"Zhong Xue, who is fifteen years old, lives with her grandmother who is over seventy years old. Her family is poor. Yesterday, she went out to Nanshi to buy things and did not come back all night. Today, Grandma Zhong, accompanied by her neighbors, went to Jingzhao Mansion to report the case. The person happened to be Wan Canjun, so he passed the news to Ling." Ling Zhiyan walked quickly, "Wan Canjun said he would take the person to the Nanshi Municipal Office as soon as possible to facilitate the investigation of the case. I hope it is just an ordinary loss-"
Hua Yitang frowned and said nothing. Lin Sui'an was in a heavy mood and was not in the mood to talk. Jin Ruo looked back from time to time to look at the little tail behind them. The little beggar was so frightened that he ran away when he saw Ling Zhiyan. He seemed to be very afraid of the people in the government and would not leave. He followed him from a distance, like a frightened little rabbit.
The Municipal Office is located in the central area of Nanshi City. It has a single door and a courtyard. The door faces south. There are two stone beasts guarding the door. There is a tall mahogany notice board on the left side, which is covered with various notices and notices. Shop rental There are advertisements for businesses, shops for sale, transfers, house purchases, and discounts from several stores. The middle space is vacant, which is where the government releases news. The two most eye-catching notices are Feng Erniang’s missing person notice and Notice of corpse identification in Dali Temple. On the right side of the gate, there is a long small notice board, about ten or so, half the height of a person, half the size of a writing desk. It is pasted with white paper, and the prices of the three major markets in Dongdu are written on that day. Of course, not all the prices of goods are , but a representative "reference object" price.
For example, the reference items in the fresh food section are eggs and chickens. Three eggs cost one penny, and chickens cost thirty-three cents each. The reference in the rice grain area is corn, which costs 40 cents per dou, and there is also a conversion unit, five dou of millet can be exchanged for three dou of rice. The handicraft products of this era were extremely expensive. A top-grade bowl cost 40 cents, a medium-grade bowl cost 35 cents, and a low-grade tea cake cost 30 cents. Luxury tea cakes were even more outrageous. A side (don’t know how much) weighed 200 cents for a top grade, and 190 cents for a medium grade. Wen, the lowest grade is one hundred and eighty articles.
Ming Shu and Ming Feng came out in a hurry.
Ming Shu: "Ling Gong, Wan Canjun and others have arrived."
Mingfeng: "Grandma Zhong and the neighbors also came together. There were a lot of people."
Ling Zhiyan paused and turned around, "Grandma Zhong is old and sick all the time. Zhong Xue is her only relative, so——"
"Don't worry." Hua Yitang patted Ling Zhiyan on the shoulder, "I understand."
The little beggar huddled under the bulletin board and looked at them timidly. Lin Sui'an winked at Jin Ruo. Jin Ruo took out a piece of sugar cake and said seductively, "If you promise not to talk nonsense when we go in, I will How about giving this candy cake to you?"
The little beggar ran over, looked at the sugar cake, swallowed, shook his head firmly and said, "I won't talk nonsense, I just want to find Sister Xue'er, I don't want your sugar cake."
Jin Ruo smiled, picked him up and patted his little head, "Be good."
The front yard of the City Department was crowded with people. There were more than a dozen criminals wearing iron rulers around, and the rest were ordinary people. There were about forty people, men, women, old and young. They all looked anxious and whispered. In the center is an old woman with snow-white hair on her temples. A blacksmith and a middle-aged woman are supporting her. She is hunched over, her body is trembling, and her expression cannot be seen clearly. Wan Lin and a green-robed official stood outside. The green-robed official was about forty years old. He had a delicate three-stroke beard and slightly brown eyes. He was of Hu descent. He was the commander of Nan City. His name was Cui Mao.
Wan Lin's eyes lit up when he saw Ling Zhiyan and presented Zhong Xue's drawing. She is a pretty little girl with double buns, five feet tall and thin body. She was wearing a tan half-sleeved and plain skirt when she disappeared.
Cui Mao reminded in a low voice, "Ling Sizhi, that is Zhong Xue's grandma."
The hum of whispers from everyone in the courtyard suddenly disappeared, and countless gazes shot towards him.
The white-haired old lady knelt down on the ground with a plop, her eyes full of tears and her voice hoarse, "Please save my Xue'er! Please save my Xue'er! Please save my Xue'er!"
All the people knelt on the ground almost at the same time and shouted:
"Please save Miss Zhong, sir!"
"Mrs. Zhong has made us grow up. There is no better child than her in the world. We must not let Xiang Liu kill her!"
"I beg you, sir, to catch this damned Xiang Liu!"
"Xiang Liu sucks people's essence and blood, causing harm to all directions. Please ask the government to eliminate harm to the people, eliminate demons and capture demons!"
Ling Zhiyan's back muscles were obviously tense for a moment, and Lin Sui'an even saw veins popping out on the back of his neck. Thinking of the reaction he had when he saw the victim's family before, it was quite similar to this scene, and he felt bad. Could it be that Ling Sizhi's PTSD is about to attack again?
