Shen Daya
Zhu Qinghe was terrified by the dried-out infant skeleton behind her. She protected Ruyi and ran down the mountain, only to bump into Shen Wumei and her companion who were rushing towards them.
She didn't even have time for pleasantries. When she ran over, she almost tripped over the rotten tree roots. It was only thanks to Shen Wumei's help that she avoided falling flat on her face.
She pointed behind her, breathless: "...there, there—there are children's corpses."
Shen Wumei's expression turned solemn as she quickly walked over to check the situation. Sure enough, a dried skeleton was hanging on a low branch of a tree.
The body had been decomposed for a long time, but it was clear that the body was small and vaguely resembled a male infant, probably only a few months old.
It seems that the infanticide case in Shenyin Village is not just a rumor.
Having calmed her emotions, Zhu Qinghe rode on her horse, listening to Shen Wumei recount the relevant details of the case.
"So, many children have already disappeared without a trace?"
“That’s right.” Shen Wumei nodded. If it weren’t for that, he wouldn’t have come here to investigate the case. This case had been investigated for a long time, and the last clue ended at Shenyin Village.
The people who came to investigate before had also mysteriously disappeared, so they had no choice but to send him out.
"Lord Shen, I have an idea." Zhu Qinghe suddenly perked up again.
Shen Wumei flatly refused: "No, this case is too dangerous. You're not a member of the government, so there's no need for you to get involved."
Zhu Qinghe frowned with a strong sense of justice: "But I've already encountered this, I can't just ignore it."
"The more people there are, the more strength there is. Lord Shen, don't you want to catch the murderer as soon as possible and save those innocent children?"
Meeting Zhu Qinghe's hopeful gaze, Shen Wumei helplessly turned her head away. She really was... becoming less and less afraid of death.
I wonder who was the person who was screaming and running around in fright just now.
It was already evening when they arrived at Shenyin Village. After walking for a while, they finally saw a small inn.
The large tree at the entrance was split in half, and the vertical cut was engraved with the words: "A Inn".
"Wow, that's quite interesting," Zhu Qinghe raised an eyebrow.
Shen Wumei knocked on the door, and after a while, a muffled, aged voice answered.
"They're here, they're here."
The door opened, and an old man wearing a thin coat stood behind it, looking them over and asking, "Out of town?"
Zhu Qinghe quickly squeezed in: "Uncle, we are from Licheng, and we have come to ask for holy water."
Holy water? Shen Wumei glanced at Zhu Qinghe, who made a gesture with her hand behind her back. Shen Wumei understood what she meant and stood aside leisurely to listen to her make up a story.
"What do you need the holy water for?" the old man asked warily.
“It’s like this,” Zhu Qinghe said with a smile, “Our brothers are about to go to the capital to take the imperial examinations. We thought we’d ask them for some holy water. After drinking it, their minds will become smarter, and if they pass the examinations and become scholars, they will bring honor to their ancestors.”
The old man looked carefully at Shen Wumei and Mo Wu, and finally opened the door: "Come in."
Zhu Qinghe turned around and winked at them, then followed them in with light steps.
Mo Wu was amazed and leaned closer to Shen Wumei, saying, "Boss, Miss Zhu's ability to spout nonsense is just too amazing."
Shen Wumei curled the corners of her mouth. What was this? Aside from talking nonsense, she had many other impressive skills.
The inn was the only one in Shenyin Village. The owners were an elderly couple. Because it was late, the old woman had already gone to bed, so only the old man was left to take care of them.
The old man didn't seem too enthusiastic and was still wary of them, so Zhu Qinghe temporarily gave up the idea of trying to find out more information.
The group rested and the matter was left unresolved.
In the middle of the night, Zhu Qinghe was awakened by a very low whimpering sound, as if some weak animal was crying out for help.
She opened her eyes and saw Ruyi sleeping soundly on the inside of the bed, which was truly enviable.
Zhu Qinghe put on her clothes and got out of bed. She gently pushed open the window and looked out. It was pitch black outside, but the moon hung in the sky, casting a faint glow on the outline of the mountains.
The winding, meandering notch resembled a ferocious beast with its jaws wide open, revealing menacing teeth, giving off an eerie feeling.
A pebble gently struck her windowpane, making a crisp sound. She raised an eyebrow and looked in the direction from which the pebble had been thrown.
Sure enough, the radiant person with his arms crossed was none other than Shen Wumei, a night owl who didn't sleep at night.
"What's wrong, Lord Shen? Can't sleep either?" Zhu Qinghe casually found a stone stool to sit on and asked, tilting her head back.
Shen Wumei reached out and pulled her up: "The rocks are cold, it's not good for you to sit for too long, come walk with me."
Zhu Qinghe obediently said "Oh," and the two walked along the path outside the inn for a while.
Zhu Qinghe glanced at the inn behind her. The dim candlelight in the lobby still flickered like will-o'-the-wisps. She whispered, "My lord, don't you also think there's something wrong with this inn?"
Otherwise, why send her out?
Shen Wumei countered with, "Do you remember the baby boy's corpse we saw before?"
