Misfortune and Fortune

"Who has returned?"

"Chen... Chen Zhuo..."

The White-Uniform Runner panted, completely out of breath.

"Let's go."

The fat on Sun Fei's face trembled slightly; without a second thought, he hurried out.

Where did the blood come from?

Fifth Master pondered for a moment, then followed closely behind, rushing to keep up.

A mere White-Uniform Runner was not worth his concern, but he had to consider Sun Fei's attitude.

The Swift Squad's quarters were only a short distance from the main gate; Fifth Master stayed right on Sun Fei's heels, and they soon reached the entrance.

By then, many people had stopped to watch, blocking the gate completely.

"Move aside."

Fifth Master stepped forward first, pushing through the crowd with his arms to clear a path for Sun Fei.

As soon as Sun Fei stepped out of the gate, he froze in place, as if he had seen something truly inconceivable.

"Hee-haw! Hee-haw!"

Fifth Master had not been interested, but the sound of a donkey braying and Sun Fei's reaction piqued his curiosity.

He poked his head through the crowd and cast his gaze forward.

In an instant, his body shuddered violently, as if struck by lightning.

At the entrance of the yamen, a black donkey blinked its large eyes, pulling a small flatbed cart behind it.

On the cart was piled a hill of human flesh.

Chen Zhuo, drenched in blood and holding a long blade upside down, sat steadily atop the mound of bodies.

His handsome features were completely obscured by the blood on his face.

The sun was about to set, and the dim glow of the sunset cast upon Chen Zhuo made him look like a statue of blood-stained clay.

"Why are you bleeding so much?"

Sun Fei's face was grim.

Chen Zhuo wiped his face with his hand and squeezed out a hoarse voice: "It's all superficial wounds, nothing to worry about."

Since all the yamen runners of the Swift Squad had gone out to hunt for Qiu Laojiu, not a single one had returned to the yamen.

Except for Fifth Master, only a group of White-Uniform Runners were blocking the gate to watch the spectacle, and there was no one in charge.

Sun Fei turned to look at Fifth Master: "Fifth Master, send someone to fetch Doctor Zhang... no, go to the back kitchen and ask Master Chef Yan to come here."

Fifth Master hesitated slightly, then turned to the side and hurriedly ordered a White-Uniform Runner to run to the back kitchen.

However, he still didn't understand.

The boy's injuries were so severe that there wasn't a single intact spot on his body, yet instead of a doctor, they were calling for a cook?

What's more, a cook with such a foul and stubborn temper.

"Let me check the situation first."

Sun Fei walked up to the donkey cart, leaned in, and scanned Chen Zhuo carefully from head to toe, slowly letting out a sigh of relief.

He looked miserable, but they were indeed all superficial wounds.

"You were only sent to post some wanted posters; how did you end up like this?"

Sun Fei's gaze drifted downward, and his pupils suddenly constricted.

Beneath Chen Zhuo, there were six people in total. Aside from a Fat Old Man with his hands and feet bound and a man with a severed hand, the others had all stopped breathing.

How did posting a few posters turn into a bloody brawl?

"What on earth happened?"

Sun Fei's eyes darkened.

"I was ambushed."

Chen Zhuo slowly sheathed his long blade and patted the Fat Old Man's back, saying: "They were all scum from the Long River Gang. They set a trap for me; I was just a hair's breadth away from falling for it completely."

"Audacious."

As if thinking of something, a vicious glint erupted in Sun Fei's eyes.

He glanced at the Fat Old Man again; his face was covered in blood and a cloth was stuffed in his mouth, making it impossible to see his features.

His gaze then fell upon the man with the severed hand.

At just one glance, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The wrist had been cut cleanly, severed right at the root.

One strike.

It took no more than a single strike to sever the entire palm.

Sun Fei suddenly looked up at Chen Zhuo's saber; the spots of blood on the blade were enough to explain everything.

Thinking of this, his body suddenly stiffened.

This kid...

Could his cultivation have improved again?

He could achieve a wound of this degree, too.

But how long had he been practicing martial arts?

And how long had Chen Zhuo been at it?