"Don't listen to rumors! This is just an ordinary case of missing people and has nothing to do with monsters!" Wan Lin raised his arms and shouted, "Everyone, get up first, we will definitely find the person!"
Cui Mao: "Yes, the rumors about evil spirits harming people are all nonsense and rumors. We have already sent people to look for them!"
Not a single citizen stood up, and Grandma Zhong’s cries became hoarse and pitiful. Together with the shouts of everyone, they echoed in the city office, like bells and cauldrons ringing in unison, gradually spreading outward:
"Please ask the government to kill the evil demon Xiang Liu, eliminate harm for the people, subjugate the demons, and restore peace to the people!"
The sound soon spread outside the Municipal Office. Nanshi is the busiest district in Dongdu. It is bustling with people. There are also many time-honored shops outside the Municipal Office. More and more people gathered outside the Municipal Office to stop and watch. After hearing what the people inside were shouting, their expressions changed and they all started whispering to each other. There are more and more people, and almost everyone from Nan City will be recruited.
Lin Sui'an was alert, there was something wrong with these people's reactions.
They all spoke in unison, as if someone had specially instructed them to say this.
Lingzhi's face darkened, and he took a step forward to speak. Unexpectedly, Hua Yitang suddenly pressed his shoulder with a fan and spoke first, "Absurd! I, Shiro of the Hua family, studied under the Maoshan sect. I opened my celestial eye, obtained magical weapons, and traveled extensively." I know hundreds of ghosts and identify thousands of monsters in all directions, but I have never heard of Xiangliu!"
Although this voice was not loud, it had a shocking effect. In an instant, there was a dead silence inside and outside the city office.
Ling Zhiyan became anxious and whispered: "Hua Yitang, what are you talking about?!"
Jin Ruo: "Hey, hey, the cow can't brag!"
"Hua has never boasted since he came out of his mother's womb." Hua Yitang unfolded his fan with a snap, opened and closed it twice, and the wind blew the hair on his temples flying, as if they were dyed a layer of gold in the sun. , the facial features become more and more handsome and bright, and with the luxurious style all over the body, there is indeed a bit of an immortal posture that is not stained by the world, "Hua's mentor is the Taoist Master Shiye of the Maoshan Sect. No evil spirit can hide in front of me." , since you keep saying that it was Xiang Liu who killed the person, then tell Hua clearly, what does Xiang Liu look like? How did he kill the person? Have you ever seen it with your own eyes?!"
When he asked, everyone was stunned, only Lin Sui'an smiled.
A good move to lure the snake out of its hole.
All the people, you look at me, I look at you, they all started talking.
"I heard that Xiang Liu has the body of a hydra and is greedy. He likes to eat the blood of young and beautiful women!"
"Yes, yes, the several female corpses found in the ditch recently were all caused by Xiang Liu!"
"It is said that those female corpses are so beautiful, as if they were asleep. If they were ordinary corpses, they would have lost their human form after being soaked in water for several days. How could they be so weird? It is obviously the work of evil spirits!"
"I heard that Xiang Liu only sucked blood and left the skin behind."
"I also heard that ferocious beasts like Xiang Liu not only eat countless people, but also kill people everywhere they go. These female corpses were all found in the water. Isn't that right!"
The more people talked about it, the more details they got, and the version was quite rich. What was even worse was that there were many people outside the Municipal Office who also enthusiastically joined the discussion, and everyone said they had noses and eyes. The faces of Ling Zhiyan, Wan Lin and others became increasingly ugly. They originally thought that the evil was just a small-scale rumor, but now it seems that the rumor spread far faster than they expected.
Hua Yitang tapped his chin with the handle of the fan and listened very carefully. Unlike Ling Zhiyan and others, the more he listened, the brighter his eyes became and the smile at the corner of his mouth became more obvious, as if he was listening to some legendary storybook. Suddenly, he pointed his fan at a middle-aged woman in the crowd and raised his voice, "Madam, you said that Xiang Liu has a snake body and nine heads. Have you seen it before?"
The woman was suddenly called out and waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no, I agree with what everyone said."
Hua Yitang: "Who specifically told you?"
"This...can't remember clearly..."
"This matter is not trivial, please think about it carefully." Hua Yitang showed a kind and pure smile, "Don't be anxious, think about it slowly."
The woman was obviously in a trance for a moment, and said, "Ah, it was the eldest lady of the Xu family who told me."
Another woman a few people away was excited and said, "I heard what others said too," when Hua Yitang's eyes turned around, she hurriedly said, "I heard what Aunt Li next door said."
Aunt Li: "I, I heard what Zhu Zhurong said."
Pork Rong: "I heard it from Zhang Yinjiang."
Zhang Yinjiang: "I heard what Li Pijiang and Father Tian said."
Li Pijiang: "I heard what Wang Er said."
