novelapdf Chapter 192 Humiliation Before One's Son?
Chapter 192 Humiliation Before One's Son?
Before long, Yan Fenghuo arrived at the crime scene with a team of demon slayers.
When Yan Fenghuo saw Jiang Mu squatting beside the corpse, a look of joy immediately appeared on his tense face.
"Old Jiang!"
He stepped forward and patted Jiang Mu on the shoulder.
"You're finally back. I was just about to finish up this little bit of work and come find you for a drink."
Jiang Mu stood up and pointed to the corpse on the ground:
"We can catch up later. Old Yan, take a look at this monster's modus operandi. Isn't it the same as the previous fifteen murders?" Yan Fenghuo stared at the corpse, his face grave.
"It's the same. Damn it, I don't even know what kind of trash they are, it feels like they're deliberately provoking our Demon Slayer Division."
"Don't let him fall into my hands! If I catch this beast, I'll skin him alive!"
Jiang Mu asked:
"Haven't you found a single useful clue in the past few days?"
"no."
Yan Fenghuo scratched his hair, looking utterly defeated.
"I've worked in the Demon Slayer Division for so many years, but this is the first time I've encountered such a tricky case."
Apart from a trace of demonic energy remaining on the bodies of the dead, no trace of demonic activity could be found. If this dragged on any longer, the people of the city would surely rise up in chaos.
"The Grand Commander has already spoken. If there's no progress in the next few days, I'm afraid we'll have to report to the Capital Command and ask them to send someone down to assist." Jiang Mu patted his shoulder.
"Don't be discouraged, I will make a move."
Yan Fenghuo was speechless for a moment.
The way they said that makes it sound like they're incredibly incompetent.
Yan Fenghuo stopped wasting words and immediately ordered his men to disperse the surrounding crowd to a more distant place.
He then personally conducted a more detailed examination of the body, and even performed an autopsy.
The result was still disappointing.
Apart from a trace amount of demonic energy found near the corpse's heart, no other substantial discoveries were made.
However, the deceased's identity was quickly determined.
She was a courtesan.
Jiang Mu's heart skipped a beat.
Thinking back to the blood-stained words next to the corpse, he secretly wondered if the murderer killed her because he hated this woman for indulging in desires.
Is the killer a psychopath who is incapable of performing sexual acts?
Just as he was deep in thought, a gasp of surprise suddenly came from the crowd in the distant streets.
Jiang Mu thought the culprit was committing another crime, so he quickly rushed towards the direction from which the sound came.
Yan Fenghuo followed closely behind.
After a few leaps and bounds, they arrived at the scene of the incident.
However, it turned out that two people were engaged in a fierce fight on the street.
One of the petite girls, dressed in a dark blue outfit, was wielding a huge black tomb knife, like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, aggressively attacking a young man.
The girl was none other than Duanmu Li.
The young man who fought her was dressed in a brocade robe and held a long sword.
Although his swordsmanship was quite exquisite, he appeared overwhelmed and in a sorry state under the onslaught of the young girl's tomb knife.
Jiang Mu found the young man to be very familiar.
Upon closer inspection, I burst out laughing.
Isn't this He Shuangdiao, the second young master of the Divine Sword Sect?
When he and Xu Fu went to the Divine Sword Sect to collect protection money, this kid acted sarcastic and unpleasant in front of them.
If it weren't for He Shan'er, the matriarch of the Divine Sword Sect, intervening, Jiang Mu would have dealt with this kid long ago.
"Why are these two fighting?"
Jiang Mu was puzzled.
But then he remembered that the Heavenly Blade Sect and the Divine Sword Sect had a long history of feuds.
The two families' former leaders were sworn brothers.
As a result, when the Divine Sword Sect fell into trouble, it chose to betray the Heavenly Blade Sect, thus creating a deep-seated grudge between the two sides.
Jiang Mu hesitated for a moment and did not make a move.
With Duanmu Li's cultivation level, dealing with He Shuangdiao was more than enough.
Sure enough, after only a few rounds, He Shuangtian spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the stone pavement more than ten meters away. He slid for several meters before coming to a stop, raising a cloud of dust.
Jiang Mu then walked over to Duanmu Li and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
Duanmu Li leaned on the massive tomb-slaying sword, her expression cold. Her clear, cold eyes stared at He Shuangdiao lying on the ground, filled with murderous intent.
He Shuangdiao clutched his chest and abdomen and struggled to get up from the ground.
When he looked up and saw Jiang Mu standing next to the girl, his expression changed drastically.
