The villager wanted to say something, but was stopped by the people next to him.
Xu Yuehuai seized the opportunity to continue, "If someone hadn't deliberately tried to harm Brother Erzhuang, there might have been others..."
Before she could finish speaking, a villager interrupted her: "Stop talking, let's report this to the authorities first."
Xu Yuehuai's heart tightened; she knew this plan had already alerted the villagers. She had to seize this opportunity to lure out the mastermind behind it all.
"Alright, then let's wait for the government officials to come and investigate."
When the government troops swept into Anhe Village like a whirlwind, the village was instantly enveloped in a solemn atmosphere.
A group of constables and yamen runners dressed in brand-new official uniforms, like soldiers on high alert, quickly surrounded Erzhuang's residence, not allowing anyone to enter or leave at will.
The surrounding villagers gathered around to watch, some looking around curiously, others whispering among themselves. Amidst the commotion, Xu Yuehuai stood quietly in the crowd, her sharp gaze sweeping over each face.
Her gaze swept through the crowd, searching for that special figure from her memory.
That person's eyes were unusual, deep and cunning, as if they held endless secrets.
Whenever his eyes met hers, he would quickly look away, his expression a mixture of fear and unease.
Xu Yuehuai was certain that this person had intricate connections with the person behind the scenes.
As the officials began questioning the villagers one by one, Xu Yuehuai's gaze never left that person.
He mingled in the crowd, sometimes looking down in thought, sometimes stealing glances at the officials, as if he was trying his best to hide something.
Knowing that she couldn't act rashly, Xu Yuehuai quietly followed them.
The man seemed extremely alert, turning back to look around every few steps.
With her years of skill and experience, Xu Yuehuai maintained a safe distance at all times, so that he would not notice her.
The two walked one after the other through the narrow paths of the village and arrived at the desolate wilderness.
The man walked faster and faster, seemingly wanting to shake off Xu Yuehuai's pursuit as soon as possible.
But would Xu Yuehuai give up so easily?
She gave chase, and the two of them, one chasing and the other fleeing, left clear footprints on the wasteland.
They crossed grasslands, climbed hills, and waded through streams, covering more than two miles.
Finally, in a dense forest, the man discovered Xu Yuehuai's presence.
He abruptly stopped, turned around to look at Xu Yuehuai, and a flash of fear and anger crossed his eyes.
He was panting heavily. "Why...why have you been following me?"
Xu Yuehuai smiled coldly and replied, "Since you are involved in Erzhuang's death, I will naturally follow you."
Upon hearing this, the man's expression changed, and he instantly drew a sharp dagger from his waist and lunged at Xu Yuehuai.
Xu Yuehuai dodged the attack with ease. Her movements were swift and agile, like a nimble leopard, instantly closing in on the man and striking him with a palm strike, knocking him to the ground.
The man struggled to his feet, his eyes burning with intense anger, and launched another attack on Xu Yuehuai.
But Xu Yuehuai had lost patience. She moved like lightning, instantly closing in on the man and delivering a powerful punch to his temple.
The man collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Xu Yuehuai crouched down and carefully examined the man's belongings. She found a jade pendant with the character "Yun" engraved on it.
This jade pendant is very similar to the one held by the official I saw at the county government office, but the inscription on it is different.
Xu Yuehuai's heart skipped a beat; she felt that this jade pendant might be related to the mastermind behind the scenes.
So she decided to take this person back to Erzhuang's house and hand him over to the government officials.
However, when Xu Yuehuai was about to take the man away, she found that he had disappeared.
She looked around, but couldn't find any clues.
"Where did he go? Wasn't he just knocked down here? How did he disappear in the blink of an eye?"
"I'm a living witness!"
Xu Yuehuai was startled. She knew that this person must be a spy sent by the mastermind. His escape meant that the mastermind already knew her whereabouts.
Xu Yuehuai immediately returned to Erzhuang's house and told the government officials what she had discovered.
The officials were furious upon hearing this and immediately dispatched men to search the village.
But that person had already fled and disappeared without a trace.
It seems that even with the help of the officials, there's no way to find any clues about those people. This matter is becoming increasingly difficult.
In the following days, Xu Yuehuai pretended to be Erzhuang's distant cousin and stayed to hold Erzhuang's "funeral" while secretly investigating the situation of the villagers.
She noticed that the villagers being followed seemed to be hiding from something, but she had no idea what it was.
On a dark and windy night, Xu Yuehuai appeared silently near Erzhuang's house like a ghost. She crouched in the shadows, keeping a close watch on her surroundings. The night wind blew, causing the hem of her clothes to flutter gently, but it could not conceal the tension and determination in her heart.
Soon, a dark figure slowly approached in the night, moving with a light touch, as if afraid of disturbing the surrounding silence. He gently placed a package filled with food and daily necessities down, then turned and disappeared into the darkness.
Xu Yuehuai's intuition told her that this dark figure was not simple. She quietly followed him, and the two of them moved through the night like two shadows.
Soon, they arrived at a dilapidated temple outside the village. The temple was in ruins, but the door was ajar, letting in a faint light. A dark figure pushed open the door and entered, disappearing behind it.
Xu Yuehuai pressed herself against the corner of the wall, peering through the crack in the window. The temple was brightly lit, and a group of people sat solemnly around a golden jade Guanyin statue. Her gaze swept over the statue and she spotted the official she had seen before; he sat in the main seat, his face grim.
"It seems that these officials are indeed connected with the mastermind behind the scenes," Xu Yuehuai thought to himself.
She held her breath and continued to observe. She saw the group of people talking in hushed tones, with occasional indistinct sounds. Xu Yuehuai pricked up her ears, trying hard to catch every word.
Just then, the shadowy figure suddenly turned around, its gaze sweeping towards the window. Xu Yuehuai knew she had been discovered, and she decided to stop hiding and pushed open the door.
"What are you doing here, spying on our meeting?" the shadowy figure asked coldly.
"I'm here to find out the truth," Xu Yuehuai replied without fear.
"The truth? Hmph, what do you think you can find out?" The officer sneered and stood up.
"Whatever the truth, I will investigate to the end." Xu Yuehuai's eyes were cold.
The official's face darkened, and he waved for his men to attack. Xu Yuehuai moved swiftly, engaging the shadowy figure in combat. The two exchanged blows, their fists and feet clashing, creating a series of whooshing sounds.
"You must have brought bad luck to our village!"
"Get out of the village right now!"
"Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite!"
Seeing this, the other villagers gathered around. Not knowing the truth, they only saw Xu Yuehuai fighting fiercely with the dark figure and assumed she was a bad person. In an instant, chaos erupted inside the temple.
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