NCCnovel Chapter 827 The Blunt Embroidered Spring Knife
Chapter 827 The Blunt Embroidered Spring Knife
The morning mist in late autumn is like thick ink, covering this small county town that should be bustling.
Damp mist wrapped in dead leaves swirled on the bluestone road. The dragging footsteps of the night watchman could be heard in the distance, and the sound of the clappers turned into broken echoes in the mist.
Chu Muyun's black flying fish suit was faintly visible in the mist, and the python pattern embroidered with gold thread shone coldly under the hazy skylight. The embroidered spring knife at his waist made crisp and cold sounds from time to time as he walked.
It’s like the King of Hell knocking on the door!
Twelve Jinyiwei were wearing dark cloud covers and iron-faced combat boots as they walked across the frosty road. The sound of their uniform footsteps startled the crows on the old locust tree on the street. The sound of their flapping wings tore through the deathly silence, adding a bit of weirdness and murderousness.
Most of the shops on both sides of the street had their doors tightly closed, their faded signs swaying weakly in the fog.
Occasionally, a few pedestrians hurried past, all of them looking panicked, hunched over and moving close to the wall, not daring to even breathe, for fear that looking at these uninvited guests for even a second would bring them death.
Chu Muyun stood in front of the Zhang family silk shop, and the soles of his boots crushed the spider webs on the steps.
The shop that was once decorated with vermilion lacquer and gold and had carved beams and painted buildings now has a crooked seal, is covered in dust, and there are cracks on the door panels from being hacked by sharp weapons.
Looking inside through the crack in the door, it was a mess. The sandalwood shelves were overturned on the ground, the gold-woven silk was scattered into gray mud, and the brocade embroidered with peony patterns was cut into pieces by a knife, as if it had experienced a catastrophe.
"Start checking."
Chu Muyun's low voice sounded, and its trembling ending echoed in the fog.
The Jinyiwei immediately dispersed, like a group of well-trained hunting dogs. Some pried open the rusty locks, while others jumped onto the wall, the iron nails on the soles of their boots scraping against the tiles, making a harsh sound.
Chu Muyun, along with a few trusted aides, walked on the yellow leaves all over the ground and headed straight for the county government office.
Along the way, prying eyes flashed from time to time behind the bamboo curtains of the street teahouses, and then quickly disappeared when he looked back, leaving only faint whispers.
The lobby of the county government office was filled with pungent incense, trying to cover up the smell of decay.
County Magistrate Liu Xun sat upright on a tiger-skin chair, his official uniform covered in patches, but the jade belt around his waist shone with a warm luster.
His knees were trembling slightly, and he could hardly hide the panic in his eyes. Seeing Chu Muyun and the others enter, he quickly stood up and said with a forced smile, "I'm sorry for not welcoming you, Envoy Chu, to your great honor. I'm sorry for not welcoming you!"
Before he could finish his words, the jade ring that had slipped off his sleeve made a crisp sound against the blue bricks, which startled him so much that his face turned pale instantly.
Chu Muyun bowed slightly, a faint smile on his face, but that smile was colder than the cold wind in the fog: "You are too polite, County Magistrate Liu."
"I came here this time because of the Zhang family's property. I hope County Magistrate Liu can explain the reason in detail."
His eyes swept over the yamen runners huddled in a ball in the hall.
Liu Xun wiped the sweat from his forehead, and the sweat left dark marks on his official uniform.
"The Chu pacification envoy doesn't know anything,"
His voice trembled as he pulled out a stack of account books from his desk. The paper was so new that you could smell the ink. "The Zhang family's assets have owed the government a lot of taxes and grain over the years."
"Add to that the many setbacks in business and the difficulty in cash flow, so we had to close down."
As he spoke, his fingers unconsciously stroked the edge of the account book, where there was still some lingering glue.
Chu Muyun took the account book, flipped through a few pages at random, and paused on a line of numbers - the amount of loss in water transport was actually more than the annual grain output of the entire county.
