Borrowing Your Head

After Ren Zhining left, Zhuang Tao came to Chen Jing's side.

Watching Ren Zhining's departing figure, Zhuang Tao raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Junior Brother Chen, what's the situation? Could it be that this young lady couldn't bear the agony of lovesickness and ran over here specifically to find you?"

Chen Jing laughed despite himself, shaking his head as he explained, "Don't talk nonsense. Head Constable Zhao has been investigating the death of Xie Chong lately; he's likely coming to ask me a few questions."

He then shifted the topic, asking, "By the way, Senior Brother Zhuang, do you know Head Constable Zhao? Do you know what kind of person he is?"

"Ha, you've asked the right person."

Zhuang Tao let out a scoff upon hearing this, his expression one of mockery.

"That man was originally a martial artist from the Black Crow Sect. He broke through to become a First Blood Martial Artist and thought he could push for the Second Blood stage, but his talent was lacking. He got stuck for over a decade without a breakthrough, and by the time he grew older and his vitality began to wane, he realized there was no hope. That's when he went off to become a constable to line his pockets. He relied on his old background to climb to the position of Head Constable, but as for his strength... it's at most a bit better than an ordinary person's."

At this point, Zhuang Tao lowered his voice, his tone filled with disdain. "He once held a post with us and followed us on a few hunts.

In the end, he only cared about stealing the credit during the hunts, and in his attempt to capture a rare exotic beast, he nearly got Uncle Huan killed.

Later, we kicked him out directly.

After all, you can't work with a person like that."

Listening to Zhuang Tao's explanation, Chen Jing nodded.

Self-serving, ambitious, willing to disregard those around him for the sake of his future—a typical case of someone with ambition but no ability.

It was no wonder Ren Zhining had come to warn him.

At this moment, Zhuang Tao leaned in a step closer and whispered, "Since you asked... do you want us to help you block him?

To be honest, although we had some unpleasantness before, you are currently holding a post with the Zhuang Family, and I am a Second Blood Martial Artist. A mere head constable wouldn't dare run wild in front of me."

Chen Jing waved his hand. "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother, but I haven't done anything. If he wants to ask, let him ask."

Zhuang Tao nodded. "Very well, just give me a shout if you need anything."

Having said that, he seemed to remember something and continued, "By the way, since you slew the Green-skinned Horned Pig alone, you also have a share of the collective hunt dividends. You will receive an extra fifteen catties of the jerky made two days from now."

"Don't think it's a small amount; jerky has a low yield. It takes five catties of fresh meat to produce two catties of jerky. You all brought back twelve hundred catties of meat this time, so there will only be about four hundred catties of jerky in total.

We are brothers, I would never cheat you."

Hearing Zhuang Tao's explanation, Chen Jing understood the situation regarding the pork jerky and said, "I see. Many thanks, Senior Brother Zhuang."

After settling these matters, Chen Jing left the Zhuang Family and headed toward his home in the slums.

The evening slums were filled with gusts of cold wind, the chaotic sounds of chickens crowing and dogs barking, and the heavy, earthy stench lingering in the alleys.

Just as Chen Jing reached his front door, his brow suddenly furrowed.

His door was wide open.

That wasn't right.

Besides, Chen Sanwu had gone out to pull the cart today, and Chen Chunmiao should have been inside; she wouldn't have left the door open like this.

Could the Second Sister be in danger!

At this thought, Chen Jing's heart tightened, and he hurried into the room.

Upon closer inspection, he saw there had been no struggle, but the atmosphere was incredibly tense.

Chen Chunmiao sat in the corner of the main hall, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes, clearly uneasy.

Opposite her sat a middle-aged man dressed in a black and white constable's uniform, wearing an official-style smile as if he were just visiting a neighbor.

"Who are you?"

Looking at the middle-aged man before him, Chen Jing frowned and asked in a cold voice.

The middle-aged man turned around, his smile oily. "You must be Chen Jing, right?"

"I am Zhao Zonglin, the Head Constable of our Red Rock County."

Sure enough, he had come.

Listening to Zhao Zonglin's words, Chen Jing remained unmoved, asking in a flat tone, "Head Constable Zhao, may I ask what brings you to my home?"

Zhao Zonglin picked up a teacup from the table, sniffed the contents with a look of distaste, then set it down and said slowly, "You must have heard that Xie Chong was killed a few days ago, right?"

"I recently uncovered some clues, and I heard that he previously wanted to take your sister as a concubine."

Having said this, he swept a meaningful glance at Chen Chunmiao.

"So, I came to ask about the situation."

Chen Jing did not change his expression, feigning ignorance as he said, "We aren't familiar with Xie Chong; we only met him once. What does his death have to do with us?"

At this, Zhao Zonglin lowered his voice and continued, "Of course it has to do with you. After all, Xie Chong's brother-in-law is Hu Duanzhuo, a Third Blood Martial Artist of our Red Rock County!"

"I saw that you also broke through to become a First Blood Martial Artist recently; you should know what a Third Blood Martial Artist represents."

As his voice fell, the color drained from Chen Chunmiao's face in the corner of the room.

Clearly, before Chen Jing had arrived, Zhao Zonglin had already said something.

At this moment, Zhao Zonglin continued, "Master Hu is very concerned about the murder of Xie Chong, and since your sister was the last person to have contact with him, Master Hu would like to invite your sister over for tea to ask a few questions."

