The morning light of the black stone cliff bloomed in a bright red, when the purple glow filled the sky, the clouds were dense, and the first day of the leap was greeted by a cry of lost soul. What is the matter? Ask each other, and those in the know either run to tell each other or whisper. When two other cries of despair came from the rest of the town, everyone could no longer hold back their pretense of composure, and before long, the whole town fell into panic and terror that had not been seen for many years. When acquaintances meet, there is no longer a smile and greeting, but instead shakes their heads and dodges. There is more hurried walking, and there is more creaking and closing the door.

A group of officers and soldiers with sabers surrounded the jade shop. After a while, the slow official sedan chair swayed across the stone road and stopped at the entrance of the jade shop. The fat county magistrate slowly got out of the sedan chair, and the catchers rushed forward to explain the case. Last night, Shopkeeper Li received an invitation to discuss business in advance, so he stayed overnight in the store and waited for visitors. In the morning, the man came to see, and there was only blood all over the hospital. Shopkeeper Li was slashed seven times. The fatal knife was in the neck, cutting the throat directly.

Walking through the shop where the business was done, there was blood stains in the back hall of the reception, and the marks of furniture being pushed off. Extending to the account room, then to the door of the warehouse, and finally to the courtyard, the poignant blood stains dragged all the way. The county magistrate shuddered in front of the backyard and stopped. He saw the corpses that had dried up on the side of the well in the courtyard, and he also saw the big characters written in blood on the pink and white courtyard wall: "Kill for the rich and unkind." There was also a line of bloody footprints, calmly, extending from the side of the well platform to the back door, and disappeared out of thin air.

What's even more strange is that leaving such a chaotic and terrifying scene, none of the surrounding neighbors heard the shouts.

There was already a man standing in the courtyard with slightly frosty sideburns stepping on clogs, walked around, and said to the little guy next to him: "Go, please come here!" The county official greeted with a smirk: "Master Jiang, why are you here?" is known as "Master Jiang", and he also mixed in the officialdom in his early years, and he has some prestige. After resigning, he did a silk and spice business under the Black Rock Cliff and made a wide range of friends. "Shopkeeper Li is my friend. It's really sad to have an accident!" "Yes, yes, yes......" The county magistrate should respect him for three points when he sees him.

As soon as the little servant ran out of the courtyard wall, he saw a tall white horse stopped at the mouth of the alley. Chu Tao jumped down, threw the reins of his horse and walked quickly towards the courtyard. Behind him, Xie Junhe, Wang Hong, and Dr. Liu were all present. The horse whip was still in his hand, and Chu Tao hurriedly clasped his fists and saluted: "The younger generation is late, forgive the sin." ”

The county official stabilized his majestic shelf: "Master Chu, it seems that the people in the rivers and lakes are not very well-behaved recently?"

"There's a trouble-making killer. My people are already on track. ”

"This is also the work of the killer, why did you commit the crime?"

"Revenge. ”

"What do you think you can do?"

"As soon as possible. If you have the news, you will reply immediately. Smiled tacitly, the official left, and the rest was handed over to Chu Tao.

Jiang Ye frowned extremely dissatisfied: "Master Chu is really getting more and more difficult to invite. ”

Chu Tao smiled politely: "Don't dare." Shicai was elsewhere, delayed. He glanced at the situation in the courtyard and glanced at the three people behind him, and the three of them went their separate ways to check the situation without delay. Doctor Liu went straight to the corpse, Xie Junhe was rummaging around in the courtyard, and Wang Hong asked the guy's family for questioning. Jiang Ye glanced at him and sighed: "I have been friends with Shopkeeper Li for decades, and I know him very well. He has always been a philanthropist, helping his neighbors from time to time. Never make enemies with others! How can this killer write such insulting words, it is really outrageous!"

Chu Tao knew that he was sighing at the word "revenge" that he blurted out just now: "I also know that Shopkeeper Li is a person." But a house full of treasures was lost, and nothing was taken from the tent. Seven wounds, blood everywhere, first the arms, then the chest and abdomen, then the legs, and finally the sword sealed the throat. This kind of murderous method of draining human blood is absolutely impossible to do unless it is a deep hatred. Make an appointment on the grounds of business, wait for the guys to disperse, enter the front door, commit murder, and go out the back door. The bloodstains of murder are not messy, and once you go out, there is no trace left. The bloody letter of 'killing the rich and unkind' is probably the most reasonable excuse to cover up the deep hatred among them. ”

"How do you know?" Jiang Ye was shocked, he had just stepped into this courtyard, and he had not interrogated or examined the corpse.

