Lin Xiaodong said to Jin Yuchen: "If the people from Lan Changdao dare to come again, Miss Jin can come to me directly."
Jin Yuchen thanked: "Thank you very much, Taoist Lin."
Lin Xiaodong turned back to Yang Xuelan and said, "If Junior Sister Yang has anything to help with, just tell me."
Yang Xuelan smiled: "Senior brother, don't worry, everything is fine with me."
Yao Didao returned with a great victory, and the three of them went back to their respective homes.
However, Lan Changdao lost to a junior and gave up any thought of occupying Congling.
A few days later, Xu Simin came to Yunlan Mountain. Lin Xiaodong met her in the hall and asked, "What trouble did the eunuch encounter again?"
Xu Simin had no intention of joking, nodded and said distressedly: "Yes, we are in big trouble."
Lin Xiaodong also became serious: "What kind of big trouble did you encounter?"
Xu Simin shrugged helplessly and sighed: "Another missing persons case."
Lin Xiaodong raised his head: "Who is missing this time?"
Xu Simin's eyes were full of worry: "An entire village has disappeared."
Lin Xiaodong was startled and stared: "Huh?"
Xu Simin said: "In Jihuai Village, Zifeng County, Qiyun Road, more than 100 people from more than 30 households disappeared overnight."
Lin Xiaodong nodded and stood up: "Okay, just wait a moment, I'll let you go."
Xu Simin stopped him and said hesitantly: "Are you going to see Mrs. Yu?"
Lin Xiaodong was startled, pulled his neck back, blinked and did not answer.
Xu Simin said: "I will go with you."
Lin Xiaodong nodded and took Xu Simin to Fenghuan Palace.
Yu Fengjun invited the two of them into the living room, served melons and fruits, and said to Xu Simin: "A few days ago, Lin Xiaodong talked about you and was very proud to work for you eunuchs!"
Xu Simin looked back at Lin Xiaodong and said, "Taoist Master Lin helped our eunuch solve many cases and saved many people."
Lin Xiaodong closed his eyes and pursed his lips and said: "It is our duty to save the common people."
Yu Fengjun curled his lips at Lin Xiaodong and asked Xu Simin: "What kind of case is this?"
Xu Simin sighed: "We are in big trouble this time. More than 100 people from a village of more than 30 households disappeared overnight."
Yu Fengjun was shocked when he heard this: "How could such a thing happen?
Who is so brave?"
Xu Simin shook his head: "Master Gao and the others have already gone. There was no movement that night, but the next morning, there was no one left in the village."
Lin Xiaodong said: "I'm afraid I haven't practiced some evil skills."
Yu Fengjun said sternly: "If this is the case, you should leave as soon as possible. The longer the delay, the more dangerous the villagers will be."
Xu Simin didn't stay much and left with Lin Xiaodong.
Qiyun Road is located on the northern border of Dali Kingdom. It is the largest jurisdiction within the territory. It is divided from east to west. The east and south are mainly forests, the north is vast grassland, and further north is Gaochang Kingdom.
Jihuai Village in Zifeng County is located in the forest south of Qiyun Road. It is remote and sparsely populated. It has been peaceful and stable for many years. Who would have thought that such a thing would happen.
Lin Xiaodong took Xu Simin and fled directly to Qiyun Road. In just half a day, they arrived at Zifeng County and went to the post house.
Gao Anhe, Luo Jincheng, and Chen Shilan were all here, and they were in dire straits. Seeing Lin Xiaodong was like seeing a savior.
Gao Anhe took Lin Xiaodong's arm and said excitedly: "Master Lin, you are here! We are in big trouble this time!"
Lin Xiaodong nodded: "Miss Xu has already told me the general story of the matter."
Xu Simin asked: "Is there any progress?"
Gao Anhe sighed: "There are no witnesses. Jihuai Village is far away from other villages, with forests in between. More than a hundred people are missing, and there is no movement from the surrounding villages."
Lin Xiaodong said seriously: "If you arrest so many people at once, you must want to practice some evil skills. Are there any evil sects near here?"
Luo Jincheng said: "We have investigated and found that the Qiyun Taoist sect is in decline, dominated by witchcraft. Most of them are passed down from generation to generation, and there is no particularly influential sect."
Lin Xiaodong said: "I want to see it on site."
Gao Anhe nodded and said to Chen Shilan: "You take Taoist Lin and Xu Simin there, and Luo Jincheng stays to read the files with me."
Chen Shilan took Lin Xiaodong and Xu Simin out of the city by carriage and rushed to Jihuai Village.
When we arrived at the place, it was already dark. We walked out of the dark mountain road and arrived outside a village.
There was no one in the whole village, not a single lamp was lit, and the dark outlines of the houses looked like demons with snarling teeth and claws.
Chen Shilan and Xu Simin were so frightened that they hid behind Lin Xiaodong, each holding an arm.
Xu Simin turned pale and said, "Why is this place so gloomy?"
Chen Shilan said: "I've already been here once during the day, and there was no one there. It was so quiet and scary. It's even scarier when I come at night."
The carriages and horses that came with them began to get restless.
Xu Simin asked Lin Xiaodong: "Are we still going in to see it?"
Lin Xiaodong said: "No, I'll see if there is any evil spirit around."
After that, he lowered his head and dozed off, then opened his eyes and shook his head: "There is nothing abnormal."
Chen Shilan curled her lips: "We didn't find anything. If they were trying to practice some evil method, these more than a hundred people would have already lost their popularity."
Lin Xiaodong said: "Maybe the evil way kidnapped people and hid them far away. Maybe they used some method to hide the evil spirit."
Xu Simin said: "Yes, just like the snake hiding in the Temple of the Heavenly King."
Lin Xiaodong nodded: "Let's go back. Tomorrow morning, we will send someone to remove the statues from the Tianwang Temple."
The three of them found nothing and went back the same way. When they arrived at the post house, it was already midnight.
Early the next morning, Lin Xiaodong and others gathered in Gao Anhe's room. Chen Shilan and Xu Simin all yawned profusely, and Gao Anhe and Luo Jincheng also had red eyes.
Chen Shilan said: "Taoist Master Lin and I went to the village last night. It was very scary."
Lin Xiaodong said: "I didn't find any evil spirit. Either the murderer took everyone elsewhere, or he didn't know how to cover up his aura."
Gao Anhe also thought: "Temple of the Four Heavenly Kings."
Lin Xiaodong nodded: "Yes, let's move the statues in the temple to see if the murderer will reveal any tricks."
Gao Anhe stood up: "Let's go to the county government office."
The group went to the county government office and found the county magistrate Lu Guangqi and the chief clerk Song Jianzhong.
Gao Anhe said: "Send people to Jihuai Village to remove all the statues from the Tianwang Temple in the village."
Lu Guangqi was puzzled: "Where to move?"
Lin Xiaodong said: "It's enough to move out to a place of ten miles. We can find a place to settle first."
Lu Guangqi took the order and took 20 officers and soldiers with him back to Jihuai Village together with Lin Xiaodong and others.
It was the morning, the sun was shining brightly, but Jihuai Village was still eerie, and the village was in a mess, with chickens and dogs jumping around.
Everyone came to the east end of the village. Next to the dirt road into the village, there was a Temple of Heavenly Kings, which enshrined the four Heavenly Kings and some small statues of gods.