146: Death of Xiao He

Whoosh!

Han Yi quickly bent down, creating a faint whooshing sound.

“Whew…”

He let out a breath. The space under the bed was empty and clean. He figured there must be dedicated servants who came to clean it daily.

“Perhaps the weather has turned cold, and it’s just the wind outside…”

Han Yi mused to himself. It was already late autumn, and a sudden drop in temperature was nothing out of the ordinary.

He couldn't scare himself late at night!

Besides, next to him was a row of shanties, and although the conditions in those shanties were simple, dozens of Outer Sect Disciples were resting inside.

Han Yi shook his head, casually grabbed some high-calorie food, and continued to check the register of Outer Sect Disciples.

It was already dawn, and the first rays of light were breaking through in the east. But its Domain was still limited to prominent places like eaves, treetops, and mountaintops. The dew on the thin grass along the mountain path hadn't dried yet, and a refreshing scent of green grass, mixed with the fragrance of osmanthus, was so invigorating it felt like it could even wake one from a deep slumber.

Han Yi got out of bed with a yawn. During the day, it was Cai Yu’s time, and he could go rest.

But today, he probably wouldn’t have time to rest…

“Brother Han, you’re late. Xiao He, he, he already…”

“What? Let me see first!”

In a house near the Black Market in Yuqing Ward, in a small courtyard, Han Yi quickly walked towards the main house. Behind him followed a half-grown boy, who was A Qiu.

However, A Qiu’s eyes were now red, as if he had lost his spirit, lacking his usual liveliness.

After several lessons from Han Yi, coupled with ample food and starting martial arts training, A Qiu had grown rapidly in the past few months, already looking somewhat like a small adult.

Especially after he had subdued the beggars on a nearby street, he had transformed from a frequently beaten little beggar into a beggar leader. He gathered many small beggars and even monopolized businesses like emptying night soil and cleaning garbage. While not wealthy, he was better off than the average commoner.

Thus, when he learned that Han Yi was guarding the Black Market, he bought a cheap house near the Black Market and brought Xiao He along with him.

Bang!

Han Yi strode to the door and forcefully pushed the wooden door open.

The door opened, but there was no sound from inside.

A foul odor permeated the room, like rotting pork.

“Xiao He!” he called out.

The person on the bed lay motionless, curled up into a ball. Although Han Yi had learned the news from A Qiu, he still harbored some suspicion.

He walked closer, reached out, and turned Xiao He over on the bed to look.

A pale, emaciated face, devoid of any flesh, appeared before him.

Xiao He’s two eyeballs had shriveled, lacking moisture, appearing particularly hollow and terrifying.

Most importantly, countless tiny black insects crawled in and out of Xiao He’s nostrils, and there were many black insects similarly drilling in and out of his ear canals and open mouth!

Although in Han Yi’s vision, the values of these insects were all '0~1', the scene was incredibly horrifying and terrifying.

Han Yi’s scalp tingled, and he quickly retreated a few steps, running out of the room.

“A Qiu, how long has Xiao He been dead?” He gasped a few times, asking in confusion. From Xiao He’s appearance, it seemed he had been dead for a long time.

“Not, not long…”

“Since I brought him to live in the city, he’s been eating well and sleeping soundly. Xiao He’s body improved a lot. At the time, I and he even thought he had fully recovered…”

“Two days ago, I had something to do and had to leave for a few days, so I prepared a lot of food and drink for Xiao He. Who knew, when I came back, he was like this…”

A Qiu wiped his tears, sobbing, seemingly regretting his carelessness.

“Alas, accept your grief. This is fate…”

Han Yi patted A Qiu’s shoulder, comforting him.

“I know. I, A Qiu, haven’t not seen dead people… But, but, Xiao He’s way of dying, I can’t accept it. How could a perfectly fine person die from a cold…”

“This…”

Han Yi didn’t know what to say. After helping A Qiu with Xiao He’s funeral arrangements, he left in a hurry.

‘Gushen Sect!’

‘It seems I really should find an opportunity to meet you all!’

However, on his way out, thoughts churned continuously in Han Yi’s mind, and a murderous Aura permeated his body.

The Breakthrough of his own strength, the death of those around him, and the rampant nature of the Gushen Sect solidified Han Yi’s resolve.

“Hehehe, give us money! Money!”

“Sir, this is the third time you’ve come this month. Where do we have any spare money at home…”

“No money? Damn it, without money, how can you resist those lunatics from the Gushen Sect? Do you know how evil the Gushen Sect is? Useless people like you are usually chopped into meat paste and fed to insects…”

Changle Ward, in front of a mud house.

