Chapter 47

Just after a rain had passed, the road became somewhat muddy, but fortunately, it was covered with fine sand that drained the water, allowing them to continue on their way. Two carriages moved along the official road at a steady pace. Since it was an official road and they were in the Central Plains, not the bandit-infested Shandong, they were not worried about being robbed.

By the end of the day, the two carriages had already arrived in Luhun County. As they entered the city gate, they saw a long line of people waiting. Whether entering or leaving the city, everyone had to be stopped and questioned by several men dressed as constables before being allowed to pass. The two carriages joined the line at the back. Seeing the long queue ahead and feeling the aches and pains from the long ride, everyone got off the carriages.

"Has something happened in Luhun County? It was never this heavily guarded before," one of the students said, looking at the slowly moving line.

As he spoke, Liu Fang, the carriage driver, also jumped down and lifted the curtain to help Master Yan and Xu Yanzu get off the carriage. The students quickly greeted them and stood to one side.

The official from Chang'an, surnamed Xu, stretched his neck to look ahead. Seeing the long line, he frowned and said to Master Yan, "Master Yan, this line is so long. If we keep waiting, it will be dark by the time we get through. We still need to find an inn to stay in. Should I go ahead and reveal our identities to speed things up?"

Master Yan looked at the sky and the people in line, then shook his head. "No need. We can wait a bit longer. If you reveal our identities, the county magistrate will surely come, and we won't have a peaceful night. We are just passing through and will leave early tomorrow morning. Let's not disturb anyone."

"Understood!" Xu Yanzu nodded and joined the line without another word.

For some reason, Xia Hongsheng felt that the name Xu Yanzu sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before, but he couldn't quite remember who this person was. Bored while waiting in line, he turned to a farmer behind him, bowed, and asked with a smile, "Old Uncle, I greet you! I passed through here before, and the city gate was open. Why is it so heavily guarded now? I'm really curious, so I'm bold enough to ask. Has something happened in Luhun City?"

The farmer looked at Xia Hongsheng, seeing his scholarly demeanor and the clean, neatly washed long robe he wore, and returned the bow. "From your appearance, you must be a student on a tour. Let me tell you, our Luhun used to be free to enter and leave. However, three days ago, a criminal went on a rampage for two nights, killing two people and leaving their bodies on the street. I heard that their heads were cut off, and their bodies were hacked to pieces! Our county magistrate was furious and vowed to find the killer, so he tightened the security at the city gates."

"Thank you, Old Uncle!" Xia Hongsheng politely bowed and turned away.

When Xia Hongsheng asked the old farmer, the other students also listened. They heard what the farmer said and looked somewhat frightened. Xu Qixian sighed in surprise, "That sounds terrifying. Not only did he cut off their heads, but he also hacked their bodies to pieces and left them on the street. It's truly despicable, and the killer should be executed by slicing!"

Hearing Xu Qixian's words, the other students nodded in agreement, looking uneasy. The student surnamed Wan said, "I think we should leave here as soon as possible. Such a vicious criminal must be caught quickly."

"Killing people, cutting off their heads, and hacking their bodies to pieces is overkill. The criminal must have a deep grudge against the victims. We can start looking for the criminal from this angle," Xia Hongsheng said. In his past life, he loved watching sci-fi and crime investigation American TV shows. Hearing their discussion, he immediately recalled what he had seen before. "The criminal left the bodies on the street, indicating he wasn't afraid of being discovered and wanted more people to see his actions. The criminal is either a madman or extremely confident in his abilities, the latter being more likely. I'm sure the killer who struck is among the people who gathered to watch the bodies. Three days have passed, and no clues have been found. The city is on high alert, which gives the criminal a sense of psychological pleasure, making him more confident and increasing his desire to show off. If he isn't caught soon, I predict more people will die in Luhun City in the coming days. If the first two victims were killed for revenge, any future victims will be to show off. Of course, this is based on the assumption that similar murders will occur. If Luhun City remains peaceful and no more incidents happen, it means the criminal was simply seeking revenge and has either gone into hiding or fled."

"Nonsense. After committing such a crime, the criminal wouldn't stick around to watch. Xia, you're just joking," Xu Qixian dismissed Xia Hongsheng's theory.

Xia Hongsheng didn't argue, just smiled. He was just indulging himself, mimicking the criminal psychology he had seen in TV shows. One of his favorite American TV shows was about criminal psychology, which had inspired him to study psychology and become a certified counselor in his past life. Unfortunately, he was sent back to the Tang Dynasty before he could receive his certification.

The students continued to discuss the murders, each with their own theories. Master Yan didn't stop them, just smiled and stroked his beard, occasionally conversing with Xu Yanzu.

The line gradually shortened, and it was finally their turn.

Master Yan stood there, smiling but exuding an aura of authority. Xu Yanzu, an official from the capital, also stood there, and the constables, who were used to dealing with all sorts of people, became more polite. They bowed and said to Master Yan, "Sir, a criminal has killed two people and left their bodies on the street. The county magistrate has ordered us to guard the city gates strictly. We must search your carriages before allowing you to enter, and we apologize for the inconvenience."

"Old man brings a few students to Luoyang and happens to pass through here. We will follow the rules. Please proceed, constable," Master Yan said politely, then signaled the others to step aside.

The constables searched the carriages and asked a few questions but found nothing. They then allowed the group to enter the city.

Everyone was hungry, so they quickly found an inn, ate, and rested. Master Yan, tired from the long carriage ride, instructed them to rest early and continue their journey early the next morning to reach Luoyang by evening.

They all went to bed early. Xia Hongsheng, feeling sore from the long ride, soon fell asleep. He vaguely heard the sound of night patrol guards passing by and then drifted off.

He didn't know how long he had been asleep when he heard a creaking sound, as if the door had opened. Drowsy and confused, he couldn't tell if it was real or a dream. He mumbled and turned over, falling back into a deep sleep.

He didn't know how much longer he slept when he was suddenly woken by a loud scream. Xia Hongsheng sat up abruptly, looking out the window, which was still pitch black.

Damn, who's screaming in the middle of the night! Xia Hongsheng, startled awake, was in a bad mood. He stumbled to the window, intending to open it and shout, but realized it was an ancient wooden window, not a sliding glass one. This realization fully woke him up, reminding him that he was in the Tang Dynasty.

Once fully awake, he noticed something was wrong in the room.

First, he smelled a foul odor mixed with a strong, pungent smell. Then he noticed the commotion outside. Frowning, he was about to go to the door when he heard a loud banging, as if someone was trying to kick it down.

Xia Hongsheng's heart raced. He quickly looked around, grabbed a vase, and was about to hide behind the door when he heard a voice shouting, "Brother! Hongsheng!"

Recognizing Xu Qixian's voice, Xia Hongsheng quickly put down the vase, rushed to the door, and removed the wooden bar, opening it.

Immediately, Xia Hongsheng's face turned pale, and his stomach churned. He bent over and vomited.

In the corridor just a few steps in front of Xia Hongsheng's door, a blood-soaked, unrecognizable mass lay scattered. An arm had been severed, and the hand, with the other fingers curled into a fist, pointed straight at Xia Hongsheng's room with its index finger.