Chapter 25: Worrying about you: "Tonight's business, tonight's business."...

Jiang Hui didn't answer, because he smelled the fragrance, lowered his eyes, supported the hilt of the sword on his waist with one hand, and moved away.

The moonlight was behind him.

People came out.

It was like moonlight coming out.

Yan Siqing glanced at the inner cave and was a little curious because it was her first time in such a place, but the smell was not good.

She covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief.

He said calmly, "There are so many salt wells, all already in operation. It's hard work, and you can't do it alone. Plus, illicit salt trading is a serious crime, and you're too busy to do it. You'd need someone to operate the black market. I believe Li Duogu, Zhang Wu, and the other four are in cahoots with you. You five are young, but you're looking for huge profits. You secretly activated these ancient salt wells. Private salt trading is more profitable than farming. This should have been a long-term business for you, and it was indispensable. But those who are greedy for illegal profits can't withstand any changes. Half a year ago, the imperial court issued a new decree to reform the salt tax law. Not only did it bring salt merchants from all over the country under supervision and increase salt taxes, but it also introduced salt diversion from the east to the west. This angered salt merchants from all over the country, and they secretly bribed many scholars to sow discord and denounce the salt officials responsible for the reform. This led to the quarrels and even fights among scholars that Wang Mazi encountered a while ago."

"But this incident has a greater impact on you, because your trading channels have been cut off, and you're even afraid of being discovered about your previous trading methods. If there's a conflict among you, the first one to die will be Li Duogu—whether it was an accident or intentional, he's dead in the end."

"Salt trafficking is a serious crime, but it will be discovered in the future. However, the death is a big problem right now, and the Li family can't hide it, so there is the water ghost incident."

"But this matter could be concealed from the villagers, but not from those who knew about it. So the five people died one after another. Their deaths had to be consistent with the horrific killing methods of the water ghost, with severed heads and hands to shock people."

"The only fifth person who survived was the legendary Water Ghost, who was also insane..."

"Wang Mazi."

"Is it right?"

The ugly female ghost with a hunched back turned around, with her hair disheveled to hide the ugly pockmarks on her face. At first glance, she looked like an adult man.

He stared straight at Yan Siqing and Jiang Hui.

Unwilling and resentful.

"What nonsense! I just heard about what happened in the village and wanted to follow the clues to find some food and property. Murder and water ghosts have nothing to do with me, let alone salt production."

"This is not my home either. I don't live here. I just ran away here in a panic."

"Do you have any evidence?"

He was very calm, not at all like the foolish and confused look as the legend said. He had already calculated the current situation - because of his greed for the money of the village chief and others, he fell into the trap of the other party, which was irreversible. However, he did not admit the crime of murder. He even saved a lot of money from selling illegal salt before. If he bribed the officials during his exile, he might be able to escape.

So he denied it outright, betting that the other party would not be able to find any evidence.

Murder requires evidence.

Similarly, the traces of salt production here...have nothing to do with him.

He had already cleaned it up while killing and silencing the witnesses.

None of his belongings were left behind.

Wang Mazi's expression even had a bit of arrogance, as if he had given up.

Ruozhao and others were angry, but Jiang Hui was able to control himself. He put his fingers on the hilt of the sword and looked at Yan Siqing.

He seemed very confident in her.

Yan Siqing didn't look at him, but only at Wang Mazi. "It seems that even if Zhang Wu's body parts are here, you are sure that they can't be used to prove your identity. It's even very likely that you have disposed of the body parts and thrown them into other waters, thus fulfilling the theory of water ghosts."

It is actually very easy to kill someone, but it is very difficult to prove that someone has killed someone.

Since murder carries the death penalty, in order to avoid killing others without authorization, the presumption of innocence should be applied.

Unless a quick decision is made by force, people like Jiang Hui, and even many local officials, will not necessarily convict based on an absolutely complete chain of evidence.

But this is not the judicial ethics education that Yan Siqing received since childhood.

In fact, Jiang Hui was also curious about what evidence Yan Siqing had to incriminate the other party, so on the way here, he asked her if she wanted to arrest the other party directly. She did not hesitate at all and directly rejected it.

until.....

Wang Mazi just smiled without saying anything. The salt well cave was still cool and the smell was still unpleasant.

The voice of Yan Siqing is like the fragrant spring breeze in March.

"The night Li Duogu died, you said you were drinking in the county town, and on your way back to the village you encountered a water ghost. You were dragged into the pond and got soaked. Is that correct?"

Wang Mazi smiled: "Yes."

Yan Siqing: "There's a wound on his cheek, he reeks of alcohol, and there are officials in the county town to testify, is that correct?"

Wang Mazi: "Of course, everyone in the village has gone to the county town to ask someone. Otherwise, do you think our village chief is so easy to deceive? That old fox..."

Naturally, he was dissatisfied with it, a dissatisfaction that had been dormant for many years.

Yan Siqing didn't want to listen to him because it was getting late and she was also feeling sleepy.

