It seemed no one had expected that Yan Qingshan would be driven to desperation, violently lashing out to injure others.
But Jiang Mu had anticipated it.
The moment Madam Wu confronted Yan Qingshan, he had subtly moved closer to Yu Zhengqing.
Seeing Yan Qingshan draw his blade and pounce, Jiang Mu didn't hesitate in the slightest. His body flashed aside with the agility of a swimming fish, ducking behind Yu Zhengqing, and even thoughtfully warned,
"Chief Yu, be careful!"
Yu Zhengqing inwardly cursed the kid for being slippery, but his reaction was no slower.
He flipped his wrist, and a folding fan appeared in his palm.
The fan surface snapped open with a *shua*.
He gave it a light wave toward the charging Yan Qingshan.
A thick layer of frost rapidly condensed around Yan Qingshan, his movements suddenly stiffening as he froze in place.
A spiritual artifact?
Jiang Mu looked at the fan in Yu Zhengqing's hand, surprised.
But then, considering the other party was after all a Deputy Chief, it was normal for him to possess a spiritual artifact.
"Take him!"
Yu Zhengqing's face was as placid as still water as he ordered the yamen guards.
Only then did the guards awaken from their daze, rushing forward to bind Yan Qingshan in iron chains.
Once the frost on his body melted, Yan Qingshan had completely lost the ability to resist, his face dejected.
A former close colleague asked with heart-wrenching grief, "Old Yan, why did you do this?!"
The others were also filled with regret.
After all, they had worked together for many years; some sentiment remained.
Yan Qingshan let out a miserable laugh, spitting a mouthful of bloodied saliva onto the ground, his resentful gaze falling upon Yu Zhengqing and Tang Jinxian as he cursed,
"This old man has risked life and limb in the Patrol Yamen for so many years, and in the end I'm nothing but a measly hall master."
"And you pieces of trash—a yellow-haired girl and a pretty boy—who climbed up relying on family backgrounds, what right do you have to lord over me one by one? What right?!"
"This old man won't accept it! Won't accept it!"
"But you shouldn't have murdered those innocent women!"
Tang Jinxian slammed the table and rebuked him in fury.
Yan Qingshan closed his eyes, exhaling a deep, turbid breath, and sneered,
"Hmph, the winner is king and the loser is villain. There's no point in saying more. Since I've fallen into your hands, I admit it. At worst, I'll just forfeit this life."
Tang Jinxian's phoenix eyes brimmed with authority as she glared at him:
"This spiritual calamity case was committed by two people working together. Who is your other accomplice?!"
The crowd, who had thought they'd caught the true culprit, was stunned.
There was another murderer?
Recalling Wu, who had been arrested earlier, the crowd immediately erupted in an uproar.
But Yan Qingshan said expressionlessly,
"There is no accomplice. I committed the case alone. The Heaven-Shaking Thunder that caused the explosion when you were in danger in the cave earlier—that was also set by me."
"You want to bear all the guilt alone?"
Tang Jinxian's beautiful willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed, her body leaning slightly forward to apply pressure,
"Yan Qingshan, since I already sent people to monitor you, that proves I have evidence of you two committing the crime. At this point, what are you still being stubborn for?"
Yan Qingshan let out a string of cold laughs:
"Since Chief Tang holds the evidence, then just arrest the person. Why bother asking me? I, Yan Qingshan, stand by what I do. I did it!"
Tang Jinxian was momentarily at a loss for words, deadlocked.
Just as she hesitated over whether to torture Wu again, Jiang Mu suddenly spoke:
"Chief, might you bring the suspect Wu here?"
Tang Jinxian started, looking at Jiang Mu in confusion.
Seeing his burning gaze and confident bearing, her heart stirred slightly. She immediately cast a look toward the female official Xiuxiu.
Xiuxiu understood and left at once.
Before long, Wu was brought into the hall.
To prevent another unexpected violent outburst, the guards put heavy shackles on him.
"Son!"
Madam Wu cried out sorrowfully and rushed over.
