Hearing Lin Lang's words, Hundred-household Li's wife suddenly sighed in relief. She smoothed her hair and gave him what she thought was her most beautiful smile.
Compared with Hundred-household Li, Lin Lang was young, handsome, and skilled in martial arts. His hips had to be strong.
Unlike Hundred-household Li, who wasted all his vigor on those little vixens outside.
Most importantly, she did not want to die.
Once Lin Lang left, she would report him to Thousand-household Liu and make him pay with his life!
"Lord Lin, what would you like to do to me? I'll do anything you want."
"Pfft~~ Why did you kill me?"
Hundred-household Li's wife stared at Lin Lang in disbelief. She had already decided to submit to him!
Lin Lang said solemnly, "Sister-in-law, didn't Hundred-household Li tell you that I practice Child Skill?"
"I can inherit his position as Hundred-household, and I can inherit his property along with it. But his wife is another matter. I'm not that kind of man."
This was Hundred-household Li's fucking first wife, whose looks could make a man's hair stand on end.
Lin Lang had apologized because he had not originally planned to kill her. Who knew she would misunderstand?
A penniless hag like her dared lust after my body!
"Hundred-household Li, you can rest easy now. Your wife wanted to put a cuckold's hat on your head, but as your brother, I took care of it for you. You can teach her another lesson on Yellow Springs Road."
"I've heard experts can tell which martial art killed someone by examining the wounds on their corpse."
"I don't know whether they'd recognize my Evil-Warding Sword Technique, but to be safe, I'll have to turn you to ashes. Don't worry. I'll have someone collect your ashes and bury you in the Jinyiwei's Official Mausoleum."
Hundred-household Li had dismissed his household servants, which made things easy for Lin Lang. He soon found some jewelry, then some lamp oil.
After pouring out the oil, Lin Lang blew his Fire Fold alight and casually tossed it onto the oil.
"Hundred-household Li, may everything down below blaze bright and prosperous for you."
Picking up his bundle, he turned and headed outside.
"Someone, help! Lord Li's house is on fire! Come put it out!"
A piercing cry shattered the stillness of the night, trapping Lin Lang inside Hundred-household Li's house.
Lin Lang frowned slightly. "Careless of me. This place is close to the Hundred-household Office, after all."
He had no intention of hiding or forcing his way out. Getting away was simple.
"A fire this big must be arson! Surround Lord Li's house, everyone! Don't let the criminal escape. You few, come inside with me."
Flag Officer Sun directed his men to surround Hundred-household Li's house, then kicked open the gate and charged inside with a rush of men.
Just as he was about to search for the arsonist, Lin Lang's voice suddenly came from behind him. "Flag Officer Sun, take some men to put out the fire near the study. The rest of you, check the bedroom, kitchen, storerooms, and so on for anyone hiding. Shout if you find someone, and I'll come immediately."
"Remember, find Hundred-household Li and his wife first. Saving them is more important."
No one looked surprised by Lin Lang's sudden appearance. With Hundred-household Li's house on fire, it was perfectly normal for Lin Lang, the newly appointed Hundred-household, to come over.
Flag Officer Sun was even a little moved. Though he knew Lin Lang and Hundred-household Li did not get along, Lin Lang had rushed over to save him the moment disaster struck his home. What a generous heart!
An hour later, the fire was gradually extinguished, and two bodies were carried into the courtyard.
"Lord Lin, these two bodies should be Hundred-household Li and his wife."
Lin Lang stared at the two charcoal-like corpses. So you really would recognize him even if he turned to ashes, huh?
"Who did this?!" Lin Lang's face was livid with fury. "Hundred-household Li led our Bailing County Hundred-household Office for years, toiling hard and rendering great service. We brothers must avenge him!"
"Call in all our brothers and search the entire county! We must find the murderer!"
"Well said, Hundred-household Lin!" Thousand-household Liu had just dragged himself out of bed, and his expression was ugly. "Whoever dared kill a Jinyiwei Hundred-household, I won't let them off, no matter which sect they belong to!"
