Bounty, Maiden

Pasture County Yamen.

Rear courtyard.

"My brother died such a miserable death! We must catch the murderer! I'll skin him alive and pull out his tendons!"

A strikingly beautiful woman with slightly thin lips looked at Chen Ling, seated in a grand master's chair, and wailed tearfully.

"Rest assured, a bounty has already been posted!"

"The murderer won't escape!"

Chen Ling's gaze was gloomy. He knew his brother-in-law's strength—he had already advanced into the Second-Rate Expert Realm—yet he had still been killed. That meant the murderer was at least in the Second-Rate Expert Realm.

Such a major incident had occurred in Pasture City. To prevent panic from spreading, the murderer had to be wanted.

Besides.

The Green Snake Gang was one of Pasture City's two major gangs and paid plenty of "filial tribute" every year.

"Master, someone seeks an audience. He claims he saw the murderer's appearance that night!"

At that moment, the lean-built adviser stepped forward and cupped his fists with a bow.

"Oh? Let him in at once!"

Chen Ling's eyes immediately lit up.

Ma Qian also widened her eyes.

"Master, this lowly one is Liu Monkey, a member of the Green Snake Gang. That night, I went to the latrine because of diarrhea. When I came out, I saw someone holding a bow. He shot the gang leader dead with four arrows, and all thirty-odd gang members present perished!"

Before long, a furtive-looking young man hurried inside and cupped his fists toward Chen Ling.

"Did you see what that person looked like?"

Ma Qian strode forward, looked at the gang member, and asked.

"No. He had his face covered with a black cloth and a lean build. He carried a bow and nearly never missed. Every arrow struck a gang member in the throat. Lord Ma was hit in the thigh, shoulder blade, and eye!"

"However, if that person's back appeared before me, I would still recognize him!"

Liu Monkey said respectfully.

His heart was filled with anticipation.

Providing clues about the murderer could earn him a hundred taels of silver. Even if it was not a hundred taels, ten taels would do!

"Good. Find an artist first and have him draw this person's build. Post the portrait at the city gates!"

Chen Ling said, invigorated.

East Street.

Five li from Ma Family Manor, within a large courtyard.

Seventy or eighty people were packed inside.

"Ma Zhankui is dead, and the Green Snake Gang has vanished into smoke. From now on, follow me, and I won't treat you poorly!"

"I have a task for you now. Go and investigate for me. Find out who went up Lone Wolf Mountain before the New Year and buried someone there. Find that person, and the reward will be one hundred taels of silver!"

A lean, pale-faced middle-aged man in green robes with no beard stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the crowd as he spoke in a deep voice.

"Master Ling, rest assured! We'll definitely find everyone who entered the mountain before and after the New Year!"

"Master Ling's business is our business!"

"..."

The many Green Snake Gang members had initially been somewhat resistant to Ling Ziyu's pressure. But upon hearing that finding the person would earn a reward of one hundred taels of silver, their eyes immediately gleamed, their faces full of anticipation.

One had to know.

A family of three needed only five taels of silver to live for a year. One hundred taels was enough to live on for twenty years!

"Go."

Ling Ziyu waved his hand.

The gang members scattered and left.

"Better kill the wrong one than let slip a single chance of finding him!"

Thinking of that item, a flash of anger crossed Ling Ziyu's eyes.

That person had buried Gao Yang and taken the thing, causing him to waste so much more time. Once he caught him, he would grind his bones to dust to quell the hatred in his heart!

West of the city.

Black Tiger Gang.

Main hall.

"Brothers, Ma Zhankui of the Green Snake Gang was killed, leaving the territory under his control vacant. This is a golden opportunity for our Black Tiger Gang!"

"I'll head to the county yamen shortly. Stay ready at all times and prepare to take over the former Green Snake Gang territory!"

A tall middle-aged man with an extraordinary bearing sat in a large tiger-hide chair, looking at the dozen or so gang members before him as he spoke.

"Yes, Gang Leader!"

The Black Tiger Gang members thundered their assent.

