It was impossible to tell how long the corpse had been dead. It was a grisly sight—half the torso was nothing but white bone, the limbs were incomplete, and there were numerous marks from animal bites.
What little flesh remained had long since rotted away, emanating a sickening stench.
Surrounding the body were large patches of dead maggots.
Its only remaining hand was locked in a death grip around a letter.
Fang Shuwen glanced over, his brow furrowing slightly.
It wasn't that he'd never seen a dead body. After so many years in Julu City, he had seen his fair share of the world.
Every now and then, a stinking corpse would float by in the gutters.
But this corpse was different…
As the thought crossed his mind, he heard Zhou Qingmei's grim warning:
"Be careful. It might be poisoned!"
"You noticed it too?"
Fang Shuwen raised a brow.
"A rotting corpse should be a perfect breeding ground for maggots, yet they've all been mysteriously wiped out.
"And besides, the area around the remains is spotless—not a single other insect…"
These were chaotic times.
The Imperial Court's power was in decline. Warlords were rising up, not to mention the powerful local families that sprung up everywhere.
Bandits and highwaymen ran rampant, as did practitioners of demonic and unorthodox arts.
That was why Fang Shuwen hadn't dared to set foot outside Julu City for all these years.
His Martial Arts had been weak, leaving him without the means to protect himself. Had he rashly ventured out of the city, he would have met the same fate as this corpse.
In fact, in just the half-day they had been galloping, they had already come across more than one body.
No one knew how these people had died, how long they had been dead, or if their parents and loved ones were still waiting for them back home.
And as for who was responsible for this particular corpse, that was an even more unsolvable mystery.
Fang Shuwen had no intention of getting to the bottom of it, of pursuing a truth that was impossible to uncover.
But there was one thing… No one would poison a corpse for no reason.
"Judging by the state of his half-devoured body, he was likely killed and eaten by wild animals. That means he wasn't poisoned to death—otherwise, we'd find animal carcasses around here too.
"If his body is indeed poisoned now, it can only mean someone intentionally did this, and recently."
Zhou Qingmei said in a low voice.
Fang Shuwen, however, pointed to the dead maggots on the ground.
"This proves he wasn't poisoned to death."
"Then what was the poisoner's motive?"
At this, they exchanged a look, each recognizing the same realization in the other's eyes.
"We can't take the main road anymore."
Zhou Qingmei sighed.
"It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the shadows. If we keep to the main road, there's no guarantee we won't fall into a trap."
Fang Shuwen's gaze fell on the letter in the corpse's hand, his curiosity piqued.
"He's holding that letter so tightly. I wonder what's written in it."
Zhou Qingmei shot him a look.
"Too much curiosity will get you killed."
Despite her words, she pulled a pair of gloves from her robes, put them on, and reached for the letter.
"Be careful."
Fang Shuwen quickly cautioned her.
"I was just talking. We don't have to read it."
The *Muscle Strengthening Scripture* itself granted resistance to poison, but he still didn't want to take any unnecessary risks.
"Don't worry. These are Deer Hide Gloves."
Zhou Qingmei said.
"They're practically essential for anyone who travels the Jianghu. They can protect you from potent poisons and keep you from getting caught off guard.
"Hold your breath."
Fang Shuwen nodded. He watched as Zhou Qingmei opened the envelope and unfolded the letter within.
They leaned in together to read.
After reading, they simply looked at each other and fell silent.
The letter had nothing to do with their current predicament. It was just a letter to family.
It read:
"To my dearest wife, Jiaxiu, I hope this letter finds you well.
"It has been three months since I left, and my longing for you grows with each passing day. I am sending this letter via the Julu Escort Agency to ease your heart; I hope you are not upset.
"Business has been good. I left home with twenty taels of silver and have already amassed a hundred.
"I've heard of a rare commodity in Julu, and I intend to invest everything I have. Once I sell it in Yong'an, I stand to make a fifty percent profit. I will surely return then.