What's more, he had been taught by famous masters since he was a child and had the aid of medicinal tonics.

Suppressing the bitterness in his heart, Sun Fei beckoned behind him: "A few of you, come over and help Brother Chen down."

"Many thanks, Brother Sun."

Chen Zhuo nodded in gratitude and continued, "I must also trouble Brother Sun to keep a close watch on this fellow beneath me."

"Who is he?"

Sun Fei looked the Fat Old Man over, still completely confused.

"I don't know either. I only suspect this person might be related to Qiu Laojiu. When Squad Leader Yao and the others return to the yamen, we must interrogate him thoroughly."

Supported by a few White-Uniform Runners, Chen Zhuo climbed off the donkey cart.

His physical strength was severely depleted, making it a struggle to even lift his legs, but his gaze remained locked on the Fat Old Man, not daring to look away for even a second.

He wasn't naive enough to think a few strips of torn cloth could actually bind this man; having him tie his own hands and feet had merely been a test of attitude.

Even so, the Fat Old Man had tried to bewitch him with words the entire way, until Chen Zhuo stuffed a rag into his mouth, after which he returned to the yamen without further incident.

Whether the Fat Old Man had any connection to Qiu Laojiu didn't matter.

What mattered was the merit.

He had posted the wanted poster for Qiu Laojiu, and shortly after, he was ambushed by this man's group.

Logically, it all added up.

Thirty taels of silver might be hard to guarantee, but ten taels should be well within reach.

"Mmph, mmph, mmph..."

The Fat Old Man struggled, trying to make a sound, but the moment he saw Chen Zhuo silently place a hand on the saber at his waist, he immediately quieted down.

Sun Fei glanced at Chen Zhuo with suspicion, then waved his hand: "Take him inside and guard him well."

"I will watch over this thief personally to ensure nothing goes wrong."

Fifth Master, who hadn't said much until now, suddenly darted forward.

Thinking that his loose tongue earlier might have offended Young Master Sun, he felt he needed to make up for it.

Without waiting for Sun Fei to nod, he rushed to the donkey cart and pulled the rag out of the Fat Old Man's mouth.

"You lot, take this one-handed fellow to the interrogation room. As for the dead ones, you, you, and you—haul them to the Mass Grave outside the city and dump them. Get to it quickly before they start to stink."

Fifth Master gave orders to the White-Uniform Runners behind him, then turned to personally escort the Fat Old Man to the interrogation room.

But when his eyes landed squarely on the Fat Old Man's face, his body trembled, and he couldn't help but exclaim: "Huang Sanyou?!"

"Pah!"

The Fat Old Man spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm and said with a fierce glare, "Little Wu, it's been quite some time."

Fifth Master laughed awkwardly, "Third Master Huang, what is this..."

Huang Sanyou didn't speak, instead turning his vicious gaze toward Chen Zhuo, just about to open his mouth.

Thwack.

Chen Zhuo delivered a hand-chop, giving him no chance to speak, and knocked him out cold.

"I don't care if you're Huang San or Huang Si, you talk too much."

Chen Zhuo withdrew his hand and looked at the stunned Fifth Master: "Fifth Master, are you well-acquainted with him?"

Fifth Master froze, then shook his head like a rattle-drum.

"Not acquainted, not acquainted at all."

"Then why aren't you taking him away?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

Fifth Master nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, hoisted the unconscious Huang Sanyou onto his shoulder, and turned to leave.

Just as he reached the door, he realized something was wrong.

You son of a bitch, are you the White-Uniform Runner or am I?

He only dared to think it; he didn't dare say it out loud.

Even daring to lay a hand on Huang Sanyou, he was clearly someone not to be trifled with.

Turning his head to glance at Chen Zhuo, Fifth Master didn't dare linger, heading straight toward the interrogation room.

Watching the Fat Old Man enter the yamen, Chen Zhuo let out a sigh of relief.

Recalling Fifth Master's attitude just moments ago, he turned to Sun Fei and asked, "What's the story with this Huang Sanyou?"

Sun Fei pondered for a moment, looking at Chen Zhuo with a complex expression: "Let's go inside first."