Thirty li upstream from Pasture City.

Upon the Great Yu Canal, more than ten li wide.

A five-story pleasure boat, twenty zhang long and five zhang wide, was moving slowly forward.

A peerlessly beautiful maiden of seventeen or eighteen, dressed in pale white palace attire and carrying herself with graceful nobility, stood atop the fifth deck. Behind her stood two maids who were likewise quite lovely.

"Miss, everywhere we have passed along this journey, the common people have suffered so greatly!"

At that moment, one of the maids looked at the peerless maiden and spoke.

"Yes. When the state prospers, the people suffer; when it declines, the people suffer too!!"

The maiden in palace attire nodded, her beautiful eyes filled with deep concern.

Boom!

Boom!

Suddenly, the pleasure boat shook violently. Cups and dishes on the tables in the rooms crashed to the floor. The palace-clad maiden's expression changed as she looked out the window, only to see flames and smoke rising from every part of the first deck!

The entire vessel split in two!

The two maids instantly fell into the Grand Canal through the fractured hull.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

"Protect the miss!"

"..."

From below came the guards' repeated shouts and the clash of blades.

This is bad!

The palace-clad maiden's heart lurched. She leaped into the air, but a railing crashed toward her. She immediately spat out blood and fell into the Grand Canal.

"The miss has fallen into the water!"

"Miss!"

Seeing the palace-clad maiden fall into the water, many guards leaped into the river after her. Yet the waves rolled and surged, and in the blink of an eye, she vanished without a trace.

At the foot of Lone Wolf Mountain.

[Great Dao Made Simple: Level 1]

[Lin Changsheng: 16/55]

[Cultivation: Second-Rate Realm (335/2500)]

[Methods: Moonlight Breathing Method (Grand Perfection), Reflecting Sun Breathing Method (Grand Perfection)]

[Martial Arts: Arrow Technique (Grand Perfection), Iron Sand Palm (Grand Perfection), Flying Eaves Lightness Skill (Perfect Stage 52309/62500), Azure Snake Sword Technique (Great Accomplishment Stage 123/12500)]

[By consuming a certain amount of silver, methods, martial skills, and more can be simplified.]

[Status: Yin Energy Invasion (Weakened)]

Lin Changsheng stood where he had killed Tie Yang and Li San, looking at the panel in the corner of his vision.

Recently, in order to cultivate the Flying Eaves Lightness Skill—no, in order to run—he had been coming here every day.

His Flying Eaves Lightness Skill was already close to reaching Grand Perfection.

As for the Azure Snake Sword Technique, after successfully simplifying its Entry Stage into [Observing Snake], it had reached the Great Accomplishment Stage. As long as he observed a snake's movements, he could gain experience.

Therefore.

After getting up every morning, Lin Changsheng would go for a run with a cage in his hand. Inside was a little green snake he had bought in the city. He ran while observing it, killing two birds with one stone!

Both the Flying Eaves Lightness Skill and Azure Snake Sword Technique gained experience.

"Huh? Someone was washed onto the beach?"

Suddenly, Lin Changsheng saw a person in white lying on the sandy riverbank. That person was drenched from head to toe, with long hair, and he could not tell whether she was alive or dead.

Lin Changsheng moved closer and discovered that the person in white was a woman. She had a slender, graceful figure and seemed to be quite beautiful.

"Cough, cough!"

Suddenly, the woman in white coughed, and some water spilled from the corner of her mouth.

"She's not dead?"

A glint flashed through Lin Changsheng's eyes. He stepped forward and said, "Miss, are you all right?"

"She must have swallowed quite a bit of water. I should help her spit it out!"

Lin Changsheng called out for a while, but seeing that the maiden still had not awakened, he muttered to himself.

Having said that.

He stepped forward, lifted the maiden by both ankles, and shook her. At once, she let out a "Wah!" and vomited a large mouthful of water. Though she had yet to wake, her heartbeat gradually strengthened.

Seeing that the maiden still had not awakened, Lin Changsheng immediately performed chest compressions for resuscitation.