By then, not a single soul remained on West Street. Even the old man Chu Feng had helped was nowhere to be seen.
Aside from Chu Feng, only one man and one horse lay dead on the spot.
Chu Feng did not care. He casually felt around Fang Yun Hu and found several ounces of loose silver, then walked into a narrow, dim alley.
On the way, he casually took a piece of clothing that had been hung out to dry at a household.
He threw away the clothes he had changed out of. As he walked, his body quietly transformed back into that of a thin man.
He passed through the alley like a drop of water merging into the bustling crowd on the streets of the eastern city.
People streamed back and forth, and the liveliness remained unchanged. All kinds of hawking cries rang out without end.
They had no idea that a murder had occurred just a few streets away—and that the dead were members of the Fang family!
"Move aside, don't block the road..."
A group of constables hurried through the noisy crowd with blades in hand, heading south.
A dozen or so breaths later, another group passed through the streets, this time escorting Fang Manor servants.
Chu Feng brushed past them, adjusted his somewhat ill-fitting clothes, and walked unhurriedly toward Hongyun Restaurant.
Another collateral descendant of the Fang family is dead. They probably won't suspect Lin Da Niu now.
This is only the beginning. My enmity with the Fang family is one of life and death. There is absolutely no chance of reconciliation.
What a pity. I'm still too weak. If I could become a Bone Forging martial artist, I would definitely march into the Fang family's residence and leave not even the chickens and dogs alive!
Chu Feng clenched his fists as these thoughts filled his mind.
Fang Jian Xing wore brocade robes and cloud-patterned clothing. Beneath his sky-blue crossed collar, thick blue veins bulged from his neck like horned dragons. His blood and qi churned, his robes billowing without wind, and the air around him seemed to turn viscous.
Standing before his beloved horse, he looked again at Fang Yun Hu's corpse, its muscles and bones shattered. His face was terrifyingly grim.
"The culprit's strength has reached the Late Stage Marrow Tempering Realm. He even cultivated a high-grade Muscle Tempering Technique. His strength actually managed to suppress Mysterious Frost Treading Snow!"
Gao Han squatted on the ground as he examined the scene and analyzed it.
This horse belonged to Fang Jian Xing, and Gao Han knew that well.
It was descended from fine steeds of the Western Regions and had been carefully raised. It possessed four thousand jin of force—enough to kick a cow to death—and ordinary jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards were no match for it.
Gao Han stared at the deep strangulation marks around the horse's neck. He understood just how tremendous the other party's strength had been!
At the very least, it was a vicious man who had tempered four hundred muscles!
Gao Han's gaze grew solemn. A high-grade Muscle Tempering Technique... Only martial Noble Families probably possess one. Could this have been done by a rival family of the Fang family?
It was no wonder Gao Han suspected this. Over the years, the Fang family had acted tyrannically, provoking the resentment of many families in Yong'an City. If they had not feared the Fang family's Old Master, who had reached the Bone Forging Realm, they would have joined forces against the Fang family long ago.
"This subordinate discovered six household servants in the alley. Judging from the scene, the person who killed Young Master Fang Yun Hu was likely the same person..."
Just as the two were analyzing the scene, Captain Xu arrived with two young constables to report.
"The three of you have seen that culprit?"
Although Gao Han was no longer a constable, he had deliberately changed his name to show consideration for the government's dignity.
But he had once been the Chief Constable, while Captain Xu had formerly been his subordinate. Naturally, when he questioned him, he acted imperiously.
Captain Xu did not find this inappropriate in the slightest. Bowing his head submissively, he said, "When we arrived at the scene, that person had already fled. We only saw the back of a burly, powerfully built figure. Even though we pursued him with all our might, he still escaped."
He did not dare say that they had come face-to-face with that Fierce God. If Gao Han took his anger out on them, the consequences would be disastrous.
"That matches what the people at the scene said..." Gao Han stroked his chin and sank into thought.
Afterward, when he could not obtain any useful information, Gao Han sent Captain Xu and the others away.
"Is someone deliberately targeting my Fang family?"
Fang Jian Xing's face was icy. He began to suspect the other wealthy families in Yong'an City. Marrow Tempering martial artists were not cabbages growing everywhere.
In this world, most martial resources were monopolized by high-level powers. It was not easy for ordinary people to cultivate to the Muscle Tempering Realm, much less reach that realm while practicing a high-grade technique.
He turned and looked down at Gao Han, ordering coldly, "Gao Han, put the pursuit of the escaped slave on hold. Capture this reckless criminal first!"
"No matter what power stands behind him, anyone who dares attack a member of the Fang family must be dragged out and captured, then cut into a thousand pieces as a warning to others!"
Gao Han cupped his fists. "Young Master, rest assured. As long as this person is still in Yong'an City, I will capture him and hand him over to you for judgment!"
Chu Feng returned to Hongyun Restaurant and greeted the old shopkeeper.
"Where did you go?" the old shopkeeper asked hurriedly when he saw Chu Feng.
"I went wandering around the market and picked up an old set of clothes, along with some Chinese honey locust pods for washing clothes."
Chu Feng's expression remained normal as he pointed to the ill-fitting old clothes on his body and the honey locust pods in his hand.
"A murder just happened on West Street in the southern part of the city. Several members of the Fang family were killed. If you have no pressing need, don't go out..." the old shopkeeper said anxiously.
"I understand."
Chu Feng nodded to show that he had taken it in.
By then, customers had begun arriving at the restaurant one after another, and everyone was discussing the murder that had just occurred on West Street.
"The Fang family is offering two hundred taels of silver for that Fierce God. I wonder who will get this windfall."
"Maybe you'll have a life to take it but not a life to spend it. Be careful you don't bring disaster upon yourself instead. A hero of such caliber must be incredibly strong. He won't be easy to capture!" a man in blue robes said disdainfully.
From his gloating expression, he had clearly been oppressed by the Fang family before.
"Watch your tongue! Do you not want to live? How dare you slander the Fang family?"
"What's there to fear? Can the Fang family really cover the sky with one hand?"
The man in blue knew he had misspoken. Though he stubbornly retorted once, he nervously glanced left and right, then immediately paid his bill and left.
Everyone knew that, given the Fang family's domineering and lawless style, Yong'an City was bound to be swept up in a storm of blood and gore!
Chu Feng paid no attention to the tangled discussions. After saying goodbye to the old shopkeeper, he went to the kitchen.
The kitchen was already bustling, and Li Zhenshan stood before the stove with a knife in hand.
The blade flashed in a blur. In the blink of an eye, the bamboo shoots on the chopping board had become fine threads.
They were uniform in thickness and equal in length.
He slammed the chopping board with his left hand. The bamboo-shoot threads immediately flew into the air. Then, with a sweep of his right hand, the cut threads landed steadily on a white jade plate.
Chu Feng glanced over, a trace of surprise flickering in his eyes.
"This chef seems to have a few tricks."
But Chu Feng could not be bothered to investigate.
The livestock had already been slaughtered. With nothing else to do, Chu Feng found a chair, sat down, and instructed Chen Shi Tou as he butchered an already slaughtered black goat.
Chen Shi Tou worked for a long while, his head drenched in sweat. He could not tell whether it came from exhaustion or anxiety.
When he watched Chu Feng butcher one, it had seemed as easy as eating or drinking.
Why was it so difficult the moment he tried it himself?
The cleaver struck the black goat's hard spine with a dull thud, leaving his hand numb with pain.
Seeing this, Chu Feng smiled.
"That's not how you use a knife..."
He took the cleaver from Chen Shi Tou's hand and demonstrated in person.
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