Stranger Danger

“Oh, so it’s my fault? I knew I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”

Qiao Six was a wise man. He figured out Ye Qing’s scheme as soon as he revealed his objective. What was done could not be undone, so the only thing he could do now was to see it through until the end.

Plus, it wasn’t like Ye Qing was asking him to do the impossible. The young man only wanted him to keep his secret, and a man of his trade naturally hoarded plenty of secrets. One more wouldn’t kill him. ｂｅ𝚍𝚗ｏｖｅ𝚕．𝚗𝚎𝚝

Besides that, he stood to profit from the Zheng Clan’s demise as well. Assuming that Ye Qing succeeded in his endeavor, he would be first in line to partake in the cake that was the Zheng Clan’s businesses and connections. It would also earn him the trust—not this fake relationship they had now, but real trust—a young man with a promising future. All things considered, it was a win-win situation for both of them.

It wasn’t hard for Qiao Six to come to a decision after he had sorted out his thoughts. “You’ve put me in hot enough waters already, so I won’t ask why you want to kill Zheng Feng. Now then, about the information you requested. The patriarch of the Zheng Clan is Zheng Feng, and he is a middle-stage Vessel Augmentor. He is an expert in palm techniques, and he is most known for a forceful and potent palm art, the ‘Boundless Lightning Palm’. Zheng Feng has two younger brothers, and they are both in the late-stage of the Qi Invocation stage. They are… He also has six keepers, and they are…”

Qiao Six truly was the greatest information broker in Anyang. It was impressive enough that he was able to recite all this information from memory, but Ye Qing was willing to bet that he knew the Zheng Clan better than the Zheng Clan themselves. He was able to tell him Zheng Feng and his keepers’ cultivation level, martial arts, characteristics, and personality traits, where the guards were located and when they changed shifts and more.

“The Zheng Clan was one of the strongest forces in Anyang until they lost a dozen or so elites, five elders, and their two scions, Zheng Tianyuan and Zhen Tianqi half a month ago. The Zheng Clan might have collapsed already if Zheng Feng wasn’t still around,” Qiao Six said while shooting Ye Qing a meaningful glance.

Ye Qing answered smilingly, “That’s right! I’m the one who killed those people!”

“...”

I didn’t even ask anything this time! Are you a monster?

“Joyless… For heavens’ sake…”

Ye Qing shrugged and said innocently, “What? I thought you wanted to know since you were giving me looks earlier!”

And he pins the blame on me, again.

A bitter, helpless smile crossed Qiao Six’s lips. When was the last time he got screwed over by a youngster like Ye Qing? Both his mind and his strength were top-notch.

“That said, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. The Zheng Clan might have suffered a massive decline as of late, but that doesn’t mean they’re an easy foe by any means. I would advise the greatest caution if you truly wish to take them out, Joyless!”

“Don’t worry, brother. You just sit tight and wait for the good news!” Ye Qing nodded obediently.

What the hell? Now he makes it sound like I’m the one who ordered him to kill Zheng Feng and destroy the Zheng Clan!

Qiao Six was normally a steady man, but for a second there he felt seriously tempted to wring the young man by his neck.

Ye Qing rose to his feet and said, I think I’ve heard everything I need to hear, so I shall be taking my leave. I’ll take you up on your offer when I’m free, Brother Six!”

“Anytime!” Qiao Six smiled and rose to his feet as well. “Allow me to see you off!”

“It’s fine, brother. I’m sure you have better things to do!”

Ye Qing darted out of the Rainflower Pavilion like a swift after he was finished. He planted one foot on a lotus and caused it to wobble a little, but there wasn’t enough movement to cause a ripple on the pond water. When he leaped again, his back rapidly shrank into a small dot in the distance. Before he disappeared, he gave Qiao Six a wave and said loudly, “Thank you for everything! Be sure to keep my secret, brother!”

“What incredible movement art!” Qiao Six could not help but praise out loud. At the same time, he grew even more certain that his decision to befriend Ye Qing was the right choice.

Zuo Yiyan and Hong Yu returned to the pavilion after Ye Qing was gone. Zuo Yiyan asked, “Master Six, Ye Qing is rude and provocative. Why didn’t you give us the order to kill him? If we all work together…”

Qiao Six replied indifferently, “It won’t work.”

