Two

Xiao Zijian squeezed through the crowd, and he suddenly saw Hua Qian in the corner, momentarily stunned.

Moreover, the rural areas lack resources, which cannot compensate for their hard work in solving cases. If they become overly fatigued, with their legs feeling weak and their backs aching, how can they return home to see their charming wife, who is still in her thirties and retains her grace

Xiao Zijian hesitated and said, "Perhaps it is a demon?"

Are there monsters appearing near our Xiao family village

The demons are ferocious and deeply ingrained in people's hearts. The terrified villagers are in an uproar, discussing fervently. Many still vividly remember the horrors of the demon rampage over twenty years ago, with nearly every household having lost loved ones in that catastrophe, including Xiao Ziyu's grandparents. They are unwilling to believe that Xiao Family Village would once again face such misfortune. If demons truly exist, how could they overlook the plump, sweet children and the tender, delectable young women in the village, only to target these heartless couples whose flesh is as tough as old tree bark? Even if these demons have peculiar tastes, preferring uncles and aunts over beautiful men and women, they still haven't eaten their flesh!

He recalled the events of yesterday when his parents caused a disturbance at Xiao Ziyu's house. After inquiring in detail, he was convinced that this was a monster disguised in human skin that had caused his parents' deaths. Regardless of the cost, he was determined to unearth this fox's tail.

Xiao Zijian was left speechless by the question

Monsters? Oh my!

Chief Xu showed no interest in the inheritance dispute of the Xiao family. After carelessly examining the corpse, he announced: "There are no signs of external intrusion in the house. It is likely that a nearby venomous snake, unable to find food, slithered in, climbed onto their bed, and bit them while they were asleep. This is an accident. May the deceased rest in peace, and may the living find solace."

Amidst the cries and the discussions

The world perceives the Goddess Cangqiong as a symbol of evil, yet it cannot prevent her from having followers among mortals, particularly those with personal grievances or hatred. They seek to gain strength for revenge through their faith in the Goddess Cangqiong. Since the Goddess was sealed and became unable to intervene in worldly matters, this malevolent faith has been suppressed by the righteous path, and the acts of worship have significantly decreased. However, as long as hatred exists in the world, her followers are unlikely to truly vanish. Recently, Captain Xu solved a case involving a maid from a wealthy family who poisoned her mistress. Upon interrogation, it was revealed that she was a follower of the Goddess Cangqiong. Shortly after confessing, she went mad, proclaiming with great conviction that the Goddess would surely return to the mortal realm as prophesied, overturning the three realms and exterminating humanity. This caused considerable discomfort among those investigating the case, and now, reflecting on it, they cannot help but bring it up.

Xiao Family Village has about a hundred households, and the neighbors are all quite familiar with each other. Even a fresh vendor selling head oil would be talked about several times. Everyone knows each other's background, so there are no formidable figures here. At most, there are only those who bully the weak and fear the strong. If there were truly such ruthless characters, their parents would not be so arrogant.

The officials of the world are generally corrupt, and the Lord of Black Heaven in Luoshui County is no exception

The victim is merely a child now, and the deceased has a very poor reputation, with no one in the family willing to stand up for them. A few insignificant snakes naturally allow him to ramble on, and Captain Xu, with his silver tongue, recounted various coincidences, miracles, and chance encounters related to the case, both coaxing and frightening, effectively explaining all of Xiao Zijian's doubts through coincidence. In the end, he asked: "If you suspect there is a murderer, why not solve the case and tell me which deity could possibly instruct the snakes to commit the crime?"