Hearing the subtle threat in Zhao Zonglin's tone, Chen Jing felt a surge of coldness in his eyes, yet he maintained a calm expression. "But we really don't know this Xie Chong. What does his murder have to do with us?"

Zhao Zonglin shook his head, adopting a tone of shared indignation. "That's what you think, but Master Hu doesn't see it that way!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jing took a pouch from his robes, pushed it toward Zhao Zonglin, and whispered, "Then could I ask Head Constable Zhao to help us cover this up? After all, we are just commoners; how could we possibly get involved in such a mess?"

Seeing this, Zhao Zonglin first glanced at the pouch in Chen Jing's hand, a flicker of greed flashing in his eyes, before he accepted it without pretense and weighed it in his hand.

He then put on a hypocritical smile, acting as if he were doing this for Chen Jing's own good. "In that case, why don't I take you to see Master Hu in person?"

"With your explanation, Master Hu naturally won't hold you accountable."

Listening to Zhao Zonglin's words, Chen Jing immediately understood that the Head Constable was determined to use him as a scapegoat to appease Hu Duanzhuo.

He had taken his money and still intended to use him as a sacrificial lamb.

This guy was truly no good!

Thinking of this, even though killing intent had already welled up within him, Chen Jing still smiled and said, "If that's the case, could you allow me to change my clothes?"

"After all, I just returned from hunting and I'm covered in blood. It wouldn't look good when meeting Master Hu."

Unexpectedly, Zhao Zonglin waved his hand dismissively. "Let's just go now. It wouldn't be good if Master Hu grew impatient."

Chen Jing could only nod in agreement. He comforted Chen Chunmiao, telling her to lock the door securely, before following Zhao Zonglin out of the house.

The lights of the slums gradually faded behind them, and the sky grew completely dark.

The night wind, carrying a chilling dampness, rustled the withered grass, and the moon hung in the high sky like a cold, white plate.

The sound of their footsteps was exceptionally clear in the silence.

As they walked, Chen Jing noticed something was wrong.

The streets grew sparse, the houses became fewer, and further ahead, there wasn't even a sign of human life.

In their place were wasteland, gravel, withered trees, and the flickering silhouettes of grave mounds in the wind.

Chen Jing's gaze darkened, and he stopped in his tracks. "Head Constable Zhao, this road... doesn't seem right."

At this moment, Zhao Zonglin also stopped. He didn't answer immediately, but slowly turned around, revealing a very peaceful, even slightly regretful smile under the moonlight.

"No, this road is exactly right!"

Zhao Zonglin's smile sent a chill down Chen Jing's spine, and he spoke up directly: "Head Constable Zhao, what are you trying to do?"

Facing Chen Jing's questioning, Zhao Zonglin sighed softly. "Chen Jing, I heard you recently broke through to become a First Blood Martial Artist. Perhaps in the future, you could even become a Second Blood Martial Artist. It's a pity... Master Hu has been pushing too hard lately, and I must give him an answer."

As he spoke, Zhao Zonglin patted his chest, as if expressing some helpless grievance.

"I have no choice but to... borrow your head."

Immediately after, he added a nauseatingly hypocritical promise: "Don't worry, once you're gone, I will take care of your eldest and second sisters. From now on, they will be under my protection."

Hearing this, the coldness in Chen Jing's eyes intensified, and he said in a low voice, "Why me? Why target me?"

Because Chen Jing was standing with his back to the moonlight, Zhao Zonglin did not see the expression on his face, assuming Chen Jing was merely asking about the reason for his death.

Zhao Zonglin chuckled, as if hearing a foolish question. "Because the others... are all too weak."

"Most of the people Xie Chong offended were commoners, and few of them have any guts."

"Only you are a First Blood Martial Artist. You have a tiny possibility of having killed Xie Chong."

Zhao Zonglin gestured with his fingers to show a sliver of space.

"A tiny bit."

Then, Zhao Zonglin shook his head. "Of course, you just broke through to First Blood; you certainly couldn't have killed Xie Chong."

"But that doesn't matter. What matters is that I kill you here and report that you resisted arrest out of fear of guilt."

"Once Master Hu hears that explanation, he will naturally have nothing more to say."

By the end, Zhao Zonglin's smile had turned into naked cruelty.

Hearing this, Chen Jing demanded again, "You're killing me in the middle of nowhere—aren't you afraid someone will hear?"

Zhao Zonglin scoffed and pointed to the surroundings. "The reason I chose this place is precisely because no one will hear."

As Zhao Zonglin's voice fell, the wind blew through the weeds on the grave mounds, and a night raven cried out in the distance, sounding particularly eerie.

"This is a desolate wilderness; there is no one here but you and me."

"Chen Jing, you should feel fortunate. Not everyone is qualified to die under my blade."

"Alright, I've said what I needed to say."

Zhao Zonglin pressed his hand against the saber at his waist and drew it out.

"Now that you know why you must die, go to your death obediently!"

The blade's light appeared chillingly white under the moonlight.

"So that's how it is!"

After hearing Zhao Zonglin's answer, the corners of Chen Jing's mouth curled up, revealing his white teeth.

"Since killing someone here won't be discovered, I don't need to pretend to be a gentleman anymore!"

With that, Chen Jing stepped forward and lunged toward Zhao Zonglin like a streak of light.