Lu Xuan's Cousin? Willow Ditch Village Murder Case!

That was right. This fat Yamen Runner was actually related to Lu Xuan.

And this fat Yamen Runner was the only son of Liang Shanhai, the Chief Clerk of the County Office. The fat Yamen Runner's father was also Lu Xuan's uncle by marriage.

Seeing that the other man had come to his senses, Lu Xuan released the large hand he had been gripping.

Unexpectedly, the moment Lu Xuan let go, the man looked as if he wanted to cry but had no tears, lunging at him.

"Cousin, it really is you! I never thought I'd live to see you again! Boohoo!"

Lu Xuan frowned, a trace of disgust on his face. Without hesitation, he sidestepped and dodged to the side.

"Liang Cheng, what are you going crazy for? You still haven't answered my question."

Thud!

With a soft sound, he hit the ground. Before long, Liang Cheng patted the dust off himself and looked at Lu Xuan resentfully.

He trotted over to Lu Xuan's side and spoke in a low voice.

"Cousin, you have no idea. This village is truly cursed. I've had rotten luck to be assigned here."

"Don't say anything now, Xuan-ge. Hurry up and leave this place with me first.

"I don't dare stay in this cursed village for even a moment longer."

Liang Cheng chattered endlessly in Lu Xuan's ear, keeping his voice low enough that only the two of them could hear.

Hearing the fear still lingering in Liang Cheng's voice, Lu Xuan fell into thought. "You're a Constable from the County Office. Why did you travel all this way to this village? Did something major happen?"

"Yes, Xuan-ge, you don't know. A murder case happened in this village.

"Originally, the murder case in Willow Ditch Village fell under the jurisdiction of the Village Head and the others. By rights, it shouldn't have been our County Office's business.

"But who would've thought that the Local Militia soldiers sent by that Village Head to investigate would all die in this village too?"

"Then the Village Head reported directly to the County Town. The County Magistrate flew into a rage and dispatched County Yamen Runners to investigate."

"And that's why you saw me here, Xuan-ge. I just happened to be one of those unlucky bastards."

So that was it. Lu Xuan finally understood why Liang Cheng had appeared in Willow Ditch Village.

A murder case? Even the Local Militia sent by the Village Head had died?

No wonder Liang Cheng had looked so absent-minded when Lu Xuan first saw him. Lu Xuan had even needed to use the power of Qi and Blood to bring him back to his senses.

"Sir, do you know this distinguished guest who came to purchase medicinal herbs?"

At that moment, the Old Village Chief was helped over. Liang Cheng stopped speaking and quietly stood beside Lu Xuan.

The Old Village Chief looked at Lu Xuan in surprise. He had never expected this distinguished guest, who had only arrived today, to have connections with an official from the government.

They even seemed to be relatives, so the Old Village Chief hurried over to confirm it.

"Of course. My cousin is—"

Lu Xuan placed a large hand on Liang Cheng's shoulder, stopping him from continuing. Then he smiled at the Old Village Chief.

"Old Village Chief, yes, we are indeed relatives. What a coincidence."

"So that's how it is."

Having received his answer, the last trace of wariness the Old Village Chief held toward Lu Xuan vanished.

The Old Village Chief hurriedly said to Liang Cheng, "Then that works out perfectly. Sir, your cousin wishes to stay the night in Willow Ditch Village. What do you think?"

The Old Village Chief did not know how to decide on Lu Xuan's request to stay a night in Willow Ditch Village.

It just so happened that this distinguished guest knew the official from the County Office. That made things much easier.

This official had arrived yesterday and knew everything clearly about the problems that had arisen in Willow Ditch Village.

There could be no one better for him to tell this distinguished guest about them.

"What? Xuan-ge, you want to stay the night in Willow Ditch Village?"

Liang Cheng immediately signaled for Lu Xuan to walk farther away with him. Some things could not be said openly.

"Xuan-ge, listen to me. This village is trouble. You should hurry and leave with me."

"Perfect timing. I still need to ask the Willow Ditch Village Chief about something, then I plan to return to the County Town and report to County Magistrate Sir."

Liang Cheng's face was solemn, looking as though he was ready to run for his life at any moment.

"Hmm, this is rather interesting. What happened here that made a fellow like you, who fears neither heaven nor earth, so frightened? Tell me."

Liang Cheng's frightened appearance did not scare Lu Xuan. Instead, it piqued his interest.

Faced with Lu Xuan's question, Liang Cheng did not hide anything and poured everything out in one breath.

"Xuan-ge, two villagers died in this Willow Ditch Village a few days ago. After that, three Local Militia soldiers sent by the Village Head to investigate also died."

"So what if they died? Ever since I became a Yamen Runner at the County Office, what kind of corpse haven't I seen?"

As he said this, Liang Cheng wore a smug, self-satisfied expression, as though he wanted Lu Xuan's approval.

But when he saw that Lu Xuan had no reaction at all, Liang Cheng could only continue.

"The way those five people died was more horrifying than anything I've ever seen in my life."

"There wasn't a single intact spot on their bodies. Finger marks crisscrossed their flesh, turning it into a bloody blur. Most importantly, they had inflicted those wounds on themselves."

"Oh? What else?"

What Liang Cheng said made a glimmer flash through Lu Xuan's eyes. It was excitement and exhilaration.

Wasn't this exactly the same as the symptoms he had seen several days ago—the way his younger cousin Lu Yun'an had died?

This meant that the supernatural strangeness in Willow Ditch Village truly existed, and it also possessed the Yin Energy Lu Xuan wanted most.

Moreover, according to Liang Cheng, there seemed to be five corpses in Willow Ditch Village now, just like his younger cousin's, with Yin Energy having entered their bodies.

Yin Energy!

Lu Xuan suppressed the desire deep in his heart. His face remained expressionless as he stared at Liang Cheng and slowly asked, "Liang Cheng, where are those five people now?"

Liang Cheng looked at Lu Xuan in confusion, not understanding why he was suddenly staring at him, then casually replied.

"Those five people? I burned them last night."

"You burned them? Why did you burn them? Aren't you here to investigate the case?"

That casual statement, I burned them, instantly left Lu Xuan speechless.

Good grief, the County Office sent you to investigate this matter.

Yet you went and burned the corpses. What was there left to investigate? Were you just closing the case on the spot?

You didn't solve the problem—you solved the people who raised it, was that it?

Seeing Lu Xuan's speechless expression, Liang Cheng instantly guessed what his cousin was thinking and hurriedly explained.

"That's exactly it, Xuan-ge. You have no idea. Those five corpses—

"Damn it, last night they... they... they moved!"

As he spoke, Liang Cheng's body began to tremble. His words came out in broken fragments, his pupils twitching constantly, as though he had recalled something terrifying.

"Xuan-ge, if you hadn't always taught me Blade Technique, damn it, I would've been done for in this cursed village last night."

"Dead at the hands of those corpses."

Dead at the hands of corpses—Liang Cheng himself knew just how absurd that sounded.