Confirming the True Culprit

Li Ermazi was forty-three this year and ranked second among his siblings. Because his face was covered in pockmarks, people called him Li Ermazi, and his real name had long been forgotten. With his ugly looks and idle ways, his family had arranged several marriages for him, but not a single household had been willing to marry their daughter to Li Ermazi.

After Li Ermazi's parents died, no one was left to control him, and he became even more brazen in his conduct.

After all, when one man was fed, the whole family was not hungry. With no one depending on him, he had far fewer scruples. He was a notorious hoodlum and rascal in Wang Family Town.

More than ninety percent of the people in Wang Family Town bore the surname Wang. Li Ermazi did not dare provoke the female relatives of the Wang Family clansmen, so he stretched his demonic claws toward orphaned mothers and widows of other surnames. The young and beautiful Xiaofeng had suffered no small amount of bullying from Li Ermazi.

Li Ermazi had the heart of a thief but not the guts. With the Wang Family clansmen keeping him in check, he did not dare act recklessly.

After Xiaofeng disappeared, the Constable questioned Li Ermazi several times. When Wang Changsheng brought up Xiaofeng, it immediately made Li Ermazi uncomfortable.

"When was the last time you saw Xiaofeng? Has anything strange happened in your home recently? Other than peeping at Xiaofeng while she bathed, have you done anything else excessive to her?"

Wang Changsheng fired off three questions in a row, his gaze fixed on Li Ermazi.

A person had three souls and seven spirits. Under normal circumstances, after death, the three souls and seven spirits slowly dispersed. Xiaofeng's mother had starved to death, and her corpse had been burned, so the odds of her becoming a ghost were very low. By comparison, the missing Xiaofeng was far more likely to have become a Ghost.

If someone harbored Resentful Qi before death and their corpse was left in a place thick with Yin Qi, there was a high chance they would become a ghost after death.

Xiaofeng was young and beautiful. If she had been violated to death by a man, she would certainly have harbored Resentful Qi, making it highly likely that she had become a Ghost.

If Wang Changsheng's guess was correct, Xiaofeng must already have been murdered. That was why she had not returned home to cook for her mother, causing her mother to starve to death.

"More than a month ago, I think! I passed by her tofu stall at noon and bought some tofu pudding to eat. As for my home, nothing strange has happened. I only peeped at her bathing. I didn't do anything else. Her disappearance has nothing to do with me."

"Did you kill Xiaofeng? Where did you hide the corpse?" Wang Changsheng's face turned cold as he shouted.

Hearing that, Li Ermazi grew as frantic as an ant on a hot pan and defended himself, "Heaven and earth are my witnesses! I, Li Ermazi, don't even dare kill a chicken. How could I dare kill someone? You can't dump this dirty water on me."

"Hmph, you still dare lie? Last time, you ran into Xiaofeng's home in the middle of the night. If Xiaofeng hadn't screamed loudly, you would have defiled her. You must have killed Xiaofeng. Speak now, unless you want to suffer some flesh-and-blood pain." Wang Tianhu spoke with a vicious glare.

Li Ermazi's face turned pale. He retorted, "Black Fatty, you can't act recklessly. I, Li Ermazi, don't even dare kill chickens, so how could I dare kill someone? That time, I was drunk. That girl Xiaofeng held her head higher than the sky. Maybe she ran off with that pretty boy. Why are you putting this chamber pot on my head?"

A hoodlum and rascal like Li Ermazi, who bullied the weak and feared the strong, feared government officials the most.

If he were truly thrown into prison, he would definitely be tortured into confessing.

"Pretty boy? Who is that? Explain yourself."

Li Ermazi curled his lip and said, "A month ago, some young master surnamed Zhao passed through here. That brat was fair and clean, looking like a woman. Who knows what sweet dates he fed Xiaofeng, but she was getting lovey-dovey with him in an alley in the dead of night. I happened to catch them. Hmph, shameless woman. She put on airs in front of me, but after knowing him for only a few days, she was already hugging and embracing him in an alley. Wasn't it just because she despised me for having no money?"

"Does any of you know this Young Master Zhao's background, or has anyone seen him?" Wang Changsheng looked toward Wang Qingyun and asked in a deep voice.

Wang Tianhu thought for a moment before saying uncertainly, "Young Master Zhao? Did he have a servant boy with him?"

"I don't know about that, but that pretty boy did have a servant boy. He was young and wealthy, with servants attending him at his side. No wonder that girl Xiaofeng fell for him."

