Two sets of footsteps sounded. Black Dog had returned, with a county yamen clerk beside him.
"Boss, someone's looking for you at the door. They're from the yamen."
The clerk hurriedly lowered his head and bowed to Shen Qing. "This humble official greets Lord Shen."
Shen Qing sat on a stone stool to one side and poured himself a cup of tea.
"A case? Did you bring the case file?"
This world had a concept known as fortune. People had fortune, and dynasties did too.
A person's fortune lay within themselves, intangible and elusive.
A dynasty's fortune, meanwhile, was simpler. It lay in its territory, its people, and whether it was stable.
Thus, to stabilize its fortune, the first emperor of the Wu Dynasty established Imperial Guards posts throughout the land, meant to suppress the martial world, suppress all evils, solve major cases, and stabilize fortune. Cases the yamen could not resolve would also be transferred to the Imperial Guards.
The clerk quickly pulled a case file from his sleeve. "This humble official has prepared it."
Shen Qing accepted the file.
[On September 13th, at the hour of the Dragon, in Changbie Alley, the Li family tofu shop—four people in total—were all murdered. Every victim died of saber wounds. Both female victims showed signs of violation. The target has been identified as Jiang Hao, young master of the Sishui Gang.]
Just when he was sleepy, someone had delivered him a pillow.
He had been looking for someone to kill and test his golden finger on.
"Prepare the equipment. Move out!"
In less than half a cup of tea's time, a fully armed squad of Imperial Guards rode out of the courtyard.
Their efficiency this time was exceptionally high.
There was no other reason.
Shen Qing had been far too terrifying today. None of them dared provoke him.
Shen Qing rode a brown Hequ horse and took a green porcelain bottle from his robes.
Inside were Aperture Opening Pills, used to open apertures in the Body Tempering Realm.
These were the most effective pills issued by the Imperial Guards.
Shen Qing directly tossed three into his mouth.
With Clear Mind supporting him, opening apertures while riding was no difficult matter.
Shen Qing circulated the Overbearing Body Forging Art and began locating his next aperture.
In only two breaths, Shen Qing located the next aperture. Then the immense medicinal power surged into that vital pass.
Shen Qing remembered that opening an aperture in the past required half a day of deliberation, for fear of making a mistake and throwing his meridians into disorder.
Yet today, all those difficult points seemed to have vanished. The path of opening apertures had never been so clear.
In merely three breaths, the third aperture of the sixth layer of the Body Tempering Realm opened.
Shen Qing blinked.
Unsure, he tried again.
Ten breaths later, the fourth aperture opened.
Half a cup of tea later, he reached the seventh layer of the Body Tempering Realm.
One cup of tea later, he reached the eighth layer of the Body Tempering Realm.
One incense stick later, he reached the peak of the ninth layer of the Body Tempering Realm.
In less than two incense sticks' time, he had broken through three realms in succession.
For ordinary people to open apertures, they generally had to proceed with the utmost caution, think thrice before acting, as though treading on thin ice.
Shen Qing, however, was like shooting a halberd through the gate of an army camp. He appeared overbearing beyond measure, yet every step was carefully calculated, without the slightest error.
Feeling the immense power surging through his body, Shen Qing felt his mind become utterly clear.
Scholar, riding behind Shen Qing, urged his horse forward.
"My lord, we've arrived at the Sishui Gang."
Shen Qing looked ahead and saw a grand courtyard built alongside the Sishui River.
This was the Sishui Gang. They controlled businesses large and small along the Sishui River; every boat tracker and laborer had to make a living through them.
Over the years, they had filled their bowls to the brim.
Shen Qing glanced at Old Li. "Go knock on the door. Tell them the Imperial Guards have come to deliver warmth."
Shen Qing waved his hand. The Imperial Guards behind him immediately understood and drew fist-sized, pitch-black spheres from the cloth bags at their waists.
These were Heaven Shaking Thunder, developed by the Wu Dynasty's Tiangong Workshop.
Once struck with sufficient force, they erupted with tremendous noise and light. They were specially equipped for the Imperial Guards to capture criminals.
Old Li froze for a moment, but immediately came to his senses. He jogged forward and slapped the door panels with his broad palms until they rang out with sharp smacks.
"Everyone from the Sishui Gang, get out here! The Imperial Guards have come to deliver warmth!"
That roar directly left the Sishui Gang members inside the residence dumbfounded. Imperial Guards? Deliver warmth?
They could understand each of those words separately, so why could they not understand them when put together?
The Sishui Gang's deputy leader, Huang Feng, looked toward gang leader Jiang Xian.
"Gang Leader, this..."
Jiang Xian's expression darkened. "When a weasel pays respects to a chicken, what good intentions can it possibly have?"
"They're obviously here to arrest Hao'er. We cannot open the gate."
Huang Feng hesitated. "But, Brother, those are the Imperial Guards outside."
Jiang Xian spat. "What Imperial Guards? I don't know any Imperial Guards. Pack up, bring some banknotes, and prepare to flee through the back gate."
Outside the courtyard, Old Li ran back to Shen Qing's side. Looking at the utterly motionless compound, he was somewhat dissatisfied.