Seeing his mother, Wu's eyes instantly reddened. With a sobbing tone, he said,
"Mother! Your son is wronged! I don't even know what crime I committed, yet they forcibly detained me here and subjected me to private torture! Mother, please save me quickly!"
"Don't be afraid, Son. With me here, I definitely won't let you suffer grievances. They won't dare do anything to you."
Madam Wu's face streamed with tears as she hugged her son tightly.
Wu seemed somewhat reassured. Only then did he notice Yan Qingshan, locked in chains nearby, and said in astonishment,
"Cousin-Uncle? Y-You... what's wrong with you? Why have you also been arrested? What exactly is going on?"
Jiang Mu observed the expressions of both men.
From start to finish, Yan Qingshan didn't look at Wu once.
Jiang Mu opened his mouth to ask Wu, "Wu, do you truly not know what your cousin-uncle has done?"
"What happened to Cousin-Uncle?"
Wu wore a blank expression.
Madam Wu glared at Jiang Mu viciously. "Since Yan Qingshan has already confessed, what does it have to do with my son?!"
"Madam Wu, please calm your anger." Jiang Mu smiled indifferently. "Whether your son is guilty or not ultimately depends on the facts, not on a single word from you or me."
He looked at Wu again, his tone calm:
"The desires of beasts arise from nature, candid beneath the sunlight. The desires of men are hidden within ritual and righteousness, surging beneath the skin.
Just as you once said—once the people present here strip away the outer garment of 'propriety,' we are all beasts.
Wu, wear a mask for too long, and do you start to think you're actually human?"
Wu said angrily, "Officer, I don't know what you're talking about, and I never spoke such heresy to you. I, Wu, have studied the books of sages since childhood, and I know—"
"Enough, enough."
Jiang Mu raised his hand to interrupt him. "I won't argue these empty, grand principles with you.
I only want to tell you that excessive pride and arrogance will push you into a dead end. You're too arrogant. It's a pity your abilities don't match your arrogance."
Wu opened his mouth to argue, but Jiang Mu raised his hand again to stop him.
"For example, after a murderer kills, they will deliberately display the victim's corpse for people to view, provoking the authorities, provoking their incompetence, while simultaneously frightening someone they care about nearby."
Jiang Mu's gaze grew remote. He stepped forward, staring into Wu's eyes.
"Or, for example, some serial killers habitually take some kind of 'souvenir' from their victims, carefully treasuring it. This allows them to relish the glory and satisfaction of controlling the life and death of others.
Wu, what about you? What is your 'souvenir'?"
Wu's pupils contracted.
Noticing this subtle change, Jiang Mu knew his deduction was correct, and his heart immediately steadied.
He abruptly turned around, facing the officials filling the hall, and spoke in a clear voice:
"My lords, every victim was missing something. I wonder if you noticed?"
Missing something?
Everyone exchanged glances, struggling to recall the details of the corpses.
Tang Jinxian focused and pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up and blurted out,
"Fingernails!"
Prompted by her reminder, the crowd suddenly recalled that the fingernails of all ten fingers on every female corpse had been pulled out, without exception.
"That's right—fingernails!"
Jiang Mu affirmed, then asked, "Then may I ask, Chief, have you found any of those pulled-out fingernails at any scene, whether where the bodies were discarded or in that cave used for the torture killings?"
Tang Jinxian shook her head gently. "No. Not a single one was found anywhere."
"So..."
Jiang Mu's gaze returned to Wu. "Those victims' fingernails... where exactly did they go?"
"I... I don't know."
Wu shook his head blankly. "What fingernails? What are you talking about?"
The corner of Jiang Mu's lips hooked into a sneer.
"Wu, you're too arrogant—so arrogant that you think even while in prison, you can toy with us in circles. But unfortunately, you messed up. 'Trash at the game but still insists on playing'—that's exactly the kind of person you are!
If it were me planning all this, I'd absolutely do it ten times, no, more than ten times better than you. Do you believe me or not?"
Wu's lips moved, wanting to retort, but meeting Jiang Mu's mocking gaze, he subconsciously clenched his fists.
Jiang Mu no longer looked at him, instead turning to ask Yu Zhengqing,
"Deputy Chief Yu, earlier the Chief ordered you to search the Wu residence. Did you go?"
