Chapter 124

Pei Ye recounted everything he had encountered last night in minute detail to the recorder. When he reached the part where the old man asked about Chengjiang Hong's whereabouts with a chuckle, he paused. That smiling face with the pale complexion and yellow wolf-like eyes floated into his mind, and the chill around him grew heavier.

"That is the kind of old man he was," Pei Ye said, pursing his lips. "When people from the county arrive, you must explain this carefully. I am going to the prefecture city, and I will report the case again there."

The head constable nodded: "It is my duty."

Pei Ye returned to Chengjiang Hong's corpse; the man's voice and appearance were still vivid from last night.

He had spent no more than two hours with Chengjiang Hong and had not yet built a deep bond, but the joy of their meeting and conversation over wine last night was real. Pei Ye sighed softly and cupped his hands toward the corpse.

Turning around, he saw Zhang Junxue still standing before the body, her mouth tightly pursed.

Only then did Pei Ye remember that the two of them might have known each other longer, and he said softly, "Did you know Brother Cheng before?"

Zhang Junxue raised her head, as if returning from some memory: "No. Me too, only last night."

"Oh," Pei Ye nodded, "I wonder if Brother Cheng has any family."

Zhang Junxue kept her head down and said nothing.

"He said he was going to the prefecture city to see a friend," Pei Ye said. "It's a pity I didn't ask clearly last night, otherwise I could have notified them on his behalf."

The two stood quietly for a while, and finally, Pei Ye sighed softly: "Let's go."

"Mm."

As the two walked out of the woods and mounted their horses, Zhang Junxue suddenly muttered, "He was originally at least in the top four."

"."

They traveled south over the mountains.

Zhang Junxue was a woman of few words, and Pei Ye was not the type to keep talking either. After this incident, the atmosphere became even more silent. The two rode one after the other, traveling quietly for about twenty or thirty miles.

Until the "Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!" sound of a broken bellows broke the silence.

Zhang Junxue turned her head to look at the horse Pei Ye was riding. Although she didn't show surprise or amusement, she watched it quietly for about seven or eight breaths.

Even the yellow-white horse she was riding turned its head to look at its companion.

Pei Ye felt his face burn slightly and suggested, "Shall we, perhaps, take a rest?"

He looked at Zhang Junxue's horse, which was in prime condition. The yellow-white horse had clearly been slower on the previous stretch, and Pei Ye had been holding back the speed of his jujube-red horse, but now, after thirty miles, the jujube-red horse was exhausted, while the other horse seemed to have just found its stride.

Zhang Junxue reined in her horse: "Alright."

The two found some shade under a tree to rest. This time, Zhang Junxue took the initiative to share a pear with Pei Ye.

Pei Ye thanked her, took a bite, and asked, "Does this Dragon Gate troupe cover our food and lodging?"

"You have to pay."

"How much?"

"Two taels."

". That's expensive."

"Mm."

After finishing the pear and seeing the horse was still panting, Pei Ye untied his sword case again, reached in, and opened the "Cicada Sparrow Sword" to continue studying. Since leaving home, he had intentionally concealed the Heart-Slaying Glaze, but in front of this woman, he didn't reveal it, and he believed she wouldn't ask.

Sure enough, Zhang Junxue only glanced at him once before taking out a martial arts book and placing it on her lap to read.

After resting for about half an hour, the two mounted their horses again. This time, they crossed the mountain ridge in one go and arrived on the plains.

After galloping for nearly another hour, as the sky turned orange, a blurry, grayish-white protrusion appeared on the horizon. Pei Ye frowned and squinted for a long time before recognizing it as they drew closer—it was a tall city.

"Oh," Pei Ye opened his mouth slightly.

Fenghuai was considered a city, but its walls were low, less than thirty feet, and it was already old and dilapidated in many places, covered in greenery, with gaps repaired with wooden fences to keep out wild beasts.

But before him was a healthy city; it was taller and stronger. As the distance closed, Pei Ye looked left and right for a while, guessing that this city must be twice as large as Fenghuai.

"Is this, the prefecture city?" Pei Ye felt they had arrived a bit too quickly; by his estimation, there should have been quite a bit more road to cover.

"It's Can County."

". Oh!"

They had started late today and lingered at the town entrance for a while. Now, seeing the sky growing dark, Pei Ye asked, "Are we staying here for the night?"

"Depends on your horse."

Pei Ye looked down; it was indeed exhausted and panting again, but they hadn't run long today, so after a rest, it could continue.

The two decided that since they had rested enough last night and weren't tired today, they would just enter the city to eat. Pei Ye went to the county office to confirm that the report had been received. Then, after resting for over half an hour, they left the city before the gates closed.

