NOVEL WEB Drained of Life: The Unsettling Death in Luijiang
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The mist hung thick over the village of Luijiang as Li Wei, captain of the town guards, crossed its boundary. It had been a swift ride from the town, prompted by an urgent message about a mysterious death. As he entered the village, Li Wei's keen eyes noted the strings of onions hanging from doorways—a clear sign that fear had taken root in this once-peaceful community.
Li Wei had served as captain in the nearby town for a year now, overseeing a period of relative calm. But this gruesome event in Luijiang threatened to shatter the tranquility of the entire region.
As he approached the gathered crowd, the villagers parted silently, their faces etched with suspicion—both of the crime and of this outsider in their midst. Li Wei nodded to the local constable, who was attempting to secure the area.
"Report," Li Wei said, his voice low and steady.
The constable gestured to a covered form on the ground. "Male, approximately 40 years old. Found by a farmer at dawn."
Li Wei crouched beside the body and carefully lifted the sheet. The sight that greeted him was unsettling, even to his experienced eyes. The corpse was desiccated, skin drawn tight over bone as if every drop of moisture—and something more essential—had been extracted. There were no visible wounds, no signs of struggle.
"Interesting," Li Wei murmured, examining the body methodically. He noted the lack of lividity, the strange texture of the skin, and the absence of typical decomposition. "It's as if the body has been drained of its yang essence."
The constable's eyes widened. "Like the work of an evil spirit, sir?"
Li Wei neither confirmed nor denied the speculation. "Time of death?"
"Difficult to determine given the condition, sir. The farmer swears the victim was alive two days ago."
Li Wei stood, his mind already cataloging the anomalies. "I'll need statements from everyone who saw him in the past week. We need to establish a timeline of his movements."
As the constable moved to comply, Li Wei surveyed the gathering crowd. His gaze fell on a figure in Daoist robes, moving among the villagers with a calm demeanor.
"Who's that?" Li Wei asked a nearby villager.
"That's Daoist Chen. Arrived about a year ago. He's been comforting us in these troubled times."
Li Wei observed the priest's interactions, noting how the villagers seemed to relax in his presence. A potentially useful ally—or a complicating factor.
"I'll need to see the village records," Li Wei informed the constable. "Particularly a list of all new arrivals in the past two years."
As the crowd dispersed and the local authorities went about their tasks, Li Wei conducted a final sweep of the area. No unusual tracks, no discarded objects. Whatever had happened here had been executed with precision.
Later that evening, having commandeered a room at the local inn, Li Wei began his nightly training regimen. As he moved through the forms of the Iron Sand Palm technique, he contemplated the day's events. The victim's condition suggested an advanced technique, possibly rooted in the mystical practices of the ancient sects.
His hand struck the wall, the impact sending a shudder through the wood. Li Wei noted the improvement in his technique dispassionately. Progress, but not yet mastery. Much like this investigation, it would require patience and persistence.
As he continued his practice, Li Wei's mind worked on the puzzle of the murder. The lack of obvious motive, the unusual condition of the body, the rising fear in the village—all pieces that didn't yet fit together. But they would. Li Wei would see to that.