Huang Kezi, who was beside Yu Zhengqing, said,
"Deputy Chief Yu needed to urgently rescue Madam Yan at the time, so he sent me to search the Wu residence. This subordinate did not discover any victim fingernails."
"You searched every place?"
Jiang Mu asked.
Huang Kezi was somewhat displeased by Jiang Mu's questioning and snorted coldly,
"Inside and out, every corner and nook, everything has been searched. We were one step away from lifting the ground to look underneath. Could it be that Bailiff Mu believes us incapable of handling affairs and that we were negligent?"
Jiang Mu no longer argued with him. Cupping his hands toward Tang Jinxian, he said,
"Chief, this subordinate earnestly requests to search the Wu residence once more, bringing Wu along."
"You may."
Tang Jinxian clenched her delicate fists, somewhat excited.
The woman realized that this Jiang Mu could bring her an enormous surprise.
—
—
The group went in a grand procession to the Wu residence.
Tang Jinxian even brought Yan Qingshan along, clearly intending to make him give up all hope and confess completely.
After arriving at the Wu residence, the Patrol Yamen guards immediately launched a second round of searching.
Jiang Mu, meanwhile, kept standing beside Wu, observing his expression.
"It looks like you don't believe we can find the souvenirs you hid?" Jiang Mu said with a smile.
Wu, having calmed his emotions, said coldly,
"A false charge, nothing more. If you fail to find anything today, even if I must forfeit my xiucai scholarly title, I will go to the capital to file an imperial complaint!"
Madam Wu shouted with a livid face,
"Son, you don't need to file an imperial complaint. Your mother will naturally seek justice for you! And you!"
Madam Wu stared at Jiang Mu with hatred in her eyes. "A mere lowly bailiff, repeatedly framing my son! I will definitely make you pay! A fate worse than death!"
Tang Jinxian, who had been directing the search, flew into a rage upon hearing these words.
Daring to threaten my master... *ptui*, daring to threaten my person?
"Audacious!"
Tang Jinxian's pretty face was covered in frost. "A mere Fifth-Rank Lady dares to openly intimidate and threaten a government official handling a case?
Madam Wu, do you believe this official can draft a memorial right now and submit it to His Majesty, impeaching you for the crime of contempt of court, and stripping you of your imperial bestowed title!"
Madam Wu's face changed drastically. She wanted to argue further.
But thinking of Tang Jinxian's background and status, she ultimately didn't dare speak again.
Time passed minute by second.
However, as teams of guards reported "search yielded nothing," the atmosphere gradually became oppressive.
Jiang Mu's brows also gradually furrowed tighter.
Tang Jinxian couldn't help but feel worried.
Such a huge commotion had been raised, and so much effort expended. If they resorted to torturing Wu for a confession now, the resistance would be great.
This kid better not have messed up.
Huang Kezi, who had lost face earlier, couldn't resist mocking,
"Bailiff Mu, I said long ago there was nothing belonging to the victims. You insisted on having your own way and making a big fuss. And now? You've become a joke for nothing.
Young man, it's better to handle matters steadily. Don't always be thinking of grabbing the limelight."
Jiang Mu ignored his taunts, one hand rubbing his chin as he sized up the room.
When his gaze fell upon Madam Wu, Jiang Mu inadvertently caught sight of something. A flash of inspiration streaked across his mind like lightning.
He suddenly smiled. "Yes... I should have thought of it earlier."
"Thought of what?"
Tang Jinxian hurriedly asked.
Jiang Mu walked up to Wu, looking directly into the other party's eyes.
"Wu, I've already guessed where you hid those 'souvenirs.'"
Wu snorted coldly, disdaining to speak.
Jiang Mu said in a remote voice,
"You are an extremely arrogant person, proud to the point of near paranoia. You definitely wouldn't hide them too deep—for instance, underground or inside walls. Nor would you be foolish enough to place them on yourself or someone else.
Therefore, you would definitely put them in the most obvious place, somewhere everyone can see. Am I right?"
Hearing these words, Wu's face finally changed.