Chapter 16: City Lockdown, Waiting for the Attack

Opposite the corpses of the Jiang family at the city gate lay the bodies of Li Zhen and his companions, who had committed suicide by poison after serving as escorts.

The Jiang family corpses had already begun to rot and stench, while the Li family corpses were still fresh, emitting a heavy, thick scent of blood. For a moment, the air at the city gate felt like a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

The city guards, who believed themselves to be accustomed to such sights, felt dizzy and gagged from time to time.

However, Wei Jiao, dressed in a black robe with a red lining, sat composedly among these corpses, continuing to eat his breakfast.

An Embroidered Uniform officer knelt on the ground, using his back as a makeshift table.

Another officer reported the results of the recent interrogation: "The Old Matriarch of the Li family is clinging to half a life. She refuses to say anything and is intent on dying. The other women, children, and elderly are completely ignorant of everything."

Wei Jiao picked up a piece of steamed cake and tossed it into his mouth, saying, "She’s unlucky. She wasn't as quick as Li Zhen; if she wants to die, she'll have to suffer a bit first. Bring the Li family's women and children before her. Cut them piece by piece, one slice at a time, and see if she opens her mouth."

The officer responded with an "Understood."

The local officials and prominent aristocratic families, who had originally been detained at the county magistrate's office, had naturally been brought here as well. Stunned by the stench of the corpses and hearing those words, their expressions turned ashen. They finally understood why Li Zhen had died so decisively...

Although the principle of "a life for a life" existed on the scene, it could not necessarily be used as evidence. Li Zhen's suicide by poison directly indicated that the Li family indeed had something to hide. At the time, they had thought Li Zhen was simply being reckless, when he could have easily played the victim...

Now it seemed that if he hadn't died at the hands of the killer, he would have died at Wei Jiao's hands. In comparison, dying by his own hand was much more decisive.

Magistrate Huang Zhi no longer uttered a single word in defense of the Li family. Although he did not know why the Li family had exterminated the entire Jiang clan—Wei Jiao claimed the Jiangs were traitors, surely the Li family wasn't acting on behalf of justice to eliminate traitors?—he kept his mouth shut.

These matters could be set aside for now; the Embroidered Uniform officers would handle the interrogation of the Li family.

The most pressing question was: who was the person that killed the Li family? He couldn't help but look around. Was the killer hiding in Zhao County all along, waiting for Li Hao and the others to return?

Or did they follow them in from the outside?

Why didn't they kill Li Hao and the others outside the city?

Did they deliberately strike in Zhao County to show strength? To provoke?

This was far too brazen.

Was the killer still in Zhao County?

"Commander Wei," Magistrate Huang Zhi said, abandoning all sense of status or age. No longer arrogant or dissatisfied, he bowed deeply to Wei Jiao, his voice trembling, "Please, Commander, hasten the capture of the criminal."

Seeing this, the others all knelt, bowing to the ground and pleading, "Please, Excellency, capture the criminal!" "Save the people of Zhao County!"

Wei Jiao looked at the crowd, whose attitudes had shifted drastically, and smiled. "On the contrary, I should thank this criminal. He has cleared my name and proven that I am not making things difficult for Zhao County without reason."

Having said that, he smiled at the people prostrate on the ground.

"Rest assured, I have already placed Zhao County under martial law. No one enters or leaves. The killer struck last night and has not yet been able to escape."

Magistrate Huang said with urgency, "Please, Excellency, issue the order for a manhunt immediately."

The others kneeling on the ground also expressed their willingness to do everything in their power to assist the search.

Wei Jiao lifted his foot and stepped onto the back of the kneeling officer before him, propping his chin on his hand and raising an eyebrow.

"No rush. Treason is a capital offense. Whether they die by my hand or by the hand of a traitor, I do not mind."

His gaze swept over the kneeling crowd, his beautiful eyes shining with a light of joy.

"I wonder whose family will be exterminated next tonight."

Hearing this, Magistrate Huang and the kneeling crowd looked up in despair. Looking at the smiling young Commander and then at the corpses displayed around them, they felt that Zhao County had become a realm of ghosts and demons.

………

………

The news spread quickly.

In an instant, the streets of Zhao County were once again deserted.

Panic also broke out among the people in the inns.

"The city gates are closed?"

"The criminal is still in the city? Heavens, isn't that extremely dangerous? No, I have to leave."

"The Embroidered Uniform officers are guarding the four gates. Anyone who dares to break through will be treated as a criminal and executed on the spot."

