Chapter 004: Despondency and Dismay

With a crackling sound, a bolt of lightning struck, illuminating her figure in an instant. At that moment, her silhouette was finally made clear to Youge amidst the torrential rain. Youge caught sight of that terrifying face, and her scream was abruptly silenced, as if someone had suddenly grasped her throat. Her mouth remained wide open, yet the sound was completely stifled.

The flash of lightning is fleeting, followed closely by the rumbling sound of thunder. At that moment, the beautiful girl's aged hand suddenly opens, creating an illusion in the observer's mind, as if the awe-inspiring heavenly thunder were emanating from her palm like a thunderclap.

These constables do not belong to the local government; they have come from Lin'an (Hangzhou) of the Song Dynasty. Generally speaking, the capture and escort of criminals to the capital are the responsibilities of local constables. However, this criminal was originally a minor official in the capital, and although his status is not high, he is a key witness in a case involving high-ranking officials

A sudden clap of thunder echoed, illuminating a figure.

Such a criminal, if merely apprehended in the local area, would find it difficult to avoid being silenced by someone with ulterior motives during the process. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, the Lin'an Prefecture specifically dispatched personnel to Jiankang (Nanjing) on official business, coming directly to capture the individual, without prior notification to the local authorities.

She stood in the center of the courtyard, with torrential rain pouring down, scattering her hairpin, and her long hair cascading down, obscuring her features. Her figure was exceptionally slender, yet the combination of the heavy rain, her long hair, and the pale flashes of lightning rendered her appearance exceedingly eerie

With this scream of despair, it seemed that even the heavens could no longer bear it, and another flash of lightning erupted. Illuminated by this heavenly thunder, Li Gongfu, an old constable from the Six Doors, could see clearly... He witnessed that the woman with disheveled hair suddenly swelled beneath her garments, and countless crystalline ice spikes burst forth from her body, which were immediately stained red by the blood that followed, only to be quickly diluted by the rain.

The nerves of the little girl Youge are surprisingly more resilient than those of this lazy boy. Although she is clearly trembling in fear, she has not fainted. She lets out a sharp, piercing scream, which seems to jolt the unconscious Yang Han, causing him to shudder slightly.

As soon as the words left his mouth, a thunderous roar of rolling thunder came crashing down upon him. Li Gongfu, an experienced official, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, keenly sensing that someone seemed to be lurking in a corner of the courtyard. Without a moment's hesitation, Li Gongfu thrust his knife and lunged towards that corner.

Then she cried out, "Monster!" and turned to rush into the curtain of rain outside

Suddenly, she trembled, letting out a piercing, inhuman scream from her throat.

... ...

The beautiful masked girl was originally poised to leap away like a ghost, intending to escape. Under the cover of night, the terrified young lady Youge was completely unaware of her presence. However, when she heard the piercing screams of "Ghost! Monster! ..." the beautiful masked girl, who was about to make her move, suddenly froze in place.

The woman standing in the rain garden is Youge. Li Gongfu has been a constable for many years, and his booming voice, akin to the roar of a lion, is indeed formidable. When he shouts, his voice resonates like a great bell, exuding authority. Despite the interference of thunder and heavy rain, this shout carries considerable official power

Now they have captured this person from the countryside and brought him to Jiankang Prefecture, preparing to proceed with the local documentation before escorting the criminal to Lin'an. However, they did not expect that upon returning from the outskirts, they arrived back in the city only in the evening, and before they could reach the inn, they encountered this heavy rain, which was truly unfortunate

Li Touer, be careful! A constable shouted just once, and the constable with the drawn sword had already rushed into the courtyard

Li Gongfu held the knife horizontally, straining his eyes to look, but in that corner, apart from three to five slender and elongated bamboos, there was indeed nothing at all

This is the experience of the husband’s servant. Fear is natural, as most people are afraid of the unknown. However, he is very clear that the long-haired woman in the courtyard, whose identity is uncertain, is unlikely to pose a threat to him; it is the one hiding in the corner who truly is.

Li Gongfu's knife whistled through the air, slicing through the rainwater that surged up and stabbed towards the corner. However, as he advanced with the knife and charged into the corner, he was astonished to find that there were only a few slender bamboos in that corner, and nothing else at all... Could it be... ? ... Have I misjudged the situation?

The one who charged towards the residence of Li Tongpan with a knife was a constable from Lin'an Prefecture, surnamed Li, named Li Gongfu. Having served as a constable for many years, he was just promoted to the position of head constable last year, and he was a person of great warmth and compassion. At this moment, upon hearing someone calling for help, he noticed the door frame, the steps, and the flagpole, which clearly indicated that it was a household of officials. How could Li Gongfu not take notice of this

The constable, who had just rallied his brothers with a shout, drew his knife and, upon seeing the courtyard from which the exclamation had come, commanded loudly: "You all keep an eye on the criminal, I will go take a look!"

Those few individuals in raincoats were clearly a group of constables. Although they were wearing raincoats, making it difficult to discern their official attire, the central prisoner and the distinct outline of what was evidently a waist knife protruding from beneath their raincoats made it immediately apparent.

Brothers, walk faster, we will soon arrive at the Jiankang Post House

Then that drop of rainwater came to life like a crystal-clear water snake, winding up into the air, as if the triangular head of the snake was eager to leap forward, suddenly lunging ahead... it rushed into the wide-open mouth of Youge, instantly burrowing into her belly. Youge's body shook violently, her eyes bulging out as if... like the recently and mysteriously deceased Li Tongpan.

"Ghost! Monster! Come quickly, someone..." Miss Youge was on the verge of madness, she suddenly turned around and ran wildly into the courtyard, screaming frantically under the pouring rain, her whole body trembling.

In the next moment, the dense lines of rain falling around and above Youge suddenly experienced a strange fluctuation. The lines of rain merely rippled for a moment, and then they seemed to truly transform into threads, bound together by an invisible hand, turning into a stream of rainwater pouring down from the sky

She slowly turned around, her pair of cold eyes gazing at the young lady Youge, who was still in the courtyard, losing her composure and shouting wildly. A trace of palpable killing intent emerged from her indifferent gaze. She slowly raised her right hand, that hand resembling the ancient bark of a gnarled tree, forming a shocking contrast with the young, beautiful, yet eerily enigmatic mask.

Yet Youge stood in the courtyard like a post, motionless

Even though Li Gongfu had spent his entire life as a constable in Lin'an Prefecture and had witnessed countless spectacles, this fright nearly caused him to collapse to the ground. He tightened his grip on his waist knife, his fear causing him to exert so much force that the knuckles on the back of his hand turned pale, and he trembled as he called out: "What... what exactly are you?"

Bang! Li Gongfu kicked open the courtyard door and rushed in, brandishing his waist knife.

Li Gongfu, taken aback, drew his sword and, summoning his courage, shouted: "Who goes there?"

The rainwater struck against the blade of his knife, splattering with a crackling sound, and sprayed onto his face. Yet, he did not dare to blink even once, his body concealed beneath a thick straw raincoat, which ordinarily would not let any rainwater through. At this moment, however, he felt a damp and sticky sensation, as if a snake were coiling around him, making him quite uncomfortable

On the street, several individuals clad in raincoats were struggling to move forward in the pouring rain. Among them was a prisoner dressed in a thin garment, exposed to the downpour. A neck collar was fastened around him, and the rainwater splashed against the wooden block, hitting his face with a crackling sound. His hair was also drenched, hanging down in disheveled strands.

At that moment, a sharp scream came from the neighboring yard: "A ghost! A monster! Come quickly..."