"Wiping out the whole household? Who could be so ruthless?"
Sha Lifei could hardly believe his ears.
Even Li Yan's brow furrowed.
Exterminating an entire family was one of the greatest taboos in the Jianghu!
The conflict between the two sides was merely a clash of interests. Even though all pretense of civility had been stripped away, both sides had still adhered to the rules of the Jianghu, careful not to test the authorities' bottom line.
Fierce as the fighting seemed now, there was every chance they might make peace and shake hands down the road.
That was why Li Yan had deliberately blustered about assassinating the Left Vice Envoy, putting on the act of a reckless simpleton precisely to avoid becoming too deeply entangled with the Zhang father and son. All talk of old family ties vanished the moment someone decided to sell you out.
Yet they had been gone for barely a day, and such mayhem had already erupted.
Surely the Zhangs weren't so foolish?
"That is precisely the crux of the matter!"
Shopkeeper Wan clicked his tongue and shook his head. "No one knows who did it. The neighbors only realized something was amiss this morning and alerted the authorities, which was how it was uncovered.
"The entire family, young and old alike, along with several personal disciples who served him, had their throats slit. And the weapon used was a Guanshan blade!"
Li Yan's brow tightened. "A bladesman?"
"Who can say?" Shopkeeper Wan gave a scoff. "Everyone knows bladesmen sell their lives for coin. If someone wanted to conceal their identity, framing them would be all too easy. After all, a Guanshan blade isn't hard to come by.
"Just today, members of the Zhou family marched over to the Zhang Martial Arts School to cause trouble, demanding they hand over the killer. The Zhangs naturally refused to admit to it, and both sides are bickering back and forth even now.
"More importantly, there's Zheng Xianhuai's standing. The authorities had wanted to play deaf and mute, but now they've been dragged in regardless."
Li Yan nodded, recalling Zheng Xianhuai's role.
The Eight Great Vajras under the Zhou family each had distinct positions.
Zheng Heibei and Yuan Qu controlled two street gangs in the city, specialized in amassing wealth for the Zhous and handling dirty work unfit for the light of day.
Wang Yao ran a medical clinic. Beyond treating the wounded from the Zhou faction and the two gangs, he frequently offered free consultations to cultivate a virtuous reputation.
Zhou Peide was primarily in charge of managing the Zhou Martial Arts School.
As for the remaining four Vajras, two served as chief escorts in the area's largest escort agency, while the other two were instructors in the Divine Fist Association, responsible for teaching fist arts across the surrounding countryside.
These men had a foothold in both the underworld and official circles, forming the bedrock of the Zhou family's web of interests.
Zheng Xianhuai had been one of the instructors in the Divine Fist Association.
No matter how one looked at it, he held a semi-official post. The Xianyang yamen had no choice but to investigate.
Sha Lifei said, dumbfounded, "The Zhangs would have to be out of their minds to strike at him."
Shopkeeper Wan nodded in agreement. "Indeed, who doesn't think so? But things have already reached this point. Even Zhou Pan is struggling to keep a lid on his people. Blood was already spilled in street brawls in broad daylight.
"To settle the unrest, the authorities have tacitly treated it as the work of a rogue bladesman. Constables are scouring every corner right now, and Little Brother Li, you are among the suspects.
"Just this morning, constables tore through Wendao Hall looking for you, claiming you had fled out of guilt and intending to issue a wanted poster. Fortunately, Head Constable Guan Wanche intervened, so the matter was dropped for the moment."
Sha Lifei grew anxious the moment he heard this. "Isn't that just slinging mud wherever they please because they have nowhere else to pin the blame?"
Shopkeeper Wan shook his head. "There's no helping it. Once the yamen opens its mouth, guilt or innocence hardly matters. Whatever you do, don't enter the city for now.
"Stay here and rest easy. Once the storm blows over, this old man will personally testify on your behalf to clear your name."
"Then we thank you, Elder Wan."
"We are fellow travelers of the Jianghu. Think nothing of it."
After exchanging pleasantries, Shopkeeper Wan ordered a meal brought in and arranged their lodgings before bustling off to process the lightning-struck wood.