"I asked the villagers that night about the pants you had pulled off by the water ghost in the pond, but they didn't find them anywhere near the pond."

Wang Mazi's expression froze slightly, but he continued to smile: "Maybe Master Water Ghost likes my pants."

Yan Siqing said, "The pockmarks on your face are from acne. If you drink alcohol for a long time, you will inevitably suffer from repeated redness, swelling, inflammation, and pustules. Normal people can't bear to scratch, and the symptoms will spread over and over again, making it difficult to heal. But the pockmarks on your face are basically old acne scars. Although ugly and scary, they have healed. It can be seen that you have been abstaining from alcohol for many years. You are born with a weak constitution, lame and hunchback, and you are weak due to lack of food and education in your youth. But tonight, I see you walking so fast, carrying so much heavy silver to this remote place, and you still have the strength to spare. It can be seen that you have taken great care of yourself over the years. There are no wine bottles here or in your residence."

The village is not that big.

When he was led to the village chief's house to steal valuables tirelessly, Ruo Zhao and others who were following him also went to his house and searched thoroughly.

It may not be possible to find evidence, but there are other clues.

Wang Mazi couldn't help but touch his face after hearing what Yan Siqing said. He looked horrible, but his expression was complicated and contradictory. He stared at Yan Siqing intently: "Miss, you talk so much nonsense, but you still don't have any solid evidence to convict me. Really..."

Yan Siqing: "Because you can't drink, and you don't let them drink, that Wang Mazi who often goes to the county town to drink is actually another Wang Mazi—Li Duogu. He's a heavy drinker, and he couldn't help himself. He pretended to be you, running a private salt business in the county town. That night, you encountered a quarrel and a fight among scholars in the county town. Because he was drunk and confused, he got involved and was caught by the government as a witness. However, it was just a record for the legal advisor. But it happened to be at a time when the imperial court issued a decree on salt administration, which was already a risk for you. Being recorded by the government was no small matter, and he even got scratched on the face."

"The man who scratched him, one of the scholars, may have seen some flaws. After all, his face was a mask of disguise. Although he was drunk and might not remember everything, it was still a huge flaw. After learning about this, you made a plan - Li Duogu, we can't stay."

"So he died. His scratched face couldn't match up with Wang Mazi, the troublemaker in the county town, so his body took on the horrific appearance of being gnawed by wild beasts."

"And you, the real Wang Mazi, will also have scratches on your face."

"But even if you respond perfectly, there's no guarantee that the scholar won't be able to tell the difference after seeing you and Li Duogu's body, unless you not only killed Li Duogu and the other three during this time, but also killed the scholar as well."

Wang Mazi's expression was ugly, and his face full of pits made him look even more ferocious, but everyone was not sure whether he had silenced the scholar.

How could an unhealthy person be so strong?

With such energy and determination, there is no serious work that he cannot succeed in.

However, they had not had time to go to the county town to find the scholar for verification. Why was Yan Siqing so confident?

Of course, considering all the clues and reasoning at hand, as well as the fact that this person was lured and exposed tonight, he has already been identified as a suspect, and it is no problem for the government to arrest him.

At worst, I can just go find that scholar again.

His death is a clue for further investigation.

He is not dead, that is a bigger clue.

Everyone was no longer in a hurry. Ruozhao stepped forward and wanted to take Wang Mazi down directly. The villagers became even more angry and shouted for him to be arrested.

Wang Mazi took a step back, drew his blade, and prepared to put up a final resistance. There was no sign of weakness on his face, only the fighting spirit of a beast forced into a corner.

But he also said to Yan Siqing: "I am considered a loser, but you can't be considered a winner unless you can convince me sincerely."

Yan Siqing: "Tonight's work will be finished tonight."

Wang Mazi: "How? Let your impatient and martial arts-savvy husband kill me directly?"

What husband?

Yan Siqing and Jiang Hui were stunned for a moment and denied it in unison.

After Jiang Hui denied it, he quickly glanced at Yan Siqing.

Yan Siqing showed no other abnormalities and seemed not to care much about it. He just denied it.

Wang Mazi was unconvinced. "I've been spying on the movements of those two families. When Wang Laosi was apprehended, you kept calling each other 'Madam', and your subordinates also called you 'Madam'. Aren't you still husband and wife?"

He believed it so firmly, even more firmly than the judge of the underworld, that he seemed to want to give them both a title first.

They haven't been able to convict him yet.

Yan Siqing was speechless and embarrassed. Jiang Hui looked at her again, and his fingers that had been touching the hilt of the sword loosened up. He coughed lightly and said, "Mr. Wang Mazi, you may have misunderstood. I am not Madam Yan's husband. Whether it was me or others who called her Madam before, it was just a courtesy. Please do not damage Madam's reputation."

Wang Mazi saw that what he said was true and frowned in surprise: "If you are not husband and wife, why are you calling her that? And looking at her like that? Aren't you afraid that her husband will be angry?"

They are all men, how can we not tell the difference?

