Chapter 34 Head Returns to the City! The Entire City Kneels to Welcome Justice.

The late autumn twilight crawled up along the mottled city walls.

The potholed official road outside the South Gate was entirely covered in grayish shadows.

The yellow-bearded old soldier guarding the left side of the gateway tucked his hands into his old cotton sleeves.

He leaned his body against the moss-covered stone bricks to shelter from the wind.

He raised his foot and kicked the young guard dozing beside him awake.

He pointed with his chin toward the dirt road outside the city gate that wound into the great mountains.

"The time is about right."

The yellow-bearded old soldier sniffled.

"Go and gather the horse-tripping ropes at the checkpoint."

"Get ready to call someone to help lower the Portcullis."

The young guard stood up, rubbing his reddened eyes.

He opened his mouth wide and let out a yawn.

"It's only just the End of the Shen hour."

The young guard muttered with a face full of reluctance.

"Closing the city gates this early..."

"If the superiors investigate, they'll dock our pay."

The yellow-bearded old soldier snorted a breath of foul air from his nostrils.

He used the rough back of his hand to wipe away the snot brought on by the cold.

"That Chief Constable Lin, who doesn't know the heights of the heavens today..."

"Went off to Black Pine Stronghold alone to throw his life away."

The old soldier tucked his hands back into his sleeves.

"There's no telling what kind of rogue soldiers or wandering bandits might be outside the city."

"They might just wander over here to try their luck and loot us."

The young guard shrank his neck back upon hearing this.

He obediently took two steps toward the city gate.

He bent down to drag the hemp ropes.

"You said that Captain Lin was a tough character too."

The young guard pulled the rough hemp rope and turned back to converse.

"Two days ago, he truly made the blood flow like a river in the city."

"It's just a pity he doesn't understand..."

"Which master actually has the final say in this Qingxi County."

The old soldier fished out the tobacco pouch at his waist.

He tapped it twice against the stone wall.

The residual gray ash inside was knocked out.

"That's because he's seeking his own death."

The old soldier brought the pipe to his lips.

"The Zhao family's main beam plus County Lieutenant Liu Kun's roof..."

"How could a greenhorn like him possibly break through that?"

He was just about to pull out a fire starter to light his pipe.

But his entire movement stopped in place.

The tobacco pouch slipped through his fingers and fell to the ground.

A crisp metallic sound rang out as it hit the bluestone floor.

The young guard heard the sound of something falling.

He turned his head.

His face was full of doubt and confusion.

"Don't you want your livelihood tool anymore?"

The yellow-bearded old soldier didn't spare a glance at his tool on the ground.

His weathered, wrinkled face scrunched together.

He extended a trembling index finger.

His finger pointed past the young guard's shoulder.

He pointed deep into the twilight at the end of the official road.

"What kind of deadly ancestor is coming this way?"

The young guard looked in the direction the old soldier was pointing.

The moment he saw the person's face clearly...

His legs went weak immediately.

Dim yellow light and shadows flickered at the narrow mountain pass.

A thick scent of blood blew in from the distance with the evening wind.

Lin Chen stepped on the dry pine needles and gravel scattered everywhere.

He walked out of the shadows of the wilderness step by step.

The profound black martial attire he wore...

Was now completely covered in dark red blood.

The fabric had matted into a hard plate of blood.

The tattered hemp cloth he held in his left hand was soaked through with blood.

The bundle had become exceptionally heavy.

With every step he took forward...

A pool of dark red marks would drip onto the bluestone floor.

In his right hand, he held a standard-issue fine steel long saber.

Blood dripped down from the blood groove.

The tip of the blade scraped against the ground.

A sharp metallic friction sound echoed on the bluestone floor.

The new guard was forced back repeatedly by this Evil Qi.

He fell directly onto his backside into a puddle.

Muddy water mixed with filth splashed up in a large area.

"That... that's Captain Lin."

"He's still alive!"

The old soldier swallowed his dry saliva.

His body pressed hard against the brick wall of the city gate.

"What on earth is that thing he's carrying in that bundle?"

The old soldier's voice was trembling.

"To give off such a massive smell of blood!"

Lin Chen stepped into the shadow of the city gateway.

His gaze swept across the faces of the two guards in turn.

"Make way."

Two brief words came from his chest.

No one around dared to harbor even the slightest thought of blocking him.

The two guards wished they could embed their bodies into the cracks of the wall.

They didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

They watched helplessly as the blood-stained youth...

Crossed the threshold of the city gate.

