Xu Taiping jumped up high.
Swing the iron ruler and smash it down.
The heavy iron ruler made a dull whistling sound.
It hit a patch of grass with a strong wind.
"call--"
"boom--"
"ah--"
Whistling sound.
Crash.
Screams.
It sounded almost simultaneously.
When the screams started, the grass became messy, and a stream of blood spurted out of the void.
There was a faint figure emerging from the bleeding area.
Although the figure only flickered twice before disappearing again.
But Xu Taiping saw it clearly.
and.
There was fresh blood dripping on the ground.
Under normal circumstances, visibility is low late at night and most people cannot see these.
But at this moment.
Xu Taiping was "observant of everything".
A little light goes a long way.
When he rushed out of the inn, he activated his skills and quietly observed while running away.
It wasn't until he discovered that someone was catching up with him hiding his figure that he suddenly struck back.
Why?
the reason is simple.
The way the paper man talks and fights is too intelligent and must be the result of human manipulation.
Since it is man-made control, there must be a control distance.
It is impossible for a manipulator to control two paper figures to talk and fight thousands of miles apart.
so.
He rushed out of the station and ran back along the way he came, pretending to run away, but in fact he pulled him by running at high speed, thus exposing the manipulator's flaws.
Facts also proved his speculation.
Just started.
The manipulator was still well hidden, and he never found any clues.
But it was soon revealed that the operator's breathing, footsteps, footprints and even dripping sweat and other information when running were all collected one by one by "Clear Insight".
When he stopped running to fight back, he even noticed the manipulator sneaking into the bushes on the roadside to hide.
so.
After killing the two paper figures in one fell swoop, he ran straight into the grass without hesitation.
Swing the iron ruler and smash it down.
Sure enough, one hit is sure to hit.
See the manipulator running away in panic.
I couldn't help but sneered: "Want to escape? Stay here!"
The words fell.
He jumped forward and struck down with the iron ruler again.
"puff--"
The iron ruler once again hit the operator firmly.
The invisible manipulator spurted out a mouthful of blood, revealed his figure, and stumbled to the ground, his mouth full of blood, his face full of panic, and he kept begging for mercy: "Master Xu, don't, don't kill me, I was forced to …”
Xu Taiping frowned.
It's an old man.
Dry.
The face is ugly.
The clothes are also shabby.
Not like a powerful person.
Instead, he looked like the dry old man most common in the countryside.
Think so.
But he raised his hand and smashed it.
Seeing this, the old man gritted his teeth, raised a mahogany sword, and stabbed Xu Taiping back.
snort.
Xu Taiping was even more angry.
He dodged sideways, changed his moves at the same time, and swung the iron ruler with his backhand to hit the peach wood sword.
"Click——"
The peach wood sword broke at the sound.
Xu Taiping stepped forward and hit hard again.
"puff--"
"ah--"
This time.
It hit the old man's calf bone firmly.
One foot down.
Broken tendons and fractures.
Again.
The thighs were instantly torn apart.
"ah--
"Master Xu, spare your life!
"Stop fighting——
"Master Xu, Master Xu, I said, I will tell you everything I know -"
When Xu Taiping heard this, he stopped.
His sharp eyes scanned the old man for a moment.
Raise the iron ruler again.
In the old man's horrified eyes, he hit it hard.
"puff--"
The old man's right arm bent instantly.
"Ahhhh——"
The old man screamed repeatedly while holding his bent right arm.
Xu Taiping then put away the iron ruler and shouted coldly: "Shut up!"
The old man immediately gritted his teeth and endured the severe pain without saying a word. Big beads of sweat rolled down, soon soaking a large area of soil.
Xu Taiping squatted down and looked into the old man's eyes: "I will ask you three questions and answer them honestly. After you have answered them, I will let you go.
"But if you are being clever..."
As he spoke, he patted the heavy iron ruler stained with blood.
The old man nodded hurriedly and painfully squeezed out a sentence through his teeth: "You, you ask, I, I will tell you everything."