He pointed at Jiang Mu, gritting his teeth as he said:
"You, surnamed Jiang, as an official of the Demon Slayer Bureau, as an official appointed by the imperial court, you have dared to openly harbor a wanted criminal pursued by the court! How dare you!" "A wanted criminal?"
Jiang Mu was taken aback and turned to look at the girl.
Is this girl wanted by the police?
Considering that the girl had transported him by escorting goods, it seems that He Shuangdiao was not lying.
But so what?
Jiang Mu scoffed, "Young Master He, did you forget to take your medicine this morning? Whether she's a wanted criminal or not is none of your business, a mere martial arts cultivator."
He took a step closer, his gaze sharp as a knife, his tone suddenly turning fierce:
"I think you're a perfect murderer, with your pointed face, monkey-like cheeks, and shifty eyes!"
"Tell me, did you commit that murder on the street corner just now?!"
"you"
Upon hearing this, He Shuangdiao was so angry that he almost spat out another mouthful of blood.
Jiang Mu gave him no chance to explain, coldly saying:
"Otherwise, how could you have happened to be in this vicinity at the time of the incident?"
You're clearly trying to escape after committing the crime!
I now have every reason to suspect that you are the real culprit behind the recent series of murders in Huzhou City!
"Are you going to obediently surrender and come back to the Demon Slayer Division's prison for tea, or... shall I personally execute you on the spot?" Yan Fenghuo, who had followed behind, drew his sword with a "clang" and shouted menacingly.
"Men, seize him!"
"Anyone who dares to resist in the slightest will be killed on the spot!"
"Swish, swish, swish"
A dozen or so ferocious demon slayers immediately drew their weapons and surrounded He Shuangdiao like an iron barrel.
The blades flashed, and a murderous aura filled the air.
He Shuangdiao's face was grim.
He never expected that Jiang Mu and his group would be so unreasonable.
Being an official makes you so great.
"Master Jiang, hold your hand."
Just at this tense moment, a soft, charming voice suddenly came from the tea room on the second floor next door.
Everyone looked over.
Then, He Shan'er, the matriarch of the Divine Sword Sect who had killed her husband to attain enlightenment, was seen gracefully descending the wooden stairs of the teahouse.
The woman wore a dark purple brocade robe, the hem of which trailed on the ground.
It perfectly showcases the charm of a mature woman.
He Shan'er walked up to Jiang Mu and Yan Fenghuo, bowed slightly, and gave a gentle, apologetic smile.
"Just now, my good-for-nothing son was impetuous and his words were offensive. He offended the two hall masters. I hope Lord Jiang and Lord Yan will forgive him and not hold it against him."
Jiang Mu looked at the woman in front of him, his eyes narrowing slightly.
He hadn't forgotten how shamelessly this woman had tried to seduce and manipulate him with her body back at the Divine Sword Sect.
She appears dignified on the surface, but is a complete harlot at heart.
He even has a morbid masochistic tendency.
"Oh, it's Mrs. He."
Jiang Mu's lips curled into a mocking smile, tinged with a hint of ridicule.
"I never imagined that the murderer who committed this crime in the street was actually your precious son. Perfect timing, I'm taking him to investigate now, would you like to come along, Mrs. He?"
He Shan'er smiled and parted her red lips slightly:
"Master Jiang is joking. Conviction requires catching the perpetrator red-handed and having irrefutable evidence. To arrest someone based on mere words is surely the rule of the Demon Slayer Division—so barbaric and unreasonable?"
"evidence?"
Jiang Mu sneered.
"If I insist on taking your son away today, and we can have a good chat over tea at the office, Madam He... are you going to fight me for protecting your child?"
Faced with Jiang Mu's aggressive questioning, He Shan'er extended her slender, nail-painted fingers and gently brushed a stray hair behind her ear, her smile deepening rather than diminishing: "I'm afraid Lord Jiang really can't take him away today."
"Oh?"
Jiang Mu raised an eyebrow, about to lash out.
Just then, three people slowly walked down the stairs.
Leading the group was a slightly plump man, around forty years old, with a full, round face and a meticulously trimmed short beard. He wore a brocade robe embroidered with gold thread, a jade-inlaid purple-gold belt around his waist, and an emerald thumb ring on his thumb.
Although his appearance was not particularly outstanding, he naturally exuded an air of nobility in his every move.
Behind the portly man followed several armed guards.
In addition, a monk and a Taoist priest followed them.
The monk was young, wearing a light white robe, and quite handsome. He held a string of sandalwood prayer beads in his hand.