Inside the room, the three men exchanged glances.
"Good thing we left early," Sha Lifei said, lingering fear in his voice. "If we had stayed just one more day, we'd have been cornered by constables first thing in the morning and tossed into a cell. If the Zhou family pulled a few strings behind our backs, we'd never escape execution come autumn!"
Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan both nodded in agreement.
As veterans of the Jianghu, they knew full well the nature of those yamen runners. When pressed to close a case, there was nothing they wouldn't stoop to.
Under these circumstances, the true killer's identity no longer mattered.
What mattered was producing an answer that could placate the public and quiet the unrest.
When the time came, the Zhang father and son might turn a blind eye just to clear their own names, leaving Li Yan and the others to perish in a dungeon without ever knowing why.
"Let's lie low for a few days," Li Yan said thoughtfully. "I suspect whoever did this wants to sow discord amid the chaos and reap the spoils.
"They might not stop here..."
Despite the sudden turn of events, the three were not overly worried.
Such was the world. Who didn't have a few adversaries? Besides, they had already planned to watch the fire from the opposite bank, so staying in Shangyi Village to recuperate suited them well.
Having stayed awake the entire previous night, they wolfed down their meal and blew out the lamps to rest early.
Naturally, those who walked the Jianghu never lowered their guard. All three slept fully clothed, taking turns keeping watch through the night...
***
The candlelight flickered dimly, accompanied by continuous quiet sobs.
Zhou Bai lay upon the bed. Though he had regained consciousness, his face remained ashen, his dull eyes staring blankly at the roof beams like a dead man.
His spirit had indeed died. He had borne the reputation of a genius since childhood, surrounded by flattery and brimming with arrogance. He had envisioned winning glory on the tournament stage before venturing into the wider Jianghu to make a name under heaven.
At the foot of Mount Song in the Central Plains, the martial tradition ran deep, boasting countless masters...
The chief escorts of the Jinzhou agencies all possessed singular talents...
Jiaozhou, Xiangxi, Jiangnan... across the bright and hidden eight sects, extraordinary figures emerged in endless succession.
He had grown up listening to such tales, his heart yearning for that grand expanse.
Yet now, all of it had turned to ash.
He had become an invalid who couldn't even stand to piss!
A plump woman sat weeping by the bedside—his birth mother, Lady Jia.
Zhou Peide stood by the doorway with a dark expression. Hearing her cries, an irritable fury welled up within him, and he barked, "What are you crying for? Does weeping do any good?"
Had he held his tongue, it might have passed, but his rebuke caused the plump woman to leap up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She shrieked, "You old bastard! Your own son was beaten half to death and you haven't done a thing, yet you dare take it out on me!"
As she screamed, she lunged forward, clawing at him.
Lady Jia of the Zhou clan was notorious for her shrewish and venomous temper. Throughout Xianyang, she had never been one to take a loss.
Zhou Peide was already nursing pent-up rage. Caught off guard, his cheek was scratched open by her nails. Mortified and furious, he struck her across the face with two resounding slaps.
Knocked to the floor, Lady Jia beat her chest and stamped her feet, wailing at the top of her lungs.
The commotion snapped Zhou Bai out of his stupor. His face flushed crimson, veins bulging across his forehead. His trembling hands gripped the quilt tightly as he glared at Zhou Peide, gritting his teeth.
"Father... avenge me!"
"Rest easy, Bai'er. I will bring you that brat's head!"
A sinister fire flared in Zhou Peide's eyes as he turned and strode out.
Before he had taken more than a few paces past the courtyard, a patrolling disciple stepped forward to intercept him, cupping his hands cautiously. "Third Master, where are you headed?"
Zhou Peide said coldly, "Do I need to report my whereabouts to you?"
Looking embarrassed, the disciple hastily apologized. "Please don't take offense, Third Master. It's just that Martial Uncle Zheng was murdered, and Grandmaster said someone is looking to profit from the chaos. He ordered everyone to remain on high alert tonight and forbade anyone from leaving the premises."
"I have urgent business. Get out of my way!"
