Chapter 70 Horrifying Charred Corpse Appears in Capital

Chapter 70: Horrifying Charred Corpse Appears in the Capital

Meanwhile, at the Moat Tavern, the lights were bright and the sounds of singing and revelry filled the air. Inside an exquisitely decorated private room, Qin Yuanshan sat nervously on a stool, while at his feet knelt Qin Chaole, who had supposedly "already returned to the mansion."

Qin Chaole wore a pale blue gauze robe, appearing so delicate and frail that a gust of wind might blow him over.

Not far away, leaning in a nanmu cloud-patterned armchair, was a handsome man with a dark, oppressive aura, a black walking cane resting beside him.

"Qin Yuanshan, do you know what it means to consider the master before hitting the dog?"

The man glanced at Qin Yuanshan, his gaze was as cold as if he were looking at a lowly ant.

"This humble servant deserves to die, this humble servant deserves to die!" Qin Yuanshan dropped to his knees in terror. "But earlier, I truly did not know that Zhu Geyong was one of your men. Please, since it was unintentional, spare me!"

The drunken, ranting Zhu Geyong had already been beaten again by Qin Yuanshan and sent to the Dalisi; it was too late to do anything about it now.

"Spare you?" The man picked up his black cane and tapped it against the floor. "You speak so easily. If I hadn't sent someone to detain Zhu Geyong, you would have ruined my plans."

"This humble servant admits his guilt!" Qin Yuanshan kowtowed repeatedly. The atmosphere in the room grew tense, and Qin Chaole kept his head down, saying nothing.

"If you admit guilt, then you must be punished."

"Yes! I'll go through fire and water, I will accept any punishment or errand you command."

The man's eyes were sinister, his voice as cold as ice: "No need for fire or water. All you need to do..."

"This... wouldn't this be inappropriate?" After hearing the man's instructions, Qin Yuanshan hesitated.

"This is an order, not a negotiation."

The man stroked the black jade thumb ring on his finger and sneered. "I hope Lord Qin acts quickly, and doesn't drag his feet for over ten days like Qin Chaole."

Hearing his name called, Qin Chaole lowered his head even further.

"But..." Qin Yuanshan wanted to say more, but the man suddenly laughed mockingly. "What, reluctant?"

"Of course not! You misunderstand!"

"Qin Yuanshan, you must look clearly." The man's gaze was like a serpent, cold and piercing. "The one on the ground is your real son. He—is not."

Qin Yuanshan paused, then replied in a gruff voice, "Yes, I know what to do."

"Since you know, get out." The man glanced at Qin Chaole again and said, "You stay."

"Yes." Qin Yuanshan and Qin Chaole answered simultaneously.

Before leaving, Qin Yuanshan looked back at Qin Chaole, who smiled at him, appearing gentle and refined, soft and serene.

"Come here."

After Qin Yuanshan left, the man called out to Qin Chaole.

Qin Chaole crawled on his knees toward the man, his figure alluring and his manner seductive. "Master."

"Today is New Year's Day. Let's play something new."

The man lifted Qin Chaole's chin. The slightly loose collar revealed the youth's slender body and the patchwork of bruises and scars on his chest—some already scabbed, others fresh and still oozing blood.

"Whatever pleases my master." Qin Chaole smiled coyly.

"Undress."

"Yes."

The young man's delicate hands loosened his robes. As he shyly lowered his head, a flash of viciousness flickered across Qin Chaole's handsome face, but it quickly faded.

Soon, the room echoed with the heavy sound of whipping and a man's low grunts...

A long time later, when it was all over, Qin Chaole lay limp in the man's arms, his body covered in wounds.

"Someone." At the man's call, the door opened immediately. Qin Chaole hastily and clumsily covered his body with his clothes.

"Send him away."

"Master, I wish to stay with you," Qin Chaole said softly.

"No need." The man straightened his own clothes. "Your mother has a gift for you. Go back and see it."

"Thank you, Master." Knowing he could not change the man's decision, Qin Chaole obediently rose, dressed, and followed the guards out.

The New Year was not yet over. As Qin Chaole stepped out of the tavern, the streets were still filled with lantern light and the glow of jade-like lanterns.

The guard who was escorting him brought over a luxurious carriage, but Qin Chaole did not board. Instead, he carried a Yunyan rolling lantern and walked alone through the crowd. Occasionally someone bumped into him, but he remained unresponsive, moving forward numbly as if in a daze.