Hearing this, those who wanted to rush out found their legs turning weak. They were filled with terror and uncertainty. Some clamored for the inn to waive their room and meal fees, while others demanded the inn guarantee their safety, creating a chaotic scene.

The inn clerks were not in a good mood either. "If you have any complaints, take them to the Embroidered Uniform officers!"

Mo Zheng took several pieces of broken silver from his pouch and handed them to a clerk. "Then we can only trouble you for a few more days."

The clerk waved them off. "The fact that you aren't making a scene with us is already a courtesy. How could we charge you?"

Mo Zheng stuffed the money into the clerk's hand, leaving no room for refusal. "Please prepare some of the medicinal herbs I used before. My young lady is frail; it is just in case."

Since medicine was required, the clerk stopped being polite. "Don't worry, I'll go prepare it right away."

As night fell, the inn returned to silence.

The guests did not dare to approach the gates guarded by the Embroidered Uniform officers, yet they feared the killer in the city might go mad and commit more atrocities. They hid in their rooms, praying for safety.

Mo Zheng entered the room carrying a bowl of medicinal soup, and a thick herbal fragrance immediately filled the space.

"Miss," he said softly, looking at Yang Luo, who sat with a furrowed brow as if deep in thought, "Are you divining about the Embroidered Uniform officers?"

Yang Luo felt slightly nervous at the question. Indeed, she was recalling information about the Embroidered Uniform officers from her previous life.

After entering the capital, she had been kept confined at home by her eldest aunt; her outings were rare, and even then, they were usually just to temples. However, her cousin was a lady-in-waiting to the Princess and could move about freely, even entering and exiting the palace. She was well-informed and loved to show off, so she had shared many interesting tidbits.

Among them, naturally, was Wei Jiao, who commanded the Embroidered Uniform officers.

"Wei Jiao is very handsome."

"All the princesses like him."

"Princess Wuyang and Princess Nangong fought because of Wei Jiao. It was a pointless quarrel; Wei Jiao didn't care about them at all. He only listens to Princess Pingcheng."

At the time, she had listened with great interest, but whether someone was handsome or caused princesses to fight over them was useless information.

"How is it?" the hunter youth asked with anticipation. "Is there any way to solve this predicament?"

Yang Luo felt a bit guilty under his expectant gaze. "This... my foresight isn't always accurate."

Mo Zheng gave an "oh" and stopped asking, handing over the medicine bowl. "Miss, drink this calming soup and get some good sleep."

The youth was very tactful and did not press her endlessly. Yang Luo felt grateful, but she shook her head at the offered bowl. "I won't drink it. I must remain vigilant; I cannot always let you worry alone."

The scent of this medicine was even stronger than yesterday's; it would likely be more effective. She did not want to fall into a death-like sleep again.

Although she had asked him to be her guard and believed in his skills, she would not truly rely entirely on others.

Mo Zheng did not press further. "Then we shouldn't let it go to waste once it's brewed. I'll leave it to you, Miss. I'll get a good night's sleep tonight."

With that, he tilted his head back and gulped the medicine down.

Yang Luo couldn't help but smile. "Fine. I will keep watch. You sleep well and recover your strength so that if danger comes, you have the energy to deal with it."

Because the killer was in the city, and to prevent any sudden outbursts of violence, A Sheng and Yang Luo slept in the same room tonight.

Mo Zheng walked over to the crude bed made of chairs, and Yang Luo brought a quilt to him. Mo Zheng unceremoniously wrapped himself in the quilt and lay down to sleep.

Whether it was true exhaustion or the effect of the calming medicine, the youth soon fell into a deep sleep. The knife and sword he had bought for self-defense on the road were placed to the side, along with a bamboo pole.

Yang Luo remembered that the hunter youth always carried a bamboo pole; he hadn't even discarded it when they left Lu County.

"It's a bamboo pole from the mountains. Carrying it keeps one from longing for home."

Indeed, this was the hunter youth's first time away from his village. Although he was an orphan, his homeland was still hard to leave.

After all, he was only a youth of sixteen or seventeen.

In fact, this youth was younger than her.

Yang Luo felt a sense of affection, but as she leaned in slightly, she noticed the bamboo pole seemed a bit new, unlike the one before...

Perhaps her proximity disturbed him, as the hunter youth turned over in his sleep.

Yang Luo quickly stood straight, no longer disturbing him. She extinguished the lamp on the table and sat in the darkness, reflecting on that past life.

She had to strive to recall every piece of information and commit it to memory; any single detail might save her life.

She could not fail the opportunity Heaven had given her to be reborn.

(End of Chapter)