"Your Excellency," a Jin Yiwei guard stationed on the third floor bowed and pushed open the half-closed door.

The stench of blood hit Jiang Yu as he entered the room. The body lay sprawled on the ground, a dark mass against the floor.

"Bring the lamp closer," Jiang Yu ordered, beckoning to his subordinate.

The guard obliged, bringing the candlelight closer to the body. Jiang Yu bent down, examining the corpse carefully. His fingers traced the fatal wound on the victim's neck, where the blood had coagulated. The spray of blood on the walls and floor indicated a violent struggle.

Jiang Yu's gaze trailed down the body. Livor mortis had set in, indicating the victim had died within the last two hours. Besides the fatal neck wound, there were no other injuries on the body. The room bore no signs of a struggle.

"The murderer was swift and precise," Jiang Yu muttered to himself, noting the lack of defensive wounds.

He then noticed the victim's right hand was tightly clenched. Jiang Yu attempted to pry it open but failed.

"Have you confirmed his identity?" Jiang Yu asked his subordinate.

"Yes, Your Excellency. This is Shi Yu, an official from the Ministry of Works," the guard replied.

"And the three beside him are his family?" Jiang Yu gestured towards the three female corpses lying nearby.

"Yes, Your Excellency. His wife and two daughters," the guard confirmed.

"Has the news been sent out? Will the investigators from Yanran Prefecture arrive by morning?" Jiang Yu inquired.

"Yes, Your Excellency. The message has been dispatched, and they should arrive before dawn," the guard replied.

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"Maintain the scene," Jiang Yu ordered before exiting the room.

In the hall, Jiang Yu stood still, surveying the people gathered. His subordinates counted the number of individuals present and reported back to him.

"All accounted for," they informed him.

"It seems everyone is present now, but someone was missing when the crime occurred," Xu Cheng interjected, his voice raised.

The guard cast a glance at Xu Cheng and then turned back to Jiang Yu. "Only Hu Li and Xu Cheng arrived at the inn after the incident."

Jiang Yu glanced at Xu Cheng, recalling him as the one who had been loudly arguing with Hu Li earlier.

"What's your background?" Jiang Yu asked Xu Cheng.

"The head of Jindao Gate," the guard replied.

Jindao Gate? Jiang Yu racked his brain but couldn't recall any information about it. It seemed like a minor martial sect.

"Don't talk nonsense. Did you witness anything?" someone interjected, accusing Xu Cheng of joking about such a serious matter.

Xu Cheng was unfazed, his tone calm as he continued, "Hu Li, you were the last to arrive at the inn. Don't think no one noticed. It only takes a moment to commit murder and set a fire. Could it be you?"

The crowd's attention turned to Hu Li, who stood calmly. Xu Cheng's accusation seemed far-fetched.

Hu Li chuckled. "Xu Cheng, have you never heard of the phrase 'using a borrowed knife to kill'? I wasn't present, but does that make me the killer?"

"When you weren't here, what were you doing?" Xu Cheng persisted.

"I wasn't the only one absent. You were too," Hu Li retorted.

"His martial arts are not advanced enough to commit the crime in my presence," Jiang Yu intervened.

"Is Your Excellency trying to elevate me or degrade yourself?" Hu Li quipped. "It's a bit far-fetched to conclude the killer was one of the two absentees."

"Enough," Jiang Yu said sternly, silencing the crowd.

"Come up," Jiang Yu instructed, turning to ascend the stairs.

Hu Li followed him upstairs, his heart racing with anticipation. He was eager to learn what had happened that night.

Inside the room, Hu Li crouched down, carefully inspecting the body with the candlelight. When he saw the victim's face, he immediately shut his eyes tight.

After a moment, he opened them again, tilting his head to examine the fatal wound on Shi Yu's neck. It was a clean cut, indicating a single strike had ended his life.

"Did you see the killer?" Hu Li asked.

"Isn't it you?" Jiang Yu replied.

Hu Li turned to Jiang Yu, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Is this how esteemed Jiang Yu handles cases? My blade couldn't have made such a wound."

"But you weren't present," Jiang Yu narrowed his eyes.

"And neither was Xu Cheng," Hu Li retorted.

Jiang Yu's words had hit a nerve. Hu Li quickly deduced why Jiang Yu had approached him. It was probably due to his connection with his master, Bai Huaishui.

Either Jiang Yu trusted Bai Huaishui implicitly and extended that trust to his disciple, or he suspected Bai Huaishui and believed Hu Li was an accomplice.

Regardless of the reason, Hu Li glanced at Jiang Yu and replied, "Save me."

At 3:45 AM, the sound of horse hooves echoed outside the inn.

The investigators from Yanran Prefecture, escorted by two Jin Yiwei guards, entered the inn and quickly ascended to the third floor.

Hu Li stepped aside, making way for them. The investigators approached, carefully examining the body. Their observations aligned with Jiang Yu's initial assessment.

"Shi Yu's clothes are disheveled, suggesting the killer searched his body for something after the murder," one of the investigators remarked.

He then noticed Shi Yu's tightly clenched right hand. With some effort, he managed to pry it open.

Inside, he found something and respectfully handed it to Jiang Yu.

"Quick, bring the lamp," Jiang Yu ordered.