"I've also heard that Guangning has become unsafe, with a predator on the loose at night. My dear wife, you must bolt the doors after dark and not venture out.
"While passing through Ling Guang, I happened upon a fisherman who had just pulled a pearl from a river clam. I thought of how it would make you even more radiant if set in a hairpin. After much haggling, I was finally able to acquire it.
"When I return home, I will give it to you.
"I know how tirelessly you work to manage our home. Please, put your own well-being first. Do not worry, and do not fret.
"Your husband, Huaijin."
The letter was brief, written in just a few simple lines, yet it was filled with longing.
But looking again at the corpse's gruesome state, even Fang Shuwen, who had long considered himself to be iron-hearted, could not help but let out a soft sigh.
"He must have been planning to find an Escort Agency in Julu City to send this letter home," Fang Shuwen said softly. "But he met with misfortune before he even got there."
"The silver on him is gone, and the pearl he was going to give to his wife has vanished as well."
"This sort of thing isn't uncommon."
Zhou Qingmei placed the letter back beside the corpse.
"In chaotic times like these, human life is as worthless as grass. We who walk the path of justice are only trying to make such things happen a little less often.
"But to stop these things from happening entirely? That would only be possible if someone were to truly unite the world and end this turbulent era."
Fang Shuwen didn't reply. There was no telling how long the man had been dead, nor how long it had been since the predator in Guangning City, mentioned in the letter, had first appeared.
'It's possible,' he thought, 'that this is somehow related to what Zhou Qingmei went through.'
'News of it had even spread beyond Guangning City, so far that even this traveling merchant had heard the rumors.'
As his thoughts whirled, he gently shook his head.
"Let's go."
Zhou Qingmei nodded.
They decided not to ride their horses any longer. Although they couldn't be sure the person who poisoned the corpse was targeting them, they had to guard against even the slightest possibility.
Abandoning their horses, they slipped into the forest. The two found a safe spot, ate some of the dry rations they carried, and then continued on their way.
Another half-day passed peacefully, but as night fell, they found themselves without shelter.
An eagle circled overhead, its sharp cry occasionally echoing across the land.
The weather was turning foul, looking as if it might rain at any moment.
Fang Shuwen stumbled upon a hollow in a tree. It looked like an animal's den, but there were no signs of a beast in residence. It would be a tight squeeze, but the two of them could make do for the night.
Zhou Qingmei didn't hesitate, simply nodding in agreement.
They didn't light a fire. In their current situation, it was best to avoid any unnecessary trouble. Besides, with their profound Inner Strength, the mere evening chill couldn't touch them.
The downpour began after night had fully descended.
They took turns standing guard. Zhou Qingmei took the first watch while Fang Shuwen rested.
He didn't truly sleep, however, instead sitting cross-legged to cultivate his Inner Strength.
He couldn't let his doubled Talent and comprehension go to waste. Although his *Muscle Strengthening Scripture* was already perfected with nothing left to train, he could still work on the *Jade Calm Technique*.
This Inner Strength technique was a foundational one, its power gentle and shallow. As his Inner Strength from the *Muscle Strengthening Scripture* had developed, the *Jade Calm Technique* had been almost completely absorbed into it.
He wasn't sure if it was because the *Muscle Strengthening Scripture* had compensated for his natural aptitude, but with the added two-fold bonus, he found that he could actually make some slight progress when he followed the method.
It wasn't much, but Fang Shuwen wasn't one to complain.
He was only halfway through his cultivation when a strange sound, a rhythmic HUFF... PUFF..., cut through the Rain Curtain of the night.
He opened his eyes, and his gaze met Zhou Qingmei's as she turned to look back at him.
Without a word, they both stepped out into the rain, moving toward the sound.
A moment later, they were peeking out from behind a large tree.
They saw a stooped old crone, her skin wrinkled and her hair white as a crane's, furiously digging in the woods with an iron shovel. HUFF... PUFF... HUFF...