Xuanyuan Jue

Chapter 113 Chongwen Haiyan (1)
Looking at the floating puddle of blood, everyone couldn't help shivering.He was in a panic to save people, but the river surface seemed to be boiling, bubbling upwards.

Lu Ban pulled out the knife with a flick of his head, his palms were covered with cold sweat.Feng Shen and the other yamen servants also stared at He Xin, nervous as if facing an enemy.

There are more and more bubbles, and the blood is getting more and more red.There was only a "crash" sound, and a person came out of the broken water.As soon as the man came out of the water, he took a few breaths, raised his arm, and blood dripped from his wrist. "Quick... come and give me a hand..."

"It's an iron lock!" All the yamen servants shouted into the river, "Iron lock! What happened under the water? How did you get hurt so badly!?"

"I didn't pay attention... touched a broken clay pot... my hand was cut..." Tiesuo choked on two sips of water, his face pale. "Hurry up... give me your mother's hand... I'm going to lose my energy!"

Seeing that it wasn't a water ghost, Lu Ban heaved a sigh of relief, he put his sword back into its sheath, and commanded: "Get him up quickly!"

When the yamen servant in the water heard this, he hurried to the middle of the river, set up the iron lock and swam back to the bank.As soon as the iron lock came ashore, he threw a broken clay pot on the ground.Everyone bandaged his wound in a hurry and helped him to sit and rest.Fortunately, Tiezuo's injury was not serious, and the bleeding stopped after a short while of bandaging.

Seeing that the iron lock was not a serious problem, Feng Shen felt at ease.With a sideways gaze, he caught a glimpse of the broken clay pot.

The jar has a narrow mouth and a wide belly, with four ears around the neck.A piece of hemp rope is worn in the ear hole.The mouth of the can is also sealed with a cork.There was a big hole in the body of the jar, and the edge of the hole was covered with sharp clay bits.The iron lock probed in by mistake, and cut his wrist like that.

"Feng's experience," Lu Ban stepped forward and asked, "What's so interesting about a broken jar?"

Feng Shen said: "This pot has been in the water not long ago."

"Oh?" Lu Ban was stunned and said, "How can you see that?"

"Look," Feng Shen pointed to those pig and sheep skulls. "These bones have been soaked in water for a long time, not only the bones are dark yellow, but also have algae and green moss on the surface... But this jar is smooth all over, and the cracks are very new..."

While speaking, Feng Shen pulled out the cork from the mouth of the jar, put it under his nose and sniffed. "Sure enough, there is still a smell of wine on the stopper! If it is soaked for a long time, the smell will be soaked away long ago. Where can I still smell it?"

Lu Ban raised his nose and sniffed, and said, "It's true! Maybe the wine dealer accidentally knocked it down and threw the broken wine jar into the river!"

Looking at the jar, Feng Shen always felt that something was wrong.But what is the problem, I can't tell for a while.

Just thinking about it, Lu Ban shouted again: "Tiesuo, haven't you found the girl's body?"

Iron Lock shook his head, "I didn't find it..."

"It's really evil!" Lu Ban wondered, "The corpse is much bigger than the bones and the jar... There's no reason why it can't be found!"

Seeing that the official was hesitant, an old woman squeezed out from the crowd of onlookers. "Don't waste your energy in vain...the one who was dragged by the water ghost to die instead, there is no way to save the corpse!"

"Old man," Feng Shen said, "you have to see people in life, and corpses in death, why can't you find them with certainty?"

The old woman counted on her fingers, and said: "Including this, this year is the fourth life... I don't know why, anyway, none of the corpses in the past have been fished up!"

Lu Ban wondered, "Didn't you find any corpses?"

"Isn't it?" the old woman said, "I'll tell you, the three lives before were all killed on the same day... First, a little daughter-in-law fell and drowned for some reason. The body didn't float up, and her man and Her brother-in-law wanted to go into the water to fish. At that time, everyone on the shore knew that there was a water ghost, and they stopped him desperately. But the two brothers did not believe in evil, and they had to do whatever they said. As a result, they just swam to the middle of the river, and their bodies suddenly seemed to fall. In the blink of an eye, the two living people disappeared! In just half a day, three children in the family died... Oh, what a crime..."

Lu Ban nodded, "We're going down here too, why are we all right?"

"What's the big deal going on?" The old woman pointed to the iron lock, "Isn't that just hanging around? Thanks to the fact that you eat the emperor's food with knives, you have a hostile spirit on your body, even if you are a water ghost, you don't dare to make too much trouble ...If it were us ordinary people, we would probably be dead. Well, in the future, I would rather take a few miles of detours than go here easily..."

Hearing this, Lu Ban beat a small drum in his head.He thought to himself: The girl's body was not found, but the iron chain scratched her wrist inexplicably.Could it be... there are really water ghosts?The more he thought about it, the more flustered Lu Ban became.A group of yamen servants were affected by him, and they were also uneasy, and their backs couldn't help feeling chills.

Although Feng Shen didn't believe in ghosts, he couldn't figure out why the corpse disappeared after sinking into the water.Right now people are panicking, and Feng Shen has no intention of thinking about it, so he has to stop for the time being about finding the corpse. "Lu Bantou, brothers, it's getting late, why don't you go back first. I'll investigate this strange matter slowly."

