CH 316

Hearing Li Huowang's disbelief, the peddler's face immediately showed a hint of embarrassment.

"Well, I also heard it from the old man in the village. It is said that the ghost wanted to be reborn, so it stole many children under one year old. Also, because it had been suppressed in the underworld for too long, it started to harm the women in Huanghua."

"So, children were stolen and women were violated in Cangshui County?"

"Yes, yes! The Taoist was really powerful. One of his words could refute several of mine."

Li Huowang frowned. If it was just these things, the local magistrate should have sent catchers to arrest the culprits instead of notifying the Jiantiansi. There must be something that this peddler didn't know.

Li Huowang waved his whip and hit the horse's buttocks. The carriage started to move.

Just before the city gate, Li Huowang finally arrived at Cangshui County. The gatekeeper saw Li Huowang's Jiantiansi waist badge and quickly found catchers to escort Li Huowang to the county magistrate's office.

The sound of chaotic footsteps occasionally sounded around Li Huowang. Looking at the young men carrying torches passing by the carriage, Li Huowang asked the catcher leading the horse, "Who are these people?"

The catcher clasped his fists and replied, "Reporting to the sir, these are all night watchmen selected by the county magistrate from the county. Now the people of Cangshui County are panicked and under curfew. Whoever is found wandering outside will be arrested immediately!"

Li Huowang nodded knowingly and said nothing more.

"Ooo..." The unfamiliar environment seemed to make Mantou feel uneasy. It kept pushing its big black nose into Li Huowang's arms.

However, Li Huowang kept scanning the desolate streets but found nothing unusual.

Soon, Li Huowang arrived at the county office of Cangshui County. The county magistrate had obviously known that Li Huowang was coming and was waiting outside with a group of people, accompanying the two large stone lions at the door.

"I pay my respects to the sir!" With the county magistrate wearing a neat official uniform bowing, the attendant, county secretary, chief clerk, and registrar also bowed their heads.

Li Huowang looked at the county magistrate from under the carriage. He looked to be in his forties, a bit too short, and stood out among the crowd.

"Less talk, let's go in. The main thing is important." Li Huowang turned and led the way into the office, followed by the others.

The sound of paper rustling constantly echoed in the hall. Everyone bowed their heads and watched Li Huowang carefully flipping through the files.

When the tea on the nearby table no longer steamed, Li Huowang put down what he was holding. "Nine children were kidnapped, and five women were violated?"

The county magistrate quickly stepped forward. "I believe that there were far more women violated than this number. It's just that they were ashamed to report it to the government, so..."

"Is that all? Is there only this much?" Li Huowang stared at the county magistrate's eyes.

A drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead, and he first bowed to Li Huowang before turning to the others and saying, "You can all leave now. Zhou, have someone surround the county office."

The sound of footsteps gradually disappeared, leaving only Li Huowang and the county magistrate in the room.

"I am surnamed Lou, although I am not from Cangshui County, my hometown is also in Jiangnan Province. As a parent official, seeing the people so panicked and uneasy, my heart is in pain. I hope that the sir can save the people from the fire and water!" The tearful Lou county magistrate knelt down before Li Huowang.The gift is a bit heavy. From the last time, it seems that the county magistrate and Li Huowang have a superior-subordinate relationship.

I don't know if what he said is true or just a show for Li Huowang. "Let's get to the point. Besides these things, what else has happened in Cangshui County?"

"There have been some thefts, but these things are insignificant! Your Honor, please take a look." Lou Zhixian took out a detailed map from the table next to him and slowly unfolded it in front of Li Huowang.

This is a detailed map of the entire Jiangnan Road. Next to Jiangnan Road are the Zongluo Road where Yincheng City and Niuxin Mountain are located.

There are six major roads in Daliang, some bigger than others. Jiangnan Road is the smallest.

"Your Honor, take a look." Lou Zhixian pointed to some small dots on the map, "This kind of thing is not just happening in Cangshui! There are fifteen counties around Cangshui, such as Pingcheng, Anshan, and Panshui, where the same thing is happening!"

Looking at the scattered dots on the map, Li Huowang finally understood why Tuoba Danqing had to intervene in this seemingly small matter.

No matter how small the matter is, it can become significant when it accumulates.

Li Huowang picked up the map and examined it closely. "So many places, how many children have been lost?"

"A total of fifty-seven people, and it is still increasing. Your Honor, please save the people from this disaster!" Lou Zhixian bowed deeply again.

"Don't worry. Didn't you say that some women were violated? Bring them here and let me see." Since these two things happened at the same time, it is natural to find out what is going on.

Soon, a muddled woman was brought to Li Huowang's side, but she couldn't explain clearly when questioned by Li Huowang. She didn't know who violated her or when it happened. If her parents hadn't noticed something was wrong, she wouldn't have reported it.

For a moment, Li Huowang felt helpless.

As the saying goes, everyone has their own expertise, and this kind of thing is not his forte.

"But that doesn't mean I have no way."

Watching the woman walk away, Li Huowang thought for a moment, took out the talisman book from his pocket, and looked at Lou Zhixian beside him. "Do you have any human bones? The wider, the better."

Since Blind Chen said that this talisman can divine, maybe it can be used in this situation.

"Human...bones?" Although he didn't know why, Lou Zhixian still ordered the catchers to find them.

When the sky gradually turned pale, the human bones that Li Huowang needed arrived. It was a skull.

"Your Honor, rest assured that this is definitely human bones, just dug up from a chaotic grave." The catcher who brought the skull over was trying to please Li Huowang.

With one hand in his pocket, Li Huowang took out the ginger-yellow paper and bit his finger to draw a talisman quickly.

A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled.

"Chase and hurry, Taiyin the Grim Reaper, I obey your order to divine and avoid disaster!"

A copper coin was pressed onto the skull with the drawn talisman. With a creaking sound, the skull cracked open.

With a solemn expression, Li Huowang examined the cracks on the skull and began to divine according to the records in the talisman book. "Hmm...this omen..."