The Prime Minister Seduced Me to have Babies!

Chapter 1048: Excavation on Site

The shopkeeper pointed out the location, and the government officials started digging with their hoes.The soil on top was still quite loose, indicating that someone had been buried there not long ago.

Before long, the officials unearthed the first corpse.

Even though the weather wasn’t particularly hot, the body was already somewhat decomposed, though it was still recognizable as a man.

The coroner examined the body and found no external injuries, estimating that the deceased had died of suffocation.

Next to the body, the coroner found a travel permit in a bundle.

The permit clearly stated that the person was an out-of-town merchant headed to Xiang City.

The officials continued digging, gradually widening the scope, and unearthed body after body.

The more they dug, the more the county magistrate’s heart filled with fear.

Some of the bodies unearthed later had already turned into skeletons; some had travel permits that revealed their identities, while others were just a few bones and a skull, leaving their identities unknown.

The wasteland was strewn with corpses.

The inn was located close to the main road, so the commotion quickly attracted passing merchants.

People began to arrive one after another to watch the spectacle.

As the number of bodies increased, so did the crowd of onlookers.

Nearby residents, seeing the gathering crowd, also came over to watch the excitement.

By the time the officials had mostly finished digging, the sun was setting in the west, and they had discovered more than sixty substantially complete and reconstructable skeletons.

Nearly half were still identifiable. The county magistrate instructed the officials to fetch the inn’s registration books from recent years, asking the shopkeeper and others to recall the identities of these skeletons based on the clothing.

However, due to the passage of time, nothing could be remembered.

This inn had been operating here for seven or eight years, usually targeting single merchants who appeared to carry a substantial amount of silver taels.

They dared not touch those in groups, and looked down upon those who seemed to have nothing valuable.

For many years, following this principle of targeting singles, they had never failed—until this time when they succumbed to the allure of a prized steed, deciding to break their principles.

Who knew it would lead to disaster.

Regret could hardly describe their feelings; they were now utterly numb.

Even they were shocked to see how many people they had killed when faced with the vast number of corpses strewn about.

The county magistrate was also numb. Over sixty lives had been lost, although many had not occurred during his tenure, as he had only been there for two years. However, with such a large case, he must promptly report to the Xiang City Government Office.

Wave after wave of onlookers continued to gather.

Local villagers, like attending a market fair, flocked to watch, each filled with shock and dread.

Some, realizing they had brought their children, quickly removed them from the scene.

Locals muttered among themselves, "Who would have thought that their family was so wicked."

"Indeed, the shopkeeper always appeared so amiable, smiling all the time."

"I often passed by here. If I had known there were so many bones buried underneath, I’d have been scared to death."

The county magistrate looked at the field of bones, at a loss for what to do. The exhumed bones couldn’t simply be reburied, but what else could be done other than take them to the county government?

He was pacing in circles when an official suggested, "Let’s first take the bones to the Yizhuang outside the city. For those whose identities are known, if legal documents are sent, the families should come to claim the bodies soon."

The county magistrate said, "Then quickly, gather manpower to transport the bodies over there. Leaving them here won’t do."

After giving the orders, the county magistrate wiped his brow and approached Qi Er and the others, "Young masters, it’s getting late, and it’s not very safe for you to stay in this rural area. Why not make the effort to head to Jiuan County for the night?"