Early in the morning, a group of carriages left Singe City the moment the city gates first opened, following the official path towards River Province"s Scorching Sun City.
The retiring Justice Sector official Qin Zhiyan moved aside the carriage curtain, giving Singe City"s outlines that were becoming more and more distant a look, inwardly feeling an indescribable emotion, as well as a true feeling of ease.
In the decades of time he spent as an official in East Forest Province, he had a rather clear name, but in reality, he secretly controlled some illegal black market businesses, the biggest one among them his weapons smuggling business.
When he just happened to have the chance to enter this type of black market business, he still inwardly felt some shame and guilt, thinking that so many Yunqin"s soldiers would die under his business, under these non-standard weapons made by civilian master craftsmen, their quality even better than standard weapons. However, as time went on, as the wealth that entered his hands increased, he slowly became numb to this type of shame and guilt and then they completely vanished.
Ever since three years ago, he already began to plan the latter half of his life.
Wealth that could be used, enjoyed and spent was true wealth. When it was piled up in his hands, if he couldn"t use it, or if there was no way to use it, no way to enjoy this wealth, it would instead become shackles.
Since he was a Justice Sector official to begin with, Qin Zhiyan understood extremely clearly that Yunqin would continue to examine their officials for five years after they left their post. He had confidence that within five years, his wealth wouldn"t be exposed, and he also had confidence in his own body. As long as he could lay low for these next five years, what awaited him were several decades of great pleasure.
However, he didn"t have any confidence in those of his own subordinates he had before. It was because even if he completely handed this business of his to trusted aides, once those trusted aides did anything wrong, there would be a high chance of him being linked together with them. It was to the extent where even if those trusted aids and people who understood his background were to similarly wash themselves clean, he couldn"t be sure that he would not be involved because of other matters.
He himself had seen countless corrupted officials who had already left their office, but because they didn"t completely cut off all ties, they still ended up being involved.
This was especially the case in recent years when even the imperial princess was interfering to uncover corruption, forcing him to be even more careful. Only the dead were best at keeping secrets. That was why in the past half year, he already prepared a purge that would span across more than two years, a.s.sa.s.sinating those who needed to be a.s.sa.s.sinated, carrying out criminal charges on those who he had to do this against and directly killing those who knew about his secrets or throwing them in prison.
All of his wives and children had already returned home. In this carriage, other than him, the rest were all deathsworn soldiers who had followed him for a long time, as well as cultivators who he didn"t share any relations.h.i.+ps with. The only thing he was worried about along the way was if there were any officials he offended during his few decades as an official, if they would make things difficult for him while clearing customs.
Now, this Singe City was already the last city in East Forest Province. Even if it were those officials he had offended before, they shouldn"t have the ability to reach their hands into other provinces. That was why right now, as he watched Singe City that was getting further and further away, it was as if he was completely saying goodbye to his previous life, completely restarting his own life.
…
The fleet gradually proceeded, getting further and further away.
Singe City finally completely disappeared from Qin Zhiyan"s line of sight.
At the edge of the official path appeared a convenient simple noodle soup shop for pa.s.sing traders and fleets.
The boss who was currently kneading dough was a large headed dwarf. A peasant man was currently bringing over lotus roots he had just dug out from the side of a small path, looking like he wanted to stop over for a bit at this shop to rest his feet.
A bald large and tall porter currently had his back towards this official path, eating noodles.
A white-haired old woman set up a basket of apricots, selling them not far from the noodle shop.
When Qin Zhiyan saw these things from outside the carriage"s curtains, he didn"t feel like anything was off. Of course, there was no way he would have any type of interest towards this type of roadside noodle soup, there was no way his carriage would stop either.
The carriage fleet pa.s.sed by the simple and crude noodle soup shop.
However, right at this moment, the driver of the first carriage suddenly pulled back the horse"s reins.
The fleet"s speed suddenly slowed down.
A youngster dressed in a long sleeved green gown walked over from an alley overgrown with weeds, on his back a long cloth strip.
This youngster"s appearance was rather inflexible and cold, carrying an indescribably gloomy and cold aura. Moreover, he walked straight to the center of this official path, facing this fleet as he walked over.
“Who are you?!”
A fierce shout sounded from the driver of the first carriage, his eyes immediately releasing cold radiance.
Qin Zhiyan who could feel the fleet slow down already felt his entire body go cold, an extreme feeling of inauspiciousness flooding his mind. When this driver shouted out, he already moved aside the curtains, also seeing that cold-faced, green gowned youngster who blocked the road.
Two ordinarily dressed middle-aged men who were standing as straight as poles immediately stood in front of his window curtain, using their bodies to block in front of the carriage window.
“I want what"s between this carriage fleet. If you do not wish to die, then hurry and leave the carriage.”
Right at this time, the green-robed youngster at the center of the path already coldly spoke.
What"s between this carriage fleet… when he heard these words, the round face of Qin Zhiyan who originally already felt like he completely bid his past life farewell suddenly turned snow-white, his entire body unable to help but start trembling.
