The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 214 Liu Shuyi Makes a Move! Unexpectedly, there's a second county magistrate?

Upon seeing the hideous and terrifying blood-red characters on the white cloth, everyone's expression changed drastically.

What does "'You all have to die' mean?"

"Is there even a question? It's obvious that the deaths of these officials are just the beginning! Next up is us!"

"What!?"

Everyone was startled.

Looking at the crimson blood all over the room, at the dismembered limbs on the floor, and recalling the horrifying scene just now, the people staying there turned pale instantly.

They retreated uncontrollably, their faces filled with terror.

"Who on earth is so ruthless! Not only are they killing these officials, but they're not even sparing us!"

"No! I have elderly parents and young children to support. I can't let anything happen to me... I have to leave!"

"A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall, so I must leave!"

"But it's pouring rain outside, and the mountain roads are difficult and dangerous. How can we leave?"

"That's better than staying here and being brutally murdered like these officials!"

“That’s right! And not all roads are dangerous. The mountain road to the south is too steep to travel, but the road to the north is relatively flat! Don’t stop me, everyone get out of the way…”

Cao Rui's gruesome death in full view of everyone terrified the people. The bloody words on the inn seemed to foreshadow the fate of everyone there. The already panicked people could no longer remain calm. Their instinct to avoid danger made them prefer to risk going out into the rain rather than stay in the inn.

In just a few dozen breaths, more than ten people left.

Upon seeing this, Du Gou frowned slightly.

The mysterious deaths of government officials are still unknown; the identity of the murderer and their motives remain a mystery.

As a result, the others left one after another... If the murderer was hiding among these people, wouldn't that have allowed the murderer to escape?
Moreover, the murderer left behind such a blood letter. If the others left the crowd and were alone, what if the murderer was outside? Wouldn't they be like lambs to the slaughter?

From any perspective, now is not the best time to leave.

He wanted to speak up to stop him, but just as he was about to speak, he suddenly remembered the mistake he had made before, and he quickly turned to look at Liu Shuyi.

Liu Shuyi was simply observing the situation inside the room, seemingly oblivious to the discussions and departures of the others.

After hesitating for a moment, Du Gou finally took a deep breath and decided not to meddle in other people's business.

Changsun Chong had been watching Du Gou from behind. When he saw Du Gou's kindness suddenly kick in and he tried to stop the others, he almost stepped forward and covered Du Gou's mouth... After all, they were neither government officials nor did they have real identities, which couldn't withstand close scrutiny. Under these circumstances, they had no reason to stop the others.

Not to mention, stopping these people at this time would not only fail to earn their gratitude, but would also make them hostile, as they would see it as hindering their escape. Moreover, standing out at this time would be very conspicuous and easily attract their attention. If the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi had already noticed this place, or even if he was hiding here because of the weather, wouldn't they be delivering themselves to the Prince of Xi's attention?

Therefore, doing nothing, observing secretly, and protecting oneself is the best choice.

He was almost scared by Du Gou just now. Fortunately, although Du Gou was a gentleman, overly kind and responsible, he had gained experience after experiencing so many things, and reason prevailed over subconscious habits.

Changsun Chong approached Liu Shuyi, squinted at the bloody scene in the room, and asked, "How is it? Did you find anything?"

Liu Shuyi said, "When Lieutenant Lu was about to go to rescue people, I smelled a peculiar odor, which was the smell of burning gunpowder... so I stopped Lieutenant Lu."

"The gunpowder fuse burns very quickly. When I first arrived here, I didn't see any gunpowder or fuse in my field of vision, which means the fuse was hidden in our blind spot, and the area couldn't be too large..."

gunpowder?

Those explosive things created by alchemists?
Changsun Chong pondered, "You mean the area where the fuse can be hidden is limited, it won't be very long... so..."

He looked at Liu Shuyi: "The time between the murderer lighting the fuse and the gunpowder exploding is very short. He can't be too far from here, maybe even..."

