"I was wrong! I was wrong! Please, let go!"
Wincing in pain, Goatee begged for rcy repeatedly.
This... Qi Xiu was sowhat surprised looking at the rogue he had casually subdued. He barked at Goatee to roll aside.
Clutching his wrist, Goatee retreated in panic. He rolled up his sleeve to look, and his face turned pale. Five distinct, dark blue finger marks were clearly imprinted on his wrist.
"Isn’t that young Qi? He’s so strong!"
"Indeed! He usually looks like such a timid scholar. Who would have thought he was this formidable?"
"Truly, you can’t judge a book by its cover."
Hushed whispers from the people around him reached Qi Xiu’s ears, and he felt reassured.
This martial skill, I’ve really trained it right. Otherwise, I would have been the one getting beaten.
Cowed by Qi Xiu’s display of strength, the ruffians already in the cell imdiately beca much more subdued. After all, they had all clearly seen the dark finger marks on Goatee’s wrist.
The cell was damp and cold, its sll offensive. The anxious crowd waited in this cramped space for over two hours, but the County Magistrate never ca to interrogate them.
Another quarter of an hour passed. The constable who had escorted them earlier returned, taking out his keys to open the cell door.
"Officer, has... has the County Magistrate arrived?" soone asked nervously.
"No, you can all go ho now."
"Huh?"
Staring at the constable in disbelief, the crowd exchanged glances, their eyes full of confusion.
They’re just letting us go? Are they kidding?
"Officer, may I ask why we’re suddenly being released?" an elderly gentleman asked, clasping his hands respectfully.
"Why ask so many questions? If I say go, then go! Enough with the nonsense!" The constable shot them a cold glance, then grabbed the cell door, making as if to close it. "Anyone who doesn’t want to leave can stay a few more days."
Hearing this, the crowd dared not delay any longer and hurriedly scrambled out of the cell. The constable kicked over a prisoner trying to fish in troubled waters, then muttered to himself as he locked the cell door.
"Damn it! How did such an elusive murderer pop up in our neck of the woods..."
Walking at the end of the group, Qi Xiu heard the constable’s murmur and slowed his pace, waiting for the constable to catch up.
"Officer, may I inquire about sothing?"
"You want to go back inside again...?" Frowning, the constable was about to scold the youth who clearly hadn’t learned his lesson when a heavy, cool object was discreetly pressed into his hand.
The constable’s eyes darted around. He casually weighed the object in his palm, and a smile touched his lips. "Hmm, you’re an interesting one, kid. You want to know why you were all released so quickly, don’t you?"
"Your insight is brilliant, Officer."
Glancing around, the constable leaned in close to Qi Xiu and whispered, "It’s simple. The killer has struck again. An hour ago, two more families were wiped out in Qingyuan Lane. The thod of killing was exactly the sa as the Nanguang Alley case. The coroner determined the ti of death to be around the third quarter of Mao hour. At that ti, all of you were already locked up and couldn’t possibly have committed the cri. That’s why you were all released."
After explaining the situation to Qi Xiu, the constable patted his shoulder aningfully. "Hurry on ho. It’s not safe these days; take care of yourself."
"Thank you for the warning, Officer." Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Qi Xiu expressed his thanks and then quickly followed the crowd, leaving the county yan.
「...」
Back in Nanguang Alley, after the morning’s harrowing events, only one thought consud Qi Xiu’s mind.
Move! I have to move!
A string of murders, the most recent only a few dozen ters away. The unease, like a venomous snake coiling around him, made him desperate to leave Baoho County imdiately.
I still have over eighty taels of silver. With my proficiency, I’ll find a Deep Mountain Forest or so remote, desolate place and lie low for a few years. Once I’ve leveled up my martial arts... If the First Realm isn’t enough, then I’ll reach the Tenth Realm! It won’t be too late to return then.
A gentleman does not stand beneath a collapsing wall. Having co to this realization, Qi Xiu felt as if the oppressive dark clouds weighing on his mind had sowhat dissipated.