The Taoist priest, however, had a wrinkled face and disheveled hair like withered grass.
He wore a tattered Taoist robe, had a yellow gourd hanging from his waist, and walked with a swaying gait.
Yan Fenghuo's expression changed drastically when he saw the wealthy-looking man's face clearly.
He quickly stepped forward, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in greeting, and loudly proclaimed, "Yan Fenghuo, the Demon Slayer, pays respects to Prince Sheng! Long live the Prince!" Prince?!
A hint of surprise flashed in Jiang Mu's eyes.
The portly man stopped in his tracks, his gaze passing over Yan Fenghuo kneeling on the ground, and landing on Jiang Mu with interest. His voice was gentle: "I suppose this is Jiang Mu, the Hall Master who has recently displayed great power in Yancheng and is known as the 'God of Slaughter'?"
Truly, heroes emerge from among the young; with such a distinguished bearing, he is a rare and invaluable pillar of our Daqing.
Seeing Jiang Mu still standing there dumbfounded, Yan Fenghuo was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead. He nudged Jiang Mu's leg with his elbow and said in a low voice, "Old Jiang, this is Prince Sheng, His Majesty's uncle."
His Majesty's own uncle?
Jiang Mu was puzzled.
A prince is not allowed to enter the capital without an imperial edict, let alone leave his territory without permission. How did this guy end up in Huzhou City?
He even mingled with the people of the Divine Sword Sect?
However, since Yan Fenghuo had already knelt down, the other party's identity was naturally beyond doubt.
Jiang Mu bowed slightly and clasped his hands in greeting: "This humble official, Jiang Mu, greets Your Highness."
"How dare you!"
Upon seeing this, one of Prince Sheng's personal guards immediately shouted a rebuke, his hand on the hilt of his sword, glaring angrily.
"Why don't you kneel and pay your respects to the Prince?!"
Jiang Mu stared directly at the guard with a blank expression, her tone indifferent:
"Please forgive me, Your Highness. Some time ago, while I was suppressing the demon army in Yancheng, I was unfortunately seriously injured, which damaged my tendons and bones, and I still have difficulty walking." Kneel?
Jiang Mu sneered inwardly.
I am a modern soul who has received nine years of compulsory education. I don't even kneel to heaven and earth, let alone your chicken feathers!
Since I transmigrated to this wretched place, the only time I've ever knelt before Aunt Shui.
No one else is worthy of my kneeling.
That's clearly sophistry!
The guard flew into a rage and drew his sword.
Prince Sheng, however, waved his hand dismissively, stopping the guards' actions:
"It's alright. Master Jiang is a young hero, a pillar of the nation. He turned the tide in Yancheng and saved countless people from disaster. This is a great deed. There's no need to be so particular about such minor details."
Jiang Mu readily replied, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness."
The guard could only coldly sheath his sword and return to his original position.
The expressions on the faces of the people in the room varied.
Yan Fenghu knelt on the ground, his heart pounding with worry at Jiang Mu's reckless actions.
The old Taoist priest, dressed in tattered clothes, watched coldly from the sidelines.
The young, handsome monk kept his eyes lowered, a gentle smile on his lips, and his hands clasped together.
He Shan'er's beautiful eyes, however, were sparkling.
This man is really tough.
Even when facing a prince of the current dynasty, he remained unyielding.
She was completely captivated by this arrogance and wildness that emanated from his very bones.
Unfortunately, last time at the Divine Sword Sect, she had already lowered herself so much to seduce them, but they ignored her and even humiliated her severely.
Thinking of this, He Shan'er felt a surge of resentment.
Prince Sheng ignored everyone's thoughts, pointed at the somewhat disheveled He Shuangdiao with his thumb ring, and smiled as he tried to smooth things over:
"Master Jiang, just now I was having tea and chatting with Young Master He and Madam He in this private room of the teahouse."
Both I and my personal guards can testify that Young Master He never left my side and did not go off to commit any murder.
There's probably some misunderstanding involved.
With the prince personally vouching for them, it was no longer feasible to arrest them.
Jiang Mu went along with it, saying:
"Since His Highness has personally testified, I can naturally trust him."
It seems I was indeed too eager to investigate and misunderstood Young Master He. I have other thorny cases to investigate at hand, so I will not disturb Your Highness's enjoyment any longer. Farewell.
Having said that, he turned and winked at Yan Fenghuo, who was kneeling on the ground:
"Old Yan, let's go."
Yan Fenghuo forced himself to apologize to Prince Sheng and then followed behind Jiang Mu.
