Chapter 137: You Want to Kill Me? Go to the Underworld and Wait
Translator: DragonRider
That was a man disguised as a rich, middle-aged merchant, who had a couple of attendants with him and was standing among the crowd gazing in this direction. On the surface, he appeared very curious, just like any of the residents looking on around the scene, but the nervousness and anxiety in his eyes were manifest. He stared fixedly at the impersonated Jia Zhong who was being surrounded and attacked. When it was clear that the impostor wouldn’t be able to break through the ring of encirclement, he made an attempt to worm his way out of the crowd, which was an unmistakable indication that he was trying to flee.
Most importantly, the figure of this merchant bore an uncanny resemblance to that of Jia Zhong!
Ling Zhang summoned Head Constable Li and whispered something into his ears. Eyes of Head Constable Li lit up and he beckoned all Yamen runners over with a wave of his hand, who then followed him into the crowd.
Ling Zhang swung himself into the saddle, gazing in that direction.
Eyes of the man dressed like a rich merchant encountered Ling Zhang’s and immediately moved away, as if he was hiding a guilty secret. Seeming to have come to realize that his ident.i.ty was about to be exposed, he tried harder to elbow his way out of the crowd.
If Ling Zhang had been only seventy-percent sure before seeing this, now he was ninety-percent sure of it.
Head Constable Li was eager to make amends for the failed task by some good services, so this time he took exceptionally quick action. Soon, he and his men ringed the crowd that the rich merchant was among. Gradually, onlookers near the merchant sensed that something was not right and fled the ring of encirclement in alarm one after another. Yamen runners slowly gained ground and soon the rich merchant and his attendants were the only ones left within the ring of encirclement.
Having come to the realization that he had been surrounded, the rich merchant still intended to bluff his way out. He followed in the wake of others trying to flee the encirclement but was held back by Head Constable Li.
“Well, Officer, would you please be so kind as to let me through? I have some urgent business to attend to and need to get out of the city right away.”
“Get out of the city? Are you sure you’re not making haste to flee?” asked Head Constable Li aloud, staring at the merchant angrily, his eyes carefully appraising him up and down. Having taken warning from the trick of the impostor, he wouldn’t take anybody for what they seemed once again.
“You must be joking, Officer. We did no wrong. Why would we try to flee?” replied the rich merchant, an obsequious smile on his face. “I really have some business of urgency to attend to and must get out of the city. Any delay will cause me heavy losses.”
After saying this, he fished out a signed check and tried to stuff it into Head Constable Li’s hand. “I’d greatly appreciate it if you do us this favor.”
Head Constable Li sneered and pushed the signed check back without even glancing at it. “Jia Zhong, this is what you want to buy me with? You think I’m stupid?”
The look on the rich merchant’s face changed, his eyes trying to dodge contact with those of the head constable. “Pardon my ignorance, Officer, but I have no idea what you are talking about. Is there any chance that you are mistaking me for someone else? I’m a traveling merchant from Yan Zhou. We’re just pa.s.sing through on our way to another city. If this offer of mine is not generous enough in officer’s eyes, I’m willing to double it. Would you please be so kind as to let us through?”
As the severity of the disturbance behind him built up, beads of cold sweat appeared on the forehead of the rich merchant, the anxiety on his face deepening. Seeing the unsympathetic expression of Head Constable Li, he doubled his offer once again.
Head Constable Li was almost swayed. If it weren’t for the knowledge that failing to seize Jia Zhong would reduce him to facing dire consequences, he might have accept the money. In a harsh tone of voice, he yelled, “Jia Zhong, how dare you attempt to bribe a government official! Submit to arrest right now!”
‘What? Jia Zhong?’
His yelling attracted the attention of all onlookers, who soon gathered around the spot. Those garrison who had escorted the prison wagon to this city also encircled the area ring upon ring, leaving the rich merchant nowhere to flee to.
“What do you think you are doing? You failed to catch Jia Zhong and you want to randomly make someone else a fall guy? You think being a foreigner makes me a soft target? Are all Tanyang people bullies ignorant of the law?!”
