24: Chapter 24 The Case is Closed

Three days later.

In the dungeon of the yamen, Huang Silang, tied to a wooden stake, was already a bloody mess.

"Has he confessed?" Duan Peng asked, looking at the bloody figure on the stake with disgust.

The jailer hurriedly stepped forward and flatteringly handed the confession, covered with bloody handprints, to Duan Peng, saying, "Lord Duan, after feeding him this torture, even a man made of iron would have confessed!"

Duan Peng nodded in satisfaction, then said, "Alright, splash him awake first. I have something to ask him!"

"Yes!"

Huang Silang, who had been beaten half to death and fainted, was suddenly splashed with a bucket of ice water. He was instantly jolted awake, and seeing Duan Peng, he immediately became terrified.

After being tortured for so long, he no longer dared to cry out about being wronged.

The jailer moved a stool in front of Huang Silang. Duan Peng sat down and said in a heavy voice, "Huang Silang, I won't hit you. Tell me the truth: what were you and Niu Gui plotting before?"

Huang Silang hurriedly recounted how Niu Gui had asked him to kill Ye Jing and seize his land. He described everything in detail, even emphasizing that Ye Jing's strength had become extremely great.

"Are you saying that Ye Jing, an eighty-year-old man, easily broke free from your attack and even led an entire village up the mountain to hunt?"

Duan Peng narrowed his eyes and questioned him.

Huang Silang nodded like a woodpecker. "Yes!"

He shouted, "At that time, many people in the village gathered to go hunting on the mountain, and Ye Jing led them. I heard from some villagers that Ye Jing seemed to have regained his youth.

His strength is so great that he dares to take on a wild boar alone. These past few days, he has often gone hunting on the mountain by himself. I ask you, which eighty-year-old man could do such a thing!"

Duan Peng tapped his finger lightly. "According to what you say, is it really possible that this old man Ye Jing killed Niu Gui?"

Huang Silang said hastily, "It must be him! Even if Ye Jing didn't do it himself, doesn't he have two sons? It could also be his two sons who killed him! I really am being wronged!"

Duan Peng frowned. Although he didn't know who the real killer was, he understood that Niu Gui and his lover had both been killed with a single blow. To achieve such a feat required the ability of someone close to a Third-Stage Martial Artist at the very least.

Furthermore, Ye Jing had led an entire village up the mountain to hunt and could even personally subdue a wild boar. Ordinary eighty-year-old men, let alone hunting, have to walk carefully. How could Ye Jing have such skill?

"Brother Duan, the Inspector has urgent business and wants you to come over!" At that moment, a colleague walked past the cell and called out to Duan Peng.

Duan Peng responded. Although he was suspicious, he didn't take Ye Jing to heart.

He was just an old farmer; no matter how powerful he was, he couldn't reach the heavens.

In any case, he only needed to close the case. Although Niu Gui was his brother-in-law, the fellow was always using his name to lend money at Usury and pull small stunts, rarely bringing him any benefits.

He was just a relative on the surface; if he was dead, then he was dead!

It was just a pity to lose a way to make money.

"My Lord! My Lord!" Seeing Duan Peng about to leave, Huang Silang hurriedly cried out, "My Lord! I've told you everything you wanted to know! Can you give me a way to live!"

Duan Peng gave a cold laugh. "A way to live? You've already confessed! You must face the law!"

Hearing these words, Huang Silang's face instantly turned ashen to the extreme, and he slumped uselessly against the wooden stake.

...

Ultimately, the case of Niu Gui's death ended with Huang Silang being charged with intentional murder for money after failing to repay a debt.

At the vegetable market.

Huang Silang was beheaded in public, blood spraying three feet high, and the people cheered and clapped.

Watching his brother-in-law being killed, Ye Jing still gave a sigh before leaving the crowd carrying a large bag of game.

During these past few days, Ye Jing had caught a lot of game in the mountains, and he happened to bring it all to Yuanhe Town to sell to Zheng Dali.

When he arrived at Zhengs Meat Shop, as soon as Zheng Dali saw Ye Jing, he hurriedly greeted him warmly, "Uncle Ye! What good things have you brought today?"

After exchanging a few simple pleasantries, Ye Jing opened the cloth bag and pulled out a Civet cat. It was large and fat, making Zheng Dali click his tongue in wonder.

"Impressive! Uncle Ye! This is a real mountain delicacy!" Zheng Dali praised.

Ye Jing smiled and said, "Give me a price."

Zheng Dali wiped his greasy hands and lifted the Civet cat. "Twenty-four catties. How about a hundred wen per catty?"

