Chapter 662 - 207: Battling a Celestial Spirit, a Pursuit Out of the City

The streets were bustling, filled with people coming and going.

A large crowd of townspeople had gathered in the middle of the street, craning their necks to get a better look.

Curiosity filled their eyes.

Gossip is a universal phenomenon. Whether in Shen Bai’s past life or in this world, everyone loved a bit of juicy news.

The commotion in the center of the street frustrated the constables. The Chief Constable in the lead pushed some of the crowd back.

They were taken aback when they saw Shen Bai.

They were about to step forward and salute, but Shen Bai stopped them with a gesture.

The Chief Constable was a veteran of the bureaucracy and understood Shen Bai’s unspoken signal. He nodded quickly before turning his attention to the men carrying the stretcher.

"What happened in the Lianyun Mountain Range? Be specific. How many assailants were on Lianyun Medicine Mountain? What did they look like?"

The townspeople knelt on the ground, wailing. They calmed down slightly at the Chief Constable’s question, but their faces were still streaked with tears.

"Sir, you must get justice for us Medicine People! We were just peacefully gathering herbs on Lianyun Medicine Mountain today when a group of people dressed like they were from the Jianghu suddenly appeared. They killed us on sight and even burned down a large portion of our medicinal fields."

Hearing this, the Chief Constable knew the matter was beyond his authority.

Lianyun Medicine Mountain was a major source of revenue for Lingyun Dao.

A significant amount of money flowed through it, and the livelihood of the common people depended on it.

Now, not only had the herb-gathering Medicine People been injured and killed, but the medicinal fields on the mountain had also been largely destroyed. The Chief Constable knew that only Zhang Dao Ling had the authority to handle a matter of this magnitude.

Shen Bai was standing right beside him, but since the distinguished man showed no intention of speaking, the Chief Constable could only follow established procedure.

With that, the Chief Constable waved his hand. "Stop crowding around! You there, bring the body on the stretcher and follow me to the Government Office at once. Lord Dao Ling will see that justice is done for you."

"Yes, thank you, Sir." The townspeople immediately knelt and kowtowed several times before lifting the stretcher and hurrying toward the Government Office.

A member of the Observatory stepped forward. "Sir, should we go take a look?"

Shen Bai nodded. "Of course. I want to know what happened, too."

’Lingyun Dao has been too peaceful for too long.’ For something like this to happen so suddenly... Shen Bai felt there was definitely something strange afoot.

At this thought, Shen Bai waved to someone in the distance.

Further down the street, the Hidden members of the Observatory within the crowd received the order and immediately fell in behind Shen Bai.

Shen Bai then led a dozen or so members of the Observatory toward the Government Office.

...

Outside the Government Office, a sea of people had formed, all of them trying to see what was happening in the main hall.

When Shen Bai arrived with the members of the Observatory, the crowd saw his uniform and apprehensively took a few steps back, clearing a path for him.

Shen Bai paid them no mind and walked down the cleared path into the Government Office.

Two constables were standing guard at the entrance to the Government Office, but when they saw Shen Bai, they immediately fell silent, acting as if they hadn’t seen him at all.

Inside the main hall, several bodies lay scattered about.

A forensic doctor, holding a set of professional tools, was in the middle of an autopsy.

Shen Bai’s arrival immediately attracted the attention of quite a few people.

Seated in the position of authority, Zhang Dao Ling frowned upon seeing him.

"What’s the matter? Am I not welcome, Lord Zhang?"

A faint smile appeared on Shen Bai’s face.

Zhang Dao Ling spoke slowly. "Lord Shen, no matter how much we may disagree, official matters must be handled by the book. If you get involved in this, you will be overstepping your jurisdiction."

The Government Office handles its own business, and the Observatory handles its own. Crossing jurisdictional lines is strictly forbidden.

It is only permitted when cooperation is required and both parties consent.

The Great Zhou Country is very strict in this regard. Anyone who oversteps their authority faces severe punishment, and even someone like Shen Bai is no exception.

Shen Bai shook his head. "I heard on the street that these people were killed by members of the Jianghu. If that’s the case, then the Observatory also has a duty to investigate. Lord Zhang, please, conduct your inquiry. If the information you uncover proves to be outside the Observatory’s jurisdiction, I will take my men and leave on my own accord."

Zhang Dao Ling’s brow, which had been tightly knit, relaxed slightly.

Shen Bai’s answer was flawless and perfectly reasonable, leaving him no room for rebuttal.

Zhang Dao Ling then turned his gaze to the bodies covered by white cloths.

The state of the bodies was gruesome. They were covered in wounds, and their faces were twisted in agony, as if they had suffered immense pain before death.

The forensic doctor’s examination followed a set procedure, and it was not a short one.

Nearly an hour passed before the forensic doctors finally began placing their tools back into a nearby wooden box.

The lead forensic doctor conferred with the others for a moment, then came to a conclusion. He took two steps forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Reporting to you, my lord. These people all died from the same Palm Technique. The technique is vicious, and its strikes carry a foul stench. It seems to be the work of Demon Hand An Long."

Shen Bai sat off to the side, surrounded by members of the Observatory.

When he heard the name "Demon Hand An Long," he turned to look at the subordinate on his left.

The Observatory member was quick-witted. Seeing Shen Bai’s glance, he immediately bowed his head and said, "Demon Hand An Long is a member of Xinhua Academy. His strength is around the Celestial Spirit Realm. He earned his name from his Cultivation method—soaking his hands in a pool of poison for years on end."