Xiao Ji said: "When did it start?"

"It just so happens to be the time when you deal with the case of the village grandson Wanzi. Yoshinaga said with a heavy face.

Huo Dong said: "It seems that someone knows our whereabouts inside out, and it seems to be leading us further and further away from the case. ”

"No matter who is in the shadows, it is only a matter of time before the light will eventually expose it. ”

"Nakayama-kun, did all the witnesses rebut their testimony?"

Yoshinaga said, "Yes." ”

"No, Yoshinaga-sama, and the maid, she hasn't woken up yet. Nakayama Saro thought for a while and said.

"Is that the maid who was stunned next to the severed corpse?" asked Xiao Ji.

"Exactly, fortunately, Nakayama-kun reminded me that it is true that only her testimony has not yet arrived. Yoshinaga said.

"Well, only her testimony is now the most effective. ”

"We went to her right away. Xiao Ji looked at Huo Dong and said.

"Okay, what's the maid's name, and where is her residence?" asked Huo Dong.

Zhongshan Zuolang said: "Yantian Noodle Restaurant on Middle Street in Huaqi County. ”

"The maid's name is Keiko Yanda. ”

After that, Xiao Ji and Huo Dong didn't waste any more time, and rode on their horses and rushed to Huaqi County.

Huaqi County is located in the southwest of the eastern capital, far away from the city center, and is a relatively remote county seat.

The people there are self-sufficient, with beekeeping as their main source of livelihood, and everyone lives in peace.

It was the second half of the night, it had just rained, and the ground was extremely slippery and very cold.

Xiao Ji and Huo Dong didn't care about this, they wore fur cloaks and hurried away.

Finally, more than half an hour later, they arrived in Huaqi County, and the entire county fell asleep in the night.

It doesn't know what's going to happen tomorrow, and the people who live here don't think about it so much, they just want to live, that's enough.

"It's too cold, Lao Xiao, are you okay?" Huo Dong rubbed his hands, took Xiaoji's hand and held it in his hand, and said angrily.

"I'm fine, but you're a person who has lived in the desert since you were a child, so it must be uncomfortable to be so cold. Xiao Ji said with some concern.

Huo Dong smiled and said: "I, I'm used to it, the winter days in the desert are colder, and it's almost desperately cold." ”

Xiao Ji pulled his hand out of Huo Dong's hand, covered Huo Dong's face, and said, "You can do it, see how warm you are free." ”

"Hey, thanks. Huo Dong was stunned for a moment, and then said with a smile.

The two of them slowed down at the gate of the county seat, pulled the horses and walked in, although it was almost dawn, it was still very quiet.

"Middle Street, Yantian Noodle Restaurant, there, isn't it?" Huo Dong looked for every store.

Suddenly stopped at the door of a noodle restaurant, he pointed to the plaque and said to Xiao Ji.

"It should be here, and there are lights, I'll knock on the door, and you bolt the horses out of the door. Xiao Ji said.

"Good. Huo Dong replied, pulling the horse to the stake on the ground.

Xiao Ji walked to the door of the noodle restaurant, knocked lightly, and asked, "Is there anyone?"

After a while, Xiao Ji saw that no one made a sound, so he knocked twice and continued to ask, "Excuse me, is anyone here?"

Huo Dong had already tied his horse and walked over, he stood beside Xiao Ji and said vigilantly: "It's not quite right, there are lights flashing but no one answers!"

Xiao Ji paused, raised a palm and pressed it on the deadbolt, only to push it slightly, and the door opened.

He was about to walk in, but he saw a young man lying on his back on the ground at the door, and on his head was a somewhat plump woman.

Looking at the ledger on the left, there was another man lying on his stomach, still holding a pen in his hand.

Huo Dong said: "I'll take a look." ”

As he spoke, he took out his gloves from the toolbox and stepped over to the young man at the door, crouched down and examined, "There are no obvious fatal injuries to the neck and head. ”

"It's just, something is wrong?" Huo Dong said.

"What's wrong?" asked Xiaoji.

Huo Dong shook his head and said, "I'll take a look." ”

Then he opened the young man's eyelids and lips and looked at it, then lifted his shirt and pressed the young man's abdomen lightly.

"No, this person has been dead for at least a month!" Huo Dong said with a frown.

"More than a month, what about the others?" asked Xiaoji.

Huo Dong examined all the bodies one by one, and finally he stood up, took off his gloves and threw them aside and said, "All three of them died a month ago. ”

"Even though it was cold weather, the body had changed. ”

"The eyeballs are shriveled down to the size of soybeans, and the five organs are already thick porridge-like. ”

"However, the strange thing is that their skin is still fresh, and it can even be said that they have just lost their vital signs. ”

"And the cause of their death was suffocation!"

Xiao Ji exclaimed: "Suffocation?"

"That's right, and it's buried alive, although most of the muscles in the nasal cavity have atrophied. ”

"But there are still a small number of people who can be seen to have had severe congestion!" Huo Dong said, pointing to the corpse on the ground.

Xiao Ji nodded and said, "Since the cause of death is to be buried alive, why did these people suddenly appear in this noodle restaurant again?"

"And who are the three of them, and what kind of identities are they? Are they from the noodle shop?"

"You need to inform Nakayama Saro to bring them back to know. ”

Huo Dong said: "Let's go our separate ways, I'll wait for Zhongshan Zuolang to pick up the body, and then go back to do the autopsy." ”

"You go to find the whereabouts of Keiko Yanda. ”

"That's the only way, I'll go to the backyard first. Xiao Xi patted Huo Dong on the shoulder, and after speaking, he ran to the backyard.

Huo Dong shouted: "Be careful!"

"Don't worry!" Xiaoji's voice came from the backyard, and Huo Dong smiled.

There are three rooms in the backyard and a well under one window.

Xiao Ji looked at them one by one, and the first room on the right hand side was a storehouse, in which there were many sacks, and he used a dagger to cut open a sack and saw that it was wheat.

Then, he pushed open the second room next to him, which was large and wide, and was the kitchen of the noodle shop.

Vegetables and chopping boards, pots and pans are arranged, and there is nothing strange about it.

Xiao Ji thought about it, and when he came out of the kitchen, he looked at the room directly opposite, and the door was also closed.

He felt that this room should not be opened, so he walked over anyway and pushed it hard, and sure enough, it was locked.

"Smack. Xiao Ji heard the sound of something falling from the kitchen.

He jerked back to see a dark figure jump out of the kitchen window.

And under that window was the well he had just seen!

Xiao Ji flew over, and when he came to the well, he almost grabbed the black shadow, but he ripped off a piece of clothing and put it in his hand.

He looked at the hem of the dress, it was a tender yellow skirt, so the black shadow could only be a woman!

"It's a dry well. Xiao Ji lay on the edge of the well and looked at it, and whispered to himself.

He was just about to jump in, but he still looked in the direction of the store in front of him, hesitating to tell Huo Dong.

But he was worried that the woman was Keiko Yanda, so he didn't waste any more time and jumped down.

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