Fairy, please don't do this!

The insect's body writhed slightly in the dim light, and if not looked at closely, it was almost indistinguishable from congealed blood.

"As expected, it's a Blood-Eating Worm!" Jiang Tinglan frowned, carefully placing the Blood-Eating Worm into her personal jade bottle: "These two also visited the Hundred Flowers Pond Courtyard?"

Officer Zhang hurriedly replied, "This matter is still under investigation and the situation is unclear!"

"However, according to the innkeeper, the two seemed to be acquainted with the magistrate and had met in a private room on the second floor."

"They later left the inn together, and no one knows where they went!"

Was he acquainted with Dugu Wang?

Gu Jinzhao narrowed his eyes slightly.

At this moment, a soft, charming voice rang in his mind: "Those blood-eating worms were placed into the corpses after they died, and they didn't absorb much essence blood; they were just a decoy."

"Their real cause of death was the 'Snatching Yuan Demon Art'."

She paused here, then added, "Moreover, both of them were sixth-grade divine cultivators in life, and had already condensed into Yin spirits."

"It is easy to detect when the blood-eating worms burrow into the body of a sixth-grade cultivator."

Gu Jinzhao pondered: "In other words, the blood-eating worm was deliberately placed there by the murderer after the killing, to confuse the public and frame the Nanzhao sorcerer."

Unsurprisingly, the mummified corpse case also involves a heretical cultivator, whose cultivation level is at least fifth grade.

But why does the other side also have blood-eating worms?

Could it be that they also discovered the blood-eating worms in the Scarlet Frost Flower, and deliberately took a few to cover up their killings?

Gu Jinzhao fell into deep thought.

At this moment, Dugu Wang arrived and, upon seeing the two corpses, was stunned after comparing them with the portraits!

Jiang Tinglan asked, "The innkeeper told us that Lord Dugu was acquainted with them and had drunk and talked with them on the second floor."

Dugu Wang nodded: "The two men are named Chu You and Li Jing. They were once centurions of the Demon Suppression Division, but they were dismissed from their posts because they were involved in a case."

"The reason I am familiar with them is because in the past, there were also evil cultivators causing trouble in Baihua County, and it was these two who killed them."

“During the investigation, we spent a lot of time together, and since we shared similar interests, we started calling each other brothers.”

Gu Jinzhao looked at him and asked calmly, "Where did the magistrate go when he left the Yuelai Inn with them that day?"

Dugu Wang cupped his hands in response: "They enjoy fine wine, but the wine at Yuelai Inn is rather inferior, and they find it rather unpalatable."

"As it happens, I have a habit of collecting fine wines, so I invited them to my residence."

Gu Jinchao pressed further, "Afterwards, did you stay overnight at the Dugu residence, or did you return to the inn?"

Dugu Wang frankly said, "I will stay overnight at the Dugu residence."

Gu Jinzhao gave him a meaningful look but did not ask any further questions.

……

The twilight, as dark as ink, pressed heavily on the eaves of Magistrate Dugu's residence.

Four intertwined lamps were lit in the hall, their candlelight flickering behind the gauze covers, casting long and short shadows of the four people sitting around them.

Dugu Wang was already seven or eight parts drunk. He took another big gulp of wine, his face flushed: "Commander Gu, tell me, how can things in this world be so unpredictable!"

"Just a few days ago, just a few days ago!"

"Brother Chu was here with me in this courtyard, pointing to that old plum tree and saying... that once the plums ripen, we'll brew Snow Soul Wine."

"Brother Li even laughed at him for being pedantic!"

At this point, his expression turned forlorn, and he couldn't help but sigh: "But what about now?"

"The plum tree is still there, but the person is gone..."

Gu Jinzhao sat opposite him, listening in silence.

He had also drunk quite a bit, his eyes slightly glazed: "Life and death are predestined, please accept my condolences, Magistrate."

Dugu Wang suddenly stood up, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said, "This humble official implores Commander Gu to find the mastermind behind this and bring him to justice."

"Only in this way can we comfort those who died in Baihua County, and the spirits of Brother Li and Brother Chu in heaven."

Gu Jinzhao also stood up: "Definitely!"

"Thank you, Gu..."

Before Dugu Wang could finish speaking, his body swayed, but luckily he managed to grab the table and avoid falling over.

Madam Dugu quickly said, "Lü'er and Hong'er, help Master into his room to rest!"

"Yes!" the two maids replied, and quickly helped Dugu Wang leave the hall.

"I'm full, please enjoy your meal!"

Jiang Tinglan glanced at Gu Jinzhao, then picked up the calico cat, who had eaten and drunk its fill, and got up to leave.

Once the four left, only Madam Dugu and Gu Jinzhao remained.

As a night breeze swept by, the hall doors slowly closed.

Gu Jinchao didn't seem to care. Instead, he poured himself another glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp.

His cheeks were completely red, and his eyes began to glaze over, but his gaze on the beautiful woman in front of him grew hotter and hotter, as if he wanted to nail her to the chair and devour her whole.

Lady Dugu is drunk too!

She rested her forehead on one hand, while the other hand unconsciously held an empty wine glass, her body swaying slightly.

The neckline of her lotus-colored dress slipped open slightly with her movements, revealing her snow-white skin and two full, high mounds that were faintly visible.