The first carriage"s driver"s brows jumped, about to shout out. However, right at this time, a loud shout suddenly rang out from the second carriage. “Ah… you actually don"t know the difference between life and death, carrying out a robbery in broad daylight!” Right at this time, a rather obese figure crazily charged out from the carriage. “Let me see just who you are!”
It wasn"t just this first carriage, most people in this fleet were stunned.
“Could it be that all of us misjudged him before?”
This thought immediately appeared in the mind of the driver of the first carriage.
The young fatty who rushed out from the second carriage was named Zhou Chi, the feeling he gave most people normally was one of extreme cowardice, the type who didn"t even dare listen to some b.l.o.o.d.y stories. It was only because he was introduced by an armed escort they were familiar with, together with the fact that he was a mid stage Soul Expert cultivator, that they thought that even if he was cowardly, when there was true fighting, he was still going to be much stronger than ordinary warriors, thus letting him onto this fleet.
Who would have thought that he would be the first to rush out? Moreover, none of them expected him to actually run this quickly, with such shocking might.
This young fatty was even carrying a rectangular package on his back, from the looks of it, it was not light. However, with each step he took, the floor would tremble, his fat body bouncing on the ground like a balloon, blasts of dust would spray out again and again. In an instant, he was already not that far from that green-robed youngster.
Lin Xi who was disguised as the Black Wolf was also stunned.
He already knew that there was an insider among this fleet, but he never expected this "Fat Wolf" insider to actually be… Meng Bai… the first b.u.mpkin good friend he got to know at Summer Spirit Lake. This fella was so scared of fighting that he frantically tried to get into Medicine Department, but ended up entering Internal Study Department, this little fatty Meng Bai who got fatter and fatter.
…
The white silk-clothed Meng Bai was running frantically.
He didn"t expect himself to run even faster than the limit of mid stage Soul Expert level, running so fast everyone around him was stupefied.
His eyes were basically br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears. The Lin Xi he wanted to meet was finally here.
However, he was still worried that Lin Xi wouldn"t immediately recognize him, so he frantically ran while madly winking in Lin Xi"s direction.
There was obviously no way Lin Xi wouldn"t recognize Meng Bai who didn"t wear any masks, having his original appearance. However, Meng Bai"s movements instead reminded him about something, making him suddenly become nervous as well, fearing that Lucky who was resting inside of his sleeves would turn the screaming and running Meng Bai into an ice sculpture.
As such, he extremely nervously moved his sleeves, reaching a hand over to stroke Lucky"s head. This was a signal that Lin Xi already told Lucky many times, its meaning for it to not do anything.
Then, he quickly moved his hands behind him.
Ah!
Meng Bai screamed out, rus.h.i.+ng towards Lin Xi with terrifying speed. Then, he came to a sudden stop, spurring on a huge blast of smoke and dust.
In that moment, everyone saw Meng Bai stick out a fermented meat bun-like fist, smas.h.i.+ng into Lin Xi"s body.
However, this fist really was too slow and too lacking in strength, almost as if he was scared of hurting Lin Xi, also as if he was trying to pop a soap bubble on Lin Xi"s body.
“The one in the third carriage is their leader! The daoist in the fifth carriage is their most formidable member! The seventh carriage has a pair of twins, both of them cultivators and there should be powerful hidden weapons hidden on their arms!”
Meng Bai reached out his fist, lightly pressing against Lin Xi"s body and then said this in rapid-fire succession in a hurry. Because he was out of breath, even his lips were starting to turn purple.
“Kill three! Avoid five! Watch seven!”
Lin Xi"s eyes flickered fiercely, an iron-blooded and biting cold voice instantly erupted from his mouth.
Not even waiting for Qin Zhiyan"s twelve carriages to snap out of their daze from Meng Bai"s strange and laughable fist, a large pot carrying boiling water already flew over.
This large iron pot that could cook an entire pig, under this dwarf"s full powered throw, splashed towards the third carriage.
Ah!
The driver and one of the guards of the third carriage didn"t have time to evade at all. Their bodies were completely drenched under scalding water, instantly releasing extremely miserable screams.
Before the white vapor of the boiling water completely scattered, the tall porter whose back was facing the pa.s.sage already drew a bronze-colored broadsword from his shoulder pole, rus.h.i.+ng at the third carriage.
The driver of the first carriage immediately leapt out, in his hands a short sword flickering with black light.
However, what met him was another carrying pole.
That peasant carrying two baskets of lotuses who just happened to be walking towards this path also rushed over, his shoulder pole smas.h.i.+ng fiercely towards this driver who was clearly also a cultivator.
The short sword that was flickering with black light sliced into this green bamboo shoulder pole.
The shoulder pole split into countless bamboo strips, inside of it a snake scale symboled black spear.
The peasant-like man released an exhale and shouted, fiercely releasing force. This driver whose hands were both holding the short sword shook, only feeling a chill running from his back to his chest. When he lowered his chest, he saw that the apricot selling old woman had unknowingly when already arrived behind him, a half scissor-like strange golden sharp blade already stabbing through his body, piercing through his heart and then coming out through his chest.