The morning sun rose in the east.
County Commandant Fei Ji and several runners carried the pill furnace, medicine jars, and other evidence out of Wu Su's room, praising Xie Jinhuan in low voices along the way:
"Look at that! What do they call it? 'Speed is the essence of war,' and 'a tiger father begets a fierce son'! Once we're done, let's book a banquet to celebrate Jinhuan's success. Drinks are on me!"
"How generous, Lord Fei! Yang Dabiao, look at you..."
"Yes, yes, I'll punish myself with three cups first, then toast Lord Jibei and Jinhuan with three cups each... Come to think of it, shouldn't we also see County Magistrate Wu off?"
"Shh, shh, shh..."
In the courtyard outside, officials in uniforms of various colors stood together discussing the case.
County Magistrate Wu, who had only just regained consciousness, stood alone on the outskirts, trembling like a lackey, his eyes seeming to say:
Who am I?
Where am I?
Oh, right. I'm heading to Lingnan soon to watch demonic beasts bare their fangs...
The monk Jingkong, who had hurried over from the Directorate of Celestial Observation, crouched beside a basket covered with white cloth. Inside were, well... pieces of Wu Su?
Compassionate as he was, Jingkong really could not bear to rummage through them. He merely examined a severed arm closely, surprise in his eyes:
"The limbs are abnormal. He had indeed been taking Demon Transformation Pills for a long time. There's also a victim's family jade pendant in the cellar. He was unquestionably the murderer. Young Master Xie and Miss Linghu, your methods truly inspire awe."
Linghu Qingmo had merely tagged along to gain experience. Being praised as a brilliant female detective left him rather embarrassed:
"I was only following along and learning. I