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Ruyi Cosmetic Shop
What else can a person's hair be used for, besides making wigs?
This became a major question in Xing Ruyi's mind. Before she could ask Yin Yuan for clarification, Chang Tai had already spotted them and was walking over.
"This Cold Ground is freezing; what are you all doing here?"
Although Chang Tai directed this remark at everyone, his gaze remained fixed on Xing Ruyi. Seeing that she was bundled up fairly well, he felt somewhat relieved and pointed to the recent excavation site. "Down there, it's densely packed with victims' corpses, probably seven or eight layers thick. What we've dug up so far is just the first layer; the further we go, the more unbearable the smell will be. You should find a better-ventilated place to stand; otherwise, you might feel unwell later."
"What about Hui Niang's in-laws?"
The yard was crowded with people. Besides the original residents, many from nearby villages had come out in the middle of the night to see what was happening. The flames flickered together, making it increasingly uncomfortable for the eyes. Xing Ruyi squinted for a while but still did not see Hui Niang's in-laws. Of course, even if she did see them, she might not recognize them. In the dark of night, no matter how many torches there were, faces would appear somewhat blurred.
"When they were first captured, there was quite a commotion, especially Hui Niang's mother-in-law; she's definitely not someone to underestimate." Chang Tai pointed to those standing in the courtyard. "Do you see those people standing in the shadows? They are all residents of this Central Plains area. I just took a quick look, and among them are several notorious criminals who have undergone disguise and some outlaws. I'm worried there might be more trouble, so I had the Yard Officer take those two away first."
Court Criminal? Outlaw!
Xing Ruyi looked at those people and shook her head, increasingly feeling that Mother-in-law Hui Niang had quite a bit of nerve to even think about these individuals. It was fortunate that Brother Chang had foresight and had the Yard Officer remove those two from the scene beforehand; otherwise, given the current excavation situation, it was likely someone would smear their names. To dare commit murder under the noses of outlaws—those two must be quite skilled.
"What about those people? Does Brother Chang plan to take them back as well?" Xing Ruyi glanced at the group of residents out of the corner of her eye.
"Brother Chang would like to, but given the current situation, he can only consider it in his mind. From where you're standing, you can't see their eyes clearly; each one carries a fierce look, not to mention their murderous aura. Right now, since it doesn't concern them, they don't want to stir up trouble. But once the Yard Officers focus their attention on them, just watch; this courtyard will either be drenched in blood or left in ruins. This isn't Divine Capital Luoyang; those Yard Officers are just doing their jobs and usually only catch petty thieves. When faced with these people, they have no combat capability whatsoever. Even if they were forced to act, it would only result in another innocent life lost."
"Lord Chang certainly understands." Li Mao emerged from the crowd. "I've already accompanied those officers back to the Yamen with that group of men. Following Lord Chang's orders, we separated men and women; they're all in solitary confinement without leaking any information. However, even if we seal the mouths of those officers, I fear we can't stop these onlookers from spreading news. I estimate that before dawn breaks, news of Mother-in-law Hui Niang's capture will reach Yun Village. If it reaches Yun Village, Hui Niang's husband will surely find out."
"Why hide the news? Are you afraid Yun Sheng will escape?"
"That's not a concern," Chang Tai interjected. "Based on the evidence we currently have, Yun Sheng is at most just an informed party. If he falsely claims to have left home as a child and knows nothing about the situation at home, we have no way to counter that. Yun Sheng isn't foolish; if he hears news tonight and escapes, it would only solidify his guilt. It’s better for him to pretend ignorance, allowing him to claim he was kept in the dark by his family."
"If we were to examine the Corpse and analyze the cause of death, I could manage to help a bit. However, when it comes to analyzing the Killer's motive and psychological patterns, Brother Chang, you are more knowledgeable," Xing Ruyi said as she stepped forward. "With so many victims, this case would be sensational even across the entire Golden Tang Dynasty. The residents here could very well become the next targets of the murderer. As representatives of the victims who need protection from the Yamen, I believe you should formally invite them back to assist in the investigation."
"Of course, for those who refuse to cooperate, as part of the Government Office, we shouldn't force them. But at least until we understand this case better, they should remain here and not wander freely. Moreover, with so many Corpses, it’s impossible not to alert higher authorities. I’m not very familiar with how the Government Office operates with the court, but given the severity of this case, could we request reinforcements?"
Upon hearing the words "request reinforcements," Chang Tai's eyes lit up. He discreetly gave Xing Ruyi a thumbs-up and then called over a Yard Officer to whisper a few words in his ear.