In South City Lane, the vendors who were still preparing to close their stalls...

After hearing the rhythmic sound of splashing water...

They all stopped what they were doing.

Auntie Liu, who sold tofu, was carrying a washed wooden basin.

She was just about to head home.

After seeing the silhouette of that figure clearly...

Her wrist lost its strength, and she dropped the wooden basin to the ground.

The wooden basin shattered, splashing water everywhere.

The water soaked her coarse cotton shoes.

But at this moment, she didn't even dare to move a single toe.

The crowd on the long street spontaneously moved to both sides.

Everyone obediently crowded toward the sides of the street.

Under this silent gaze, Lin Chen...

Walked all the way forward on the bluestone floor in the center of the street.

A gust of autumn wind blew from the direction of the city gate.

The autumn wind lifted the tattered hemp cloth in Lin Chen's hand.

A corner of the bundle was blown open.

A mangled head with only half a skull remaining...

Revealed its true appearance in the dim light.

The frontal bone of that head had been split open by a blade.

An old scar ran across half of the face.

And there was that dull, cloudy, one-eyed socket.

These features were exceptionally striking in the faint light.

Wang Tiechui from the blacksmith shop was holding raw iron tongs.

He had been standing at the threshold to watch the commotion.

The iron tongs slipped from his hand and hit the anvil at his feet.

The collision of raw iron made a dull thud.

"Oh, Heavens!"

"That's Ma Biao's head!"

This shout broke the silence of the entire street.

The townspeople who had been hiding in the shadows completely erupted.

The previously suppressed long street burst into a clamor.

Waves of noise surged one after another, sweeping over every rooftop.

"It really is Ma Biao!"

"The one who occupied the Qingxi Mountain Range for five years..."

"The cannibalistic leader of the Black Tiger Gang!"

"Captain Lin did this alone..."

"He single-handedly wiped out that man-eating Black Pine Stronghold..."

"Cleaned them out completely!"

Auntie Liu couldn't control her emotions and slumped into the water.

With her mud-stained hands...

She covered her face, which was distorted from crying.

"My poor husband..."

Auntie Liu's crying voice carried the grievances suppressed for many years.

"Locked away underground for three years..."

"Today, he can finally close his eyes in peace."

An old farmer pushing a wheelbarrow of vegetables...

Took the lead and knelt on the bluestone road stained red with blood.

His forehead knocked against the rough brick surface.

The bricks made a dull thudding sound.

"Blue Sky Lin is above!"

"Please accept a bow from us poor folk of half the street!"

The infectious power of this emotion was unstoppable.

Vendors and townspeople on both sides knelt one after another.

They knelt in the mud in large swathes.

Countless coarse cloth clothes were stained with muddy water.

But no one felt that there was anything wrong with this.

Lin Chen slowed his pace when he reached the crossroads.

He stopped in front of the stone lion used for posting punishments.

"All the hidden outposts of the Black Tiger Gang..."

"And the main headquarters of Black Pine Stronghold..."

"Have been pulled out by the roots."

He took the hemp bag in his hand that was still dripping blood.

He threw it directly onto the base of the stone lion.

The hemp bag hit the stone with a dull slap.

"Evil-doers must be executed."

Lin Chen's gaze swept over the surrounding townspeople.

"The laws written in black and white of this Great Gan..."

"Will be the only rules in this Qingxi County from now on."

As Lin Chen's words fell into the wind...

The Left Commandant, leading a tall black horse wearing iron armor...

Followed from the direction of the South Gate.

Behind him followed over a hundred fully armed soldiers.

And over a dozen wide-bodied mule carts.

The heavy supplies made the axles creak under the pressure.

Lin Chen turned around to look at the fawning Left Commandant.

He raised his hand and pointed to those dozen or so mule carts.

The cart beds were covered with heavy waterproof cloth.

"Open all the gold and silver chests on the long street."

Lin Chen pointed at those heavy cart beds.

"Let the people of Qingxi County have a good look."

"At what this hard-earned money stripped from their bodies..."

"Actually looks like."

The Left Commandant immediately nodded and bowed in agreement.

He turned to face the soldiers.

His face immediately switched to a fierce expression.

"Chief Constable Lin has ordered to let the whole city see!"

The Left Commandant shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Open every single chest for public display immediately!"

The crisp sounds of wooden boards being forced open came in waves.

Chest after chest of bright, full-quality silver...

And rows of gold bars.

These riches were completely exposed to the late autumn air.

