Becoming a martial arts god starting from the mortician.

Before long, hurried footsteps could be heard outside.

Several spies quickly entered.

The leader presented the roster and bowed, saying, "I have reported to the Chief Inspector and Envoy Shen that the Qi Family's South City Goods Store, West Market Grain Store, and Outer City Carriage and Horse Store have all been checked. Of the fifty-seven newly added guards on the roster, I have checked them one by one, and only thirty are currently on duty."

Lin, the registrar, paused with his brush, and ink dripped onto the account book, spreading into a black blotch.

"Twenty-seven people are missing?"

The scout bowed his head and said, "The officials in charge all gave the same answer. They all said that there were several batches of medicinal herbs and cloth that needed to be transported urgently, so Qi Huai'an temporarily transferred those twenty-seven men out of the city to escort the goods."

Shen Qi took the copied list.

The paper was covered with names.

Li Tiezhu, Zhao Ergou, Wang Damaizi...

Most of them were people from the lower classes in the outer city trying to make a living.

Such precious goods required twenty-seven men to escort them.

Moreover, these people are either vagrants or idle gang members. If the Qi family truly had important goods, why would they entrust them to a group of people whose backgrounds are unclear?

Shen Qi stood up and looked at Jiang Xinyue: "My lord, I'm afraid these twenty-seven people won't be coming back."

Jiang Xinyue leaned back in her chair, holding a teacup in her hand, her expression still languid.

"Want to go to the Qi family?"

Shen Qi clasped his hands in a fist and said, "We need to see the living before we can settle the case of the dead."

Jiang Xinyue paused, then tossed out a black iron token. It clattered onto the table. "Take ten armored soldiers. If they obstruct you, kill them without mercy."

"Yes, ma'am."

On the long street.

Armored soldiers, clad in armor and armed with weapons, followed Shen Qi through the inner city.

In a teahouse by the street, several merchants were holding teacups.

Hearing the noise, they all poked their heads out.

"Are those armored soldiers from the Observatory?"

"What serious incident has occurred?"

"Judging by the direction, are you heading south of the city?"

The patrolling guards spotted the astronomical bureau personnel from afar and quickly retreated to the side of the road to pay their respects.

……

In front of the Qi residence.

The clanging of the armored vehicles startled the gatekeeper, who peeked out and, in fright, stumbled back to report to the mansion.

Before long, Qi Huaili hurried out to greet him. His fox fur coat was half-draped, and his hair was slightly disheveled, clearly indicating that he had arrived in a hurry. Upon seeing this imposing scene, his eyelids twitched, and he forced a smile: "Lord Shen, this is…"

Shen Qi ascended the steps, his tone icy: "Investigate the case. Summon Qi Huai'an to answer questions."

Qi Huaili's face stiffened slightly, and he quickly cupped his hands and said, "My lord, my younger brother Huai'an has been frail since childhood. He caught a cold yesterday and even vomited blood last night. He just took medicine and rested. His illness and bad luck might offend you. Why don't you move to the side hall for some tea and snacks, and once he wakes up, I will immediately send him to pay his respects?"

Shen Qi didn't stop walking, coldly uttering two words: "Lead the way."

Qi Huaili broke out in a cold sweat, took another half step forward, and pleaded with a bitter face, "Lord Shen, the Qi family has always been of impeccable character and law-abiding. There are many women in the inner quarters, and for armored soldiers to charge in with swords would be a disgrace to the family if word got out... Could you please be lenient?"

Shen Qi glanced down at him: "This matter involves a cult and concerns the lives of countless people. Anyone who dares to make a fuss again will be treated as an accomplice."

Having said that, Shen Qi raised his hand and waved it. Two armored soldiers pounced on him like wolves and tigers, grabbing Qi Huaili's arms from the left and right and forcibly dragging him away.

Qi Huaili, pale with pain, repeatedly cried out, "My lord, please calm down! My lord, please calm down!"

As soon as the commotion started inside the courtyard, a dozen or so guards from the Qi family rushed out, carrying fire and water sticks, and blocked the entrance to the hanging flower gate. These guards were mostly roughnecks recruited from the streets, and relying on their numbers, they showed some ferocity.

