northernbook Chapter 160 The Demon in the Painting
Chapter 160 The Demon in the Painting
Chapter 160 The Demon in the Painting
"You two are so stubborn, why do you insist on finding a 'person' to blame?" Yan Yan sat to the side and snorted lightly. "Maybe the magistrate is right, it's the work of demons?"
Magistrate Sun was greatly pleased to hear that someone agreed with his views.
Lin Fei and Jiang Zhilan, however, sensed a hidden meaning in Yan Yan's words.
She wasn't like Magistrate Sun. The Yan family of Jiangxi Prefecture was famous for their corpse-refining techniques and were also cultivators. It would be truly strange if she believed in ghosts and gods like ordinary people.
Since Yan Yan said that, it was definitely not without reason.
Lin Fei smiled and asked, "What are your thoughts, Miss Yan?"
Yan Yan rolled her eyes at Lin Fei and turned her head away: "Why should I, your filthy scoundrel, tell you?"
Lin Fei was immediately embarrassed and could only look at Jiang Zhilan. Jiang Zhilan covered her mouth to hide the smile on her lips before saying to Yan Yan, "Sister Yan, there's no need to lower yourself to the level of such a boor. You are the prime suspect now. If we can't find the real culprit and clear your name, then we probably won't be able to let you go. Why waste your freedom arguing with this guy?"
"Of course I know." Yan Yan pouted. "Otherwise, why would I remind you? I just can't stand this guy's attitude!"
Hearing that Yan Yan's statement was not unfounded but rather based on a genuine discovery, Jiang Zhilan's eyes lit up: "I wonder what you've discovered, little sister?"
Yan Yan thought for a moment, then said, "There are some suspicious things about those corpses."
"My Yan family has always been renowned for its corpse refining techniques, and our research on corpse energy is naturally unmatched by ordinary people. When Xiao Zi absorbed the corpse energy of those corpses, I sensed a very faint demonic aura within it." Yan Yan smiled smugly, "Although that demonic aura was well concealed, it seems the person who did the trick put in a lot of effort. It might fool some experts who are not familiar with corpse energy, but it can't fool my eyes!"
Lin Fei and Jiang Zhilan exchanged a glance and nodded, both believing Yan Yan's statement.
As the saying goes, there is a sequence to learning, and everyone has their own expertise. Although their cultivation was even higher than Yan Yan's, the Yan family were, after all, veterans at handling corpses. They hadn't detected any demonic energy when they examined the corpses before, as Yan Yan had mentioned.
If it weren't for Yan Yan, a master of corpse refining, the two of them probably wouldn't have been able to connect the cases in Qinghe County with demons, no matter how hard they tried.
After all, since the Middle Ages, the demon race has declined, and the powerful demons have been imprisoned by the various human sects. As for the weaker demons, they are too busy avoiding humans to bother causing trouble on human territory.
"Are you sure it's demonic energy?" Jiang Zhilan asked, still somewhat uneasy. "Which reckless demon dared to come to our human territory and commit more than a dozen murders?"
"Of course!" Yan Yan was full of confidence in her professional strengths: "I have been learning the Yan family's secret techniques since I was a child. I am most sensitive to all kinds of auras, such as human aura, corpse aura, and demonic aura. Even experts who have opened their nasal passages are nothing compared to me!"
"And I've made another discovery," Yan Yan said, then stopped abruptly. "But you'll have to promise to release me before I tell you!"
“Of course,” Jiang Zhilan said with a smile. “As long as we catch the real culprit, we will release my sister immediately.”
“Okay, I trust you.” Yan Yan nodded. “Then I will tell you everything I have discovered.”
“The remnants on those corpses are indeed demonic energy. And judging from the degree of residual demonic energy, the entity that left that aura is becoming increasingly powerful, making its presence increasingly difficult to detect.” As she spoke, Yan Yan glanced at the two of them: “Do you know what this means?”
"That guy isn't cultivating, he's healing himself?" Lin Fei and Jiang Zhilan said in unison.
Although demons can cultivate by absorbing the essence of humans, the people who died in Qinghe County were all ordinary people. Even if they absorbed their essence, it was impossible for them to become stronger with each person they absorbed.
The essence and blood of ordinary people have absolutely no such great effect on the cultivation of demons.
In other words, the demon race likely absorbed human essence and blood only to restore their vitality.
"Not bad, your Tianmen Prefecture does have some knowledge." Yan Yan nodded and said, "Moreover, I am certain that the perpetrator is still in Qinghe County. Judging from the aura it left behind, apart from demonic energy, there is no aura of any living creature. That thing is definitely not a living being that cultivated into a demon; perhaps it was some object that received the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and developed sentience."
"Items?" Jiang Zhilan asked the witnesses below, "Have any suspicious items, or items that they've never had before, appeared around the victims recently?"
“Items?” The witnesses looked at each other in bewilderment. Suddenly, a woman spoke up: “By the way, sir, it seems that a few days ago, Zhao Laoshi brought a painting from somewhere and hung it in his house.”
The woman thought for a moment, then became even more certain and said, "That's right, it's a painting. I remember it clearly. I saw that painting when I went to Zhao Laoshi's house that day. I even laughed at him for being a farmer and trying to be cultured by hanging a painting in his house like other people. As a result, he got so angry that he kicked me out!"
"That's right, that's right!" another person said. "I also heard Scholar Wang mention that he somehow got a painting. He was overjoyed and locked himself in his room for a whole day, constantly chanting things like 'There are houses of gold in books, and beauties like jade in books.' But that scholar was always a bookworm, always talking nonsense, so I didn't take it to heart. Could it be that Scholar Wang's death is also related to that painting?"
Immediately, the witnesses began to discuss the matter.
Originally, no one would have guessed that a painting was related to this series of murders, so no one paid it any attention. Now, it turns out that a mysterious portrait has appeared at the scene of each of these murders.
It seems that this series of murders is most likely related to that mysterious painting.
The crowd below buzzed with discussion, their faces filled with unease—if it were just a human committing violence, they probably wouldn't be so panicked. But this was a legendary demon!
"Bang!" Jiang Zhilan slammed her gavel down, stopping the witnesses from continuing their discussion, before asking, "Does anyone know who has that painting in their hands now?"