Chapter 457: Mutual Accusations

He explained that as medicinal herbs were sold across the country, Zhidao Township's water consumption grew steadily. They hoped the upstream areas could increase their water supply, but the wild boars refused, as building dams would destroy their territory.

"Couldn't this be resolved through coordination and compensation?" He Lingchuan had also done coordination work in Dunyu.

A local gentry couldn't help but sneer, "Though they are pigs, they like to ask for exorbitant prices."

It seemed the wild boars wanted more money, which was why an agreement hadn't been reached.

He Lingchuan sipped his wine. "So, who benefited most from the entire wild boar clan being wiped out?"

Hearing his tone, everyone quickly clarified, "My Lord, it has nothing to do with us! We just collect medicinal herbs here and sell them elsewhere; we only earn a pittance. How could we have the intention or ability to harm anyone?"

He Lingchuan smiled. "Generally, whoever gains the most is the prime suspect."

A wealthy family head indignantly retorted, "My Lord, you can't say that. We've worked diligently to bring prosperity to Zhidao Township. How can we be the biggest suspects? Without us, those herb farmers, tenants, and those..." He had intended to say "demons," but a nudge from his companion made him quickly change his words: "...how could they enjoy such good lives now?"

"Indeed, Zhidao Township's abundance far surpasses other places; we've all done our part."

The Baishi County Magistrate quickly interjected, "My Lord, didn't you say this might be the work of demons? And the victims are scattered throughout Chi Yan. How could that be related to these local gentry?"

He Lingchuan's gaze swept over their faces. "Who among you has had direct dealings with the wild boars?"

Everyone fell silent.

Jiao Yu looked at the Baishi County Magistrate. "You must know, right?"

The Baishi County Magistrate had no choice but to brace himself and point them out to He Lingchuan one by one. Three wealthy family heads present had dealings with the wild boars, and even grievances with them. Their surnames were Wang, Li, and Tu, respectively. The three immediately defended themselves, claiming they had no intention to harm anyone.

General Antelope impatiently pawed the ground. He Lingchuan observed them for a long time until the three felt their hearts prickle. Then he sighed, "I was just asking a routine question. Please don't take it to heart."

Wealthy head Li cautiously asked, "If the culprit is truly caught, what will be the charge?"

"Conspiring to murder a Lingxu messenger is at least a capital offense."

General Antelope added from the side, "Extermination of three clans."

His words were filled with such menace that everyone choked, unsure how to respond.

The dinner quickly concluded.

Back at the inn, He Lingchuan washed his hands and face. It was the height of summer in July, and the nights offered little coolness; even the cicadas chirped incessantly. General Antelope and his guards had taken a room next door.

In the courtyard was a large water vat, full to the brim. The fierce tiger simply jumped in to cool off, asking He Lingchuan, "Do you really think the case is related to these wealthy families? The Baishi County Magistrate has a point. The culprit committed crimes across the country. How could that involve local wealthy families? These wealthy families are just ordinary humans, not a single cultivator among them."

"We received data from Fushan Ji, and generally, each case had only two or three victims, one or two people, or one or two demons. Even those sheep thieves who tried to steal my rock sheep only targeted those few." He Lingchuan said, "This is a clever approach; it doesn't attract much attention. However, the Drillwind Beast case broke the pattern, with over twenty victims at once. If tomorrow we can confirm that the wild boar clan was also eliminated by our culprit, then a year ago, its appetite was even greater, directly killing over a hundred victims."

He Lingchuan slowly continued, "These two abnormal incidents occurred only thirty or forty li apart. Perhaps it's just a coincidence, but if I'm not mistaken, what was the reason for the culprit's rampage?"

Jiao Yu didn't know how to answer.

"Killing one or two people, or two or three demons, could perhaps be attributed to hunger. But a hundred at once? The motive certainly doesn't seem simple."

"It never was simple," He Lingchuan said seriously. "Don't forget, the special envoys from Lingxu City died by their hands. Usually, no one dares to harm a messenger, right?"

Jiao Yu was moved. "Are you saying that Zhidao Township harbors foreign spies?"

"That can only be determined once the culprit is found." He Lingchuan suddenly said something unrelated, "I originally thought Beijia was truly an ideal realm for demons. Now, it seems that might not be the case."

Jiao Yu did not respond.

It wasn't raining that night, and He Lingchuan wasn't sleepy, so he simply drew his Soaring Dragon Spear and practiced his spear techniques for half an hour. He had diligently practiced these spear techniques since acquiring them from the Coiling Dragon Dream, spending more time on them than on his blade techniques. The spear techniques consisted of only sixteen incantations, even more concise than the blade techniques. The spear is the king of all weapons, and its mastery is far more difficult than that of the blade. Fortunately, martial arts emphasized that understanding one path leads to understanding many; with his own cultivation realm elevated, his spear practice was not far behind. Moreover, he had witnessed General Hong, Xiao Maoliang, and Hong Chenglue in action, all delivering thunderous strikes. He often pondered their techniques and had gained insights.

In the blink of an eye, half an hour passed. He was practicing smoothly, feeling no fatigue, and with the slight surge of wine, he couldn't help but let out a long howl. The spear tip swayed slightly, striking the tree trunk. The crape myrtle tree immediately shed a shower of petals. He Lingchuan expanded his spiritual sense, and his spear moved like a needle, impaling all the petals onto its tip. This spear weighed thirty-nine jin and was seven chi long. As he held it with one hand, a slight movement of the spear's base would make the tip tremble wildly, making it very difficult to control. Piercing delicate, soft petals that offered no resistance was truly challenging. The crows in the tree saw only a dense, murderous spear shadow. Terrified, their feathers bristled, and they quickly flapped their wings and flew away. "Is there no peace for birds at night?" What He Lingchuan was practicing was a killing technique, yet the scene was exceptionally graceful. When the shower of petals finished, only a few remained on the ground. The rest were all impaled on the spear tip.

