There is a god in the sky

Chapter 238 The Mummified Corpse Case 31

"The Crown Prince's Decree?" Zhang Xinghui was startled.

He was too far away to see clearly.

Moreover, he didn't recognize the two people below. How could they have the Crown Prince's Decree?

However, Xiao Ji was right outside, so he couldn't really stop them from entering. He said loudly, "You all step back ten feet and wait for me to check before you can enter the city."

Xiao Ji slowly awoke.

He first saw the ground, and when he looked up, he realized that he was lying on the back of a horse, while Shen Lan was standing in front of him holding the reins.

He only remembered being chased by men in black and encountering a monk halfway through his escape.

Oh, right, monk...

He quickly slid off his horse, and a hand grabbed his arm. He turned to thank him, "Thank you! ...It's you, Master Liaochen?"

Liao Chen withdrew his hand, put his palms together, and said, "Amitabha, it's good that Benefactor Xiao has woken up."

Shen Lan came over, looked him over, and frowned, saying, "You have quite a few injuries. It's best for you not to move around too much."

Xiao Ji said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I lost your toolbox."

"It's alright, we can find it later. It's a pity that all my medicine is in the box, so I can't treat you."

Xiao Ji looked ahead and saw that the city gate had been opened, and Zhang Xinghui was leading the guards out.

Xiao Ji saw him pick up a jade token from the ground, examine it repeatedly, and then jog over to the two people behind Master Liao Chen, bowing and saying, "This humble general was blind to your greatness. Please, esteemed gentlemen, enter the city!"

Wang Qi and He Nian walked forward with their heads held high, Liao Chen helped Xiao Ji follow, and Shen Lan led the horses at the back.

She glanced back worriedly, "I wonder how Suifeng and the others are doing."

Just then, a group of guards appeared ahead. They were the guards of the Xiao family, led by the head of Master Xiao's guards.

Xiao Ji instructed them to go out of the city to rescue the people, and then bowed to Wang Qi and the other man who had helped him, saying, "Thank you both for your help. May I ask your names? I will definitely repay you handsomely in the future."

Wang Qi waved his hand, "No need, we're not helping you on purpose, it's just because of Master Chen."

The Crown Prince's token was given to them by the Emperor, in case they encountered any corrupt officials who might bully them.

I must say, the tokens are really useful; they're enough to let them act like bullies in various places.

"Then may I return to the manor with you? I have something I would like to say to Master Liaochen."

Liao Chen refused outright; he didn't want to go to the Xiao residence, and even less did he want to spend more time with Xiao Ji.

Xiao Ji is very observant; there are some things he probably can't hide for long.

"Where do you live?" Shen Lan asked him.

Liao Chen shook his head and said, "Monks do not have a fixed place of residence."

Shen Lan asked helplessly, "Do I really have to spell it out? Where am I supposed to find you?"

They finally reunited, but they didn't even have a chance to speak. No one knew what he was deliberately avoiding.

Liao Chen closed his eyes, turned around, and left with the words, "If fate allows, we will meet again."

He Nian muttered to himself, "Does he really think he's a monk?"

Wang Qi pulled him along and they caught up, the three of them quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Xiao Ji, fearing that Shen Lan would be angry, comforted her, "Since you know he's in Bianjing, you'll see him again in the future."

“He’s avoiding me,” Shen Lan said.

It's strange that he appeared at the place where Xiao Ji was being chased today. If it was a coincidence, it's too much of a coincidence.

Moreover, she remembered that she had seen these three people at the dock before, but Liao Chen deliberately covered his face, so they did not recognize each other.

In other words, they may have arrived in Bianjing before us, rather than just now.

"Let's go back to the manor first. Your wound needs to be treated as soon as possible."

The Xiao family's house was brightly lit, and from the master to the servants, no one was resting.

Fu Qingyan was also at the Xiao family's house. He had come to report to Shen Lan on his studies, but then he heard the news that Xiao Ji had been attacked outside the city.

He originally wanted to go home to get help, but was stopped by Master Xiao.

Asking Marquis Pingyang to send troops to rescue them would be too much of a hassle, and besides, Marquis Pingyang has already helped once before.

He sent out all the guards in the manor and was just about to head out to the Zhao residence.

"Master, the eldest young master is back!" The butler rushed in, followed by Xiao Ji and Shen Lan.

Seeing him walk in by himself, Mr. Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. He was thankful that he hadn't lost any limbs.

"Master, the doctor is waiting in the manor. Shall we bring him over now?"

Shen Lan said, "The master's body has only superficial wounds, and the wounds need to be cleaned and treated as soon as possible."

The butler turned and ran out. Fu Qingyan came over and helped Xiao Ji sit down, then surrounded him, asking him how he was doing.

Master Xiao thought that Shen Lan had rescued his son and thanked her profusely, saying, "Miss Shen must be exhausted. Go back and rest. We can take care of things here."

Xiao Ji would definitely need to take off his clothes to apply the medicine, and Shen Lan felt it inappropriate to be present, so she took her leave.

As dawn approached and she was about to go to sleep, she heard someone outside say that Sui Feng had returned. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

She slept for a whole day, so she was unaware that a painting had caused quite a stir outside.

"How could such a vile painting be printed and sold? Has this bookstore gone mad?"

"Who is this painter? The painting skills are not bad, but the artistic conception is really sinister. A beautiful woman doing such disgusting things is just trying to attract attention!"

"I must say, this beauty and the human bones are a perfect match. She's both eccentric and wild, quite different from the demure ladies of today. I like her!"

"She is beautiful, but her madness, if she were real, would surely make people want to stay away."

"Speaking of which, why would this artist create such a work? Could it be based on a real object?"

"What a joke! If this were real, this woman would have been sacrificed long ago. Who could tolerate a demoness who plays with human bones?"

This painting collection contains only ten paintings.

The beauties in each painting have different poses, but their eyes all reveal madness and foolishness, making it easy for people to associate them with demons.

Although there are many critics, there are also many buyers.

Having grown accustomed to seeing all sorts of perfectly proportioned beauties, the sudden appearance of a mad, enchanting woman immediately captivated everyone's attention.

"I bought it and hid it away. If my wife saw it, she would be terrified."

“If my dad knew I was looking at these kinds of paintings, he would definitely burn them.”

"It's not really exciting enough. The more you look at a woman like that, the more charming she becomes."

Xiao Ji went to the Criminal Investigation Department early in the morning. Only half of the officers who were rescued last night had survived, and the casualties were heavy.

Such a major case would inevitably have to be reported up the chain of command, and the death of the official shocked the entire Ministry of Justice.

Judge Xu looked at the row of corpses and covered his face in anguish.

With tears in his eyes, he said, "These people are all veterans of the Judicial Commissioner's Office. They have always worked diligently and conscientiously. I never imagined that following Lord Xiao on a mission would lead to their eternal separation!"

Today, it was Suiying who escorted Xiao Ji to the yamen, while Suifeng was injured and at home.

Sui Ying said expressionlessly, "My master survived by the skin of his teeth, with seventeen wounds all over his body. If it weren't for the help of kind people, he would be lying among them right now."

Constable Xing had his arm in a sling and a long wound on his cheek.

"Lord Xu, the situation last night was extremely dangerous. It was dark, and everyone got separated during the melee. Lord Xiao lured away most of the assassins himself; otherwise, we would probably have been wiped out!"

"Who on earth is this scoundrel who dares to carry out an assassination attempt in the outskirts of the capital?"

Xiao Ji spoke slowly, "The only case I've been investigating recently is the mummified corpse case, and it's an old case from over ten years ago. If I'm not mistaken, the mastermind behind it must be the culprit!"