Uncertainty appeared on faces of residents around the scene as they heard his words.
Ling Zhang, who happened to have just walked over, stared at him flintily and said, “We’ll find out whether you’re a merchant or a criminal once your fake face is ripped off.”
“What do you mean? You would make this place a kangaroo court and inflict torture here? Is the local government really going to watch this happen?! This is outrageous. I demand an audience with Lord Tao!”
However, no matter how loud he yelled, Yamen runners around him remained indifferent. Even those garrison troops from another town also stood still. Residents looking on were swayed, but none of them said anything. They just looked on.
“You!” Anxiety on the face of the rich merchant went deeper and deeper, his eyes darting back and forth to see if there were any gaps that he could take advantage of.
“What are you waiting for, Head Constable Li? Rip off his mask,” said Ling Zhang.
Head Constable Li gave a wave of his hand and with that a dozen Yamen runners threw themselves forward, seized the rich merchant and brought him to the ground.
“Somebody help! You are not getting away with this!” Restrained, the rich merchant was still yelling. He was pinned with half of his face against the ground and, through a gap between Yamen runners, caught sight of Ling Zhang and stared fixedly at him, the expression in his eyes instantly ferocious and murderous.
Ling Zhang flicked an apathetic glance at him and then watched as Head Constable Li fumbled on his face. Eventually, he found a crease, pinched it and heavily ripped the mask off!
“Ouch!” The fake face was torn off and the man let out a pained screech, but meanwhile the disguise on his face was thoroughly removed.
“I knew it was you, Jia Zhong,” Ling Zhang sneered, watching Jia Zhong whose true face had been revealed.
“My goodness. That’s really Jia Zhong.”
“His disguise was so good. I could never have seen him through.”
All residents around the scene exclaimed in astonishment and fell into discussion with each other, pointing at Jia Zhong.
After being dragged to his feet, Jia Zhong spat heavily in the direction of Ling Zhang and then bl.u.s.tered, “Ling Zhang, you snot-nosed fledgling. Enjoy this victory while you still can. I swear I’ll take your life with my bare hands!”
“You want to kill me? Go to the underworld and wait. I’m afraid spirits of those wronged and killed due to your evil doings have been expecting you in the underworld, eager to throw you into the depths of purgatory.” Ling Zhang looked at him coldly.
“Jia Zhong, your family committed numerous crimes. Both you and your elder brother have been condemned to decapitation. Your execution is to be carried out in three days,” reprimanded Head Constable Li.
Jia Zhong’s face abruptly paled visibly. “That’s not possible!”
“Humph! Three days later, you’ll find out whether it’s possible or not!”
“Jia Zhong, so many people have died at your hands, yet you still have the fond hope of getting away with it? Stop dreaming!”
The conversation jogged onlookers’ memories of the day when those remains of miners were carried back to the city on wooden boards. All of them went indignant and started cursing and throwing things at Jia Zhong.
The indignation of those residents was overwhelming. Jia Zhong was. .h.i.t constantly on the head by all kinds of things and couldn’t even speak.
Ling Zhang secretly felt a sense of relief in the knowledge that Jia Zhong had finally been caught. A while ago, when he found that the man in the prison wagon was an impostor, he could feel his pulse throbbing in his throat.
“Watch out!” somebody suddenly yelled.
Ling Zhang failed to react in time and was knocked down to the ground by a great force. In that instant, he only saw Jia Zhong’s hideous, murderous face and the dagger raised high in his hand. “Go to h.e.l.l!”
Taken aback, Ling Zhang rolled himself aside. Jia Zhong’s dagger brushed past him and slit his arm, bringing burning pains spreading all over him.
After the first blow missed the target, Jia Zhong raised his dagger intending to gave a second stab. This time Ling Zhang wouldn’t be able to dodge. The sharp, wicked-looking dagger was abruptly thrust at Ling Zhang!
“Die!”
