Chapter 16 Betrayal
Everyone should know in the heart of Huang Wei, Sikong Jing had always been the evil G.o.d who dominated the fate of disciples of Shennong Faction.
Now, “the invincible G.o.d” was turned into a pile of rotten meat.
And the person who killed Sikong Jing was the young county magistrate who he actually despised in the court a few days ago.
If time could go backwards, Huang Wei really hoped that he had kneeled down on the ground and called Li Mu father instead of insulting this young county magistrate the other day in the court.
While eating a tasty roast snake, Li Mu smiled and looked at Huang Wei’s expression.
How could he waste this great opportunity when he could show off?
What Li Mu liked to see was that those who dared to laugh at him were frightened by him in just a time of the blink of an eye.
That felt so d.a.m.n good!
“Your. Your. Your. Your… Your Honour. Please forgive me.” Huang Wei was scared to death after seeing Li Mu’s look.
Li Mu laughed loudly, “Your. Your. Your. Your… Your what… Wow. Hahahaha. It seemed that day in the court you were very arrogant?”
“I should die. I should die…” Huang Wei kowtowed again and again to beg for pardon.
Li Mu was really happy and said, “Ah. I remembered that day you said what I said in the Taibai County did not count. Now, can you tell me who says will count?”
“Well…” Huang Wei was scared to death. He didn’t expect this young county magistrate to be so vengeful. He s.h.i.+vered and said, “I am a fool. I should go to h.e.l.l… In this county, you are the true master and what you say counts.”
At this time, Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing realized that the so-called “an important matter” referred to settling accounts with the shopkeeper of Magical Medicine Pharmacy Huang Wei. Was he too vengeful?
Both of them felt speechless.
But Li Mu did not care about their feelings.
This Huang Wei was so pretentious on that day, so today he should be taught some lessons.
A man with a strong body was able to hold up the heavens and to support the earth. If a man could not teach those people, who once humiliated him, a lesson, could he still be called a man?
At this moment, it was the best time to answer Huang Wei back.
“I remember that day, you said let me ask how important your Magical Medicine Pharmacy was in this county. Today, I came to Shennong Faction to ask about it. It seemed that Sikong Jing was not willing to tell me, so I had to send him on the road of h.e.l.l. Mr Huang. Why don’t you tell me the answer in person?” Li Mu asked solemnly as he ate barbecue.
Huang Wei was scared to urinate.
“Magical Medicine Pharmacy is nothing. Your honour…” Huang Wei regretted so much.
Li Mu sighed and said, “What exactly happened in that case with Zhang Li. Can you tell me now?”
“Well…” Huang Wei s.h.i.+vered badly and instinctively wanted to defend himself, but after he saw Sikong Jing’s broken corpse near the pool and Li Mu’s seemingly smiling look, he suddenly dared not to take any more chances and honestly told the truth that how he ordered the apprentices of Magical Medicine Pharmacy to trick and plunder the poor Zhang Li’s pharmacy.
“Your honour. I will tell you the truth. I committed a crime. I should go to h.e.l.l… But please give me a chance to live. I will make a fresh start in life and be a good man.” After Huang Wei finished, he cried and cried bitterly, with a very contrite look, pleading bitterly.
Li Mu put down the barbecue in his hand, and his look suddenly became sad.
“Make a fresh start in life? How easy for you to say that. Mr Huang. You might be a different person, but how about Zhang Li and her daughter. Zhang Xiaoqin was only a child. Do you know what she had experienced in this h.e.l.l-like Shennong Faction? Do you know that? Can you imagine that? Fine. If you can make Zhang Xiaoqin’s family come back to life, I will give you a chance to be a new man, okay? ”
When Huang Wei heard Li Mu’s words, his eyes showed despair as if he was electrocuted.
“Your honour. You are so hard-hearted…” He stared at Li Mu with a curse in his eyes.
Li Mu looked at his vicious eyes directly and smiled calmly, “My cruelty is less than one-tenth of yours… Remember, in the next life, do more good things and do not show off.”
As Li Mu finished his words, he gave power to his toes and then a stone was spurted from the ground, piercing Huang Wei’s forehead.
This shopkeeper, whose crimes were inexpiable, of Magical Medicine Pharmacy finally died. His sinful life ended that way.
Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing beside Li Mu suddenly felt something was wrong.
Did the young county magistrate kill Huang Wei to scare them?
Li Mu turned his head to look at them and said, “You also saw that Huang Wei himself confessed his crime. According to imperial law, he should be executed so I just killed him. This is not an act of revenge, isn’t it?”
Was he not retaliating?
The so-called an important matter was bringing Huang Wei from Magical Medicine Pharmacy to the grotto, scaring him, and then killing this unimportant person at such a moment?
Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing were complaining in their heart, but of course, they would not say a word about that.
“Of course not. Of course not. Your honour. You serve people with your heart and soul. How can you do such things like revenge?”
“Haha. Your honour. What you did was so right. Those who look upon human lives as if they were gra.s.s should be cut into pieces.”
Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing complimented Li Mu a lot.
To tell the truth, even two hours ago, they could not imagine that they would utter such flattering words to this young county magistrate.
Li Mu nodded and said, “That’s good. Here is my order: Hang the body of this villain at the stone forest entrance of the Shennong Faction headquarter. Post a notice, clarifying Huang Wei’s sins to alert others. Anyone will end up like Huang Wei if they dare to trick and plunder other people’s property in this county in the future.”
Several guards said “Yes” loudly and rushed to take Huang Wei’s body away.
Li Mu thought for a moment and added, “My order: None of the criminals in Magical Medicine Pharmacy must be released. All the criminals must be arrested, interrogated to find out their actual master. Whoever is involved will be convicted according to the Empire’s Law.” Li Mu’s voice, as if it was a large bell, echoed in the grotto. Everyone felt the unshakable will in his voice.
“Yes. Your honour.”
Warm-blooded guards responded spontaneously and loudly.
Li Mu nodded, but in his mind, the tragic scene of Zhang Li and her daughter reappeared, and he could not help but feel guilty.
Li Mu thought he could have dealt with this case better and saved the lives of the mother and daughter, but because of his carelessness, hesitation, and taking too much for granted… For various reasons, two innocent lives died in this devil’s cave.
How could this world be so sinister?
How could people in such world so cruel?
Li Mu did not feel well.
He destroyed the Shennong Faction headquarter on his own but did not let out the anger.
It was not just a small Shennong Faction that had caused such a situation.
The real culprit, the so-called “real boss” who controlled the whole sinfulness behind everyone’s back although he or she might not really kill someone, was still at large.
At this time, here came the sound of footsteps afar.
It was the secretary Feng Yuanxing who came in with a team of people.
Zhou Wu’s eyes lit up when he saw Feng Yuanxing.
He had ordered Feng Yuanxing to search among the ruins for evidence that Dians.h.i.+ janitor Zheng Longxing had collaborated with the Shennong Faction. Had he found that?
Zhou Wu thought Feng Yuanxing followed him and acted as his think tank for so many years, and really helped him to solve many problems, which proved to be a loyal person. Well, as long as he became the county magistrate, he would put Feng Yuanxing in an important position because he was able to shoulder important tasks.
Thinking of this, Zhou Wu cast an inquiring look at Feng Yuanxing to show he wanted to know the results of his searching.
But n.o.body knew that Feng Yuanxing did not even look at Zhou Wu this time, but went straight to Li Mu, kneeling on one knee, and said, “Your honour. I am the secretary of Taibai County, Feng Yuanxing.”
Li Mu sat on the stone chair casually and glanced at him without saying anything. He just ate the snake meat eagerly.
“Your honour. I led people to clean up the battlefield among the ruins of the Shennong Faction and placed innocent women and the poor people in the ruins to a safe place. I also captured 171 survivors of the Shennong Faction. They have been temporarily detained. Your honour. Please tell me how to deal with them.” Feng Yuanxing lowered his head, ignoring Zhou Wu’s frequent inquiring looks.
Li Mu still ignored him.
He seemed to be really hungry, eating meat eagerly, and the golden oil flowed down from his mouth.
Feng Yuanxing bit his teeth hard, seemed to make a bold decision, and said, “Your honour. There is another matter too important for me to hide. In order to get rid of the punishment, several senior disciples of Shennong Faction were willing to testify that Dians.h.i.+ janitor Zheng Longxing had collaborated with the Shennong Faction and killed innocent people…”
“Shut up.” Zheng Longxing was furious and shouted, “Feng Yuanxing. How dare are you to slander me? You…”
“Ah. Dians.h.i.+ janitor Zheng. Don’t be so impatient. Let secretary Feng finish his words. You will be innocent if you are truly innocent. What are you afraid of, Dians.h.i.+ janitor Zheng?” Zhou Wu, on the other side, was very happy, and he thought that Feng Yuanxing was good at picking the time to reveal Zheng Longxing’s crime when the young county magistrate was really angry. If he said more bad things about Zheng Longxing to Li Mu, then Zheng Longxing would definitely game over, because, in the Empire of the Great Qin Dynasty, the county magistrate had the great power to put somebody to a death penalty.
However, Feng Yuanxing continued talking before Zhou Wu finished his words, “There is another disciple of Shennong Faction who claimed to be the spy of Deputy county magistrate, Zhou Wu. In order to get away from his punishment, he testified Zhou Wu was the real master who attacked the Medical Center and killed the guard Zhang Ru to intensify the contradiction between you and Dians.h.i.+ janitor Zheng… At the same time, they were also ready to take this opportunity to a.s.sa.s.sinate you. Your honour.”
