Chapter 74: Anti-Fraud and Deception
Constable Hu of Qinghe Prefecture’s yamen looked at the case file before him, feeling quite a headache.
This was already the ninth man to be murdered.
Moreover, their deaths were all horrifyingly identical.
They were brutally dismembered and abandoned in the wilderness, naked, without clothes, and, of course, without skin.
Who could be so cruel and vicious?
But when people from the Weaving Institute came to examine it, they couldn’t detect any Guai Qi, which meant a deranged killer was committing crimes in the city.
“Old Hu! Old Hu!”
As Constable Hu was pondering, Liu Bukui, a colleague who had just returned from outside, called out to him several times as soon as he entered.
He looked up and asked irritably, “What’s wrong?”
Liu Bukui winked and said, “I didn’t expect it, Old Hu, you’re quite the ladies’ man.”
“What exactly do you want to say?”
Seeing Constable Hu frowning and about to lose his temper, Liu Bukui quickly said, “Cough, cough, there’s a young and beautiful woman looking for you outside. Go quickly. Tsk tsk, her looks, her figure, truly good, I’ve never seen such a good woman.”
Upon hearing this description, Constable Hu’s Face turned ashen, and he suddenly stood up.
“Where is she?” Constable Hu asked, a hint of displeasure in his tone.
“At, at, at the main gate.”
Constable Hu’s Face darkened even further upon hearing this, and he strode out.
Liu Bukui was somewhat puzzled to see his annoyed expression.
It seemed Old Hu knew who this was.
But he would actually get angry at such a woman? If it were him, he definitely wouldn’t be able to get angry at all.
Liu Bukui pouted.
However, he heard that Old Hu was a man who loved his wife dearly and was not swayed by beauty. It seemed to be true now.
…
Constable Hu exited the yamen gate and saw a woman dressed as a young matron, in a white dress, appearing timid. A light green belt cinched her impossibly slender waist, giving her a delicate, willowy appearance.
Constable Hu was originally very displeased, but upon seeing this young matron, his displeasure immediately turned into deep affection.
As soon as the young matron saw him, her beautiful, expressive eyes instantly welled up, and her rosy cherry lips slightly parted, as if to say something.
Constable Hu, however, quickly pulled the young matron’s arm and led her far away from the yamen gate.
He carefully looked left and right to ensure no one was nearby before whispering, “Why did you come?”
“Master Hu hasn’t come to see your concubine for several days, so why can’t your concubine come?”
The young matron looked as if she was about to cry, wiping the corner of her eye with a handkerchief. The tear mole at the corner of her eye became even more alluring as she wiped it.
Constable Hu felt even more heartache upon seeing this. He wanted to reach out and wipe the young matron’s tears, but he was afraid his hands were too rough and would chafe her delicate skin.
“Master Hu, have you grown tired of your concubine?” The young matron said, crying even more sadly, “Your concubine also knows that you cherish your wife like your life. To you, your concubine is merely a wildflower or weed by the roadside… it’s just your concubine’s unrequited love…”
Constable Hu finally couldn’t hold back. He quickly embraced the young matron, speaking the gentlest words of his life, coaxing her, and even swearing that he would never betray her.
This was truly a tribulation in his life.
He had once thought that he would spend his entire life with the wife he had been betrothed to since childhood, a couple for life. Who would have thought that half a month ago, while handling this terrifying flaying case, he would meet the first victim’s widow?
He felt that this woman was truly weak and pitiful, so he went to take care of her every few days, and then he fell for her.
“Then, when will you come to my house?” The young matron’s eyes, as enchanting as spring water, fluttered as she lifted her head from his embrace to look at him.
However, the case files on Constable Hu’s desk made him willing but unable. The Prefectural Governor had already warned him; this case had caused a huge uproar in Qinghe. If he didn’t solve it soon, his position as constable might not be secure.
He could only gently and softly explain everything to the young matron.
The young matron frowned slightly upon hearing this, but still said softly, “Then, Master, you must take good care of yourself and don’t forget to eat.”
Constable Hu breathed a sigh of relief, but then he thought that this Qingniang, despite being so concerned about him, was also so understanding and didn’t make things difficult for him. She was truly endearing.
“Tomorrow night, I will definitely come to find you tomorrow night.” He still couldn’t help but make a promise he wasn’t sure he could keep.
The young matron’s Face immediately lit up with a smile, her cheeks flushed, and she timidly said, “Okay, I’ll wait for you…”
…
This heartfelt promise made Constable Hu smile broadly all day, so much so that Liu Bukui found it quite suspicious.
“Tell me, what’s your relationship with that woman? I won’t tell your wife.” Liu Bukui nudged Constable Hu with his elbow.
Constable Hu rolled his eyes, but his smile remained uncontrollable: “Don’t talk nonsense, don’t slander my good name.”
This good mood lasted until Constable Hu got off duty and went home.
The closer he got to home, the higher his upturned lips gradually drooped.
The thought of returning home to Face his wife, with whom he no longer had anything to say or any affection, made his heart feel heavy.
Especially when he saw from a distance the dazzling mirror hanging by his front door, reflecting the light from the sky, he became even more annoyed.
His wife was particularly gullible, always buying all sorts of strange things whenever she heard a few words from the neighbors.
One day she bought a jar of garlic juice, claiming it could cure all diseases, which ended up making the house reek. The next day she bought some inexplicable magic array that vibrated when you stood on it, claiming it could slim you down. Truly, no amount of money could withstand such spending!
This mirror was also something his wife bought from a place called Qingyun Pavilion, after hearing about it from Aunt Zhang from the next street. It was called an Evil-warding Mirror.
It was said that hanging this Evil-warding Mirror at the door could protect the peace of the household.
If someone returning home carried Guai Qi, this mirror would give a warning, to prevent anyone from accidentally bringing weird objects into the house.
Seriously, that name was so grand, it sounded unreliable. Besides the Weaving Institute, who could truly detect Guai Qi now?
Not to mention such an obscure little shop.
And this mirror definitely had a problem.
The day it was hung, as soon as he entered the door, the light from the mirror blinded him. Before he even knew what was happening, his wife frantically said he had Guai Qi and wouldn’t let him in.
But in an official place like the yamen, there was already a Ghost Qi Detector from the Weaving Institute monitoring the entrance daily, and they didn’t say anything, yet this broken mirror reacted.
After much persuasion, his wife finally let him in, but she was so terrified that she dared not sleep in the same room as him.
Constable Hu rolled his eyes, happy to have some peace and quiet.
As it turned out, the next day, the mirror indeed had no reaction.
The third day, the fourth day, still no reaction.
So Constable Hu argued with his wife, justifiably, saying that this thing was indeed useless and telling her to take it down and stop embarrassing them.
Everyone knew this was his, Constable Hu’s, residence. Constable Hu constantly warned old people not to be easily deceived and waste money, yet his own doorstep had a deceptive object hanging there. Where was he supposed to put his Face?
He had forcefully taken the mirror down that morning, but now she had quietly hung it back up.
His heart was burning with anger, and his steps quickened. He was about to enter the door and reason with his wife.
Suddenly, his vision went white, and the sudden bright light from the door stung his eyes, making him unable to open them.
This damned mirror!