After briefly explaining a few words to Li Doujin and the others, Shi Cheng, Wu Neng, and Tie Mian followed the monks into the fishing boat alley.

Shi Cheng's luck was not bad, and Elder Ma, who led the team, finally relented. After all, the sects of the Western Desert Kingdom are not as good as the big sects of the Eastern and Western Continents, even if they are the Martial Academy, the Rapid Feather Village and the Plum Blossom Sect, there are very few first-class pharmacists in their hands, not to mention that the major sects have also divided a large number of forces to do field work.

Elder Ma was worried about this on the way here, and when he learned that there had been a large-scale tragic case of poison in the residential area near the port, he knew in his heart that he had to bring a special pharmacist to assist in the investigation. However, the only pharmacist in the martial arts academy who has been sent to the western border, there is no pharmacist in Jiyu Village, and the pharmacist of the Plum Blossom Sect is still serving in the army stationed in Seth, and he will not be able to come back for a while.

Although he was angry about what happened to Shi Cheng at the Martial Arts Viewing Conference, after listening to Shi Cheng's analysis that scared people into a daze, Elder Ma was finally forced to agree to Shi Cheng's request and allow him to assist in the investigation, but Shi Cheng and the three of them must always be under the surveillance of everyone.

"Just assume that he is in a hurry to come in and identify the body, anyway, he has promised not to stay in the alley for a long time, and there is a Wu Guoren who is traveling with him, it should be okay." Elder Ma kept comforting himself in his heart.

Hu Tianming didn't speak, and when he learned from Shi Cheng that his parents had died at the hands of the Lu clan, his whole person was like a big ship in a storm, and he couldn't stop being dizzy.

He didn't believe in the so-called return of the Lu clan in his heart, and Shi Cheng's convincing expression didn't shake his heart.

Hu Tianming suddenly remembered the scene at the martial arts meeting, Shi Cheng was still firmly pointing out to everyone the return of the Lu clan in front of all the dignitaries present, and there was no concealment on his face.

Hu Tianming's heart became more and more troubled and frightened, and he still shook his head in his heart, "How could those mysterious people have anything to do with the Lu Clan......

Shi Cheng and the three of them didn't have such thoughts as Hu Tianming, their eyes were all focused on the tragic scenes in the streets and alleys.

The streets were littered with blackened corpses, and there might be more within the invisible walls, and some of the people who carried the corpses were sitting in sheltered places to rest, and the officers and soldiers guarding the alleys were as if they were infected by the breath of death, and their faces were as stiff as the icons of the temple.

Although there were several times more dead people in front of them, because there was no crying outside the mouth of the south alley, everyone's hearts became calm.

Shi Cheng looked at those people who seemed to be in the mausoleum, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, at this speed, I really don't know if the corpse can be cleaned up in the Year of the Monkey, if the plague breeds because the corpse is not cleaned up in time, then the catastrophe that the Western Desert King City will encounter this year may be one more heavy.

"We were sent by the sect to assist in the investigation, and this seat is Ma Qiu, the second seat of the Foreign Affairs Institute of the Martial Academy, this is my waist card."

Not long after walking in the alley, a team of black sword guards hurriedly greeted them, and their attitude was very respectful.

The leading team checked Ma Qiu's waist card and then led the group into the alley. Although Shi Cheng has the face of a Xilu person, the team has not read much of the newspaper recently because of his busy official duties, so he does not know Shi Cheng. In addition, he himself thought in his heart that Shi Cheng was a Western Desert person of Western Continent ancestry, so he did not ask Shi Cheng any other questions.

"Sure enough, it is Elder Ma, who is humbly on the orders of Lord Zhao Ping and has come to greet you. Please come with me, Lord Zhao is now waiting at the place outside the three intersections to the north. ”

"Lao Shi, did you hear it just now, Lord Zhao is actually here." Wu Neng whispered to Shi Cheng in surprise.

Shi Cheng's heart was not surprised, Zhao Ping was the backbone of the Criminal Procuratorate, although he might be transferred to another place because of Sun Jinyong's matter, but such a big thing happened in the city, and there must be a place for him in the team sent by the Criminal Procuratorate to investigate.

Escorted by the Black Knife Guards, the group hurried north.

When Zhao Ping saw everyone for the first time, he was startled by Shi Cheng's appearance.

Ma Qiu hurriedly explained to Zhao Ping in a whisper: "This person is in a hurry to come in to identify the corpse, and he is also a pharmacist, right now our sect is really short of manpower, just let him come in and take a walk together, Yu Hou, you can see if you can be accommodating." ”

Since there were many civil and military officials watching from the sidelines, Zhao Ping couldn't let others see the relationship between him and Shi Cheng, so he nodded and said, "Okay, then make a special event." But leave quickly after recognizing the corpse! ”

When Zhao Ping said the second sentence, his voice was deliberately raised, as if he was speaking specifically to other officials and soldiers in the vicinity.

"Thank you very much." After Shi Chengdao thanked him, he ignored the gazes of the people around him, stood back, retreated behind Wu Neng, and said to Wu Neng in a low voice: "Old Wu, you walk in front, the two of us follow you, after all, you have the face of a deputy cold moon person." ”

Wu Neng was stunned for a moment, but soon understood what Shi Cheng meant.

