Chapter 370 - 218: Hidden Dragon List 72

Chapter 370: Chapter 218: Hidden Dragon List 72

Wu River County Magistrate’s Office.

Several days had passed since County Magistrate Yao Zhizhang was beheaded in the County Magistrate’s Office.

A new County Magistrate had not yet been appointed. For now, the affairs of Wu River County were being managed by the county’s vice-magistrate and the County Captain. The study where the murder took place had been sealed off.

Although the vice-magistrate could have played the part of the magistrate during this brief interval, he had absolutely no desire to act the lord in that study.

The scene had been too gruesome.

Even now, the study’s beams and pillars were still stained a dark red.

Most people in the County Magistrate’s Office now went out of their way to avoid the study. Some government officials even spread rumors that Lord Yao’s anguished wails could still be heard from inside at night.

The vast majority of people in the County Magistrate’s Office had no idea why Yao Zhizhang had been killed.

Although they all took orders from Yao Zhizhang, and he had a few confidants, none of them were truly involved in his affairs.

The matter was far too wide-reaching. Even Yao Zhizhang had merely been an executor and coordinator, usually just following Mr. Qian’s instructions. That went double for the people in the County Magistrate’s Office.

So, after the government officials and clerks found Yao Zhizhang’s body and saw the line of bloody words, they simply assumed that the "Yunzhou Official-Slaying Maniac" had struck in Wu River, and that Yao Zhizhang had just been unlucky.

Dying in office could be spun as him having worked his heart out for the people until his last breath. The County Magistrate’s Office even held a grand funeral for him and petitioned their superiors for a posthumous commendation.

They just didn’t know why the petition was rejected by the Yunzhou Prefecture, which gave them cause for a bit of lament.

Under the manipulation of an unseen hand, the name of the true culprit behind this massive case of missing people was kept hidden beneath the surface.

CREAK.

The sealed study door was pushed open.

A man dressed in a constable’s uniform and wearing cloud-stepping boots entered, carefully examining the traces left in the study.

He stared for a long moment at the line of writing on the wall that hadn’t been wiped away, then looked up to carefully inspect the dark red bloodstains on the beams and ceiling.

He slowly lowered his head, his eyes taking in every dark red mark in the room, from top to bottom, noting their varying shades. He easily reconstructed the scene in his mind.

’It wasn’t complicated. Xie Yuan broke into the room, wounded Yao Zhizhang, and then beheaded him with a single strike before leaving the words and departing.’

Su Xing stood silently in the room, lost in thought.

Outside, the vice-magistrate, the County Captain, and a crowd of constables and government officials stood gathered, not daring to breathe too loudly for fear of disturbing the Spring Rain Building’s hottest, most promising young Divine Catcher at work.

The chief constables below, however, were somewhat puzzled and exchanged glances on the sly.

The crime scene wasn’t complicated. Government officials had arrived immediately after the County Magistrate was killed. The killer had even brazenly left a message, and there were witnesses who could confirm seeing the wanted fugitive from the portrait, Xie Yuan, appear at the side gate of the County Magistrate’s Office.

With both eyewitnesses and physical evidence, it was arguably the simplest of cases. So why hadn’t Detective Su said a word for so long?

After standing silently in the study for a long moment, Su Xing waved his hand. The vice-magistrate immediately stepped forward, but he seemed apprehensive about the study and simply bowed from outside the doorway.

"Detective Su, what are your orders?"

"Vice-Magistrate, may I ask who Magistrate Yao might have offended before his death?"

Su Xing asked slowly.

The vice-magistrate replied with a grief-stricken expression.

"Lord Su, Magistrate Yao was a public servant dedicated to the people, an honest official who managed Wu River County competently. He was universally praised in the County Magistrate’s Office, and the common folk adored him. This subordinate truly cannot imagine why this villain would brutally murder Magistrate Yao!"

Su Xing nodded, then suddenly asked:

"I heard there was a massive human trafficking case here recently, right around the time Magistrate Yao was killed. Could it be related to that?"

The vice-magistrate’s expression shifted slightly. He was vaguely aware of such things happening in the county, but as a man with no backing who just went with the flow, he never asked questions, never got involved, and never said a word.

Now that Su Xing was asking, the vice-magistrate faltered, "Uh..." and said innocently:

"This subordinate does not know. Magistrate Yao never mentioned anything to us."

Su Xing turned his head and gave him a look that sent a sudden chill straight to the vice-magistrate’s heart.

Fortunately, Su Xing only glanced at him for a moment before looking away and nodding.

"I understand. Let’s go."

The vice-magistrate breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that Su Xing seemed to have no intention of asking further, he hurried to catch up, half-jogging.

"Detective Su, a few of us subordinates have booked a table at Wu River’s finest riverside restaurant, Ya Xuan, and ordered some local specialties to welcome you. Heh heh, we hope Detective Su will grace us with his presence."

For the past year, Su Xing had been active in the various prefectures along the northwestern border of Great Li, and it seemed he might be stationed there long-term. Naturally, the local bureaucrats of Wu River wanted to get on his good side.

But Su Xing just shook his head.

"There’s no need for the expense. I’ve already eaten. I’m not hungry."

The vice-magistrate let out an "Ah!"

"But... Detective Su, you’ve come from so far and must be weary from the journey. If you don’t wish to dine, how about this subordinate leads Lord Su to Ya Xuan for a few drinks? We can enjoy the scenery, and it would allow us to hear about the splendors of the Capital City and witness the esteemed style of a Spring Rain Building Divine Catcher."

Su Xing shook his head again and simply said:

"I really have eaten. I had some noodles from a roadside stall on my way to the County Magistrate’s Office. I can’t drink any alcohol. Since our official business is concluded, I will take my leave."

The vice-magistrate, the County Captain, and the other officials of Wu River County watched as Su Xing gave a brief salute, turned, and strode away. They didn’t even have time to ask him to stay and could only look at each other and sigh.

"I’d long heard that this Detective Su is stern and doesn’t socialize. It seems the rumors are true."

"How can someone act like that and be an official? No wonder he was sent here from the Capital City..."

"Hey, you can’t say that. I heard the Spring Rain Building operates independently of the various government offices, and things are different on the inside. Besides, Su Xing is a Martial Arts Grandmaster and a young Divine Catcher. He wouldn’t be ostracized."

"Then he must just look down on us. Hmph. Eating noodles? To think he’d even come up with an excuse like that..."