Chapter 166: Killing Requires No Knife

The county government office, inner courtyard.

The room was brightly lit, two silhouettes cast against the window.

"My lord, I have fulfilled my duty—the man has been delivered to the Ten Thousand Mountains Marsh."

Xiang Ting gazed respectfully at Zhuang Renhe.

"Good."

Zhuang Renhe, who had been in a foul mood today, heard rare good news.

Xiang Ting had been his personal bodyguard during his time at the Zhuang family—his martial skill was solid, and more importantly, he handled affairs with discretion; many unsavory tasks fell to Xiang Ting.

Xiang Ting frowned: "My lord, on the way back, I passed the Chunyan Pavilion and saw the doors locked—has something happened?"

He knew well.

The succubus Baozhu'er had been deliberately planted by the Ghost Ming Sect at Chunyan Pavilion to gather intelligence.

She was the most crucial piece in this plan.

Speaking of Chunyan Pavilion, Zhuang Renhe's mood darkened again: "The Anning Guard uncovered the succubus affair. I received word in time and alerted the sect's beast-feeders to activate the secret technique, turning her into bloodwater—barely severing the trail."

Xiang Ting frowned: "Jiang Linxi won't let this go—Chunyan Pavilion..."

A flash of killing intent crossed his eyes.

Zhuang Renhe's face turned icy: "Kill them all. Leave no survivors."

"Yes!"

Xiang Ting nodded.

Baozhu'er the succubus was dead—she was merely one pawn among many.

But Zhuang Renhe had left numerous hidden measures at Chunyan Pavilion; if Jiang Linxi traced them back to him, trouble would follow. He must eradicate every trace, leave no evidence.

Jiang Linxi must not be allowed to continue investigating.

"What about the Anning Guard..."

Zhuang Renhe sneered: "I have old ties with Cao Wei. I'll pay him a visit soon—he'll be happy to lend a hand."

The Anning Guard's Assistant Regional Commander Cao Wei and the Staff Officer Jiang Linxi were at odds—this was no secret.

In fact, most of Yu's armies operated this way.

If an Assistant Regional Commander and a Staff Officer got along, the imperial court would be the one with headaches.

Zhuang Renhe intended to use Cao Wei to strike at Jiang Linxi's subordinates and obstruct the investigation.

"Ning Zhongtian."

The name slipped from his lips.

Ning Zhongtian had sent men to investigate Chunyan Pavilion—and had personally sealed it.

If he couldn't topple Jiang Linxi, could he not crush a mere Ning Zhongtian, a fifth-rank County Magistrate?

The more chaotic the Anning Guard became, the less energy they'd have to keep investigating.

"Jiang Linxi—I'll start with your subordinates!"

The Anning Guard barracks.

A crowd had gathered in concentric circles; the outermost soldiers stood on tiptoe, while from the center came the wailing of a woman.

"Your Excellencies, please be my justice! The damned beast broke into my home and committed vile acts!"

"My husband just left for Liangzhou conscription—this is persecution of an orphaned widow!"

At that moment,

Ge Hong pushed through the crowd, furious, and strode to the center.

He saw a woman clinging to the ankle of a middle-aged soldier, while beside her, a young boy, face smeared with dirt, sobbed uncontrollably.

The child's cries moved all who heard them.

Many Anning Guard soldiers glared at the soldier with disgust, their curses relentless.

Conscription meant corvée labor.

To Liangzhou on the frontier meant military service.

In plain terms, it was the same as their own duty—of course they shared the same outrage. Thinking of their own wives left behind, vulnerable to such abuse, they longed to tear the middle-aged man apart.

Ge Hong frowned.

Listening to the woman's wails, he grasped the situation.

Anger surged within him.

"Beast!"

He kicked the middle-aged soldier, Ma San, to the ground.

He was here only because he was from Ge Hong's unit—long known for frequenting brothels.

Now he had committed such a vile act—shaming Ge Hong utterly.

Saying this,

Clang!

Ge Hong drew his blade, ready to end Ma San.

In his days at the Iron Knife Martial Hall, he had been a man who tolerated no filth, enforcing strict discipline among disciples, forbidding bullying.

Now one of his own soldiers had committed such a disgraceful act against a conscript's wife.

He could not tolerate it.

Just as his willow-leaf blade was about to fall,

A hand firmly seized his wrist.

Preventing the scene of blood spattering five paces.

"Brother Li?"

Ge Hong was startled—he never expected the man who stopped him from executing evil to be Li Rui.

Li Rui's gaze was calm:

"Brother Ge, this matter must be handed to the Enforcement Camp. If you kill him now, you commit private punishment."

Ge Hong felt as if doused in cold water—he instantly calmed.

Though he was Platoon Leader of the Wu Company, he held only command authority; the soldiers belonged to the empire—he had no right to decide life or death.

He had acted on impulse, consumed by rage.

He wouldn't lose his official position, but others would surely use this as leverage against him.

Realizing the stakes, Ge Hong felt a wave of relief—thankfully Li Rui had appeared in time.

Impulse is the devil!

Li Rui glanced at the woman: "Stop crying. The Anning Guard will deliver justice. You won't suffer injustice in vain—go home now."

His official authority radiated.

The woman fell silent, clutching the boy, her posture that of a grieving widow, oppressed by power, too afraid to speak.