"Of course I remember." Zhu Qinghe frowned. Who could easily forget such a cruel and horrific scene?
"The corpse was hanging in such a conspicuous place, so why did the people of Shenyin Village not make a fuss at all? It was as if something had covered their mouths."
Zhu Qinghe hesitated and said, "Do you think there is a force inside Shenyin Village that is holding them hostage and preventing them from speaking out?"
Shen Wumei: "It's not impossible."
If we follow this line of thought, then it makes sense. The Hidden Village has always been a secluded, isolated place, and these residents, cut off from the outside world, are easily exploited by those with ulterior motives.
But what's the point of using these clueless villagers? In short, it's not a good thing from any perspective.
Moreover, their influence has now extended to Licheng.
It has indeed reached a point where we can no longer sit idly by.
"Lord Shen, this case is so dangerous, didn't the government send you more people?" Zhu Qinghe suddenly asked.
"You're overthinking it. Too many people make you a bigger target, which isn't good for the investigation." Seeing her suddenly sorrowful expression, Shen Wumei asked, "What's wrong? Are you scared?"
I told her not to get involved long ago; it's too late to be scared once she's already on the wrong side of the law.
"It's alright, I think I'm gradually adapting to this kind of life." Zhu Qinghe sighed deeply.
Originally, she was just a fortune teller, but now she's even solving cases on the side. Life is tough, and she's got so many talents!
Hopefully, God will take pity on her and let her become a rich woman soon.
The next day, they finally met the innkeeper's wife. And you know what? The old couple looked quite alike.
They look remarkably alike, even their angles of looking at people are exactly the same.
Remembering the sounds she heard last night, Zhu Qinghe tentatively asked, "Mother-in-law, did you hear any strange noises last night?"
The mother-in-law silently placed a plate of steamed buns in front of her: "No."
Ruyi shoved the boiled egg in her hand and said earnestly, "Third sister, you don't sleep well again tonight."
Zhu Qinghe glanced at her; the little girl's expression was serious, and she actually looked quite convincing. She hadn't realized her acting was so good.
Yes, their relationship is different now than before. According to the story Zhu Qinghe made up yesterday, the four of them are brothers and sisters.
There is some disagreement regarding the specific rankings.
However, Shen Wumei's rank was so high that it was overwhelming for her, and that's how things turned out.
Shen Wumei is the eldest brother, Mo Wu is the second brother, Zhu Qinghe is the third brother, and Ruyi is the youngest sister.
However, this is not the worst part.
Shen Wumei called out to her, "Da Ya, hurry up and eat, or the porridge will get cold."
Zhu Qinghe: "..."
Yes, the most outrageous thing is her name, Shen Daya!
Putting aside the fact that she was forced to change her surname to Chen, the most outrageous thing is why she, as the third child, is called Daya.
How did Shen Wumei, with her astonishingly good naming skills, manage to get to her current position? Is there no justice in this world?
Zhu Qinghe took a big bite of the steamed bun, suppressing the frustration in her heart.
If it weren't for those innocent and pitiful children, how could she have endured this injustice?
She is truly amazing.
After dinner, Zhu Qinghe accompanied her mother-in-law to the kitchen to wash the dishes, taking the opportunity to subtly extract information from her.
"Grandma, how many years have you lived in the village?" Zhu Qinghe asked.
"We were born and raised here, we've never left." Seeing that she was clumsy and not good at housework, her mother-in-law told her to stand further away and wash the rags.
Zhu Qinghe continued chatting with her mother-in-law, her words lingering on the rag.
Although her mother-in-law didn't seem like a talkative person, and even a bit unapproachable, Zhu Qinghe was no stranger to such issues.
After several rounds, she still managed to glean quite a bit of useful information.
For example, they have always stayed in Shenyin Village and never gone out. Shenyin Village was not originally so isolated. The severe drought three years ago caused many young people to run away and never return. Those left behind are mostly the elderly, women and children, which made Shenyin Village more and more isolated and almost forgotten by the outside world.
If it weren't for the gimmick of holy water, no one would ever come near this place.
"So the legend of the holy water is true?" Zhu Qinghe asked with great interest.
After all, their purpose in coming here was to ask for holy water for her two "brothers," so since this topic has come up, it's natural to ask them about it.
Besides, Zhu Qinghe herself was quite curious about this holy water. The rumors about it were too bizarre, even more outrageous than her talismans.
She wanted to see who was behind all this, pulling the strings and orchestrating all of this.
The old woman remained silent, snatched the damp rag from her hand, and warned in a low voice, "This is an internal matter of our Hidden Village. The Holy Master forbade us not to tell anyone."
A holy teacher? Alarm bells rang in Zhu Qinghe's heart.
But no matter how much she asked, her mother-in-law refused to tell her who this holy teacher was.
Holy Master, Holy Water—this is practically a cult's supporting system!
Could this Hidden Village have been brainwashed and controlled by some strange organization? Were those murdered infants also the work of this organization?
No, I need to discuss a solution with Shen Wumei right away.
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