The Golden Saber Society

Su Fei's gaze fell upon the man's shadow puppet box.

"Hmm, it's quite large," Su Fei murmured.

"It's him," he said softly.

"Keep a close eye on this person. See if he does anything bad today. If he does, we'll take him down immediately."

Wang Meng nodded in agreement, his face alight with excitement.

"Sir, you're truly amazing! Solving the case in just one day, it's like you have divine insight. I think we'll crack this case and earn merit very soon."

The two men ate and drank, keeping watch on the situation.

They saw the limping man continuously performing his shadow puppet show. Apart from giving candy to children, he exhibited no other suspicious behavior.

The sky began to darken, signaling the arrival of evening.

The street grew less crowded. The limping man packed up his shadow puppet stage and put it into his large box.

He shouldered the box and limped away.

Wang Meng watched him, disappointed that the man hadn't made a move. He was beginning to doubt if this man was truly a villain.

Su Fei put down the silver to pay the bill and signaled to Wang Meng.

"Let's follow him, but keep our distance."

The night was as dark as ink. The limping man deliberately chose secluded alleyways. Though he limped, his steps were surprisingly brisk, showing no sign of difficulty.

Su Fei and Wang Meng silently trailed behind him.

They exited the west city gate and walked a considerable distance. The man then turned onto a deserted official road overgrown with weeds. In the distance, at the end of the wilderness, the vague outline of a village could be seen.

"Lord Su, that's the direction of Boulder Village. It suffered a plague three years ago, and the locals consider it an unlucky place. No one has lived there for a long time."

"Why is this man going there?" Su Fei's eyes grew serious.

"This cripple has been carrying that large box for so long without taking a single rest. I suspect this cripple isn't a cripple at all, but a martial arts expert."

"If I'm not mistaken, the missing children are there."

"Let's follow. As soon as we find the missing children, the truth of this case will be revealed."

Hearing this, Wang Meng felt immense admiration for Su Fei.

At the entrance to Boulder Village.

The night was deep, accompanied only by the chirping of insects and the sound of the wind.

Su Fei signaled Wang Meng to wait hidden at the village entrance. He then circulated his Nine Yang True Qi, concealed his presence, and silently followed the limping man.

Most of the houses in the village were dilapidated.

The limping man walked to the largest courtyard at the village entrance. He raised his hand and knocked three times on the courtyard gate: two short knocks and one long one.

A moment later, the courtyard gate creaked open a sliver, revealing a pair of vigilant eyes.

"Is that Old Seven? You're back. Did you get anything today?" a gruff voice called from behind the door.

"Ah, don't mention it. Too many people today, it was hard to make a move." The limping man grinned. His previously hunched back straightened abruptly, and his limping gait vanished as he walked. His voice also became steady and powerful, completely devoid of its earlier simple demeanor.

He sidestepped into the courtyard, and the gate quickly closed behind him.

Su Fei silently leaped onto the high wall, taking in the scene within the courtyard.

At the corner of the courtyard, hidden from view, stood two guards armed with steel sabers. Their auras were steady, indicating they were at the eighth level of Body Tempering.

The "limping man," after entering, was speaking with a burly man with a full beard who was guarding the main gate.

The burly man's sleeve was embroidered with a golden saber.

Su Fei's pupils contracted. He recognized the symbol.

Wan Mengchang, the leader of the Golden Saber Society, had made a name for himself in the Qingzhou martial arts world in his youth with his golden saber and his ambition.

He robbed the rich to help the poor and made many friends.

He gained considerable renown.

Later, as he grew older, he settled down and founded the Golden Saber Society in Qingzhou.

The golden saber was their symbol.

The society had hundreds of members, and it was rumored they had dealings with local powerful families in Qingzhou.

They were not to be trifled with.

Wan Mengchang was also known for doing good deeds, like helping the poor, which gave the Golden Saber Society a decent reputation.

No wonder the constables from Qingzhou Prefecture had no leads; it turned out the Golden Saber Society, a local power, was behind it all.

Su Fei held his breath and crept around to the broken wall at the back of the courtyard, then leaped inside.

Inside was a spacious courtyard. Seven or eight men in tight-fitting clothes were drinking and eating in a room, their sleeves embroidered with a small golden saber.

"Old Seven, you've scammed seven or eight people this month alone. You still dare to go to Qingzhou City all safe and sound. You're quite the big liar, aren't you?"

"It's been so long and no one's found out. The constables in Qingzhou Prefecture are really useless."

"You're envious of Old Seven. If you had his skills, you'd be scamming in Qingzhou Prefecture too."

Old Seven chuckled.

"Before I joined the Golden Saber Society, I was a puppeteer. This is my specialty."

"Heh heh, once we refine this batch of 'Qi and Blood Pills' and sell them, we'll make a lot of silver too."

"Keep your voice down. Don't let the hall master hear you blabbering. This medicine is refined using the vital essence of virgin boys and girls. If word gets out, it'll be a big problem!"

Su Fei's heart sank. He hugged the wall and crept to the outside of a locked woodshed.

Peeking through the gap in the door, under the dim oil lamp, more than twenty children were huddled in a corner.

Seven of them were the children who had gone missing in Qingzhou Prefecture, according to the case files. These children all looked terrified, their faces pale, but they dared not cry out loudly.

Su Fei gripped the Spring Embroidered Saber at his waist, veins bulging on the back of his hand.

Refining pills with the vital essence of virgin boys and girls... these people deserved to die.

Just then, he heard hurried footsteps from outside the courtyard. A guard ran over and went inside.

"Someone from the General Association is here. They want to check on the progress of the 'goods'!"

"Got it. Tell them to wait."

A sinister voice came from inside the room.

"Tell those from the General Association to give me three more days. The next batch of Qi and Blood Pills will be ready, and I'll send them over then."

He quietly retreated to the corner, intending to notify Wang Meng to return and recruit people from the Thousand Households Office.

But then he saw the bearded man give Old Seven a few instructions. Old Seven took the key and a container and walked towards the woodshed, humming a tune.

"Little ones, don't be scared. Grandpa's here to draw your blood."

Su Fei's heart stirred. Those children were already so weak. If more blood was drawn, and a few of them died...

His contribution would be discounted.

He couldn't wait any longer. Su Fei gathered his Nine Yang True Qi.

His figure was like lightning. Just as Old Seven took out the key and prepared to open the door, Su Fei leaped forward and struck him in the waist with his palm.

Old Seven never expected an enemy to appear behind him at this moment.

Caught off guard, with a sharp pain in his waist, he was slammed against the woodshed door by the force. The key flew from his hand.

"Ah!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed limply on the ground.

The Golden Saber Society members in the courtyard were alerted by the commotion and drew their sabers, heading into the yard.

"Who is it? Who's the spy?"

"Take him down!"

In the flickering firelight, Su Fei kicked open the woodshed door with the key and instructed the children inside.

"Hide yourselves for now. Someone will come to rescue you soon."

The Golden Saber Society members quickly surrounded Su Fei.

Someone shouted and asked, "Which part of town are you from, friend? Why are you trespassing on our Golden Saber Society territory at night?"