Changsun Chong's gaze suddenly swept across the surrounding crowd, a hint of wariness in his eyes. He whispered, "Is he among the onlookers?"

"What?! The murderer is here?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yangyuan and the others instinctively tensed up, gripping the hilts of their knives at their waists, their faces filled with vigilance.

Seeing this, Liu Shuyi said, "There's no need to be too nervous. Although the time between the murderer lighting the fuse and the gunpowder exploding is very short, it doesn't mean he's definitely here."

"After all, lighting a fuse requires both a fuse and fire. If the murderer really did light it while hiding in the crowd, then the fuse would have to be pulled out from the room..."

"But……"

Liu Shuyi turned to look around the room and said, "Neither the door nor the walls have any holes through which the wire could pass..."

"Not to mention that the murderer needed fire to light the fuse... If he started a fire in a crowd, how could he hide it from other people's eyes?"

"Therefore, even if he were really in the crowd, he could only admire his own masterpiece and observe the reactions of others, rather than lighting the fuse in the crowd."

Hearing Liu Shuyi say this, Lu Yangyuan and the others relaxed a little.

"So that's how it is," Lu Yangyuan said.

Changsun Chong gently stroked the jade ribs of the folding fan with his fingertips and nodded: "I only focused on the issue of time and distance and did not consider the method of lighting it, which almost led me astray."

Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "The processes may be different, but the results may not be different either..."

Changsun Chong's eyes flickered slightly, and he glanced back, asking, "What do we do next? Should we get involved in this?"

Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "We are just scholars going to Chang'an to take the imperial examinations. What right do we have to interfere?"

Changsun Chong immediately understood.

Liu Shuyi has no intention of getting involved in this case.

Thinking about it, it makes sense. Right now, they are in the most dangerous situation. Ahead of them is the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi, who is hiding somewhere, watching them like a venomous snake. Behind them is Wen Jun, a fierce tiger, chasing them. And this case is so strange. Not getting involved and leaving as soon as possible is the best choice.

Liu Shuyi was not an overly kind gentleman like Du Gou; he was a capable leader with courage and wisdom, and naturally would not make decisions that would harm the interests of his own people.

Changsun Chong laughed and said, "The case has been handled by the local government, and it really has nothing to do with us scholars."

"but……"

His gaze returned to the blood-stained words on the white cloth, and he squinted as he said, "We don't want to get involved, and we don't know if the murderer is willing to give us such an opportunity."

Liu Shuyi turned to look at the window at the end of the corridor. It was still pitch black outside, without a trace of light, and the torrential rain showed no sign of letting up. He said slowly, "Didn't someone go out to scout ahead? Whether the murderer is willing to give us, or give himself, a chance... we'll find out soon enough."

“That’s true.” Changsun Chong nodded in agreement.

Some people have already left. If they were able to leave successfully, it means that the blood-written words left by the murderer were only meant to scare the people in the inn, and not to actually harm anyone.

But if they can't leave smoothly, then tonight will be interesting...

Liu Shuyi withdrew his gaze and looked back at the room in front of him.

Although the room was covered in blood and contained Cao Rui's remains, there were no other corpses. He remembered that there were six officials who claimed to be from Wuyi County.

But so far, none of Cao Rui's companions have appeared...

Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes slightly, turned to look at the terrified-looking waiter not far away, and said, "Waiter."

Xiao Er was startled when Liu Shuyi suddenly called his name. He looked around for a while before realizing that it was Liu Shuyi calling him.

He forced himself to stay alert and asked, "Is there anything I can help you with, sir?"

Liu Shuyi gestured with his chin towards the room: "What do you think?"

The waiter, with a mournful face, said, "This is the first time I've encountered this situation, and I don't know what to do... However, the wind and rain are strong right now, and it's dangerous outside. Sir, please don't check out and leave so easily. Even if you do check out, you've already stayed, so we can't give you a refund."

