What Adult Would Get Angry at a Child?

Elsewhere.

Hong Yuan flicked the blood from his long saber and also heard County Magistrate Zhang's shouted order. A faint trace of amusement surfaced on his face.

This County Magistrate Zhang was all thunder and little rain. He yelled loudly about catching the thief, yet never ordered the guards to attack.

Hong Yuan had originally thought that after delivering this whole-family reunion, he would still have to slaughter a few more people to break his way out. He had not expected it to be even easier than anticipated.

In truth, it was because he had struck too quickly. In the span of one or two breaths, he had sent off every male who could make decisions. Without a backbone, how could anyone give orders?

With County Magistrate Zhang harboring ill intentions as well, Hong Yuan had instead become the side dish for the moment.

Suddenly, Hong Yuan's ear twitched, and he looked toward the curtain behind Huang Yihe's corpse.

A main platform had been set up in the front courtyard, with a curtain separating it from the buildings behind.

Rip!

With one slash, Hong Yuan split the curtain open and walked inside at an unhurried pace.

He saw only what lay behind the curtain.

On the corridor, a beautiful woman with her hair covered in pearls and jade, dressed in a gold-woven gown, was holding a child as she ran in panic.

Perhaps she was running too urgently; her foot stepped on her hem, and she stumbled hard, falling to the ground.

The child in the beautiful woman's arms immediately cried out in pain. The woman hurriedly covered his mouth, struggled to her feet, and ran on. Very soon, she turned down the corridor.

Hong Yuan followed behind. He heard a crisp creak, as if the door to some room had opened.

A hint of a smile surfaced on his face. His steps remained neither fast nor slow. After turning past the long corridor, he saw a room door left slightly ajar, as though the person had acted too hastily and had not had time to close it.

Hong Yuan chuckled softly and pushed the door open to enter.

This was a study.

Judging by the layout of the house, it sat at the very heart of the residence. It was presumably Huang Yihe's study.

Hong Yuan's gaze roamed around. It seemed to sweep casually, but under his powerful powers of observation, every trace, down to the finest hair, was fully revealed.

Before long, Hong Yuan spotted a faint protrusion beside the bookshelf against the wall on the left. He raised his hand and pressed it down.

With a click, a hidden compartment appeared.

Hong Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly. Only after confirming there was no danger did he reach into the hidden compartment and pull out a square box.

With a click, the box opened.

Inside was a stack of banknotes. Hong Yuan picked them up casually and flipped through them roughly. They were exactly the same as the banknotes he had seen inside the Jade Wutong Immortal Realm.

The banknotes were all one hundred taels each, issued by Baoji Zhenji, totaling roughly five or six thousand taels.

This was undoubtedly an enormous fortune. Hong Yuan accepted it into his robes with a completely unceremonious smile.

Aside from the banknotes, there were also three small jade bottles and a sheet of gold foil paper, densely engraved with tiny characters.

Hong Yuan grabbed the three small jade bottles in one hand and weighed them. A faint sound immediately came from within; some sort of pill was stored inside.

A small slip of paper was pasted onto each of the three small jade bottles. The one with the greatest quantity was labeled: Gift for Commander Xiang.

The next was: Gift for Captain Guo.

The last was: Gift for Captain Yang.

"What kind of pill?"

Hong Yuan's gaze landed on the sheet of gold foil paper. His eyes focused, and he saw written on it: "Red Pill Rejuvenation Technique."

"Selection of materials: must be a maiden under the age of eighteen, blessed with deep fortune, with both parents alive, and of fine appearance..."

"Ritual: three matchmakers and six betrothal gifts, joyous music shaking the heavens, a grand banquet to clash against her Baleful Intent."

"Strip away all clothing, apply a mixture of beeswax and cinnabar..."

"Use the woman's sweat, essence blood, and tears as supplementary materials..."

"When the Rejuvenation Pill is complete, it will prolong life and extend years."

Bang!

Hong Yuan's palm abruptly crushed the three small bottles. In an instant, gleaming green shards and the red medicinal powder from the shattered pills intertwined in his hand.

Looking at them, he only felt that when he had killed Huang Yihe earlier, he had struck far too quickly!

He rubbed the gold foil paper in his palm, and it turned into a scattering of gold dust that drifted down with a rustle.

"Commander Xiang, Captain Guo, Captain Yang..."

Hong Yuan memorized these three people.

Though he did not know their specific names, the official posts of commander and captain were undoubtedly those of important figures in the prefectural city.

That did not matter. If only to fulfill the conditions to open the Taisui Blessed Land, he would have to step over every last one of these important figures.

Hong Yuan strode out of the study, swept his gaze around, and walked on at an easy pace.

Behind an artificial hill not far from the study.

Beneath a large bluestone hidden among flowers and trees.

The beautiful woman's dress was stained with mud. She clutched the child nervously, listening as the footsteps faded into the distance.

The child bit the woman's palm, and the pain made her cry out, "Ah!" She jerked back the hand covering his mouth.

