Obtaining Treading on Snow Without a Trace

"Boss! That old bastard Lin Yuan escaped into the house!" Ergou shouted a warning just then.

Lu Feng looked up and was about to pursue him when he saw Lin Yuan walk out of the house, a longsword held against a woman's neck and a vicious look on his face.

"Chen Lan!"

"Sis! Why are you here?!"

Lu Feng and Chen Hu cried out at the same time, their expressions changing drastically-neither had expected Lin Yuan to have captured Chen Lan!

A deranged smile spread across Lin Yuan's face. He looked at Lu Feng and said venomously, "Lu Feng, I miscalculated! I never imagined you were this strong. Ming Jin Perfection, and you slaughter first-tier demon beasts like dogs!"

"I originally intended to let you and those demon beasts cripple each other, then sit back and reap the fisherman's profit, but I never expected..."

His tone shifted, and he pressed his longsword a little harder. A trickle of blood seeped from Chen Lan's neck. "Now, all I ask is that you spare my life, and I'll release her! Otherwise, I'll kill her!"

"Don't move!" Lu Feng's heart clenched. He quickly spoke, then slowly threw the saber in his hand to the ground. "I agree. I'll let you go. Don't hurt her!"

"Haha! Sensible!" Lin Yuan smiled smugly, then ordered his subordinates, "You, go take Chen Hu and the others hostage!"

But his subordinates stood where they were, not moving an inch.

"Hm?" Lin Yuan's face darkened, and his voice suddenly grew forceful. "You won't obey me anymore?!"

A constable stepped forward and said firmly, "At first, we thought you had your reasons for colluding with demon beasts, just like Head Constable Lu. But now, you've harmed your colleagues and taken an innocent woman hostage. We'll never obey you!"

"Fine! Very fine!" Lin Yuan trembled all over with rage, his eyes wild. "Lu Feng, what fine methods you have! In the end, I became the sinner, while you became a hero everyone admires!"

"This woman is important to you, isn't she?" A vicious glint flashed in Lin Yuan's eyes. "I won't let you have your way!"

Before the words had faded, he thrust his longsword forward, stabbing it viciously into Chen Lan's neck!

"No!" Chen Hu let out a heart-rending roar and tried to rush forward like a madman.

Lu Feng's face instantly grew so dark it seemed to drip water. A bone-chilling cold radiated from him, and his eyes filled with killing intent.

He abruptly bent down, picked up the saber from the ground, and flashed forward like a Shura returned from hell, bringing the blade down viciously at Lin Yuan!

Lin Yuan had gone completely mad. He offered no resistance, letting the saber strike him, and his head rolled to the ground.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, on killing Lin Yuan and obtaining the Ming Jin technique: Treading on Snow Without a Trace;]

The system notification sounded, but Lu Feng felt no joy whatsoever.

He rushed to Chen Lan's side and held her in his arms, looking at the wound on her neck and her face as the life gradually faded from it.

"Sis... Sis! Wake up!"

Chen Hu rushed over like a madman, took Chen Lan from Lu Feng's arms, and called her name over and over, his voice hoarse and tears streaming down his face.

Lu Feng stood where he was, feeling hollow inside.

He had witnessed the savagery of demon beasts and fought life-and-death battles, but this was the first time he had felt so helpless. Though his strength far surpassed Lin Yuan's, he had failed to protect someone close to him.

Early the next morning, news that Lin Yuan had colluded with demon beasts and plotted to murder Lu Feng spread throughout Lin'an City.

The common people were furious. They cursed Lin Yuan for his treachery and cunning, while admiring Lu Feng all the more and thanking him for getting rid of that scourge.

Lu Feng arrived at the government office. The constables had all assembled in the courtyard, but Chen Hu was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Chen Hu?" Lu Feng asked the constable beside him, his tone calm but unable to conceal a trace of worry.

A constable bowed and replied, "Head Constable Lu, after Head Constable Chen buried Miss Chen Lan last night, he stayed home alone and refused to see anyone. We went to call on him this morning, but we didn't see him either."

Lu Feng nodded, gave some brief instructions on the office's daily affairs, then turned and headed for Chen Hu's home.

As soon as he entered Chen Hu's courtyard, he saw him practicing his fists. His punches cut fiercely through the air, each blow delivered with the force of someone venting his feelings, making the ground tremble faintly.

Hearing the noise, Chen Hu stopped and turned around.

His face was haggard and his eyes bloodshot. His former cheerfulness was gone, replaced by coldness and indifference, with a hatred that could not be dissolved hidden deep in his eyes.

"Are you all right?" Lu Feng walked up to him and asked softly.

"I'm fine." Chen Hu shook his head. "When are you leaving for the Demon-Slaying Bureau? I want to go with you."

"As soon as Registrar An returns." Lu Feng was slightly taken aback. "Why? You want to join the Demon-Slaying Bureau too?"

"That's right!" Chen Hu clenched his fists, his face full of hatred. "I only found out yesterday that Lin Shan isn't Lin Yuan's nephew at all. He's his own son!"

"I have to avenge my sister! I'll join the Demon-Slaying Bureau and kill Lin Shan with my own hands!"

"There's something like that?" Lu Feng's heart stirred, and he said, "Don't worry. Leave Lin Shan to me."

"No!" Chen Hu's voice was firm, his gaze resolute. "I'll kill him with my own hands! Don't worry, I'll break through to Ming Jin cultivation as soon as I can. Then I'll join the Demon-Slaying Bureau with you, and I won't hold you back!"

Seeing Chen Hu like this, Lu Feng hesitated for a moment, then took a lustrous white pill from his robes and handed it over.

"This is a Jin Origin Pill a master gave me. Taking it should help you break through to Ming Jin cultivation."

Chen Hu took the pill, his hands trembling. With a thud, he dropped to one knee, his eyes full of gratitude. "Thank you, Lu Feng! I'll repay this kindness!"

With that, he rose and hurried back into the house, eager to take the pill and make his breakthrough.

Lu Feng stood guard outside the door in case anything went wrong during the breakthrough.

But he had not been standing there long when Ergou came running over, panting. "Boss! The results of the search of Lin Yuan's home are in. Here's the account book. The brothers are all waiting at the office for you to decide what to do!"

Lu Feng took the account book and opened it. A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.

The account book recorded everything clearly: the gems, jade articles, gold, silver, and other valuables found in Lin Yuan's home were worth a total of five hundred taels of gold!

One tael of gold could be exchanged for a hundred taels of silver, while Lu Feng's monthly salary was only three taels of silver. A single tael of silver was enough to support an ordinary family for three months.

"Come on, back to the office!" Lu Feng put away the account book and hurried toward the government office with Ergou.

As soon as he entered the office, the constables gathered around him, their faces full of anticipation and excitement. "Head Constable Lu, what should we do with the valuables?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Feng said, "Take out a hundred taels of gold and divide it among the brothers. Distribute the rest to the people of the city. Ergou, I'll leave this to you."

"A hundred taels of gold?!"

The constables erupted at once, every one of them beside himself with excitement.

Divided among them, a hundred taels of gold would give each man at least a little over one tael of gold. Converted to silver, that was more than a hundred taels, enough to keep them clothed and fed without worry for years!