Chapter 77

News of a murder at the Ren family residence spread quickly throughout the small town, especially since the victim was Ren Fa, the wealthiest man in town. In a short time, the townspeople were abuzz with speculation, ranging from hired assassins to personal vendettas, creating a chaotic scene.

Although the mortuary was located in a relatively remote part of town, Uncle Kow and Jiang Chen, along with others, received the news quickly and hurried to the Ren residence.

Inside the Ren residence, Ah Wei, who had just finished examining Ren Fa’s body, was trying to comfort Ren Tingting, who was immersed in grief. "Cousin, although your uncle has passed away, I am still here. Rest assured, I will catch the murderer and avenge your uncle..."

Before he could finish, Uncle Kow and Jiang Chen burst in and went straight to Ren Fa’s body, lifting the white cloth that covered it.

The body was cold, indicating that the time of death had been some time ago. The face was an abnormal grayish-blue, with black, coagulated blood around the seven orifices. There were ten finger-sized blood holes in the neck, almost completely tearing it apart. The eyes were wide open, filled with a look of disbelief and fear.

Seeing this, Uncle Kow was momentarily stunned. He exchanged a glance with Jiang Chen, and they both saw the suspicion and shock in each other’s eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, don’t touch it!" Ah Wei, feeling his authority as the head of security being challenged, shouted loudly.

Uncle Kow, not caring about Ah Wei’s protests, called out to Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai, whispering to them, "You two, return to the mortuary immediately and check if Old Master Ren’s body is still there."

"Okay," Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai, seeing Uncle Kow’s serious expression, seemed to sense something and quickly turned to head back to the mortuary.

At this moment, an elderly and respected man asked Ah Wei, "Young Master Wei, can you tell us what weapon killed Master Ren?"

"Of course, he was shot," Ah Wei replied without hesitation, raising his head confidently.

Hearing this, Uncle Kow let out a cold snort and asked, "Every shot hit the neck. Is that possible?"

Ah Wei, used to getting his way, had never expected anyone to question his answer and was momentarily at a loss. But he quickly came up with a new explanation, saying confidently, "The murderer was a martial arts expert who used a Nine-Ring Linked Dart to kill Master Ren."

Uncle Kow smiled disdainfully and asked, "Where is the weapon?"

"Uh..." Ah Wei was taken aback. All of his claims were just guesses, and he had no evidence. But he quickly regained his composure and shouted angrily, "If it’s not that, then tell me, how did my uncle die?"

Uncle Kow glanced at him and said, "In my opinion, he was killed by fingernails." However, he forgot that his own nails were quite long. When he realized this, his hand was already grabbed by Ah Wei.

"You say he was killed by fingernails, so the murderer must have very long nails," Ah Wei, holding Uncle Kow’s hand tightly, asked the crowd triumphantly, "Anyone here have longer nails than his?"

"No, no," the crowd quickly showed their hands, but upon seeing their own long nails, they quickly hid them in their sleeves, afraid of being suspected.

"Hey, you can’t frame an innocent person!" Uncle Kow, seeing that Ah Wei was accusing him based on nail length, quickly defended himself.

"I won’t frame an innocent person. Your nails are the longest in town, so you are the prime suspect," Ah Wei, with his small eyes glaring, ordered, "Take him away." Jiang Chen was speechless.

Ah Wei, feeling triumphant, squatted next to Ren Tingting and said solemnly, "Cousin, the suspect has been caught. Rest assured, I will avenge your uncle."

Ren Tingting, her heart in turmoil over her father’s sudden death, knew Uncle Kow couldn’t be the murderer. She wiped her tears and pleaded, "Cousin, please investigate thoroughly and don’t frame an innocent person."

"Of course," Ah Wei, who usually lacked authority in front of his cousin, quickly called his subordinates, "Take the coffin back." He then glanced at Uncle Kow and said coldly, "I’ll make you face your uncle’s body every day until you confess."

"Master," Jiang Chen stood up, wanting to stop him, but Uncle Kow said, "Junior, I know you are skilled, but I am innocent. Don’t act rashly. Don’t worry, they won’t keep me for long."

"Alright," although Jiang Chen didn’t fear the constables’ guns, he respected Uncle Kow’s wishes and let the constables take him away.

Just then, Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai rushed back, panting heavily. "Master, it’s not good."

"Coffin..."

"Scattered."

"Body..."

"Gone."

They managed to explain the situation, but when they saw Uncle Kow’s predicament, they were shocked. "Master..."

Ah Wei stepped in, saying, "He’s been arrested."

Hearing this, Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai were furious and ready to fight, but Jiang Chen stopped them, saying, "Don’t be rash, Master will be fine."

"You’re right, I’ll be fine," Uncle Kow said, then turned to Ah Wei, "Captain, can I speak to them for a moment?"

Ah Wei, feeling powerful, replied, "Say your last words quickly, don’t say I’m heartless."

The four of them moved to one side, and Uncle Kow asked Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai, "Did you search everywhere?"

"We did," Wen Cai, now calmer, replied, "We even checked the other coffins, but we didn’t find Old Master Ren’s body."

"Ah," Uncle Kow sighed, "This is bad."

"I know," Qiu Sheng said understandingly, "Master, you’re going to jail tonight?"

"Jail is a small matter. I’m more worried about the two zombies that might appear," Uncle Kow explained, "Master Ren was killed by a zombie, and the zombie poison has entered his heart. By night, he will also become a zombie."

"Wow," Qiu Sheng exclaimed, "So they will team up?"

"Stop talking nonsense," Uncle Kow said sternly, "Qiu Sheng, bring all your equipment to the yamen tonight. Wen Cai, protect Tingting with your junior master. Although he joined later, his powers are stronger than yours. If you have any questions, ask him. Junior, take care of them."

"Don’t worry, Master," Jiang Chen smiled, "Although I may not be able to subdue the zombies, I can protect everyone."

"That’s good," Uncle Kow nodded, then added, "Remember, if you can’t hold them off, hold your breath. The zombies won’t be able to find you..."

"Enough, enough, enough," Uncle Kow tried to say more, but Ah Wei interrupted, "Save it for the grave." He then ordered his men to take Uncle Kow away, clearly intent on making his life difficult. It was uncertain if he would still have the same mindset when the zombies appeared that night.

Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai, at a loss, turned to Jiang Chen and asked, "Junior Master, what should we do next?"

...