“Shut up.” Zhou Wu shouted in surprise this time, “Feng Yuanxing. What are you talking about? You… I always treated you well. You… You have the gut to slander me. You…”
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Those guys could sell their mothers if it helped them survive…
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Chapter 17 Ripping Open the Face
Zheng Longxing, the Dians.h.i.+ janitor aside heard so, took a kind of dark pleasure, and said, “Well, Mr. Zhou, calm down. Let Mr. Feng finish first. Don’t be afraid. Mr. Zhou, as the old saying goes, the wise man knows he knows nothing, the fool thinks he knows all.”
Zheng Longxing repeated what Zhou Wu had said just now.
Zhou Wu trembled with anger.
He had never dreamed that Feng Yuanxing, who had been always obedient and weak would betray him at this critical moment, and deceive him… What a liar! He had deceived him before.
Li Mu grinned while eating the kebab as if it had nothing to do with him at all.
It was so interesting and Li Mu was just there watching as if he was not involved at all.
And little Ming Yue didn’t care about the wheeling-and-dealing a.s.sociated with the lives among the adults.
She drooled over the sight of food. She got several big arrows, cut the meat off the green snake and baked it.
But the little boy Qing Feng was there as if he was thinking about something with the expression of an adult.
Feng Yuanxing knelt on the ground and didn’t dare to get up while cold sweat trickled down from his forehead.
Li Mu was in such gesture, which confused him. Though he was clever, he could not figure out what the county magistrate was thinking at this moment.
He thought this impulsive and furious county magistrate might burst into anger and condemn Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing after his report, since he knew this little county magistrate was so impulsive from the matter of Shennong Faction today.
However, Li Mu’s reaction made him feel unsure and scared gradually.
The noise of many footsteps sounded.
Ma Junwu brought a doctor from the Medical Center to treat Li Mu.
This doctor seemed at his forties with a thin figure. He had seen Li Mu at the Medical Center before. At that time, he was feeling so angry with an numbness look as if he was losing all hope of this world. For him, there was nothing worse than apathy. But now, as he saw Li Mu, he was filled with wors.h.i.+p and fanaticism.
He could never believe that this young county magistrate had really smashed the Shennong Faction on his own and revenged the wounded in the Medical Center.
After obtaining his consent, he checked Li Mu’s injuries. Then he became more surprised and respectful.
The arrow pierced and shot through the bone. Other people might get dizzy due to the pain, but for Li Mu, he was indeed an extraordinary person who could accomplish great things since he was having the roast with a painless look.
“Your honor, I need to get the arrow out before binding up the wound, and you may feel a little pain. Please endure it for a while.” This doctor was so careful and prepared to clean the sc.r.a.ps of bone around the wound.
“OK,” said Li Mu as he nodded. “Let me do it by myself.”
He held the arrow with a backhand and pulled it out directly.
“Biu…” With this sound, the arrow blood shot out and sprayed on Feng Yuanxing who was kneeling in front. It really scared this deep-minded secretary that he screamed and stepped back, and made him look so terrified. Li Mu didn’t notice him and took out the fine steel wolf teeth arrow, wiped the blood on the body’s clothes of Sikong Jing. He looked so natural and continued with the snake roast.
“Now you can bind it up now, right?” he ate, turned around and looked at the doctor who was surprised as if he found a ghost, smiled and said, “What about the roast? The snake tastes very good.”
“No no no… Master…You are really amazing.”
That doctor came to himself; he looked at Li Mu with a more fanatical look as if he was watching at the G.o.d, and then bound the wound for Li Mu quickly.
While Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing saw this, they couldn’t help shuddering.
This young county magistrate was really a fantastic person.
There were barbs on the fine steel wolf teeth arrow and the flesh was taken out when it was pulled out, the wound became a blood hole. However, Li Mu was quite calm, and it was so terrible since he was so perseverant. So, why could they regard him as a low person? Had they known about this, they should have worked together to kill Li Mu first rather than that they couldn’t help killing each other.
They stared at each other and felt perturbed.
Now those two great giants regretted.
A moment later.
Li Mu’s wound had been bandaged.
He stood up, patted the belly, moaned with satisfaction and said, “Good, I’m stuffed; that’s comfortable.”
He turned back and looked at the snake corpse and there was still about nine out of ten left. Then he instructed the little attendant Ming Yue and said, “Well, food aficionado, just stop now. Go and find someone to get this snake to the government office, we can enjoy it for several days… Remember, keep it in the ice house and don’t get it rotten.”
“All right…” Although Ming Yue was also full, she was still wolfing down.
