TGCFNM -Chapter 50 Grandma Qin

When Magistrate Zhao arrived running with his men, Chu Ling was half-crouched beside Grandma Qin’s body, examining her carefully. The gathered townspeople were frightened by the scene, but no one dared to leave.

Magistrate Zhao and his constables maintained order, keeping the crowd from disturbing those inside.

Su He, carrying his tools, stepped forward first, half-crouching as he looked at Grandma Qin. She was lying face down, blood in her nose and mouth, her eyes bulging. Her body hadn’t yet cooled—she must have died less than the time it takes to boil a tea cup of water.

“Coroner Su,” Chu Ling said as she slowly stood, “thank you for your trouble.”

Su He nodded, carefully rolling Grandma Qin over. After a brief inspection, he instructed the constables to carry her to the yamen for an official autopsy.

Chu Ling stepped outside and whispered to Magistrate Zhao, “I’ve inspected the room—there’s no sign of any struggle. The killer struck very quickly. Whoever did this is a master.”

Magistrate Zhao frowned in disbelief. “A martial arts master in Qingning County? That’s absurd.”

“Magistrate Zhao,” Chu Ling replied firmly, “it’s possible a master we don’t know about has been hiding in Qingning County. When you went door to door questioning earlier, this person likely stayed hidden.”

Magistrate Zhao’s expression darkened. He gritted his teeth and said, “Chu Magistrate, thank you for continuing the investigation. I’ll have my men search the county again.”

“Very well,” Chu Ling replied. She glanced at Zhong Hong and Grandma Qin standing nearby—they had been talking for quite a while.

Once most of the crowd had left, Chu Ling returned to the room and closed the door. Zhong Hong and Grandma Qin followed him inside.

“Grandma Qin, forgive me for coming late,” Chu Ling said, bowing slightly, a look of apology on her face. If Grandma Qin hadn’t suddenly sent word to see her, the killer would never have struck in secret.

Grandma Qin hunched over, trembling as she waved her hand. “It’s this old woman who wanted to see you. What does it have to do with you?”

“Sir, Granny said the person who came wore a hood and moved as quietly as a ghost. They asked her for a burial robe. When she turned away to fetch it, they struck her with a palm,” Zhong Hong hurriedly explained.

Grandma Qin grasped Zhong Hong’s hand and recalled carefully. “Sir, that person’s accent—he’s from around here. A local.”

Chu Ling looked at her and asked, “Granny, do you have any paper in your shop?”

“Only some coarse linen,” Grandma Qin said, pointing to a spot.

Chu Ling pulled out a roll of white linen, tore off a piece, and tested it with a charcoal pencil. It could hold writing, so she spread it out on the long table and looked at Grandma Qin. “Granny, when you were changing the burial robes for the deceased, did you notice anything unusual?”

Grandma Qin stepped forward urgently, instinctively grabbing Chu Ling’s hand, teeth gritted in anger. “Sir, I’ve seen it all before. I know clearly—the thief… that one’s no good…”

Chu Ling listened intently. The further she went, the more her expression changed.

Bai Su, on the other hand, remained calm.

The Ghost Scholar looked embarrassed, wondering if he should cover Chu Ling’s ears, but thought better of it—this was part of the investigation, and he shouldn’t ignore it.

Cui Xi and Zhong Hong had already turned their backs, covering their ears, feeling awkward and uncomfortable.

Chu Ling gently patted Grandma Qin’s hand and helped her sit down. “I understand. I know. The man… is impotent.”

Grandma Qin immediately nodded, gritting her teeth as she said, “Absolutely not! And there are also many subtle traces below.”

Chu Ling looked over the notes she had taken, then found a brazier and threw the burlap cloth into the fire. “Actually, you can already tell something about that man’s character flaws.”

“What? Character flaws?” asked the Ghost Scholar.

Chu Ling sat back down. Similar cases had occurred in her modern life as well.

“The perpetrator’s mother probably passed away when he was very young. He was likely bullied because of that, leaving seeds of hatred in his heart. On top of that, he’s extremely insecure, yet desperately craves attention. It’s like a delusion—imagining himself as special, wanting to teach those who bullied him a lasting lesson.”

“But real-life deficiencies—family problems or physical shortcomings—make him extremely self-conscious. Pulled between these two extremes, he becomes a madman. And if this madman happens to stumble upon some fortune—like gaining a large sum of money or learning martial arts—his first instinct will be revenge.”

“Men with character or familial flaws tend to be unlucky with women, which can turn into intense hatred toward them. But at the same time, they desire intimacy, so dark impulses arise, leading them to harm, even kill, innocent women.”

Cui Xi ground her teeth in anger. “That’s his problem, why take it out on innocent women?”

“Still weakness,” Chu Ling scoffed mockingly. “Even with opportunities, he’s weak and powerless, so he only dares to pick on those weaker than him. Against someone stronger, the first thing he does is run.”

The Ghost Scholar stroked his beard, already forming a plan in his mind. “The men he targets are all women from decent families, and there’s a bit of a show-off aspect to it too.”

“So, how did he even get close to those young ladies?” Cui Xi wondered.

Zhong Hong was even more puzzled. She wasn’t a lady of status; aside from blacksmithing, she rarely interacted with people. Why would he target her?

“Naturally, someone must have been working with him. Otherwise, there’s no way he could have carried out so many murders on his own,” the Ghost Scholar said firmly.

Chu Ling nodded. “The key points to cracking this case are the maid and the young ladies’ farewell letters.”

“Don’t forget,” Bai Su reminded them, “based on the assembled evidence, this man can fight, read, and understands the use of poison. He’s not a simple character.”

“Aunt Su, you’re imagining him too mysteriously. But actually, once I find a single clue, I can catch this scoundrel.” Chu Ling made a grabbing motion with her hand, her expression icy.

“Let’s go.” Chu Ling suddenly stood up, flung open the tightly shut shop door, and looked out in surprise at the crowd gathered outside. “Why are you all still here?”

“Sir, have you… have you figured something out?”

“Sir, can you really catch the murderer?”

“Sir, my daughter is fourteen this year, and we can’t afford to move, sir…”

“Sir, that villain will be caught, right?”

One pair of eager, pleading eyes after another fixed on Chu Ling. They barely dared to voice their hope, yet they all silently longed for a miracle.

“Yes!” Chu Ling replied firmly. “If I catch him, what will you do to him?”

For a moment, the crowd fell silent. Then, broken sobs began to rise. Everyone’s eyes reddened, tears streaming uncontrollably.

Gradually, the cries grew louder, as if they were releasing all the fear and anger they had held inside—but no one said what they would do once he was caught.

Chu Ling pursed her lips, opened her arms toward the crowd, and smiled confidently. “I will catch the murderer. And if I do, you shall host a grand celebration in my honor.”