"I just came from the goldsmith shop and the money bank, and I saw the bloodstains. There were three murders in one night, and this killer was busy enough! It's just that the other two shopkeepers are not as clean as Li's shopkeepers, and there are a lot of people who want to seek revenge. This person is bloodthirsty and has a lot of cases. Careful and rigorous, and ......"

"According to you, why didn't anyone hear the shouting?"

yes, it seems that everything doesn't make sense here.

"I don't care what his purpose is, Chu Tao," Jiang Ye called him by his name, "What I want to see is that the murderer is brought to justice!" In his opinion, Chu Tao was so calm that he was simply cold-blooded.

"Young master!" Wang Hong led the servant to rush over in horror. The maid said: "Yesterday at noon, someone handed me a post, saying that he wanted to talk to the master about a business. According to the rules, I immediately handed it to the master. That post had a very strange scent. I can't find the post at home. ”

"In the brazier. Xie Junhe walked out and glanced at Jiang Ye coldly, "If it is an unsightly visitor, this post can't be easily shown." I just looked at the brazier in the backyard, stained with some new paper ashes. The same is true of those two. ”

"What kind of clue is this?" Jiang Ye was very annoyed.

Liu Siren, who examined the corpse, also stood up and responded: "Right hand, under the blood and qi, there is a dark fragrance." ”

Chu Tao spoke: "Please ask Jiang Ye for a favor - Jiang Ye has many friends on the official road, and it shouldn't be difficult to inquire about a habitual offender." This person is not old, with clear eyebrows and beautiful eyes, and often carries strange fragrances. Compared with a powerful and heavy sword, I prefer a sword that makes the body light and agile, and the light skill should be good. The means of killing are simple, and it is difficult to find traces after the fact. And only kill, not money. It may also have something to do with the Western Regions. I just want news from him, even if it's just a name. ”

Jiang Ye raised his eyebrows with a cold face: "Okay, I'll help you ask for news." ”

Xie Junhe glanced at the back of the retreat very unhappily: "What a broken person, why did you offend him?"

"It's an old rival in the business field, what kind of memory?" Chu Tao withdrew as he counted. "Seven years ago, he snatched a couple of spice orders from me. Five years ago, he asked someone to send a letter to Qin Xiao, hoping to use the power of the north bank to divide my dart business. Four years ago, I found someone to help Uncle Duan squeeze him and get a few silk businesses. Three years ago, I put two of his water thief friends in a prison cell. ”

"Small role, no impression. I remember only the faces of the beatings and the faces of the enemies. ”

"No wonder Uncle Wang's faces and I will never be forgotten? Chu Tao twisted his eyebrows and threw him a back.

Wang Hong immediately helped behind him: "Yes, I owe a beating." ”

Xie Junhe's heart suddenly became angry, and he couldn't hold back his ruffianism anymore: "Isn't it just a fight on the street? After ten years, you still hold grudges, and if you don't understand your hatred, you will fight again?"

Liu Siren, who had been unable to interject, was mentioned by them, and immediately remembered the battle on the street ten years ago - such a graceless thing, Chu Tao has done it once, and it is not Xie Junhe's harm?

The honest Liu Siren squinted his eyes and smiled slightly: "Yes, there are some...... Underwhelming?"

Chu Tao suddenly sank his face and stood still at the entrance of the alley.

Qi Heng's drunken face was dangling around the street corner.

Xie Junhe rubbed his fists with a sneer: "The face of the underwhelming was sent to the door so quickly?"

Chu Tao stopped him with one arm and whispered, "Don't make trouble, let's go ours." He swung his saddle and straightened his head, but he heard a greeting from the street: "Yo! Master Chu, don't say hello when you see a guest?"

Xie Junhe interjected in a low voice: "You want to withdraw, but the one who owes the beating is missing." ”

As soon as Chu Tao raised his head to meet him, he smiled brightly, and the dark clouds on his face had long since dispersed without a trace.