Chapter 86: A Man Suddenly Died

“I never meant to embarrass you; I have no such intention.”

Li Dahong defended himself, but his excuse was too feeble, lacking even a penny’s worth of persuasiveness—it only made him seem hypocritical and foolish, as if he truly took people for idiots.

Chen Guanlou let out two dry laughs; he didn’t even want to waste breath saying more meaningless words.

But he still needed to force Li Dahong to hand over the money, so he couldn’t let the scene grow cold.

So he said, “Whether you did or not, you know best in your heart.”

“You really won’t help me?” Li Dahong stared at him intensely.

Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow. “Help? How? Should I give you money to fill your hole? You’re not my dead father—why should I?”

“Can’t you just make a single entry in the ledger? I heard people who know how to keep accounts can simply fill in a few numbers and erase the deficit.”

Chen Guanlou laughed.

He laughed at Li Dahong’s stupidity—and was furious that the man had taken him for a fool.

He picked up the ledger and threw it before Li Dahong. “Come on, you make the entries. Let’s see how you erase the deficit.”

Li Dahong stared at the ledger, eyes bloodshot. He gritted his teeth and said, “I have no money!”

“How could you have no money? Li Tou, no need for pretense. When Wan Yuli was in charge, he always looked out for you, assigning you prisoners who had plenty of cash. You’ve held this position for years—by your own habits, you must have saved up a good sum. I know you hate to part with money you’ve got, but this is your own doing—you must make up the shortfall.”

“I have no money.”

Despite Chen Guanlou’s lengthy, earnest plea, Li Dahong stubbornly refused to budge, repeating only that he had no money.

Chen Guanlou finally exploded. “If you insist on this, you’re forcing me to report this upward. Don’t blame me for breaking brotherly ties—what consequences follow, you bear alone.”

“I’m not lying. I was cheated.” Li Dahong wiped his face; pushed to the brink, he finally dropped his pride and spoke a few truths: “There was a business—buying and selling goods between north and south—very profitable. I watched it for over a year before deciding to invest. At first, it went well—I really made money.”

“But recently, a shipment was seized by local tax soldiers at the checkpoint. I paid the money, but I couldn’t get the goods back. Lost it all! I lost every penny I had. Why am I in deficit? Because I borrowed money from others. Creditors came knocking, and I had no choice but to reach out. I thought no one would find out—but I didn’t expect…”

He grabbed his head, looking utterly regretful.

Chen Guanlou frowned deeply and fell silent for a long while.

Seeing Chen Guanlou’s lack of reaction, Li Dahong suddenly looked up and demanded, “You don’t believe me?”

Chen Guanlou cleared his throat. “Why not repeat what you just said in front of Fan Yuli? Perhaps Fan Yuli, seeing your misfortune, might grant you some extra time.”

“Why won’t you believe me? What do I have to do to make you believe me? Chen Tou, think back—how have I treated you all this time? Do you really need to push a brother to the brink? Lu Datou borrowed money from you, dozens of taels at a time, and you never asked him to repay—why are you so harsh with me?”

“Oh!” Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow. “After dragging this out so long, Li Tou, you finally say something honest. So you thought I was a fool to be milked for money to cover your deficit? Who the hell do you think you are?”

“Don’t go too far. Lu Datou—he…”

“Don’t mention Lu Datou. Even if Lu Datou is vile, he’d never cheat me. But you—from the start, you were scheming to swindle me. Li Tou, I may be young and inexperienced, but I’m not an idiot. I give you one day. If you haven’t made up the shortfall by this time tomorrow, I will report this upward. The consequences will be yours alone.”

Chen Guanlou slammed his fist on the table.

He had been right about Li Dahong all along—stinginess wasn’t the problem; the real issue was his constant greed. This man was no good. He stole from jail guards, and now he dared try to steal from him.

Dream on!

So what if he turned hostile? He flipped the table outright.

“Chen Guanlou, good, good, you’re excellent! All these years as brothers—I misjudged you. Let’s see who wins in the end.”

“Remember: by this time tomorrow, if I don’t see the money, don’t blame me for forgetting old ties.” Chen Guanlou paid no heed to the threat.

He could now stand up to a third-rank martial artist—why should he fear Li Dahong? Hmph!

He assumed Li Dahong wouldn’t dare stir up trouble—but he underestimated human nature.

That night, after drinking, he headed home. A group of rowdy thugs blocked his path, brandishing knives and clubs, terrifying every street vendor nearby, who fled in panic, dropping goods and scattering like rats.

In an instant, the alley was empty, littered with chaos.

“Kid, someone doesn’t like you. They sent us to teach you a lesson—so you learn your place.”

“Did Li Dahong send you?”

“Who sent us doesn’t matter. The point is, you got in someone’s way—you got what you deserved. Boys, get him! Don’t kill him, just beat him.”

They attacked immediately with numbers—no regard for any code of honor.

Good!

Very good!

He had been willing to give Li Dahong some leeway. Since the man started it, he wouldn’t hold back.

Thud!

The fight was over.

Chen Guanlou stared at the lone standing gang leader.

The leader blinked, utterly confused: What just happened? Why were all his men lying on the ground?

“Y-you—you don’t come closer! This is the Son of Heaven’s land—killing’s a crime!”

“So you know it’s illegal?”

Chen Guanlou stepped forward and kicked the gang leader clean off his feet.

“I’ll spare your life. Go tell Li Dahong—not to be a coward!”

With that, Chen Guanlou walked slowly, step by step, vanishing into the alley’s end.

The next day, he reported for duty as usual. He didn’t see Li Dahong all morning.

When time came, he took the ledger to the office to meet Fan Yuli, reporting recent grain and cash accounts—and Li Dahong’s shortfall.

But as soon as he entered the office, he saw Fan Yuli sighing heavily. “Little Chen, you’re here? I’ve got news: we just received word from the county government—Li Dahong is dead. His body was found this morning, and his identity has been confirmed.”

What?

Chen Guanlou froze.

He was certain he hadn’t killed Li Dahong—not even touched a finger of his. He didn’t have a habit of sleepwalking and murdering people. He wasn’t Cao Cao, dreaming of killing in his sleep.

“Confirmed?”

Fan Yuli nodded. “The county government just sent someone over. They want us to send someone to reconfirm the identity, avoid errors, and assist in notifying the family and calming them down. You were close to Li Dahong. Go on behalf of the prison and report any funeral arrangements needed.”

“How did he die?” Chen Guanlou cared only about that.

“Seems he drowned after drinking too much.”