Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1298 - 425: Chen Yiqing, Defection and Bad News (Part 2)

Though Liu Yuan's words appeared meaningless at first, Li Longkai and Zhao Bao's faces turned serious after a brief pause for thought.

Crack......

"Sir, we've unearthed the body!"

Right then, Tong Xingsheng's shout echoed from the mound area.

Led by Lin Kai, the four hurried over. The sight of the woman's corpse in the pit made their brows knit together.

In the freezing Ice Abyss, even without preservation, bodies stay intact for ages. The dead woman's features in the mound looked almost unchanged, showing she died recently.

This didn't surprise the group, since Ji Jiang vanished on the first night of the third month. Even if killed right away, only nine days had passed, explaining the body's state.

What furrowed their brows was the deep gash across Ji Jiang's throat.

"Murdered!"

Lin Kai declared it, a flicker of doubt in his gaze, but he held back further comments, waiting for Tong Xingsheng's examination.

"Death occurred roughly nine days ago, probably that first night. Neck wound is lethal, no other marks on the body. Given the cut's depth, the killer overpowered her completely. She likely never saw it coming, slain in one strike..."

With his autopsy expertise, Tong Xingsheng extracted key details from the throat injury. He then hoisted the corpse to check elsewhere.

Yet as he raised it, his face stiffened abruptly.

"Sir, come take a look at this..."

At his call, Lin Kai and the others leaped into the grave pit without delay.

Tong Xingsheng pointed, and shock froze their faces.

Under the woman's body lay three words.

Formed hastily from pebbles, the script was messy, betraying the arranger's panic. Tong Xingsheng's rough lift had already scattered them a bit.

He spotted it too, gently lowering the body before meticulously resetting the stones. The three words sharpened into view.

[Chen Yiqing]

"A name?"

"You mentioned Ji Hong likely raised Ji Jiang's tombstone. So he must've left this clue for us?"

While Liu Yuan and the rest reacted with surprise, Lin Kai's eyes snapped wide as realization hit him upon spotting the name.

"I get what Ji Hong's signaling. Handle Ji Jiang's remains with care and ship them to Xia City for proper burial. Follow me back now!"

With that, Lin Kai spun toward Hongmen.

Though confused, Liu Yuan and others trailed after him swiftly.

.........

Ninth year of Great Xia, March 12, night

Hongmen City Government Building, fourth floor, Prison Department mortuary

Zeng Rou entered shaking, her once vibrant friend now rigid on the icy slab as a lifeless corpse. Breath catching, tears streamed down her face; she crumpled over Ji Jiang, sobbing wildly.

"Ah Jiang......"

Tong Xingsheng and over a dozen Iron Order Prison Guards shared the room. Her wails drew soft sighs from them all.

Tong Xingsheng probed another body but, after her hour-long tears, approached gently. "Miss Zeng, hold back your sorrow. The departed can't return. With no kin for Ji Jiang, we're set to cart her to Xia City tomorrow for burial. If you..."

"Lord Tong, Brother Ji would never turn traitor. He's devoted to the Lord and Great Xia, incapable of betraying the camp. This must be your Prison Department's error. Lord Lin's misjudged..."

Before Tong Xingsheng finished, Zeng Rou whipped around, cutting him off. Without pause, she pressed on, "Plus, Ah Jiang's death hides deeper secrets. Brother Ji isn't flighty; nobody knows his loyalty to the Lord like I do; he..."

"Miss Zeng!"

Tong Xingsheng cut in sharply, voice stern. "Lord Lin himself declared Ji Hong's betrayal—no debate allowed. Whatever lurks behind Ji Jiang's murder won't excuse his treason. Ji Hong's now Great Xia's foe."

"No, can't be. Brother Ji would never..."

Zeng Rou rejected his words, muttering Ji Hong's innocence. But as Tong Xingsheng looked away silently, she fell quiet too.

Fury flashed across her features. She challenged, "Who claims Ah Jiang lacks family? I'm her kin, and Xu An, Lord Xu of Wuyuan, her betrothed. No need for your transport; I'll handle her myself."

Ignoring his protests, she shrouded Ji Jiang in white cloth and bore her from the mortuary.

"Alas......"

Tong Xingsheng tried halting her, but her tear-streaked face stopped him; he sighed faintly and relented.

.........

Ninth year of Great Xia, March 15, night

Wuyuan City Government Building, third floor, Civil Affairs Department main hall

Midst paperwork, Xu An's brows jerked sharply.

Sensing peril, he jerked his head toward the hall entrance, face clouding. "Who's lurking outside?"

"It's... me, Brother Xu."

A known woman's voice drifted in. Xu An stiffened, guilt flooding him; he straightened, words catching.

"Brother Xu, relax; I'm not chasing you this time..."

A graceful figure in white glided in—a woman of twenty-four or five, her lovely eyes locked on Xu An with raw fondness.

Yet mingled with the warmth lurked odd pity.

"Yuanxiu, forgive me!"

Xu An avoided her stare. He'd sworn eternal love for Ji Jiang, yet Zhao Yuanxiu's years of bold pursuit—even besmirching her name by begging her father for a match via his brother—had stirred his resolve, breeding remorse.

"Brother Xu, our issue's mutual—no apologies needed. You and Ji Jiang grew up together, destined. I'm the outsider here."

Xu An blinked at her words. Zhao Yuanxiu hadn't been so yielding before.

Has she truly shifted?

The thought eased him greatly. Meeting her eyes, he soothed, "Yuanxiu, Great Xia brims with finer men. You..."

He trailed off abruptly.

Averse to her gaze, he'd stared downward; now lifting his head, he caught the pity there.

Prior unease resurfaced. "Yuanxiu, weren't you in Xia City lately? What brings you to Wuyuan so abruptly?"

"Brother Xu, grim tidings reached me; knowing you here might not know, I rushed to tell you."

"What tidings?"

Dread gripped Xu An's chest.

Zhao Yuanxiu hesitated briefly, face somber. "Ji Jiang's corpse turned up murdered near Beining Mountain's south edge. Killer unidentified, but her brother Ji Hong's confirmed deserter. Hongmen Guardian Lin Kai's launched a Nine Towns pursuit."

Snap......

"What?"

Xu An bolted upright. The shock hit hard; he gaped, convinced he'd misheard. "Ji Hong deserted? Impossible!"

As he voiced it, his frame quivered; her opening line sank in. Face paling, eyes wild with dread.

"Ji Jiang murdered?"

"No, can't be, impossible!"

"We wrote last month; no way."

"Utterly impossible!"

.........

Xu An slumped into his seat, probing a dozen times more before snapping alert, surging up, and bolting from the hall.

"Notify Guardian Shi I'm taking leave. Heading to Hongmen—back by dawn."