Hong Yu giggled and smiled like a blooming flower. She had dropped her act completely since they were alone. “How many people in Anyang can handle the three of us at once? Ten? Five?”

Most people did not know this, but Qiao Six was a Vessel Augmentor and one of the strongest warriors in Anyang. It was why he was able to establish himself as the greatest information broker in the county. He would’ve been dethroned a long time ago if he didn’t have the strength to defend his status.

Qiao Six smiled. “You are right, but that young man… he’s probably among the handful you speak of.”

“Seriously?” Zuo Yiyan exclaimed in surprise.

Qiao Six shot both of his aides a look before sighing. “Not only that, I believe we are overestimating ourselves. Judging from everything he has showed us so far, I’m pretty sure that we’re the ones who would die had we attacked him.”

Zuo Yiyan and Hong Yu couldn’t see the Blood Shadows because their cultivation level was too low, but not him. To say that he was worried about the strange apparitions would be an understatement. Combined with a top-tier movement art that allowed him to come and go as he pleased, he just could not imagine them defeating Ye Qing even in the best case scenario.

“Master Six!” Hong Yu covered her mouth in surprise. “He’s just a brat! Are you sure you haven’t misjudged him?”

“Misjudge him? How do you misjudge someone who’s obviously a dragon?” Qiao Six looked at the sky and said slowly, “He might not have reached his full potential yet, and he’s currently holed up in this backwater county, but that doesn’t mean he is weak whatsoever. When the day comes where the dragon finally rises to the heavens… Just watch. Anyang is probably going to be turned upside down in the near future!”

A long silence later, Qiao Six turned serious and ordered, “Ye Qing’s origin is a mystery, but he’s already a Vessel Augmentor at his age, and a shrewd and decisive man to boot. He is also acquainted with Yan Yufei. Assuming that he doesn’t fall before he realizes his full potential, a man like him can only be destined for a bright future. All things considered, it is far wiser to have him as a friend than an enemy.”

“Inform the men that they will strive to treat Ye Qing with the utmost respect. In fact, I want them to treat him as respectfully as they would treat me. Also, be sure to tell them everything that has happened in this residence today stays in this residence. If anyone dares to break the rule, you have my permission to break their limbs, sever the tendons, and cripple them permanently. There will be no leniency!”

Zuo Yiyan and Hong Yu exchanged a glance with each other before nodding solemnly. “As you command!”

“Oh right, what were you discussing with Boss Ye?” Hong Yu suddenly asked.

Qiao Six shot her a glance before answering, “It is best you do not know about this. It will be better if you never indulge in your curiosity again.”

“Remember this, Hong Yu. Some secrets can and will kill you!”

……

“Still nothing?”

Inside the county hall, Yan Yufei was looking up from his table and staring at his subordinates with a weary look on his face. He was also nursing a headache with one hand.

.

Yan Feng and Yang Guan shook their heads. The two men were currently standing at the center of the room. They were wearing bailiff outfits and carrying Yanling sabers around their waist.

The atmosphere grew increasingly heavy as Yan Yufei questioned in a stern voice, “The serial murder has been happening for three days straight, and you’re telling me you’ve found nothing at all? You haven’t awakened your inner sloths, have you?”

Yan Feng replied with a bitter expression, “Of course not. It’s just that this case is no ordinary case. None of the victims are related to one another, the locations are all over the place, there is no discernible pattern whatsoever, and not a clue could be found at the crime scenes. Forget finding a clue, we know absolutely nothing besides the fact that murders have been happening seemingly randomly throughout Anyang.”

“In fact… I strongly suspect that these murders were committed not by a human, but a Stranger, my lord!”

“Tell me why,” Yan Yufei commanded.

Yan Feng took a moment to organize his thoughts before answering, “All kinds of people have been killed so far. There were commoners, hooligans, traders, nobles and more. The way they died is ridiculously varied as well. Some people were missing their eyes, some people had their ears cut out, and some literally had their hearts dug out of their chests.”