Dad Tian: "I heard what Dad Ma San said."
Ma San’s dad: “I heard what Hu Si said——”
Before, everyone said it with certainty, as if they had witnessed it with their own eyes, but once they were found out, they all said they heard it from others, one bites two, two bites four, four bites ten, so a story emerged. This is a strange phenomenon. The shouts one after another form irregular points in the crowd, and the points are connected to form complex, spider-like lines - this is a line of interpersonal relationships and a line of spread of rumors. Gradually, These lines began to gather together, and when they were about to come together, the blacksmith beside Grandma Zhong jumped up and cursed:
"Now Miss Zhong has been captured by Xiang Liu and is in danger. You don't go to save people, but you are still messing around here. What are your intentions?! Do you not want to save people at all? Or is it because you are a disciple of the Maoshan Sect? What nonsense——”
A wisp of strong wind swept over the blacksmith's head with a "swish", and his bun fell apart with a snap, and the messy hair fell all over his face. The blacksmith's legs weakened and he sat on the ground.
Everyone changed their colors in shock. No one could see clearly what happened. They all looked at Hua Yitang by reflex. Hua Yitang moved her eyebrows slightly, unfolded her fan and made a arrogant pose. She was so damn good that a gust of wind happened to blow. It made his clothes dance wildly, as if he came with the wind, and as if he could ride the wind back at any time.
"Hua doesn't want to hear any more slanderous words about my mentor. This time is just a small punishment but a big warning. If there is a next time, be careful of your stupidity." Hua Yitang sneered.
The blacksmith's face turned pale and sweat broke out on his forehead.
Jin Ruo looked at Lin Sui'an dumbfounded. If he had read correctly, Lin Sui'an's Qianjing was unsheathed twice. The first time he cut off the blacksmith's bun, and the second time he used the knife to kill him. Feng, her speed was too fast and her position was inconspicuous. No one except him probably noticed her movements.
No, there should be someone who also discovered it and shamelessly took advantage of it, pretending to be a ghost.
Hua Yitang is indeed from a family background and is very cunning.
"Those guys just now," Hua Yitang pointed to the seven or eight people left, "who did you listen to?"
They were all farm men, about forty years old. They looked at each other with a subtle expression on their faces. They all looked at the blacksmith, "We are... I heard what Blacksmith Zhao said when I had a drink with him a few days ago. …”
Blacksmith Zhao's face turned green, "I, I also heard what others said -"
"Grandma Zhong," Hua Yitang interrupted, "Who told you that Zhong Xue was captured by Xiang Liu?"
Grandma Zhong's eyes were swollen from crying, and she seemed a little dazed. She wiped her tears and said, "Xue'er didn't come back all night. I was worried. I went out to look for it before dawn. I met, met... Aunt Wang——"
"I remember," the woman beside Grandma Zhong shouted, "I was going to find Li Zheng with Grandma Zhong, and met Blacksmith Zhao on the way. As soon as he heard that Mrs. Zhong didn't come back all night, he thought she must have been arrested. Xiang Liu has been arrested, let us call on the neighbors to go to Jingzhao Mansion to report the case——"
"Oh?" Hua Yitang half-smiled, "So, Blacksmith Zhao is quite proficient in Xiangliu!"
"In that case, please follow me to Dali Temple to have a detailed chat." Ling Zhiyan winked, and Ming Shu and Ming Feng led the bad guys to surround them. Some of the people were still confused, and some had already thought about it. Come on, pull the people around you and quickly move away. Grandma Zhong was also helped to the side.
Blacksmith Zhao was sweating profusely. He knelt down and shouted repeatedly, "I, I was wronged. I really heard what others said.
Hua Yitang's voice was stern: "Who did you hear this from?! Whose name is it? Where do you live?!"
Tiejiang Zhao: "Yes, yes -"
Unexpectedly, at this moment, a black light burst through the air and shot straight towards Blacksmith Zhao's throat. Soon enough, a green light suddenly appeared like lightning, cutting off the black light in the middle. The two broken arrows fell to the ground.
"There is an assassin! Don't let him die." Before Lin Sui'an could finish his words, he was already stepping on the pillars, climbing on the eaves, and jumping to the ridge of the roof. He was running in one direction. His voice floated over from far away, "Jin Ruo! Follow up! !”
Jin Ruo stuffed the little beggar into Hua Yitang's arms and ran out of the city office door, shouting, "Lin Sui'an, why don't you say hello first--"
The two men moved like rabbits and falcons, and they were so fast that everyone disappeared. Only when everyone came back to their senses did they all change their colors in shock.
Blacksmith Zhao narrowly escaped death and collapsed on the ground sweating profusely, almost exhausted.
Ling Zhiyan was extremely surprised. She looked at Hua Yitang, only to see Hua Yitang's face was long and she was glaring at the little beggar in her arms. "You brat, don't grab my collar. This is the new season's new product - the dog." Shit! You still caught me!":,,