Wang Mazi is a weird person. Although his own situation is worrying, he still keeps harping on the matter between Yan Siqing and Jiang Hui. His subordinates have noticed something fishy about this matter, but the identities and relationship between the two are so awkward that they can't really explain it.

But if you try to force it, it can still be connected.

Wang Mazi just insisted.

Jiang Hui was a very capable person. He had just been polite to Wang Mazi, but was still being scolded by him. If it were any other time, he would have been so angry that he would have killed him.

But he was not angry at all at this time, and explained in a friendly and tactful manner.

"Madam's husband has been dead for many years."

The corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.

Wang Mazi: "No wonder."

Subordinates: “…”

Yan Siqing: "Are you stalling for time?"

She was calm and her words were as sharp as a sword.

Wang Mazi's expression was subtle, neither admitting nor denying.

Yan Siqing said, "You must be the initiator and creator of this business. You're smart and have ancient techniques. You gathered those four people and arranged a meticulous and comprehensive manufacturing and sales plan. You should be considered the boss. You even set up two Wang Mazi early on to deal with any flaws. You used the identities of the two Wang Mazi to create an alibi, making it difficult for the government to convict you. You are so meticulous and smart, and you have been running this business for such a long time. You must have a lot of money. Now that the salt administration has issued an order, this business is definitely not going to continue. You didn't take advantage of it before it was exposed and directly fled to another place with the money and started a new career under a new identity. Instead, you chose to kill Li Duogu and others... This shows that you don't intend to give up your identity as Wang Mazi, and you haven't even considered leaving the village."

Many of the previous suspects were just clues to lock on to him, to lock on to him, to analyze him, to understand him, but not to understand him.

What you don’t understand is either a flaw or a weakness.

"That doesn't make sense."

"Unless, there is something you care about here."

"Then a lot of the money you earned must have gone to the other party. This is the only flaw you can't deal with, unless you can muster the most vicious murderous intention and kill them to silence them."

He cleared himself of all charges, and blamed the smuggling of salt on the dead, and the dead on the water ghosts. This was his cunning.

But it wasn't just human lives that were involved, it was also money. The money of those four people was not difficult to find, and there were clues at the brothel alone.

Most of the imperial silver was marked to facilitate the government to calculate taxes. This was set by the emperor when the country was founded. It was on this basis that the salt tax reform was successful. Otherwise, people would be dissatisfied.

One by one, he followed the clues and found the buyer. The buyer paid the money. The debt was divided into five parts. When his part was matched, if there was marked silver, it could be matched directly.

That's irrefutable evidence.

Of course, he could push all the money onto that person.

But Yan Siqing knew he wouldn't.

People can fight back desperately because of their desperate situation, and the motivation and lethality are unpredictable. However, it is difficult for people to fight against their original intentions. Although it is said that people's hearts are fickle and it is extremely difficult for people to maintain their original intentions, if they have paid a huge price for this original intention, and go all the way to the end, and stab their original intentions in the back when disaster strikes, it is equivalent to completely denying their own life.

It's difficult.

Yan Siqing had experienced it herself, and she knew it was difficult, so the look she gave Wang Mazi was deep and penetrating, reaching deep into his soul.

Wang Mazi was stunned, then the corners of his mouth trembled, and he stared at Yan Siqing intently. Finally, he smiled towards the sky, wildly and ferociously, and finally he calmed down and looked down at Yan Siqing.

"I plead guilty."

"It's true that I killed them all, and the reason is exactly as you stated, Madam... But ultimately, it was a hidden danger that had accumulated over a long period of time."

"They have a disabled body, a contemptuous attitude, eat my food, smash my bowl, and even want to take the blame for their own mistakes on me - these four people and I grew up together."

"Madam, you and this gentleman were born as beautiful as precious treasures. Rarely are you both intelligent and powerful. You must have come from a very good family. You must have never thought about how someone who was born with nothing grows up."

"Being a dog, being a slave, the terrible thing is that for a long time, I was afraid they would stop letting me do it..."

"Killing Li Duogu was actually the second accident after the unexpected outbreak that night. He was born healthy, but he didn't take care of himself. He had long been drained by alcohol and sex. He made such a big mistake that day, but he didn't repent. He even went to a brothel to drink and get drunk. He couldn't tell east from west. After returning to the village, I discovered his trickery. He talked nonsense... and even wanted to attack me. I never thought I could kill him. The biggest loss was that his pants were torn."

"When I was little, they made me take off my pants and laughed at me."

“It’s funny when I think about it now.”

"That scholar truly deserves death. Killing him would be a true silencing of witnesses, but I don't have that much time. Every time someone dies, I have to fabricate more secrets to clear suspicion and destroy evidence... There's no time. In this life, I thought I could accomplish this as long as I worked hard, but even with real money, I don't have the courage anymore."

"ridiculous."

He laughed and cut his throat with the knife.

It's so neat that it's scary.

Blood splattered and people fell down.

The case of the water ghost, four people, wrong, the death of five people, end.

——————