I'm Ximen Qing, living in a ghost story!

"Sir, Simonda and Zhu Wenzheng are still waiting outside."

The county clerk respectfully addressed the person in the study.

"They've come in quite a hurry now. A few days ago, the county asked them to donate some silver to repair the official road, but they all made excuses and said they were busy. Humph!"

Nie Yunhai tossed the case report aside and snorted.

"Alright, let's hold a meeting then. Two lives were lost because of a poetry gathering. The head constable and the county instructor in charge should both be held accountable for this, and we'll settle the score later."

"clear!"

Nie Yunhai strode out, with a goatee, a thin face, and bright, piercing eyes.

Although he was only wearing a blue robe, he exuded the air of a high-ranking official of the third rank.

Just then, a figure walked over and called out in a sweet, cloying voice, "Dad!"

Nie Yunhai instantly lost his composure, his carefully constructed demeanor vanishing without a trace, replaced by the image of a doting father, quickly opening his arms to welcome his daughter.

"Xiaoqian! It's getting late, why aren't you resting?"

"I heard there's some excitement in the city, and I'm curious to go with Father to see what's going on."

Nie Xiaoqian's eyes gleamed, revealing a cunning glint hidden deep within.

She had actually heard the whole story from the constables and servants outside.

He became interested when he heard that the person in question was Ximen Qing, the scoundrel who almost became his fiancé.

Because of her preconceived notions and Ximen Qing's reputation, Nie Xiaoqian also believed that the poor courtesan was killed by Ximen Qing.

So I wanted to see how this lustful demon would be brought to justice.

"Well... in court, punishment is inevitable. At that time, the flesh will be mangled and bloody, I'm afraid..." Nie Yunhai hesitated for a moment.

"Father, please don't overthink it. I just want to listen in after the court proceedings; I won't rush in, okay?"

Nie Yunhai couldn't resist his daughter's coquettishness, so he could only nod.

"That's fine then. You'll stay with Clerk Bai and don't wander off. Cough cough, Officer Xu?"

Nie Yunhai called out towards the outside of the courtyard.

"Your Excellency!"

A burly figure walked in, cupped his hands in greeting to Nie Yunhai, and was none other than the powerful figure that Ximen Qing had sensed earlier.

"Bring the man out, then summon the coroner and constables. This case is heinous; if you can handle it well, the position of county lieutenant has been vacant for a long time, and you might just have a chance!"

"yes!"

Officer Xu's eyes lit up. He accepted Nie Yunhai's perfectly round promise and strode confidently toward the county jail.

A moment later.

"Ximen Qing! Zhu Xiaolian! Magistrate, come out for questioning!"

I heard the sounds coming from the doorway.

Ximen Qing looked in the direction of the sound and saw Officer Xu's face, knowing that the time had come.

He got up, dusted himself off, and tidied himself up leisurely.

Zhu Xiaolian, on the other hand, was pale-faced. Although he had a sharp tongue, he was not a coward and followed closely behind.

Perhaps because he was very confident in his abilities, Officer Xu did not put shackles or chains on them, but only warned them: "Don't cause trouble! If you want to run away, you can try. If you escape from the county jail, I can deal with you as I see fit."

He seemed to be really looking forward to the two of them running away, his eyes filled with anticipation.

After all, if he escaped from prison, he could openly take action against those two guys, which would be another achievement!

The position of county constable is even more secure.

Unfortunately, the two didn't give him that chance.

A large group of people arrived at the hall in a grand procession.

Even at night, there were still many people watching outside the county government office. Ximen Qing even waved to his anxious father, Ximen Da, outside to reassure him.

However, it didn't work very well. Dad seemed even more anxious and almost rushed in.

"Snapped!"

at this time.

A loud thud of a gavel echoed from the stage.

"Silence! Take the criminal away!"

Nie Yunhai's voice was full of energy, and the constables around him repeated it three times, making his voice resound through the sky.

Only then could the surrounding noise be suppressed.

Ximen Qing entered the hall and was greeted by a crowded courtroom.

There were brothel madams with makeup on, and also pretty widows dressed in plain white mourning clothes.

Zhang Erlang's headless corpse and Qing'er's bluish-black body were already laid out in the hall.

The space felt incredibly cramped.

"Who are you here?" Nie Yunhai nodded as he saw that everyone had arrived and began to ask questions.

"This junior is Ximen Qing!"

Ximen Qing glanced at Magistrate Nie and thought, "Hmm, he's not bad looking. Xiaoqian must be pretty too."

"Student Zhu Xiaolian."

Zhu Xiaolian kept staring at the young woman dressed in plain white.

"I am Zhang, the daughter-in-law of the Zhang family."

"Your Honor, I am Madam Qin from Mingyue Tower. We met before..."

Snapped!

Before the madam could finish speaking, Nie Yunhai slammed his gavel down urgently: "That's enough!"

"Today's poetry gathering at the Confucian Temple has resulted in two murders. This county official is deeply saddened and outraged. Ximen Qing and Zhu Xiaolian are the prime suspects and will be tried together in this case. Guards! Perform autopsies!"

After Nie Yunhai finished speaking, the coroner entered the room.

He glanced down at Ximen Qing, noticing his calm and composed demeanor, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This guy is really good at selling his goods! It's just a pity that lust is a double-edged sword!

Now that he has committed murder, his future looks bleak.

Alright, let's find Xiaoqian a good husband later.

Huh? Xiaoqian? Oops! What's she doing here?

Nie Yunhai glanced around and suddenly noticed a petite "subordinate" watching the commotion behind the desk in the corner. Judging from her appearance, wasn't she his daughter?

"Your Excellency! The autopsy is complete."

At this moment, the coroner suddenly spoke, interrupting Nie Yunhai's thoughts.

"Oh? Tell me quickly!"

"Let's talk about this woman first. Her body is bluish-black, and her blood vessels are clogged. She has been dead for more than a month. But what's strange is that, judging from her appearance, she has shown signs of activity recently. It's truly horrifying. I think, could she have become a corpse demon...?"

The old coroner's face was filled with deep unease.

"So, this woman didn't die today? Or rather, she wasn't even alive?"

Nie Yunhai interrupted him and drew a conclusion.

"Yes!" the old coroner replied decisively.

"Clap clap clap!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ximen Qing couldn't help but clap his hands.

"Your Honor, perhaps no one has told you that I killed this woman because this ghost tried to bewitch me! But my mind was firm, and I remained chaste! How could I succumb to a ghost? So I sacrificed my life to kill her! It was all to protect the people of my county from suffering!"

Ximen Qing delivered a passionate speech, leaving Zhu Xiaolian, who was standing behind him, dumbfounded. "Not a buddy? You're 'chaste'? Are you even speaking human language?"

Nie Xiaoqian, standing in the corner, pursed her lips.

Even the onlookers couldn't help but burst into laughter.

On the other hand, Ximen Da was very excited. Looking at the "spirited" Ximen Qing, he couldn't help but pull Zhu Xiaolian's father, Zhu Wenzheng, aside and say:

"Look! It's my son! That's my son! My son has the talent to slay demons and monsters!"