Unexpected Fortune

A look of fear and subservience appeared on Sun Qian's face.

"Centurion... I'm just a beggar, how could I possibly wait for someone like that."

"Sir... is there... a misunderstanding?"

Sun Qian's disguise was excellent; his voice and expression carried a fawning and humble tone.

However, the moment he entered the street, Shen Qing's Innate Six Senses had already detected the murderous intent and disgust in Sun Qian's eyes.

Even though the murderous intent was extremely faint and fleeting, it was amplified infinitely under the enhancement of the Innate Six Senses.

Shen Qing smiled, "Oh, that's an interesting explanation. Let's go explain it at the Imperial Guards' prison."

A beggar dared to show murderous intent towards the Imperial Guards? What kind of beggar had that much courage?

Furthermore, daring to show murderous intent towards Shen Qing? Even a dog would get kicked twice by Shen Qing.

"Sir, sir, it's really a misunderstanding."

Sun Qian said as he recoiled, which looked exactly like fear. But in the next moment, Sun Qian's expression turned ferocious. His right hand formed a blade with two fingers and stabbed towards Shen Qing's neck like a sharp sword.

Sun Qian knew it was impossible to resolve this peacefully today, so he chose to strike first. Besides, Shen Qing daring to get so close to him clearly meant he had underestimated himself.

But in the next second, Sun Qian's expression froze. Shen Qing had already tightly gripped his two fingers without him knowing when.

With a slight squeeze, Sun Qian's fingers twisted into a grotesque shape.

Crack, crack, crack...

A sound of bone-crushing that made one's teeth ache rang out. Sun Qian's two fingers were directly crushed into powder.

Throughout this entire process, Shen Qing maintained a gentle smile.

It was only then that Sun Qian understood. Shen Qing hadn't underestimated him; he had completely looked down on him.

Shen Qing applied a little more force, and with a loud bang, Sun Qian was slammed onto the ground, completely disoriented.

Blood trickled from the corner of Sun Qian's mouth as his mind raced, trying to think of a way to escape.

But how could Shen Qing grant his wish? In the next instant, Shen Qing's right foot stomped heavily on his knee, shattering it.

"Stop hitting me, stop hitting me... I surrender."

Blood continuously flowed from Sun Qian's mouth, but he still mumbled his surrender. The sinister and ruthless look in his eyes was replaced by deep fear. He desperately used his only good hand to support himself and retreat.

Shen Qing sneered. He didn't care about that; the other party had attacked with killing moves. Now that he couldn't win, he wanted to stop?

Shen Qing walked forward and, using the same method, broke Sun Qian's other leg. Then, he grabbed one of Sun Qian's arms and forcefully swung him, smashing him directly into the wall.

The force was just right; it didn't collapse the wall but embedded Sun Qian into it like a mural.

Just as Shen Qing was about to interrogate him, he noticed something was amiss. A crease had appeared on Sun Qian's jawline without him knowing when.

A human skin mask?

Shen Qing reached out and effortlessly pulled a mask off Sun Qian's face, revealing his original aged face.

"Quite a few dirty tricks, huh?"

At this moment, Fang Ming rushed in from the street corner.

"Sir, sir, I finally found you. There's new information. Sun Qian has already fled Changshui Street. A Lieutenant seems to have seen the direction he fled, which is towards our side."

"Sigh, who is this old fellow?"

Shen Qing had been somewhat suspicious before, but now he was certain. This old scoundrel was the rogue cultivator who had stolen the treasure.

"An unexpected bonus, this is Sun Qian."

Fang Ming took two steps forward and looked closely, a look of confusion appearing on his face.

"That's not right. Although he looks a little familiar, he doesn't look like the one in the portrait either."

He then saw the human skin mask in Shen Qing's hand and suddenly understood.

"Oh, it's a human skin mask. But that's still not right. Why would I find this current face familiar?"

Shen Qing raised an eyebrow. For a Commander to find him familiar, he must have seen him on some wanted poster.

It seemed his good luck for the day wasn't over yet.

"Old man, tell me yourself."

"Of course, you have a choice too."

"First, obediently tell me the whereabouts of the treasure and explain everything clearly. I'll give you a quick death. Second, you can go to prison, suffer all sorts of torture, and then tell me the whereabouts of the treasure."

Upon thinking of the various tortures in the Imperial Guards' prison, Sun Qian decided not to struggle anymore. He sighed and coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood.

"Cough, cough... I didn't expect that after all this, I'd still fall into the hands of you Imperial Guards."

"It's fate... destiny. Thinking back eight years ago..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was met with a loud slap from Shen Qing, which crooked his mouth.

"Do you think I'm chatting with you?"

"Eight years ago? Why don't you start from your birth?"

"Speak! What's your name!"

