“But they’re not human. After taking our money, they not only humiliated the women in our family, but also poisoned us with a packet of poison. That’s how our whole family died.”

“My poor great-granddaughter-in-law and her two unborn children also perished, poisoned to death in the room.”

“After we died, those people set up a soul-locking array, trapping us in the courtyard, and even used our unfinished lifespan to extend the lives of others. Our Zhao family, consisting of dozens of people, was tormented by them and could not even enter the cycle of reincarnation.”

As Mr. Zhao spoke, his voice choked with emotion, and the ghosts around him also showed expressions of grief and indignation.

After a moment of silence, Qing Xuanzi understood the general situation.

He sighed. Logically, the person whose lifespan has been borrowed should be the one with the longest lifespan, but there were no signs of lifespan being borrowed on the little child.

A faint golden light was protecting them; it was Mr. Zhao protecting them with all his merits.

Qing Xuanzi made hand seals and kept calculating. Before long, he had figured out the life story of Old Master Zhao.

The old man accumulated good deeds throughout his life, helping countless people during times of disaster and donating grain and money to the anti-Japanese forces during times of war.

The richest man in the county donated all he had left, including his old house in Anyang Town, some farmland, and emergency funds for his children and grandchildren.

It can be said that Mr. Zhao did countless good deeds throughout his life, but it is regrettable that good people do not get good rewards and in the end his whole family was wiped out.

Qing Xuanzi asked, "Do you know who harmed you?"

Mr. Zhao shook his head: "Taking away farmland is a policy issued by the government, and it's the same everywhere, but criticizing and denouncing landlords is different."

“According to government regulations, large landowners who are not exploiters of peasants should not be treated this way.”

“We have donation receipts from the past, and we should have been classified as red landlords, but we were still persecuted.”

Qing Xuanzi pressed on, "Does Mr. Zhao have anyone he suspects?"

Mr. Zhao nodded: "There is a guess. Before the incident, we heard that the deputy county magistrate had contracted a strange disease that was incurable by medicine. His family went to great lengths to seek medical treatment and medicine, and even prayed to gods and Buddhas and sought out Taoist priests."

“I have a long-standing grudge against their family,” Mr. Zhao said, his tone revealing a hint of helplessness and indignation. “That man is ruthless and particularly good at disguising himself. He appears to be concerned about the country and its people in public, but I have seen him entertaining Japanese soldiers.”

Qing Xuanzi frowned slightly, already having some guesses in his mind. He continued to ask, "What's that deputy county magistrate's surname? Do you know his given name?"

Mr. Zhao sighed: "His surname is Sun, and his name is Sun Ming. He is greedy and had a grudge against our family in the early years."

“He has always coveted the wealth of our Zhao family, but our family’s network of connections built up over generations is not to be underestimated.”

“He couldn’t find an opportunity to make a move, but with the land reform coming, he was the most likely person to take advantage of this opportunity to attack us.”

Qing Xuanzi nodded, already having a plan in mind.

He stood up, looked around at the ghosts, and said firmly, "Mr. Zhao, don't worry, I will break this soul-locking formation, but not now."

“You are not only losing your remaining lifespan, but the merits you have accumulated over generations are also being continuously drained away by others.”

“I suspect that someone is using this formation to steal your merits to improve their cultivation. If I’m not mistaken, the person who stole the merits and the person who set up the formation are the same person.”

"Moreover, this person must be with the one who steals lifespan. I must deal with the person who set up the formation first, otherwise once the formation is broken, he will definitely know and will definitely run away. You should be patient for two days."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Zhao and the other ghosts all wished they could personally tear those people to pieces.

Mr. Zhao nodded and said, "Master, please do your work with peace of mind. We wronged souls have been trapped here for many years, and we don't mind waiting for a day or two longer. We only hope to be freed as soon as possible so that those who have done evil can receive the retribution they deserve."

Qing Xuanzi nodded slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes: "I will resolve this matter as soon as possible so that you can reincarnate in peace. Please wait here for a while, I will return."

After speaking, Qing Xuanzi turned and walked out of the Zhao family compound. In the night, his figure appeared particularly aloof.

He already had a plan in mind: he had to find the person who set up the formation first in order to break the soul-locking formation and rescue these innocent souls.

Qing Xuanzi was thinking about going to the county tomorrow, so he didn't go that night. He planned to go back and talk to Rong Lianhu about it, and then investigate this guy surnamed Sun properly.

Qing Xuanzi returned to his courtyard in town. It was late at night, but his mood was far from calm.

He had only seen this kind of soul-locking formation from ancient books. It could not only lock the soul, but also borrow luck, lifespan, and merit.

This formation originated in Japan and has been passed down through generations, making Sun Ming even more suspicious.

Pushing open the door, Qing Xuanzi saw Rong Lianhu still sitting by the stone table in the courtyard, waiting for him to return.

Seeing Qing Xuanzi return, Rong Lianhu stood up and asked with concern, "Brother, you went to the Zhao family's place? How did it go?"

Qing Xuanzi sighed and briefly recounted the Zhao family's ordeal and his own speculation: "The Zhao family was wiped out, most likely by that deputy county magistrate Sun Ming. He used evil magic to steal the Zhao family's lifespan and merits, and his methods were extremely cruel. Moreover, the Zhao family members not only lost their lifespan, but also their merits. I suspect that the person who set up the formation was stealing the Zhao family's merits to cultivate."

After listening, Rong Lianhu said with a serious expression, "Brother, Sun Ming is no longer the deputy county head. He has been the county party secretary for three years now."

"It's strange, but this person's career development is very smooth. It's as if he can be promoted as soon as he has enough seniority."

“He’s only in his fifties now, and judging by his current trajectory, he’s very likely to be promoted to the city level before he retires.”

After hearing this, Qing Xuanzi became even more certain of his guess.

He said to Rong Lianhu, "Alright, let's not talk about this now. Go and rest. Tomorrow when you go to the county town, don't wear your military uniform. Let's go and find out what's going on with him."

Rong Lianhu nodded and said seriously, "Brother, I understand. Don't worry, I will be careful and not reveal my identity."

Qing Xuanzi shook his head: "I'm not worried about you, I just don't want to alert him. This Sun Ming's methods are very unusual. Don't get close to him, I have my own ways of investigating."

Rong Lianhu was silent for a moment and then said, "Brother, I understand. I'll take you for a stroll near the government offices tomorrow."

"Um!"

"Go to sleep..."

The next day, before dawn, the two brothers, Rong Zhigao and Rong Zhiyuan, were woken up by Rong Lianhu to practice martial arts.

After they got into position and started practicing, Rong Lianhu also practiced for an hour. As dawn broke, he rode his bicycle home to pick up Fu Ya and his daughter.