I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 102: Chapter 102: The Case Details

Jie Daohan was about to get angry, but suddenly saw the Escort Masters, gripping their knives, squeezing out from the back of the funeral procession, all with expressions of grief and indignation!

His heart skipped a beat, feeling something was wrong!

These Escort Masters were hardened from the Jianghu. If a real fight broke out, those leisurely constables in the government office would definitely not be a match!

However, he had already gotten himself in too deep to back out now!

At this moment, Ruan Fengshan suddenly stepped forward a few steps, shouting, ”Brothers, don’t act rashly!”

Ruan Fengshan was truly afraid that if a fight broke out, he, as the shopkeeper present on the scene, would be accused of inciting the Escort Masters to cause trouble!

Ruan Fengshan turned his head, cupped his fists towards Jie Daohan, and said, ”Chief Constable Jie, I, Ruan Fengshan, swear on my life that there are absolutely no outlaws in the coffin!”

Jie Daohan’s face was uncertain, but looking at the city gate, seeing the blades in a line, his heart finally relaxed a bit, saying, ”Wei Ming! Continue the roll call!”

”Yes!” Wei Ming cupped his fists in response, and his heart also relaxed!

If it really came to a fight, he didn’t think they could stand up to the Escort Masters of Yuan Shun Escort Agency!

Wei Ming turned his head and saw the tense standoff with blades at the city gate.

Jie Daohan glanced at Ruan Fengshan, and Ruan Fengshan immediately said, ”Brothers, sheathe your blades! Chief Constable Jie has already said, verify and let them pass!”

The Escort Masters, upon hearing this, sheathed their blades but still stood there, only leaving slowly after the constables also sheathed their blades and returned to their positions.

Xiao Yu’s gaze swept over the faces of the Escort Masters, filled with gratitude!

Seeing the crisis resolved, Ruan Fengshan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead!

”This old fox!” Jie Daohan glanced at Ruan Fengshan and cursed inwardly.

Duan Rong also sheathed his blade at this time, returning to Zhao Mu’s side and lifting the coffin again!

Looking at Duan Rong, Xiao Yu felt a faint joy in his heart; at that moment, the whole world retreated, but he alone stood in front of him!

And he was just an Apprentice Escort Master in a short outfit!

That shout at the city gate, how magnificent!

”Little sister, you have a good eye!” Xiao Yu gave a faint smile and sheathed his blade.

Once Duan Rong returned, Zhao Mu turned to him and shouted, ”Good kid! Truly courageous!”

Duan Rong, hearing this, just laughed foolishly, like a silly boy, showing no sign of heroism at all.

Duan Rong knew very well why the inspection at the city gate had suddenly become strict!

Jie Daohan must have already discovered Jie Lei’s corpse!

This issue, in the end, started because of him!

At that moment, he not only wanted to help Xiao Yu, but he also couldn’t bear to see Xiao Baijiao’s body humiliated after death!

Speaking, Zhao Mu suddenly spotted Zhu Xiaoqi standing in front of the coffin!

At this moment, Zhu Xiaoqi was wearing mourning clothes, looking even more charming than when she wore that red dress.

But Zhao Mu saw Zhu Xiaoqi holding Xiao Baijiao’s memorial tablet, her eyes sparkling with admiration, staring intently at Duan Rong behind him.

Zhao Mu instantly felt a surge of jealousy, glaring at Duan Rong behind him!

Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi returned to the front of the coffin, leading the pallbearers to carry Xiao Baijiao’s coffin out of the west city gate!

Wei Ming continued verifying according to the list, while Jie Daohan stood by the city gate, his sharp gaze sweeping over each face!

Finally, the more than twenty mourners were also verified and exited the city. Jie Daohan stood at the city gate, watching the funeral procession, like a long dragon, outside, instructing Wei Ming, ”Wei Ming, take two people and watch the burial of the coffin!”

”Yes!” Although Wei Ming didn’t know what Jie Daohan’s order meant, he had become Jie Daohan’s confidant by following orders without question.

At this moment, suddenly a jujube-colored horse galloped over, ridden by a scholar in a square scarf!

Jie Daohan looked up and saw it was Qin Shuban!

His heart moved slightly, as before coming to the city gate, he had originally prepared to report the changes in the case to Shen Yanliu.

Qin Shuban reined in his horse, glanced at the government constables and constables at the city gate, and said in a loud voice to Jie Daohan, ”Chief Constable Jie, the County Magistrate commands you to immediately go to the County Government for a meeting! Do not delay!”

”I was just about to go!” Jie Daohan said, then mounted his horse and rode towards the County Government!

Do not delay, implying it was already delayed.

Over here, Qin Shuban saw Jie Daohan ride away on horseback, only then did he turn around and leisurely head towards the County Government Office!

Jie Daohan galloped to the County Government Office, quickly dismounted, and rushed towards the main hall, his steps swiftly bypassing the hall and entering the back hall behind it.

As soon as Jie Daohan entered the back hall, he saw Shen Yanliu and Fan Yuanhai already seated, drinking tea and chatting, seemingly waiting for him?

