I inherited my grandfather's Tang Dynasty assets.

Chapter 34 Searching for the Mute Girl in the Mass Grave

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Lord Shen, but I do know her master."

The county magistrate returned the greeting with a bow. Although he was curious, he did not press the matter further. Instead, he tactfully left and closed the door behind him.

"Seventh Miss, it was the Divine Farmer who sent you here."

"Yes, young master asked me to deliver this letter to the master."

Zhao Qimei didn't know what was going on either; she simply took the letter out of her bosom and handed it to Fan Tao with both hands.

Fan Tao accepted it respectfully, immediately opened it and began to read, his expression changing repeatedly.

"Brother Fan, what did the master say in his letter? Why do you look like that?"

Fan Tao took a deep breath, bit his cheek, and handed the letter to Liu Boyan.

After reading it, Liu Boyan understood why he did that. The letter didn't contain any instructions, but only inquired about the progress of the Blood Child case and whether the real culprit had been caught.

It was full of questioning intent.

They were now certain that the mute girl was the one who poisoned them, but they couldn't find her, and everything was stalled. Liu Boyan tried to put himself in Fan Tao's shoes, and the frustration he felt was indescribable.

He thought for a moment, opened his mouth, and looked like he couldn't say anything.

Fan Tao frowned, feeling agitated.

"Boyan, let's speak frankly. What time is it and you're still stammering? Tell me your brilliant plan quickly."

Liu Boyan hesitated for a moment.

"Brother Fan, I have indeed thought of a possibility. Do you remember the case of Yang Wanli that the magistrate mentioned back then?"

Fan Tao was taken aback.

"Yang Wanli? Didn't we already tell the magistrate about this? The entire Yang family of over thirty people was executed, with no one surviving."

After a moment's thought, Liu Boyan's gaze fell on Zhao Qimei.

"The Divine Farmer was already aware of this matter, and must have also foreseen that we had not yet caught the murderer. I, Liu, thought about it all night last night."

Why would the mute girl help Master Yuming do this? After all, Master Hu was her savior, and the other servants also said that the mute girl was usually very kind to people.

The fact that she killed her benefactor's son using such bizarre methods and then pretended to be mute for more than three years can only be explained by one thing: she collapsed at the Hu family's door three years ago to plot revenge.

The Ascension Ceremony is for the salvation of the dead, especially those who died unjustly or violently. Therefore, if the mute girl truly wanted to avenge the Yang Wanli family, she would definitely participate in the Ascension Ceremony every year.

It is possible that he met Master Yuming because of this. Master Yuming was anxious because the Ascension Assembly was getting worse year by year, so the two hit it off. One wanted revenge, and the other wanted to make a name for himself at the Ascension Assembly.

They conspired to use illusion magic to murder the Chen brothers; in reality, the mute girl never went to Yuming Tower.

Fan Tao listened in stunned silence, hissed in surprise, and nodded repeatedly.

"Indeed, Boyan, your analysis is very insightful. Why didn't I think of that? Where is she right now?"

The two pondered simultaneously, and the room fell silent. After a moment, they looked up almost at the same time and said in unison.

"Wulipu!"

Fan Tao had just read Yang Wanli's case file a few days ago; he had committed the heinous crime of wiping out his entire family.

After the entire family was beheaded, the emperor did not expose the corpses to the public, but instead ordered the government to dispose of the bodies quickly.

The ancients were quite superstitious about these things. The so-called Wulipu was located about five li southwest of Chang'an City. There was a small hill there, which was also a mass grave.

Most of the bodies of serious criminals executed by the imperial court were hastily buried there. The beheading of more than thirty members of the Yang family that year shocked the entire city of Chang'an.

The body was buried in Wulipu afterward. If the mute girl was truly seeking revenge for the Yang family, now that her great grudge has been avenged, she is most likely to go to Wulipu to comfort the spirits of the Yang family in heaven.

That place is usually deserted and no one goes there. It's especially terrifying at night.

Upon thinking of this, Fan Tao could no longer sit still. He turned and ran outside, but stopped abruptly at the door and looked back at Zhao Qimei.

"Seventh Miss, I have official business to attend to. Please feel free to eat and drink here; the bill has already been paid."

Before Zhao Qimei could say anything, he had already run out, with Liu Boyan following closely behind.

"Ma Feng, immediately take a few men and go with this county to Wulipu."

"Wulipu? Sir, why are we going there?"

Ma Feng asked, puzzled.

"I'll explain on the way, hurry up!"

Seeing his anxiety, Ma Feng dared not say anything more. He picked up two skilled constables, and together with himself, Fan Tao, and Liu Boyan, the five of them rode off at full speed towards Wulipu.

In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they arrived on horseback. The surrounding area was desolate, with scattered pits, shallow graves and fragments of rotten coffins mixed together, and even a few pieces of dry bones scattered on the ground, without any tombstones.

Even in broad daylight, it was still a bit creepy.

"Search the entire county to see if anyone is offering sacrifices here."

Fan Tao shouted loudly, dismounted, and began searching the surrounding area himself.

"Sir, we've made a discovery."

Just moments later, they heard Ma Feng's voice from not far away, and they immediately rushed over.

"My lord, look, someone came to offer sacrifices, and it seems it wasn't long ago."

Ma Tao squatted down and glanced around. This area was also filled with shallow graves, but strangely, there were almost no weeds, as if someone had deliberately cleared them away.

Before me lay a pile of freshly burned paper money, still faintly warm, no more than an hour old.

"Ma Feng, do you know who is buried here?"

Ma Feng shook his head. There were too many people buried in this mass grave; how would he know?

"Liu guessed that it must be the remains of the Yang family. It seems that the mute girl came an hour ago. Brother Fan, we are too late."

"What? The mute girl offered sacrifices?"

Ma Feng was completely confused, but Fan Tao didn't explain it to him. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and calmed down.

"If I'm not mistaken, the mute girl must have already returned to Chang'an. This is our last chance. After today, she is very likely to commit suicide."

Only Liu Boyan understood his meaning.

"Brother Fan, are you saying that the mute girl is going to participate in today's ascension ceremony?"

"That's right. Because of the Blood Child, many people are paying attention to and participating in this Ascension Conference. It can be said that she is the one who caused it."

If she participates every year, this year is even more likely to be an exception. She must have been hiding here these past few days, which is why she can't be found at all.

"Return to Chang'an, Ma Feng. You immediately gather everyone. After examining the mute girl's portrait, secretly search the area near the Ascension Platform. Remember, do not alert her before you find her!"

"As you command!"

Ma Feng clasped his hands in agreement, and the group quickly returned to Chang'an. With the help of the Hu family, Fan Tao had already found an artist to paint the mute girl's appearance.

The Ascension Ceremony was about to begin, and there were already no fewer than a thousand people watching the spectacle below the Ascension Platform, as well as others watching from other places, such as taverns.

Under Fan Tao's arrangement, Ma Feng and the clerks of Wannian County changed into their everyday clothes and began searching around Shengxiantai.

Just then, Master Yuming, who was about forty years old and had a goatee, came out wearing a Yin-Yang Taoist robe and had his hair tied up with a wooden hairpin.

He was tall and thin, and looked quite like a celestial being. He was accompanied by two children who were about eleven or twelve years old.

Each of them held a tray with talismans, peach wood swords, and other ritual implements to be used in the upcoming ceremony.

Two extremely burly men carried up a bronze incense burner that was over a meter tall and placed it directly in front of the altar.

Ten other young Taoist priests emerged from the Yuming Tower and stood on either side of the altar, their faces solemn and devout.