Chương 60: Face and Substance

The Iron Constable slowly loosened his grip on the wooden saber, his tone softening.

"Master Tie Niu… may I ask a few questions?" He knew very well the man in front of him was no weaker than figures like Wang Shan. More importantly, the Iron Forging Hall of Lu County had long been under this man's influence. His power ran deep—far beyond what the surface suggested. So Wang Hai had no choice but to lower his tone. Sun Tiexin let out a cold snort, then glanced at Su Zhe. Su Zhe understood immediately. This was a signal—decide for yourself how to handle it.

What Wang Hai cared about was simple: the stolen funds from the county treasury office. And that stolen money… had indeed ended up in Su Zhe's hands. But Su Zhe replayed everything in his mind. He had been extremely careful. There shouldn't be a single loose end. If he avoided even a few questions from Wang Hai now, it would only deepen suspicion. So he answered calmly.

"Please ask, sir." Wang Hai narrowed his eyes.

"Earlier, you said you bought a set of farming tools from an old farmer outside the city. Is that correct?"

"Yes, I did."

"What did you need them for?"

"My elders at home have been idle recently and took up gardening—flowers and such. I just happened to meet that old farmer selling tools, so I bought a set." The market fair had been lively that day—countless stalls selling all kinds of goods.

"Then why," Wang Hai pressed slowly, "out of all those stalls, did you specifically end up buying from that old farmer?" Su Zhe let out a helpless bitter smile.

"Sir… I honestly don't know how to explain that."

"I don't even know why buying a set of farm tools would somehow get that old man connected to a fugitive case." His tone carried genuine frustration and helplessness. The disciples of the Iron Forging Hall nodded subtly. It was just a marketplace purchase. Something so ordinary. They had all bought things at fairs before. Why was Su Zhe the unlucky one? Wang Hai's question sounded almost absurd. When misfortune strikes, even sitting still can make you fall into a pit.

There are eighty thousand ways to describe words in the world—yet none can fully explain the word"bad luck." Ridiculous.

"Out of all the vendors that day, he was the only one who couldn't sell anything," Wang Hai continued.

"And yet you were the one who bought from him."

"And that very old farmer was later killed by Zhang Xuan, leaving behind only a granddaughter. After she buried him, she told others what happened—but when I arrived, she had already disappeared." This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Wang Hai's gaze sharpened like a hawk's. His fingers rested on the wooden saber, tapping it slowly in a steady rhythm.

"Isn't this all… a little too coincidental?" The final word fell like a hammer. Su Zhe's breathing tightened. His vision blurred slightly. That sensation… He knew it too well. Just like when the treasury officer once used a divine summoning technique—pressure that made the mind collapse under unseen force. But this time it was weaker. Not enough to freeze him completely. Thanks to the Creation Immortal Cauldron, he had survived that previous ordeal. Su Zhe bit down hard on the tip of his tongue.

Pain snapped him back into clarity. Yet he did not show it. His expression turned slightly dull, slightly confused. Wang Hai's eyes lit up when he saw this. He pressed forward immediately.

"Is there something hidden?"

"Did you discover something?" Each question struck like thunder against Su Zhe's mind.

"I… I…" A dazed mutter slipped from his lips.

"There… there is indeed a hidden reason…" The room erupted in shock. There really was something hidden? Wang Hai's lips curled slightly upward.

"My elder at home is stubborn and eccentric—sometimes lucid, sometimes confused. He asked me to buy him a high-quality set of farming tools."

"But I was irritated and didn't want to disobey him directly, so I ended up buying a used set from that old farmer… just to get by…" His voice remained dull, as if sleepwalking. Someone in the crowd couldn't help but burst out laughing. So that was the "hidden reason"? Elderly people, when they age, often become like children—moody and unreasonable. There's even a saying: no filial son stands beside a long-term sickbed. Living with such an elder truly is a hardship outsiders can't understand.

Wang Hai looked momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected this kind of explanation at all.

"This…"

"And why—" He was about to continue pressing when—"Enough!" Sun Tiexin's roar cut him off like a blade. Wang Hai immediately stopped.

"Wang Hai, I've already given you enough face. My disciple is tired—he should rest." Sun Tiexin had noticed Su Zhe's condition and stepped in. Su Zhe's acting was flawless. He suddenly "woke up," swaying slightly as if regaining consciousness after fainting. His face was blank, as though he had no memory of what just happened.

"Thank you, Hall Master Sun!" Wang Hai gained nothing and could not afford to offend Sun Tiexin. He could only retreat.

"Apologies for disturbing the Iron Forging Hall. I'll take my leave." He led his officers away. Just as they were about to leave—"You come when you want, and leave when you want?"

"Do you think my Iron Forging Hall is a guesthouse?" Sun Tiexin's voice thundered. In an instant, he struck. A massive hammer appeared like a ghost in his hand. Inner force erupted. A phantom image of a raging bull formed along his arm. A deep "moo" echoed faintly through the hall. The technique— Bullhorn Charge. Wind exploded through the hall, filling sleeves and whipping air like a storm. BOOM! Wang Hai raised his blade—but the scabbard shattered instantly.

His body was sent flying, smashing through multiple walls. Rubble scattered everywhere. He flew nearly twenty meters before stabilizing himself, coughing blood.

"This is your farewell gift," Sun Tiexin said coldly.

"Understood… senior." Wang Hai's face was pale. He turned and left without another word. The disciples of the Iron Forging Hall erupted in jeers. As powerful as Wang Hai's reputation was, he had arrived with authority—but left in disgrace. Su Zhe silently watched Sun Tiexin's strike, deeply impressed. What a domineering Bullhorn Charge. With his own strength, Su Zhe could match Wang Hai—but he could never control force with such precision.

"One unit of force, turned into ten units of impact…"

"In raw strength, Master is at most ten oxen… but in control of force, I fall short." Su Zhe felt a heavy pressure in his chest. He had thought that with his current strength, few in Lu County could match him. But today's display showed otherwise. At least compared to figures like Sun Tiexin, he still had distance to cover. Of course—if it were an ambush, Su Zhe was still confident.

"Finally some relief! The common people of Lu County have suffered under the officials for so long…"

"People say… what was it again?" Gu Ju blurted excitedly.

"The yamen has its doors wide open—no money, no justice. The official's mouth has two sides—greed has no end." Xiao Xunhuan added smoothly.

"Right! Exactly!" Gu Ju nodded repeatedly.

"Brats! Done slacking off?! Get back to work!" Sun Tiexin's voice boomed again. The disciples scattered. Su Zhe followed behind him obediently. Sun Tiexin said nothing for a long time. Only after walking a distance did he finally speak.

"In the martial world, what matters most is face."

"You are a disciple of the Iron Forging Hall. If I hadn't come today and they took you away, then we would have lost face."

"And when face is lost, someone has to restore it. If it can't be restored, then it becomes a matter of life and death." He continued walking with his back turned.

"Right now there's a three-party alliance preparing to purge the cult. I can't act too openly."

"But remember this. In the future—get your face back yourself." Face… Substance…

"Yes, Master." A young but firm voice answered.