"A month ago, several scholars traveling to the capital for the examinations passed through Wang Family Town. One of them was a scholar surnamed Zhao. That Young Master Zhao was generous with his money, so I remember him clearly. But when they left, I remember they didn't have any women with them!" Wang Tianhu said doubtfully.

"Are you sure they had no women with them when they left? Could the number have been off?"

Wang Tianhu thought for a moment, then nodded. "I'm sure. The Inn where they stayed belonged to my family. Aside from Young Master Zhao, who had a servant boy, all the other scholars were alone. There were six people in total. They stayed for three days. They left in the morning, and I happened to see them. No more, no less, exactly six people. As for whether they took Xiaofeng with them along the way, I don't know."

"They were heading to the capital for the examinations. Why did they linger in town for three days?" Wang Changsheng raised the doubt in his heart.

"It seemed that Young Master Zhao caught a cold. I was the one who helped him summon a physician. Young Master Zhao looked sickly and was too weak to truss a chicken. If Xiaofeng was murdered, he should not be the killer. He had no motive." Wang Tianhu analyzed the matter objectively.

"Oh, I just remembered something. My Wangcai was stoned to death. Damn bad luck." Li Ermazi added.

"Was your Wangcai a black dog? Has it done anything unusual these past few days?" Wang Changsheng's eyes lit up as he pressed further.

"How did you know Wangcai was a black dog?" Li Ermazi was somewhat surprised. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Wangcai was raised by my father. We had it for more than ten years. Its teeth were nearly all falling out, and it couldn't bite anyone, so I didn't keep it tied up. But lately, I don't know what was wrong with it. Every night, it barked nonstop. In a fit of anger, I tied it in the woodshed. This morning, I found it had been stoned to death. I don't know which heartless bastard ran into my home in the middle of the night and killed Wangcai with stones."

Upon hearing this, Wang Changsheng could be certain that Xiaofeng was dead and had become a Ghost that harmed people.

Dogs were creatures of utmost Yang. In the Five Elements corresponding to the Twelve Earthly Branches, they were Garrison Earth. Garrison Earth was Yang Earth, while Ghosts belonged to Yin. Dogs naturally restrained Ghosts, and Daoist priests often used Black Dog Blood to drive away evil and subdue demons. Xiaofeng had become a Ghost and wanted revenge on Li Ermazi, but whenever she approached his home, the black dog discovered her. That was why it had barked so wildly.

If Wang Changsheng had not guessed wrong, Xiaofeng would definitely come out tonight to harm Li Ermazi.

Li Ermazi was not stupid either. Seeing so many Wang Family Clan Elders gathered together and thinking of the recent murder case, he asked nervously, "Could it be that murderer who killed Wangcai? Has he set his sights on me?"

Wang Changsheng shook his head. "No. The County Government Office found a female corpse and preliminarily suspects it is Xiaofeng. We brought you here only to confirm whether you were the murderer. Now that we have cleared things up, that Young Master Zhao has a strong motive. You may go home. And remember, do not spread this matter outside."

Li Ermazi always felt that something was off, but he could not find any flaw in Wang Changsheng's words. So he did not think further and turned to leave.

Even if Li Ermazi were beaten to death, he would never have imagined that the murderer was not a person, but a Ghost.

"Qiuxian, go stand guard outside. Do not allow unrelated people near the ancestral hall. I have something to tell everyone." Wang Changsheng instructed.

"Yes, Ninth Uncle-Grandfather." Wang Qiuxian answered and followed Li Ermazi outside.

"Ninth Uncle, is that female ghost really Xiaofeng?" Wang Qingyun asked softly, his eyes full of worry.

Wang Changsheng nodded. "Mm. If I'm not mistaken, she will definitely come out tonight to harm someone. Send word out: after dark, no clansman is to go out alone. Any household without able-bodied young men must move in tonight with relatives who have more able-bodied young men. Every household must have at least eight people staying together. Eating, drinking, relieving themselves—all must be done together. Also, find a way to make Li Ermazi obediently sleep at home tonight. The deeper he sleeps, the better."

"Making Li Ermazi sleep like the dead tonight is something I can handle. I guarantee he won't wake until dawn tomorrow." Wang Tianhu patted his chest in assurance, brimming with confidence.

"Did you all hear Ninth Uncle's words? Go back and notify the clansmen. Follow Ninth Uncle's instructions strictly. Tell outsiders that we are guarding against the murderer. Not a single word of what Ninth Uncle said just now may be leaked. If anyone leaks it and delays Ninth Uncle's ghost-catching, they will be severely punished without exception." Wang Qingyun looked toward the other Wang Family Clan Elders and spoke solemnly.

"Yes, Third Uncle." The Wang Family Clan Elders all readily agreed and departed one after another.