CLANG—
He pushed open the courtyard door and stepped inside.
A familiar figure was sitting on a chair in the main hall, curiously examining a "Suppress" Character in her hand.
"Gong Yan?"
Qi Xiu’s brows furrowed as he looked at the woman who had suddenly appeared in his ho—a woman he had t only once before.
What is she doing here?
"You’re back."
Upon hearing Qi Xiu’s voice, Gong Yan slowly turned her head. Her prominent brow bones and straight, high nose bridge gave her gaze an exceptionally arresting quality.
"What is this?"
Gong Yan raised the "Suppress" Character in her hand.
The "Suppress" Character was written in Cloud Script, incomprehensible to ordinary people.
"It’s nothing, just so idle scribbles."
Looking at Gong Yan inside the house, Qi Xiu, who had one foot inside the courtyard, pulled it back out.
This woman... she couldn’t be here to silence , could she?
Noticing Qi Xiu’s subtle movent, Gong Yan scoffed and stood up.
In the next instant, the Charming Shadow crossed the entire courtyard in a flash, grabbed Qi Xiu by the collar, and dragged him inside.
BANG!
The courtyard door slamd shut.
Their closeness brought a strong, sweet fragrance assaulting his nostrils. He had never experienced such a situation in either his past life or this one. Qi Xiu’s face instantly flushed crimson.
"HEHE. I didn’t realize you were still a virgin." Gong Yan chuckled softly and released Qi Xiu. "I’m here today to inform you of sothing: my Senior Brother wishes to hire you to transcribe a scroll of scriptures. The pay is very generous."
"However, I have so urgent family matters to attend to and might need to leave Baoho County for a few days. Could I perhaps transcribe the scriptures for the Second Young Master after I return and have settled my affairs?" Qi Xiu touched his chest where her warmth lingered, his face still slightly flushed.
"As I said, I ca to inform you, not to seek your opinion." Gong Yan twirled a strand of hair around her finger, her gaze lazily sweeping over Qi Xiu. "Of course, you can refuse. However, as for that road back to your hotown... I might just have to be the one to ’send you off’."
Her threat was unambiguous, laced with a chilling murderous intent.
"In that case, this Qi can only respectfully comply," Qi Xiu said softly, bowing slightly.
"KEKEKE. Good boy. Soone will co for you tomorrow. Don’t even think about sneaking off. If I catch you, I’ll break all five of your ’legs’. HEHEHE."
Gong Yan caressed Qi Xiu’s cheek, chuckled lightly, then opened the courtyard door and left.
Maintaining his posture until the sound of her footsteps faded completely, Qi Xiu finally straightened up.
His hands, hidden in his sleeves, were a dark, blackish-blue; he had pushed his Black Sand Palm technique to its absolute limit.
This won’t do. The gap between us is too great. At that distance, even if I had attacked suddenly and pierced her heart with a palm strike, her dying counterattack would likely have taken us both down.
Replaying the events in his mind, Qi Xiu slowly allowed the dark color to fade from his hands.
All beauty and no brains. She really thinks this Qi is so lecherous fool. Still, it’s fortunate she played that card. Otherwise, I truly couldn’t have explained the surge of qi and blood caused by circulating my energy.
With a cold sneer, Qi Xiu walked into the inner room.
The mont Gong Yan had suddenly dragged him into the courtyard, he had almost instinctively counterattacked. But his Black Sand Palm wasn’t yet perfected; every ti he used it at full power, it caused his qi and blood to surge, making his face flush red. If Gong Yan hadn’t fumbled her approach so clumsily, he might have already exposed himself.
For soone who had only practiced martial arts for ten days to possess such power... If that were discovered, he would face endless darkness.
What Qian Yuchuan wants to transcribe must be that animal hide scroll. An item that valuable... I fear the day I finish transcribing it will be the day I die.
Looking at the ransacked state of the inner room, Qi Xiu’s brow slowly furrowed as he silently contemplated how to escape this deadly predicant.
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