The child was only about eight or nine, wearing a gold neck ring. His round, plump face was rosy and fair, but at this moment his eyes were full of hatred. "Mother, Father is dead, Grandfather is dead too..."

"Don't speak."

The woman hurriedly covered the child's mouth again, leaned close to his ear, and said through gritted teeth, "Chen'er, you must remember. Remember that man..."

"Remember what?"

All of a sudden, a low voice sounded above her head.

Though the voice was soft, to the woman's ears it was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, terrifying her until her soul nearly flew apart.

The woman stiffly raised her neck and looked up.

At once she saw a slender figure standing atop the artificial mountain rock. In the glow and shadows, his features could not be seen clearly, but when those calm, indifferent eyes lowered toward her, the woman's body had already gone limp.

Run!

The woman roared it over and over in her heart, but her body seemed to have been hollowed out, without even the slightest shred of strength left.

She only watched as the man leapt down. With a heavy thud, he was already standing before the mother and son.

"You killed my father, killed my grandfather! I'm going to kill you..."

An eight- or nine-year-old child already understood quite a few things, especially one from a wealthy clan. At this moment, the child's face was savage, filled entirely with hatred. He grabbed a pebble and threw it at Hong Yuan.

Pfft!

The pebble struck his clothes, then slid down.

Hong Yuan glanced at it, bent a finger, and flicked the dust clean from his robe. "Oh? How do you plan to kill me?"

"I'll kill you the same way I killed Zhu'er! I'll throw you into the snake pit to feed the snakes..." the child shouted.

The beautiful woman's eyes turned bloodshot. Somehow, a surge of strength welled up in her again, and she pulled the child into her arms, covering his eyes with her palm.

"No! Don't kill my child! He didn't mean it! He didn't see you either!"

Hong Yuan said mildly, "Relax. What adult would get angry with a child?"

As he spoke, Hong Yuan reached out and pried away the beautiful woman's hand. Meeting the child's hateful gaze, he smiled and said, "Remember this face of mine. Don't forget it. When we meet next time, come find me for revenge."

"When I grow up, I'll definitely kill you." The child glared at Hong Yuan, his round face, which had originally been rather endearing, now twisted beyond recognition.

Just then, a burst of chaotic footsteps rang out.

County Magistrate Zhang led a crowd of guards, driving a group of Huang Mansion women in from the front courtyard.

As he walked, he gave loud orders. "All Huang Mansion servants, stand guard outside. Watch carefully, and don't let the thief escape. Zhang Family guards, follow me in to capture the thief."

Some servant leaders and guard captains of Huang Mansion were unwilling and also wanted to enter the inner courtyard, but County Magistrate Zhang left over a dozen guards behind to watch them with drawn blades, so they had no choice but to give up.

Joy flashed across the beautiful woman's face. She opened her mouth to shout, but then remembered that the vicious man was right in front of her.

Yet when she raised her eyes, she suddenly discovered that the figure had already vanished without a trace.

The beautiful woman felt as though she had escaped death, and boundless joy flooded her. She hurriedly struggled to pick up the child, then staggered toward County Magistrate Zhang. "Lord Zhang, this humble woman... this humble woman is here."

It was only a short stretch, but she seemed to use up all the strength in her body. By the time she reached County Magistrate Zhang's side, she was almost completely drained and stumbled as she fell.

County Magistrate Zhang hurriedly reached out to support her, half gathering the woman into his arms. Looking at the child she held, he asked, "This is...?"

"County Magistrate, this is the wife and son of the Huang Family's eldest young master."

A Zhang Family guard answered.

County Magistrate Zhang nodded, then looked gently at the woman in his arms. "Madam, are you all right?"

"This humble woman thanks you for your concern, my lord. Fortunately, you arrived in time, or else this humble woman would have suffered that thief's murderous hand." As the woman spoke, she turned to look at the child again and said through gritted teeth, "Chen'er, you must remember that man. When you grow up, tear him into ten thousand pieces..."

Before her words had fallen, waves of miserable screams reached the woman's ears. She lifted her head in shock and saw that the group of women being driven along by the Zhang Family guards were now being hacked down one after another.

Pshhk!

County Magistrate Zhang had one arm around the beautiful woman, but from the sleeve of his other arm, a short blade suddenly slid out. With one stab, he plunged it into the woman's chest.

Blood splashed everywhere.

The woman's mouth fell open as she stared blankly at County Magistrate Zhang's smiling face.

Immediately after, from the corner of her eye, she saw a Zhang Family guard grinning savagely as he stretched out a thick, coarse hand and snatched away the screaming "Chen'er."

He pressed him to the ground and chopped off his head with one ruthless slash.

The woman's vision dimmed. The last thing she heard was County Magistrate Zhang shouting urgently, "The thief is vicious! Do not hurt my Brother Huang's family!"

Smack!

