Chapter 228: Director Yang, There’s No Need to Burn Me to Death, Right?

In the inner courtyard, Yang Ling had Shen Shuyan lead him to dig out all the wealth he had hoarded over the years.

"Ten thousand taels in silver notes?"

Yang Ling said casually, "You're a city magistrate. Logically speaking, you shouldn't have only this much money after all these years."

Shen Shuyan replied, "Most of our Heavenly Wolf Guard's funding has to be self-raised, and all of it went into that. I had quite a few subordinates. Before, they got implicated because of the He Dongfeng incident—some were arrested, others were killed. Now, there’s still a portion lying low and not making a move. I’ll write you a list later."

"Don’t wait until later. Write it now. I’ll take a look at the other stuff."

Yang Ling said with a faint smile.

Shen Shuyan immediately sat down and began grinding ink to write the list.

Yang Ling, meanwhile, inspected Shen Shuyan’s other possessions.

Besides the silver notes, Shen Shuyan had also stockpiled a batch of Foundation Consolidation Pills and Spirit Nurturing Pills.

"Ten Foundation Consolidation Pills..."

Yang Ling opened the wooden box and glanced at it, somewhat surprised.

Then he opened the other wooden boxes. Inside were all Spirit Nurturing Pills.

Twenty-four in total.

"Including my six, that makes exactly thirty."

These items were definitely going to be confiscated for the public treasury.

With that, Yang Ling’s Foundation Consolidation Pill reserves increased from 160 back up to 170.

His Spirit Nurturing Pills also reached thirty.

"These pills were all tributes from subordinates over the years, and some were purchased by me personally. A good chunk of our funding was spent on them."

Shen Shuyan said while writing the list.

Yang Ling put away the silver notes, Foundation Consolidation Pills, and Spirit Nurturing Pills, then stood beside Shen Shuyan to read the list he was writing.

There were already over a dozen names on it.

Shen Shuyan wrote a full thirty-something names before stopping his brush.

"They’re all here."

He blew on the ink, then handed the list to Yang Ling: "Now that you’ve arrested me, with this list, you can still move up a rank in the future."

Yang Ling smiled and put away the list. Lan Jiao’s name was not on it.

"He Dongfeng was lying low in Changhe Prefectural Capital, using his Mining Guild identity to secretly transport various ores to the Rong tribe."

"You were the city magistrate in Tingjiang City, remotely controlling the Rong tribe spies under your command. Besides sending back intelligence, what else were you responsible for?"

Shen Shuyan said expressionlessly, "On a daily basis, I just passed along important intelligence. To avoid exposing my identity, I wouldn’t send back ordinary information. Besides that, I was waiting for the higher-ups to activate me at any time. When there was nothing to do, I just lay low."

The sound of Shen Shuyan’s heartbeat showed a slight deviation.

Though it was very faint, Yang Ling had a full 200 points in Spirit.

To him, this change was extremely obvious.

"Shen Shuyan, I can tell you have a strong will to survive. At this point, you should be straightforward with me. Lying doesn’t do you any good."

Yang Ling said with a faint smile. "I can see through your lies."

Shen Shuyan forced a bitter smile. "Director Yang, there’s no need to try to trick me. I’ve said everything I need to say. I just want to live."

"You don’t believe me. Alright, how about this—tell me a few things at random. Some of them should be true, some false. Let’s see if I can see through them."

Yang Ling smiled.

Shen Shuyan’s mind stirred, and he casually recounted four matters.

Yang Ling: "They’re all false."

"..."

Shen Shuyan’s face stiffened. At that moment, he truly began to believe the other man’s words.

"As Copper Two, I pride myself on having decent skills. I can face even a Prefectural Governor or Garrison Commander without changing my expression. How do you see through whether my words are true or false?"

Shen Shuyan stared at Yang Ling with a grave expression. "The Heavenly Wolf Guard really should have killed you at any cost. Otherwise, your existence poses a huge threat to the Heavenly Wolf Guard!"

Yang Ling laughed. "The Heavenly Wolf Guard has already tried very hard to kill me. It just depends on whether they have the ability."

