pertwk Chapter 13 Entering the Mansion
Chapter 13 Entering the Mansion
"Sir, according to the coroner's examination... the old woman died of heart failure, and there was nothing strange about it. As for the child, he hanged himself."
The two constables knelt on the ground, not daring to raise their heads.
"There are dozens of cases of missing livestock. Here is the list." The short, stout yamen runner handed the case list to Fang Hongxuan.
After examining it carefully several times, Fang Hongxuan finally frowned.
"The homes where the meat was stolen were all in extremely remote locations, and there wasn't much meat available for sale in the market. Could it be that the thieves ate it themselves?"
"The compass isn't responding at all. Could it really be a crime committed by an ordinary person?!"
In fact, Fang Hongxuan was not good at investigating cases and catching criminals. He was only able to enter the Demon Suppression Division because he was good at fighting and had strong connections, which qualified him to be nominated as a Demon Extermination Captain.
Completely lost in thought, Fang Hongxuan dismissed the yamen runners, picked up his bag, and headed towards the blacksmith's shop.
"Let's retrieve the sword first, and then wait and see for a few days."
Before Fang Hongxuan even entered the market, another person appeared before him.
This man had a fat head and big ears, and his face was so fleshy that his eyes were almost invisible. His protruding belly made him look like a pregnant woman in her sixth month of pregnancy!
In this era of war and chaos, to have such a physique is enough to show that this fat man must be either rich or noble.
"I am Liu Shende, the steward of the Liu family. If you would not mind, I would like to grace me with my presence at my young master's wedding banquet in three days." The fat man took out an exquisite invitation from his sleeve, bowed, and presented it with both hands.
However, Fang Hongxuan did not intend to attend the banquet. He only thought that accepting the invitation would prevent the atmosphere from becoming awkward and causing both sides to lose face.
Liu Shende seemed to have noticed something. He straightened up and slightly opened his narrowed eyes.
"If you encounter any difficulties, please feel free to speak up. The Liu family has some influence in Qingyang Town, and we believe they can help you resolve your troubles."
He appeared respectful and spoke with humility. However, Fang Hongxuan still felt that this man was extremely arrogant.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Liu Shende left satisfied.
"Let's see what kind of behavior the Liu family really has."
Fang Hongxuan's eyes narrowed slightly as he opened the invitation.
无他
He Nianwei's name leaps off the page.
...
The long, dark clouds in the sky weighed down the treetops, making it hard to breathe, and the surrounding area was gloomy and damp.
The surrounding clouds flickered erratically, with flashes of thunder appearing and disappearing intermittently.
There is a broken wall in the field.
The old Taoist priest, whom I hadn't seen for two days, stepped through the door with a solemn expression.
The enormous temple has completely collapsed.
The once exquisitely detailed and lifelike City God has been transformed into a massive clay sculpture, and even his kind face has become blurred.
He took a red memorial tablet out of his bag and placed it on the offering table.
"The True Man of Qingzhen, the Great Mysterious Subduing Dragon"
This is the inscription on the memorial tablet.
Although the three lost their luggage and money when they fled the government inn, Li Mu did not lose the ancestral tablet that he kept close to his body.
"Master, please give your disciple some guidance. I am uneasy about entering the town this time, as if a great calamity is about to befall me and my life is nearing its end."
The prayer cushions in the temple were all gone, and the old Taoist priest made no pretense, kneeling down to pray directly. He would never have shown such an appearance in front of his disciples.
There were no unusual phenomena at the memorial tablet; instead, the massive clay figure trembled slightly. The old Taoist priest was overjoyed at the sight, believing that the patriarch had manifested his power, and made a gesture to kowtow three times and bow nine times.
"Gagaga..."
A bird's head peeked out from the top of the clay figure, and the startled birds and beasts flapped their wings and flew through the window frame, disappearing into the horizon.
The clay head of the City God fell down, almost knocking the old Taoist priest unconscious.
