Chapter 52: Committing Murder in Broad Daylight

The two figures inside the water vat landed steadily on the ground. Both appeared to be in their early twenties—one with a square face, the other with a long face—and, like Shi Wenbin, they both had dark skin. Looking at the two corpses on the ground, and then glancing in the direction where Chai Ping had fled, one of them said, "We must not let him get away." The words were spoken calmly, but the chilling murderous intent in his tone was enough to freeze the blood. The two men flicked their steel sabers, rushed out of the courtyard gate, and gave chase to Chai Ping.

The courtyard returned to stillness. A shadow flashed across the top of the wall, and Gu Yu dropped to the base of the wall. He vigilantly scanned his surroundings, and only after confirming that the area was safe did he walk over to the water vat, draw his steel saber, and peek inside. To his surprise, the vat did not contain a single drop of water; at the bottom of the vat was a massive hole, and a wooden ladder extended straight down into the ground. It turned out there was an underground cavern directly beneath the water vat!

Gu Yu drew a sharp breath. Hooking one hand over the edge of the water vat, he shifted his body inside, found the wooden ladder with his feet, and climbed down step by step. A wave of damp, sultry air hit him in the face, heavy with the stench of underground earth. Fearing that the two ruffians might return at any moment, he did not dare to delay, descending in one breath until his feet landed on the soft ground. By this time, the light had grown increasingly dim, and the dark cavern ahead was difficult to discern clearly. He reached into his robe, took out a flint, and ignited it. Only then did he discover that the tunnel was low and narrow, forcing him to hunch over as he felt his way forward.

After walking about ten paces inward, a soft, crisp sound suddenly echoed from ahead. Gu Yu gave a start, pressing his back tightly against the wall. After the slight sound, silence fell once more ahead. Daring not to wait any longer, he braced himself and walked a few more steps. Suddenly, a small figure appeared in his field of vision, and he could not help quickening his pace. The light shone upon that figure, gradually becoming clearer. By now, he had reached the end of the tunnel, where a little girl sat leaning against the wall.

Seeing Gu Yu appear, the little girl shrank timidly back into the corner. Gu Yu held the flint up before her and said in as gentle a tone as possible, "Little child, is your name Ji An?"

The girl was stunned for a moment, then nodded. Seeing that the child was unkempt, covered in dirt, and bound hand and foot with thick hemp ropes, Gu Yu felt a surge of burning rage. Suppressing his emotions, he asked, "Is your father Li Fu? I am a runner from the Shuntian Prefecture, and your father sent me to rescue you."

Hearing Li Fu's name, Ji An's expression flickered with a trace of movement, though she remained on her guard. Anxious to the core yet afraid to show it, Gu Yu forced a stiff smile and used the blade of his saber to slice open the hemp ropes binding her hands and feet. Ji An stretched her limbs and stood up. Gu Yu turned and headed back the way he came, with Ji An following closely behind. The two climbed the wooden ladder, scrambled out of the water vat, and Gu Yu lifted her small body onto the wall before vaulting up after her.

Chai Ping stumbled out of the alleyway, the neighborhood bailiff having long since vanished without a trace. He rushed onto the main street, startling the passing pedestrians. Seeing him in official uniform yet covered in blood, the onlookers instinctively backed away in terror. Chai Ping, however, felt a brief wave of relief. Looking back, he saw the two men dragging steel sabers and charging forward with ferocious momentum, scaring him so badly that his soul nearly left his body. Letting out a cry of alarm, he turned tail and ran. The two men closed the distance with lightning speed, raising their sabers to strike. Seeing a violent crime being committed in broad daylight, the pedestrians scattered and fled in panic.

Hearing the footsteps rapidly approaching from behind, Chai Ping felt a strong urge to urinate, followed abruptly by a violent impact against his back and a heart-wrenching pain. He lunged forward, and the steel saber in his hand slipped from his grip and flew away. Enduring the excruciating pain, he managed to flip himself over. The square-faced man from behind had already caught up, and with a swift stroke of his blade, he severed Chai Ping's head. The pedestrians had never witnessed such a bloody spectacle and fled frantically, crying for their parents.