"Farewell, Lord Jiang."
He Shuangdiao revealed a smug and provocative smile.
Jiang Mu ignored him.
However, just as he brushed past He Shan'er...
Jiang Mu's right hand, which had been hanging naturally at his side, suddenly reached out and gave He Shan'er's plump buttocks a hard pinch.
The force was so great that it caused wrinkles to appear on the palace dress.
He Shan'er's body stiffened, her beautiful eyes widened, and she stared at Jiang Mu in disbelief.
She never expected that this man would dare to do such a bold and rude thing right under Prince Sheng's nose and in front of everyone.
He Shuangdiao witnessed this scene.
The man's smile froze instantly, then turned a deep liver color, his eyes widened in fury, and he was about to pounce on Jiang Mu to fight her to the death.
As a result, He Shan'er glared at him, and he could only grit his teeth and stand still.
Prince Sheng took in all of this, gently turning the thumb ring on his thumb, and laughed, "This kid is indeed as rumored, unruly and rebellious, quite the troublemaker."
"Your Highness!"
He Shuangdiao could no longer contain his grievances and anger, and complained to Prince Sheng.
"That man clearly doesn't respect you. Not only did he openly protect a wanted criminal, but just now he even... he humiliated my mother in front of you! His crimes are unforgivable!"
He knew that this Prince Sheng had always harbored feelings for his mother.
He then tried to provoke the other party in this way.
However, Prince Sheng's expression remained unchanged, and he didn't even glance at He Shuangdiao.
He turned around and gestured for He Shan'er to proceed.
"Madam He, shall we go back upstairs and continue our elegant conversation?"
"Very well, Your Highness, we'll leave it to you."
He Shan'er gave a charming smile and nodded slightly.
The group ignored the furious He Shuangdiao and went back to their private booths on the second floor of the teahouse.
After seated.
Prince Sheng personally picked up the purple clay teapot and poured He Shan'er a full cup of hot tea, his tone tinged with emotion:
"The Heavenly Blade Sect suffered a calamity this time, falling apart overnight. It's truly a sad state of affairs."
Back then, I even made a special trip up the mountain to visit Elder Duanmu.
He Shan'er picked up her teacup, a look of sadness appearing on her face:
"Yes... Back then, my father and Senior Duanmu were close friends, and the two factions were of one mind."
Unfortunately, later on, because of his stubborn personality, Senior Duanmu insisted on associating with that demon Jiang Chaoxi, which angered many people.
My father tried to persuade him countless times, but Senior Duanmu wouldn't listen at all.
This ultimately led to the grave mistake we see today.
She sighed softly, took a sip of tea, and continued:
"My father was heartbroken when he heard the news of the disbandment of the Heavenly Blade Sect."
After all, my father once said that when the eldest daughter of the Duanmu family grew up, he would arrange a marriage between our two families. Now it seems that such a union is destined to be unattainable.
"Ha, what a joke."
The old Taoist priest, who had remained silent until now, sneered.
"The Heavenly Blade Sect was besieged by several major sects some time ago, which severely damaged its foundation."
Can your Divine Sword Sect confidently say that you weren't behind this, pushing and instigating it?
Even more strangely, on the night the Heavenly Blade Sect was attacked, a large number of top-tier martial arts manuals disappeared without a trace. It remains a mystery whose treasure trove these manuals ended up in.
He Shan'er paused slightly in her teacup.
She raised her head, a cold glint appearing in her gentle eyes. Her tone remained soft, yet it carried a chilling undertone:
"What does Master Jiu mean by that?"
Do you perhaps believe that our Divine Sword Sect is behind this, coveting the martial arts of the Heavenly Blade Sect?
Whether or not you've pulled any tricks, only you yourselves know the truth.
The old Taoist priest casually wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, and returned the sarcastic laugh.
"Some people overestimate themselves."
They thought that with the fall of the Sword Fairy of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, he could finally sit on the throne of the number one swordsman in the world.
"Hmph, no matter how down and out the Ten Thousand Swords Sect is now, the title of the world's leading swordsman is absolutely not for He Qingyang to claim!" "Bang!"
He Shan'er slammed the teacup down on the table, her gaze turning completely cold.
"Okay, okay."
Seeing the atmosphere becoming increasingly tense, Prince Sheng waved his hand and said...
"For my sake, could Master Jiu please say less? We're all here for the same reason, why ruin the harmony?" Master Jiu snorted coldly, shut his mouth, and turned his head to continue drinking.
Thinking back to the sword immortal's glory days, I feel a pang of sadness.