After she finished one, she stood up with satisfaction, wiped the mouth with her white and soft hand. She smiled and called Ma Junwu to come before she lifted the enormous green python and walked outside the cave with dozens of guards.
Li Mu patted Qing Feng on the shoulder and said, “You can be with them. I’m a little concerned about that girl since she’s a little careless.”
Hesitating for a while, Qing Feng found that there seemed to be nothing wrong with Li Mu. Li Mu waved his hands to stop before he wanted to say something since Li Mu knew it already. So Qing Feng left with the doctor from the Medical Center.
s.h.i.+nning from the grotto courtyard, the afternoon suns.h.i.+ne had brought silver arrows, and smoke could be seen flying wildly in the light.
There were only Li Mu as well as the people that led by Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing in the whole grotto.
Li Mu returned to the stone chair slowly and picked up the big white bow from Sikong Jing’s body and played with it. Then he inserted the 20 fine steel wolf teeth arrows on the ground aside, looked up at those people and said, “d.a.m.n, who’s overriding and playing tricks behind me these days?”
“What?”
Not only Zhou Wu, but also Zheng Longxing was a little shocked at this moment.
What shocked them was not Li Mu’s content but his posture and the tone when he asked.
It didn’t sound like a high-ranking county magistrate who was asking questions, but rather like a bruised street gang who was speaking as he brought in reinforcements after the fight on the street.
“Well…” Zhou Wu became extremely gloomy on his face.
While Zheng Longxing kept silent there, he didn’t fan up the flames of trouble.
He had realized that it was a little dangerous today in such a situation, and he would be so wrong if he were ripping open the face with Zhou Wu now though he had always wanted to kill Zhou Wu many times. It might be possible that he might work together with Zhou Wu secretly and deal with this young county magistrate this time to get through today’s difficulties.
“d.a.m.n, you dared to do but dared not to say? What a coward!” Li Mu smiled coldly.
Then he glanced at Feng Yuanxing and said, “What you said just now is true?”
Feng Yuanxing felt the amnesty. He wiped the sweat from his brow and said, “I dare to pledge my life.”
“Well, Mr. Feng, you have to think well before you answer. Your life is not worth much anymore.” Zhou Wu said with a cold smile there. At this time, he felt greater anger with Feng Yuanxing as he betrayed him rather than the hatred towards the enemy of Zheng Longxing. However, he was quite clear that he had to work with Zheng Longxing this time and get through this crisis first no matter how reluctant he was.
“Yes, Mr. Feng. You have to think clearly. Do you know what does it mean by your words?” The Dians.h.i.+ janitor Zheng Longxing said with a poker face, which showed obvious threat sense as he talked.
Li Mu smiled and said, “d.a.m.n, how dare you to be pretending to be something in front of me… To be honest, it makes me sick when I talk to you two clowns.”
Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing hummed. They kept straight and showed no smile at Li Mu on their faces as before.
They were quite sure that it might not solve the problem only by admitting their mistakes at this time.
Though they were not communicating directly, they made a tacit agreement after so many years’ fighting with each other, and now they were determined to deal with Li Mu together.
But Li Mu didn’t notice them and he looked at Feng Yuanxing. As he was playing with the bow and arrow in his hand, he asked carefully, “Tell me, what is the sin according to the law of the Empire… while they colluded the Shennong Faction to harm innocent people and tried to kill me?”
“They should be beheaded.” Feng Yuanxing was completely firm and said word by word.
As he said so, Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing paled suddenly.
d.a.m.n, Feng Yuanxing just wanted to proceed without hesitation.
“Good job, Mr. Feng, I will get even with you later,” Zheng Longxing said with a grim look.
He had planned and waited today to find an opportunity to kill Feng Yuanxing, who was not local without any background.
Zhou Wu didn’t speak but kept sneering.
For those who were familiar with him, it was his expression when Zhou Wu got too angry and wanted to kill.
“h.e.l.lo, mice, anything more you want to say now?” Li Mu looked at those two giant men.
Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing hummed at the same time. At this situation, they showed no fear towards Li Mu, and they didn’t worry that Li Mu might really kill them. As a result, they just dealt with him courteously but without sincerity at this moment.
“h.e.l.lo, Mr. Li, now everything is over here, I can leave now,” Zhou Wu Said, poker-faced.
“I also have something to do, so Mr. Li, you can clean up the mess here,” Zheng Longxing also sneered.
They were pondering and wondering how to deal with Li Mu, the powerful county magistrate after they were back. Li Mu was just alone without foundation no matter how powerful he was, and how could he manage to deal with the power with 20 years’ management? Well, let’s wait and see.
Li Mu also nodded and said, “All right, I will not persuade you to stay since you want to leave.”
…