Trade

Han Zheng sat across from Zhang Tianyang, his body involuntarily tensing.

He did not understand why Zhang Tianyang had appeared here. Could it really be just to eat braised pork intestines?

Eat if he wanted to, but with so many seats around the stall, why did he have to sit right across from him and say such ambiguous things? What exactly did he mean?

Li Jingzhong had said that Zhang Tianyang was somewhat dangerous and that Han Zheng should avoid contact with him as much as possible.

In truth, even without Li Jingzhong saying so, Han Zheng knew it. The aura around the other man was simply too dangerous.

But now that Zhang Tianyang had taken the initiative to sit opposite him and speak, Han Zheng could not offend him by simply getting up and leaving.

After pondering for a moment, Han Zheng said in a deep voice, "Misfortune and fortune have always depended on one another in this world.

He abandoned the brine jar and ran for his life, but without the ancestral brine, what would he use to make a living?

Perhaps even he and his descendants would lose their means of survival, be trapped in poverty, and eventually starve to death.

But now he was dead, yet the brine jar had been preserved. At the very least, his descendants could still rely on this craft to eat their fill.

Greed is not frightening. Who in this world is not greedy?

What is frightening is insatiable greed."

Zhang Tianyang burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Interesting, interesting. What you said is far more honest than what most people would say.

Han Zheng, speaking of seniority, I should actually call you junior brother. After all, we both count as the teacher's disciples."

Han Zheng hurriedly said, "I would not dare presume to be Your Excellency's junior brother. Please take your time eating. Once I am full, I will be leaving first."

Zhang Tianyang slowly chewed his braised pork intestines and said lightly, "Leaving when you are only halfway through your meal? I, Zhang Tianyang, am not some vicious wolf or ferocious tiger. What are you afraid of?

I came to remind you that although you have not been exposed yet, it will not be long. The Three Harmonies Gang is already about to trace the matter back to you."

Han Zheng tilted his head, revealing a puzzled expression. "What is Lord Zhang talking about? Why do I find it a little hard to understand?"

As soon as he spoke, Han Zheng instinctively glanced around.

Night had already fallen. There were no other customers, and the stall owner was packing up some distance away from them.

The qi and blood in all the meridians throughout Han Zheng's body boiled and surged. Though his outward appearance remained perfectly calm, he could unleash the utmost power at the fastest possible speed.

Seeing Han Zheng like a volcano on the verge of eruption, Zhang Tianyang's eyes revealed a trace of approval.

Still as a mountain, aggressive as fire.

No wonder he had killed Feng Yuan so cleanly and decisively.

This "junior brother" of his was naturally excellent material for martial combat and slaughter.

"Do not get worked up. I bear you no ill will.

Feng Yuan was no good man. He had done plenty of things that drove commoners' families to ruin and destruction. Killing him could be considered ridding the people of a scourge.

I came only to remind you that Gao Kaiyuan takes this matter very seriously.

Feng Yuan was not his confidant. To be more precise, he was his ally.

Now that Feng Yuan is dead, Gao Kaiyuan has lost an arm within the Three Harmonies Gang. He will not let this go so easily.

Gao Kaiyuan has been investigating all this time, and before long, he will trace it to you.

Of course, you can keep killing, but the more you kill, the greater the risk of exposure."

Han Zheng's expression did not change, but thoughts raced through his mind.

Even without Zhang Tianyang telling him, Han Zheng knew that killing Feng Yuan could at most delay matters for a while. Sooner or later, he would be easily traced.

He had merely not expected Gao Kaiyuan's progress to be so fast. In only two days, he had already investigated his way back to Han Zheng.

Zhang Tianyang's purpose in telling him all this was also highly suspicious.

He did not believe Zhang Tianyang had gone out of his way to warn this "junior brother" merely because they were both Li Jingzhong's students.

At that moment, Zhang Tianyang gave a soft laugh and flicked out a piece of broken silver, which landed before the stall owner.

"Bring me a pot of wine. Keep the rest."

The stall owner was immediately overjoyed. He grabbed the silver and hurried away.

Only after there was no one left nearby did Zhang Tianyang say, "Actually, I have no interest in the grudge between you and the Three Harmonies Gang. My warning really was simply a warning.

But aside from warning you, I also want to make a deal with you. Help me with something, and I will block the Three Harmonies Gang's investigation for you. How about it?"

Han Zheng gently shook his head. "If it is something even a man of Lord Zhang's status cannot accomplish, what help could I possibly offer?"

"It is precisely because of my status that there are some things I cannot do."

Zhang Tianyang looked at Han Zheng with a faintly mocking smile. "My teacher should have told you about my strength. Aren't you curious why someone of my strength came to Black Stone County to serve as a constable?

To put it bluntly, even the position of chief constable of a prefecture would not catch my eye."

Han Zheng hesitated, but ultimately nodded.

Li Jingzhong had said that if Zhang Tianyang wanted to kill him, it would be as easy as turning over his hand. Han Zheng was absolutely no match for him.

Thus, Zhang Tianyang's strength was certainly at the peak of the Innate Realm, and his combat power far surpassed Li Jingzhong's.

To put it plainly, the constables and chief constables of a small county like Black Stone County existed only to maintain public order.

Having someone in the Innate Realm serve as chief constable was already a waste of talent, let alone an Innate Realm peak expert like Zhang Tianyang.

As Zhang Tianyang chewed his braised pork intestines, he narrowed his eyes and said, "I came to Black Stone County as chief constable because of the Incense Cult's rebellion."