County Magistrate Zhang shoved the still-warm corpse in his arms away. As he drew out the blade, he even wiped the bloody edge across the other party's full, mountainous curves, his face calm as still water.

"My lord, we caught this woman. How should she be dealt with?" A guard came over to report while holding a young girl dressed in red wedding clothes, her eyes swollen and red, her face covered in tear tracks.

This girl was precisely the concubine Huang Guiling had planned to take today. At this moment, her face was full of terror, and her body trembled without end.

"You're asking me about a petty little thing like this?" County Magistrate Zhang glared at him and waved a hand. "Dispose of her quickly."

The guard did not waste words. At the order, he gave a nod, and the long blade in his hand stabbed toward the girl's chest.

Puchi!

The sound of a blade tearing through the air rang out, but the one who screamed was that guard. An arm went flying into the air.

County Magistrate Zhang only felt his vision blur, and there was already another person in front of him. The speed was so fast he had no time to react at all. At the same moment the guard's arm was chopped off with one slash, the blade's momentum did not stop; a streak of blade-light swept past County Magistrate Zhang's cheek.

County Magistrate Zhang instantly felt an unbearable stabbing pain by his left ear. One of his ears had already been carried off by the blade-light and fallen to the ground.

"Don't shout! Shout, and I'll cut off your head!"

A cold, chilling edge pressed against his neck, forcing the cry of pain that had surged to County Magistrate Zhang's throat back down.

A bloodied steel blade was pressed against his neck.

The hand holding the blade was long and fair, its knuckles distinct and well-proportioned. It was an extremely beautiful hand.

The owner of the hand was an even more handsome and valiant youth.

That youth was smiling at him. "When it comes to ruthlessness, it still has to be you officials!"

Hong Yuan sighed and looked at the head on the ground with its eyes wide open, then shook his head. "We meet again... what a pity. Someone snatched my job."

"Young hero, there is no enmity between us..." County Magistrate Zhang endured the severe pain and squeezed out a trace of a smile.

Every one of the Zhang Family guards' eyes bulged with rage. Their master had had an ear cut off under their protection, and was even being held hostage.

When the lord was humiliated, the vassal died.

Even if the master's household killed them all, it would not be excessive.

Only, wary that County Magistrate Zhang had been seized, they could only glare in fury one by one, not daring to move.

"Of course there's no enmity."

Hong Yuan smiled faintly. "I don't like making enemies with people. Usually, when there is enmity, I'll think of every possible way to settle it as soon as possible. Likewise, I don't like owing or being owed favors..."

"So, I helped you deal with the Huang Family people and handed you such a great bargain. You help me with a small matter and repay this favor. No problem, right?"

"What does Young Hero need Zhang to do? Please give your orders." County Magistrate Zhang was inwardly angry, but he could only endure it.

"First..." Hong Yuan pointed at the red-dressed girl who was crying like pear blossoms in the rain and smiled. "Send this little girl back to her family. Such a pitiful child, and you actually wanted to kill her? Are you even human?"

Heh heh!

County Magistrate Zhang sneered inwardly. When you brat killed Huang Guiling's whole family, you were much more ruthless than Zhang.

"Give her a little more silver to calm her nerves. Also, with your methods, County Magistrate Zhang, you should be able to find out those concubines Huang Guiling took in before and those women he captured, right? Send some money to their families too!"

Hong Yuan looked at County Magistrate Zhang and said blandly, "The Huang Family's estates have probably all gone to you. You've taken so many benefits, so paying out a little is very reasonable, right?"

"Very reasonable." County Magistrate Zhang nodded fiercely.

He was incomparably resentful. For such a tiny matter, couldn't you have just opened your mouth and said it?

As the county magistrate of Qingxu County, even the county magistrate was nothing more than a rubber stamp in front of him. He was also the head of the Zhang Family clan; he could be called the local emperor of an entire county.

Though losing an ear would not strip him of power, it was, after all, a great loss of face.

"Second, help me deal with a few people..."

Hong Yuan named certain people.

County Magistrate Zhang nodded repeatedly as well. At the end, he only heard the other party laugh and say, "That's it. If County Magistrate Zhang wants to seek revenge on me in the future, I'll be waiting at any time."

"I wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare."

County Magistrate Zhang hurriedly denied it. His neck suddenly loosened, and the black-clad figure before his eyes swayed, leaping up. Nimble as an old ape, he flipped onto the roof, and after several leaps and landings, his figure was already gone.

Only then did County Magistrate Zhang understand why the other party had appeared so quickly earlier. This kind of movement technique was truly the only one he had ever seen in his life, making him think of certain wandering swordsmen in knight-errant novels who flew over eaves and ran along walls!

"Damn it. The Zhang Family should also recruit—no, cultivate some real experts in the future!"

"And that little brat..." County Magistrate Zhang covered his left ear, blood seeping through the gaps between his fingers. "I can't deal with you for now, so I'll report it to the prefectural city and hand you over to Commander Xiang to deal with."