“Let us pretend that the murderer is a human for a moment. Is it realistic that there exists someone out there who has a beef with so many people across multiple stratas? Even if there is, why would they go through the trouble of mutilating the bodies in so many different ways? It’s not only unnecessary, it drastically increases the chance that the murderer might leave something behind and expose themselves!”

“Speaking of which, we weren’t able to find anything at the crime scenes at all. It’s so clean that, assuming the murderer is a human, it can only be committed by a master of martial arts. However, what kind of master would suddenly murder a whole bunch of innocents without reason? No matter how I think about it, a Stranger is the most likely culprit behind this serial murder!”

“If a Stranger is behind this, then we should hand this case over to the Pacification Bureau!” Yang Guan suggested.

Although the Pacification Bureau and the administrative divisions were both government institutions of Chu, their functions were very different from each other. The Pacification Bureau was responsible for handling all Stranger-related and supernatural incidents within a certain territory. They were also responsible for large cases that were beyond the ability of the administrative division to handle. The administration division was responsible for collecting taxes, keeping the public order, and handling a number of social and livelihood issues such as apprehending mundane criminals and so on.

As a result, most cases went through the administrative division first before they were escalated to the Pacification Bureau. For example, if a theft had taken place at a person’s residence, or if an armed brawl had broken out on a street, then the administrative division would handle it directly. But if they discovered that a Stranger was involved with the case, then they would escalate it to the Pacification Bureau.

“It’s not that simple!” Yan Yufei grimaced and massaged his forehead harder. “We don’t have any evidence that these murders are, in fact, committed by a Stranger. It’s one thing if the culprit really is a Stranger, but if we’re wrong, then our abilities will be brought into question!”

It had only been days since he became the magistrate of Anyang. If he screwed up, his peers would scorn him, his subordinates would look down on him, and the people would distrust him. The moment he gave off the impression that he was incompetent—never mind that the truth was the complete opposite—both his career and his future would be in extreme jeopardy.

“But there is a simple solution to this problem, my lord!” Yang Guan suddenly spoke up. Yan Feng stared at him as if he could not believe that his simple-minded subordinate had just contradicted the magistrate openly. He rebuked,

“Shut it, Yang Guan!”

Yang Guan shrugged. “I’m serious!”

Yan Yufei smiled a little before asking curiously, “Okay, I’ll bite. What is this solution, Yang Guan?”

The young guard declared, “We just need to ask Joyless! He’s an expert in Strangers, isn’t he? He’ll know if a Stranger has killed those people! Also, if the Stranger turned out to be easier than expected, we can take it out ourselves before reporting the incident to the Pacification Bureau. That’ll show those high-and-mighty bastards that we don’t always have to rely on them!”

“...”

Yan Yufei and Yan Feng exchanged a shocked glance with each other. Yang Guan… was right! How could they have forgotten about Joyless?

“Do you know where Joyless is right now, Yang Guan?” Yan Yufei asked. This serial murder had practically smacked him as soon as he became Anyang’s magistrate, so he was so busy he could barely afford the time to sleep, much less find out where Ye Qing was living right now.

Yang Guan nodded. “Yep! Joyless bought the Endless Horizons at Rainflower Alley a few days ago. He’s now the owner of a bookstore!”

“Endless Horizons? But I thought the place was haunted?” Yan Feng blurted instinctively before answering his own question with a bitter smile, “What am I saying? There is no way a mere ghost can threaten someone of Joyless’ abilities.”

“We have a plan then. Yan Feng, Yang Guan, you will visit Joyless and request his aid with this case immediately!” Yan Yufei instructed.

“At once!” Yan Feng and Yang Guan took off into a brisk run as soon as they left the county hall.

Meanwhile, Ye Qing was lying on his recliner and basking in the sun outside Endless Horizons as usual. He yawned while wondering what would be the best time to leave the county and reap some juicy, juicy Bloodsucking Mosquitoes.

“Joyless!” “Joyless!”

His daydream popped like a bubble when two familiar voices entered his ears. He opened his eyes and shot his acquaintances a bright smile. “Brother Yan, Yang Guan! I wasn’t expecting to see you two. Shouldn’t you be working on a serial murder right now?”