"Zhao Yuhou, what's the current situation?" Elder Ma asked worriedly.

"No survivors have been found." Zhao Ping's tone was very heavy, "The younger generation has already read the Dingkou books sent by Gyeonggi Prefecture, and the residents here in Fishing Boat Lane, including the aborigines and the displaced people who have recently settled here in the past few months, there are a total of nine thousand four hundred and forty-eight people. ”

"This ...... That is to say, there is only one place in Fishing Boat Alley...... The final number of victims ......" Speaking of which, Ma Qiu didn't want to say any more.

Zhao Ping said coldly: "This figure does not include the population who do not live in Fishing Boat Lane and the black households who have not been declared to Gyeonggi Province. ”

"Who's doing this!"

"This kind of brute, if I find out his identity, I will definitely break him into thousands of pieces!"

All the monks were furious, even the few elders who had been seen by the disciples as old and dignified, and the anger on their faces could not be contained at this time.

Everyone stopped outside a courtyard, and Zhao Ping said to them: "The street we walked through just now is one of the places where the victims are concentrated, and it is also the place where there are more pedestrians in Fishing Boat Alley on weekdays. ”

After saying this, he looked at Shi Cheng and asked, "Pharmacist, what do you think?" ”

Shi Cheng recounted his discovery at the south entrance of the alley, and then said: "It can be seen that the purple orchid powder should have been sown into the wind and then inhaled by the residents here. But as for where the murderer put the brown thorn, Shi has no clue yet. ”

"Are you sure that the ingredients in the mixture are violet orchid powder and brown vitex?" Zhao Ping asked.

Shi Cheng nodded and said, "I can be sure that at least these two flavored medicines must exist, and I believe that there will be no big difference between your autopsy results and my inference." ”

"Now let's see what my people can find out in the field." Zhao Ping said as he looked at the nearby houses.

The soldiers and several monks of the Black Knife Guard were ordered by Zhao Ping and Ma Qiu to search the houses for traces of the brown thorns with the potion given to them by Shi Cheng, while the rest stood in the streets, quietly waiting for the results.

There are many people living on the street, but fortunately, Shi Cheng's potion can still work after dilution, which makes everyone not need to worry about the lack of potion on Shi Cheng's body.

When the sun was about to rise overhead, a team of black sword guards and a monk hurriedly ran towards everyone, "Report to your lordship, there are already eyebrows!" ”

Zhao Ping hurriedly asked, "What's the matter?" ”

"We searched the houses of a total of 134 families on this street, and finally found that the poison must have been put in the food."

"How is that possible?!" Everyone was taken aback.

Shi Cheng was a little skeptical that he had heard it wrong, and his original guess was that the murderer had put the brown wattle in the well water, which was also a relatively simple method for the murderer.

"What about the water that the residents drink?" Shi Cheng asked impatiently.

"No poison was found." The team replied very dryly.

Zhao Ping also didn't believe the team's conclusion, "How is it possible?" With so many people poisoned at the same time, is it possible that the murderer has the ability to run the back kitchen of so many people in a short period of time? ”

"But...... That's what we tested, only the food glows, unless the pharmacist gave the wrong medicine. ”

Everyone looked at Shi Cheng, Shi Cheng shook his head, and said, "There can't be anything wrong with the potion, I can be sure." ”

Zhao Ping said to himself: "Could it be that the murderer really put poison in the food?" How could this be, so many people, and they couldn't eat food bought in one place......"

Speaking of this, a bolt of lightning flashed through Zhao Ping's mind, and he thought of a terrifying possibility.

"Wait...... A few days ago, did the government distribute relief food here? Zhao Ping blurted out, as if he was asking himself and the people around him.

Ma Qiu was shocked: "Marquis Zhao Yu, do you mean that there is a problem with the government's relief grain?" ”

Several officials around Zhao Ping broke out in a cold sweat, if Zhao Ping's conjecture was right, then the court and Shilin of the entire Western Desert Country would be overwhelmed by the wind and waves.

Zhao Ping reluctantly restrained his thoughts, and instructed the Black Knife Guards in front of him: "Take samples of the remaining grain from nearby people and send them to the Guantian Courtyard to wait for inspection." ”

After the team was ordered to leave, Zhao Ping summoned a confidential official beside him: "Wei Ji, go and contact the treasury that has stored relief grain inside and outside the royal city...... Let them ...... Samples of the remaining grain in the treasury were taken and sent to the Kantenin Temple for inspection. ”

After the officials were also ordered to leave, Zhao Ping paced back and forth like ants on a hot pot. After a while, he said to Ma Qiu and several other elders: "The junior must go back to the Criminal Procuratorate in person now, Lord Luo should be able to come over in the afternoon, and before that, I will leave the matter here to you, the elder." ”

"Please rest assured, the old man will do his best."

After saying goodbye to Shi Cheng and the others with his eyes, Zhao Ping left in a hurry.

Although Shi Cheng still wanted to take a look in the fishing boat alley, after Zhao Ping left, the three of them couldn't stay here anymore.

Ma Qiu went to take over the handling of the victim's body, and before leaving, he instructed Hu Tianming and another young monk named Zou Ling to send Shi Cheng and the others away from Fishing Boat Alley.