Merit-based card draws, quickly become a Heavenly Emperor

In the main hall, Fang Zheng nodded and said, "Granny Gui's illusions work on ordinary people, but as a ninth-rank inspector, she can't fool you."

By the time you found your way to Lord Chu's room and pushed the door open, he was already dead.

There were no external injuries on his body, but his soul had been extinguished.

Yes and no?

"Exactly!"

At this point, Guan Tieyi's eyes welled up with tears.

Everyone knew that what killed Chu Tiankuo was Du Kang's Hundred Ghosts Soul Devouring Curse.

Fang Zheng shook his head and sighed, "You are filled with grief and indignation upon seeing that Lord Chu is dead."

Although they knew he must have been murdered, they couldn't find the real culprit for the time being.

If left unchecked, the mastermind behind it will inevitably try every means to destroy the evidence and delay the time it takes for the incident to be discovered.

So in a moment of desperation, you want to make a big fuss, big enough that no one can cover it up.

Yes and no?

Guan Tieyi suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with shock.

"Brother Fang, you are indeed a genius at solving cases."

They even knew exactly what I was thinking back then!

That's right, I can't let Lord Chu die like this without knowing why. He still has so many ambitions and aspirations to realize.

In Yongqing County, the people are exploited by officials, and the area from the county government down is shrouded in darkness.

Lord Chu and I have investigated for many years, and although we have made some progress, it is not satisfactory.

If I report this to the authorities, there's a high chance the matter will be suppressed by the county officials and eventually be dismissed with a simple statement that the person died of a sudden illness.

I can't let that happen.

So I beheaded Lord Chu, which attracted the attention of the patrolling yamen runners.

Only in this way can the higher-ups in the state government be enraged and send people to thoroughly investigate the case.

"Perfect opportunity! We can use this to clean up the officialdom in Yongqing County."

At this point, Guan Tieyi bowed to Lu Qingyun and Lü Zhengfeng.

"Your Excellencies are upright and honest. We urge you to uphold justice for the people of Yongqing County, rectify the officialdom, and restore justice to the people."

After saying that, he didn't speak again.

The courtroom remained silent for a long time before Lü Zhengfeng couldn't help but ask, "Fang Zheng, judging from your account of the case just now, it seems you had anticipated this?"

Fang Zheng nodded and said in a deep voice, "When I first went to the Chu residence to investigate, I saw bloodstains all over the bedroom floor and splatter marks on the walls."

I immediately sensed something was wrong; the scene was too gruesome, it didn't seem like a meticulously planned assassination.

It seems more like a form of catharsis, a deliberate attempt to escalate the situation.

He looked at Guan Tieyi, who was in tears, and said, "Furthermore, there were traces of bloodstains being stained at the crime scene."

That period was the dead of winter, and it didn't rain at all in Yongqing County.

If it's not rainwater, then it's most likely tea, sweat, or tears.

Lord Chu has been poisoned and placed under house arrest, so it's obviously not tea.

The weather was cold, so it couldn't have been sweat.

That could only be tears.

This means that someone was crying at the crime scene.

If it was Brother Guan who did it, then everything makes sense.

He resorted to this desperate measure in order to make the matter bigger and to prevent the people behind it from covering it up.

But her heart was filled with immense grief and self-reproach, and tears streamed down her face, wetting the ground.

Upon careful consideration, Lü Zhengfeng realized that Fang Zheng had indeed mentioned this point of doubt to him on several occasions.

Unexpectedly, Fang Zheng was able to unravel and connect so many clues.

What a genius!

At this moment, Fang Zheng breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Guan Tieyi: "Brother Guan, you should have confessed this matter sooner."

Guan Tieyi shook his head: "I can only feel at ease when I see the truth of this case come to light with my own eyes."

Brother Fang, gentlemen, I have chopped off Lord Chu's head and mutilated his body. This is a grave crime.

I am willing to plead guilty and accept punishment.

Fang Zheng stepped forward and looked into his eyes: "Brother Guan, your crime will be determined by the imperial court."

But what you did was to bring the truth to light and to seek justice for Lord Chu.

I will record this truthfully in the case file.

Guan Tieyi didn't speak, he just nodded.

At this point, the cases of Chu Tiankuo, the He family, and the Magic Painting were all solved.

Fang Zheng watched as Guan Tieyi was taken away, his feelings mixed.

He shook his head and looked at the system panel.

Because this case needs to be tried by the state government, although the culprits, such as the Zhu and Cao families, have been captured and brought to justice, no merit has been earned yet.

However, one can imagine what an amazing act of merit this would be!

He gently rubbed his slightly warm palms, stretched, and headed towards the small courtyard that Li Yuanshan had given him.

He has been staying in the supervisor's quarters for some time now, and the courtyard must be overgrown with weeds.

.......

The moonlight was cool and clear, casting a silvery glow over the small courtyard.

Liu Qingyu knelt in the courtyard, with three incense sticks in front of her. The smoke curled up and drifted toward the full moon in the sky.

She was still clutching a piece of yellow paper covered in writing.

"Father, Mother, thanks to the help of our benefactor Fang Zheng, your daughter has finally found out the cause of your father's death and brought those evil people to justice!"

Now, although the daughter is a ghost, she has become a ninth-rank Yin official, fulfilling her mother's last wish.

"May you rest in peace in the afterlife, for your daughter will carry on your father's legacy and be a good official!"

Fang Zheng stood a few steps away under the corridor, neither approaching nor uttering a sound.

He watched as Liu Qingyu placed the yellow paper in front of the incense and lit it. The ashes swirled up and were carried high by the night wind until they dissipated.

Liu Qingyu stood up, turned around, and looked at Fang Zheng.

"Thank you, my benefactor."

The voice was not loud, and had a slightly nasal quality.

Before Fang Zheng could speak, she suddenly leaned forward, throwing herself into his arms, her forehead against his shoulder, her hands gripping his sleeve.

Fang Zheng's hand paused in mid-air for a moment, then fell down and gently embraced her back.

The little ghost girl was light, almost weightless, but the close touch felt very real.

A faint, cool fragrance wafted over, and Liu Qingyu's shy voice came softly.

"My benefactor, it's cold outside, please carry me inside."

Fang Zheng was taken aback, then smiled and picked up the red-clad female ghost in his arms.

During the reign of Emperor Qianlong, humans and ghosts were not separate beings, and tales of ghosts and spirits were commonplace.

Since there's nothing to do tonight, I might as well cultivate properly with Liu Qingyu.

Suddenly, a soft melody began to play around the beam.

Fang Zheng then realized that the greatest joy in life is simple pleasure.

........

After the Cao and Zhu families were completely eradicated, the officialdom of Yongqing County was thrown into turmoil.

With the position of county magistrate vacant, the county lieutenant was filled with trepidation, and the clerks in each department worked through the night to review account books and burn old files. Everyone in the yamen was on edge.

But this has nothing to do with Founder.

Aside from practicing cultivation day and night with Liu Qingyu, he would lock himself in the duty room, spread out the case files, and write the case closing report stroke by stroke.

The He family massacre, the curse of the demonic painting, the case of the dark wine, and the murder of Chu Tiankuo are several cases that are intertwined. The case must be well-organized and detailed.

The judge's pen moved between his fingers, the ink falling onto the paper, the characters as neat and precise as if carved.

As I wrote the last stroke, dawn was breaking outside the window.

Fang Zheng put down his pen, stretched his stiff shoulders and back, and realized that he had been writing all night.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.