Chương 39: Visitors from Town

Yellow Leaf Town. The Black Tiger Gang. Hearing Xing Qing's analysis, Feng Han couldn't help but nod.

"It seems some cowardly rats have been pushed into a corner and want to bite!"

"Gang Leader, I'd say eight or nine times out of ten, it's the Iron Blade Society! Think about it, who else in Yellow Leaf Town has expert saber users besides them?"

"Not necessarily. It could be someone else trying to frame them, waiting for our two gangs to suffer heavy losses so they can reap the fisherman's profit!"... The group of gang bosses began to argue and debate fiercely, the atmosphere boiling over. Rubbing their fists and palms together, they were itching to find someone to exact revenge on.

"Enough! We will continue to investigate who did this. But how can a disciple of mine, Feng Han, die just like that? Tonight, I want several people to give me an explanation!" Feng Han stood up and declared coldly.

"The Gang Leader is wise!"...

"We swear our lives to follow the Gang Leader!" The Black Tiger Gang members shouted, their murderous intent piercing the heavens. That night, Yellow Leaf Town was not peaceful. The Black Tiger Gang members went mad, tearing through the town in a frenzied search. Anyone suspicious was grabbed. Shops that had carts traveling in and out of the West and North Gates that day suffered a disaster. The shops belonging to the other two gangs also inevitably suffered collateral damage. Cries of grievance filled the air.

It wasn't until the Chief of the Military Armory, Lord Lu Ji, stepped forward to mediate that the factions finally suppressed their fury and sat down to negotiate. However, Feng Han bit down hard, demanding an investigation into his disciple's death, and no one could argue against it. Finally, only after Lu Ji agreed, along with the other two gangs, to help find the culprit did Feng Han agree to stand down. By this time, the Black Tiger Gang members had already plundered a significant amount of valuables.

They returned triumphantly, leaving behind a mess of chicken feathers. The other two factions began to grow suspicious and paranoid, hating the culprit who caused all this to the core. Song Que was completely unaware of all this. Had he known his unintentional actions had caused Yellow Leaf Town to be swept up in a storm of blood and chaos, he surely would have felt a twinge of guilt—guilt that would require eating several more ginseng roots to alleviate!

That night, he felt that spending money on tonics was an absolutely brilliant move. In just one night, his strength had exploded by 200 catties! He estimated he had now reached 1, 800 catties of force. Feeling the explosive power coursing through his body, Grandee grew even more determined to make money and build his own faction. The fire of ambition burned fiercely in his heart.... Early morning.

On the single mountain road leading to Giant Willow Village, four figures spurred their horses, leaving a trail of dust behind them. In Giant Willow Village, the villagers had gathered early in the morning, their eyes anxiously fixed on the village entrance. In the center of the clearing lay three neatly arranged corpses, wrapped only in straw mats. Fortunately, the weather was still cold, so there was no stench. The crowd remained eerily silent, with only occasional hushed whispers exchanged.

"They're here!" At the shout, everyone looked toward the village entrance as four dust-covered riders galloped in.

"Uncle Zhong!"...

"Brother Zhong!"...

"Elder Zhong!" It turned out to be Zhong Kui and his group. He had received the grim news from a villager last night and had desperately wanted to rush back, but it was too late. This morning, the moment the city gates opened, he immediately set off with his second son, Zhong Hong, and a constable from town.

"Everyone, there's no need to panic. This is Constable Wu from town. Today, Lord Wu will conclude this case. We only need a few witnesses to stay; the rest of you can disperse." It had to be said, Old Zhong's prestige in this village was quite high. Seeing him return, the anxious villagers felt half their worries dissipate. Hearing his words, they immediately backed away to watch curiously from a distance, leaving only a few witnesses behind.

"Lord Wu, I'll trouble you with the rest." Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Old Zhong turned respectfully to the young man beside him, who was dressed in official constable attire. The man didn't put on airs and smiled politely:"Uncle Zhong, there's no need to be so formal. A'Hong and I are good friends. You can just call me Wu Yi or Little Yi."

"That's right, old man! Brother Yi is like family. Being so formal just makes you look distant!" Zhong Hong, standing nearby, naturally chimed in. This young man had a massive background! He wished he could get closer to him, shamelessly asserting his presence.

"Then this old man will rely on his age and address you by your name."

"Haha, as you should." The man wasn't just putting on a show; he genuinely lacked arrogance. He laughed heartily, then stepped forward, pulled back the straw mats, and began examining the bodies. A moment later, he turned to the witnesses and began questioning them in a low voice. Zhong Hong casually looked around. Not seeing Song Que anywhere, he asked his father:"Old man, where's that kid Song Que? Where is he? I need to find him for something."

"That kid is probably practicing martial arts at home right now. Just go to Ghost Lake to find him; I guarantee he'll be there." Hearing this, Zhong Hong was startled:"Is that kid not afraid of dying?!" He had heard the legend of Ghost Lake countless times. Even though he had left the village later, the place left a deep impression on him. Old Zhong wasn't surprised by his reaction and said in a hushed voice:"Motherf*cker, I'll scare the crap out of you if I tell you. That kid chopped that ghost to death!

When this old man first heard it, my jaw nearly dropped off!"