Many soldiers in the crowd frowned.

Li Xunshou's words were heartless.

The mother and child had been wronged, yet now they were scolded. Some soldiers from humble origins muttered discontentedly: "I recall this Lord Li was born a servant—how could he side with tyrants and oppress the people?"

"Now he's a big official—he doesn't care about his old poor friends."

In their eyes, if sent to the Enforcement Camp and Li Rui chose to favor the soldier, the matter would be smoothed over.

Though their voices were low,

they clearly reached Li Rui's ears—he paid them no mind.

He gave Ge Hong a sidelong glance.

Ge Hong immediately understood, grabbed Ma San—who had soiled himself in terror—and sneered: "Come with me!"

Under pressure, the crowd parted.

Li Rui and Ge Hong led the group straight toward the Enforcement Camp; others followed, eager to see what happened.

Moments later,

A noisy mob surged into the Enforcement Camp.

=9+book_bar

Zhao Platoon Leader of the Enforcement Camp frowned.

He had drunk with Li Rui and Ge Hong before, and approached Li Rui first.

"Brother Li, what's happened?"

Li Rui gave a brief glance and summarized the events to Zhao Platoon Leader.

Zhao Platoon Leader commanded the Enforcement Camp.

Directly overseen by Jiang Linxi—in plain terms, he was aligned with Li Rui and Ge Hong.

He had seen many such cases.

He could handle it strictly—some had died under military punishment—or he could let it slide, letting the offender walk free.

It depended on how it was managed.

He gave Li Rui a meaningful look, seeking to gauge his and Ge Hong's stance.

Li Rui understood Zhao Platoon Leader's intent: "This matter has unclear aspects. I urge you, Brother Zhao, to investigate thoroughly—to restore clarity and justice to the Anning Guard."

Investigate thoroughly.

Zhao Platoon Leader instantly understood: "The Anning Guard has always maintained strict discipline. If evidence is solid, we show no mercy!"

Hearing their statements,

the onlookers finally relaxed slightly.

But to seasoned veterans, it only reinforced the feeling that Ma San was getting away with it.

Ge Hong frowned slightly.

They weren't greenhorns fresh to the martial world; they clearly understood that Li Rui and Commander Zhao appeared to be cracking down, but in truth intended to let him go.

Yet he truly wanted to kill this vile scoundrel.

But bound by Li Rui's face, he could only suppress his anger.

Ma San would be handed over to the Enforcement Camp for handling.

Li Rui waved to the surrounding soldiers: "Everyone, disperse."

Seeing this,

the crowd slowly, one by one, began to drift away.

Soon,

only Li Rui, Ge Hong, and Commander Zhao of the Enforcement Camp remained.

Only then did Ge Hong voice his doubt: "Brother Li, why are you shielding this beast? He committed such a despicable act—why not just cut him down and be done with it?"

He knew Li Rui's nature and was well aware of the character of his own men, which was why he asked this.

Otherwise, he would have assumed Li Rui had taken a bribe.

Li Rui sighed lightly:

"Brother Ge, don't you feel something's off about today's affair?"

At this question, Ge Hong froze.

He couldn't think of what was amiss.

Li Rui: "Brother Ge, Brother Zhao, tell me—how could a woman with no connections, accompanied by a young boy, possibly enter the heart of Anning Guard and pinpoint her target so precisely?"

"This—"

Ge Hong's pupils shrank slightly.

A flash of insight struck his mind.

Of course!

Anning Guard wasn't some place anyone could waltz into, let alone two defenseless widows and orphans.

There had to be something behind this.

Ge Hong narrowed his eyes: "Brother Li, are you suggesting someone is trying to frame me?"

He wasn't foolish; with just a hint from Li Rui, he grasped the clue.

Li Rui nodded: "Not certain, but it can't be ruled out."

He then turned to Commander Zhao of the Enforcement Camp and bowed: "Commander Zhao, this matter remains unclear. Please take the time to investigate. If you uncover anything, inform me and Brother Ge first."

The entire exchange,

Commander Zhao had heard, and he secretly marveled at Li Rui's meticulousness.

The incident seemed trivial, but to deduce this layer so quickly was no easy feat.

Otherwise, Ge Hong wouldn't have fallen for it so easily.

Ultimately, the widow-and-orphan trope was simply too emotionally manipulative, stirring sympathy from the weak.

"Brother Li, your caution and attention to detail are admirable. I'll take full responsibility for this matter."

Commander Zhao chuckled.

He didn't voice one thought: to spot the issue so swiftly required not just caution, but also sufficient ruthlessness—only by viewing the situation as a completely detached observer, devoid of any sympathy, could one detect the anomaly immediately.

"No wonder they say the old grow cunning; seeing too much hardens the heart."

He secretly admired Li Rui's seasoned sharpness.

Stepping out of the Enforcement Camp,

Li Rui's expression remained calm.

He had seen too much to still believe things were as they appeared.

Often, the weak were the best at deception.

Truth and falsehood depended on evidence; what the eyes saw and the ears heard could both be lies.

Thus, one must strip away emotion and analyze rationally.

That's why the wise appear cold-hearted.

He pondered:

"Who could it be? And why target Ge Hong?"

(End of Chapter)