I Can Devour Spirits

Duan Rong’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. He thought Yang Zhen had returned, but as soon as the knocking began, an annoying voice almost simultaneously started to shout.

”Duan Rong! Duan Rong!”

”Are you there?”

”I’ve been waiting for you for several days!”

”If you don’t come back soon, I’ll take a dump right at your doorstep...”

Duan Rong stood behind the courtyard door, listening to Ximen Kankan’s shouts, his face darkened with lines.

He flung open the courtyard door, looking at Ximen Kankan, and said angrily, ”Come on, do it right now!”

Ximen Kankan was momentarily taken aback when Duan Rong suddenly opened the door, but then he laughed, ”I knew you would be back in these few days! Gotcha!”

Ximen Kankan hadn’t come for days, but he calculated that the day after tomorrow marked the end of the public notice, and they would need to set off. Duan Rong would surely return in these two days, so early in the morning, Ximen Kankan came to knock on the door, and indeed caught him right on time.

”Weren’t you going to take a dump?”

”Dump? Forget the dump! Let’s go to Weiyang Square! Before we leave, I want to leave a gambling legend among the county’s gamblers! You have to help me with this!”

Without waiting for a response, Ximen Kankan dragged Duan Rong outside.

Duan Rong, now at the Great Perfection realm, was no longer affected by Ximen Kankan’s grappling techniques. Yet, he allowed himself to be pulled outside by Ximen Kankan.

Because he felt that joining Ximen Kankan for a ruckus at Weiyang Square could serve as a diversionary cover. ”Let me lock the courtyard door first...”

The two of them reached the street, had a quick breakfast, and dove into Weiyang Square.

Weiyang Square, even in the early morning, was filled with many people. Numerous gamblers with dark circles under their eyes were still excited after spending the whole night there...

Ximen Kankan dragged Duan Rong around, looking for a place to settle...

After leaving Yuan Shun Escort Agency, Yang Zhen headed to the government office to check in.

In recent days, Jie Daohan had hardly shown up at the office, allowing Yang Zhen some leisure time!

In the Arresting Officer’s Room, Yang Zhen sat at his desk, sipped some tea, grabbed a file, and pretended to read it as he closed his eyes for a nap.

The Arresting Officer’s Room was almost empty. Jie Daohan was strict with his subordinates, each having their own tasks, leaving no room for idleness or leisure.

Yang Zhen, usually working directly under Jie Daohan, was given no other tasks. With Jie Daohan absent, he could finally enjoy a few days of leisure!

Yang Zhen had barely closed his eyes when a burly figure rushed in, saw Yang Zhen, and shouted, ”Brother Yang Zhen, where’s Chief Jie?”

The newcomer was Zhu Guibao, one of the leaders among the agency police at the office, robust and sincere-looking.

But Yang Zhen knew that this man was the most cunning and deceitful among the constables.

Yang Zhen glanced up and said, ”Chief Jie hasn’t been to the office for days. How would I know where he is?”

Hearing this, Zhu Guibao looked troubled and said, ”There’s been a murder at the Wild Lake behind the City God Temple! A few farmwomen just reported finding a body in the lake!”

The area behind the City God Temple was the jurisdiction assigned to Zhu Guibao by Jie Daohan.

Under normal circumstances, he could handle other matters himself. But when it came to a murder case, he had to report it to Chief Constable Jie Daohan immediately.

If Jie Daohan was away on official business, it could be delayed for a few days. But as long as Jie Daohan was in Xianggu County, murder cases had to be reported to him without delay. Jie Daohan was always very strict about this.

However, since Jie Daohan hadn’t appeared at the office for days, where could Zhu Guibao report to him?

Zhu Guibao said with a grin, ”Brother Yang Zhen, why don’t you come along with me? You can look into the situation, so when Chief Jie returns, you can report on my behalf.”

Yang Zhen smiled lightly and said, ”Elder Brother Zhu, you’re joking. The area around the City God Temple is your jurisdiction. How could I intrude? Besides, Chief Jie has assigned me other tasks, and I can’t easily walk away!”

Zhu Guibao said, ”Well, forget it then. When you see Chief Jie, please tell him about the murder at Wild Lake behind the City God Temple.”

Yang Zhen replied with a smile, ”That’s no problem!”

Zhu Guibao thanked Yang Zhen, hurriedly left the office, and took Forensic Doctor Liu Kui along to the Wild Lake behind the City God Temple.

