Chapter 70: Blood-Written Deterrence, Shocking the Soul and Spirit

Half an hour later.

Caishikou in the South City.

At this moment, the sun had already risen, and the faint morning light illuminated the world. Many vendors making a living had risen early; some hauled fresh fruits and vegetables from outside the city, while others pushed carts to the vegetable market to set up various stalls, preparing to begin the day's trade.

However, whether they were these vendors or the commoners coming to shop, upon arriving at the largest vegetable market entrance in the South City early in the morning, they discovered that the main eastern entrance and even a large surrounding area had been cordoned off by a large number of Jingwu Division officers, forcing them to detour through the back gate.

Such a bizarre situation naturally made people incomparably curious.

At the edge of the blockade, a large crowd of commoners gathered, initially unable to figure out what was going on.

It was not until someone with sharp eyes pointed it out that many people discovered that, hanging high upon the main gate beam of Caishikou, three bloody, mangled human heads had appeared at some unknown time!

In the cold wind, the heads swayed, suspended by their queues. Although their features were not clear, everyone who saw them was horrified, screaming repeatedly.

Because the distance was too great, most of the commoners could not see clearly to whom the heads on the gate beam belonged, and could only discuss it in shock outside the cordoned area:

"My heavens, who did this? Does anyone know whose heads those are?"

"I just heard someone say, this seems to be the work of Qingyike!"

"What? Qingyike has also come to our South City area?"

"Heh heh, it's not 'seems to be,' it is definitely the work of Qingyike. Do you even know who those heads belong to!?"

"Stop keeping us in suspense, tell us quickly!?"

"It will scare you to death to hear it: the heads on the gate beam are the Money Gang leader Jin Taihong and his son Jin Zhenglin, and that one with the white-streaked braid is even more extraordinary—he is the Assistant Prefect of this Fengyang Prefecture, Zhang Taiming!"

"Hiss—it's actually this corrupt official!?"

"The leader of the Money Gang, he was a hegemon in our South City, and he actually died just like that. No wonder there was a big fire at the Money Gang last night."

"I understand now, it must be that the Money Gang's opium trafficking reached the ears of Qingyike. And that Assistant Prefect Zhang Taiming, it was under his protection that the Money Gang was so rampant, opening so many opium dens!"

"Haha, hahahaha. Heaven has eyes! My son became a wreck from smoking opium, all because of the Money Gang. These animals deserve this end!"

"And that corrupt official, protecting the Money Gang, turning a blind eye to the opium dens—today he finally met his retribution!"

"A good kill! They should kill all these animals..."

"Father, Mother, do you see this? This group of sons-of-bitches has finally met their retribution."

The crowd of commoners gathering grew larger and larger; before long, they had converged into a dense, dark sea of people, the noise reaching the heavens.

Upon learning the situation, the crowd became even more agitated. Some families whose relatives had suffered deeply from opium, and who could be said to have a blood feud with the Money Gang, could not help but cry and laugh, even kneeling toward the Heaven above.

As the largest gang in the South City, the Money Gang had originally risen to power by bullying the market and dominating the trade. Over the past ten or twenty years, countless bottom-tier commoners had been oppressed by them, and the resentment was deep.

Coupled with the fact that the Money Gang had been trafficking opium for the past two years, causing hundreds or thousands of families to be ruined by poison, the accumulated hatred meant that countless people hated the gang to the bone. Now, seeing the chief culprit Jin Taihong lose his head, the pent-up malice was finally released.

And at the same time.

On the main road, a luxurious carriage drove into the cordoned area under the shouting of officers to clear the blocked crowd, and stopped at Caishikou.

Subsequently, Suo Helie stepped down from the carriage with a gloomy face. Li Zhenguang, who had received the news and was waiting there, immediately led his men to greet him, saying cautiously:

"My Lord, you have arrived."

Suo Helie did not even look at him, but merely raised his head to gaze at the Caishikou gate beam three zhang above the ground, and those human heads.

Of these three heads, he was most familiar with the one in the lead—an aged face with eyes wide open and filled with terror. It was indeed the Assistant Prefect of the prefecture, Zhang Taiming, who was only half a rank lower than him, the Commissioner of the Jingwu Division.

As for Jin Taihong, who was right next to him, he had met him several times and knew that the other party was also a great martial arts expert who had refined his blood. He had not expected that the next time they met, it would be in this manner.

He stared at the heads for a long while before turning his head to shout coldly:

"Li Zhenguang, why have you not taken the heads down? Do you intend to let the whole city come to watch a joke!"

Li Zhenguang's face twitched, and he said with a mournful expression:

"My Lord, please step forward and look."

Suo Helie knitted his brows and immediately stepped forward a few paces under his guidance.

Subsequently, he saw that beneath the Caishikou gate beam, several shocking, large characters had been left on the ground in dark, blackish blood:

Officials and bandits colluding to traffic opium, poisoning the people—death is well-deserved!

The heads shall hang for three days as a warning to others; those who dare to move them shall die!

Although the murderous blood-written characters on the ground left no name, everyone knew who had left them.

