The server brought over plate after plate of steaming hot dishes.
Soy sauce live fish, steamed river shrimp, honey BBQ pork, braised pork knuckles... over twenty dishes filled the table, glistening with fat and fragrant aroma, the mere scent was enough to whet anyone’s appetite.
Everyone swallowed their saliva but hesitated to start eating.
Chen Mo said, "Come on, eat. Why are you all spacing out?"
One Assistant Officer carefully said, "Sir, did we order too much?"
"With eight people, and all are Martial Artists, how could we work without a good meal?" Chen Mo saw their concerns and chuckled, "What, you think I can’t afford it?"
The crowd looked a bit awkward.
They all knew the financial situation at the Government, there was simply no money in the accounts.
Previously when Yan Liang was handling cases, they always dined and dashed. After Li Yuan took over, such acts were strictly forbidden, so when they went out on official duties, they usually brought their own dry food...
Chen Mo shook his head.
Seeing the level the Sky Scale Guard had sunk to, Ding Fire Department was truly unique.
Yan Liang and Chu Zhuo embezzled a fortune, yet now even eating had become a problem for those below them...
Then, Qin Shou cleared his throat and said, "Rest assured, Mr. Chen never mistreats his brothers! As long as you do your job well, not to mention enjoying good food, even the most beautiful girls from the Imperial Music Bureau can be yours to play with!"
"During the last Heavenly Demon Case, not only did the brothers have merits to claim, but they even had Hua Fu of Qingya House keeping them company, that feeling... tsk tsk."
Everyone was aware of this.
Those people had indeed boasted a lot back then, and it had made them quite envious.
Seeing the calm and easygoing Chen Mo, everyone felt reassured and started moving their chopsticks.
Although they were still unsure about the temperament of this New Hundred Households, it seemed rather promising to follow him?
After a hearty meal, the crowd left the restaurant and headed towards the Linglan County Government.
Linglan County Government was located at the center of the county town, surrounded by tall brick walls and red doors studded with copper nails. Two majestic stone lions flanked the doors, giving it a distinguished appearance.
In the square before the government office, a group of government officers gathered.
A short-statured County Magistrate was adjusting his robe and asked, "Are you sure the ones coming are the Sky Scale Guard?"
The city gate guard nodded, "Crimson Steed, Xuanlin Robe, and the waist pendant, no mistake."
Fu Nansong furrowed his brow.
This timing, they were definitely here for the missing persons case.
The case had been causing a stir recently, with more and more people disappearing, and with the metropolitan examination approaching, Linglan County, like other subordinate counties and cities, had to undergo scrutiny from the Ministry of Personnel.
Unable to solve the case, he, the County Magistrate, could hardly shirk his responsibility.
"Hopefully they are really here to solve the case, and not just to profit..."
Thinking about the notorious reputation of the Sky Scale Guard for extortion and squeezing every advantage, Fu Nansong felt uneasy.
Clatter clatter clatter—
Just then, urgent hoofbeats sounded.
Looking up, a number of figures entered his line of sight.
The leader was a stately man with dashing eyebrows and piercing eyes, his horse beneath him as bold as crimson clouds over snow, resembling a dashing young nobleman.
Fu Nansong inwardly praised and quickly stepped forward to meet them.
The group pulled their horses to a stop and dismounted.
Qin Shou, standing next to Chen Mo, said, "This is Hundred Households Chen, here specifically for the missing persons case."
"Hundred Households?!"
The government officials were shocked.
They thought at best a General might come, but it was actually a Sixth-Rank Hundred Households himself?
And so young... How impressive could his background be?
Fu Nansong bowed even lower, "Lower official Fu Nansong, has seen Mr. Chen! Sir, you must be tired from the journey, I have arranged some light refreshment to cleanse the dust of travel..."
Chen Mo interrupted, "We are here to handle the case, not for a holiday. I am here to get detailed information about the case."
Fu Nansong was slightly startled.
This Mr. Chen was not playing by usual rules - normally one would expect some pleasantries and benefits before getting down to case discussions... but he dared not question, and with a gesture of his hand he indicated, "Sir, please come inside."
Through the Ritual Gate, they entered the main hall.
Chen Mo sat in the chief seat, and the clerk placed the prepared case files on the court desk.
He flipped through, finding detailed information about all the missing persons.
"It started about three months ago, people gradually began to disappear from the city."
"At first, it wasn’t taken very seriously, considered isolated incidents. But as time passed, the number of disappearances increased, especially this month, nearly every other day there’s a new report."
"The whole county has been turned upside down, even the surrounding desolate mountains have been searched, but no traces of the living or the dead can be found..."
Fu Nansong looked very grim.
With the metropolitan examination looming, he was under great pressure and had not slept well for several nights in a row.
Chen Mo, with his strong Divine Sense, read through all the case files quickly and made detailed comparisons in his mind.
The missing persons shared almost no connections, some were humble tradesmen, others wealthy gentry’s daughters.
No witnesses, no traces left behind, as if they had vanished into thin air.
No pattern could be discerned, the actions seemed entirely random.
Chen Mo knitted his brows tightly.
This kind of case was troublesome with no breakthrough point, they could only wait for the perpetrator to make another move.
But with the vast area of Linglan County and the fishing season in full swing, the town bustling with activity, finding any clues was as hard as reaching for the sky.
Li Yuan, after reviewing the case files, speculated, "Could it be a Demon Creature eating people?"
Chen Mo shook his head, "If it just wanted to eat people, why only in Linglan County? Making a big scene isn’t beneficial for it... unless it has a compelling reason to remain here."
Suddenly, outside the government office, a long horse whine was heard.
A flurry of footsteps echoed, and over a dozen black-robed Assistant Officers entered the main hall.