"The Incense Cult has not even completely taken Huainan Dao yet. They still dare attack Shannan Dao?"

"Logically speaking, they would not dare. The Incense Cult, to put it bluntly, is merely a heretical sect. They are still far from being able to challenge the order of the entire Great Zhou.

Splitting their forces into Shannan Dao while attacking two daos of Great Zhou at once would be courting death. They do not possess that kind of strength.

Huainan Dao was hit so hard by the Incense Cult only because it was unprepared, and because the Incense Cult had infiltrated it from within. That was what caused the court's defensive forces to collapse.

However, we have an undercover agent within the Incense Cult who learned that someone in Black Stone County is colluding with them, intending to hand Black Stone County over as the Incense Cult's bridgehead into Shannan Dao.

Black Stone County may only be a small county, but its location is important.

To take Shannan Dao, one must first take Jingzhou Prefecture. To take Jingzhou Prefecture, one must first take Black Stone County.

If the Incense Cult truly obtains Black Stone County, then Jingzhou Prefecture will be in danger.

And once the Incense Cult seizes Jingzhou Prefecture, they can send out cult followers in every direction and gradually devour Shannan Dao."

Zhang Tianyang pointed at himself. "This must be strangled in the cradle beforehand. That is why those above sent me to serve as chief constable: so as not to alert the enemy while I secretly investigate who exactly is colluding with the Incense Cult.

It can be said that every force within Black Stone County is under suspicion, with the three gangs the most suspicious. These bottom-tier gangs have no bottom line and are the most likely to do such things.

But Black Stone County's yamen runners are too useless. I have no manpower to use, nor do I dare reveal my identity and begin investigating openly.

The last person sent to investigate Black Stone County is already dead. He died without anyone knowing how or why.

So I need someone to secretly stir up Black Stone County's waters, making it easier for me to discover who is colluding with the Incense Cult."

Han Zheng was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "Lord Zhang, it is not that I do not want to help. It is simply too dangerous.

The Incense Cult is a heretical sect capable of occupying all of Huainan Dao. I am merely a Martial Arts Academy disciple. I cannot afford to offend the Incense Cult.

With my strength, getting involved in this would be like a tiny shrimp swept into a storm. I would be torn apart in an instant.

Besides, even the last investigator died. His strength was surely greater than mine. If I get involved, I fear I will only die faster."

"The last man died because his identity was exposed, but you need not worry about that. You are Han Zheng, Han Zheng the Martial Arts Academy disciple who grew up in Black Stone County. What identity are you afraid of exposing?

And I do not need you to directly investigate the Incense Cult. You only need to muddy the waters in Black Stone County. I will naturally be able to tell which force is not quite right.

Besides, you killed Feng Yuan and have already formed a mortal enmity with the Three Harmonies Gang.

Although I do not know what grudge lies between you and Gao Kaiyuan, it is obvious that once he traces you down, he certainly will not let you go."

Han Zheng fell silent for a moment before saying, "If I cannot afford to provoke them, I can at least hide from them. At worst, I will leave Black Stone County."

Zhang Tianyang looked at Han Zheng with a half-smile. "Junior brother, you and I are actually the same kind of people. We are wolves by nature, and we repay every grievance down to the smallest crack in the eye!

Gao Kaiyuan will not let you go, and you have likewise never considered letting Gao Kaiyuan go.

If you were the sort to flee, you should have fled after killing Wang Xiong instead of staying in Black Stone County. Would you really be willing to run away now?"

Han Zheng fell silent again.

Zhang Tianyang had been right about one thing. Han Zheng appeared mild, but deep in his bones, he was a wolf, with a viciousness that repaid every grievance down to the smallest crack in the eye.

When Han Zheng was young in his previous life, his family did not have much money. His parents always told him not to cause trouble. Coupled with his somewhat taciturn nature, he was constantly bullied at school.

Once, after being bullied too badly, Han Zheng nearly stabbed a pencil through the bully's eye. That savage appearance of his stunned everyone into silence.

From then on, from elementary school through middle school, Han Zheng remained quiet and withdrawn, but he was never bullied again.

His previous life had been a harmonious society. Even if you were beaten, you could not fight back, or it would be considered mutual assault.

Thus, Han Zheng had hidden his nature extremely well. At work, he had always been a yes-man, diligent and uncomplaining.

But what about this world? Demons ran rampant and the strong devoured the weak. If you did not eat others, others would eat you!

So the nature buried deep in Han Zheng's heart had also been triggered without his realizing it.

Just as when he had killed someone for the first time, there had not been the slightest ripple in his heart, nor any trace of discomfort.

The Han Zheng of this life had died in a muddled, unexplained manner. Although he should have been killed by the Buddha statue crushing him, why Wang Xiong had taken him out of the city was the key to his death.

It was a knot in his heart. Unless he untied it, Han Zheng would always feel as though there was some thought within him that could not reach clarity.

Perhaps it was because, though he had taken over this body after transmigrating, the Han Zheng of this life had still left behind some unwillingness and obsession.

At that moment, Zhang Tianyang smiled. "It is normal that you do not trust me. How about this? I will take you to meet someone. After meeting him, you can decide whether to agree to my proposal."

With that, Zhang Tianyang rose and headed straight toward the city gate.

Han Zheng had no choice. Not daring to completely offend Zhang Tianyang, he could only follow him out of the city.

The braised pork intestine stall owner returned carrying a pot of wine. Seeing the empty seats, he scratched his head in confusion.

After waiting for a while without seeing anyone return, he simply carried off the free pot of wine and happily packed up his stall.