"Mother, are you trying to capture all those people at once?"
"Not exactly; I just think it would be a shame to let them go after they’ve gathered here so easily. Who knows how many more people they might harm in the future? Even if we can't catch them all, we should at least capture some," Xing Ruyi said as she tugged at her clothing and glanced back at the fox with a smile.
"Besides, Mother only mentioned it in passing. Ultimately, Mother is just an ordinary citizen; capturing criminals is something that must be decided by those within the Government Office. However, if we can also gain some benefits from this, then our trip tonight won’t be in vain."
"That’s true; if we manage to capture so many Court Criminals, Uncle Chang will certainly receive credit for it. Even if those in power take most of the credit, there will still be enough recognition for Uncle Chang to get promoted."
"I don't really care about promotions. It's just that what the Fox Demon said earlier makes sense. With so many Court Criminals and Outlaws gathered together, if we simply watch them leave without taking action, it would be hard to explain ourselves to those who have been harmed."
"After discussing this for quite some time, I still don’t understand the background of this case. With so many victims, it couldn’t have happened overnight; didn’t the nearby villagers notice anything or report it to the Government Office?"
"It’s impossible that they were completely unaware; ordinary citizens wouldn’t want to invite trouble upon themselves for no reason. Just now when I ordered the Yard Officer to apprehend Mother-in-law of Hui Niang on the spot, I overheard a Child mumbling that he had known these two were murderers for a long time. When I asked him why he knew this, he told me that over a year ago he saw Mother-in-law of Hui Niang burying a naked man in a pit behind the village. We’ve already found that Corpse, and there’s more than one just like it in this courtyard."
"With witnesses and knowledge of both the murderer and burial site, surely that Child must have told his parents about such things. Brother Chang, didn’t you think to ask his parents why they didn’t report it?"
"The child's words were cut short when his mother rushed out from the crowd looking panicked and claimed he was just scared and talking nonsense before dragging him away. Do I really need to ask further?" Chang Tai looked helplessly at Xing Ruyi. "While evil people are terrifying, upon reflection, those honest individuals who witness wrongdoing yet choose to conceal it are even more frightening. They believe that by closing their eyes and ears and keeping their mouths shut, they can avoid these terrifying truths. But in reality, they are enabling evil in their own way. If they had exposed this wrongdoing sooner, perhaps we wouldn’t be faced with so many corpses now."
As they spoke, several layers of bones had already been excavated from the Mass Grave; even those who had originally stood in the courtyard had fled outside one by one.
The Fox knew the temperament of the Fox Demon, and when faced with such a significant case, she couldn't help but come closer to take a look.
"I know your temper, but you need to be extra careful when examining the Corpse."
"Got it, don't worry. Even without the Ghost Technique by my side, I am still Xing Ruyi."
Xing Ruyi winked at the Fox and then made a Ghost Face before turning around again. She tightened her cloak and cautiously stepped through the yard filled with Corpses, making her way to the Mass Grave. The ones digging up the Corpses were not from the Government Office but seemed to be villagers hired from nearby. Although they covered their mouths and noses with cloth, their arms and legs were exposed due to their labor.
These villagers looked like poor people who relied on hard work for a living; otherwise, who would be willing to dig up Corpses in the middle of the night? However, the Mass Grave was no ordinary pit. Even with full protective measures, there was still a risk of infection from the corpse miasma. Moreover, these villagers had only simply covered their mouths and noses while leaving their arms and legs exposed to the air.
As sweat accumulates on the body, pores open up, allowing the corpse miasma to seep into these villagers' bodies. In just a couple of days, they would suffer from poisoning and cause new troubles.
"Stop! Everyone stop what you're doing!" Xing Ruyi hurried over to the group of villagers, urging them to halt their actions. The villagers appeared somewhat numb; some didn't even glance at Xing Ruyi but continued to dig through the bones in the Mass Grave. For them, perhaps unearthing another bone meant earning a bit more reward money.
Seeing this, Xing Ruyi grew anxious. She couldn't care less about the layers of decaying or decayed bones in the Mass Grave; she lifted her skirt and jumped in.
"Stop! Everyone cease immediately! Do you know that this is not acceptable?" Xing Ruyi grabbed one villager's arm. "Do you realize where this is? This is a Mass Grave; all the Corpses here have accumulated over many years, and they are toxic."
Upon hearing the words "toxic," there was finally a change in expression on the villagers' previously numb faces.
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