Even though Xiao Zijian's courage was greater than that of an ordinary boy, he could not have imagined such a high-end place

The people of Xiaojia Village believed this truth without hesitation. They unanimously condemned Xiao Zijian's unreliable conclusions and ordered him to correct them. Xiao Zijian finally tasted the bitterness of swallowing a bitter pill. Faced with the furious villagers, he swallowed his words, but his expression remained fierce. The enmity of his father's murder was irreconcilable; even if he was pointed at by thousands and scolded by millions, as the only son, he could not allow his parents to rest in peace. By any means necessary and at any cost, he would personally find the enemy who used snake venom to kill his parents. The enmity of his father's murder was irreconcilable; even if he was pointed at by thousands and scolded by millions, as the only son, he could not allow his parents to rest in peace. By any means necessary and at any cost, he would personally find the enemy who used snake venom to kill his parents

He suddenly remembered that the girl in the white dress with long hair was the strange girl who had suddenly disappeared in the depths of Duantou Mountain that day. Now she was sitting on a stone, humming a tune like an ordinary little girl, idly swinging her legs. However, there was a coldness and maturity in her eyes that did not belong to a girl of her age, as if she disregarded the noise and commotion around her. She fixed her gaze intently on Xiao Ziyu's every move. As she watched, a strange curve suddenly appeared at the corner of her mouth, shallow and faint, devoid of emotion, like a devil's smile. When Xiao Ziyu turned to run towards her, that terrifying smile instantly vanished, and an ordinary girl's expression returned to her face, as if the clouds were light and the wind gentle, as if nothing had ever happened.

The head constable mocked, "Could it be that the legendary goddess of the azure qiong, who commands the serpents, has been reborn? Hahaha, how amusing."

In rural areas, minor accidents are commonplace, but if a murder case occurs, it could affect the performance of the county magistrate. A poor performance may lead to reprimands from superiors, and any pent-up frustration will likely be directed at the clerks handling the case. If the case is solved, that would be acceptable; however, if it remains unresolved, it might even jeopardize their official positions.

Xiao Zijian suppressed his fear, clenched his fists, and resolutely made up his mind. He took out several pieces of silver hidden in the corner of the room and hurried to catch up with the departing steps of Captain Xu

Therefore, Chief Xu is extremely averse to murder cases

Xiao Zijian furrowed his brow in deep thought, going through the villagers from beginning to end, but no matter how he considered it, it seemed impossible

Did you hear that, you brat? Captain Xu spoke until his mouth was dry, and seeing that he was not paying attention, he slapped him and said, "Get out! Go and properly take care of your parents' affairs, fulfill your duty as a filial son! Honor their spirits in heaven, do not think about this and that, gambling and wasting your days away! You are causing trouble for our office!"

Cang Qiong is the goddess of cruelty and vengeance, and the snake is her messenger in the mortal realm

Xiao Zijian felt a sudden chill run down his spine, and for someone who had never feared anything in the sky or on the ground, he suddenly experienced fear

This is undoubtedly divine retribution! It is the heavens that cannot tolerate the rampant and tyrannical behavior of the wicked, thus sending a serpent to take him down

Young man, you must not speak carelessly. If word gets out, who would dare to marry into our Xiao family village

His voice was not loud, yet it was clear and bright, instantly sparking a wave of discussion among the crowd

No! Xiao Zijian seemed to awaken from a dream, he suddenly raised his head, wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes, and argued loudly, "I recognized the snake that poisoned my parents at the snake catcher in the town. It is called the viper, it is rare in number, prefers solitude, and is extremely venomous. They only like to stay in the deep mountains and rarely appear in villages. The snake catcher said this snake is worth its weight in gold, and it is difficult to catch; one is already hard to come by, let alone this time there are at least three vipers that have harmed people! This cannot be an accident!" They only like to stay in the deep mountains and rarely appear in villages. The snake catcher said this snake is worth its weight in gold, and it is difficult to catch; one is already hard to come by, let alone this time there are at least three vipers that have harmed people! This cannot be an accident!

After understanding this joint, Xiao Zijian no longer placed his hopes on others. He appeared obediently to bow his head and listen to the reprimand, yet his eyes wandered among the crowd. This was because he vaguely recalled that in the county town, Wang Erliozi's blind father had once been a constable. When drunk and boasting, he had said that some murderers enjoy watching the victims' cries at the scene and also wish to understand the progress of the investigation. Therefore, by carefully observing the onlookers and investigating those who appeared suspicious, it was very likely to find traces of the murderer.