Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

Chapter 194: Chapter 167: Brushing Past

This Chief Constable looked to be just over thirty. In a profession like a constable’s, where experience was paramount, this was considered young. As such, no one paid him much mind as he squatted alone on the long street, examining the scene.

Many government officials had come and gone today, putting on a show of investigating before cleaning up the area. The murder had happened in front of half of Yunzhao; everyone had a story to tell. What was there left to see?

The only thing that stood out was the Chief Constable’s uniform. It seemed rather unique, different from the local style in Yunzhao, which made people look twice before turning their gaze away.

After a good while, the County Magistrate, leading his deputy and a large contingent of government officials, came rushing over. They ran up to the young Chief Constable and bowed deeply in unison, saying:

"Detective Su, you honor Yunzhao with your presence! This subordinate has failed to give you a proper welcome. Please forgive my offense!"

The Chief Constable stood up and said coolly,

"County Magistrate, there’s no need for such ceremony. I am just a constable, here only to investigate a case. You don’t have to be so formal."

The County Magistrate insisted on completing his deep bow, his posture extremely deferential.

"With the renowned Detective Su here in person, this case will surely be solved in no time!"

Su Xing glanced again at the faint bloodstains on the ground and said calmly,

"I just happened to be in the area. What case in the world is ever guaranteed to be solved? I can only promise to do my best. County Magistrate, are the eyewitnesses available? I have some questions for them."

"Of course! Detective Su, please come to the county office to discuss this further. It’s just over here."

The County Magistrate straightened up, tugged his sleeve, and led the way.

The procession swept into the county office, leaving the onlookers on the street to exchange bewildered glances before erupting into a clamor of speculation about Su Xing’s identity.

Inside the county office, Su Xing sat and questioned several of the government officials, commoners, and members of Yu Chunsheng’s family who had been present. After hearing their accounts of the incident, he took out the county’s case file on Xie Yuan and began to read:

"Xie Yuan, a native of Xiaoshi Village, worked as a woodcutter in his youth. He later joined the Iron-Clad Sect in Panlong Town to study martial arts, and after that, he joined the Longteng Escort Agency..."

The early entries were brief. The record only became detailed after he arrived in Yunzhao and joined the Escort Agency, listing several major incidents that had caused a stir in the town. The speed of his cultivation breakthroughs was also noted.

’He’s quite a talented and dangerous man.’

Despite this thought, Su Xing’s expression remained impassive. He had lost count of the great villains and heretical prodigies he had hunted down; in the end, he had personally captured them all and thrown them in prison. A mere External Training Martial Artist was nothing special.

He then asked,

"This Longteng Escort Agency... did they have a grudge against Yu County Captain? Have their chief come to the county office. I have some questions for him."

The County Magistrate cleared his throat and said in a low voice,

"The Longteng Escort Agency is gone. A while ago, a pair of Grandmasters fought, and the Longteng Escort Agency got caught in the crossfire..."

Hearing this, Su Xing raised an eyebrow in surprise.

’So the incidents are connected?’

He had been tracking Deng Wan from Yanzhou to Yunzhou that day. He’d been a few steps behind when passing through Yunzhao, where he’d seen the town in chaos and local Martial Artists suffering heavy casualties. But pursuing Deng Wan was his priority, so he hadn’t investigated further.

It wasn’t until he saw Deng Wan’s corpse and learned of the connection to the Mu family that he had detoured to Beidu Mountain. He went deep into the mountain range to investigate the Mu family, and after great effort, found their ancestral home—only to discover it was a land of the dead!

The Mu family’s home was in an unknown location within Beidu Mountain. Only Deng Wan and his caravan had discovered that they had been wiped out. However, after Deng Wan found the Black Celestial Book, he turned back and immediately silenced everyone in the caravan who had been there.

Even after all this time since the Mu family’s annihilation, besides the few individuals caught up in the chase, Su Xing was the first outsider to discover the truth. He was, naturally, stunned.

He had investigated the Mu ancestral grounds for a long time. Although he had uncovered many clues, the trail of the Mu family’s Grandmaster had gone cold. He had no choice but to withdraw and reassess his approach.

Su Xing had his reasons for pursuing Deng Wan, as well as something on the man’s person that he needed to recover. With the Mu family lead now a dead end, he planned to investigate the other person who had helped kill Deng Wan, as well as the second Grandmaster who had been traveling with him.

He recalled that the two Grandmasters had caused chaos in Yunzhao, which he had intended to investigate anyway. When he received the report that someone had killed the County Captain in broad daylight, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, so he came.

’So the murderer was a member of the very Escort Agency caught up in that earlier conflict?’

Su Xing’s brow twitched. It was quite a coincidence.

’It could be a simple coincidence. After all, anyone who dares kill a County Captain must be a local powerhouse. And it’s not unusual for a local powerhouse to clash with a passing Grandmaster and end up annihilated as a result.’

’But for Su Xing, any coincidence was worth a second look.’

He tilted his head back in thought for a moment, then suddenly sat bolt upright. He pulled out the case file again and took another look.

"Xie Yuan, a native of Xiaoshi Village, worked as a woodcutter in his youth..."

’A woodcutter...’

A glint appeared in Su Xing’s eyes as he recalled the axe wound on Deng Wan’s waist.

’But he’s just a Fourth Training Martial Artist.’

Su Xing shook his head again, but his interest was clearly piqued.

After a moment’s thought, he asked about the circumstances surrounding the destruction of the Longteng Escort Agency.

One of the government officials recounted the events in detail. Su Xing listened with his eyes closed, but when he heard that the Escort Agency had sent out all its men—four Escort Teams traveling together—his eyes snapped open.

His mind raced, and in a flash of insight, everything became clear.

’So that’s how it was!

’The Longteng Escort Agency acted that way as a diversion. Who were they putting on a show for? It could only have been for Deng Wan and the other Grandmaster outside the town! And those two were tracking the Mu family’s Grandmaster.

’That means the Mu family Grandmaster must have been hiding within the Escort Agency at the time. It was she who compelled them to act.

’When the Escort Agency was destroyed, the Mu family Grandmaster seized the opportunity to escape. In the mountains, she joined forces with someone else to ambush and kill Deng Wan, then vanished without a trace. And that other person... was very likely a member of the Escort Agency... Xie Yuan!

’After they both escaped, Xie Yuan snuck back into Yunzhao to kill his enemy, Yu Chunsheng! This revenge killing is merely the fallout from when Deng Wan and his companion passed through. It seems I came to the right place after all.’

It had to be said, Su Xing was truly worthy of his title as a Divine Catcher. In such a short time, he had deduced the entire sequence of events with near-perfect accuracy. It was no simple feat.

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