Chapter 45: The Plan Succeeds
At that moment after hearing Li Peng's question, Hei Wan was stunned, but she did not let him see that. To Li Peng, it only seemed like Hei Wan was thinking deeply. Hei Wan could not let Li Peng get suspicious of Lin Mu as it would lead to many complications.
Hei Wan thus thought for a minute before speaking. During this time, Li Peng patiently waited in silence without disturbing her.
"I don't really think that he's that suspicious. Why do you think that?" Hei Wan spoke.
"Lin Mu was able to survive the attack when even the vice captain and the town head could not. Also, he was hiding in the bedroom and somehow the culprit did not find him? I doubt that." Li Peng replied.
"Your doubts are valid up to a certain point, but all you have right now is circumstantial evidence. That other man Lu Xiao was able to survive as well by running out. Though the culprit was very close to killing him and would have if we had not come upon him." Hei Wan spoke.
"Besides, didn't you say the boy is an orphan and was poor? Even if he was able to increase his strength, do you think it would be enough to defeat a cultivator like the vice captain Han Lei?" Hei Wan added.
Li Peng thought for a few seconds before nodding.
"Madam is right, we still don't have all the facts. It will be hasty of me to jump to conclusions." Li Peng replied.
"I will be interrogating Lin Mu myself, so you don't need to worry, we'll get the facts. Oh! And also Lin Mu is awake now." Hei Wan spoke.
Li Peng looked a little surprised upon hearing this.
"He is awake? That's good we can ask him right away." Li Peng replied.
"Not so fast. I think there are some problems with him. He didn't seem mentally fine when he woke up. Let him rest for a bit until then we'll check this place." Hei Wan declared.
"As the madam wishes." Li Peng responded with cupped hands.
Li Peng then turned to look at the guards that were standing near him and gestured to them. One of the guards approached him and stood in front of him respectfully.
"Reporting! We have an initial list of the items that currently seem to be missing." The guard reported.
The Guard then started to list all the things that they had found out. This included the letters that were on the town head's desk, the decorative javelin, the town head's personal seal, and the ledgers.
Li Peng and Hei Wan heard the report with their full attention as the gears within their minds started to turn and they started formulating their theories. Soon the guard had finished reporting and then took his leave to continue his task.
"It is indeed as you think, madam Hei Wan. The culprit stole a lot of documents and letters. His motive seemed to be related to official matters, perhaps." Li Peng spoke.
"I think that's not all. If he just wanted the documents, he could have done this when there was no one in the office. But instead, he chose to steal when there were four people in here, why would this be so." Hei Wan spoke.
"Perhaps he was hiding here and was unwittingly discovered?" Li Peng replied.
Hei Wan shook her head in response to Li Peng's words.
"No, he left two people alive after murdering the town head and the vice captain. This does not seem like a mistake or an unwilling thing on his part. Think about what's been happening in the town these few days and also last night's incident of the sleeping residents." Hei Wan replied.
Li Peng thought for a minute with furred brows until when suddenly a shocked expression appeared on his face.
"The culprit, he was here to make a statement!" Li Peng exclaimed.
'Now he's right where we want him.' Hei Wan thought inwardly with a chuckle.
"Exactly, the culprit was probably giving us a warning about not to interfere in their matters. It seems like it is an organization that is doing this and not just a few people." Hei Wan explained.
"If it is indeed as you say then we need to inform the Mayor." Li Peng spoke in a nervous tone.
"That's exactly why I'm here. The culprit is clearly a cultivator and would have been too much for you people to handle. But now that I'm here, I'll look over this matter personally, so you don't have to worry." Hei Wan replied.
Li Peng still did not seem completely convinced as it could be seen on his face.
"If you think that I don't have the strength of the manpower, don't worry. I brought six cultivators with me this time. We should be able to handle most that can come our way." Hei Wan added.
Li Peng nodded in response and accepted her words.
"Now then, let's go and check up on Lin Mu. This should be bough time for him to gather his mental faculties." Hei Wan ordered.
Li Peng and Hei Wan thus left the office and walked outside to where Lin Mu was sitting on the ground. As soon as Hei Wan saw Lin Mu, she extended her spirit sense and touched him two times. Lin Mu felt that and gently nodded in response.
This was a signal that they had decided upon if things went according to their plan. If they were good, then Hei Wan would do it two times, if they were bad she would do it three times. And just in case everything went south, she would tap in four times.
The last signal meant that Lin Mu need to run away as soon as he got it. But fortunately, everything seems to have gone according to plan, and they did not need to worry as much. Hei Wan and Li Peng came to stand in front of Lin Mu, who also stood up in response.
Hei Wan was the first one to speak as she wanted to lead this conversation so that she could keep it within the limits that they wanted.
"How did you come here, Lin Mu?" Hei Wan questioned.
Lin Mu looked at Li Peng who nodded and gestured him to answer. Li Peng internally felt a little hint of approval for Lin Mu.
'At least the boy still knows how to respect.' Li Peng thought,
Lin Mu did not know this, but his little gesture of doing this had already swayed the mind of Li Peng in his favor.
"I-I was asked to report to the town head. We came here along with vice captain Han Lei." Lin Mu spoke.
Lin Mu then took a pause, as if he was thinking something. A confused and perplexed expression soon appeared on his face.
"I... I can't seem to remember what happened after we entered the building. I'm sorry but I don't know what happened." Lin Mu explained.
A complex expression now dressed Li Peng's face after hearing Lin Mu's response.
"What do you mean you can't remember?" Li Peng spoke.
Just at this moment, as Li Peng spoke, the two guards that were standing at the doors suddenly stumbled onto the ground. Hei Wan and Li Peng instantly turned around to look.
"What are you two doing?" Li Peng questioned.
Dull and blank expressions could be seen on the two guards' faces, and soon more sounds came from inside the office. The loud noise of objects crashing came from inside the office along with the groans of the guards.
Li Peng now felt extremely alarmed and was just about to check when someone stopped him.
"WAIT! There could be danger inside. Let me go first." Hei Bao spoke in urgency.
Hei Wan also nodded in response and spoke,
"Let Hei Bao go first, he's a cultivator."
Li Peng nodded in understanding and let Hei Bao go ahead. Hei Bao opened the door of the office with his sword drawn. All four of them saw the scene inside the office and felt stunned. Nearly all of the guards seem to be lying on the ground along with a few items that were scattered around.
One could tell that they had collapsed on the ground, and whatever items they had in their hands had fallen along with them.
Hei Bao checked up on the guards and found that they were awake. But when he tried to speak to them, he discovered that they did not respond and seemed to be in a strange kind of a daze. He tried this with nearly everyone, and the only person who seemed a little responsive was the Captain of the guards.
"What is happening here?" Li Peng questioned.
"We need to leave this place right now. My best guess is that they've been poisoned by something." Hei Wan answered.
Hei Bao tried asking the guard captain who was still a little normal a few questions. But all he got in response was,
"Where am I?" The captain spoke.
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