Chapter 42: Captain Qin Investigates the Case

"I know you may not believe it, but nowadays, no one in the Heavenly Net Sect practices such wicked arts anymore..." Hu Jiuyan sighed, then continued, "Tonight, I must deal with the bodies from Sanhe Town, Niujiao Hamlet, and Boulder Village, and notify the county authorities to come bury them."

With that, she stepped into the house. The whole family lay lifeless, as if merely asleep. Holding a luminous pearl aloft, Hu Jiuyan surveyed the scene upon the kang bed; both she and Qin Yue fell silent.

A five or six-year-old girl, sweet-faced, nestled quietly in her mother's arms. The mother’s expression was uneasy; despite the heat, she clung to her child, brow faintly furrowed. The man of the house curled up behind his wife, an axe resting by his hand.

Clearly, the tragedy that had struck the town had left deep psychological scars on all its residents. Yet what defense could a mere firewood axe provide?

Qin Yue drew a deep breath, silently clenching his fists.

"Time is short. If these bodies become corpse puppets, they’ll attack any living thing indiscriminately," Hu Jiuyan said. "The murderer could remotely control them, harvesting souls and life force endlessly without ever showing their face, amassing an army of corpse puppets."

Her voice was so calm it bordered on cold, as if the explanation was for Qin Yue, yet also a method to steady herself.

Qin Yue remained silent.

Hu Jiuyan continued her spellwork, saying, "There was once a Dao realm master in the sect's history, famous throughout the land for refining corpse puppets. Disciples of all sects feared him."

"He never touched ordinary folk—his victims were said to be deeply sinful. But that’s only one side of the story; centuries have passed, so who can say? According to the other sects, he was a wicked cultivator deserving a thousand deaths."

She paused. "We agree. No matter what, anyone who practices evil arts and harms others to advance themselves can never be considered good, and deserves their fate. Out of respect for the powerful, we simply don’t discuss it openly."

"In the end, the master was besieged by the Sunchaser Sect and the major holy lands. Dozens of Dao realm experts joined forces, losing seven or eight in the process, but finally slew him."

"The most advanced evil arts are unique manuscripts; mere written descriptions aren’t enough—you need the original scripture. So when he died, his core legacy vanished, leaving only records and minor inheritances. Even if someone practices them, they can never reach that level again."

"But the methods used by this murderer match those records—and are nearly, if not exactly, at Dao realm level! That’s why I say the culprit cannot be one of our sect."

"I've never practiced wicked arts, but I've read many related classics and am skilled at detecting, verifying, and breaking some of them. As the sect leader says, the sins of our forebears are ours to atone for."

Hu Jiuyan cast her spell, breaking the corpse puppet curse from the family, then let out a long breath and glanced at Qin Yue.

"The crimes of our sect’s ancestors are an indelible fact. They paid dearly for them. The Heavenly Net Sect has changed; otherwise, I wouldn’t have joined such a sect. I don't expect you to fully believe me—some things are best left unsaid for now. In time, you can judge for yourself."

"I can’t speak for others, but I believe you!" Qin Yue replied.

He knew that tonight, his sister’s grief and anger matched, if not exceeded, his own.

In all their years of acquaintance, this was the first time they had so openly discussed their sect.

A faint smile appeared on Hu Jiuyan’s otherwise cold face.

Qin Yue asked, "According to what you said, if a wicked cultivator dies, their legacy could fall into other hands, and after centuries, their methods reappear—at a high level?"

Hu Jiuyan nodded. "The methods are unmistakable, but who this evil cultivator is, I dare not say."

---

Qin Yue frowned; he understood what Hu Jiuyan left unsaid.

Back then, it was the Sunchaser Sect and the ten great holy lands who besieged the Dao realm evil cultivator of the Heavenly Net Sect. So, the one who inherited the legacy, mastered the arts, and so precisely framed Feng Qianning... Who else could it be?

---

Soon, the drums and gongs in the town ceased, and the torches went out.

These were ordinary folk; not only would they be terrified by an evil cultivator, even a single vengeful ghost would drive them to despair. Their efforts were merely an attempt to banish their own fear.

Hu Jiuyan busied herself all night. After her earlier conversation with Qin Yue, she spoke no more, silently casting spells to break the corpse puppet curse.

After finishing in Sanhe Town, she and Qin Yue went to Niujiao Hamlet and Boulder Village.

By the time their work was complete, dawn was breaking in the east.

Hu Jiuyan, who had not eaten or drunk all night, was soaked with sweat and exhaustion.