Zhou Peide shoved the disciple aside. After walking a few paces, he turned back to threaten him, "Act as though you never saw me. If you let a word slip, you know the consequences!"
"Yes, Third Master."
The disciple's face fell, not daring to speak another word.
With a cold snort, Zhou Peide slipped through a side gate of the Zhou compound and vanished alone into the night.
Walking swiftly, he arrived before long at another residence.
The compound was brightly lit by candlelight. It was Yuan Qu's estate.
Disciples were already keeping watch outside. Following a brief announcement, Yuan Qu hurried out to welcome Zhou Peide into the courtyard personally.
With a grim face, Zhou Peide dispensed with pleasantries. Entering the main hall, he took the seat of honor and asked coldly, "Well? Have you found anything?"
A hesitant look crossed Yuan Qu's face. "I did turn up some leads, but the matter is rather tricky..."
"Speak plainly! What's with all the hesitation?"
Zhou Peide slammed his palm onto the table, his voice sharp with rebuke.
Truth be told, he had always looked down on Yuan Qu. What was worse, the man had indirectly contributed to Zhou Bai's injury; it was already a mercy that Zhou Peide hadn't struck him down on the spot.
Yet he had no other choice. Within the Zhou family, his authority lay over the martial arts school.
Ever since the disciple he dispatched had been discovered, they had completely lost track of Li Yan and his companions. Left in total darkness, he had no choice but to turn to Yuan Qu.
"Yes, yes."
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Yuan Qu cupped his hands hurriedly. "The information came from Taixing Coach House.
"Senior Brother Zhou knows that Taixing Coach House has always been at odds with us, cozying up to old man Zhang and his people. So I planted an informant inside.
"My plant just learned today that the three hired horses and rode off toward Chunhua County, though no one knows why. They've returned now and are holed up in Shangyi Village outside Xianyang."
"Then why aren't you seizing them!" Zhou Peide roared in fury.
Yuan Qu offered a bitter smile. "Calm your anger, Senior Brother. Shangyi Village is no ordinary place. Shopkeeper Wan of Wensheng Pavilion isn't just a Xuanmen craftsman with ties to the Taixuan Orthodox Sect; he's also an elder of the Xianyang Artisan Guild.
"Things are already chaotic enough. The Artisan Guild might seem unassuming, but it harbors many hidden experts. If we drag them into this, I fear Master will not forgive us."
Zhou Peide's brow furrowed at the words.
In the Jianghu, the Artisan Guild belonged to the 'Eight Trades' of the Five Elements and Eight Trades, overseeing all the city's carpenters, stonemasons, and bricklayers.
On the surface, they only conducted business to generate wealth in peace. But he was privy to certain secrets and knew many among them belonged to the Xuanmen and were exceedingly difficult to cross.
If they marched into the village demanding their man, and the guild simply closed the gates and claimed they knew nothing of it, there would be nothing the Zhous could do.
Besides, seeking vengeance after a sanctioned tournament was inherently dishonorable.
At the thought, Zhou Peide's frown deepened, his cold gaze pinning Yuan Qu. "I know your head is full of wicked schemes. Since you brought it up, you must have a way."
"Well..."
Yuan Qu glanced around, waved his hand to dismiss the disciples in the room, and lowered his voice as he cupped his hands. "There is a way. If it succeeds, not only will you have your revenge, but the Artisan Guild will have no pretext to intervene. It all depends on whether Senior Brother has the stomach for it."
Zhou Peide let out a grim, hollow laugh, his eyes swimming with sorrow and fury. "Things have come to this. What wouldn't this old man dare to do?"
Yuan Qu lowered his voice further. "I know an expert of the esoteric arts. If he intervenes, he can lure that brat Li Yan out of the village. Then we ambush him with bladesmen, ensuring he dies without a burial ground.
"However, this master does not come cheap."
Zhou Peide cast him a chilling glance. "How much silver does he want? I have saved a fair sum over the years, and I possess a prized treasure meant to guard the household. If the deed is done, I can give it to him as well."
"He doesn't want silver."
Yuan Qu brought his voice down to a whisper. "What he wants... is a young boy and girl!"
Chapter 58