And upon seeing the handwriting, Suo Helie was instantly enraged; he stepped forward and stomped down heavily.

With a booming explosion, the bluestone ground where the blood characters were written cracked open as if it were tofu, and dense cracks spread out like a spiderweb for two or three zhang!!

Such astonishing power made Li Zhenguang and the others present tremble with fear, and they immediately knelt on one knee:

"We were ineffective in our investigation, My Lord, please calm your anger!"

Suo Helie, however, remained ashen-faced and silent. Ignoring everyone, he turned and boarded the carriage, then left the scene under the escort of his personal soldiers.

Li Zhenguang, kneeling on one knee, stared at the departing carriage, dumbfounded, and hurriedly called out:

"My Lord, My Lord, those heads..."

There was no response from within the carriage, and it soon sped away, disappearing at the end of the street.

Li Zhenguang stood with his mouth agape, disheveled in the cold wind.

Of the three Commandants of the Jingwu Division, Sagele had died at the hands of Qingyike, and the other Commandant had been away on a mission and had not yet returned. Now, under Suo Helie, he was the only one left who could make decisions.

The problem was that Qingyike had clearly left a message stating that these heads were to be hung for three days and that anyone who dared to move them would die. How could he dare to act rashly?

Jin Taihong was also a great expert who shook all four directions, and he was an existence of the same level as Suo Helie, yet he had died so miserably. As a mere Fourth Realm Duyuan, if he were targeted by the other party, he wouldn't even know how he died!

The Duyuan Yu Xianting seemed not to notice his embarrassment and stepped forward to ask for instructions:

"My Lord, what should we do? Should we take the heads down or not?"

Li Zhenguang glared at him fiercely and said irritably:

"Qingyike might be watching from the crowd nearby right now. If you want to die, go ahead and try!"

"Seal this place off first, wait until I have asked Lord Suo clearly before deciding!"

A moment later.

Suo Helie rode in his carriage with a cold expression, returning to the Jingwu Division.

However, just as he drove into the drill ground and stepped out, he noticed a luxurious carriage parked to the side, and at the same time, an attendant came up to report immediately:

"Lord Suo, Prefect Qi just arrived and is currently waiting for you in the conference hall."

Suo Helie was not surprised; with a dark face, he led his attendants across the drill ground and into the conference hall.

In the solemn hall, he saw an old man wearing vermilion official robes sitting in the guest seat, waiting with a slightly anxious look, while a person resembling a Staff Officer stood beside him, pouring tea.

The old man in vermilion official robes was over sixty, with the hair of a crane and the complexion of a child, clearly well-versed in the art of longevity; he was none other than the parent official of the entire Fengyang Prefecture, Prefect Qiwenhua.

Seeing Suo Helie walk in, the seated Prefect Qiwenhua immediately stood up and hurried forward, saying in an anxious tone:

"Lord Suo, you have finally returned. This official just received news that Zhang Taiming was killed in his own mansion, and even his head was cut off?"

"Lord Qi."

Facing this person, Suo Helie nodded expressionlessly:

"That is correct, his death was the work of Qingyike. There is news that Zhang Taiming was shielding Jin Taihong, the leader of the Money Gang in the south of the city, in the trafficking of opium. Qingyike moved against them both last night, and now both of their heads are hung on the gate beam of the Caishikou in the south of the city."

"It is Qingyike again."

Qiwenhua gasped, saying in a panic:

"This is outrageous! To dare to assassinate even a fifth-rank official—this thief is truly becoming more and more lawless. What is to be done? What is to be done!"

Qiwenhua was a civil official who basically knew no Martial Arts. Because he was advanced in age and had no hope for his career, after being transferred to Fengyang Prefecture, he basically ignored political affairs and instead indulged in refined interests, spending his days immersed in zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and the art of longevity.

Although he could not be considered a particularly wicked corrupt official, he was a truly muddle-headed and incompetent one. As a noble of the Jin Clan, Suo Helie looked down upon such Han officials, and merely said with hidden sarcasm:

"Lord Qi, rest assured. Even when Qingyike acts, he only seeks out those with notorious reputations. Given your official reputation, Lord, he will certainly not come looking for you."

Qiwenhua showed a hint of embarrassment:

"Lord Suo is joking. The assassination of a fifth-rank official is no small matter. This official is not worried about his own safety, but rather that this Qingyike has been rampaging for so long that he has become a major threat to Fengyang Prefecture.

Rumors have already spread and caught the attention of the various lords in the imperial court. Not long ago, when I received an inquiry letter from the Governor, I guaranteed that I would capture the culprit as soon as possible. Now that such a thing has happened, if you and I cannot provide an explanation soon, we might just lose these official robes!"

The so-called Governor is a high-ranking official who inspects and governs one or even several provinces; in the Great Jin, he can be said to be below one person and above ten thousand.

Even such a figure had been alarmed by Qingyike; the situation was indeed extremely passive.