"For now, things should be safe. But if the culprit continues killing and cursing people, all my efforts will mean little. We must return to Northern City—some matters can’t be explained by communication stone. I’ll ask the Saintess for help, and also confirm once more that no one in the sect has practiced such arts these past hundred years."

Even with the vanished core legacy and the framing of Feng Qianning, it was nearly certain the culprit wasn’t one of their own, but Hu Jiuyan wanted to be thorough.

"Why don’t you go back while I stay here? If the murderer returns, who can protect these people?"

Hu Jiuyan hesitated; her sense of justice was strong, but not strong enough to risk those close to her.

Especially after what had happened at Yandang Mountain, she cared deeply for Qin Yue’s safety.

"Don’t worry. You know I may not win a fight, but I can always escape," Qin Yue said.

Hu Jiuyan considered it, and agreed.

With his skill—rescuing the Saintess from the mountain tomb, and displaying his escape technique before her eyes—he was more than capable.

Still, she cautioned, "Be careful. If you encounter the murderer, don’t fight. Nothing is more important than your life!"

"Don’t worry—I’m not that foolish," Qin Yue nodded.

Hu Jiuyan mounted her horse and sped away.

---

Early morning in Sanhe Town was quiet; barely anyone walked the streets.

Once a bustling town with twenty or thirty thousand residents, merchants, and hunters, its prosperity rivaled many county seats.

But after such a strange and brutal crime, fear gripped the populace; most businesses dared not open.

Qin Yue wandered the main street, finally finding a breakfast shop. He ordered two baskets of buns and chatted with the owner.

His official garb made the shopkeeper uneasy at first.

"Uncle, don't worry. I’m here to investigate the case—let’s just chat," Qin Yue said.

"Ah, Sanhe Town has never seen anything so terrible. Curse that wicked demonic woman! Why target innocent people?" The shopkeeper, emboldened by Qin Yue’s kindness, vented his anger. "Why don’t those powerful cultivators intervene? I hear the official reports say many immortals have arrived, yet no one stops her. Another family died last night—if this continues, we’ll have to leave..."

---

Qin Yue asked, "Who told you the demonic woman was the killer?"

"Everyone says so! The official reports said the Heavenly Net Saintess—bah, the evil witch!—went to the Northern Beast Valley to steal the beast king’s treasure. We thought it was amusing, since it didn’t concern us ordinary folk. But who’d have thought she’d turn her claws on us?"

Qin Yue frowned. Even in a world with rapid information, for rumors to spread so thoroughly in just days was odd.

But investigating such matters wasn’t easy; he needed local cooperation.

He asked, "Who’s the most prominent family in town?"

The shopkeeper sighed, "The Zhangs, but they’re all dead. Over ten people, wiped out in one night—not even the three-year-old survived. Such tragedy!"

So much for tracing the source. Qin Yue finished his buns and left.

Outside, he met the bailiffs and constables of Cuiyun County, who paused when they saw him, then greeted him.

"Sir, we're warning the townsfolk not to spread rumors, but..." a young bailiff began, then hesitated.

"But what?" Qin Yue asked.

"It’s not working. Everyone hates the demonic woman, convinced she’s responsible," the bailiff replied with a bitter smile.

Qin Yue nodded, "Do your best. Oh—" he stopped the bailiff, "try to trace the origin of these rumors. I’ll be in town; report any news promptly."

He returned to the homes of the victims, where the county deputy was overseeing the loading of coffins by the town's able-bodied men.

Though the case wasn’t solved, since cultivators were involved, keeping the bodies would only lead to decay; better to bury them quickly.

Luckily, Hu Jiuyan had spent much of the night breaking the corpse puppet curse. Otherwise, even burial might have led to worse disaster later.

His uniform from the Bureau of Theft Prevention was useful—everyone showed him respect.

Yet among the onlookers, besides respect, he saw anger and contempt.

They didn’t recognize the bureau’s uniform, but could tell from the officials’ attitude toward Qin Yue.

—What good is the big official? He’s just wandering around like a headless chicken.

Qin Yue sensed their emotions clearly—helplessness, frustration.

It was his first day on the job, and he had no experience in solving cases. If anyone was anxious, it was him.

The image of the little girl nestled in her mother’s arms, the young woman suddenly opening her eyes, the coffins—all lingered in his mind.

And the so-called demonic woman, now his senior sister, was being slandered so thoroughly she couldn’t clear her name if she jumped into the Blackwater River.

Yet he felt the culprit did not fear him—in fact, did not fear the Bureau of Theft Prevention at all, and would eventually show themselves.

Just then, Qin Yue spotted a figure in the crowd that made him frown ever so slightly.