A burly man with no eyebrows was saying something to an honest-looking man dressed in coarse linen clothes.

“Sir, but my family truly has no money…”

The honest man said with a mournful face, though he secretly thought to himself that it would be better to join the Gushen Sect. He heard that one only needed to drink a bowl of “talisman water” to join, and as long as one consistently brought new people to the sect, they would provide food and lodging. If it weren’t for his wife being pregnant and inconvenient to move, he would have acted long ago…

“Oh, Li Lao Er, you’re stubborn and don’t learn from your mistakes, are you?”

“Lads, hit him!”

The eyebrow-less man waved his hands, and his two younger brothers behind him grinned menacingly, picking up wooden sticks and walking forward.

“Sir, sir, don’t hit him…”

From inside the mud house, a somewhat attractive woman ran out. Her figure was a bit plump, and her belly was slightly bulging. She shielded her husband.

“Li Lao Er, I was wondering why you’re always cooped up at home and don’t go out. So you got a wife, huh? Why didn’t you let us brothers know when you got married, so we could give you some wedding money!”

The eyebrow-less man’s eyes lit up, and he chuckled.

“Fang Biao, if you dare touch my wife, I, I’ll fight you to the death!!”

Li Lao Er clearly knew the character of Fang Biao and his group, and he shouted.

“Hehe, Li Lao Er, you want to fight me to the death?”

Fang Biao said with a laugh, then his tone changed: “Tie him up for me!”

“Let’s go, let’s have some fun together!”

After tying up Li Lao Er, Fang Biao waved his hand, signaling his younger brothers.

“Hehe, Brother Fang is still the best!”

“Yeah, hehehe…”

His two younger brothers laughed lewdly.

“Wife, run, go to Taoist Master Jiang Xiu!”

Li Lao Er cried out in despair, but he was just an ordinary person. How could he resist Martial Artists? He could only watch helplessly as Fang Biao and his two companions, grinning lewdly, walked towards his wife in the corner.

“Quick, quick, run…”

Li Lao Er’s voice grew weaker and weaker, finally closing his eyes in pain, two lines of clear tears flowing from the corners of his eyes. What else could he do?

Crack!

A crisp sound came, and his wife suddenly cried out, but it was a cry filled with surprise.

Splash!

A large handful of foul-smelling, fishy liquid splashed onto Li Lao Er’s face with the sound, and he subconsciously opened his eyes.

A man with a pitch-black face, a majestic build, and holding an iron brush stood on Fang Biao’s body.

As for Fang Biao’s two followers, their bodies were already twisted into strange angles, and they died on the spot without even a scream.

“Black-Faced Judge!?”

Li Lao Er cried out again, but this time, his voice was filled with joy.

He had long heard from the storytelling peddlers that a Black-Faced Judge had arrived in An Yan City. The storyteller said, ‘That Black-Faced Judge has a pitch-black face, a majestic build, and holds an iron brush and a wooden plaque. Though his face is black, he is the most impartial, specializing in killing those who commit many evils; though his methods are ruthless, he hates evil like fire, only doing things to punish evil and promote good!’

A few days ago, Li Lao Er had also heard some gossip, saying that in Changning Ward, many people had witnessed the appearance of the Black-Faced Judge, but he had only dismissed it as idle talk. But now, but now…

At this critical moment, he had been saved by the Black-Faced Judge!

If I can escape unharmed this time, my family must erect a longevity tablet for the Black-Faced Judge!

Li Lao Er secretly prayed in his heart.

“You, are you the, Black-Faced Judge??”

“Is, is there anything…?”

Fang Biao, who was being trampled under Han Yi’s foot, trembled like a sieve, no longer possessing his earlier arrogance.

“Nothing. You just need to answer a few questions for me…”

“As long as you tell the truth, I’ll let you go…” Han Yi’s tone was gentle, and he showed Fang Biao what he thought was a kind smile.

“Respected Black-Faced Judge, you can’t let him go…” Li Lao Er and his wife hugged each other tightly, pleading softly.

Although Han Yi heard them, he didn’t pay attention. He had his own judgment.

But in Fang Biao’s eyes, Han Yi’s pitch-black face, revealing a row of white teeth, looked like a beast ready to devour someone, making him tremble with fear.

He struggled to turn his head and looked at his two younger brothers, whose bodies were twisted like pretzels, then he swallowed a mouthful of saliva with difficulty.

This time, he said with a mournful face: “S-sir, please ask…”

“Hmm… Gushen Sect, what do you know…”

“Alright, you can go…”

Although he wasn’t very satisfied with Fang Biao’s answer, Han Yi remained calm. He had already speculated about this situation, so he wasn’t surprised at all.