Chapter 199 - 11: Puppet, Bride, Joy God Makeup

Chapter 199: Chapter 11: Puppet, Bride, Joy God Makeup

Cong Bo, meanwhile, had his men pile all the bodies from the village onto the threshing ground and set them ablaze.

A raging fire soared into the sky, quickly incinerating all the sin and resentment of the village until nothing remained.

...

「Back at the Yu Huo County Demon Slayer Department.」

Li Xiuwen was still tied to a pillar, his eyes vacant as he mumbled incoherently.

His spirit had been completely shattered by that horrifying day.

Chen Ye walked up to him without a word and simply unfurled the bloodstained piece of skin with the mark drawn on it before his eyes.

"Take a look at this. Do you recognize it?"

Li Xiuwen, who had been staring blankly, saw the mark, and his pupils suddenly constricted!

He jerked as if pricked by a needle, his whole body beginning to tremble violently.

A memory buried beneath fear and chaos surged into his mind like a bursting dam.

"It was him! He’s the one who drew it!" Li Xiuwen suddenly screamed, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"I remember! I remember now!"

"Just a few days before the wedding, a traveling puppeteer came to Wang Family Village!"

"He said... he said his puppet show could bring good luck, and... and he could also do a kind of beautiful makeup, called something like ’Joy God Makeup,’ that would add to the festive atmosphere!"

"A lot of the village girls went to him to have it done, and Xiaocui... Xiaocui went too."

"Yes, that’s it, that’s the symbol! He... he drew that very thing on Xiaocui’s forehead!"

"He said it was a symbol of good fortune! A symbol of good fortune!"

Li Xiuwen’s voice was filled with endless regret and anguish.

Chen Ye and Cong Bo exchanged a look, each seeing a flicker of understanding in the other’s eyes.

As they’d suspected, the so-called puppeteer was the mastermind!

"The puppeteer, what did he look like? Any distinguishing features? Think carefully, don’t leave out a single detail!" Cong Bo pressed immediately, his voice urgent.

This was their only lead at the moment; they absolutely could not let it go.

Though Li Xiuwen was emotional, his mind was clearer than ever.

The face that had brought him such utter ruin... he would never forget it, not even if he were reduced to ash.

Then, suppressing his grief, he began to describe the man in halting phrases.

"He... he looked very young, probably under thirty."

"He was... he was very handsome, with a fair and clean complexion. He spoke softly and gently, not at all like a coarse man of the Martial World."

"Oh, right. He always wore a cyan long robe and carried a large wooden box on his back, which must have held his puppets."

"Also... his fingers. His fingers were especially long and fair, like... like a woman’s hands."

"When he smiled, on the corner of his mouth... there was a small mole."

Li Xiuwen racked his brain for every detail, piecing together the image of that demon bit by bit.

Chen Ye listened quietly from the side. He had retrieved a brush and paper, and as he listened to Li Xiuwen’s description, his wrist flew across the page, rapidly sketching.

While his artistic skill wasn’t exactly exquisite, thanks to his powerful Divine Spirit and Control Power, the portrait he drew bore a striking resemblance to the description.

In just a short while, the image of a handsome man in a cyan robe with a mole by his mouth and a hint of wickedness in his eyes came to life on the paper.

"That’s him! That’s him!"

Seeing the portrait, Li Xiuwen lost control again, pointing at it and screaming.

Chen Ye handed the sketch to Cong Bo.

Cong Bo took the sketch. Staring at the refined-looking man on the paper, his gaze turned so cold it could have formed icicles.

"What a sanctimonious beast!" he said, grinding his teeth.

"Wearing human skin but doing things even an animal wouldn’t!"

"Men!"

Cong Bo barked at the doorway.

"Sir!"

Two Demon-slaying Captains immediately rushed in.

"Go find the best artists in the city and have them copy this sketch one hundred times! No! A thousand times!"

"By the end of the day, I want this wanted poster plastered on every street and alley in Yu Huo County, on the notice board of every single town and village."

"Furthermore, immediately send riders out at top speed to deliver the sketch and case details to all neighboring counties. Have them assist in the investigation!"

"Tell them this man is extremely dangerous, a remnant of the Evil Sect’s Puppet Sect. If he is spotted, they are not to act rashly but must report it immediately."

"Also, post a bounty. The amount... one thousand taels of silver!"

Cong Bo rattled off a series of commands in one breath, his voice ringing with swift and decisive Evil Qi.

It may have only been one thousand taels of silver, but with the current high price of gold and silver, that amount was enough to drive every Bounty Hunter in Yu Huo County, and even the surrounding regions, into a frenzy.

"Yes, sir!"

The two Captains accepted their orders without a moment’s hesitation and departed swiftly with the sketch.

After handling all that, Cong Bo let out a long breath and turned to Chen Ye, his face showing a mix of gratitude and relief.

"Brother, I owe you again for this one."

He clapped Chen Ye on the shoulder, his tone sincere.

"If it weren’t for you, there’s no way we would have found the killer this quickly."

Chen Ye gave a noncommittal shrug.

"Spare me the pleasantries. Just make sure my payment isn’t short when the time comes."

He had no interest in listening to such courtesies; he only cared about the benefits he was owed.

Cong Bo was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"You kid, you’re as direct as ever!"

"Don’t worry. When I, Cong Bo, say something, I mean it. My word is my bond. You’ll get exactly what you’re owed, not a copper less!"

From their past few interactions, Chen Ye knew that Cong Bo was a man of his word, so he didn’t say anything more.

"Alright, the man’s been questioned and we’ve found our lead. The rest is a matter for your Demon Slayer Department."

Chen Ye stretched, turning to leave. "I have no interest in playing your city-wide manhunt game. I’m going back to catch up on sleep."