Bang!
Suddenly, a kick sent Jia Zhong flying high and then heavily landed on the ground with a loud bang mixed with the sound like that of bones breaking. Jia Zhong spat out a mouthful of blood, briefly convulsed and then fell still.
Ling Zhang, still badly shaken, was scooped up by a pair of strong arms, and with that, faint, familiar fragrance enwrapped him, worming its way into his nose.
“It’s okay now.”
A familiar voice immediately consoled him and Ling Zhang’s rapid heart rate slowly returned to normal.
He turned around to look at Jia Zhong who was lying still on the ground. “What had just happened? How did he come to attack me?”
Yuwen Tong carefully held Ling Zhang’s wound, an icy look on his face.
Sweating buckets, Head Constable Li walked over in fear. “Jia Zhong suddenly bit the man restraining him, fished out a dagger and wounded another two. He was very fast and they failed to stop him.”
Ling Zhang c.o.c.ked an eye at those men and, as expected, saw that two constables were holding their wounds which clearly had been caused by Jia Zhong’s dagger.
“You must clean the wound and dress it carefully after returning,” said Yuwen Tong in a deep voice.
People around the scene were still suffering from a delayed reaction to the shock. The corpse of Jia Zhong on the ground, in particular, made them so nervous that they were involuntarily trying to keep their breathing shallow.
“I’m Mu Fang. It’s a great honor to bow before you, Marshal.” Right at this moment, the deputy commander, who was in charge of the team escorting the prisoner back to Tanyang, walked up to Yuwen Tong and made a bow with hands folded in front. “I’m guilty of negligence. Please mete out punishment to me, Marshal.”
His words sent a ripple of gasp through the crowd. Everybody was shocked even more and didn’t dare to make any sounds.
All of them had been looking forward to seeing Yuwen Tong for a long time. Now Yuwen Tong was right in front of them, yet none of them dared to walk forward to take a close look.
Too concerned about the injured arm of Ling Zhang to stay in this place any longer, Yuwen Tong, with a cold look on his face, instructed Mu Fang, “Help transfer Jia Zhong’s body to the Prefecture Yamen and then meet me in Ling family.”
“Yes, Marshal!” Mu Fang answered with his head down.
“Yao Yi, go and give Xie s.h.i.+ a hand.”
“Yes, Marshal.”
Yao Yi joined Xie s.h.i.+’s fight against the impostor and soon overpowered him.
Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had returned to the horse-drawn carriage of Ling family. Ling Xingzhong, who had already got off the carriage and was heading in their direction, saw the wounded arm of Ling Zhang and also became worried. “Send for Physician Lin. Tell him to go to my place.”
A servant hurriedly ran in the direction of Physician Lin’s house.
“Let’s go back.”
Ling Zhang nodded.
Ling Maomao was also woken up by the noises outside. He got out of the horse-drawn carriage and was greeted by the sight of his wounded elder brother, which drained all the color from his face. Eyes red, he looked at the injured arm of his elder brother and called, “Elder Brother.”
“I’m okay. It’s just a minor injury. Get in the carriage. We’re going back,” Ling Zhang consoled the boy.
Ling Maomao inclined his head, watched in worry as Ling Zhang was guided into Ling Xingzhong’s carriage, and then hurriedly get into his own carriage. “Let’s go home. Hurry.”
Fu Caiwei also had a frown of concern on her face.
When they returned to the residence of Ling family, Physician Lin also arrived. He examined Ling Zhang’s wound, cleaned it, applied drug to it, dressed it and then informed Ling Zhang, “It’s just a superficial injury. You’ll fully recover in seven days, eight at the latest. Be careful and try not to use this arm during this time.”
“Okay. Thank you, Physician Lin.” Ling Zhang’s face was somewhat pale. The process of applying drug to the wound had been rather painful.
All members of Ling family were present. On hearing the words of Physician Lin, they all sighed in relief.
Yuwen Tong carefully settled Ling Zhang’s arm on the bed, his face still rather flinty.