Chapter 79: Father, Mother, save me!

"But I don't know where he is now?" Zhang Yang said with a worried look. "Is there no other way?"

"You really don't know?" Jingwu looked at him with a half-smile.

Zhang Yang's eyes darted away, then he hardened his heart and said, "Master, I really don't know."

Jingwu chuckled and said, "It's alright, I know where he is. You just need to report it to the authorities."

Zhang Yang's face turned pale, and he opened and closed his lips, but couldn't say anything.

He knew where his parents had hidden Zhang Hong, but he had to pretend he didn't know in order to save his life.

But was the master in front of him lying to him, or did he really know?

Jingwu watched as the man's eyes darted around, and he remained silent for a long time, gradually losing his patience.

Seeing Xue Wenhui return to prepare dinner, she instructed, "Wenhui, go to the magistrate's office and ask the magistrate to come over."

Upon hearing this, Xue Wenhui immediately put down what she was doing and agreed.

She had barely entered the room when she immediately went out again to the county magistrate's office.

Watching the person's departing figure, Zhang Yang couldn't help but clutch his clothes, his mind racing, unsure of what to do.

He closed his eyes, steeled his resolve, and decided to pretend he knew nothing. He couldn't let Zhang Hong's affair ruin his family.

Jingwu noticed the change in his expression and guessed what he was thinking. He chuckled and ignored him.

Before long, Xue Wenhui returned with the county magistrate.

The magistrate originally planned to go home to be with his daughter as soon as he finished his work. But when he heard the yamen runner report that someone from Jingwu’s residence had invited him over, he came running over immediately.

He was about to greet her with a smile when he heard the girl in front of him say something.

"Sir, a few days ago, a family was murdered in Zhangjia Village. Please bring your constables and come with me to arrest the murderer."

Upon hearing this, the magistrate's expression immediately turned serious: "Master, this is no small matter. Do you have any evidence...?"

As he finished speaking, he found it somewhat amusing. The master was so capable of divination and calculation; there must have been a reason she had summoned him.

Jing Wu smiled and pointed to Zhang Yang next to him: "This is the village chief of Zhangjia Village. He's the one who approached me."

Hearing this, Zhang Yang was startled and immediately realized he had been tricked.

Sweat poured down his forehead. He wanted to back away, but hesitated for a moment when he thought of the deaths that had occurred recently.

Zhang Yang didn't know if not dealing with Wei Rou would lead to the tragic deaths of everyone in the village.

He dared not gamble; he had a wife and children at home, and elderly parents in their seventies and eighties.

Zhang Yang thought of his daughter's innocent little face, took a deep breath, and nodded: "That's true."

The magistrate nodded and immediately ordered a carriage to be prepared and summoned three or four yamen runners.

Seeing that Jingwu was about to board the carriage, he immediately called out to him, "Master, isn't this young lady going?"

The county magistrate was naturally not one to meddle, but the county office had only prepared one carriage, and the master was a young woman. If outsiders saw her sharing a carriage with two men, those with ulterior motives might spread the word and ruin the master's reputation.

Jingwu turned around, somewhat puzzled, and looked at Xue Wenhui, whom he was pointing at. He immediately understood what he meant.

"Wen Hui, you should come too."

Xue Wenhui was a clever man. With a quick glance, he understood what she meant, nodded immediately, and got into the carriage.

The magistrate breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, and got into the carriage.

Zhangjia Village is remote; the horse-drawn carriage circled around one mountain after another.

The carriage didn't stop at the village entrance until the evening glow appeared on the horizon.

Jingwu followed the magistrate off the carriage. He looked up and saw that all the houses in the village had their doors tightly shut, and no one had gone out.

She looked in the direction with the heaviest yin energy and immediately guessed that it was where the well was located.

Jingwu turned his gaze back and said to the magistrate beside him, "Sir, the criminal is in the pigsty of that house."

Zhang Yang looked in the direction she pointed and recognized it as the house where his parents lived. His heart trembled violently.

Zhang Hong was indeed hidden in the pigsty by his parents; it seems this master really does have some skills.

He sighed deeply. Debts must be repaid, and murderers must pay with their lives! He only hoped that Zhang Hong wouldn't implicate his family.

The magistrate, accompanied by his yamen runners, marched toward the house. Without a word, he kicked open the courtyard gate and headed straight for the pigsty.

A short while later, four or five constables escorted a burly man out.

"Sir, there is indeed such a person hiding in the pigsty."

Jingwu stepped forward and looked the person up and down. Although the person in front of him was hiding in the pigsty and his clothes were stained with pig manure, upon closer inspection, it was clear that the fabric was of excellent quality.

She looked at his fat, chubby face and couldn't help but frown.

"Even if you are government officials, you can't arrest me for no reason!" Zhang Hong struggled uncontrollably, his face full of anger as he looked over. When his gaze fell on his younger brother, he immediately flew into a rage: "It was you! You brought them here, didn't you?"

Zhang Yang lowered his head. He wanted to argue, but thinking of the master's abilities beside him, he suppressed the thought.

"Brother, confess your crimes and accept the punishment, just for the sake of the people in this village."

"Bullshit! What did I do wrong? I didn't do anything wrong, why should I confess?" Zhang Hong spat at the person in front of him, then shouted loudly, "Mother, Father, come quick! I'm being arrested!"

Zhang Yang immediately stepped forward and covered his mouth. His parents were already in their seventies or eighties and could barely walk steadily. Calling them out now would only upset them.

"ah!"

The next second, Zhang Yang's palm was bitten hard, drawing blood. He was so angry that his face turned red, and he slapped his brother hard.

"Zhang Hong!"

"Well, Zhang Yang, not only did you betray me, but you also dare to call me by my name without even calling me 'brother'!" Veins bulged on Zhang Hong's neck, and he wished he could beat his younger brother to death.

Having watched this farce unfold, the magistrate immediately said in a cold voice, "Enough! Stop arguing! Both of you come back to the county office with me, and we'll explain what's wronged and what grudges we have."

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand and ordered the constables to take the person away.

"Mother! Mother, save me, Mother... um." As Zhang Hong was shouting, a piece of cloth was stuffed into his mouth by the yamen runner next to him and gagged him.

He cried out in desperation, but no sound came out.

"Don't rush, sir. Let's go check out that well first." Jingwu smiled and walked towards the other side.

She stood by the well, looking at the eerie aura swirling around it, and sighed softly.

"This well is the only well in the village. Master, I beg you to help us and take her in."