"Who asked you to kill me?"
"Xiaowang Village protects Cao Xin."
Xu Taiping frowned.
Cao Xin?
The reporter of the Xiaowang Village massacre?
Or Xiaowangcun Baozheng?
Baozheng was the most special link in the bureaucracy of the Jin Dynasty. He was a cadre at the lowest level. He had no rank and little power, but he was inseparable from Baozheng in all major and minor matters in the village.
Because "the imperial court does not enter the village."
In other words, no official of the imperial court and no orders from the imperial court entered the village.
First, it is impossible to get in. The local clans are too powerful, and forced control will trigger civil unrest.
The second is that it is impossible to enter because the villages are too many, complex and even mobile, and the court is simply unable to govern them.
so.
The imperial court's control over local areas extends from the central government to counties, with only some special towns receiving special care.
Towns and villages below the county level are managed by grassroots officials such as township chiefs and Baozheng.
Different from grass-roots officials such as arrestees, rural officials such as township chiefs and Baozheng are not appointed, but elected by local residents, and then reported to the court.
To a certain extent, the villages of the Jin Dynasty had a certain degree of autonomy.
Of course, petty officials such as township chiefs and Baozheng also have to bear corresponding responsibilities. For example, tax collection, conscription, labor and other work related to the countryside are all responsible for these petty officials.
If they fail to complete their tasks, these petty officials will either have to pay out of their own pockets or serve in person.
Of course, the people who can be elected as township heads and guarantors are basically the most powerful local landowners or wealthy families, just like the local emperors.
The so-called village tyrants who were domineering in the village before time travel were simply not worth mentioning in front of the township chief and Baozheng of the Jin Dynasty.
but.
To maintain integrity is to maintain integrity, which has the lowest status in the entire bureaucracy.
Even if Baozheng had a hundred courages, he wouldn't dare to provoke a headhunter like Xu Taiping.
Just like Xu Taiping did not dare to provoke the general judges and officials in the state.
so.
Xu Taiping immediately realized that Cao Xin was the murderer of the Xiaowang Village massacre.
Even the mastermind.
Um.
He might also be an accomplice.
Cao Xin!
Xu Taiping wrote down the name.
He continued to ask, "Besides Baozheng, what other identity does Cao Xin have?"
"this……"
"explain!"
"He is still the altar leader of the Tianxia Gang."
Xu Taiping said solemnly: "Altar Master? Is your level so high?"
The old man wiped a cold sweat and gritted his teeth and explained: "Below the Xiangzhu, Hall Master, and Helmsman, the Altar Master is the lowest-ranking director of the Tianxia Gang. Everyone."
Xu Taiping breathed a sigh of relief and asked the third question: "Two days before the Xiaowang Village massacre, a Taoist priest went to Xiaowang Village. Is that Taoist priest also a member of the Tianxia Gang?"
The old man shook his head: "I, I don't know what a Taoist priest is."
"Aren't you from the Tianxia Gang?"
"I..." When the old man said this, he suddenly raised his head and forced out a smile: "Master Xu, this, this is the fourth question."
Xu Taiping smiled.
stand up.
Pull out the iron ruler.
Turn your wrist.
The iron ruler made a whistling sound as it rotated.
then.
Grasp the iron ruler tightly and slam it down.
"Snapped--"
A foot came down and hit the old man on his left shoulder.
"Click——"
There was a crisp sound.
The old man's shoulders were directly broken.
Xu Taiping stared at the old man coldly, murderous intent boiling in his eyes: "Are you qualified to negotiate terms with me?"
When the old man heard this, his expression gradually became dull and his eyes lost their luster.
Xu Taiping squatted down again.
He stabbed the old man in the chest with an iron ruler: "My purpose is to solve the case, not to kill. You are a useless person now. Whether or not I kill you has no effect on me. Therefore, whether you can survive or not is not up to me. But it’s up to you.”
At this point, he lowered his tone and said, "If you cooperate to my satisfaction, I will spare your life, how about that?"
