Framed

At this moment, in the backyard of Willow Pavilion.

"You just killed him so easily; aren't you afraid that someone might trace it back through the clues? You should know, the methods of the Peace Guard are far from ordinary."

"I'm not afraid. I used the techniques of the Corpse Puppet Path to execute him, shattering his heart meridians with a wisp of Corpse Qi. Once done, this wisp of Corpse Qi will dissolve into his body."

"Now that he is a corpse, his body has already begun to generate Corpse Qi. Merging with a single wisp is no different from the Qi he produces himself, so naturally, others will be unable to detect it," Lin Yi said.

"Your wicked techniques from the Corpse Puppet Path are truly insidious..." Yu Qinglian teased with a pout.

Lin Yi sat on the bed, and soon, a slender, fair hand climbed up from behind him, reaching straight into the collar of his robe.

Following that, the scantily clad Yu Qinglian had already climbed onto Lin Yi's back, her charming, flushed face resting in the hollow of his neck, her voice thick with ambiguity.

Lin Yi turned his head slightly, raised an eyebrow, and said, "This position isn't quite right, is it?"

Yu Qinglian's panting paused, her face flushed, but she still met Lin Yi's gaze with burning eyes. "What? Wasn't it you who told me to play the part to the fullest?"

Lin Yi: "That may be so, but could you not... moan while facing me?"

Yu Qinglian's fox-like eyes narrowed as she leaned closer to Lin Yi:

"Hmm? If not facing you, should I face that dead man? I couldn't possibly moan for him. If I ruin your plan then, don't blame me."

"Besides, can't I collect some interest in advance..."

Yu Qinglian gently bit her lip, her hand inside Lin Yi's collar exploring along his chest, her eyes fixed ambiguously on his profile.

Lin Yi: "..."

Lin Yi's experience as a man of the world still told everyone: no matter how poor a man is, he must not sell himself.

Inside Willow Pavilion.

After Yu Qinglian was taken away.

The entire Willow Pavilion presented a scene of abnormal desolation; the refined interest of drinking, composing poetry, and listening to music had been largely ruined.

Instead, people chatted intentionally or unintentionally, their faces frequently showing righteous indignation.

"Outrageous! Simply outrageous!"

"Just because he has a father who is a Seventh-grade martial artist and a hall master, can he do whatever he wants?"

"Sigh, what can be done? This Willow Pavilion is led by the Master of Green Wood Gang and is an industry invested in by the End of the World Pavilion."

"The End of the World Pavilion carries weight, but they don't manage the industry; they only collect profits every year."

"Although the Master of Green Wood Gang is also a Seventh-grade martial artist, he became famous later than the Master of Qingsong Hall, and besides, why would he make an enemy of a Seventh-grade martial artist over a woman?"

"Not to mention, the conflict between the Green Wood Gang and the Black Wind Gang is deepening, so he wouldn't make enemies at will. There are fewer than ten Seventh-grade martial artists in the city; the relationships are truly too delicate."

"What about the Peace Guard? Forcibly abducting a civilian woman!"

"Could it be that the laws of Great Yan will let him off?"

"You are too naive. The laws of Great Yan do indeed stipulate that forced abduction of a civilian woman is punishable by death by caning. Although it looks like coercion now, afterwards, both the Master of Green Wood Gang and the Master of Qingsong Hall have plenty of ways to make Lian Niang change her story."

The crowd fell silent.

The sound of fierce hoofbeats instantly tore through the silence of Willow Pavilion.

"Who is it! Isn't horse riding prohibited in this district?"

The crowd looked toward the entrance.

The sun was bright, and they could only see the silhouette of the person.

Sitting atop a tall, spirited horse was a figure—with short limbs and a large head, looking like a big-headed child riding a grown-up's horse.

For a moment, it actually looked somewhat comical.

Hu Ma entered Willow Pavilion.

The True Qi of an Eighth-grade martial artist was released to its full extent, filling the air with an unstoppable momentum.

Instantly, no one in the room dared to look down on him anymore.

"Where is Lian Niang!"

Someone in the crowd clearly recognized the newcomer: "The backyard!"

Hu Ma did not hesitate and rode his horse straight toward the back.

The crowd watched Hu Ma's retreating figure with a sigh.

"Who is that guy!"

"Don't know, he has quite a unique look."

"Sigh, Hu Ma, you don't know him! A hall master of the Black Wind Gang, an Eighth-grade martial artist! He's a ruthless character!"

Just then, someone in the crowd shouted, "Hey, brothers, isn't there a show to watch now!"

The crowd's eyes lit up—the love of watching a spectacle is a nature carved into their bones.

Immediately, a large group of them swarmed toward the backyard.

At the entrance to the backyard, Li Baoyu's guard had just shouted, "Who goes there?"

Hu Ma had already arrived on horseback.

Ignoring him entirely, he raised his hand, drew the long blade from his waist, and hurled it with all his might. The blade tore through the air and pinned the lead guard's shoulder, nailing him directly to the outer wall of the courtyard.

In the blink of an eye, the steed reached them. Hu Ma leaned down, gripped the hilt, and yanked the blade free, sending blood spraying as the man's arm was severed.

The remaining guards were struck dumb, none daring to block his path again.

Hu Ma tossed the reins aside and strode toward the house in the backyard. The crowd of onlookers behind him arrived in his wake.

The bloody scene from a moment ago had caused the crowd to tremble briefly, but the collective courage of the mob quickly overcame their fear.

"Let's go in and take a look!"

"Exactly, we're already here."

"Besides, we're just watching the show. He can't kill all of us, can he?"

With a few words, they convinced themselves and surged into the courtyard once more in a boisterous wave.

The moment they entered, they saw the situation inside the room clearly.

The back door was wide open, and the wooden door to the room had been shattered into splinters by True Qi.

Yu Qinglian was disheveled, covering her vital parts as she curled up in the corner.

Hu Ma stood frozen in place, his face deathly pale.

Before him lay Li Baoyu, coughing up blood with a long blade buried in his chest, struggling to rise.

Li Baoyu pointed a hand viciously at Hu Ma, his blood-soaked mouth muttering incessantly.

"I... even as a ghost... I won't... let you go!"

As the crowd entered, the life Li Baoyu seemed to be clinging to finally faded. His neck went limp, his body slumped, and he died completely.

Hu Ma looked toward the crowd behind him, his face pale and his expression one of terror.

"I... I didn't kill him..." Hu Ma murmured softly.

"I only pushed him once..."

"He stabbed himself with his own sword..."

"Murder!"

A sudden cry of alarm erupted from the crowd!

The next second, the people scattered in a panic, fleeing toward the outside as if their lives depended on it.

How could they not run?

He dared to kill the son of a Seventh-grade martial artist!

How could they not run?

He dared to commit murder right in front of them!

Everyone had seen it, and heaven only knew if Hu Ma might have a sudden lapse in sanity and decide to silence all the witnesses.

Previously, they had only heard that Hu Ma was ruthless.

But they had never imagined he would be so audacious.

Hu Ma's face turned leaden as he took a deep look at Li Baoyu's corpse on the ground.

In this situation, once mud falls into your trousers, it's shit even if it isn't.

"Leave here first. Once the Peace Guard arrives, that will be the real end."

He thought to himself that he was the magistrate's own son, and his biological parents wouldn't just abandon him. He then looked up toward the corner: "Lian Niang, come with me!"