Chapter 356 - 215: Prestigious Family (5)

Chapter 356: Chapter 215: Prestigious Family (5)

Something’s wrong!

The guard they just interrogated was the first to succumb to the poison and die. The others only collapsed almost simultaneously afterward.

In other words, it was highly likely that Mr. Qian didn’t want the guard to say anything more, so he activated the poison!

That means he must be somewhere nearby, close enough to hear their conversation!

Perhaps he’s the type of person who enjoys watching the scene unfold from up close...

Xie Yuan turned his head slightly and met Situ Qin’s gaze. With a flicker in his eyes, he glanced at the guards’ bodies littering the ground before them.

Situ Qin’s face had been pale with anger, but she faltered upon seeing Xie Yuan’s subtle expression. She instantly understood his meaning, took a slow step back, and brought out her Guqin.

Xie Yuan stared at the bodies of the guards and attendants on the ground, thinking silently:

’If this Mr. Qian were immensely powerful, he would have worked with Elder Chen and the others to stop us directly. He wouldn’t so easily abandon this human trafficking hub that they’ve operated for so long, spanning several prefectures. The fact that he’s hiding in the shadows, letting Elder Chen die in despair, and not showing himself even as we dismantle this place... it means his strength can’t be that much greater than ours...’

Xie Yuan’s eyes narrowed. He drew his Long Sword, which transformed directly into a giant axe, and his aura began to build.

The atmosphere in the area suddenly grew tense, and a silence fell.

A few breaths later, an attendant with a blood-covered face suddenly scrambled up from the pile of bodies. He shot out in an instant, becoming a faint shadow.

Xie Yuan, only halfway through gathering his power, swung his axe. A small, crescent-shaped blade of light shot toward the man’s back. At the same time, Situ Qin struck a heavy chord with her slender hand, unleashing a long-awaited explosive burst of musical energy, filled with rage, that instantly caught up to the shadow!

Struck by both attacks, the shadow erupted in a dazzling flash of light, as if something had shattered.

He staggered for a moment, then accelerated again, his back shrinking into the distance in the blink of an eye.

’So fast?’

Xie Yuan’s eyes flew open. He channeled his energy into his feet and roared:

"After him!"

Situ Qin was not a fraction slower. She had already slung the Guqin onto her back and dashed forward, crying out anxiously:

"That’s Yongyang Qian! That’s Gentle Breeze Step, their family’s secret art! Its escape speed is astonishing!"

The two of them used Cloud Dragon Step at full power, giving chase. In the blink of an eye, they were far away.

The common folk and farmers left behind stared blankly as the figures vanished into black dots. From beginning to end, they had no idea what had just happened.

Scholar Fan squinted, thinking the fleeting figure looked somewhat familiar. But his old eyes were blurry, and he had no cultivation, so he couldn’t see clearly. He could only turn his gaze back to the field of bodies. Seeing the victims he had just examined one by one, their once-vibrant lives now just a pile of corpses, he suddenly felt dizzy.

He had been resentful and regretful that his daughter wasn’t among them, but now he was suddenly thankful she wasn’t here.

But then, Scholar Fan’s face slowly turned deathly pale. He stared at the field of bodies, said nothing, and began walking back to Wu River County in a daze.

He walked to a tavern not far from the city gate and sat down, overhearing many people discussing the incident outside the city. News always traveled fast; everyone in the city already knew.

Scholar Fan tremblingly pulled out the few pieces of crushed silver from his chest—the very ones Xie Yuan had given him.

"Waiter, a pot of wine and a plate of beef, please."

Scholar Fan was well-known in the city for having gone door-to-door searching for his daughter more than once. The waiter recognized the distraught old man and was about to be impatient, but upon seeing he had money, he put on a smile and served the wine and meat.

Scholar Fan ate meat and drank wine for the first time in a long while. Strength slowly returned to his body, but his heart remained cold as ice.

His legs now felt steady beneath him. He left the tavern, quickened his pace, and walked to the entrance of the county yamen. Taking a deep breath, he struck the "Drum of Grievances."

BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—

Scholar Fan struck the drum with all the strength he had ever possessed in his life, as if trying to smash it to pieces.

The government officials rushed forward to stop him. It took two of them working together a considerable effort to subdue the frail old beggar and drag him into the main hall.

Yao Zhizhang hastily put on his official’s hat and sat down on the high chair, his expression shifting uncertainly.

He had already received the news and was at his wit’s end. And now someone was striking the drum?

Yao Zhizhang’s face darkened. He decided that if the commoner below couldn’t give him a proper reason, he’d lock him up for two days to teach him a lesson.

But when he saw the man’s graying hair and gaunt face, he froze for a moment, then frowned and said:

"Brother Fan, what are you doing here? This official is busy. If you need money..."

"Yao Zhizhang, when have I ever asked you for money?"

Scholar Fan looked up at the County Magistrate sitting beneath the "Serve the People with Justice" plaque and pointed an accusatory finger.

"Yao Zhizhang, you swore to me that the kidnappers were just roving criminals from Yanzhou! How is it that their base was less than five li from the city walls, and you, the County Magistrate, couldn’t see it?!"

Hearing that this was the reason, Yao Zhizhang’s expression turned ugly. His brow furrowed as he said slowly:

"This official has only just learned of this matter and is investigating it thoroughly. Please, calm yourself..."

"Only just learned?! You are the ’parent official’ of this land, yet you only just learned about such a cancer in our midst! And I actually thought you were capable, honest, and incorruptible! It turns out you can’t even manage what’s right under your nose! How many people have been harmed?! How many! More than a hundred people just died—the precious daughters of over a hundred families!"

Scholar Fan was so angry his beard trembled.

Yao Zhizhang suppressed his temper:

"I told you, I am investigating..."

"Investigating my ass! You’ve been in Wu River for years! The boat gangs have grown more and more powerful, life has gotten harder and harder for ordinary boatmen and fishermen, and more and more of the common folk’s children have gone missing! To think I defended you and sympathized with you, saying it must be difficult for an outsider official to balance the interests of the local gentry! Look what you’ve done!"

Scholar Fan’s hair and beard seemed to stand on end as he roared:

"I’m asking you, they all say you took silver from Meng Hesheng! Is it true?! They say you worked with the boat gangs to traffic people! Is it true?!"