"Old Man Chen, stop playing the victim. You're colluding with a monster, and you think you're in the right? What's more, that monster killed so many people. Your inaction makes you the biggest accomplice!"
Rosie reprimanded him sharply, still remembering the man's brazen gaze earlier.
Village Chief Chen gave a desolate smile. "Say what you will. I've told you everything I know. If you want to arrest me, then arrest me. This has nothing to do with anyone else. I've already made Bāhǔ Guān Village prosperous, so my life has been worthwhile!"
"You..."
Rosie gritted her teeth, but she couldn't do anything about the old scoundrel.
"Xixi, don't argue with him. Let's detain them first. Everyone who knows about this matter is complicit. It's not enough for him to take all the blame alone!"
Rosie made a call, and soon a large number of government yamen runners arrived, apprehending all involved individuals.
The local yamen runners were very respectful to Song Zijian, but Song Zijian could not mention the matter of the monster, as such things could cause public panic.
The Evil Exorcism Division was established with the initial purpose of isolating darkness from light, to bear the burden and move forward in the darkness!
Furthermore, it wasn't difficult to convict these uncivilized people. Merely possessing firearms illegally was enough to land them in serious trouble.
Li Jianming was also taken away to assist with the investigation. After he feigned madness, all his property was seized by Village Chief Chen, which would also be one of Village Chief Chen's crimes.
This old man was far from the noble and simple person he claimed to be.
Including the young girls who had been offered to the monster in previous years, with multiple charges compounded, even if he didn't die, he would never be released from prison in his lifetime.
After they were all taken away, Song Zijian stretched and said, "Let's go too!"
Chen Xiao was slightly taken aback. "We're leaving already? The case isn't even clear yet. Can you sleep at night when you go back?"
Song Zijian said with a troubled expression, "This case is more complicated than we imagined. I need to report to my superiors and request reinforcements."
"Request reinforcements? By the time you get reinforcements, the cucumbers will be cold!"
Chen Xiao said impatiently, "I want to go down and see what kind of monster is causing trouble. If you're scared, you can go back first."
Song Zijian said, "Brother Chen, I'll go with you. Xixi, you should go back first."
Rosie frowned. "Team Leader Song, why should I go back? Do you look down on me?"
"I don't look down on you; I'm just responsible for your safety!"
Song Zijian said earnestly.
Rosie pouted. "Then you do look down on me!"
Song Zijian: "Alright, if you insist on going, then go. But if you encounter danger, don't be brave. Flee immediately and protect yourself!"
"Alright, alright, I get it. Team Leader Song, when did you become so motherly!"
Rosie mocked him mercilessly.
"..."
Song Zijian was left speechless by her retort. Meanwhile, Chen Xiao said, "Let's go. We'll head to the vegetable greenhouses first. Since the greenhouses were used as a cover, the entrance must be inside them."
Song Zijian nodded. "Great minds think alike. Let's go! I've been to that greenhouse before; I'll lead the way!"
The greenhouse was in the fields outside the village, only a few hundred meters from the dilapidated temple, so Song Zijian didn't need to lead the way.
After the three entered the greenhouse, they saw a patch of lush green vegetables. Chen Xiao took a few steps forward and stomped on the ground. "The entrance is here!"
Chen Xiao stomped twice, kicking away the loose soil to reveal a wooden cellar lid.
Rosie looked on with curiosity. "How did you know?"
"I just guessed. I didn't expect to be right!"
Chen Xiao said casually. He naturally wouldn't tell them about his divine sense.
Opening the cellar lid revealed a vertical ladder. The cellar was pitch black, and nothing could be seen; it seemed bottomless.
"It's so dark. How do we get down?"
Rosie said helplessly.
At this moment, Chen Xiao found three miner's helmets with searchlights from a nearby toolbox.
Rosie suddenly realized, "I'm so stupid. Since the villagers had to work underground, they must have had lighting equipment. Chen Xiao, you're so clever!"
Song Zijian looked speechless. "Xixi, your professional competence is questionable..."
Rosie blushed. "Hmph, it's mainly because Chen Xiao is so awesome that I seem a tiny bit stupid!"
"Fine, whatever you say,"
Song Zijian said helplessly. But speaking of which, this Chen Xiao was indeed not simple.
He took a miner's helmet and asked casually, "Brother Chen, are you really just a doctor? Judging by your skills just now, you don't seem like one."
How could Chen Xiao not know Song Zijian was testing him? He smiled slightly. "I'm naturally gifted; my reflexes are just more than ordinary."
Song Zijian remained noncommittal about this answer, but Rosie's gaze towards Chen Xiao sparkled with admiration.
Humans, especially women, naturally have a sense of worship towards the strong.
The three descended into the cellar one by one, with Chen Xiao at the bottom, followed closely by Song Zijian, and Rosie last.
Song Zijian had originally wanted Rosie to wait on the surface and be responsible for backup, but Rosie had vehemently refused.
The cellar was very deep. Although the exact depth was unknown, Song Zijian estimated it to be at least tens of meters.
After a few minutes, the three finally reached the bottom.
Before them lay a vast flower field!
Spanning over a hundred mu, this was not just a flower field; it was a sea of flowers!
"Wow, it's so beautiful!"
Looking at the vast expanse of red flowers, Rosie was completely mesmerized.
Song Zijian approached the flower field. These flowers were the crops planted by the Chen villagers.
He was experienced and did not touch the flowers with his hands, only observing them from a distance.
It had to be said that these flowers were indeed very beautiful. Even Song Zijian, a straightforward man, felt a sense of intoxication.
The deep red flowers were brilliantly red, astonishingly red, as red as fresh blood!
Moreover, these flowers had a common characteristic: those that bloomed had no leaves, while those with leaves did not bloom.
"What kind of flower is this? I've never seen it before!"
Rosie, considering herself a master of flower arrangement, had never seen pictures or videos of these vibrant flowers.
"It's right that you haven't seen it."
Chen Xiao said faintly.
Rosie was slightly taken aback and asked in a questioning tone, "Chen Xiao, do you know what kind of flower this is?"
Rosie naturally assumed that a man like Chen Xiao would know more flowers than she did.
Then she heard Chen Xiao slowly say, "Manjusaka, also known as the Lycoris radiata. Few people in the world have seen it, because it usually blooms on the road to the underworld!"