Chapter 54
Silencing Witnesses
Ying Jiuque also saw the thick, billowing smoke rising. A sense of foreboding gripped her, and she rushed forward as fast as she could, only to find a residence gradually blackening and collapsing within the flames.
They say fire and water are merciless. When Jiuque first saw it, the fire hadn’t been that severe, but now, the flames shot skyward. The intense heat scorched her face even before she could get close to the building.
“Magistrate Ying!”
Jia Er-Shisan hurriedly stopped Ying Jiuque from moving closer. The fire was too intense now; Magistrate Ying, an ordinary person without martial skills, would risk serious injury if she charged in carelessly.
Jiuque knew this logically. But that highly skilled female warrior from before was now missing—she must have gone inside. With the fire this fierce, wouldn’t that warrior get hurt? Although it was their first meeting, Jiuque felt a strong affinity for this master who soared through the air with such prowess.
Furthermore, according to her, this residence held all the abducted women and children. How could the timing be so coincidental? No sooner had they decided to come here to see the victims than the place went up in flames, just before they arrived. What about the people inside? Were they safe? Why did the fire start so suddenly? With so many people in the compound, surely someone must have noticed the fire? Why hadn’t anyone been seen running out?
Yi Shiyi, who was escorting the children to safety, hadn’t returned yet. Jiuque only had Jia Er-Shisan by her side for protection, and no matter what Jiuque said now, Jia Er-Shisan refused to leave her.
Logically, with a fire this large, the surrounding households couldn’t possibly be unaware. Yet, the entire area was eerily quiet, as if no one was home. Weren’t they afraid the flames would spread to their own houses?
Something’s wrong!
Jiuque’s expression changed abruptly, and she rushed towards the nearest residence.
Creeak!
The gate was unlocked. With a hard push from Jiuque, the wooden door swung wide open. Inside, it was deathly quiet, without even a sound of breathing. But Jia Er-Shisan beside her suddenly frowned, cautiously glancing at Magistrate Ying.
“The smell of blood…”
Ying Jiuque’s face turned extremely grim. She headed straight for the main room. Pushing the door open, a thick, metallic scent of blood assaulted her senses, nearly staggering her. An elderly couple lay on the floor, their faces contorted grotesquely. A pool of blood stained the ground around them. They lay not far apart, arms stretched towards each other, but until their last moment, they had failed to clasp hands.
Crouching down, Jiuque checked their breath—none. Not a wisp of air. She snapped her eyes shut, her eyelashes fluttering like trembling butterflies, quivering almost too violently to contain the fury burning behind them.
“Go check if there’s anyone alive in this house.”
Jia Er-Shisan didn’t dare disobey Magistrate Ying’s order at a time like this, for her expression was truly fearsome. But after searching the premises, he returned, his face pale.
There were no survivors in this house. In a side room lay a young couple, also deceased without exception.
Ying Jiuque glanced once more at the elderly couple’s hands, forever unable to meet. She blinked, fighting the impulse to disturb the scene. Turning, she walked out. But as she stepped over the threshold, she stumbled, her body swaying several times before she finally managed to steady herself with difficulty. Standing in the courtyard, she looked up at the sky. When the sky grew dim, it seemed even the sun became hard to see.
So, was there truly a sun in this world? If there really was, why did so many vibrant, innocent lives perish in the corners its light failed to reach?
They checked all eight households in the vicinity. Not a single survivor. It seemed the killers had stormed into these homes while the occupants were off guard, efficiently silencing them all. The dead included men, women, the old, and the young, indicating the killers had no specific target—they merely wanted everyone in this area silenced.
Finally walking towards the burning manor, Jiuque rubbed her face harshly. It was no surprise when she saw the dejected figure of the master who had been so spirited just moments before.
Cui Zhufeng stood dumbfounded before the still-burning manor, seemingly unable to comprehend why everything had changed after she had just stepped out for a short time.
Those people… they had waited in hell for so long before being rescued. Yet, in less than half a day—without even half a day of good life—they had been silenced!
Amidst the roaring flames, the nauseating stench of scorching human flesh and skin rose to the heavens. But those being consumed by the fire lay quietly on the ground, utterly silent.
Those children, who had once been either quiet, distraught, anxious, or hopeful, now lay on the ground, unable to utter a single word or sound.
“How could this happen? Before I left, I told them I would find officials to arrange their care. Their good days were right before them… Why have they ended up with nothing? Everything is gone?”
Jiuque felt as if something were clogging her throat, choking her, making speech difficult.
She, too, desperately wanted to know why. Why kill a group of innocent people? Was human life so worthless in the eyes of their own kind? Could it be trampled so arbitrarily? Did holding high position and power grant one the right to trample all those weaker?
The rules of this world shouldn’t be like this. All people are born equal. Jiuque knew this ideal was likely impossible in this feudal dynasty, but this was her first direct encounter with such stark cruelty. How utterly innocent were these murdered people? And the reason behind it all boiled down to just one thing: silencing witnesses.
“Senior…”
Jiuque stepped forward, standing before Cui Zhufeng. She stared into the other woman’s dazed eyes, her voice growing louder and more forceful. That heart-wrenching pain transformed into a surge of power, scorching her internal organs, searing her throat, and burning within her heart.
She was in agony!
Yet this very pain further fueled her resolve.
In her stupor, Cui Zhufeng looked up and saw the young girl before her, eyes almost blazing. Intense fury flushed her face red, making her pitch-black eyes appear exceptionally bright and penetrating.
“Senior! Look at me! You possess superior martial skills. Can you retrieve a few bodies from inside, preferably intact ones with clear wounds on them, while ensuring your own safety?”
“…What?”
Cui Zhufeng couldn’t process the request immediately. Jiuque didn’t blame her. From her earlier words and actions, it was clear that Senior Cui was likely the type who paid little heed to worldly affairs, wholly dedicated to the pursuit of martial arts.
“The situation is clear now,” Jiuque pressed on. “The other party intended to silence the witnesses. And before doing so, they had a perfectly suitable scapegoat—you, Senior! After all, if they simply deny everything, the last person known to have contact with these victims, in the eyes of outsiders, would be you.”
“I was very careful. No one saw me,” Cui Zhufeng argued weakly.
“Really? Then how was this location discovered by others?”
Cui Zhufeng found herself at a loss for words.