"Okay," Lu Ban led the yamen servants, "Feng Jing, let's take our leave first. If there is a need for the brothers in the future, just send a message!"

"Okay." Feng Shen cupped his hands and bid farewell to everyone.

Just as Lu Ban took a few steps, he turned back in a hurry. "By the way, Feng's experience, if it doesn't work, go to the two Taoist priests to have a look... Don't try to push yourself into the water!"

Seeing Lu Ban's sincere expression, Feng Shen couldn't help laughing and said: "Don't worry, Ban, I will be careful!"

After seeing off a group of yamen servants, Feng Shen didn't wait any longer, and hurried back to the Sea Patrol Division.Coming to the office, Feng Shen called a flood soldier and told him to call some brothers to collect some fishing nets, ropes, and long bamboo poles.

The Xun soldier took the order and was busy doing it.Not long after, he returned to the front of the hall with a few soldiers carrying all the belongings. "Inspector Feng, everything is ready, and some people are also called. Do you think there are enough people?"

"It's almost there," Feng Shen nodded, "Brothers, please go to the moat with me!"

All the soldiers responded in unison, and led by Feng Shen, they left the city in a mighty way.When they came to the deep canal section, Feng Shen ordered the people to connect the fishing nets and tie the two ends and four corners to the bamboo poles.

A Xun soldier was curious and couldn't help asking: "Feng Inspector, what are you trying to get?"

The matter of the "water ghost" has not been clarified yet, Feng Shen didn't want to cause rumors, so he said with a smile: "It's nothing, I just saw that the canals in this city are too muddy, and I plan to clear the silt."

"You have to find a river worker to dredge the silt," Xun Bing said again, "It won't work if we dig it like this."

Feng Shen still smiled, "Let's try, make the net tighter!"

The Xun soldiers obeyed and continued to work.When the net poles were connected and secured, the Xun soldiers lined up on both sides of the river embankment, probed the long bamboo poles into the water, scraped the bottom and sieved them.

When the pole net moved, the water was stirred up to become more turbid.Feng Shen followed closely, for fear of missing the floating object.

Such sieving is like putting a fence in the river.But after two trips back and forth, the net was filled with mud, sand, and giant toads.Not to mention the girl's body, even the remaining pig and sheep skulls, they didn't get a few extra pieces.

Feng Shen was secretly startled: It has only been about an hour since the girl drowned, why did she disappear without a trace like being soaked in water?If the corpse was in the river, it should be found according to this method of fishing. Could it be that something strange happened?
Just thinking about it, the Xun soldiers suddenly shouted.Feng Shen's heart tightened, and he quickly turned his head to look.

It wasn't until I saw it clearly that I realized it was a false alarm.It turned out that the holes of the fishing net were covered with silt and algae, and the water suddenly sank, dragging and breaking the bamboo poles.

"Inspection", the soldiers asked, holding half of the bamboo pole, "what should we do now?"

"Forget it", Feng Shen sighed, and said, "Clean up the broken poles and broken nets, and go back to the city! Sigh... let the brothers spend their hard work in vain..."

"Where did the inspection come from? It's all right! It's just that a guy who doesn't have a hand is no better than a river digger," a Xun soldier smiled, pointing to the fish and shrimp dumped on the bank. "Besides, I didn't run in vain. I picked up these little fish, carried them back, cut them dry and washed them, and they were just right for a toothpaste. Isn't that right, brother?"

Others responded one after another: "That's right! Why didn't I think of it before? Old Cui is a good crafter, so I asked him to make a pot of stew for us!"

"Haha, drink more wine at night. There are enough fish and shrimps for several pots!"

"Feng Xunjian, why don't we have a drink together after we're done?"

Feng Shen smiled and shook his head, "I have other things to do today, so I won't join in the fun. Let's have a drink with the brothers when you are free."

All the Xun soldiers responded together, and scattered around.A few people scoured the nets, picked up fish and shrimp, and caught a few fat toads, threw them in, and carried them away together.

As soon as I got back to the city, I stopped to take an official sedan chair after calling right.The curtain of the sedan chair was lifted, and Prince Su emerged from inside.

Feng Shen hurriedly greeted him, "See you, my lord!"

King Su waved his hand, turned his head to look, and said curiously: "Feng Shen, do you think your salary is too low?"

"No," Feng Shen said in a daze, "Why did the prince say such a thing?"

"Hahaha", Su Wang pointed to the bulging fishing net and said, "If you think the salary is low, I will give you a raise. Why bother to waste these small fish and shrimps, and get some extra pieces? Hahahaha..."

King Su is used to joking, Feng Shen is used to it.Smiling knowingly, let all the Xun soldiers go back to the office first.

After Xun Bing left, Feng Shen smiled. "My lord, please take a step to speak. I have something important to report to you in a humble position!"

Seeing Feng Shen's solemn face, King Su hurriedly avoided the bearers and followers, and turned aside with Feng Shen. "What's the matter? Another tax collector took money?"

"It's not a business matter," Feng Shen shook his head, and told King Su all the strange things that happened in the moat.

King Su smacked his lips in surprise after hearing this. "There are no bones left? It's really evil! Could it be that the moat still swallows corpses?"

Feng Shendao: "The lowly position is also puzzling. The people nearby spread rumors, all saying that it is a water ghost..."

King Su asked: "So you took that dry Xun soldier just now to retrieve the corpse?"

(End of this chapter)