Destroy the Corpse, Erase the Evidence

Li Yi approached the privy. Judging from the smell of swamp gas, he knew the time was about right.

He swiftly walked out, pulled out the firestarter he had prepared long ago from his robes, and tossed it inside.

Then he quickly left the scene.

Just as he climbed over the wall, an earth-shattering blast erupted from the direction of the teahouse privy.

Even the nearby street shook. By the time people rushed over, roaring flames had already risen from where the teahouse toilet stood.

"Fire!"

The sound of gongs rang out, and only then did the people react, hurrying to help put out the fire.

By then, Li Yi had already slipped into an unnoticed corner, observing the teahouse from afar.

Before a quarter of an hour had passed, men from the yamen arrived. But the blaze was too fierce, and they could only watch from the side, with no intention of stepping forward to fight it.

How much did they earn in a month? Why risk their lives?

Li Yi looked at those yamen runners and silently shook his head. The upper beam was crooked, so naturally the lower beams were crooked too.

They simply stood before the teahouse, neither organizing anyone to fight the fire nor arranging for people to evacuate, as though they were waiting for the blaze to burn itself out.

Fortunately, the privy occupied a separate area, so the fire would not spread to the other houses.

Li Yi stopped watching and turned toward the blacksmith shop next door.

He was going to buy a spear. Ever since Li Erniu had given him the Gale-Rending Formation-Breaking Spear, Li Yi had wanted to practice with one.

Unfortunately, he had not had a weapon that suited his hand, so he had been unable to do so.

Moreover, the Eight Extremes Fist he cultivated had originally evolved from spear techniques, so spearwork was not unfamiliar to him.

Once he reached the battlefield, an inch longer meant an inch stronger. In cold-weapon slaughter, it came down to whose weapon had the greater reach.

Under such circumstances, Li Yi had to learn spear techniques.

Previously, he had not had enough silver, so even if he wanted to buy one, he could not.

But now, he touched his waist. He had enough money to buy a good spear.

Before long, he arrived at the blacksmith shop where he had bought arrows.

When the shopkeeper saw Li Yi, he ran over with a beaming smile.

"Little brother, have you come to buy a bow? Last time, I could tell you were quite taken with that Yellow Birch Bow. Since you like it so much, I'll give you a discount and sell it to you cheaper."

In these chaotic times, most people who knew archery made their living in the army. Few ordinary folk could afford a Yellow Birch Bow. The shopkeeper naturally seized every chance to make a sale rather than let the bow gather dust in his shop.

Li Yi did want a better bow, but he already had the Black Lacquer Bow and had no need to buy another.

"Boss, I won't be buying a bow for now. I'm here to look at spears."

Li Yi's words made the shopkeeper pause. Then his beaming smile returned, his eyes narrowing into slits.

Spears were a little cheaper than bows, but the profit was still substantial.

The shopkeeper led him into the armory. Most of the weapons inside were standard-issue, while fine weapons were few and far between. The long spears came in two kinds.

One was the most common Plain Wood Spear, made with a waxwood shaft and a metal spearhead. It was the most basic type of long spear.

The second was the hooked Hook Sickle Spear.

Li Yi's gaze settled on a long spear in the last row.

"Shopkeeper, how much is that spear?"

Following Li Yi's gaze, the shopkeeper saw the long spear.

It was two zhang and eight chi long, slim from end to end, with a waxwood shaft at its core. Its most distinctive feature was its spearhead. Rather than the usual willow-leaf shape, it was forged from multiple sharp blades, resembling a plum blossom in appearance. Thus, it was called the Plum Blossom Spear.

"Young man, this spear is extremely lethal, but it places tremendous demands on the wielder's arm strength. If you're a beginner, I wouldn't recommend this one."

The shopkeeper spoke earnestly. He was genuinely considering things from Li Yi's perspective.

"The ordinary spear beside it would suit you better, and it's cheaper too."

But after his skill improvements, arm strength was what Li Yi lacked least.

"No. The Plum Blossom Spear is exactly what I want."

The shopkeeper did not try to dissuade him further and handed the Plum Blossom Spear to Li Yi.

Li Yi took the spear and weighed it in his hands. It was roughly thirty jin, and the feel was just right.

He immediately began practicing with it inside the armory.

"This is the one."

After swinging it a few times, Li Yi found it quite handy and made his decision at once.

"All right, young man. This spear was pawned here by a squad leader some time ago, and it's been sitting around for quite a while. Since it seems fated to be yours, I'll charge you twenty taels."

The shopkeeper had indeed quoted a fair price. A long spear of this quality would normally cost no less than thirty taels.

It was plain to see that martial training was truly a bottomless pit. Without his unexpected windfall today, he would not even have been able to afford the spear in his hands.

Li Yi held it and swung it for a while longer, then carried the spear out of the blacksmith shop.

Not long afterward, Li Yi reached the city gate. A long queue had already formed before it.

"Did you hear? Just an hour ago, there was an explosion at the teahouse on East Street. It caught fire too."

"How could I not hear? They say it even blew to death someone who was using the privy inside. Not even bones were left behind."

The two men at the front of the line were whispering among themselves.

Li Yi narrowed his eyes, then quietly edged closer and asked in a low voice, "Who did it?"

A man wearing a straw hat sighed. "Who knows? I heard there was too much foul gas inside, and the person using the privy accidentally set it off. Others say someone was seeking revenge. In any case, it's all very strange.

"The one blown to death was a well-known local thug, and he even had relatives working in the county yamen."

Someone beside him chimed in, "No wonder even the Household Affairs Officer is personally investigating here. Looks like those men were his people."

"Stop talking. We'll be in trouble if someone hears us."

Seeing that the Household Affairs Officer truly seemed about to look over, the gossiping crowd fell silent as one.

Meanwhile, Li Yi reviewed everything he had done from early morning until now. After confirming that there was no chance he had exposed himself, he went to the roadside and bought some millet before returning to the gate to line up to leave the city.

When he had just reached the gate, a yamen runner carrying a saber stretched out a hand to stop Li Yi.

"What are you carrying on your back?"

"This is the long spear I just bought, as well as the bow and arrows I use for hunting."

Li Yi showed all of his equipment to the yamen runner.

"Why did you bring these things into the city? And what are you buying a long spear for?"

Several other yamen runners had already gathered around him, their fingers pressing heavily against the hilts of their sabers.

Li Yi's expression remained unchanged as he deliberately put on a fawning look.

"Sir, I'm a hunter. I've already registered to serve as a garrison conscript. I sold off my entire household and even borrowed some money before I managed to scrape together these things. You know how it is—without a suitable weapon in hand, one can't make it on the battlefield."

After hearing his explanation, the yamen runners found it reasonable and prepared to let him pass.

"Wait."

The Household Affairs Officer, who had stood to the side without speaking all this time, walked over.

He wore a long beard, his eyebrows were somewhat gray, and his gaze was sharp as it fixed relentlessly on Li Yi.

"Boy, did you hear the huge commotion on East Street just now?"