The memories in his mind gradually became clear. He had clashed with Jiang Che, then Yu Zongping had arrived and saved him. He had insulted Jiang Che, repaying him for the humiliation of being trampled underfoot.
Then...
Then he had seen a flash of white light. After that, he could remember nothing.
That white light had seemed like a blade.
A blade?!
Wang Chengen jolted in horror and hurriedly checked himself. He then discovered that his left arm had completely lost all feeling. His shoulder was a bloody mess, pain still radiating from it.
One of his arms was gone!
"Awake?"
Jiang Che sat before Wang Chengen. Seeing that he had been roused by cold water, he asked with a smile.
"Jiang Che! Jiang Che! Ah, you... you dared to seize me? Where... where is my brother-in-law?" Wang Chengen roared, staring at everything before him in disbelief.
"You're already tied up here. Can't you see reality for what it is?"
"You... you..."
Wang Chengen immediately deflated.
"Do you want to live or die?"
Jiang Che went straight to the point.
"I... I want to live."
Wang Chengen lowered his head. The pain in his shoulder was a glaring reminder that since Jiang Che had dared to sever one of his arms, he could just as easily send him on his final journey.
He did not dare gamble, nor did he have the means to gamble.
"It's good that you want to live. I was truly afraid you'd harden your heart and refuse to yield even under harsh torture." Jiang Che held a soft whip covered in sharp barbs and circled him several times.
"You should know all about the grudges between us, right?"
"I... I know. Back then, I looked down on you with dog eyes and failed to recognize Mount Tai. I bought your family's fish at a low price. I... I'm willing to repay you tenfold... no, a hundredfold."
Wang Chengen hurriedly begged for mercy. He did not dare mention having Jiang Che conscripted, trying to muddle through the matter.
"Smack!"
With a dull crack, Jiang Che lashed Wang Chengen directly. The double agony immediately made him bare his teeth in pain, his body trembling without stop.
"Jiang... Grandpa Jiang... I... I was truly wrong."
"Do you really think I care about what happened before? If you won't talk, I'll keep whipping you. I'm also rather curious to see how many more days you can survive in your current state."
Jiang Che's expression was cold, making Wang Chengen panic inwardly.
Seeing Jiang Che's whip about to fall again, he realized that Jiang Che must already know about the conscription matter—he knew Wang Chengen had been the one pulling strings behind the scenes.
"I... I'll talk. What... what happened with your name on the Conscription Register, that... that was my doing. I was wrong, I was truly wrong! Grandpa Jiang, spare my life.
"I have elderly parents above me and young children below me."
"You don't know you were wrong. You merely know fear."
Jiang Che stood before Wang Chengen and lightly flicked the soft whip twice across his face.
"The grudge between us didn't seem that great, did it? Give me a reason. Why did you insist on putting my name in the Conscription Register and sending me to die at the border?"
"I... I..."
Wang Chengen's eyes darted about. He did not dare look at Jiang Che. He wanted to take all the blame upon himself, but feared that Jiang Che already knew everything and would give him several more lashes.
"When I sold off my property and tried every possible way to pull strings, it was all useless. Someone had clearly given specific instructions. Don't tell me that was merely a coincidence."
"Someone... someone told me to do it. Really. I... I even pleaded on your behalf at the time, but I didn't dare defy that person's orders." Wang Chengen gritted his teeth and confessed outright.
"Who?!"
A chill flashed through Jiang Che's eyes.
At first, he had truly thought Wang Chengen coveted his family property, or simply could not stand the sight of him. He had only spoken those words because he had some doubts and wanted to bluff him.
He had not expected there to truly be someone else behind it!
He could not understand it. Who exactly had he offended?
Before Gou Buyi died, he had personally said that someone had paid him silver to kill Jiang Che. The reason he sold Jiang Che pork was, first, out of greed—to squeeze out every last coin of silver Jiang Che had.
The other reason was to use the meat sale to pin a charge of theft on him.
That was where the doubts emerged.
With Wang Chengen's standing, his hand could not reach into the military camp. And if he truly wanted Jiang Che dead, given the gap in their status and strength at the time, he could have easily sunk Jiang Che into the Qinglin River and drowned him.
So from that point on, Jiang Che had harbored suspicions.
He had pieced things together bit by bit, until in the end, his deductions pointed back to Wang Chengen—the only person with whom he had any connection.
"The Gang Leader's Wife... Yu Min."
"Which Gang Leader's Wife?"
Jiang Che frowned slightly.
"Ka... Kou Yuansheng's wife."
"Why would she order you to deal with me? Do you take me for a fool, trying to deceive me deliberately?" Jiang Che's gaze was dangerous.
He could be certain that he had absolutely no entanglements with the Gang Leader's Wife Wang Chengen spoke of.
He had never even heard that name before.
"It's... it's true! If I'm lying to you, may I die a miserable death! My sister can prove this matter too. Back then, it was my sister who introduced me to Madam Yu. She specifically instructed me to find a way to have you conscripted.
"Afterward, she even rewarded me with one hundred taels of silver."
Seeing that Jiang Che did not believe him, Wang Chengen hurriedly swore an oath. There was not the slightest trace of falsehood in his expression.
No joy or anger showed on Jiang Che's face as he continued.
"Was it also you who asked someone to arrange for Gou Buyi to kill me in the Auxiliary Barracks?"
"Who? Who is... Gou... Gou what?"
Wang Chengen looked utterly bewildered.
Jiang Che fell into thought, frowning as he considered the matter, yet he could not recall having any enemy surnamed Yu.
"Grandpa Jiang, I... I've told you everything. When... when will you let me go? If I don't see a doctor soon, I'm afraid I'll die." Wang Chengen swallowed and pleaded.
"Wait for now. Wait until someone pays to ransom you."
Jiang Che glanced at him, then turned and left.
"Lord Jiang! Jiang Che, you... you don't keep your word!"
Wang Chengen shouted loudly from inside the cell.
On the other side, after Jiang Che finished interrogating Wang Chengen, Captain Chen arrived at the military camp right afterward. He was currently arranged in a hall, where Xu San'er and the others were keeping him company.
The gloom on Jiang Che's face swiftly vanished, replaced by a smile.
"Brother Chen truly doesn't waste a moment."
"Can't be helped. I was born to toil."
Captain Chen shook his head.
Jiang Che smiled, gestured for Xu San'er and the others to leave, then raised a hand to pour Captain Chen a cup of tea.
"So, Captain Chen, what brings you here?"
"Brother Jiang, aren't you asking while knowing the answer? What else could it be? Naturally, I'm here to recover those goods for the Cao Gang, along with Yu Zongping's brother-in-law. Name your price, and I'll help mediate."
Seeing that Jiang Che seemed in a good mood, Captain Chen immediately went straight to the point.
Jiang Che tapped his fingers against the table, one beat after another, with perfect rhythm. Only after a moment did he shake his head.
"Captain Chen, you've truly handed me a difficult problem. You should know who ordered me to do this. Those goods... aren't easy to touch."