After traveling a stretch of night road, by the time the stars and moon filled the sky, they arrived at a town and stayed there.

They set off the next morning, and after three or four hours, that true prefecture city finally appeared in Pei Ye's field of vision.

A great city rising on the plains, its majestic stature and imposing sprawl were the most magnificent creations of humanity. Although seeing it from afar had already made Pei Ye's eyes widen, only when approaching the city walls could one truly feel its crushing, overwhelming pressure.

And when they passed through the long gate tower and left those thick, high walls behind, this pressure changed its appearance as it was moved to their backs.

It was a subtle feeling Pei Ye, who had grown up in the deep mountains, had never experienced before, as if those faint, pervasive "thorns" that had surrounded him since childhood had been blocked. They had accompanied him for so long that he had almost become accustomed to them.

Replacing them was a sense of ease and stability, somewhat like closing one's own door during a cold rainstorm in the city, lighting an oil lamp in a dim little room, and sitting cross-legged to chat with an old man.

It was a sense of security that came from being enveloped.

And this current sense of security was even more vast and intangible—it came from being enveloped by the entirety of human civilization.

Pei Ye looked back at the towering city walls for a while. Once he had adjusted, he apologized to the quietly waiting Zhang Junxue, and the two walked forward along a main street several times wider than those in Fenghuai.

Not in a hurry to reach the martial arts hall, they inquired about the location of the government office, intending to report the case first.

Arriving before the main gate of the prefecture office, Pei Ye left Zhang Junxue to watch the luggage and walked straight inside.

In the blink of an eye, the guard leaning against the gate realized the youth had already walked several steps inside.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"Stop!!"

The two guards looked at Pei Ye in disbelief, doubting their own eyes—was this... an armed intrusion into the government office?

"What are you doing?!"

Pei Ye was also startled, realizing that the county office outside wasn't as free to enter and exit. He raised his hands and stepped back: "Reporting a case, two big brothers, I am here to report a case."

"Report what case?"

"Take off your sword first!"

"Can County, Anxin Town, a martial arts candidate in the Fourth Life Realm was murdered," Pei Ye said while unbuckling the two swords on his back.

". Are you a constable from Anxin Town?"

"No, I am also a participant in the martial arts competition," Pei Ye said. "I feel this case is not small; the prefecture office might need to send personnel."

". Whether the prefecture office sends personnel is not for you to command; Can County will judge that," the officer on the left sneered.

"This, should be under the jurisdiction of Commandant Zhao; he happens to be in the office," the one on the right frowned. "I will take you to report it—what you say must be true."

Pei Ye showed his martial arts competition document and pointed to his name: "Pei Ye, the person is here, there is absolutely no deception."

"Good."

After several turns, they arrived at an office. The guard stood before the door, straightened his clothes, pursed his lips, and then leaned in to knock lightly on the door.

"Commandant Zhao, someone is here to report a case."

"Enter."

The guard pushed the door open lightly and entered. Pei Ye followed behind. As soon as he entered, he felt the quiet, oppressive air in the room. He saw a man sitting behind a desk, flipping through case files.

"What case?" The man turned a page.

"Reporting to the Commandant, in Can County's Anxin Town, there is a murder case involving a Fourth Life martial artist. The reporter has been brought here," the guard bowed his head with cupped hands.

The man raised his head, revealing a majestic and indifferent face. This face was between thirty and forty years old, and he was clean-shaven.

"Anxin Town?"

"Yes," Pei Ye stepped forward and cupped his hands, "I am—"

"I have already received this case," the man interrupted. "People from Can County notified me this morning. You may go back."

After speaking, he lowered his head and continued flipping through the files.

". Oh," Pei Ye was startled for a moment. "Is the case detail clear? I can describe the old man's behavior and appearance again."

The man raised his head again, his eyes looking at Pei Ye: "Are you the knowledgeable youth mentioned in the case?"

"Yes."

". Describe it again."

Pei Ye then carefully recounted what he had experienced that night again, finally hesitating before saying: "I hope you will note, my lord, that the deceased may have died from damage to his mind and spirit."

Commandant Zhao raised his head abruptly and narrowed his eyes: "How did you discover that?"

"I come from Fenghuai," Pei Ye said. "Looking at his eyes, it seemed somewhat like his intelligence had been damaged."

The Fenghuai incident was kept secret from the outside world, but the prefecture office, which had participated in the support, must have heard of this disaster.

Commandant Zhao nodded: "You may go back. We will do our best to capture the killer; you don't need to worry about the rest."

Pei Ye cupped his hands: "Very well, I will take my leave."

(End of Chapter)