Shen Shuyan was silent for a long time, then said slowly, "There’s one of our people at the Bitter Awareness Temple. He should be from the Silver Generation, but I don’t know who he is. My mission was to cooperate with that person to find a first-rate internal technique method."

Yang Ling’s pupils tightened slightly.

His reaction seemed perfectly normal to Shen Shuyan.

"Anyone would be tempted by a first-rate internal technique method. Director Yang, you’re no exception."

Shen Shuyan said with a half-smile. "If this method fell into your hands, Director Yang, I doubt you’d choose to turn it in, would you?"

"People say that a third-rate internal technique can make someone a Seventh-Rank expert, and a second-rate internal technique can make someone a Fourth-Rank Grandmaster. That statement is correct, but becoming a Seventh-Rank expert by practicing a third-rate internal technique still makes you the weakest among Seventh-Ranks! Becoming a Fourth-Rank Grandmaster by practicing a second-rate internal technique isn’t just being the weakest—it also requires ten times the effort of those martial artists who practice first-rate techniques!"

He paused, "Director Yang’s prospects are limitless. I believe the Ironclad Department has already bestowed upon you the Ironclad Divine Armor Sutra, which is a second-rate internal technique. However... that’s where it ends. No matter how outstanding your performance is in the future, you’ll never have the chance to practice a first-rate internal technique."

"Is that so?"

Yang Ling mused, "Tell me more about your mission."

"This mission was personally issued by the Heavenly Wolf Guard Commander. He said that a first-rate internal technique method might be hidden in the Bitter Awareness Temple."

"The temple itself denies this, and maybe they really don’t know. After all, if there really was a first-rate technique, Zhao State and the Four Top-Tier Sects wouldn’t turn a blind eye to it."

"But as long as there’s even a glimmer of hope, we can’t let it go."

"A first-rate internal technique—the value it holds is something I’m sure Director Yang understands. Unfortunately, I’ve been in Tingjiang City for years, and this mission still hasn’t made the slightest progress."

Shen Shuyan let out a sigh.

"Even if it really exists, would that Silver Generation member lying low in the Bitter Awareness Temple let it leave the temple? He’d naturally practice it himself."

Yang Ling said with a faint smile. "I think this mission is pure fantasy."

"If there’s even a single possibility, we have to try. That’s how the Heavenly Wolf Guard operates."

Shen Shuyan said, "These words of mine, Director Yang, do you think they’re true or false?"

"True."

Yang Ling gave a slight nod.

Shen Shuyan’s face showed a complicated expression. "You really should die..."

"We’ll talk about that later. For now, I can’t die yet."

With that, Yang Ling began chatting idly with Shen Shuyan.

They continued until Wen Kongxuan’s team arrived at this location.

Yang Ling met with Wen Kongxuan alone, exchanged a few words, then took Shen Shuyan and left Tingjiang City that very night.

Seeing Yang Ling casually carrying him and skimming across the mountains, Shen Shuyan was somewhat surprised. "Aren’t you planning to stay there and wait for the Sixth-Rank expert from the Heavenly Wolf Guard to show up? With over two hundred constables from the Ironclad Department and the garrison troops from Tingjiang City, you should have a chance to fight a Sixth-Rank."

"Am I an idiot?"

Yang Ling let out a sarcastic laugh and stopped paying Shen Shuyan any attention.

Late at night, Yang Ling arrived at the Vermilion Gold Mine in Green Mountain City with Shen Shuyan in tow.

Before entering the mine shaft, he casually grabbed a few buckets of fire oil he had left there earlier.

Throughout the entire process, Yang Ling didn’t alert a single person.

Not even Wu Xiaochen and the others knew that Yang Ling had already returned to the mine shaft and brought a living person with him.

Arriving at the stone cavern where the Tyrant Ghost Spider had previously laid its eggs, Yang Ling felt a slight sense of relief in his heart.

That way, even if a Sixth-Rank expert came looking for him, they would never find this place.

As long as he waited for Lu Yunchen to reach Tingjiang City, this matter would be settled.

Watching Yang Ling slowly pour the fire oil onto the ground,

Shen Shuyan’s expression shifted slightly. "Director Yang, there’s no need to burn me to death, right? I see there’s an underground river here. Maybe you could consider drowning me instead?"