Since Ge Zian had already spoken, County Magistrate Luo didn't dare to disobey. He told his clerk to go to the study and fetch all the previous records. Ge Zian took the record - book from the clerk's hand, flipped through it a few times, and then put it away. "We're going to take this record - book. You won't have any objections, will you?"
"Of course not, General Ge."
Naturally, County Magistrate Luo wouldn't dare to have any objections. Ge Zian wasn't really asking for his opinion; he was just informing him symbolically.
On one side, Yang Xiaojing was looking at Wei Shuxuan and the others in shock. She never expected that this accidental encounter would help her and her husband get justice. It seemed that she had met some noble people. While sighing at her good fortune, Yang Xiaojing was also worried about her husband's safety.
Although County Magistrate Luo said he would take on Yang Xiaojing's case of her husband's disappearance, in fact, he definitely wouldn't lead anyone to investigate. They would still have to rely on themselves. Besides, Xin Zizhao didn't count on this county magistrate either. If the magistrate could solve the case on his own, Xin Zizhao wouldn't have come here in person.
Xin Zizhao left the yamen, and Yang Xiaojing followed them. Ge Zian gave the record - book to Wei Shuxuan. "Shuxuan, here. Take a look at this record - book."
"Sure. I'm quite interested in this case. I'd like to see who this 'evil spirit' is. How dare it commit such crimes right under my nose."
Wei Shuxuan flipped through the record - book. The first disappearance case happened three months ago. Up to the case of Yang Xiaojing's husband's disappearance, a total of thirty young men had gone missing. That meant an average of eleven young men disappeared every month. All the missing were young and strong men, mostly between the ages of eighteen and thirty - five, and the disappearances mostly happened at night.
After reading the record - book, Wei Shuxuan thought it would be better to go to the scene.
"Um... Xiaojing, I'd like to go to the place where your husband disappeared. Is that okay?" Wei Shuxuan asked politely with a smile.
"O - of course it's okay! You're here to help me find my husband. I'm more than welcome!" How could Yang Xiaojing not want Wei Shuxuan and the others to come to her home? Instead of counting on that useless County Magistrate Luo to find her husband, it was better to let Wei Shuxuan and the others help. Maybe they could find him. Those who had reported the cases before still hadn't had their family members found by County Magistrate Luo. They reported the cases just hoping that the magistrate would pay attention to this case.
Actually, before coming to report the case, Yang Xiaojing had already prepared herself mentally that the magistrate might not be able to find her husband. But at that time, there was no other way but to report the case.
Hearing that Yang Xiaojing was willing to take them to the place where her husband disappeared, Wei Shuxuan was delighted. "Xiaojing, then I'll trouble you to lead the way!"
"It's not troublesome at all. I'm the one troubling you. Don't call me Miss Yang Xiaojing. Just call me Xiaojing. I heard them call you Shuxuan. May I know your name?" Yang Xiaojing showed a kind smile to Wei Shuxuan.
"Xiaojing, just call me Shuxuan. You know we're people from the court, and it's not convenient for us to expose our identities. Do you mind that?"
Yang Xiaojing understood immediately and said with a smile, "Of course not. Shuxuan, come on. I'll take you there."
Following behind Yang Xiaojing, Wei Shuxuan and the others came to the house of Yang Xiaojing and her husband, which was near the suburbs. Wei Shuxuan looked at this ordinary brick - tile house, then turned to Yang Xiaojing. "Did your husband disappear at home?"
"Probably," Yang Xiaojing thought of her husband, and tears welled up in her eyes. "I only found out when I came back in the afternoon that my husband didn't take the hoe in the house. So I think he must have disappeared in the morning."
After listening to Yang Xiaojing, Wei Shuxuan was checking the surroundings of the house. "Xiaojing, could you tell me what happened from yesterday to today and your usual habits?"
"Sure."
Yang Xiaojing told Wei Shuxuan that she and her husband usually got up very early. Her husband would go to work in the farmland and orchard, while she would go to the market to sell vegetables and fruits. She would come back only after selling everything, usually in the afternoon. Then she would cook dinner and wait for her husband to come back for dinner.
"Last night, my husband and I went to bed as usual. But this morning, I got up late. I thought maybe I was too tired yesterday, so I slept soundly and got up late. When I got up, I thought my husband had gone out to work early. I didn't think much about it and just quickly took my things to the market to sell. When I came back, I found that my husband was gone. Wuwuwu..."
Wei Shuxuan nodded and carefully observed the surroundings of the house. As a result, she found a red mark on the wall of the room. It looked like a flame. Three small flames combined to form a large flame. This mark wasn't very big and wasn't very obvious on the slightly yellowish earthen wall. If you didn't look carefully, you wouldn't notice it.
"Xiaojing, I'd like to ask if you know what this flame mark is?" Wei Shuxuan pointed to the flame mark on the wall and asked Yang Xiaojing.
"I... I don't know either. But I've heard that some people who reported the cases said there seemed to be marks in their houses too. But I'm not sure if it's this flame mark. Since the yamen didn't send anyone to investigate, we ordinary people know even less about these things."
Wei Shuxuan thought it was very strange. She asked Wei Wei to draw this flame mark for her. Later, she would go to the places where the other cases happened to investigate and see if there were such marks.
"Miss, it's drawn."
Wei Wei handed the drawn paper to Wei Shuxuan. Wei Shuxuan compared the drawing with the mark. Well, it was perfect. It seemed that Wei Wei could become a painter.
"Okay. Keep it for me. I'll still need this."
"Yes, Miss."
It seemed that this room was the first crime scene. Wei Shuxuan continued to walk around the room. When she walked over, she found that there seemed to be some white powder on the window - sill. This white powder was especially obvious on the dark mahogany window - sill. She wiped a little of the white powder with her hand and asked Wei Wei to collect some. She would take it back for research later.