nucmednet Chapter 200 Capturing the Traitor
Chapter 200 Capturing the Traitor
Cui Zhihao smiled and nodded, then his expression turned serious, and he waved his hand, saying, "Alright, today's matter is settled. Everyone, step down and return to your posts. Do not slack off." Upon receiving the order, everyone bowed and left the hall in an orderly manner.
However, Cui Zhihao specifically called out to Magistrate Wang and Shi Wanxia. The hall immediately fell silent, and the atmosphere became slightly heavy.
Cui Zhihao looked at the two men with a solemn expression and slowly said, "During my return to Qinghe, I received a secret letter. In half a month, I will be transferred to the position of Prefect of Youzhou."
Upon hearing this, Wang Chang, the county magistrate, was pleasantly surprised. He knew that the magistrate's transfer would inevitably lead to a series of personnel changes, and perhaps he would also usher in new opportunities.
Sure enough, Cui Zhihao looked at Wang Chang, his tone gentle yet unquestionable: "Brother Wang, I have already recommended you to serve as the prefect of Jizhou."
Wang Chang was taken aback at first, then overjoyed. He immediately knelt down with a thud and said excitedly, "Thank you for your kindness, sir. Rest assured, I, Wang Chang, will follow your lead for the rest of my life and will go through fire and water for you!"
Cui Zhihao smiled and waved his hand to interrupt him: "Alright, you've followed me for many years, I know your abilities, no need to say more." As he spoke, his gaze turned to Shi Wanxia, his eyes full of appreciation and trust.
“If I leave, the position of magistrate of Xinyang County will be vacant. Miss Shi is quick-witted, intelligent, and knowledgeable. Everyone has witnessed what she has done for the people of Xinyang County these past few days. I would like to appoint Miss Shi as the magistrate of Xinyang County!”
Choi Ji-ho's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.
Wang Chang's heart skipped a beat. In fact, he already knew what the official was thinking. The official was of noble status and had considerable prestige in the court. With the official in charge, if Miss Shi were to take office as the county magistrate, there shouldn't be too many people in Xinyang County opposing it.
However, the situation within the court is complex, so things are uncertain. Your Excellency's decision this time is far too risky. If someone in the court uses this as an excuse to cause trouble, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Upon hearing this, Shi Wanxia was also taken aback; she hadn't expected Cui Zhihao to make such a bold arrangement. Taking office as county magistrate was both a tremendous opportunity and an unprecedented challenge for her.
"My lord, this...this is probably not appropriate. I am but a woman. Although I am deeply grateful for your kindness, I fear that I will not be able to win the hearts of the people if I were to become the county magistrate. Moreover, what about the imperial court..." Shi Wanxia hesitated.
Cui Zhihao looked at her firmly and said, "Miss Shi, what I value most about you is your ability. As for the court, I will handle it myself. These days, the people have seen what you have done for them. I believe that as long as you are dedicated to serving the people, the people of Xinyang County will definitely support you."
Shi Wanxia was deeply moved. She knew that Cui Zhihao's actions showed great trust in her, and she also understood the heavy responsibility she bore.
"My lord, I will do my utmost," Shi Wanxia said firmly.
Just then, a series of bizarre cases occurred in Xinyang County. The owner of a cloth shop in the town suddenly died a gruesome death, and the scene was chaotic, yet not a single piece of property was missing.
Immediately afterwards, in a small village outside the city, several villagers also died mysteriously, in the same way as the cloth shop owner. Panic gripped Xinyang County, and rumors spread like wildfire.
As the county magistrate, Shi Wanxia immediately launched an investigation. She led her constables to the cloth shop, where an eerie atmosphere permeated the scene.
The fabric shop owner lay in a pool of blood, surrounded by strange symbols, like some kind of mysterious mark. Shi Wanxia carefully examined the body and the surrounding environment, not missing a single detail.
"Go and ask the neighbors if there was any unusual activity or suspicious person around the time of the incident," Shi Wanxia instructed.
The constables obeyed and soon returned with news. According to the neighbors, on the night of the incident, strange noises came from the cloth shop, like someone chanting incantations, and they also saw a dark figure moving around the shop.
Shi Wanxia frowned and muttered an incantation in a low voice. A dark shadow? Everything seemed so mysterious and unpredictable. She decided to start with these strange symbols, so she sought out an elderly gentleman in the city who was quite knowledgeable about ancient texts. The old gentleman looked at the symbols, his expression becoming very grave.
“This…this is an ancient witchcraft symbol. Legend has it that this symbol is associated with an evil ritual,” the old man said, trembling.
Shi Wanxia was startled. Could these cases be related to witchcraft and rituals? What exactly is the purpose of the person behind them?
The cases in Xinyang County are becoming increasingly complex, with the death toll rising. Shi Wanxia not only has to deal with the investigation, but also faces pressure from the imperial court and skepticism from some conservative forces in Xinyang County.
But she did not back down at all. She knew that only by solving these cases as soon as possible could Xinyang County be restored to peace and tranquility, and only then could she prove that she was capable of serving as the county magistrate.
During the investigation, Shi Wanxia discovered that the victims in these cases seemed to have one thing in common: they had all participated in a raid on a mysterious organization many years ago.
Could this mysterious organization be seeking revenge? Shi Wanxia followed this clue to investigate further, only to find herself caught in a massive conspiracy. Behind this conspiracy, it seemed, an invisible hand was manipulating everything, attempting to drag Xinyang County and even the entire region into a dark abyss...
After numerous investigations, Shi Wanxia and Cui Zhihao, leading the county government officials, finally identified the true culprit in this murder case as the Sacred Fire Sect, a rebellious organization wanted by the imperial court. Knowing the danger posed by this organization, they decided to take immediate action.
On a dark and windy night, Shi Wanxia and Cui Zhihao led the county government's elites to quietly surround the Holy Fire Sect's hideout. They approached cautiously, afraid of alerting the enemy.
As they approached their target, they suddenly heard a shout: "Enemy!" The members of the Holy Fire Cult immediately became alert and grabbed their weapons, ready to fight.
Shi Wanxia and Cui Zhihao, undaunted, led the charge, charging into the Holy Fire Cult's lair. A fierce battle ensued.
During the battle, Shi Wanxia and Cui Zhihao displayed extraordinary courage and wisdom. They cooperated seamlessly and defeated the members of the Holy Fire Cult time and time again.
Finally, after a fierce struggle, Shi Wanxia and Cui Zhihao successfully subdued all the members of the Holy Fire Cult, bringing this murder case to a satisfactory conclusion.
The constables escorted the thugs back to the county office. Magistrate Wang worked through the night to organize and compile the case files, and then sent them to the prefectural government and the Ministry of Justice. Cui Zhihao ordered his men to keep a close watch on the thugs and ensure that nothing went wrong.
The next morning, Magistrate Wang arrived at the county government hall to report the case to Cui Zhihao. Cui Zhihao listened with a grave expression, knowing the case was of great importance; these traitors would be handed over to the Ministry of Justice for processing.