The County Sheriff asked, "So you didn't see when Boss Chen left?"

  Zhou Da thought for a moment and said, "No, perhaps Boss Chen left right when Attendant Lin sent me away."

  The County Sheriff asked again, "Tell us about yesterday's events once more."

  Zhou Da said, "Yesterday, Boss Chen came back to see Manager Jin again, and Attendant Lin still took him upstairs. After a while, Attendant Lin had me get another cloth sack, saying there was urgent cargo to handle and telling me to help out front. Later, I saw Attendant Lin and Manager Jin together pulling a cart out of the firm."

  The County Sheriff nodded thoughtfully and said, "Alright, you may go now."

  Zhou Da kowtowed and left the office. The County Sheriff then said, "Call the witness—Gatekeeper Zhang Xiyan."

  Shortly after, a gatekeeper came upstairs. He didn't kneel to the County Sheriff, only bowed in greeting. This was because he wasn't a commoner but a local militiaman, possessing a bit of status.

  The County Sheriff asked, "Zhang Xiyan, tell us what you saw."

  Zhang Xiyan declared clearly, "Yes, Your Honor. Around two in the afternoon yesterday, I saw Manager Jin of the Chen & Zhu Firm together with an attendant pulling a cart out of the city."

  The County Sheriff pressed further, "Tens of thousands of people pass through Renhe County's gates daily. How did you recognize Manager Jin?"

  Zhang Xiyan replied, "During the New Year, I brought my wife to the Chen & Zhu Firm to buy seafood. When Manager Jin learned I was a militiaman, he said he'd been one in his youth too—that we were brothers who had both shouldered rifles for Renhe. So he gave me a discount. That's how I came to know Manager Jin."

  The County Sheriff continued, "Do you know what was on the cart?"

  Zhang Xiyan shook his head and said, "The cart was full of cloth sacks, packed tight, but I don't know what was inside them."

  "Did you see Manager Jin return?"

  "No, not until the gates closed."

  Finally, the County Sheriff pointed at Chen Ming and asked, "Have you seen this man before?"

  Zhang Xiyan looked at Chen Ming, hesitated for a long moment, and finally shook his head. "No impression. Countless people pass through Renhe's gates every day—unless they're acquaintances, I can't remember them all."

  The County Sheriff waved his hand. "Alright, you may go."

  Zhang Xiyan bowed and departed.

  The County Sheriff looked sternly at Chen Ming and said, "According to our investigation, the Chen and Zhu families behind the Chen & Zhu Firm have met with disaster, leaving you as the sole surviving male heir of both families. For your livelihood, the Chen & Zhu Firm has become your only hope. But you are not skilled in business and began inquiring about selling the firm. This displeased Manager Jin. Though merely a manager, he has operated it for years with considerable ability. If he resolutely opposed the sale, the firm couldn't be sold. So you bore a grudge, lured Manager Jin and Attendant Lin out of the city, killed them, dumped their bodies in the forest, and used monsters to destroy the evidence. Is this true? Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

  Chen Ming remained calm and explained, "Your Honor, that's not how it happened. In truth, Manager Jin harbored evil intentions. Taking advantage of my entire family's misfortune, he attempted to kill me and seize the Chen & Zhu Firm. Unexpectedly, he met his retribution instead, killed by a monster."

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  The County Sheriff frowned and asked, "If this is true, explain in detail."

  Chen Ming recounted, "Yes, Your Honor. Not long ago, I was dispatched by the Chen and Zhu families to audit the accounts. Before long, I suddenly received the噩耗 from home. Upon learning of this, Manager Jin conceived treacherous intentions to annex the firm. In collusion with Attendant Lin, he knocked me unconscious the day before yesterday while I was off guard, stuffed me into a sack, carted me to the forest, and sought to silence me by feeding me to monsters. I narrowly survived, but because my head had been struck, my mind was clouded—I actually forgot this incident and went to see Manager Jin again yesterday. When Manager Jin saw I was alive, he was horrified and, again conspiring with that villain, knocked me unconscious and sent me to the forest. Unexpectedly, a monster suddenly appeared and devoured them. While the monster was occupied with eating them, I seized the opportunity to escape and return to the city."