"Commander Gu, you should drink less and go back to your room to rest early."

"We still have a case to handle tomorrow~"

Her eyes were hazy, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, her lips were slightly parted, and her voice was sweet and soft, with a touch of alluring charm.

As he spoke, he was about to get up and snatch the wine cup from Gu Jinzhao's hand.

Perhaps because she was drunk, she slumped forward as soon as she stood up.

"Is Madam alright?"

Gu Jinzhao subconsciously reached out to help.

And so the beautiful woman's mature and soft body fell into his arms.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment.

Lady Dugu could feel the heat emanating from his chest and smell the strong aroma of alcohol mixed with his unique, warm scent.

His arms encircled her waist, his palms pressed against her side through the thin fabric of her clothes, bringing a slight warmth.

A hint of joy flashed in Madam Dugu's eyes, and she weakly placed her arm on Gu Jinzhao's shoulder: "I'm drunk, Commander Gu, could you carry me back to my room?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Jinzhao hugged her even tighter: "If I escort Madam back to her room, wouldn't the magistrate misunderstand if he saw us like this?"

Lady Dugu said with a seductive look in her eyes, "Let's go to another room, which is where I usually rest."

"That's too much trouble!"

"Why don't we do it in the main hall..."

Gu Jinzhao pushed her down onto the ground.

Lady Dugu leaned against the sandalwood table, her silk skirt slipping down to reveal her voluptuous body encased in a bodice: "As long as Commander Gu is pleased, I will do whatever you say~"

"If that's the case, then I, Gu, will accept it without hesitation."

Gu Jinzhao's smile deepened, and his hand reached for his belt: "But my sword is very powerful, I wonder if Madam can catch it!"

Lady Dugu licked her red lips, her gaze moving down from his chest, her words full of provocative allure: "How powerful is he? I'd like to try it out!"

"bass……"

The next instant, a clear and melodious sword cry resounded, and a crimson sword light burst forth.

The intense heat, like the rising sun, instantly devoured the candlelight in the entire hall, burning the screens, tables, and chairs to ashes.

"Are you crazy?"

Lady Dugu's charming smile froze, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes.

She never expected that Gu Jinzhao would actually draw his sword against her!

Fortunately, she reacted extremely quickly. Almost at the same moment the sword rang out, her body retreated as swiftly as a ghost!

But Gu Jinzhao's sword is faster than hers.

The crimson sword light did not thrust straight in, but swept horizontally in a fan shape, like a blood moon suddenly blooming, covering all her escape routes.

Faced with a life-or-death crisis, Lady Dugu dared not hide any longer. She rapidly formed hand seals in front of her chest, and a cloud of dark green mist suddenly burst forth around her.

The fog was foul-smelling, and insects could be vaguely seen churning within it.

The crimson sword light pierced the green mist, emitting a strange sizzling sound, and was quickly burned into blue smoke.

But it did ultimately present an obstacle.

In that instant, Lady Dugu moved like a wisp of smoke, shooting swiftly toward the window on the side of the hall!

Gu Jinzhao didn't chase after him!

As soon as Lady Dugu broke the window, she saw a stunningly beautiful woman dressed in a white tiger-striped dress with fierce eyes, who flicked her wrist and slashed through the air.

A wall of fire suddenly ignited, blocking the way forward.

Lady Dugu's expression changed drastically, and she was about to use her Gu technique again.

Suddenly, his body went limp, and the meridians within his body were blocked, making it impossible to raise his spiritual power.

Lady Dugu crashed into the wall of fire, screamed, and fell into the courtyard. Her clothes were charred in many places, her hair was disheveled, and her exquisite makeup was mottled by the flames.

"Didn't Lady Dugu intend to spend the night with me?"

"Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"

Gu Jinzhao came in front of her and pointed at her, sealing her spiritual power.

Lady Dugu looked up and stared intently at Gu Jinchao in front of her, her eyes filled with resentment and venom: "You...poisoned me?"

If she had used her Gu technique just now, she could have definitely dodged that wall of fire.

But for some reason, the spiritual energy in his body stagnated, and his head felt dizzy.

Clearly, someone tampered with it.

"This isn't poison, it's a sleeping potion!"

Gu Jinchao grinned.

On her way to Yujing City, Lin Qingci gave her a lot of pills, including the [Bewitching Incense].

Of course, this is not just any ordinary bewitching incense, but a high-grade bewitching incense!

It works for those below the fifth rank!

The reason Gu Jinzhao was just being coy with Madam Dugu was to get her to inhale more of the bewitching incense.

That's right, he applied the bewitching incense to his body, using his good looks to seduce her...

Chapter 115, I'm stabbing you! (3K)

Jiang Tinglan stepped forward, her longsword pointing diagonally, and asked coldly, "Did you kill all those people?"

"If you want to know, then come with me to hell and ask them!"

Lady Dugu's lips curled into a strange smile, and her eyes suddenly turned scarlet, as if countless fine blood vessels were spreading and intertwining wildly.

Before she finished speaking, her body suddenly swelled into a huge ball of flesh.

"Beware!"

Gu Jinchao's eyes narrowed, and he instantly summoned the [Sun-Shielding Flag].

The jet-black flag fluttered in the wind, transforming into a solid barrier that firmly protected him and Jiang Tinglan within it.

boom!

The next instant, a muffled explosion rang out.