He stood up angrily, pointing in the direction the birds and beasts had gone, expressing his feelings directly. After about half an incense stick's time, the old Taoist felt his mouth was dry and stopped.
A wrinkled yellow talisman, folded into a triangle, appeared in the clay. The old Taoist priest stared at it for a moment, then quickly scraped away the debris and picked up the talisman.
After taking a closer look, he happily put it away.
The damaged clay sculpture lost its luster and collapsed into a pile of mud.
Boom!
Thunder rumbled outside the temple.
The dark clouds were as thick as lead and iron, and fine raindrops pounded down relentlessly.
In a flash, a shadow the size of a calf came into the old Taoist's view. He frowned and looked around to see if there were any useful tools.
A yellow dog with bloodshot eyes, baring its teeth, and spitting out salt water stepped in.
If it were ghosts or evil spirits, the old Taoist priest would have some means of dealing with them. But when faced with a real demon, even with his staff tightly gripped, it was no match for him.
In just a few rounds, the thick stick was torn to shreds. Even the old Taoist priest had several wounds on his body.
Blood soaked through the coarse linen clothes, and after a brief standoff, a small pool of blood accumulated beneath the straw sandals.
The old Taoist priest was nearly exhausted, and with severe blood loss, his face grew increasingly pale. In a daze, he collapsed to the ground, unable to resist any longer.
After licking the blood puddle clean, the yellow dog lunged at the old Taoist priest's blood-stained belly.
As the shadow swept past, Fang Hongxuan deftly maneuvered to shield the old Taoist behind him, the compass needle at his waist pointing directly at the yellow dog.
"It's actually the old Taoist priest among those three masters and disciples. Why haven't I seen his disciple?" Fang Hongxuan's surprise didn't last long before his attention shifted to the yellow dog.
"bass"
The blade of the broadsword is as black as ink and as white as snow, clearly made of fine iron.
The yellow dog's skin was like bronze and iron, and the two clashed together with a clanging sound.
Fang Hongxuan blocked the yellow dog's attack with his sword, then kicked it hard in the waist. It's said that wolves have iron heads, bronze tails, and tofu waists; one would assume dogs would be the same.
The yellow dog, in pain, was slammed hard against Liang Zhu. It whimpered as it got up, but the red light in its eyes grew even stronger.
Its size has increased considerably, making it comparable to an ox or a horse!
Although Fang Hongxuan was large, he was extremely fast, like a fierce tiger stirring up the wind or a dragon coiling in the clouds, stirring up dust as he moved.
The yellow dog became even more ferocious, and instead of avoiding him, charged straight at Fang Hongxuan.
Fang Hongxuan, who had originally intended to test the waters, suddenly had a fierce glint in his eyes, and his surroundings were instantly eroded by dark red resentment intertwined with black baleful energy.
"Live in the face of death!"
The hand holding the knife abandoned it and used it as a claw, forcefully severing the yellow dog's spine.
The look of horror in the yellow dog's eyes froze on the screen.
His head tilted to the side, and he lost his life in an instant.
Fang Hongxuan's eyes were bloodshot, and the powerful blood energy from the yellow dog's corpse flowed down his arm and into his body. Then, the murderous aura dissipated, and Fang Hongxuan's bloodlust gradually subsided.
"It's barely enough to offset the damage from this attack..."
As he caressed the remaining bones and feathers in his hands, Fang Hongxuan's eyes gleamed with a sharp light, and he seemed to have gained some insight.
"So it's related to the Liu family. Looks like I've caught up with this wedding banquet." Sheathing his sword, Fang Hongxuan left hastily, not caring whether the old Taoist had regained consciousness.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn...
The slight pain startled the old Taoist priest awake. He first frantically checked himself, then looked around.
The mangled yellow dog lay lifeless in a pool of blood, and the old Taoist priest fled the temple in a panic.
"Whoever saved me, I will repay them when I have the chance."
"The most urgent task is to infiltrate the wedding banquet. This place is strange; the Liu family is likely involved in something. I must bring those two fools out of here."