"..."

Hearing the waiter say "no refund," Liu Shuyi almost laughed out of anger.

What time is it? You're still thinking about the room fee.

He shook his head and said, "Don't worry, even if we leave, we won't refund the money."

The waiter finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Shuyi continued, "When County Magistrate Cao questioned me before, I remember there were six of them in total... Now that County Magistrate Cao is in trouble, why haven't I seen the other five? Do you know which rooms they stayed in?"

Upon hearing this, the waiter paused for a moment, then quickly looked around and said, "That's right, I didn't see the other officials."

"Logically speaking, they couldn't have missed such a commotion. Could it be..." The waiter seemed to realize something, and his expression changed instantly.

He quickly looked behind him at the slightly overweight shopkeeper with a protruding belly. The shopkeeper's face was also a little pale. He said, "Why are you looking at me? Why don't you go and see how the other officials are doing?"

Xiao Er nodded hurriedly and said to Liu Shuyi and the others, "The other officials' rooms are next to those of County Lieutenant Cao. The six of them have chosen three rooms in total: one for County Lieutenant Cao and two for the other five."

As he spoke, the waiter came to the room next to Cao Rui's. He raised his hand and knocked on the door: "Sir? Sir?"

crunch--

To his surprise, as he knocked, the door, just like the door to Cao Rui's room, was pushed open directly.

Upon seeing this scene, Xiao Er immediately recalled everything that had just happened in Cao Rui's room. He subconsciously took a step back, turned his head away, and dared not look at the scene inside the room.

"no one?"

Then he heard a voice that sounded surprised.

The waiter quickly turned his head and looked into the room.

By the light of the candle, he noticed some bloodstains on the floor of the room, but there was no one inside.

"There's nobody here!"

The waiter was also surprised.

Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered. He gave Lu Yangyuan a look, and Lu Yangyuan immediately went to the last room, placed his hands on the door, and gently pushed it open—

Crunch!

The door was easily pushed open.

Lu Yangyuan extended the candle into the room. These rooms were very simple, with large beds that could comfortably accommodate five or six people. Besides the beds, there was only a small table, a few low stools, and a cabinet. There were no other furnishings in the room, so Lu Yangyuan could see the room's condition at a glance.

“There’s no one here!” Lu Yangyuan shook his head at Liu Shuyi.

"Where are they?" Cheng Chumo asked, his face full of confusion. "Five living people! Even if they were dead, if they were piled up together, they would be half a person tall. How could they just disappear like that?"

This is a question that no one can answer.

Liu Shuyi gently rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding crowd.

These people were divided into four groups.

The innkeeper and waiters huddled together, watching the situation unfold and whispering amongst themselves with grim expressions.

The caravan's guards and workers stood together; they were the largest in number and the most panicked about the situation. For merchants, the worst thing was encountering trouble on the road, as this would severely affect their speed of travel. If the delivery date of the goods was delayed, they would suffer huge losses.

The five scholars huddled together, shivering. They dared not look at the miserable state of Cao Rui's room, yet they couldn't help but want to see it, making their situation both contradictory and comical.

Finally, there was a young couple with their young child. The man was tall and burly, holding a child who looked to be three or four years old. The child wanted to turn his head to look at what was happening in Cao Rui's room, but the man pressed his head down, forbidding the child from looking.

"Oh no!"

Just then, a gasp suddenly came from downstairs.

Everyone was on edge, and upon hearing that startled exclamation, their hearts skipped a beat almost instinctively, and they involuntarily shuddered.

"What...what happened?"

Someone looked down the stairs.

Then they saw those people who had just left standing near the entrance of the inn, wringing the rainwater off their clothes.

They were soaking wet, their shoes covered in mud, and they looked quite disheveled.

Hearing the questions from the people upstairs, they looked up and said with grim faces, "The bridge has been destroyed!"

"What?! The bridge is destroyed?"

