vstars Chapter 43 Zhang Maqiang
Chapter 43 Zhang Maqiang
The officials searched for the thieves in a great hurry, making a huge commotion that spread throughout the entire town, causing chaos and unrest.
But no one dared to take even half a step deeper into those muddy alleys; after all, the matter was public, and their lives were their own.
Half of the meager monthly salary had to be given to the officials above, euphemistically called "road-opening money."
But if you don't have any family members in official positions, no matter how much money you spend to pave the way, it's useless if you don't have any. Positions are limited; if you occupy one point, my position will be one point less.
Song Quyou did not hide, but walked openly in the mud alley. With a slight turn, he left Tangfang.
After leaving Tangfang, Song Quyou did not walk far. Instead, he found a sheltered spot and planned to catch up on his sleep, since he had been disturbed for half the night by the two crocodile demons.
……
When I woke up, it was already dark.
A faint crimson glow lingered on the western horizon, and wisps of smoke rose from the direction of Tangfang, creating a scene of peaceful tranquility amidst the everyday life of ordinary people.
Song Quyou stretched and planned to go to the owner of the pond's residence again under the cover of night.
As dusk deepened, Song Quyou returned to the blue-brick courtyard.
The corpse and bloodstains from the daytime had long been cleaned up; not a trace could be found on the bluestone tiles, as if nothing had ever happened. The courtyard was still filled with the scent of sandalwood, its smoke calming and soothing.
Song Quyou carefully lifted the roof tiles, revealing a gap, and looked down.
Three people were sitting in the main hall.
The pond owner, now dressed in a plain gray robe, sat upright in the main seat, adjusting his slightly tilted head, showing no trace of the disarray and folly he had displayed during the day. To his left sat the fat, burly head constable, whose trousers had been changed, but whose chubby face still twitched occasionally, making his large face appear even more greasy. To his right sat a gaunt, hunchbacked old man whom Song Quyou had never seen before, with a long, thin neck, a goatee, and a small official's hat on his head.
"Prime Minister, thanks to you today, even a mortal like me can experience the wonder of surviving a severed head."
The thin-necked, hunchbacked old man took a sip of fragrant tea and said softly, "Not at all, this is all thanks to the precious medicine bestowed by the Prefect. After taking the medicine, the shopkeeper has turned misfortune into blessing. Even if this body turns into vinegar and lees in the future, it can grow back."
After saying that, the prefect took out a jade box from his sleeve and pushed it in front of the fat official.
"The head instructor has worked hard today. If it weren't for him, that evil Taoist priest wouldn't have given up so easily."
The portly official, thick-skinned as ever, calmly picked up the jade box on the table, glanced at the dark pill inside, and asked, "Prime Minister, what is this?"
"The Lord knows the Chief's worries. This elixir can boost yang energy and restore youthful vigor."
Upon hearing about the therapeutic effect, the portly official raised an eyebrow, held up the jade box, and put on a fawning smile: "You've gone to so much trouble, Prime Minister. I am unworthy to accept such a precious medicine."
He said he felt guilty, but he had already stuffed the jade box into his sleeve with great speed.
The pond owner touched the newly grown, pinkish flesh around his neck, then looked at the prime minister who was blowing on the tea froth, and respectfully said:
"Prime Minister, if I may be so bold as to ask, how much more blood offerings does the Lord's seal require? After all, this is a peaceful year, and it's alright for a few people to die from time to time, but if we need people every day, we will be discovered sooner or later."
The thin-necked, hunchbacked old man took a sip of tea, shook his official hat, and said solemnly, "The Lord Prefect has his own plans regarding the sealing. You and I just need to do our jobs."
At this moment, the bed that had been laid out to the side was suddenly lifted, revealing a dark passageway from which a cold wind carrying moisture billowed out, causing the fire in the brazier inside the room to flicker.
Of the three people drinking tea inside, only the foreman was alarmed and hurriedly tried to escape.
The pond owner stopped the foreman and pointed to the three men in black robes who were slowly walking out, saying, "Foreman, don't panic, these are the magistrate's soldiers."
The fat constable looked at the gray-silver scales gleaming coldly beneath the black robe, which seemed to be much more imposing than the monster that had died during the day, causing him to swallow hard.
The thin-necked prime minister put down his teacup and casually pointed to the fish basket in the corner, saying, "Take those two fat fish with you."
The three crocodile demons did not move; instead, they looked up at the roof.
Song Quyou felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that his whereabouts had been exposed. Without further hesitation, he pushed off with his feet, causing the roof tiles to shatter, and he fell heavily to the ground.
Suddenly, rubble fell, raising a cloud of dust inside the house.
When Song Quyou landed, his sword was already drawn. A flash of blue light appeared in the room, and then three clanging sounds rang out in the dust.
This sword strike was fully charged, and the three crocodile demons were forced back by it. A straight, thin slit was torn open in their scales, and blood trickled out.
Having forced the crocodile demon back, Song Quyou raised his longsword and slashed at the thin-necked prime minister before the dust settled.
The prime minister was very clever; he shrank his neck and disappeared into his robes.
Song Quyou's sword also shifted, its blade slashing straight at the prime minister's chest.
The thin-necked old man neither dodged nor flinched, letting the sword blade fall upon him.
Zzzzz!
The sword's edge tore through the robe, revealing the dark golden tortoise shell beneath.
Song Quyou felt a jolt in his hand; this sword strike, delivered with all his might, had only left a shallow white mark on his opponent's chest.
When Song Quyou's first attack failed, he unleashed another cyan sword aura at the three crocodile demons who had surrounded him.
The three crocodile demons that had pounced on them collided with the cyan sword energy. Their silver-gray scales, gleaming coldly, broke cleanly, revealing deep, bone-revealing sword marks.
Song Quyou wanted to step forward and deliver another blow, but a cold wind suddenly billowed out from the dark passage. Although it had no power, it made Song Quyou feel dizzy, as if he saw a huge, ancient, fierce, dark golden eye. That solid gaze made his qi stagnate, and his sword qi almost dissipated.
Having given up, Song Quyou dodged and grabbed the fish basket in the corner. Taking advantage of the chaos, he leaped with the basket over the rubble and disappeared into the night.
The three crocodile demons wanted to give chase.
The thin-necked, hunchbacked prime minister raised his hand to stop them, saying, "There's no need to chase after them."
After saying that, he walked over to the three crocodile demons, looked at the crimson sword marks on their scales that revealed bone, and sighed:
"Since birth, the three of you have been strong warriors who have fought and devoured thousands of small crocodiles. Your scales are several times stronger than those of ordinary crocodile demons. I didn't expect that you still couldn't defend against that Taoist's sword."
After muttering to himself, the prefect looked at the somewhat frightened head constable, bowed respectfully, and said, "Head constable, that sorcerer is quite skilled, but he dares not defy the government. It's up to you now."
The portly official rose to return the greeting, and said guiltily, "Your Excellency, rest assured, I have already delivered the portrait of that sorcerer to the government office. With my maternal uncle keeping an eye on things, the entire Qiantang Prefecture will be under control by tomorrow."
……