The Golden Elixir is A Star, and You Call This Cultivation?
Chapter 1132 - 489: Crisis at Red Cloud Village, Voice of Silence?

Chapter 1132: Chapter 489: Crisis at Red Cloud Village, Voice of Silence?

A widow had died, still inside the madhouse.

If no one reported it, the Government Office wouldn’t care.

Otherwise, it required funding the investigation themselves.

Working as a Government Official was merely a job.

Naturally, no one was willing to handle this.

In these chaotic times, countless lives as insignificant as "weeds" perished daily.

How could the Government Office manage all that?

Unless the deceased was of a high status, or unless too many "weeds" died at once.

Lin Qinghe’s gaze fell on the servant, a fleeting aura of the Soldier Commander about him.

The servant, already hunching over, became so frightened that he knelt on the ground: "These past...several days, yesterday Qi Yuan from the Qi Family had been sent to the madhouse..."

"Qi Yuan?" Lin Qinghe frowned, "The Shen Family’s son-in-law?"

Half a month ago, the news that Qi Yuan had married into the Shen Family had caused a stir in Ninghe County.

Lin Qinghe had seen Qi Yuan a few times.

His father was an artificer who ultimately met his demise.

However, thanks to his family’s lingering prestige, Qi Yuan had managed to secure a job in the Government Office.

Yet the man, lazy and averse to hardship, ran away after merely half a month.

Over the years, he had finally squandered his family fortune. It was fortunate that he married into the Shen Mansion, otherwise, Lin Qinghe felt he might eventually find Qi Yuan’s corpse in some street corner.

"Him?" Lin Qinghe showed a look of contempt.

He had no doubts about Qi Yuan’s involvement in this matter.

Not to mention the exotic beast, the black and white dog, even the madhouse director Zhou Xiao, Qi Yuan couldn’t beat any of them.

"I’ve seen that kid Qi Yuan, he’s no good, unless... someone from the Shen Family took action.

If people from the Shen Family had acted, he would probably have already left.

Unless, the Shen Family spent a considerable amount of resources, personally asking a Pill Master to concoct potent medicine to enhance his foundations," commented Zhou Hu, the Government Official standing by.

Lin Qinghe nodded, approvingly—he had always found Zhou Hu very able.

Suddenly he thought of something and said softly, "Zhou Hu, in a few days, I will be reassigned to the prefecture, would you like to come with me?"

When the surrounding Government Officials heard this, they instantly looked at Zhou Hu with envy.

Their chief, Lin Qinghe, unlike them who hailed from poor backgrounds, came from a wealthy, prestigious family.

Coming to Ninghe County had been a mere formality for him.

Zhou Hu was startled and, for some reason, felt a foreboding sense of doom.

"Chief, let’s discuss this matter later."

About an hour later, the people from the Government Office withdrew from the madhouse.

Zhou Hu followed Lin Qinghe, his face bearing a worried look: "Chief, taking me to the prefecture, Zhou Hu would be eternally grateful.

But usually, the minimum tenure for a chief is three years, why are you suddenly leaving; could it be... something went wrong with Red Cloud Village?"

Lin Qinghe had been in Ninghe County for two and a half years, and by rights, he should stay another half year to be promoted to the prefecture level.

However, half a year is yet to pass, yet he was leaving.

This was suspicious.

Moreover, recently, there had been continuous disappearances of villagers in Red Cloud Village, something Lin Qinghe had been dealing with.

So, Zhou Hu suspected it might be connected to this issue.

"You are right, it’s about Red Cloud Village," Lin Qinghe didn’t hide it.

When you are from a wealthy family, even if you casually say some things and the common people hear it, what of it?

In this era, prestigious families didn’t need to conceal much.

"The disappearances in Red Cloud Village these past days, after investigation, are due to a Strange Spirit.

This Strange Spirit is...of the Yellow Rank, not just any Yellow Rank!"

As he spoke, Lin Qinghe’s face showed worry.

In this world, Strange Spirits are categorized by their strength and danger level as Mortal, Yellow, Profound, Earth, Heaven, God... etc.

Mortal rank is the weakest, some merely absorb the Yang energy of men, possibly only causing injuries to a dozen beings.

Yellow Rank is different. A Yellow Rank Strange Spirit can wreak havoc over an area, causing the death of hundreds of civilians in a village.

Ordinary county Government Offices struggle to deal with a Yellow Rank Strange Spirit.

"Yellow Rank, it really is a Yellow Rank!" Zhou Hu’s face tensed, "Quick, go inform the people of Red Cloud Village to evacuate!"

"We can’t evacuate." Lin Qinghe shook his head, his expression one of helplessness, "The Strange Spirit of Red Cloud Village is very special, emerging from an ancient well, this well is connected to the underground river of Red Cloud Village, and nearly all the villagers have drunk from this well...they are all doomed!"

"Moreover, the people of Red Cloud Village work day and night making Red Cloud Porcelain, and the last batch to be presented to the Mosha Country is about to be fired, now they can’t leave!"

Red Cloud Porcelain was the most famous product of Red Cloud Village.

This type of porcelain, beautiful and translucent, was particularly favored by officials and nobles.

Ten years ago, when Mosha Country waged war against Ning Country, Ning Country was defeated and lost several prefectures, and also had to present tribute.

Red Cloud Porcelain was among these tributes.

The last batch of tribute would be completely fired in half a month, then shipped to the capital.

So, no matter how you look at it, the people of Red Cloud Village can only await death.

Zhou Hu frowned deeply, an expression of pain on his face.

He understood that the news had reached his chief’s family, which was why he was being transferred.

Otherwise, if Red Cloud Village perished during his tenure, his evaluation would not be favorable, affecting his future career.

"Can’t we deploy a Yellow Rank Soldier Commander over?" Zhou Hu knew this, but he was still angry.

Red Cloud Village, after all, had seven hundred households, a population of over a thousand!

"The Strange Spirit of Red Cloud Village is special, a Yellow Rank Soldier Commander won’t suffice, we need a Profound Level. Pro

found Level Commanders are currently tied up with Yeshan Prefecture, where would they find the time to worry about these Pottery People?" Lin Qinghe said helplessly.

Although he also felt pity for these Pottery People, he was helpless.

Profound Level Commanders were very rare in Ning Country.