One of the subordinates he had brought crouched beside the two corpses and quickly examined them. "Lord Thousand-household, both were killed with a single strike from a sharp weapon. There are no signs of broken bones or similar injuries. The killer must be an expert, but I can't determine which martial art was used."
Lin Lang breathed a sigh of relief. If the men from the Thousand-household Office could identify his martial arts from charred corpses, they would be far too uncanny.
Two hours later, Flag Officer Sun returned to the Hundred-household Office to report. "Lord Thousand-household, Lord Hundred-household, our brothers searched the entire county and found nothing."
Lin Lang slammed the table with a bang. "He got away? The killer must be a martial arts expert, with swift moves and excellent lightness skills. After killing Hundred-household Li and his wife, he even set the Li residence on fire. There must have been a deep grudge between them, most likely one formed recently."
"Flag Officer Sun, you served Hundred-household Li the longest. Do you know of any enemies like that?"
Lin Lang stared at Flag Officer Sun. With all those conditions laid out for him, surely Flag Officer Sun knew who the "murderer" was now?
Realization dawned on Flag Officer Sun. "It was Tian Boguang! Tian Boguang, the Ten-Thousand-Mile Wanderer!"
"His lightness skills are outstanding. They say that even when he was only in the first-rate realm, he escaped pursuit by Martial Arts Masters several times."
"He also excels in the Raging Wind Swift Blade, with moves as swift as a raging gale."
"Tian Boguang has committed numerous crimes across Great Ming and is wanted by the imperial court. A few days ago, Hundred-household Li discovered his whereabouts and led our brothers to surround and eliminate him. Although Tian Boguang escaped, they rescued the woman he had abducted."
"Tian Boguang must have held a grudge and come to assassinate Hundred-household Li."
Lin Lang said approvingly, "Flag Officer Sun's analysis is sound and well supported. Since Tian Boguang dared kill our Jinyiwei brother, I'll cut off his head if I encounter him and offer it to Hundred-household Li's spirit in heaven!"
It seemed his hints had worked. Flag Officer Sun had not disappointed him, identifying the "true culprit" at once.
Thousand-household Liu nodded in satisfaction. "Hundred-household Lin, you identified the murderer so quickly. Your ability is truly exceptional. I'll leave the task of killing Tian Boguang to your Hundred-household Office, then. Don't disappoint me."
In truth, Thousand-household Liu did not care whether Tian Boguang was the murderer. Someone to take the blame was enough.
Tian Boguang was already a wanted criminal; one more charge made no difference. Every one of them in the Jinyiwei was an old hand at fabricating charges like this.
He had heard of Tian Boguang too. The man was at least an early-stage Martial Arts Master, definitely beyond what Lin Lang and his men could handle.
Wouldn't Lin Lang have to give him some silver and ask the Thousand-household Office to deal with it?
Lin Lang might have been promoted to Hundred-household at the Eastern Depot's request, but he was still a Jinyiwei officer under Liu's Thousand-household Office. Liu had plenty of ways to bring him to heel.
Lin Lang had just been thinking that Ren Yingying would probably come looking for him soon. Having only just been promoted to Hundred-household, he would have trouble explaining a lengthy absence.
Now, hadn't an excuse just fallen into his lap?
"Rest assured, Lord Thousand-household. I'll personally go and kill Tian Boguang. I won't disappoint you."
Thousand-household Liu: "???"
Hundred-household Lin is still too young. He didn't understand what I meant.
Slip me a little something, and this whole thing would be settled. Why be so impulsive?
Still, since the case had been solved, it was time to return to the Jade Green Pavilion and keep enjoying all that blowing, plucking, strumming, and singing.
The thought of the ten women Lin Lang had arranged for him left him feeling exhausted yet happy.
After Thousand-household Liu left, Lin Lang went home too.
What did those women at the Jade Green Pavilion know? The one in his home had been personally trained by him, with genuine Dongguan-style skills.
Early the next morning, he went to the Hundred-household Office and made some arrangements. At noon, just as he was about to get lunch, he saw Thousand-household Liu and the others arriving with yawns.
Before you continue