The square-faced man wiped the blood from his saber against the sole of his boot. "The matter has blown up. Take the child and evacuate as quickly as possible."

The two men quickly returned to the courtyard, only to find the bodies of the two runners still lying there, while the man inside the house was not yet dead, leaning against the door panel and gasping for breath. The long-faced man scrambled down into the water vat, while the square-faced man walked up to the wounded runner. The man was pressing his hands against his abdomen, blood gushing forth as his viscera spilled through his fingers. Seeing his comrade return, he managed a faint smile. "Brother is afraid I won't make it. Leave the rest to you."

Tears welled in the eyes of the square-faced man as he gripped the dying man's hand tightly. In his final moments, looking at the corpses in the courtyard, a flicker of guilt crossed the wounded man's eyes. "In the end, lives were taken after all. It seems that to accomplish things, one can never be soft-hearted." Slowly, he closed his eyes and breathed his last.

The long-faced man climbed out of the water vat, his face full of terror as he approached the square-faced man, holding up the severed hemp rope. "The little girl is gone! Old Zhao... he..."

The square-faced man's expression changed, and he pulled the long-faced man to his feet. "Old Zhao has already passed on. Let us evacuate at once."

Inside the Shuntian Prefecture yamen, a hundred bailiffs, guards, and runners stood neatly in unison down the hall. Wan Ziyue stood solemnly in the center, flanked by Liu Yongji and Cheng Jie from the Five-City Gendarmerie Command. Wan Ziyue looked over the rows of eyes below the hall, cleared his throat, and slowly began to speak.

"By imperial decree, His Majesty will visit the Fragrant Hills to view the red leaves on the fifteenth of this month, which is mere days away by any calculation. Every year during His Majesty's excursion to the Fragrant Hills, our Shuntian Prefecture yamen is responsible for the outer perimeter security. This year, however, will be different. His Majesty will bestow rewards and honors upon the officers and soldiers from the campaign aiding Joseon. At that time, not only high-ranking officials from the court and ministries, but also frontier soldiers will ascend the mountain. With so many people and such a complex composition, the Shuntian Prefecture will jointly coordinate defense with the Five City Gendarmerie Command this year. We must guarantee security within the city and outer perimeter security at the Fragrant Hills. During this period, no leaves will be granted, and everyone must commit fully. Do you understand?"

Dong Xinfu and Li Zheng stood at the center below the hall and answered in unison, cupping their fists, "We obey the imperial decree."

Behind them, the three squads of runners, guards, and bailiffs echoed in unison, "We obey the imperial decree."

As the representative of the Five City Gendarmerie Command, Liu Yongji took full charge of liaising with Shuntian Prefecture, and after the meeting, he discussed specific joint defense matters with Wan Ziyue and Cheng Jie. Dong Xinfu called Fang Wei over. "How is your wife's health?"

Fearing a relapse, Fang Wei had spent the past two days waiting until long after his wife fell asleep before he dared to close his eyes, leaving his complexion somewhat drained. "She is slowly recovering, but after this excessive fright and physical exhaustion, I am worried she might relapse again."

Dong Xinfu fished a prepared coin purse from his robe and pressed it into Fang Wei's hand. Fang Wei untied it to find a few pieces of scattered silver, and quickly tried to return it. "Master, I didn't mean it that way..."

Dong Xinfu glared at him. "This is for my disciple's wife, not for you."

Fang Wei gave an awkward smile and tucked the purse away. Dong Xinfu continued, "You must report for duty on time these past few days, and go home to check on her when you have a moment. His Majesty is guarded by the brocade-uniformed guards and imperial bodyguards, with the forbidden army protecting the exterior. We are merely the outermost perimeter, and since you have special circumstances, Magistrate Cheng will understand."

Fang Wei nodded. "The two of us will do our best to manage."

Dong Xinfu squeezed his shoulder firmly. "Go." He looked up and saw Wu Haichao walking from a distance with his head lowered, muttering something under his breath. "Old Six, get over here!"