Sun Qian's face quickly swelled, and his voice even shrunk a bit.

"My name isn't Sun Qian, it's Sun Yun…"

Fang Ming suddenly yelped, "I remember now, Sun Yun, you're Sun Yun the Cloud-Piercing Hand."

"I saw your wanted poster when I was organizing the case files the other day. No wonder you looked familiar."

Immediately after, Fang Ming turned and bowed to Shen Qing, kneeling on one knee with his fists clasped.

"Congratulations, my lord! Congratulations, my lord! Capturing this Sun Yun will surely add a feather to your cap!"

"Eight years ago, this Sun Yun committed a series of thefts in Ningzhou. Sects, Hundred Households Offices, General's Offices, government offices, and the Governor's mansion were all visited by this old fellow."

"The total amount stolen is estimated to be tens of thousands of taels of silver."

"The Pacification Bureau even offered a reward of three thousand taels for this Sun Yun!"

Shen Qing smiled, never expecting such a double blessing.

Fang Ming's gaze towards Sun Yun grew more fervent, as if he were looking at a great achievement plastered on a wall.

He couldn't hold back any longer. Fang Ming stood up and walked over, slapping Sun Yun directly across the face.

"Speak! Where did that money go! Those tens of thousands of taels!"

Sun Yun was stunned by the slap, and then his eyes widened in anger. It's one thing for Shen Qing to hit me, but how dare even you, a Houtian Realm cultivator, slap me!

But then, a chill swept over him, and his eyes cleared up again. He lowered his head.

Shen Qing snorted, "Alright, we'll ask about those matters later."

"First, tell me the whereabouts of the treasure."

Explaining the whereabouts of tens of thousands of taels worth of property would be troublesome, and it wouldn't be finished in a moment or two. If they interrogated him here, it would be too late.

"The treasure isn't on me anymore. I already sold it to Peng Chun of the Black Water Gang for four thousand taels of silver, and Peng Chun promised to help me escape Luoshui City."

"So, you mean the treasure is already in Peng Chun's hands?"

"I don't know, or rather, I'm not sure…"

Fang Ming grabbed Sun Yun by the collar. Seeing another slap about to fall, Sun Yun immediately shouted.

"Listen to me, listen to me! The treasure is a page of golden paper. I hid it on one of the Black Water Gang disciples using a special method."

"What's that disciple's name! Hurry and tell me!"

"Wang Xiu! Wang Xiu the Madman Swordsman!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere suddenly became quiet. Sun Qian looked at the two of them and noticed the extremely strange expressions on Shen Qing and Fang Ming's faces.

Finally, Fang Ming couldn't hold back and burst out laughing, "Congratulations, my lord! Indeed, this treasure rightfully belongs to you!"

Shen Qing couldn't help but laugh too. Fate, it truly is wondrous.

As the saying goes, a person in good spirits during happy occasions, Shen Qing asked a few more questions.

"By the way, why did you choose to do business with the Black Water Gang? Their reputation in the Ningzhou martial arts world isn't good. Weren't you afraid they'd get the treasure and kill you to silence you?"

Sun Yun puffed out his chest slightly, "How can I say I've been on the run from the Imperial Guards for eight years? How could I be so careless."

"They didn't know I hid the treasure on Wang Xiu. According to our agreement, I would record the transaction information on paper in a special way and throw it out while escaping. Peng Chun would then intentionally create an opening for me to escape and send a disciple to meet me here. After confirming the treasure information, they would send a carrier pigeon to the disciple to help me escape through a secret passage."

"Of course, I was also afraid of the Black Water Gang killing me. Furthermore, based on my deductions, at least two elders would be waiting for me at the exit of the secret passage. The night before last, I risked sneaking into the Black Water Gang's stronghold and overheard that the disciple meeting me was Wang Xiu. So this morning, I secretly found an opportunity and hid the treasure on Wang Xiu."

"Once Peng Chun deciphered the information on the paper, Wang Xiu would already be in my hands. Peng Chun could only grit his teeth and send me through the secret passage. Even outside the secret passage, they wouldn't be able to make a move easily."

Shen Qing listened for a while and found a loophole, "Why go through all the trouble of hiding the treasure on Wang Xiu? Isn't it the same as keeping it on yourself?"

Sun Yun explained.

"Peng Chun practices a strange cultivation technique, and his sense of smell is exceptionally keen. During the tomb raid, Peng Chun took the opportunity to sprinkle some powder on the treasure. He could smell it if he got close."

"If I had the treasure on me while escaping, Peng Chun definitely wouldn't have let me go."

Shen Qing nodded. That made sense. The explanation was plausible.

Fang Ming also nodded thoughtfully, displaying an expression of deep scheming that he couldn't quite figure out.

He had only one thought in his mind.

This martial world…

Is still too treacherous.