Forgotten

"Sir, we've looked into it. Old Lu probably knocked over the stove by accident when he got up in the night, starting the fire that burned him to death!"

Inside the county office, Zhou Biao bowed with his fists clasped, reporting to County Commandant Qin, who sat at the head of the hall.

"Have you found that girl's body?"

County Commandant Qin set down the document in his hand and looked at Zhou Biao below him, asking in a voice that betrayed little emotion.

"No!"

Zhou Biao answered with a bow, a complicated expression on his lowered face.

"Were any of the neighbors hurt or killed?" County Commandant Qin's gaze darkened slightly as he asked again.

"It was late at night, and the snow was heavy. The fire didn't spread," Zhou Biao replied.

County Commandant Qin fell silent and tapped his fingers against the desk. Only after a while did he continue:

"The coroner said Old Lu's skull was smashed in. Their dog's neck bones had been split by a blade, too."

Zhou Biao raised his head to glance at the commandant. Seeing County Commandant Qin staring intently at him, he hurriedly lowered his head again and said:

"Sir, the reward money Old Lu earned over the years was all still there..."

"Two hundred and fifty-eight taels. The amount doesn't add up." County Commandant Qin cut him off.

But Zhou Biao continued, "There's something you may not know, sir. Ever since Old Lu took in his granddaughter, he'd been eating meat and drinking wine every day. That girl loved her food, too, and never skimped on herself. They even raised that dog like a member of the family..."

"When guilt is uncertain, presume it." That single sentence from County Commandant Qin silenced Zhou Biao.

Zhou Biao stopped arguing. Cold sweat seeped from his forehead, and he felt even worse inside.

"Investigate further. Question the neighbors first. If you can't find her, issue a wanted notice and notify Linhe City and Baima City."

"Yes, sir!"

Zhou Biao bowed and left the hall. Once outside, he raised his head to look at the winter sun.

Its warmth washed over him, yet a chill crept into his heart.

He had even said he would see Old Lu off on his final journey.

He had made a point of telling that girl.

Yet only a few days later, Old Lu was dead, and the entire courtyard had burned to ruins.

Old Lu's body had been charred black, but the county office's experienced coroner had discovered fractures in his skull, inflicted by a blunt weapon.

The dog lying at Old Lu's feet also had fractures in its neck bones, left by a chopping blade.

Only that girl had vanished without a trace.

County Commandant Qin had enforced the law impartially for decades, never letting criminals escape.

Five years ago, County Commandant Qin had dared to kill the Shen Household's young master, who had cultivated a Spirit Mansion.

Later, he had dared to wipe out the Twin Blades Gang, suspected of involvement in the deaths of Master Shen's family of five.

Had there been wrongful convictions?

Certainly.

But County Commandant Qin had always followed the rule of presuming guilt when guilt was uncertain!

Perhaps he could show ordinary people mercy, but when it came to organizations like the Twin Blades Gang, if he was going to presume guilt, he might as well wipe them out.

"Brother Biao, how about letting the boys search Old Crow Mountain?" The newly recruited constable followed beside Zhou Biao, eager to earn credit, and offered his suggestion with a touch of fawning.

"Old Crow Mountain?" Zhou Biao looked at the young man. He was just like Zhou Biao had been back then, believing the law allowed no room for sentiment, putting merit above everything, and thinking only of getting ahead.

"That's right!" The young man's eyes shone as he lowered his voice. "People who commit crimes in winter all hide out on Old Crow Mountain. That place might be uncanny, but why would villains with blood on their hands care about wandering ghosts?"

"It's only been one night, and yesterday's snow was heavy. If that girl went to Old Crow Mountain, she couldn't have gotten far. A few of us could split up and search..."

"The County Commandant said to question the neighbors first, then issue a wanted notice." Zhou Biao interrupted the young man's suggestion, his face expressionless.

The young man looked up, met Zhou Biao's gaze, and hurriedly lowered his head. "...Yes, sir. You're right!"

"Go on. That grandfather and granddaughter lived together day and night for over a decade. The reward money Old Lu earned over the years was all still there. Surely she wouldn't have killed him for money. Besides..."

Zhou Biao paused and patted the young man's shoulder, his tone growing heavier.

"I visited Old Lu ten days ago. He didn't have many days left. Who could be so heartless as to murder her own grandfather?"

The young man's eyes shifted, and he offered a placating smile. "You mean... a criminal broke into Old Lu's home and abducted Miss Lu?"

"Most likely."

Zhou Biao nodded and walked away with his hands behind his back.

The young man stared after Zhou Biao, secretly curling his lip, unable to keep from sneering inwardly.

If some criminal really abducted Miss Lu, how could you stay so calm and refuse to let the boys search Old Crow Mountain?

Forget it. I'm eager to earn credit, sure, but even the County Commandant hasn't taken personal charge of this.

Since Head Constable Zhou isn't in a hurry to investigate, if I keep sticking my neck out, I might just get stripped of my constable's uniform.

"Ah, so Old Lu's household is just gone?"

"Gone. I heard he kicked over the stove, and the whole courtyard burned down!"

"Poor man. Never married in his whole life, and that was how he ended up dying."

"I heard that girl Old Lu adopted has disappeared. Who knows if she..."

"Watch that mouth of yours! Who in this neighborhood didn't know how close that girl was to Old Lu? The way I see it, some criminal probably broke into Old Lu's home and abducted her!"

"You have a point. Ah, I wonder if that girl will survive?"

"Who knows? These days, hardly any girls abducted by criminals come to a good end..."

Yangguan City had lost a corpse collector, but apart from the nearby neighbors discussing it for a month or so, people gradually stopped mentioning it.

Later, Yangguan City gained a new corpse collector, an orphan who had begged on the streets with his younger brother.

Head Constable Zhou took pity on him, and since he was strong and healthy, gave the two brothers this livelihood.

"Work as our Yangguan City's corpse collector and save some money. In a few years, your younger brother can marry and have a few sons to carry on the family line. At least your family will be able to continue."

That was what Head Constable Zhou told the brothers after summoning them to the county office. He also gave them an abandoned courtyard house-the very one that had once belonged to the Twin Blades Gang.

Over a hundred people had died there. It had long since become Yangguan City's haunted house, and none of the locals wanted to buy it.

"Thank you, sir!"

The brothers did not mind. Taking the two taels of broken silver Zhou Biao gave them, they moved into that ill-fated house.

After that, whenever the county office had prisoners beheaded, the older brother collected their bodies.

He would not allow his younger brother to have anything to do with the trade. Clearly, he also knew that once a man became a corpse collector, he could no longer marry.

There were always some prisoners beheaded throughout the year. The older brother saved some money and found his younger brother a livelihood. A few years later, he bought him a small courtyard house as well.

Later, his younger brother married. He and his wife opened a tofu shop together and had five sons and two daughters.

Still later, even the city's old people forgot that the original corpse collector's surname had been Lu.

And they forgot all the more completely the granddaughter Old Lu had raised.