Yang Zhen, disturbed by Zhu Guibao, lost his sleepiness. He suddenly thought of something and retrieved the case files for Jie Lei and Xu Ruhu, carefully going through them.

When reviewing the case files this time, Yang Zhen was not merely skimming. He was envisioning Duan Rong in the files, which made the scenes shockingly vivid!

Yang Zhen, of course, knew that Jie Daohan had been tracking Duan Rong during these days.

But doubts lingered in his mind—was Duan Rong really the perpetrator?

Yang Zhen’s mind flickered with images of Duan Rong’s straightforward and shy smile. He touched the files with a sense of disbelief at the stark contrast...

Immersed in this bewildered contemplation, an hour passed before Yang Zhen, deep in thought, was interrupted by a clamor outside.

Several government constables entered, carrying a stretcher with a body covered by a white cloth, revealing feet at the end, clearly a corpse!

Yang Zhen’s expression turned grim as Zhu Guibao walked in behind them. Displeased, he asked, ”Why is the body brought here?”

Zhu Guibao glanced at Yang Zhen and said, ”The deceased is Chief Jie!”

”What?” Yang Zhen was startled, momentarily not comprehending, doubting his own ears.

But Zhu Guibao was no longer paying attention to him. He turned to Liu Kui, saying, ”Quickly write a summary autopsy report. I need to inform the County Magistrate!”

Liu Kui immediately set down the forensic box from his shoulder, took a sheet of white paper, and swiftly began writing.

”Who did you say the deceased was?” Yang Zhen stood up and approached Zhu Guibao, asking.

Zhu Guibao, with an irritated look, pointed at the body on the stretcher and said harshly, ”Can’t you see for yourself?”

Zhu Guibao had achieved the Minor Success Realm in the Inner Breath Realm. Before, he respected Yang Zhen because Yang Zhen was favored by Jie Daohan, who regarded him as a close confidant.

But now that Jie Daohan was dead, how could Zhu Guibao pay any respect to Yang Zhen, who hadn’t even achieved the Inner Breath Realm Second Level?

But Yang Zhen’s mind was in shock, numb to Zhu Guibao’s change of attitude.

Yang Zhen dazedly walked to the stretcher and lifted the white cloth!

Underneath lay a corpse with only half a head! The other half rested on the chest of the body.

Though the corpse was horribly mutilated, having been with Jie Daohan day and night for the past half year, Yang Zhen instantly recognized it as Jie Daohan’s corpse!

Yang Zhen’s mind buzzed, the world falling into silence, with only the sound of his own heart pounding like a drum...

Jie Daohan was a True Qi Realm powerhouse; who could have killed him?

Yang Zhen’s gaze instinctively turned to his desk, where the case files he had just reviewed lay spread out!

Moments ago, Duan Rong, rampaging in the case files, seemed to walk out of them and stand right before Jie Daohan’s corpse!

Yang Zhen knew Jie Daohan had been tailing Duan Rong these days, yet now, he was dead!

By now, Forensic Doctor Liu Kui had completed a brief autopsy report, quickly skimmed it to ensure the key points were correct, then signed at the bottom and pressed his seal, handing it to Zhu Guibao.

Zhu Guibao took the report and hurried to the back office!

Yang Zhen’s eyes darted as he noted Jie Daohan’s corpse was covered in an unnaturally vivid red hue, indicating something abnormal!

Yang Zhen turned to Liu Kui and asked, ”Why is Chief Jie’s skin so brightly red?”

Liu Kui’s expression shifted, saying, ”He was poisoned!”

”What kind of poison?”

Liu Kui shook his head, ”I’ve never encountered this poison before! However, in experiments with meat, I found its corrosive power far exceeds Corpse Rot Poison!”

Yang Zhen’s expression was one of shock. He was familiar with Corpse Rot Poison, yet the poison afflicting the chief was even more potent!

Then, Yang Zhen remembered something.

The sinister doctor, Shen Ping, was implicated in the Jie Lei and Xu Ruhu case and nearly died in prison, barely surviving with a breath after being released, thanks to being saved by Xiao Zongting from Yuan Shun Escort Agency.

And the place where Shen Ping recuperated was Duan Rong’s residence at Liu’s House.

”Could it be...” Yang Zhen’s eyes flashed with extreme fear at this thought!