Jiao Yu, who had been dozing on the steps, was now startled awake by the murderous aura. Seeing him conclude his practice, retrieving his spear as if taming a tiger, a cheer came from the side: "Excellent!"

It was General Antelope, who had, at some point, been leaning over the courtyard wall, watching the spectacle. Standing semi-upright, it was over a zhang tall, its head cresting above the wall. Having also seen much battle, it recognized that while the young man's spear techniques couldn't compare to those of Chi Yan's old monarch, they struck like a venomous snake's tongue and retracted like a cunning rabbit returning to its burrow. Such courage, combined with the knowledge of conserving strength, already surpassed that of ordinary generals. "This young man truly possesses some skill."

He Lingchuan let out a long breath, wiping away the faint sweat from his forehead. This "Plum Blossom Thrust" technique had finally reached minor mastery.

Just then, two knocks sounded on the courtyard gate. He Lingchuan had already heard footsteps approaching and then receding outside. He opened the door and saw only a letter left on the ground. It was an anonymous tip-off, accusing Wealthy Head Tu of a long-standing grievance with the wild boars. It turned out that the two sides had long been irreconcilable. Wealthy Head Tu's grandson had even been wounded in the calf by a wild boar's quills, suffering an infection that spread to the bone. He nearly required an amputation and took over three months to gradually recover.

Half an hour later, there was more movement outside. Someone was stealthily approaching, but how could their footsteps escape He Lingchuan's notice? The person bent down, about to slip a note under the door crack, when unexpectedly, the courtyard gate creaked open. He Lingchuan stood in the doorway, smiling at him.

"Since you've come all this way, why not speak to me directly? Who is your master, and whom do you wish to accuse?"

"Ah..." The person was caught red-handed, his face turning green.

He Lingchuan took the note from his hand, read it on the spot, and then said, "Oh, so you want to accuse the Li family. Is your master named Wang or Tu?"

The person dared not speak; the note was unsigned.

"I hope your master isn't named Tu." He Lingchuan took out a letter, shaking it in front of the man. "Someone already came to accuse him."

Fifteen li away, in Frost Dew Town, Zhidao Township, within a large mansion.

A night owl fluttered down onto a large tree beside the main house, hooting a few times. A window opened, allowing the night owl to fly inside. The person inside reclosed the window, leaving only one person and one bird in the room. He casually set up a barrier to prevent eavesdropping before asking the night owl, "What message does the capital have?"

"The case of the missing Lingxu City messenger has been assigned by the monarch to Fushan Yue."

The person "oh"-ed. "Fushan Ji couldn't investigate it, and Fushan Yue, that brute..." He stood up, paced twice, and continued, "However, Fushan Yue is trying to curry favor with the monarch right now, so he should put in a great effort. Hmm, he still has a few capable people under him. Whom did he assign to investigate this matter?"

"It's not clear yet."

The person paused. "Not clear?"

"His subordinate officials all have other duties," the night owl said. "Only Jiao Yu, the Centurion of Hundred Mountains, left the capital a few days ago, his whereabouts unknown."

"Jiao Da's son?" The person asked, surprised. "Will Fushan Yue assign him to handle this alone?"

The night owl could not answer this question. It ate meat and drank water there, then closed one eye and went to sleep.

Later in the night, a man who looked like a steward arrived.

"My master instructed me to report this to you overnight." The steward had entered through the back door. "The Crown Prince has sent a special envoy to Youtian Town to investigate the Lingxu City messenger case."

"Oh?" The person eagerly asked, "Whom did he send?"

"The special envoy is named He Xiao, carrying the Crown Prince's decree. There's also a fierce tiger named Jiao Yu, who seems to be a Centurion of Hundred something..."

"Centurion of Hundred Mountains?"

"Exactly, exactly!" The steward nodded repeatedly. "And there's also a goshawk, said to be a palace guard."

"He Xiao?" The person thought for a long time, having never heard the name. "The county invited him to dinner, but he went and suspected the local gentry of killing the wild boar clan on Jade Wheel Mountain."

The person immediately sat upright. "Is there evidence?"

"No, he hasn't even visited the site. He's just talking nonsense."

"Not necessarily nonsense. He might be trying to trick you." The person asked, "Anything else?"

"He's going to visit the wild boar den tomorrow."

"What about items used by this He fellow?"

The steward took a cloth bag from his bosom, opened it, and revealed a wine cup inside. "They dined at Xihong Tower, and He Xiao used this wine cup."

"Alright, go back and tell your master to set his mind at ease." The person took the wine cup. "He won't find anything on him!"

After the steward left, the person sat in the room, deep in thought for a long time, then suddenly got up and walked to the courtyard. Tree shadows swayed, and there was a corner in the courtyard where even moonlight couldn't penetrate. The person seemed to crush something, then scooped a ladle of clear water and poured it into this corner. Soon, something stirred in the shadows of the corner.

"Assign a new target: He Xiao." The person lowered his voice, placing the cup on the ground. "He's currently in Youtian Town, and tomorrow he'll go to the wild boar den on Jade Wheel Mountain. You know what to do."