyin County was still not peaceful, it was much better than when the previous magistrate was in office.
At the same moment.
Inside the Zhenhun Division's yamen, a line of constables were being interrogated.
Anyone who participated in the battle of Caojiazhuang that night would be interrogated, and the interrogators would be the three chief judges.
At this moment, Lin Qing was in a cell in the Night Patrol Division, being questioned in turn by the three constables.
"Did you see Chief Engineer Cheng that day?" Shen Cheng, sitting in the middle, asked solemnly.
"No."
"Have you ever seen Yin Muhua?" Pang Tong, who was to Shen Cheng's right, asked.
"I saw her, but Yin Muhua was seriously injured. She left quickly after just one glance. I was yelled at by her and fell into a deep sleep in a woodshed. When I woke up, it was already broad daylight," Lin Qing said softly.
His words were half true and half false, because once these three people found out that he was the one who killed Yin Muhua, his combat strength would be fully exposed, many things would be inexplicable, and it would probably lead to even greater trouble.
"Have you reached the peak of Ming Jin?" Shen Cheng asked his third question. He felt that Lin Qing was different from before. His physique had become stronger and his aura was more powerful.
"Almost there," Lin Qing said slowly.
"With your abilities, you can't pose any threat to Chief Cheng. You can leave now. If you hear any news about Chief Cheng in the future, you must report it immediately. The government will reward you handsomely," Shen Cheng said thoughtfully.
"Yes, sir!"
Lin Qing got up and went out. There were still many constables waiting to be questioned outside the prison cell.
Yang Feng was also nearby. When he saw Lin Qing come out, he immediately came over.
"Lin Qing, breaking news: Lord Cheng has gone missing. If we can find him, all will be well; if not, the entire Jiangyin County will be thrown into chaos." Yang Feng's expression was solemn, and a deep worry was hidden in his eyes.
"Master, what exactly happened? How could Lord Cheng suddenly disappear?" Lin Qing asked in confusion.
"I don't know the truth either. We'll have to wait for further investigation. Most people think it was Yin Muhua who did it, but I don't think so. Yin Muhua is no match for Lord Cheng. There must be something else going on."
"Several constables just mentioned that a group of men in black broke into the manor from the south gate. They were all highly skilled in martial arts. I think these people are the culprits. As for their identities, I believe the truth will come out one day." Yang Feng said in a deep voice.
Two words suddenly popped into Lin Qing's mind: the Han family!
He felt that this matter was most likely Han Jiaqian's doing.
He saw from Yin Muhua's memories that the last time Yin Muhua was surrounded and killed by the people of the Soul Suppressing Division, the Han family had tipped him off.
The Han family has close ties with the Yin Yuan Sect, and Cheng Yannian is known for his strong sense of justice. If Yin Muhua is arrested, the Han family will surely face a great disaster. Under such circumstances, it is quite normal for the Han family to act desperately.
However, without evidence, Lin Qing only guessed and didn't say anything.
Unexpectedly, Yang Feng suddenly lowered his voice and said, "There are two possibilities: either it's the Yin Yuan Sect or it's the Han family. Chief Commander Cheng has been eyeing the Han family for a long time, and he just needs an opportunity. The Han family has also long harbored resentment towards Chief Commander Cheng, so it's not impossible that they would take advantage of the chaos to make a move."
"So what do we do next?" Lin Qing asked.
"Don't get involved. Focus on your martial arts training and continue preparing for the upcoming assessment. Strive to perfect the Eight Strikes of the Spirit Serpent. As for Lord Cheng's matter, Shencheng has already sent someone to report to the Town Soul Division of the Prefecture. Someone will arrive soon to thoroughly investigate this matter. I will also actively investigate and will definitely get to the bottom of it," Yang Feng said in a low voice.
"I understand," Lin Qing nodded.
...
The next day.
The sky is bright.
In the room, Shen Lian slapped the wooden table in front of her over.
