Changze County.
The corpses from last night have been discovered.
In front of Cui Yong's house.
Dozens of constables gathered nearby, maintaining order, surrounded by many onlookers whispering to each other.
"Did you see clearly how many people died?"
"I heard it was six."
"Not just that, five Evil Wolf Gang members died outside, and inside the courtyard, there's an Evil Wolf Gang leader named Chai who's dead. Cui Yong died inside the house."
"Cui Yong also died? What a relief."
"Those who died from the Evil Wolf Gang deserved it, they did countless evil deeds and faced retribution."
"Shhh, keep your voice down, or you'll bring trouble upon yourself."
More and more people gathered here, craning their necks to look inside, and rumors about the incident spread wildly.
"Who could have done it?"
"Not sure, but most of the dead were from the Evil Wolf Gang, maybe it's the Black Water Gang behind it."
"Very likely, Cui Yong was unlucky and witnessed the killing, resulting in his death. With such a big incident, Chief Yan and Chief Cui both came."
The crowd didn't know what happened inside and just speculated wildly.
However, the Evil Wolf Gang could run rampant in Changze County thanks to the backing of Chief Yan and the County Government Office; everyone understood clearly.
That Chief Cui was related to Cui Yong, and it was widely known.
In the courtyard.
Cui Zhao and Yan Ji had just examined the corpses, both with furrowed brows and solemn expressions.
Yan Ji said, "The five outside died instantly with one sword each, showing no signs of struggle, indicating the killer is a master."
Both were Ninth Grade Martial Artists appointed by the Court, and if they acted, they could also kill five Evil Wolf Gang members.
But it would take some effort, unable to do it so cleanly.
The five Evil Wolf Gang members hadn't even drawn their machetes in time.
The killer's martial arts skills were definitely above the two of them, at least surpassing by one grade!
Cui Zhao pondered for a moment, murmuring, "The five outside were killed by one person, but it should be someone else who killed Chai Tianrong and Cui Yong."
He examined the wounds; the five Evil Wolf Gang members had sword wounds, but inside, Cui Yong was tortured and then stabbed to death.
"At the time, Chai Tianrong may have escaped by luck, breaking through the courtyard door, only to encounter the killer who had just finished off Cui Yong."
Cui Zhao squatted down, staring at the five-finger mark on Chai Tianrong's face, covering it with one hand while forming claws with the other, placing it at Chai Tianrong's throat.
Cui Zhao gestured in the air, speculating, "They only exchanged one round before the killer used Tiger Subduing Fist's 'Stealing Food from a Tiger's Mouth' to crush the throat."
Yan Ji said solemnly, "That person is also a master."
Cui Zhao nodded, saying, "This person has great strength, and without using a weapon, killed Chai Tianrong with bare hands in one move, showing great skill."
Yan Ji said, "This person deliberately used such an ordinary fist technique like Tiger Subduing Fist, clearly intending to hide his real skills and worried about revealing his identity."
This person was too confident, confident enough to use Tiger Subduing Fist and still have confidence in killing Chai Tianrong in one move!
Is the killer Eighth Grade, Seventh Grade, or even higher?
Cui Zhao and Yan Ji couldn't be sure.
When did two such masters arrive in Changze County?
Due to the heavy snow, not many clues were left at the scene.
Two chiefs, relying only on the wounds on the bodies, deduced a rough idea of what happened last night.
But both underestimated the killer's abilities.
At this moment, the third chief of Changze County strolled over leisurely, very young, about twenty years old.
They said he used to work at the County Government Office but was demoted to our Changze County for a mistake.
"Xiao Meng, what's the situation on your side?"
Yan Ji asked sternly.
Although they were all chiefs, in Yan Ji and Cui Zhao's eyes, the newly arrived Meng Liangyu was just a junior.
"Two white servants were killed in a street alley, throats slit swiftly and cleanly, showing ruthlessness in the act."
Meng Liangyu, with a bamboo stick in his mouth and a playful demeanor, glanced around and said, "Including these seven, nine people died in one night, it's a big case. What do the two of you say?"
Cui Zhao and Yan Ji remained silent, exchanging glances.
Both had been working at the County Government Office for years, and with just one look, they could guess the other's thoughts, understanding each other tacitly.
"Xiao Meng."
Yan Ji said, "You've been in Changze County for half a year, yet haven't made a mark. This is a rare opportunity; I suggest you handle this case."
Cui Zhao also nodded, "If you find the murderer, it will be a great contribution. If County Magistrate Sun speaks well of you, you might even return to the County Government Office."
After hearing this, Meng Liangyu showed a playful smile and asked, "Chief Yan, aren't you interested in investigating since the ones dead were from the Evil Wolf Gang?"
He then turned his gaze to Cui Zhao and asked, "The one inside seems to be your nephew, Chief Cui doesn't want to catch the murderer and avenge him?"
"Just a distant relative, not that close."
Cui Zhao said, "Of course, I want to catch the murderer, but us old folks should give young people a chance."
"Yes, Xiao Meng, you should seize the opportunity."
Yan Ji patted Meng Liangyu on the shoulder, seemingly placing great hope in him.
"Heh, thank you both, chiefs."
Meng Liangyu chuckled lightly.
Cui Zhao and Yan Ji gave some brief instructions, then left first.
Meng Liangyu watched their backs as they left, spat out the bamboo stick in his mouth, and sneered inwardly.
Didn't he know what those two were planning?
He had already glanced around briefly; this case was rather tricky.
Not only was there more than one killer, but they were also all experts!
These two were surely worried that investigating further could catch the killer's attention and invite trouble.
As for the Evil Wolf Gang's people who died, so be it; it's not unusual for gang members to die.
And those three white servants were at most minor officials, not meaning much to the County Government Office.
The two chiefs weren't going to create a fuss and risk their lives over just a few people.
Actually, Meng Liangyu wasn't very interested in this case either.
In his view, all nine who died last night had courted death, deserved it.
But he was quite curious about the murderer in this case, wondering who it really was.
Six Evil Wolf Gang members died, likely at the hands of the Black Water Gang.
But Black Water Gang's branch in Changze County shouldn't have such experts.
The two gangs have been living in relative peace, with no recent conflicts reported.
And judging by the bodies at the scene, it was more like a chance encounter rather than a planned ambush.
If that's the case, the killer likely came from outside.
And Cui Yong along with the two white servants seemed to have died from a long-planned vendetta.
Meng Liangyu rubbed his chin, pondered for a while, gradually gathering some clues.
To investigate this, he could begin by looking into the outsiders who've recently entered Changze County, it might yield some results.
Of course, Meng Liangyu didn't plan to make a big fuss over this case; anyway he was free, just casually looking into it.
...
Nine people died overnight in Changze County, causing quite a stir.
But a few days later, the disturbance settled down.
The County Government Office hastily buried and dealt with the bodies as if it had never happened, and no one was heard investigating the case.
However, Chief Meng occasionally took people to comfort residents door by door, advising them to stay calm and not to fear.
The Evil Wolf Gang increased their vigilance, probing around for information, but found no clues or results.
In the following period, no similar incidents occurred, and Changze County returned to tranquility.
That long night of wind and snow seemed to be just a fluke.
This incident unexpectedly brought a benefit to the people of Changze County.
Thereafter, the Evil Wolf Gang and all the white servants became much more low-key, with their arrogance and lawlessness visibly restrained.
The county's residents breathed a sigh of relief, secretly rejoicing, hoping the Evil Wolf Gang would disappear altogether.