Just then, another voice came from outside the secret room.
“Your sweet dream of being the ruler of Chang'an must end!”
Lu Ling Feng, leading the Chang'an arresters and his trusted guards, had killed all the enemies in the secret passage.
When the arresters saw that the county magistrate, Yuan, was the real culprit behind all the cases, they were all shocked and speechless.
Lu Ling Feng, upon seeing Yuan, was furious: “Being the county magistrate, you know the law but break it. You killed twelve innocent brides and used the enchanted tea to cause chaos in Chang'an.”
“I, Lu Ling Feng, the Imperial Guard Lieutenant, am here. Surrender now!”
Yuan scoffed and laughed disdainfully: “Surrender? What a joke! Do you think you can make me submit with just these puny pawns you brought?”
Then Yuan turned to Eleven, nodded, and said: “Eleven, tonight, we can only kill our way out!”
Eleven, upon receiving the order, glanced apprehensively at Wei Ming, hesitated for a few seconds, and blew her whistle. The two stone statues in the secret room suddenly moved.
The clay exterior shattered and fell off.
Revealing two warriors, one tall and one short. The tall one was as strong as an iron tower, the short one like a dwarf. One wielded a meteor hammer, the other swung a mountain-splitting axe. They were dressed exactly like the two monsters killed by Wei Ming.
The four were known as the Ghostly Detached Four Monsters!
Yuan, rather proud of himself, introduced them: “Back then, to capture the Ghostly Detached Four Monsters, we had to gather all the experts in Chang'an. Now you, this rabble, dare to make me surrender?”
He seemed to have forgotten Eleven’s earlier statement that Wei Ming had killed the two monsters.
Eleven was about to remind him when Yuan ordered: “Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill them all!”
The Ghostly Detached Two Monsters, Mo Qing and Mo Hong, turned and attacked the crowd.
Lu Ling Feng, knowing the Ghostly Detached Four Monsters’ terrifying invulnerability and how difficult they were to deal with, subconsciously turned to Wei Ming.
The arresters also looked at Wei Ming.
Wei Ming shook his head and smiled faintly: “Kill us all? Yuan, the county magistrate, your words are quite big. How about this, first, you can spar with this scholar here.”
“Alright, I’ll grant you that!” Yuan pointed at Wei Ming and instructed the two monsters: “Kill that scholar first!”
The Ghostly Detached Two Monsters, one swung his axe down with a chop, the other swung his meteor hammer in a sweeping motion.
Lu Ling Feng, not knowing what Wei Ming was capable of, still worriedly rushed forward, ensuring he could rescue Wei Ming in time.
There were no grand moves, no fancy martial arts.
Wei Ming simply raised his hand slightly, grasped at the empty air, and pulled back.
The menacing Ghostly Detached Two Monsters were instantly killed.
“Th-th-this is impossible?!”
Yuan widened his eyes, took several steps back, nearly falling on his backside.
“What kind of sorcery did you use? Why did you kill my Ghostly Detached Four Monsters so easily?!”
“It’s not reasonable!”
Seeing the turn of events, Eleven immediately escaped from the secret passage on the side. Lu Ling Feng immediately went after her.
With Wei Ming, mysterious and powerful, present, Lu Ling Feng was not afraid of any accidents or unexpected developments.
Wei Ming waved his hand: “Capture him!”
Old Jia, Old Liu, and several other arresters stepped forward with their swords.
Yuan shouted: “Wait!”
“What else do you have to say?”
“Don’t you want to hear my heartfelt words?”
“Tie him up first!”
Wei Ming didn’t want any more accidents, and he saw through Yuan’s true motive. He was just trying to buy time, to lull everyone into a false sense of security, so that he could escape, using Su Wu Ming’s life as a threat.
Or maybe he was waiting for the Emperor Li Dan to send the Great General Lu Tong to rescue him?
“You!”
Yuan was furious. How could this Wei Ming be so intelligent?
This guy was really hateful!
Wei Ming said with a sarcastic tone: “There’s no need to say any heartfelt words. Let me speak for you.”
“When the Great Tang dynasty was established, it changed the rules. Your aristocratic families were no more, the noble families were declining. You, Yuan, are a descendant of the Tuoba clan of the Northern Wei Dynasty, a noble born, but you also had to work hard to pass the imperial examinations!”
The Nine-Rank Official Selection System of the Wei and Jin Dynasties was abolished. The Great Tang Dynasty continued and developed the imperial examination system created by Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty.
“You spent ten years reading and studying hard, and finally became a successful scholar after one exam. You stayed in Chang'an to serve as an official.”