"I'm so angry! I'm not going to have a good time from now on."
With a creak, the door was pushed open, and Lin Qing walked in carrying a bowl of freshly brewed medicinal soup, just in time to witness this scene.
"Lord Shen, calm down. What happened?" Lin Qing gently placed the porcelain bowl on the cabinet beside him.
Shen Lian sat down on a chair next to him with the air of a man.
"Someone just relayed a message that before the arrival of the Soul Suppression Division, County Magistrate Lu Xingyun will temporarily serve as the head of the Soul Suppression Division."
"Isn't this a good thing? If the Soul Suppression Division is leaderless, the entire Jiangyin County will be in chaos," Lin Qing said, puzzled.
"Good thing? Hmph, do you not know who Lu Xingyun is? He's known as Lu Qianjin, as fat as a pig, just like that old ghost Han, full of bad intentions." Shen Lian mocked.
"Lord Shen, be careful what you say, for walls may have ears." Lin Qingdu was startled; Shen Lian had insulted two powerful figures in Jiangyin County with a single sentence.
"What's the panic? My room is perfectly soundproof," Shen Lian said, letting out a soft sigh. "Life's going to be tough from now on."
...
the other side.
In the Han family mansion, in a spacious courtyard, Han Shantong held a string of Buddhist prayer beads in his hand, staring straight ahead, while Han Qi and the other seven stood in a row.
"Han Qi, how is your injury?" Han Shantong asked.
"This is not good." Han Qi said, unbuttoning his shirt to expose his chest. A two-inch-long wound was clearly visible on his left chest, and blood was still seeping out.
The wound was strange; it looked like jagged teeth, not like a knife wound, but more like a laceration.
"Cheng Yannian is indeed formidable. His Mountain-Splitting Hand almost tore my chest open. If it weren't for the help of the assassins, I would probably be a corpse by now," Han Qi said with lingering fear.
"Your injuries are too severe. If you don't receive timely treatment, you will still die. Moreover, the Mountain-Splitting Hand is Cheng Yannian's unique skill, and the wound is very distinctive. When the people from the Town Soul Division of the prefecture arrive in the future, they will know at a glance that you are the murderer. Here's what we'll do: you take the Second Young Master to the prefecture immediately. There is a residence that I have purchased there. Without my message, remember not to come back," Han Shantong said in a deep voice.
Han Qi was shocked. He understood that Han Shantong's favorite son was his second son, and this arrangement was already a way of making arrangements for his death.
"Master, what are you planning to do?" he asked.
"Cheng Yannian fled into Liulin, and his fate is now unknown. I will send people into Liulin to investigate and make sure he is dead. If he is not dead, the Han family will perish sooner or later."
However, that's not enough. Next, I need to eliminate old enemies and integrate the major forces in both the inner and outer cities.
As long as I can unite all the major forces into a cohesive whole, with the Han family at the core, I will have no fear even if the people from the Town Soul Division of the Prefecture find out something.
"Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. If he wants to harm the Han family, he's making an enemy of the entire Jiangyin County. I don't believe he'd dare to do it," Han Shantong said coldly.
"What the patriarch says is absolutely right."
...
"Lin Qing, come give me a hand, there are a few bodies to deal with!"
In the Soul Suppression Division, at the Corpse Collector's Courtyard, Lin Qing was practicing the Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake when suddenly, Yu Qiuyu appeared at the courtyard gate and shouted at him.
"They're here!"
Lin Qing stopped what he was doing and went over to her. The two walked side by side toward the crematorium.
"Where did the body come from?"
"In the battle of Caojiazhuang, eleven demons were killed, eight constables died, and more than twenty villagers of Caojiazhuang were also killed. A batch of these people's bodies were disposed of that day. Today's batch still had resentment, so it was sent to the dungeon to be suppressed for a few days. Now that the resentment has dissipated, it will be burned."