  The County Sheriff looked incredulous and asked, "Do you have evidence?"

  Chen Ming said, "The witness Zhou Da testified earlier that he was repeatedly sent by Attendant Lin to fetch cloth sacks and was repeatedly sent away. That was precisely because Manager Jin wanted to put me in sacks and send me out of the city. They deliberately sent him away to prevent him from witnessing the moving."

  The County Sheriff stroked his beard and said, "As you say, there are indeed many suspicious elements in Zhou Da's testimony. However..."

  He shifted his tone and countered, "If Manager Jin truly sought wealth and murdered for it, why didn't you report to the government office?"

  Chen Ming turned his head to let the County Sheriff clearly see the injury on the back of his skull and said, "I was struck on the head, my mind clouded. Many things simply didn't occur to me at the time."

  Considering that Chen Ming had walked right into the trap a second time, the County Sheriff thought it plausible that his head might indeed be damaged, and reluctantly accepted this explanation.

  Chen Ming clasped his hands and said, "I implore Your Honor to discern right from wrong and seek justice for me."

  The County Sheriff rose from his seat and declared solemnly, "One side claims Manager Jin was killed by Mr. Chen, while Mr. Chen insists Manager Jin brought disaster upon himself. What is the truth? Let us reconstruct the scene!"

  Chen Ming didn't understand the County Sheriff's meaning, but then his eyes widened in astonishment.

  The County Sheriff took out a pouch, grabbed a handful of golden powder from it, sprinkled it on the ground, and loudly proclaimed: "Heaven above, presiding over Sicong—re-enact the case!"

  Immediately, an unbelievable scene unfolded! The golden powder seemed to come alive, slowly rising and forming three human outlines. Though their features weren't discernible, from their clothing and appearance, they were clearly Manager Jin, Chen Ming, and Attendant Lin.

  Then, the three outlined figures transformed and began moving like shadow puppets. Chen Ming watched intently—wasn't this a replay of what he had experienced in the office yesterday?

  He saw the outline of Chen Ming enter the office, and the outline of Manager Jin stand up. The outline of Attendant Lin suddenly lunged at Chen Ming, an outline of a club in his hand, striking him down.

  Then, Attendant Lin's outline left the room and returned with the outline of a cloth sack in hand. Together with Manager Jin, they stuffed Chen Ming into the sack, jointly lifted it, and loaded it onto a cart outline that appeared from nowhere. One pulled, one pushed—they left the Chen & Zhu Firm.

  Everyone followed the outlined figures out. When they reached the entrance, the figures and cart instantly dissolved into golden powder, scattering across the ground.

  The County Sheriff waved his hand, and all the golden powder floated up, falling back into his pouch. Then, stroking his beard, he said, "Indeed, as Mr. Chen stated, Manager Jin and Attendant Lin plotted maliciously, deliberately attempting to take a life. But the cycles of Heaven's justice are inescapable—retribution befell them instead. Hereby I declare Mr. Chen innocent, released immediately!"

  The others watched this scene as if it were perfectly natural, praising together: "Your Honor is wise, discerning cases like a deity."

  Witnessing the County Sheriff's extraordinary ability, a thought suddenly struck Chen Ming. He quickly stepped forward and respectfully said, "Your Honor, there is one more matter I presume to report."

  The County Sheriff raised an eyebrow and asked, "What matter?"

  Chen Ming looked around cautiously, fearing that Manager Jin's accomplices might still be present, then lowered his voice and said to the County Sheriff, "I heard Manager Jin mention that there were people behind him. I am deeply concerned and fear retaliation from the masterminds behind the scenes."