Upon seeing this, the soldiers of the Astronomical Bureau all drew their swords.

Clang——

The black iron longsword was drawn half an inch from its sheath, its cold gleam faintly visible. The armored soldiers stepped forward in unison, their iron-blooded killing intent instantly overwhelming the Qi family members.

The lead armored soldier shouted, "Obstructing the Observatory's investigation is punishable by death!"

The guards felt a chilling aura emanating from them and involuntarily took several steps back. They were nothing more than idle men who made a living off money; how could they dare to confront these officials head-on? The lead guard's hands, gripping his staff, trembled like leaves, and his legs went weak as he looked at the dark red blood groove on the black iron longsword. If they dared to move even an inch, these blades would surely separate their heads from their bodies.

Qi Huaili's face was deathly pale, and he stammered, "Lord Shen...you're going to kill the Qi family!"

Shen Qi ignored them, grabbed a servant and ordered him to lead the way. The group went straight through the hanging flower gate and headed straight for Qi Huai'an's residence.

The further you go in, the stronger the smell of bitter medicine becomes.

The courtyard was unusually quiet.

A pale hand lifted the cotton curtain of the main room. Qi Huai'an, wrapped in a thick fur coat, slowly stepped out, supporting himself on the doorframe. He coughed violently, his shoulders convulsing, his whole body hunched over like a shrimp.

Qi Huaili rushed over to help him up: "Huai'an! What are you doing out here? It's cold outside!"

Qi Huai'an waved his hand, gently brushing Qi Huaili aside. He looked at Shen Qi, forcing a smile: "I have failed to greet you properly, please forgive me, sir."

Qi Huai'an's eyelids drooped slightly.

"Is Lord Shen referring to the new batch of men recruited after the New Year?"

Shen Qi looked at him.

"Even though Master Qi is ill, he still remembers the people in his household very well."

Qi Huai'an gave a bitter smile.

"Most of the Qi family's businesses are managed by Qi himself. Despite his illness, the accounts and manpower cannot all be left to others."

He took a breath, coughed twice, and then continued:

"My lord, you are unaware of the situation. Refugees from the north have migrated south, causing frequent chaos outside the city. Several batches of valuable medicinal herbs from Pingzhou urgently need to be stored there, but the escort agencies in the city refuse to take them on due to the chaos on the roads. I had no choice but to offer a generous reward to recruit these brave men to escort them out of the city as soon as possible."

He spoke very slowly.

Each sentence seemed to have taken a lot of effort.

"Those twenty-seven men went out of the city with the caravan. If you don't believe me, sir, they will naturally return in a few days when the goods arrive."

Qi Huaili echoed repeatedly, "Exactly, exactly. Huai'an has always been cautious in business and would never dare to deceive the Observatory. Lord Shen is wise!"

Shen Qi remained silent, his eyes slightly narrowed, and his Life-Binding Divine Eye quietly activated.

The aura above Qi Huai'an's head instantly became clear.

It was a thick, dark red life thread. However, around this crimson thread, there were countless pure black life threads wrapped around it! The black threads twisted and writhed like living things, exuding greed and filth, tightly gripping the red thread, twisting the originally pure life thread into a deformed shape.

The coldness in Shen Qi's eyes deepened.

Absorbing the martial arts of others pollutes one's own life force.

Can't go wrong.

There's no mistake. Those twenty-seven missing people were definitely not on their way to escort goods; they've probably already become food for Qi Huai'an to cultivate his evil arts! Qi Huaiyi also met a tragic end at his hands!

Seeing Shen Qi remain silent, Qi Huai'an coughed twice more: "My lord? If there's nothing else, I'll go back to my room to rest. This cold wind is chilling to the bone."

He turned around, making a move to go back into the house, his steps unsteady, his back hunched. Qi Huaili quickly stepped forward to help him up.

Shen Qi took half a step back.

Seeing this, Qi Huaili assumed that the evil spirit was about to give up and was just about to breathe a sigh of relief.

Shen Qi suddenly raised his right hand, his index finger pointing straight at Qi Huai'an on the steps, his voice as cold as ice:

"Take it down!"