"You mean the wooden bridge about a mile to the north?"

Everyone hurriedly asked.

"Yes!"

Their hearts skipped a beat, and they felt a chill creep up from the soles of their feet.

Someone couldn't help but ask, "How could the bridge be destroyed? Could it be... that the murderer really wanted to kill us all, not even letting us escape?"

These words sent chills down everyone's spines, and a flood of fear surged through them, engulfing them.

Even Du Gou and Lu Yangyuan had very solemn expressions.

They came from Xingzhou in the north and crossed that wooden bridge, so they knew very well that with such a wide river and such torrential rain... without the bridge, it would be impossible to swim across, let alone at night, or even during the day.

After all, heavy rain will inevitably cause water levels to rise, and the water from upstream will rush downstream. No matter how good a swimmer is, if they fall into it, they will not have a good ending.

The mountain road to the south is steep and rugged, and under the cover of darkness and torrential rain, it is a natural and insurmountable chasm.

The bridge to the north was also destroyed.

At this moment, at least until dawn, this inn is like an isolated island, and no one can leave.

"The Snow Mountain Lodge?"

Liu Shuyi stroked his chin, and the words "Blizzard Manor" inexplicably popped into his mind.

The inn before us, with its bizarre case, is practically a Tang Dynasty version of a snow-covered mansion.

The Snow Mountain Lodge separates this place from the outside world, meaning that everything that happens here will remain unknown to the outside world until the inside and outside are connected.

And people from outside can't come either.

Therefore, I don't need to worry for the time being that Wen Jun will find out about this place or come here...

The fact that the murderer destroyed the bridge beforehand clearly shows that he truly didn't intend to let anyone go...

Therefore, if we don't find him and deal with him as soon as possible, we can't expect to have any peace, let alone leave smoothly.

The external crisis has been temporarily resolved, but the crisis here still exists. In addition, he is very interested in the so-called rumors about Cao Rui and his group... Liu Shuyi took a deep breath and made a decision in his heart.

Since the murderer doesn't cherish the opportunity he's given, he has no choice but to do as the murderer wishes and get involved in the case.

They have limited time and cannot afford to waste too much time here. If they participate in this case as ordinary test takers, they will not be able to collect clues efficiently, and others may not cooperate. Therefore, it is time to use the alternative identity.

He exchanged glances with Du Gou, Changsun Chong, and others. With their tacit understanding, they quickly understood Liu Shuyi's meaning. Without any hesitation, they all nodded to show their support for Liu Shuyi.

Seeing this, Liu Shuyi didn't delay any longer. He raised his hand and said loudly, "I am the County Commandant of Qingchi County, Cangzhou. I will take over this case from now on. Everyone stay where you are and do not move!"

"I am the County Commandant of Yuancheng County, Weizhou, and I will be in charge of this case from now on—"

The second sentence was not spoken by Liu Shuyi, but rather by another voice at the same time as Liu Shuyi opened his mouth.

They both declared themselves county constables and that they would take over the case.

This surprised Xiao Er and the others, who hadn't expected that there were officials among the guests, and two of them were even hiding their identities.

Even Liu Shuyi was taken aback for a moment.

He subconsciously raised his head and looked in the direction of the sound.

Then they saw another man who announced himself as the county magistrate of Yuancheng County, Weizhou, standing in the middle of the caravan.

Upon hearing this person speak, the caravan members were initially stunned, then quickly stepped back, clearly separating the five of them from the others.

This man was eight feet tall, handsome, and his age was hard to tell, but he was definitely very young. He was also taken aback when he saw someone who would stand up and claim to be an official.

But soon, he smiled and cupped his hands to Liu Shuyi, saying, "So you're a colleague. My apologies for not being more respectful."

Colleagues?

Liu Shuyi glanced at the man, his deep eyes flashing, and smiled as he cupped his hands in greeting: "I didn't expect my colleague to be so low-key."

(End of this chapter)