Ye Jing nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Zheng Dali immediately took his knife and began to skin and butcher the meat. As he worked, he said, "Uncle Ye, this Civet cat came at the perfect time. A new martial arts hall opened a few days ago, and the director there wants some rare wild game. With this Civet cat, I can fulfill the order!"

"There's a martial arts hall in Yuanhe Town?" Ye Jing was somewhat surprised.

As far as he knew, those who could open a martial arts hall were all big figures at the Martial Artist level, capable of exerting over a thousand catties of force and were highly respected.

However, martial arts halls were usually opened in the county seat. Why would one come to this remote backwater?

Zheng Dali said with a smile, "Indeed! It opened in the old cloth shop on West Street. They just put up the sign the day before yesterday; it's called Zhenwei Martial Arts Hall.

That director has great martial arts skills. On the opening day, he even showed off his skills in public, cracking a millstone-sized bluestone with a single punch. Many of the town's youngsters gathered to watch the excitement, and quite a few wanted to take him as their master!"

"What's the background of that director?" Ye Jing asked.

Zheng Dali curled his lip, threw the skinned pelt aside, and picked up a rag to wipe the blood splatters from his arm. "Who knows! I heard he's from the north, surnamed Guo. He's tall and sturdy, looks like someone you shouldn't mess with.

But he's truly generous. Last time he came to order meat, he directly paid ten taels of silver, saying it was for the opening banquet. Now he says he wants some rare wild beasts to use as medicinal ingredients to replenish their Blood Qi."

Ye Jing nodded. He naturally knew why this martial arts hall director needed a large amount of meat. After all, when Martial Artists practice martial arts, they not only need to temper their bodies but also need to use medicinal ingredients that can replenish Blood Qi for assistance.

However, these Blood Qi-replenishing medicinal ingredients were very expensive and hard to find. Many low-level Martial Artists had to consume large amounts of meat to replenish their Qi and blood.

As the saying goes, 'Literature for the poor, martial arts for the rich.' To Cultivate good martial arts skills, one has to spend a lot of money.

Ye Jing couldn't help but ask, "In addition to Director Guo, are there other Martial Masters in this Zhenwei Martial Arts Hall?"

"It seems he's the only one looking after it," Zheng Dali thought for a moment and said. "But I heard he's already taken on a few disciples and is teaching them boxing in a proper manner!"

Ye Jing made a mental note. After selling all the game, he thought that if he had the chance in the future, he would go and take a look at that martial arts hall.

Right now, what he cared about was the grain in those rice fields. That was rice that had cost him five points of Immortal Light to empower!

After selling the game, Ye Jing bought some more meat in the town to take back to supplement the family's food supplies.

He had earned a total of five taels of silver this time, which was a high return and made all his hard days of hunting worthwhile.

Ye Jing spent three wen to take a bullock cart home.

When he placed the large bag of meat on the table, Ye Tianyao cheered with joy; they had meat to eat again!

Wu Guiyun and Liu Xianglan hurriedly used the meat Ye Jing had bought to make a large pot of braised pork and steamed a pot of piping hot rice.

Ye Xuan and Ye Yi, who had been working hard all day, returned and also had a full meal, devouring it ravenously.

After eating the meat, Ye Jing felt a warm current flowing through his body. He shook his arms, and they felt as if they possessed a thousand catties of strength.

After dinner, Ye Jing returned to his room.

He clenched his fists, and the warm current in his body flowed slowly along his Meridians. That unprecedented sense of power made his heart burn with excitement.

Could this be Blood Qi?!

Although this Qi in his body was very weak, it still made Ye Jing overjoyed. Ye Jing remembered hearing in his youth that Cultivating as a Martial Artist must begin with the Awakening of Blood Qi, followed by the condensation of Internal strength, before one can step into the Third-Stage Martial Artist Realm.

Could it be that he was about to enter the Martial Artist Realm?

Now that he could sense the Blood Qi, it likely had to do with the Immortal Light, his daily morning exercises, and the meat supplements.

Although he had lived in the countryside for a long time, he knew how much the Yan State valued Martial Artists.

Within the borders of the Yan State, a Martial Artist was a symbol of status and strength.

If an ordinary farming household could produce a Martial Artist, they could be conscripted by the local government and receive a public salary. The reason was none other than that even the lowest Third-Stage Martial Artist could master a thousand catties of force; even in a town's martial arts hall, a Third-Stage Martial Artist could be an instructor and be respected.

Not to mention Second-Stage or First-Stage Martial Artists, who were all pillars of the nation.

Ye Jing looked at his gradually bulging muscles. This was no longer a thin and aged body; it was lean but full of power.

He thought that if he combined his exercises with this Blood Qi, he might have some unexpected gains!

Thinking of this, Ye Jing was so excited that he didn't sleep all night.

Early the next morning, he began his Pillar-standing and started exercising.