A barely perceptible sneer flashed in his eyes, but he didn't expose it immediately. He just put the account book down with a smile and said, "I see. Thank you, Lord Liu, for clearing up my confusion."
When he stood up, the scabbard of the Embroidered Spring Sword accidentally swept across the corner of the table, and Liu Xun's pupils suddenly contracted in fright.
When we returned to the temporary inn, it was already getting dark.
The oil lamp swayed in the draft, casting Chu Muyun's shadow on the mottled wall.
Jinyiwei Captain Chen Yuan hurried over, his cloak still stained with mud, his face filled with anxiety. "Pacifier, what should we do now? We can't investigate this case any further."
"We've searched the entire county, but so far, we haven't found any trace of the Zhang family."
"Everyone associated with the Zhang family is either missing or completely clueless."
"The silk shop's accountant had his throat slit and his body thrown into the moat!"
Another Jinyiwei also stepped forward to report, his voice tense: "Also, when we searched the Zhang family's property, we found that all the account books and contracts were burned!"
Chu Muyun sat on the armchair, crossed his hands in front of his chest, his knuckles clenched until they turned white.
The candlelight flickered on his face, casting flickering shadows, as if countless distorted faces appeared on his face.
"Zhang family, of course there are some. I have all the necessary evidence of their crimes."
He spoke slowly, his voice low and cold, each word squeezed out from between his teeth. "I'm asking this question now simply to see how evil human nature can be."
Chen Yuan's face was full of confusion, and he couldn't help asking, "Pacifier, since we have evidence of a crime, why don't we arrest him?"
"Back in the day, we, the Jinyiwei, handled cases with swiftness and decisiveness. As long as we had a suspect, even without evidence, we would arrest him and question him."
"Execute first and report later. That's imperial authority."
"But now..."
He paused, his eyes filled with resentment. "Ever since Commander Wang took office, our Jinyiwei are far less powerful than they were when Commander Zhang was in office. Even you are so hesitant when doing things. Why is that?"
Chu Muyun stood up, walked to the window and pushed open the wooden window.
A cold wind blew in mist, extinguishing several oil lamps.
He looked out the window at the dark night, and after a long while he spoke, "It's different, boy. You are still a little younger."
There was a hint of helplessness in his tone, "This time we are going to catch the bad guys."
"Bad Guys?" Chen Yuan's eyes widened, his hand unconsciously pressing on the hilt of his knife. "But they're the Pacification Envoys. We, the Jinyiwei, also serve His Majesty. Why should we be afraid of them?"
Chu Muyun turned around and looked at Chen Yuan, his eyes burning with suppressed anger. "Your Majesty personally fostered these unscrupulous people, specifically to investigate secrets and eliminate dissidents for Your Majesty."
"In His Majesty's heart, their status is far more important than our Jinyiwei."
"Compared to them, we Jinyiwei are like stepmothers."
He sighed and continued, "Do you think it's still the same now? The power to execute first and report later is no longer in our hands."
"Your Majesty is increasingly relying on the Bad People. They act so arrogantly that many ministers in the court dare not speak out."
"Look at Commander Wang. He's become a hands-off boss now. It's because he knows the seriousness of this and doesn't want to get involved in this mess."
"Last month, Captain Li of the Northern Pacification Office drowned in his own bathtub the next day after being questioned for a few more questions. His body was riddled with pinholes!"
Chu Muyun walked up to Chen Yuan and patted his shoulder. The force in his hand was so strong that it made Chen Yuan slightly painful. "So, this time we must catch the thief and seize the stolen goods. The evidence must be irrefutable."
"If we act rashly, not only will the case fail, but we will also implicate our brothers and even bring disaster to the entire Jinyiwei."
"Do you understand it?"
Chen Yuan nodded thoughtfully, but the flame of unwillingness still burned in his heart.