The townspeople looked at those dazzlingly reflective gold and silver treasures.

And the remnants of the Black Tiger Gang tied in strings with thick hemp ropes.

The public sentiment reached its absolute peak at this moment.

"Blue Sky Lin!"

This unified shout converged into a massive wave of sound.

The sound wave echoed back and forth over the entire county town.

At the same time.

Inside the side room of the county yamen's rear hall.

High-quality large chunks of silver-thread charcoal were burning in the side room.

The firelight in the exquisite warming basin flickered.

The entire room was toasted with a hint of warmth.

County Lieutenant Liu Kun leaned back in the cushions of a red sandalwood armchair.

In his hand, he held a mutton-fat white jade cup.

The cup was filled with Xifeng strong liquor.

He was toyed with it casually.

Secretary Wang from the clerical office sat on a lower side seat as company.

He was diligently holding a pair of jade-tipped chopsticks.

A piece of venison, roasted until it was dripping with oil...

Was placed by him into the celadon dish in front of County Lieutenant Liu Kun.

County Lieutenant Liu Kun tilted his neck back.

The strong liquor in the cup was drained in one gulp.

He casually took the silk handkerchief handed over by a maid.

The silk handkerchief wiped away the wine stains on the corner of his mouth.

"It's only about a stick of incense's time before sunset and darkness."

County Lieutenant Liu Kun threw the silk handkerchief onto the table.

"This so-called military order for bandit suppression within a time limit..."

"Is about to turn into a death warrant that will take his little life."

Secretary Wang put down his chopsticks.

He tucked his hands together and rubbed them repeatedly.

He hurried to chime in.

"Lord County Lieutenant's move of killing with a borrowed knife is truly brilliant."

Secretary Wang smiled until the fat on his face scrunched into a pile.

"Let that mud-leg who doesn't know the heights of the heavens..."

"Be buried directly under Ma Biao's ghost-head great saber."

"He won't even be able to make a splash."

County Lieutenant Liu Kun set the white jade cup on the rosewood table.

The bottom of the cup knocked against the wooden surface.

A pleasant lingering sound of the impact rang out.

"All the rules in this Qingxi County..."

"Have always been determined and divided between the Zhao family and my Liu family."

County Lieutenant Liu Kun's finger rubbed along the rim of the cup.

"That green girl Magistrate Pei Qingxue..."

"Vainly hopes to support a Patrol Officer with no backing..."

"And thinks she can overturn the board."

He snorted coldly.

He crooked his index finger, which wore a jade thumb ring.

His index finger tapped continuously on the smooth table surface.

"As long as this Lin Chen is dead tonight..."

Greed showed in County Lieutenant Liu Kun's eyes.

"The people arranged by Master Zhao have already sent word."

"In the future, the kickbacks we rake in from the city defense affairs..."

"Can increase by a full twenty percent."

Secretary Wang picked up his wine cup and hurriedly stood up.

He bent his fat waist.

His body bent into a flattering and comical arc.

"This subordinate here congratulates Lord County Lieutenant in advance on his flourishing wealth."

Secretary Wang raised his cup in a toast.

"In the future, half of this great territory of Qingxi County..."

"Will still have to rely heavily on your lordship's cultivation and promotion."

County Lieutenant Liu Kun was so flattered by this stream of sycophancy that his very bones felt comfortable.

He picked up the cup that had just been refilled.

He prepared to raise his cup in return.

Heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway outside the door.

Leather boots trampled on the wooden floor.

The wooden railing was bumped, making it creak.

A saber-wielding constable came crawling and rolling through the carved doors.

His legs were tripped by the threshold.

The whole person fell headfirst on the spot.

He collapsed onto the Western region soft carpet.

Most of the wine in County Lieutenant Liu Kun's hand was splashed out.

The strong liquor, emitting a malty fragrance, flowed down the back of his hand.

The wine flowed into his silk sleeves.

He sat up straight in his armchair impatiently.

He directly grabbed the bronze paperweight used to hold down paper on the desk.

The bronze paperweight was thrown toward that constable.

"Flustered and panicked like a common thug."

County Lieutenant Liu Kun barked angrily.

"The rules of composure that I usually teach..."

"Have you learned them all into a dog's brain?!"

The constable was hit in the shoulder by the bronze paperweight but didn't even bother to rub it.

His hands pushed against the floor.

He raised his face, which was covered in dust and cold sweat.

"My Lord!"

"A matter of heaven-shaking proportions has happened!"

The constable's voice completely broke.

