In the pitch-black night, all Chairman Qian could see was a figure shrouded in white light, flickering incessantly before his eyes.
Each flicker left a ghostly afterimage in its wake, and with every afterimage that vanished, another of his thugs collapsed, groaning in pain on the ground.
Fast. Incredibly fast. A ghostly speed.
Although Chairman Qian was a rchant, he had dealt with his fair share of Jianghu People, so his eye for such things was sharp.
Beads of sweat dotted Chairman Qian’s forehead as the feeling of impending death washed over him, imnse and crushing as a mountain.
A mont later, the ground was littered with his thugs, all screaming in agony. Not even his steward was spared.
Chairman Qian felt a hand grip his throat. The specter of death clung to him, leaving him breathless.
The man’s voice in his ear was like a death knell, sending a chill through Chairman Qian’s entire body as if he’d been plunged into a cavern of ice.
"Who is behind this, and where are these things being shipped from?"
Chairman Qian finally saw his attacker’s face clearly, his eyes widening in shock. "Shopkeeper Shen, it’s you!"
As a comrce association, they naturally knew every rchant in Shengyun County like the back of their hand.
Furthermore, being well-inford, Chairman Qian also knew about Shen Bai’s business at the Governnt Office.
Putting the past and present together, Chairman Qian understood with chilling clarity that Shen Bai’s investigation had led him here.
"Shopkeeper Shen, what are you talking about? I don’t understand at all. I’m just an ordinary rchant, reselling so vegetables to make a small profit."
He was a shrewd man and was well aware of the feud between Shen Bai and Magistrate Li.
The Hengyun Comrce Association also owed its current position to Magistrate Li, so Chairman Qian didn’t dare betray him.
Besides, an idea occurred to Chairman Qian.
’This is the county seat. Surely Shen Bai wouldn’t dare kill , would he?’
The thought had barely ford when Chairman Qian knew he was mistaken.
The sound of shattering bone echoed through the dead of night, a grueso crack that would make one’s blood run cold.
"Gah..."
Chairman Qian looked down at his limp left arm. He opened his mouth to scream, but stopped short when he saw Shen Bai’s icy glare.
’He would actually kill !’
The thought surfaced in Chairman Qian’s mind.
"If you don’t talk, it won’t be just one arm next ti," Shen Bai said calmly.
Nearby, Qin Shuang watched with cold eyes.
She was a State Governor, true, but she was also human.
This Chairman Qian had helped Magistrate Li sell Yin Vegetables and brought disaster upon the common people. As far as she was concerned, this was getting off lightly.
"I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything!"
Chairman Qian pleaded, "I was forced into it! Magistrate Li has a lot of dirt on . I helped him improve Shengyun County’s economy, but I got in too deep and couldn’t escape. I was forced!"
"Too many pointless words."
Shen Bai glanced at Chairman Qian’s other arm.
Chairman Qian shuddered, feeling his right arm was about to suffer the sa fate. He spoke quickly.
"It’s all Magistrate Li! He’s the one behind it! I’m only responsible for transportation. Roughly two hundred li to the far west of Shengyun County, there’s a place where three mountain peaks are connected. That’s where I get the vegetables from."
He broke, and he broke quickly.
Whatever punishnt Magistrate Li might inflict was better than dying right here and now.
CRACK!
Shen Bai crushed Chairman Qian’s other arm. "rcy! rcy, Shopkeeper Shen!" he shrieked in pain. "I don’t know anything else! Please, spare !"
Shen Bai chuckled. "I just think so things look much better when they’re symtrical."
Chairman Qian: "..."
He was speechless but didn’t dare utter a single word.
’So you thought one broken arm looked asymtrical and decided you had to break the other one too, is that it?’
Qin Shuang said, her expression cold, "You should be well aware of who I am."
Chairman Qian nodded hurriedly. "You’re the venerable State Governor from the Observatory. Of course, I’m aware."
"You understand the difference between futile resistance and atoning for your cris," Qin Shuang continued.
Chairman Qian’s expression turned sycophantic. "I understand, I understand! I definitely won’t tell Magistrate Li."
Shen Bai patted Qin Shuang’s shoulder. "It doesn’t matter if he tells him. I just need the lead."
Qin Shuang asked, "And then?"
"Wipe them all out in one go." Shen Bai hefted his longsword and walked toward the door.
As Qin Shuang watched his retreating back, she suddenly felt that his entire deanor had changed significantly.
"You always struck as mysterious, but I also felt like you never truly fit in here in Shengyun County."
"But now... it seems different."
She knew in her heart that perhaps Granny Zhang’s death had caused this subtle change in him.
Shen Bai had already reached the door when he suddenly turned back and raised his left hand.
BONK!
"Ow!"
Clutching her head, Qin Shuang glared at him. "What was that for! I haven’t done anything wrong!"
Shen Bai considered the sensation in his hand. "Has it changed?"
Qin Shuang rubbed her head, replying in a daze, "It feels like it has, but also like it hasn’t."
Shen Bai turned away. "I’ve just accepted it, that’s all. Let’s go."
Qin Shuang hurried to catch up with him. "What’s your plan?"
Shen Bai’s gaze was as calm as still water. "Kill people, that’s all."
...
「The far western edge of Shengyun County.」
The area was desolate and uninhabited, a place rarely trod by humans, ho only to wild beasts and birds.
Not far off, three mountain peaks were connected. The one in the middle was the tallest, flanked by two slightly shorter ones, forming a triangular cluster.
At that mont, on the centermost mountain and deep within a dense forest, a massive clearing had been carved out of the land.
Rows upon rows of vegetables were planted in the clearing.
To the naked eye, these vegetables looked crisp and fresh—all of them Upper Class produce.
But if any Jianghu People were present, they would discover a dense, sinister chill clinging to the plants, coiling around them like snakes.
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