Gradually, Qin Chaole left the bustling crowd and arrived at a secluded street corner.

"Young Master Qin, it's getting late. We need to escort you back to the mansion," a guard reminded him.

"Alright, let's go... Ah, wait."

Qin Chaole narrowed his eyes. At the end of the secluded corner was a dilapidated, abandoned shop. By the figures, it seemed a man and a woman were struggling and entangled there.

"You heartless man! You said you would love me and cherish me forever."

"My dear wife, believe me, I wasn't lying. That actor from the Yiqing Pavilion is just a fling!"

So it was a pair of illicit lovers.

Qin Chaole had no interest in such entertainment and was about to leave. But just as he turned, the pair suddenly screamed in terror:

"Murder!"

"Murder! Help! There's a corpse here..."

"Ah! Someone help!"

Qin Chaole exchanged a glance with the guards escorting him. "Let's go see."

By the time Qin Chaole and the guards ran over, the illicit couple had already collapsed to the ground in fear. A strange, foul smell of scorched flesh filled the air.

Qin Chaole frowned and covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve, raising his rolling lantern higher. But the moment he saw what lay beneath the lantern's light, he couldn't help turning away to vomit.

"Ugh—"

Before him, a half-charred corpse lay exposed in the mud. Its entrails, likely stepped on by the couple, were splattered all over the ground, emitting a nauseating stench.

The corpse was curled and twisted, its sex indistinguishable. Qin Chaole, trembling with fright, dropped his lantern. It rolled a few times and came to rest near the corpse's head. Attracted by the light, plump maggots, fattened on the corpse's brains, writhed and crawled in dense clusters toward the lantern...

"Ah!" Qin Chaole let out a scream, then fainted from shock. The guard who was escorting him caught the unconscious Qin Chaole. "Report this to the authorities!"

A guard sprinted off into the distance, while not far from them, a fierce old yellow dog fixed its gaze on the group, emitting a low, dangerous growl.

"Woof! Woof!"

The yellow dog charged at the group, barking wildly.

"Where did this stray come from? Get lost!"

The guard drew his blade to drive the dog away, but the dog showed no fear—its fur bristled beneath its collar, and it opened its foul, stinking jaws, ready to bite. "You're looking for death!" The guard’s longsword flashed coldly as he swung down with force. At that moment, a sharp whistle cut through the darkness!

"Woof! Woof!" At the sound of the whistle, the yellow dog immediately halted its attack, tucked its tail, and vanished into the shadows.

The guard ignored the dog, sheathed his sword, and spat loudly: "That damned beast!"

"Where was the murder?"

"Where’s the body?"

Just then, the guard who had been sent to report the crime returned. Since it was the New Year, many patrol officers were on the streets, so he had quickly brought men to the scene.

A dozen officers swarmed in, their torches lit up the crumbling, dilapidated shop in an instant.

At the head of the group was a tall, lean man, clad in a purple official robe of the Dali Temple. His eyes were fierce and sharp, carrying a predatory gleam—none other than Shen Fuqing.

Seeing the gruesome sight of the charred corpse, Shen Fuqing showed no sign of discomfort. "Let me see what interesting things happened here."

With obvious interest, he crouched down, took the wooden stick handed to him by an officer, and began poking at the corpse.

The body seemed to have been burned or steamed—half-greasy, half-raw flesh, rotting beyond recognition. Had it not rained a few days earlier, the charred corpse might have made a brittle cracking sound.

"Move aside, little darlings."

Shen Fuqing calmly brushed aside a plump, swollen mass of maggots. The nearby officers got goosebumps, but Shen Fuqing didn’t even frown.

As he continued to prod the corpse, the stench of the burnt body grew stronger. Several officers couldn’t bear it and ran to the side and threw up. After examining the body, Shen Fuqing circled the derelict shop. Finally, he returned to his starting point, his gaze fixed on the corpse’s severed leg and the fingers, which had nearly fused into a charred mass.

"Take the body and everyone involved back to the office," Shen Fuqing ordered.

"Your Excellency, shall we arrange to identify the victim first?" an officer asked respectfully.

"No need." Shen Fuqing picked up the fallen lantern from the ground, his eyes gleaming with a manic, crazed light.

"I know who the deceased is."

----------------------------------------