“You worked hard day and night, diligently and meticulously. You governed Chang'an County, west of Zhuque Street, in an orderly manner.”
“But those higher up, using your disability as an excuse, kept you in Chang'an County for many years.”
“And they, flaunting your achievements in the court, used you as a stepping stone to advance their own careers.”
“You’ve passed the age of Heaven’s mandate, yet you are still just a small county magistrate. You’re not content with that!”
Wei Ming stopped there. Yuan, hearing this, felt absurdity, fear, apprehension, disbelief, and deep incomprehensibility.
“You, you, you… how do you know what’s in my heart?”
“Are you human or a ghost?”
Wei Ming smiled slightly: “Don’t worry, listen to your heartfelt words slowly.”
“When you were at your most despairing, someone found you. That person promised you wealth and high positions, even the position of Prime Minister, second only to the Emperor!”
Upon hearing this, Yuan collapsed on the ground, lifeless. He finally understood.
He… was abandoned by that person.
He had become a pawn on the chessboard!
Su Wu Ming, who had been rescued, asked curiously: “Junior brother, how did you know this?”
“After suspecting Yuan, I collected information about his past and household registration. Upon investigation, I discovered something unusual.”
Su Wu Ming nodded: “So that’s how it is.”
“But…” Su Wu Ming leaned towards Wei Ming and whispered, “Junior brother, what you said, I’m afraid you will be punished by those above.”
Wei Ming smiled: “Senior brother, that’s exactly what I want, punishment. But compared to me, you’d better be worried about yourself.”
Yuan howled in despair, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes: “No, I haven’t lost, I haven’t lost, I, Yuan, have not lost…”
“You haven’t lost, of course, because you still have a force behind you.” Wei Ming’s lips curled up, he was more interested in that mysterious force than the power struggles of the imperial court.
“You!” Yuan stared at Wei Ming in disbelief: “You’re not human, you’re not human!”
Wei Ming twitched the corner of his mouth: “…Yuan, the county magistrate, that’s not polite. How can you insult people?”
Lu Ling Feng returned at this time, dejected: “I lost her.”
“The Ghost Market is underground, with secret passages leading everywhere. It’s fine if you lost her. As long as she’s safe.” Wei Ming comforted him.
Meanwhile, in a secret passage underground, Dou Cong smiled, sitting on Eleven’s back.
Eleven felt a chill run down her spine, a piercing, inexplicable coldness, the same chilling feeling she had experienced when she played the tiger and ambushed Lu Ling Feng and the others.
No, it was even worse.
Moreover, she always felt that there was a pair of 幽幽 eyes behind her, watching her, and she couldn’t escape it no matter what.
On the other side.
Lu Tong, the Great General of the Imperial Guard, arrived with a group of soldiers.
Lu Tong looked complicated, waved his hand and said: “After counting the bodies, bring back all the living people here for questioning.”
Su Wu Ming hurriedly explained: “Great General Lu, you’ve misunderstood. Yuan, the true culprit behind the Chang'an Red Tea case and the bride disappearance case, has been apprehended.”
“My junior brother, Lu Ling Feng, and I were here to investigate and arrest the criminals. We…”
Lu Tong interrupted loudly: “Su Wu Ming, the Chang'an County Lieutenant, Lu Ling Feng, the Imperial Guard Lieutenant, go to the Imperial Guard prison to await trial!”
“As for the Inspector Wei Ming, come with me to the Imperial Palace to see the Emperor!”
Su Wu Ming smiled wryly. Sure enough, that person above was making his move.
Lu Ling Feng was a bit confused. Why were they going to jail after solving the case?
But when he saw Wei Ming’s ambiguous smile, Lu Ling Feng was stunned, thinking of the events leading up to this point, he was momentarily dazed.
A stab in the back from the Crown Prince.
Rumor has it that the Princess loves Chang'an Red Tea and was the first to drink it.
The West域幻草 grown in the royal villa.
The person who ambushed them with cold arrows was from the military.
A year ago, the Emperor ascended the throne for the second time.
A year ago, Chang'an Red Tea became popular.
A year ago, brides started disappearing.
Were they all coincidences?
When Yuan was taken away by Lu Tong’s men, his eyes were vacant, and he kept mumbling to himself, saying that he hadn’t lost, hadn’t lost.
Wei Ming suddenly stepped forward and walked in front of Yuan, saying in a low voice: “Yuan, the county magistrate, the mask of Fang Xiang actually cannot open the way for the wronged souls.”
“My master, Di Gong, once said that those who do evil in their lifetime will eventually be sought out by the souls of the wronged, who will come to seek revenge.”
“When you see the wronged souls come to seek revenge, it means your death is near!”