"My lord, this Sishui Gang doesn't know what's good for them. If they won't open the gate, what are we supposed to do about this 'warmth'?"
The corners of Shen Qing's lips lifted slightly.
"We lied to them. We'll deliver it even if they don't open the gate!"
"Throw them!"
The moment his words fell, every Imperial Guard swung their arms in a full circle. More than a dozen Heaven Shaking Thunder landed inside the Sishui Gang compound.
Huang Feng raised his head. "Something came in..."
The two watched more than a dozen Heaven Shaking Thunder strike the ground at speed, then erupt with violent noise and brilliant light.
Every gang member in the courtyard was blasted into a staggering mess. As for the ordinary people without cultivation, they were directly knocked unconscious.
Jiang Xian was dizzy and disoriented as well, his expression ugly. "Prepare to lead the brothers out and fight! Hao'er absolutely cannot fall into their hands."
But before his words had even faded, the gate panels were kicked flying.
Shen Qing entered slowly, Wild Goose Feather Saber in hand.
"The Imperial Guards are handling a case. You had best surrender obediently."
A trace of anger appeared on Jiang Xian's face when he saw Shen Qing, but this was not the time for scolding.
"Quick, split up and move! Run at once!"
Shen Qing rubbed his chin.
"Split up and move? What an unreasonable request."
"But this official has decided to grant it!"
As his words fell, Shen Qing vanished from where he stood, and a fierce gale swept through the courtyard.
Jiang Xian had barely turned and taken two steps when a round object soared high into the air. It was Jiang Xian's head.
[Congratulations, you have successfully plundered the trait: Beginner's Blade Path (Green)]
Shen Qing raised his brows. This trait's drop rate was quite high.
Without any hesitation, he had three trait upgrade opportunities from the novice gift pack, plus one free opportunity claimed each day, for a total of four.
He went all in.
Four trait upgrade opportunities consumed.
Beginner's Blade Path (Green) upgraded to: Blade Path Master (Blue)
Blade Path Master (Blue) upgraded to: Blade Path Grandmaster (Purple)
Blade Path Grandmaster (Purple) upgraded to: Man and Saber as One (Gold)
Man and Saber as One (Gold) upgraded to: Innate Blade Immortal (Red).
[Innate Blade Immortal: Your comprehension of the blade path is as though a blade immortal has been reborn.]
Shen Qing felt another cleansing rise from the depths of his soul. Even the saber in his hand felt several degrees closer, like an extension of his own arm.
At a single thought, with the aid of Clear Mind and Innate Blade Immortal, the Roughening Wind Saber Technique was no different from a kindergarten textbook.
Almost in an instant.
The Roughening Wind Saber Technique's proficiency rose from minor accomplishment to perfection.
With a casual flourish, he swung his saber, as though he intended to knead the wind to pieces.
The sight made Huang Feng's liver and gallbladder rupture in terror. He only hated that his parents had not given him two more legs.
Shen Qing took a step, and his figure vanished once more. Saber light flashed through the air. Four slashes came in succession, severing Huang Feng's limbs at their roots with incomparably neat cuts.
In only two exchanges, the Sishui Gang's leader and deputy leader were dead.
"Confiscate the place."
Shen Qing flicked the Wild Goose Feather Saber. Blood slowly ran down the blade, dotting the ground with a vivid flower.
Upon hearing Shen Qing's order, Black Dog and Old Li charged directly into the crowd, with Scholar close behind.
For the next cup of tea's time, screams rang out without end from within the courtyard.
The Sishui Gang members had already been scared out of their wits by Shen Qing. Now, facing the Imperial Guards, they were essentially being slaughtered one-sidedly.
One incense stick later, no one but the Imperial Guards remained standing in the courtyard. Not even a single chicken was left standing.
Old Li dragged over a young man and threw him to the ground.
"Boss, Jiang Hao's been caught."
Seeing the corpses strewn across the ground, Jiang Hao's face went deathly pale. His crotch visibly dampened, and he crawled on his knees toward Shen Qing.
"My lord... My lord, this little one knows his mistake. Spare this little one's life. This little one is willing to pay for it."
Shen Qing glanced at Jiang Hao.
"You don't know you were wrong. You only know you're about to die."
The Wild Goose Feather Saber in his hand flashed with three saber lights in succession, cutting Jiang Hao directly into several pieces.
"Boss! Boss! Come quickly!"
Scholar's shout rang out from the rear courtyard.
Shen Qing arrived at a room in the rear courtyard. By the looks of it, this should have been Huang Feng's or Jiang Xian's room.
Scholar stood excitedly before a hidden door, working an abacus, his fingers clattering against the beads.
Shen Qing stood at the doorway and looked inside. There were several chests: one full of silver, one small chest of banknotes, and another chest entirely filled with banknotes.
Scholar's expression grew increasingly excited. "Boss, I made a rough calculation. The banknotes and silver together are conservatively worth at least a thousand taels."
"And that doesn't include these jewels and ornaments, or what we found on the other gang members."
"We've struck it rich."
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