"Bizarre! Truly bizarre!" Zhong Hong muttered, dumbfounded, before spurring his horse and riding off.... At this moment, Song Que was standing by the lake, practicing martial arts with Li Xin. The saber in his hand moved like lightning, continuously slashing out and creating a series of sharp whistling sounds in the air. Watching from the sidelines, Husky and Mengmeng were terrified out of their wits and hurriedly slinked far away.

He was currently adapting to his body after last night's explosive increase in strength. The rapid surge in power left him slightly unaccustomed.

"Song Que! Look who's come to visit you!" Just then, a familiar voice rang out.... Zhong Hong rode toward Ghost Lake, his heart slightly hesitant. But seeing how the place had transformed—surrounded by lush green bamboo groves and a stone wall, looking exactly like a tranquil, secluded estate—his mind settled significantly. He gathered his courage and shouted:"Song Que! Look who's come to visit you!" The moment the words left his mouth, a gray blur flashed before him.

A massive wolf stood blocking his path, growling and glaring at him, making all the hair on his body stand on end. The horse beneath him was also spooked. It neighed, reared up, and thrashed its body, trying to throw its rider off so it could flee.

"Husky, get back." Just as Zhong Hong was about to turn and run, a familiar voice sounded, easing his tense nerves. He hurriedly soothed his horse, not forgetting to smile bitterly:"A'Que, are you trying to make a fool out of me? You almost scared your brother to death!"

"Haha, Brother Hong, don't blame me. Husky loves to pull pranks; I couldn't stop him in time." Having formed a symbiosis with Song Que multiple times, Husky's temperament had drastically changed. It was currently undergoing a transformation toward becoming a true 'Divine Beast Husky'. Song Que also felt bitter about this but couldn't complain; it seemed the consciousness of the Split Soul deeply affected the host.

Curiously sizing up the massive, genuine wolf in front of him, Zhong Hong clicked his tongue in amazement:"What a majestic wolf! With this, you could walk sideways through the Great Ridge Mountains! Song Que, I really envy you." This kid's got a good eye! The aloof and goofy Lord Husky shot him an approving glance, then elegantly turned around and went back to sunbathing.

"Haha, Brother Hong, come inside," Song Que said, turning to lead the way.

"Brother Hong, this is my little brother, Li Xin. A'Xin, this is Uncle Zhong's son, you call him Brother Hong."

"Brother Hong."...

"Hello, A'Xin." Entering the courtyard, Zhong Hong curiously inspected everything, clicking his tongue in admiration at the scenery. When his eyes landed on Mengmeng, they nearly popped out of his head.

"A Blazing Fire Fox!"

"Brother Hong has a good eye. Her name is Mengmeng." As long as I'm not blind, anyone can tell it's a Blazing Fire Fox! Zhong Hong stared at it fixedly, drool practically running down his chin. In front of him was a massive, sparkling bank note! Hmph. Another ignorant mortal submitting before this Princess! Princess Mengmeng haughtily glanced at the lowly human, then tilted her head up, found a comfortable position, and continued sunbathing.

"Brother Hong, wake up. Sit down and have some water." Zhong Hong coughed, sneakily wiped the corner of his mouth, and sat down with a red face.

"A'Que, you truly hide your depths well!"

"Haha, Brother Hong, stop flattering me. What brings you here today?" Getting down to business, Zhong Hong's face turned serious.

"A'Que, didn't you say you wanted to meet Constable Wu? I brought him here for you today!" Hearing this, Song Que was overjoyed:"That's great! Brother Hong, where is he? Let me go welcome him."

"Don't rush. Constable Wu is currently concluding the case regarding your Village Chief's murder. He won't be able to get away for a while."

"Oh? Would a Constable really bother with a case in such a remote village?"

"He's the head of a village, after all. There has to be some official conclusion reported to the higher-ups. Besides, town is in chaos right now, and people are panicking. Brother Wu Yi also took this opportunity to come out and avoid the storm." Song Que's eyes flashed, and he asked curiously:"Did something major happen in town?" Zhong Hong laughed, gloating over others' misfortune:"Hehe, a massive deal! The Black Tiger Gang Leader's second disciple got chopped up and his body dumped in the middle of the road!

The Black Tiger Gang went completely mad, searching the whole town! Last night, the screaming didn't stop, and who knows how many shops got smashed up!"

"Brother Hong, do you know the details?"

"Heh, you asked the right person! Brother Wu told me this morning! Feng Han's second disciple was lured out of town and captured. It seems they wanted to extort his martial arts to deal with Gang Leader Feng!"

"But that kid was hardcore! He chose suicide over talking! In the end, his body was dragged out to the wilderness and dumped."

"The Black Tiger Gang has locked onto the other two gangs as the culprits. Yesterday was a total uproar. Luckily, Lord Lu stepped in and suppressed it. But this matter is far from over! We'll have a good show to watch later!" Hearing this, Song Que's mouth fell open. It seemed his unintentional actions had not only muddied the waters but had brought disaster upon several big shots! My deepest apologies! It seems it will be a long time before this trouble traces back to my head.

The Iron Blade Society and the Axe Gang are truly good people! So professional at taking the blame! Grandee thought with a dark, twisted satisfaction.

"A'Que, are you planning to start a horse trading business?!" Just as he was letting his imagination run wild, Zhong Hong's voice rang out.