That was a highly decomposed corpse, swarming with maggots, only bone chillingly visible, its original appearance no longer discernible; however, from the body's shape and the relatively intact clothes, it was clear the corpse was that of an adult male.

In his past life, Yang Mengchen had participated in earthquake rescue operations and had seen many who had perished in various accidents, their sight gruesome, so he remained quite composed at the moment.

Thinking back on the well water everyone had been drinking, which had been steeped with this corpse, the Jinquan villagers each felt nauseated, and many either squatted down or turned around to vomit violently. Some didn't stop even after heaving up bile, and even the Clan Leader and others went pale and got goosebumps.

Indeed, a homicide had occurred in Jinquan Village, and Xiao Hongtao, as the County Magistrate, could not overlook the matter. Just as he was about to send Wei Lin to fetch the Coroner from the County Office, he felt his sleeve being gently tugged a few times; turning his head, he saw it was Mengchen, who blinked at him, causing a thought to flash through his mind, and thus he remained silent.

"Do any of you recognize this person?" Yang Mengchen asked the Jinquan villagers indifferently.

The Jinquan villagers all shook their heads; the body was unrecognizable—how could they identify it?

With a glance that seemed to barely sweep over someone in the crowd, Yang Mengchen's gaze was calm yet as sharp as a cold blade. Then she softly said to Xiao Hongtao, "Uncle Xiao, since no one in Jinquan Village recognizes the body, let's have it transported back to the County Office for further disposal."

The person who set this trap, risking the lives of the entire village, was definitely determined to achieve his aim, so she decided to wait for him to reveal himself.

Indeed, before Xiao Hongtao could nod in agreement, a man in his twenties stood up. He had a decent appearance, but his long, narrow eyes occasionally narrowed into slits, "Sir, the body looks a lot like Liao Xiaofu from next door to my house."

"Are you sure?" Yang Mengchen raised an eyebrow at the man, her eyes and brows carrying an almost imperceptible smile.

"I can't be certain," the man hesitated, "But I remember Liao Xiaofu wearing clothes similar to these. He had even boasted that his wife sold a silver hairpin to buy the material and made the clothes for him herself; other villagers should have seen him in them."

"Now that Dai Qiangsheng mentions it, I seem to recall seeing Liao Xiaofu in this type of clothing," someone in the crowd spoke up after some thought.

"I've seen it too," another person chimed in.

Following that, several people also corroborated seeing Liao Xiaofu in those clothes.

A trace of triumph and scheming flickered across Dai Qiangsheng's eyes, but his expression remained earnest, "The official could ask Fang Qin... Lady of the Liao family to come and identify, then we'd know if the person is Liao Xiaofu or not."

"You make a good point." Catching Dai Qiangsheng's intentions, a slight mocking smile flashed briefly across Yang Mengchen's lips. She then inquired if Lady of the Liao family was around; learning that the Liao family members had not come, she instructed Wang Tong and a villager to invite the Lady of the Liao family over.

She turned to look at the village head and Lizheng, "What was Liao Xiaofu's character like? Do you know if he had any enemies?"

"Liao Xiaofu was a bully and a lazy scoundrel, often engaged in petty theft; nearly every household in the village had been burglarized by him—though I doubt anyone would kill him over such trifles. As for whether he had any enemies, we have no idea," lamented the Clan Leader, truly a sinful act.

Lizheng followed, "Liao Xiaofu liked to gamble in town. When he won money, he would frequent certain places (mindful of Yang Mengchen's youth, Lizheng did not elaborate), and when he lost, he would come home drunk and take out his frustration on Fang Qin, his wife, and his son Er Dan, beating them so badly they couldn't get out of bed for days.

The villagers have advised him many times, but not only did he not reform, he even cursed and struck those who came to counsel him. Although the villagers sympathized with Fang Qin and her son, they were unable to help."

The assembled villagers of Jinquan nodded in confirmation.

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