The sound he made was raspy and unpleasant.

"The Black Tiger Gang has been completely pulled out by the roots!"

The wine cup in Secretary Wang's hand slipped.

The white jade cup smashed against the edge of the table corner.

Sharp porcelain shards splashed out and sliced across the back of his fat hand.

A long line of blood appeared on the back of his hand.

County Lieutenant Liu Kun kicked over the fragrant wood small table in front of him.

Expensive soup mixed with various chunks of meat.

These leftovers drenched the floor.

"What kind of crazy talk are you spewing in this room?"

County Lieutenant Liu Kun pointed at the constable on the floor and cursed.

"Over three hundred fully armed bandits are hidden in that Black Pine Stronghold."

"Just with that fool going in single-handedly..."

"How could he possibly have such ability?"

The constable couldn't be bothered to wipe the red spots scalded onto the back of his hand.

He knelt on the floor full of porcelain shards and kowtowed repeatedly.

"It's absolutely true, Great Lord!"

"The people of the entire county..."

"Have now seen that scene with their own eyes!"

The constable raised his head and swallowed hard.

"It was Lin Chen himself, carrying a saber."

"He walked in from the South Gate."

The constable's voice was still trembling.

"In that tattered hemp bundle of his..."

"Was Ma Biao's mangled head."

"That head was split into two by someone with a saber."

County Lieutenant Liu Kun's legs lost their strength.

He slumped back into the cushions of the red sandalwood armchair.

The armchair bore the heavy pressure.

The wooden legs made a few creaks under the burden.

His thick-lipped mouth twitched violently.

He wanted to retort a few words.

But only a few simple gasps could be forced from his throat.

The constable took advantage of this gap.

He hurriedly continued to spill the deadly news.

"The Left Commandant of the City Defense Battalion..."

"Is currently following behind Lin Chen into the city."

The constable wiped a handful of cold sweat from his face.

"What's more, they brought back over a dozen wide-bodied mule carts."

"The carts are filled with gold, silver, and smuggled weapons."

The constable panted heavily.

He wanted to calm his heartbeat.

"And this Left Commandant is still on the main crossroads..."

"In front of all the people, patting his chest and guaranteeing..."

Despair showed in the constable's eyes.

"Saying that the Loyalty Hall of Black Pine Stronghold..."

"Along with the stone rooms behind it..."

"Have already been burned to the ground by a fire set by Lin Chen."

County Lieutenant Liu Kun gripped the armrests of the armchair.

His fingers began to contract and spasm violently.

The joints turned a pale blue-white due to the force.

The first urgent matter that flashed through his mind...

Had long since bypassed Ma Biao's life or death.

His mind was filled only with that account book.

That top-secret profit-sharing account book hidden in the stone room deep within the stronghold.

In this deadly account book...

It was recorded in detail in small regular script.

The tributes he had accepted from the Black Tiger Gang over the past five years.

Every single specific numerical detail was on it.

"That ungrateful piece of trash, the Left Commandant..."

County Lieutenant Liu Kun was so angry his features were displaced.

"Did he pack up all the valuables in the stronghold..."

"And bring them all back to the county yamen under seal?"

County Lieutenant Liu Kun's voice lost its usual official tone.

His voice was raspy, dry, and full of gaps.

The constable nodded blankly.

He completely could not understand.

Why the Lord County Lieutenant cared so much about those ill-gotten gains.

"They did indeed bring back over a dozen large carts of items."

The constable nodded repeatedly.

"Right now, those mule and horse teams..."

"Are coming along the most prosperous main street."

"Headed straight for our county yamen's main gate."

"The people of half the city are all kneeling by the roadside."

"Kowtowing on the street to acknowledge the Blue Sky Lord."

Secretary Wang slumped powerlessly among the shattered porcelain shards.

Blood was oozing from the wound on the back of his hand.

Yet he could not perceive the slightest bit of pain.

He turned his fat head with stiff movements.

He looked at County Lieutenant Liu Kun sitting in the armchair.

His voice carried an uncontrollable, collapsing sob.

"My Lord..."

Secretary Wang's nose and eyes were streaming.

"I'm afraid disaster is imminent for us this time."

"We're really going to have our heads sent to the execution grounds."

County Lieutenant Liu Kun closed his bloodshot eyes.

The fingers resting on the armchair's armrest spasmed completely.

His fingers lost their strength and slipped down to the edge of the seat.

All the power plays and calculations in this room...

At this moment, all turned into one giant joke.