Chen Shi squeezed out of the crowd, took off his hat, and tossed it casually by the roadside.
The clothes on him were a bit long, so he tore off a section, wrapped it around the palm of his hand, bit down on it to tie a knot on the back of his hand, and gave it a firm squeeze. It felt fairly decent.
The cloth was hemp, coarse in texture, but the grip was exceptionally good.
That way, when it gets covered in blood, there's no need to worry about the knife slipping.
At this moment, peals of thunder rolled across the sky. Chen Shi looked up and saw that at some point, a patch of dark clouds had rolled in, obscuring the clear sky. The wind also carried moisture, and it would likely rain before long.
Chen Shi called over Black Pot. "Black Pot, have you seen Mr. Fu?"
Black Pot immediately took the lead to guide the way. Chen Shi followed it, weaving through the streets, and before long arrived at the home of County Vice-magistrate Zheng Shiyun.
Zheng Shiyun had served as vice-magistrate for many years, holding power and influence in Xinxiang County. Being a shrewd person skilled at buttering up superiors, he did not have many enemies in Xinxiang County.
Yet at this moment, Zheng Shiyun's home was filled with wails. Chen Shi broke in and saw that Zheng's family servants had fallen all over the floor. Zheng Shiyun had a bamboo pole impaled through his chest, pinning him to the wall, though it was not a fatal wound; he was currently crying out in pain.
Zheng Shiyun's wife, children, and old dependents were at a complete loss, wanting to pull out the bamboo pole but unable to budge it at all. They tried to