”Chief Constable Jie, you’ve arrived! Please sit!” As soon as Shen Yanliu saw Jie Daohan come in, he pointed to a Grandmaster’s Chair beside him, signaling Jie Daohan to take a seat!

Jie Daohan slightly bowed his fist as a gesture, then hurriedly walked over and sat down!

As soon as Jie Daohan took his seat, Shen Yanliu abruptly asked, ”Chief Constable Jie, have you heard about the near-riot at the West City Gate?”

Jie Daohan’s heart skipped a beat; Shen Yanliu’s information was remarkably well-informed!

”County Magistrate, you have great insight! At this critical juncture in the case, Yuan Shun Escort Agency suddenly has such a large-scale funeral procession; I can’t help but be cautious!”

”Didn’t Ruan Fengshan provide the list? You can check according to the list!”

”The names of the people in the procession can naturally be checked against the list. However, my subordinates suspect something might be amiss within the coffin!” Jie Daohan still felt there might be issues with the coffin at this moment. ”What if the murderer hides within that coffin...”

”In the coffin, there is only Xiao Baijiao’s corpse...” Shen Yanliu suddenly interrupted Jie Daohan, saying.

”How can the County Magistrate be so certain?” Jie Daohan looked suspiciously at Shen Yanliu.

Shen Yanliu silently stared at Jie Daohan for a while.

Jie Daohan felt somewhat uneasy!

Only then did Shen Yanliu speak, ”Chief Constable Jie has been operating in Xianggu County for many years! Is it possible that you haven’t planted a single informant in Yuan Shun Escort Agency?”

”My people watched them nail it shut with their own eyes! Inside the coffin, there is only Xiao Baijiao’s corpse!”

Jie Daohan was shocked upon hearing this.

He originally had an informant in Yuan Shun Escort Agency, but a year ago, Ruan Fengshan removed him. Jie Daohan had thought of planting someone again, but Ruan Fengshan had fortified Yuan Shun Escort Agency as securely as an iron barrel, and he hadn’t found a suitable opportunity yet!

Fan Yuanhai, sitting to the side, also looked at Jie Daohan with mockery in his eyes and asked, ”Chief Constable Jie, has Xu Ruhu’s corpse been found?”

Jie Daohan, upon hearing this, replied seriously, ”The Imperial Envoy is already aware. I was just about to report it!”

Just as Jie Daohan was about to speak further, Fan Yuanhai suddenly turned cold and said, ”Now it seems that Xu Ruhu was taken from prison by Jie Lei! But I wonder if Chief Constable Jie, you were involved in this matter?”

Jie Daohan suddenly stood up from his chair, angrily saying, ”What does the Imperial Envoy mean by this?”

”Is my meaning not yet clear? Your own nephew, you assigned him to guard Xu Ruhu! However, he managed to break Xu Ruhu out of the Great Prison! And now, both he and Xu Ruhu have been killed! I suspect you to be the true mastermind behind this, first instructing your nephew to rob the prison, and after succeeding, killing Xu Ruhu and Jie Lei to silence them! Such a case of sacrificing familial loyalty for justice!”

Fan Yuanhai became more and more excited as he spoke, while Jie Daohan was already trembling with anger!

”Enough! The case hasn’t been solved yet, why start internal conflict?” Seeing the tense atmosphere, Shen Yanliu spoke to de-escalate, ”If Chief Constable Jie truly had this intention, he could have easily arrested Xu Ruhu as a thief when he first captured him, so why reveal his identity?”

Fan Yuanhai conceded that Shen Yanliu had a point, and since his argument was merely speculative and wouldn’t withstand scrutiny, he took a few sips of tea and said no more.

Jie Daohan saw Shen Yanliu defending him and gave him a grateful glance.

Shen Yanliu pressed down his hand, signaling Jie Daohan to sit down.

Jie Daohan sat down again, and Shen Yanliu asked, ”Was there any clue found at the crime scene?”

Jie Daohan’s expression changed slightly as he said, ”There is one clue; both Xu Ruhu and Jie Lei’s bodies were poisoned with Corpse Rot Poison!”

”Corpse Rot Poison?” Shen Yanliu seemed to remember something and said, ”I recall traces of such poison from an old case!”

”The County Magistrate has a good memory!” Jie Daohan praised, ”This poison once appeared in the Whale Tiger Gang case!”

”Whale Tiger Gang?” Shen Yanliu’s eyes looked somewhat distant. ”That case was a few years ago, wasn’t it?”

”Yes, at that time, the case was personally supervised by the County Magistrate!”

Shen Yanliu nodded and asked, ”Are there any other clues?”

”We haven’t sorted out anything else for now.”

”Then go on. If there are new developments, report them to me in a timely manner!”

”Yes, County Magistrate!” Jie Daohan clasped his fist to stand, and after glaring at Fan Yuanhai once, he left the back hall!

Shen Yanliu watched Jie Daohan’s back with a flickering gaze; he actually also suspected Jie Daohan! But to say he killed his own nephew, Shen Yanliu wouldn’t believe it at all, as he was very clear on how much effort Jie Daohan spent on Jie Lei.

Even a tiger won’t eat its cubs!