Chapter Seventy-Six: I've Become a Suspect
Li Yue and Bai Yu both said they had searched several places, and apart from the occasional bark of a dog and the sound of the night watchman's clapper, the entire city of Changshao was eerily quiet, and they hadn't encountered any skinning monsters. Jiu Ya, on the other hand, had met a victim, but hadn't been able to preserve any clues, nor had she confronted the murderer. Jiu Ya murmured, "Could it be that Ran Ran encountered it?" She thought of Rong Jiang's seemingly calm but unfathomable eyes; if that skinning monster had really run into her, she probably wouldn't even have a chance to be reincarnated.
This skinning monster had the worst luck of all, running into the most ferocious one. Tsk tsk, its luck is off the charts. Jiu Ya could almost picture Rong Jiang expressionlessly grinding the monster to dust, and couldn't help but shudder.
Jiu Ya sighed, flicked her wrist, and sheathed the crimson-glowing Kunwu Blade. The blade hummed softly as it went into its sheath. Suddenly, she seemed to hear a faint "bang" in the distance, as if something had exploded in the air. But her attention was focused on figuring out Rong Jiang's whereabouts, and she didn't pay attention to this small noise. If she had been more attentive then, perhaps she could have avoided the misunderstanding that followed.
“Another possibility is that we didn’t encounter any of them,” Li Yue said calmly, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily, his body still in a fighting stance.
Bai Yu frowned. "Isn't it said that as time goes on, the number of victims is increasing? Logically speaking, since he attacked from multiple places and we've been searching everywhere, we should have run into him by now! Could this monster possibly be able to predict the future and deliberately avoid us?"
"Who knows!" Jiu Ya shook her head, a sense of unease rising in her heart. This monster was secretive and cruel, no ordinary ghost. Moreover, its ability to evade their search meant it was either extremely lucky or possessed some special means.
As they were engrossed in their conversation, a group of people was quietly approaching them. Their footsteps were deliberately soft, and the clinking of metal armor plates was particularly clear in the pre-dawn darkness. However, the three demons, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, remained oblivious for a moment.
After a while, Jiu Ya looked up at the sky. The deep night was gradually dissipating, and a faint blue hue appeared on the horizon, like spilled ink spreading. A few remaining stars still shone stubbornly, but the east was already turning a pale white.
It's almost dawn.
Remembering her promise to Rong Jiang, Jiu Ya said, "Since we haven't encountered the murderer, let's go back to the inn! Ran Ran should have already returned." She still held a sliver of hope, wishing that Rong Jiang had made some progress.
"Yes," Bai Yu and Li Yue replied in unison.
As for the pool of blood and flesh on the ground, soldiers would find it when dawn broke. The three demons had just turned and stepped out of the alley when they were startled and stopped in their tracks by the sight before them.
The alleyway's exit had been surrounded, and dozens of soldiers, armed with powerful bows and crossbows, their cold arrowheads gleaming in the brightening sunlight, were all aimed at them. Behind the archers were infantrymen with swords, their faces tense, as if facing a formidable enemy.
The leader was a middle-aged man in armor, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and dark circles under his eyes, looking somewhat haggard as if he hadn't slept well for a long time. However, his eyes were bright and piercing, and he stood upright, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His armor was covered in morning dew, indicating that he had been patrolling outside for some time.
This man was none other than Wang Fang, the garrison commander of Changshao. Several murders had occurred in Changshao over the past three months, each one horrific and shocking. Neither Wang Fang nor the prefect of Changshao, Song Ping, believed in ghosts or spirits; they were convinced it was the work of humans, but that the killer was exceptionally cunning. They had men patrolling daily, laying a tight net, all in an effort to catch the murderer.
As the half-month period approached, Song Ping personally led a team to patrol the city. Other patrolling officers also carried specially made communication fireworks, which were to be released immediately if any clues were discovered.
As dawn approached, Wang Fang spotted a burst of orange-red fireworks rising in the west of the city. He quickly led his men there. As they approached the alley, a strong stench of blood filled the air, indicating a tragedy had occurred. When he arrived, he saw three suspicious-looking men emerge from the alley, two of them carrying blood-dripping weapons.
Wang Fang immediately ordered archers to set up their bows and arrows, completely surrounding the alleyway exit. Jiu Ya, however, didn't receive the same treatment upon emerging.
"What's going on?" Jiu Ya wanted to roll her eyes. So she was being treated like a murderer? She knew it! That loud bang was probably a communication signal. Could things get any more ridiculous? A dignified Demon Lord, surrounded and treated like a murderer by mortal soldiers.
"You've got it wrong, we're not the murderers!" Jiu Ya quickly explained, trying to make her voice sound gentle and harmless. "We just found a body in the alley. We're on our way to report it to the authorities."
"Still trying to deny it! I advise you to surrender, or these arrows won't have eyes!" Wang Fang sneered. Did they think he was a three-year-old? Wasn't the sword in that fierce-looking man's hand covered in blood? And the two swords in that smiling woman's hand were dripping with blood too. And the extremely pungent smell of blood wafted from the alley. And yet, they still dare to say they're not the murderer?
Drawing a sword is a provocation, so lining up bows and arrows clearly indicates an intention to make an enemy.
Li Yue suddenly raised the tip of his sword, pointing it at Wang Fang, and said coldly, "Who do you think you are, daring to be disrespectful to His Majesty!"
