Aggressive

He Xian's servant and Chen Gang searched inside the culvert for nearly an hour, getting covered in filth and foul stench, before finally finding the corpse of the fox monster outside a perforated sluice gate. They also discovered marks on the gate where something had tried to pry it open. The perforated gate had been designed to block larger debris and prevent the culvert from clogging. Chu Qiguang stared at the retrieved corpse, his gaze suddenly sharpening, as though a flash of insight had brought his deduction to a crucial step. Beside him, He Xian's heart gave a jolt. *What sharp eyes. Has he deduced something?* Chu Qiguang said slowly, "It appears that after the fox monster was blocked by the gate, it tried to force it open, only for its severe injuries to flare up, leading to its death." Daoist Fayuan inspected the fox monster's corpse. Accustomed to the remains of various demons and monsters, his expression remained unchanged as he said, "This fox monster's injuries are extremely severe, especially along its spine. Holding out long enough to reach this place was already no easy feat." Frowning, He Xian said, "My only worry is that the Hao family won't be satisfied, thinking we just grabbed any random fox corpse to brush them off. I must ask Daoist Fayuan to help corroborate this." Fayuan said, "Rest assured, Young Master He. We tracked it down together every step of the way, so there can be no doubt. Once we test this fox monster's blood and check its claw marks shortly, the matter will be settled, but it is certainly this fox monster." He chuckled as he looked at Chu Qiguang. "Fine lad, to think you actually found it." And so the group brought the fox monster's corpse back, only to encounter an unexpected situation the moment they arrived at the county yamen. ... In the side hall, Magistrate He looked at Head Bailiff Gu with satisfaction. "I heard from Clerk Song that you have already caught the fox monster?" Head Bailiff Gu wore a humble expression. "Indeed, it has been captured, and the blood test results have come back as well. There is no mistake—it should be this fox monster." "Good." Magistrate He smiled. "To catch the fox monster so quickly—I will certainly report this to the court and commend your achievement properly." Seeing He Xian, Daoist Fayuan, and Chu Qiguang walk in, Magistrate He laughed heartily. "Xian'er, you arrived at the perfect time. Head Bailiff Gu has already captured the fox monster; this Bloody Corpse Case can finally be closed." Head Bailiff Gu cast a smug glance at Chu Qiguang, then cupped his hands to the magistrate. "It is all thanks to Your Honor's wise leadership. You constantly instruct us on serving the country with unreserved loyalty, which is why we were fortunate enough to fulfill our duty and capture the fox monster." He Xian and Daoist Fayuan exchanged a glance, their looks toward Head Bailiff Gu turning somewhat strange. Chu Qiguang stepped forward directly and said, "Your Honor, we have found the fox monster's corpse." "Oh?" Magistrate He turned toward Head Bailiff Gu. Head Bailiff Gu scoffed. "A corpse? That fox monster killed Hao Yongnian and his entourage—how could it die so easily? Young Master Chu, don't let your impatience make you present just any dead fox to claim credit." Everyone looked at Chu Qiguang, only to find him looking completely confident. "The entire time I tracked the fox monster, Young Master He and Daoist Fayuan were present. Both can testify on my behalf." Head Bailiff Gu sneered. "I fear the Daoist and the young master were deceived by you as well. Do you dare test its blood?" Chu Qiguang said, "Why wouldn't I?" Head Bailiff Gu summoned the runners at once, taking blood from the fox monster's corpse to feed to the dogs. Before long, the hounds entered heat. Gu Wei watched the scene in shock, finding it unbelievable. *This one is a fox monster too?* On the other side, Chu Qiguang said, "Since both are fox monsters, why don't we compare their claws to the marks left at the scene?" Magistrate He then summoned runners to bring both foxes—one dead, one alive—to the crime scene. The foxes' claws were compared one by one against the claw marks at the scene. The claws of the dead fox Chu Qiguang had brought matched the marks perfectly, while those of the fox Gu Wei had captured did not match at all. Watching this, Gu Wei felt both shocked and furious. He had never imagined there would be two fox monsters in Qingyang County, let alone that he would catch the one completely unrelated to the Bloody Corpse Case. Meanwhile, seeing the conclusive evidence, Magistrate He beamed with joy. His official post was saved. Thinking of his mission in Qingyang County, he let out a deep breath of relief. Magistrate He said to Chu Qiguang, "Well done, Chu Qiguang. You have done admirably. With the Bloody Corpse Case solved, peace can finally be restored to Qingyang County." Chu Qiguang cupped his hands. "It is all thanks to Your Honor's boundless fortune that we managed to fulfill the task." On the other side, Gu Wei remained unwilling to give up. Thinking he had to claim at least some credit and take a share of the bounty, he said, "I only knew we had to catch a fox monster, but never imagined there would be two in the city. In my view, these two fox monsters must have been colluding. "Moreover, before both foxes were brought in for examination, who could have known for sure which one committed the crime? It is all thanks to Your Honor's flawless planning and the inescapable net cast across the county by the yamen's hundred runners that these demon whelps could be rounded up in one swoop." Gu Wei's words were clearly meant to blur the line between his contributions and Chu Qiguang's, splitting the credit down the middle. Hearing Gu Wei subtly flatter and credit him, Magistrate He nodded in agreement. "Head Bailiff Gu, you also share in the merit this time. I will lay out everything clearly to the court, and your reward will certainly not be lacking." In Magistrate He's view, though Chu Qiguang had found the true culprit, Gu Wei had directed over a hundred runners, running back and forth to inspect the scene, gather evidence, search the entire city, and even capture another fox monster. That, too, was a contribution that could not be overlooked. Gu Wei smiled and stepped aside. His goal had been achieved, though he was still pondering whether there was a way to squeeze out even more silver. The moment Gu Wei spoke, Chu Qiguang saw through his intentions. He said leisurely, "Head Bailiff Gu certainly deserves credit for his hard work even if he didn't solve the case, but as I see it, the fox he brought in doesn't appear to be a monster at all." Gu Wei gave a cold snort. "Young Master Chu had better not make wild accusations. The fox's blood has already been tested. It is indisputably a fox monster." Chu Qiguang said, "The fox monster that murdered Young Master Hao should have been heavily wounded, but I see that this fox is completely unharmed. It doesn't look injured in the slightest." Gu Wei countered, "How can monsters be judged by common sense? After ingesting elixirs or cultivating some demon martial arts, it is not uncommon for monsters to heal much faster than ordinary beasts." Chu Qiguang walked up to the fox and said, "I believe it would be best to test the blood once more. It would be a shame if the head bailiff's runners cut corners and grabbed an ordinary fox just to fulfill their duty." Gu Wei had watched his runners test the blood with his own eyes and was confident this fox was definitely a fox monster. Glaring coldly at Chu Qiguang, he said, "Young Master Chu, test it if you wish, but if the examination proves accurate, please apologize to my men. Let no one who serves the country whole-heartedly and performs their duty with devotion suffer an injustice for nothing." "Naturally." Chu Qiguang turned to Fayuan and said, "I ask Daoist Fayuan to examine this fox monster personally." Seeing Chu Qiguang clash head-on with his own head bailiff, a trace of displeasure flickered in the depths of Magistrate He's eyes. No matter how outstanding Chu Qiguang was, he was still nothing more than a commoner. Meanwhile, no matter how disgraceful Gu Wei was, he was still the magistrate's head bailiff, a yamen officer who represented the dignity of the court. Even if Chu Qiguang had noticed something amiss, he should have approached him in private. Yet now, seeing Chu Qiguang behave so aggressively right in front of him, Magistrate He's impression of Chu Qiguang dropped immediately.