Chapter 170
Chapter 170: The Case
At the Provincial Governor’s office in Sheng Province.
High walls of bluish-gray bricks loomed tall, their thresholds reinforced with iron. Upon the crimson-lacquered doors, carvings of the mythical auspicious beast, Xiezhi, appeared almost alive. Yet even at midday, those grand gates remained tightly shut.
Hu Rui An’s carriage stopped on the paved street in front of the steps. The Four Great Martial Dao Families had deployed their forces in great numbers to encircle the Murong Family. The turmoil had seemingly swept through the entire Prefecture City, leaving even the street before the Governor’s mansion eerily empty.
Wu Shang and Cheng Zhong lifted the curtain of the carriage, followed closely by Li Mu Sheng and the others as they stepped down.
At that moment, Hu Rui An raised his eyes toward the building, his brows suddenly knitting together tightly.
Cheng Zhong, noticing his lord’s discomfort, whispered softly, “My lord, is something amiss?”
Hearing this, Hu Rui An narrowed his eyes slightly, a dark shadow passing through his gaze as he replied solemnly, “I smell blood inside.”
Hu Rui An had clawed his way up from the lowest ranks of the Heavenly Brocade Guard through sheer talent and grit, honing extraordinary senses and vast experience in investigations. Though Wu Shang and Cheng Zhong were considered young elite talents among the Heavenly Brocade Guard, neither had noticed anything unusual. Yet Hu Rui An discerned trouble at the first glance.
Wu Shang and Cheng Zhong’s faces instantly darkened at his words. Clearly, they understood what he implied. Both turned simultaneously toward the Prefecture Governor’s mansion, the same unsettling thought flashing through their minds: [Something terrible must have happened!]
“Let’s enter and investigate first,” Hu Rui An instructed briefly, gesturing for Wu Shang and Cheng Zhong to open the doors.
Without hesitation, Wu Shang stepped forward, pressing his palm lightly against the painted wooden door, and released a subtle pulse of martial qi. In the next instant, the tightly secured lock silently shattered, and with a low creak, the massive crimson doors slowly opened.
Behind the doors lay a narrow pathway paved in bluish stones leading directly to the main hall. Ravens perched upon the high eaves scattered suddenly into the sky, startled by the sound.
Within the Prefecture Governor’s mansion, utter silence reigned. Though sunlight filled the hallways, the stillness was chilling and eerie.
Hu Rui An moved forward, stepping over the iron-clad threshold. With a gesture, he summoned Wu Shang and Cheng Zhong to follow, and the three advanced into the mansion.
Li Mu Sheng gave the building a cursory glance, frowning slightly but shaking his head lightly. Instead of venturing further, he sat beneath a vine-covered pavilion in the front courtyard.
Meanwhile, as soon as Hu Rui An entered the rear courtyard, he was greeted by a gruesome scene: scattered corpses lay everywhere, and blood stained doors, windows, brick walls, and stone columns.
Wu Shang and Cheng Zhong immediately began inspecting the bodies, while Hu Rui An continued to search the surrounding area.
Finally, he found the body of Provincial Governor Zhu Zi Ming in a side chamber adjoining the largest hall. Hu Rui An’s eyes twitched in discomfort. Upon closer inspection, the Governor bore no injuries apart from a single sword wound precisely across his throat. There were no signs of poison, and death had occurred roughly two hours earlier.
Having concluded his inspection, Hu Rui An wasted no time. He quickly located Wu Shang and Cheng Zhong, and all three promptly returned to the front courtyard. After separating from Li Mu Sheng even briefly, the three men felt increasingly uneasy, reassured only in his presence.
Under the pavilion, Li Mu Sheng reclined leisurely against the railing, with Shen An Ran and Murong Xiao Ya nearby. After Hu Rui An and the others left, Murong Xiao Ya had curiously followed behind, but seeing the bodies scattered across the courtyard had quickly returned, her face pale and stricken.
Although Murong Xiao Ya was the youngest daughter of the Murong family, seeing such a horrific scene was clearly her first time, leaving her visibly shaken.
“My lord Hu, what is the situation?” Li Mu Sheng asked calmly as Hu Rui An approached.
Hu Rui An replied heavily, shaking his head, “All one hundred and seventy-six officials and guards within the Prefecture Governor’s mansion, including Zhu Zi Ming, have been killed. Not a single one survived.”
“The killings must have occurred shortly after they began their duties, about two hours ago. However, the motive remains unclear.”
Hearing this, Li Mu Sheng nodded lightly, glancing briefly at Wu Shang and Cheng Zhong without further questioning. After all, these men were among the best agents from the Heavenly Brocade Guard headquarters, and he need not say more about what must be done next.
“The slaughter of an entire provincial governor’s office—this news alone will shake even the Imperial Capital,” Hu Rui An remarked, looking deeply troubled. “We must immediately inform the Six Gates, the Heavenly Brocade Guard, and the provincial garrison forces within Sheng Province to jointly seal off the mansion. The Imperial Court in the capital must be alerted quickly for further instructions.”
As Hu Rui An spoke, he initially turned toward Wu Shang and Cheng Zhong, intending to send them to relay the news. Yet, upon recalling their current precarious situation, he hesitated.
“My lord, perhaps Brother Cao could take on this task?” Wu Shang swiftly suggested, his mind quickly working. The mysterious threats from the Heavenly Brocade Guard’s local office had yet to be resolved, and Wu Shang had no desire to leave Li Mu Sheng’s side.
Hu Rui An nodded, “Indeed, we have no other choice. We shall remain here until reinforcements from the Six Gates and others arrive.”
Thus, he quickly entrusted the task to Cao Gao Shan, who mounted his horse and swiftly departed without further questions. Hu Rui An and the others stayed behind in the front courtyard.
Li Mu Sheng, seated by the pavilion railing, watched the branches of a lush pagoda tree sway gently. He shook his head slowly. Events in Sheng Province were clearly growing more complicated: Imperial officials secretly conspiring with martial world factions, martial clans clashing fiercely, and now an entire Prefecture Governor’s mansion wiped out.
The martial world of Great Li was still dreadfully chaotic—bloodshed and vengeance seemed to follow wherever they went.
As Li Mu Sheng mulled this over, his gaze suddenly shifted toward Murong Xiao Ya, who stood quietly nearby in her pale lotus-colored gown, seemingly idle and restless.
Startled by Li Mu Sheng’s gaze, Murong Xiao Ya shivered slightly, lowering her eyes hurriedly. Her fair hands anxiously twisted the hem of her dress, her posture clearly nervous.
Seeing her reaction, Li Mu Sheng raised a brow thoughtfully, hesitated briefly, then rose and walked toward her.
Noticing his approach, Murong Xiao Ya became even more flustered, her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. Her eyes flickered nervously beneath lowered lids.
Soon, Li Mu Sheng stopped in front of her, gently stroking his chin as he regarded her thoughtfully. Her delicate face flushed crimson, her ears red as blood, yet she pressed her lips together, trying bravely to appear calm.