Jiu Ya quickly stopped Li Yue, whispering, "Calm down, don't make a move. They're just mortals. Put your sword away." How could they dare to make a move! If Li Yue were to attack, all these mortals would be dead! Then it wouldn't be as simple as a misunderstanding; it might even ignite a conflict between the human and demon realms.
"Yes." Li Yue was furious that a mere mortal dared to treat the Venerable One like this, but out of respect for Jiu Ya, he had no choice but to sheathe his sword. However, his eyes remained coldly fixed on Wang Fang, as if he were ready to strike at any moment.
“And Bai Yu.” Jiu Ya glanced at Bai Yu. Bai Yu reluctantly sheathed his two swords, but his fingers remained on the hilts, ready to draw them at any moment.
Seeing that Jiu Ya and the other two were still whispering to each other, Wang Fang was furious. These murderers were truly heartless and insane. They had just killed someone and were still laughing and joking here.
"Put down your weapon now!" Wang Fang shouted, his waist knife already half-drawn from its sheath, its cold light flashing.
"General, please calm down. We really are not the murderers!" Jiu Ya said sincerely. Although Li Yue and Bai Yu took the last breath of that person, they were not the culprits. At most, they helped that skinless man get rid of his suffering.
"Stop making excuses!" Wang Fang angrily drew his sword and ordered his soldiers, "Since these thieves are so stubborn, seize them immediately! Take them to the yamen for trial!"
Upon hearing this, the officers and soldiers immediately advanced, their weapons gleaming coldly. The two demons, who had been lowering their weapons, immediately raised them, aiming them at the officers and soldiers who made any move, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.
Jiu Ya sighed and whispered, "They must have misunderstood us as the monster. You should put down your weapons." The difference in strength is too great; even if they put down their weapons, what can these soldiers do to them?
Immediately, Jiu Ya said loudly, "General, you have indeed misunderstood. I understand that things are complicated and it's hard to explain now. Shall we go with you?" She gave a helpless smile, "You can put these bows and arrows away now. We won't run away!" Anyway, if we really wanted to escape, you couldn't stop us.
Jiuya looked around. Good heavens, there were arrows everywhere, gleaming coldly. She had the illusion that she was about to turn into a hedgehog at any moment. She'd better put these arrows away quickly, lest some overly nervous soldier slip and cause a mess.
Although Jiu Ya cooperated fully, Wang Fang still didn't quite trust her and didn't order the bows and arrows to be removed. He insisted on treating criminal suspects with absolute ruthlessness and taking them away! Thus, under the watchful eye of dozens of bows, the three demons were "invited" to the yamen (government office).
Although the scene didn't turn out as General Wang Fang had imagined—the suspects being bound hand and foot and taken back to the yamen—no one could get close to the three men. Every time a soldier tried to tie them up, they were pushed away by an invisible force. In the end, Wang Fang had no choice but to give up, as long as they were willing to come along.
This created a peculiar scene: three distinguished-looking people strolled leisurely in the middle, surrounded by soldiers who looked on high alert, drawing the attention of the early-rising people.
When they arrived at the yamen, Prefect Song Ping was also awake, his bloodshot eyes glazed over as he paced back and forth in the hall. Overjoyed to hear that the murderer had been caught, he immediately convened the court. He had stayed up so many nights; finally, he could give the people of Changshao an explanation.
When Song Ping arrived at the courtroom, he saw the so-called murderers—a man and two women. Judging from their attire, they were either wealthy or noble. The woman in the turquoise dress, in particular, was elegant and beautiful, with a delicate flower ornament between her brows that made her face exceptionally radiant. She seemed to be the leader of the three. Could such a person really be such a vicious murderer? Song Ping couldn't help but have some doubts.
But thinking of the people who had died tragically, Song Ping immediately hardened his heart, slammed his gavel, and shouted, "Who is standing below the throne?"
Jiu Ya was straightforward and directly gave her name, "Shang Jiu Ya." Her voice was clear and bright, showing no fear whatsoever.
Li Yue and Bai Yu awkwardly gave their names. The two demon generals had grim faces, clearly extremely dissatisfied with the situation.
Okay, I tried to help, and now I'm being treated like a murderer and brought to the authorities. Great! Jiu Ya rolled her eyes inwardly and started thinking about whether she should just reveal her identity. But then she thought that might scare these mortals, so she decided to observe the situation first.
Song Ping lowered his eyes. These criminals were truly arrogant; even in court, they dared to stand so brazenly. He slammed his gavel again and shouted, "You criminals, why aren't you kneeling down in this courtroom?"
"Your Excellency the Prefect?" Jiu Ya raised an eyebrow. She had come to the yamen obediently to clear up this misunderstanding, not to kneel before a mortal. "We are all cultivators." She released a wisp of demonic energy, causing the candlelight in the hall to flicker and the temperature to drop slightly. "I explained to General Wang earlier that we are not the murderers. When we arrived in Changshao yesterday, we heard rumors of a skinning monster, so we came out at night to rid the people of this scourge. However, when we came out, we only encountered a corpse and did not see the murderer."
Song Ping and Wang Fang exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise and uncertainty in each other's eyes. These three men certainly possessed an extraordinary air, unlike ordinary thugs. But what about the bloodstained weapons? And fresh blood and body parts were indeed found in the alley...
“If that’s the case,” Song Ping pondered for a moment, then “why were you carrying a bloodstained murder weapon? And why were you lingering at the crime scene?”
Just as Jiu Ya was about to explain, she suddenly sensed a familiar presence approaching the yamen. A slight smile appeared on her lips. Good, her savior had arrived.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