Suo Helie was silent for a moment, then slowly said:

"Lord Qi, not only you, but I have also received an inquiry from the Capital headquarters and was given a three-month deadline. If I still cannot catch Qingyike, I am afraid I will no longer be able to sit in this position of Superintendent."

"A three-month deadline?"

Qiwenhua asked hurriedly:

"Then, Lord Suo, having inspected the scene, did you find any clues to locate that Qingyike?"

Suo Helie's expression was calm:

"Lord Qi, rest assured. This time I have already found a way to deal with Qingyike. Once the timing is ripe, I will be able to capture him in one fell swoop."

Seeing Suo Helie so confident, Qiwenhua immediately became suspicious:

"I wonder... what method is Lord Suo speaking of?"

Suo Helie gave a low laugh:

"This is a secret; it is not appropriate to leak it before taking action. Lord Qi, please allow me to keep you in suspense for now. At the latest, within a month or two, we will have good news."

Seeing that the conversation had reached this point, Qiwenhua could not ask much more:

"Very well, then this official will await the good news."

Afterward, the two sides chatted for a while, and Qiwenhua, having gained some understanding, took his leave.

And after sending the other party away.

Suo Helie's gaze was deep; he turned and had his trusted aide arrange an ordinary carriage, then rode it to a secluded residence not far from the Jingwu Division.

After getting off the carriage, he went to the door alone. After knocking a few times, a familiar figure opened the gate and said respectfully:

"Lord Suo, why have you come?"

Although this person wore plain clothes, he had a Daoist Bun; he was the Daoist Yu from Youxian Temple.

Suo Helie walked into the courtyard alone and asked in a deep voice:

"How are the results of Temple Master Chen?"

Daoist Yu did not answer, only saying: "Please follow me, Lord Suo."

He led the way, taking Suo Helie through the corridors and courtyards, straight to the backyard of the house, and then down into a cellar in the corner.

This cellar had clearly been renovated; not only were the stairs exceptionally steep, but the space inside was winding and deep, like a prison.

Only after passing through a narrow passage did a spacious stone chamber suddenly reveal itself.

He saw candles burning on the walls, and the Youxian Temple Master Chen Chuanying and another Elder were sitting cross-legged on the ground, chanting something in low voices. The eerie sound echoed in the underground space, as if it wanted to burrow into one's flesh and blood;

And on the ground in front of them, a strange array had been carved. In the center of the array was a young woman, thin as a stick and pale-faced, emitting extremely weak moans.

Looking closely, the woman was not only naked, but her hands and feet were also pierced by several steel nails, and her tongue had been cut out and her eyes gouged out—a sight too miserable to look at!

This bloody scene was truly evil; even though it was not the first time he had seen it, Suo Helie still frowned fiercely.

After waiting for a while in such a gloomy and terrifying atmosphere, Chen Chuanying and the other Elder finished their chanting, opened their eyes, and said:

"Why has Lord Suo come here?"

"Qingyike has appeared again."

Suo Helie stared at them and said coldly:

"How much longer do you need to refine this piece of junk Dharma Artifact?"

Under the firelight, an evil smile appeared on Chen Chuanying's face, which usually possessed the air of an immortal:

"Lord Suo is joking. This poor Daoist already informed you that the Spirit-Startling Bell requires forty-nine people born in the Yinyinnian Yinyue Yiri, and must be refined continuously for eighty-one days before it can be initially completed. Now that the refining has only just begun for less than two months, it will take at least another month of effort before it can be used."

"Temple Master Chen, let us be clear from the start: this official allows you to refine such an Evil Artifact in Fengyang Prefecture on the condition that it can be of great use against Qingyike."

Suo Helie's tone was grim:

"This time, Qingyike made a move and killed a Fifth Realm Refining Blood Martial Artist. Although that person was already old and their blood-Qi had declined, they could still be counted as a top expert in Fengyang Prefecture, and it would take me quite some effort to deal with them. If this Spirit-Startling Bell is not as effective as you claim once it is refined, you should know the consequences, right?"

"Killed a Fifth Realm Martial Artist?"

Chen Chuanying was slightly surprised, yet he still chuckled indifferently:

"Lord Suo can rest assured. The Spirit-Startling Bell is a top-tier Dharma Artifact passed down through my lineage since the previous dynasty. It possesses the effects of amplifying the mind and locking onto the soul. Once refined, if I hold this item, I can temporarily break into the Sixth Realm of Daoist Arts. As long as Qingyike appears, no matter how superb their Illusion Technique is, it will inevitably be seen through and broken; there is nothing to fear.

Not to mention this Spirit-Startling Bell, the Soul-Suppressing Talisman I gave you last month was also refined from century-old sunken wood. It has the power to resist and dissolve any Illusion Technique in the world. Relying on your Martial Arts and even your mental willpower, while wearing that item, even Sixth Realm level Daoist Arts cannot do anything to you for a short time.

With all these things, how could we, by joining forces, fail to deal with a mere Qingyike? As long as we make the proper arrangements to lure this person out, we can suppress and execute them with a flip of our hands, so as to resolve the hatred in Lord Suo's heart!"

(End of chapter)