Chapter 467: The Bounty Finally Obtained

Cheng Feng quickened his pace.

His time was precious, very, very precious.

Because he had reaped the benefits from Liehuo Fawang,

a leak of the news was inevitable.

The Red Lotus Sect had lost a Dharma King, and given the Red Lotus Sect's style of seeking revenge for the slightest grievance, it would not be long before stronger characters came looking for him.

By that time, he did not wish to still be at the Organ Refining Initial Stage.

He arrived at the Yamen.

Cheng Feng looked up at the plaque inscribed with "Upright and Bright," then lifted his foot and stepped over the threshold.

In the Huke Fang of the Yamen's second hall, a middle-aged clerk with a handlebar mustache took the merit vouchers and waist token Cheng Feng handed over,

flipped them over and checked them a full three times, and then had Cheng Feng press his handprint on three documents before taking a thick stack of Datong Bank silver notes from the iron cabinet behind him.

"Officer Cheng, the bounty for Liehuo Fawang is 400,000 taels. Per regulations, 8,000 taels of Huhao Yin are deducted, for a net payout of 392,000 taels."

The clerk laid the silver notes out on the table one by one, "Datong Bank notes are redeemable upon presentation and valid nationwide. Please count them."

Cheng Feng looked at the row of silver notes on the tabletop; the largest denomination was 100,000 taels per note, the smallest was 10,000, all neatly arranged in six stacks.

392,000 taels.

The current Cheng Feng could be described as wealthy and imposing; he did not even take the 8,000 taels of Huhao Yin to heart.

Without further ado, Cheng Feng folded the silver notes and tucked them into his inner pocket, placing them together with the four martial arts booklets.

With the silver notes and Secret Manuals pressed against his chest, separated by a layer of clothing, he felt a heavy sense of security.

"Many thanks." Cheng Feng cupped his hands to the clerk, turned around, and strode out of the Yamen.

When he walked out of the Yamen gates, it was high noon; the crowd outside was like a weaving shuttle, and the air was filled with the mixed aroma of sesame cakes and braised meat.

Cheng Feng ordered a bowl of mutton noodles at a street-side stall and finished it with a slurping sound.

In the days to come, he would have to work hard at his cultivation.

Having obtained the various techniques, Cheng Feng naturally evaluated them; the medicinal herbs and medicinal baths required for each item of Martial Dao training were, of course, quite expensive.

Fortunately, Cheng Feng had his Panmian, and his wives and Concubines at home could help him strive.

Otherwise, the requirements of the Martial Dao alone were not something an ordinary person could handle.

"Literary pursuits for the poor, martial pursuits for the rich"—that is exactly how it is.

At the same time, inside a private room of a teahouse less than two streets away from the Cheng Mansion, a middle-aged man wearing an indigo long gown was holding a cup of Biluochun tea, slowly blowing away the tea foam.

Sitting opposite him was a man with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks, who was the very peddler who had been guarding the street opposite the Yamen selling candied haws during the day.

"Are you certain? It's the Cheng Mansion at the east end of South City?" The middle-aged man took a sip of tea, his voice neither high nor low, carrying a unique hoarseness.

"There is no mistake, Incense Master Zhou," the sharp-mouthed man said in a lowered voice. "I saw him enter the gate with my own eyes, and the plaque on the gate read 'Cheng Mansion.' Later, I asked the neighbors about him; this Cheng Feng is a newly emerged figure who previously had no job. He only recently joined the Imperial Guard Division and just performed a great service by killing Officer Hu Shen."

Incense Master Zhou set down his teacup and tapped his fingertips on the table twice: "Organ Refining Initial Stage, yet able to kill the Blazing Fire Dharma King... either he is hiding his true strength, or he has helpers. Have you checked his background?"

"I have. This Cheng Feng comes from an ordinary background, a poor commoner from out of town. He married a wife, Zhao Shi, who is the daughter of a Martial Arts Hall master. Later, he took several Concubines; the women in his household all know some martial arts, but they are not experts." The sharp-mouthed man finished in one breath and added, "Oh, right, he just collected the 400,000-tael bounty from the Yamen today; he is very lavish with his spending."

Speaking of this, the sharp-mouthed man looked somewhat puzzled.

Incense Master Zhou's eyes narrowed slightly: "If you have something to say, say it; do not hide anything."

"Our information all comes from the Fuya; this person's previous information was practically non-existent, and he had no outstanding traits. I am afraid that..."

The sharp-mouthed man swallowed his saliva and whispered: "I am afraid that this person is bait put out by the Imperial Guard."

Zhou Xiangzhu's hand holding the tea paused slightly.

The private room was quiet for a moment; the peddlers' shouts and the crisp ringing of mule and horse bells from the street outside made the silence feel exceptionally oppressive.

"Continue." Zhou Xiangzhu placed the teacup back on the table, his tone three parts colder than before.

"Zhou Xiangzhu, think about it: what kind of person was the Raging Fire Dharma King? He was a genuine Gang Qi Realm expert, with Internal Energy Projection, invincible in group battles!" The sharp-mouthed man spoke faster and faster, a layer of fine sweat forming on his temples. "For someone at the Organ Refining Initial Stage to kill him single-handedly, the matter itself reeks of suspicion."

"The Imperial Guard has been suppressed by us for years and hasn't been able to lift its head; they are just looking for an opportunity to establish their prestige. If Cheng Feng is just a newly recruited strongman, and the Imperial Guard secretly sent experts to assist him, or if someone else killed him and just credited it to him—" The sharp-mouthed man's voice became almost inaudible here, "—then if we rashly retaliate, wouldn't we be falling right into their trap?"

Zhou Xiangzhu was silent for a long time before picking up the teacup again to take a sip.

The Biluochun had already gone cold, tasting slightly astringent.

"You are half right." He put down the teacup and looked at the street scene outside through the half-covered window lattice. "This person is indeed suspicious, but he is not necessarily bait from the Imperial Guard. You just said he collected 400,000 taels of bounty from the government office;

if it were truly a trap set by the Imperial Guard, they wouldn't actually pay out this much silver.

With the Yamen's accounts, after layers of extortion, one would be lucky to pocket 100,000 taels.

The fact that 392,000 taels were actually paid out shows that this merit is real; the government office acknowledges it, and the Imperial Guard acknowledges it too."

The sharp-mouthed man was stunned, then suddenly realized: "Zhou Xiangzhu means... he really has this ability?"

"It is not unheard of throughout history for someone at the Organ Refining Initial Stage to kill someone at the Organ Refining Great Completion. Outsiders with innate gifts, those possessing secret arts, or those who use Forbidden Drugs to forcibly boost their strength could all potentially do it. It's just that such people..." A cold sneer appeared on the corner of Zhou Xiangzhu's mouth, "... either have a major power backing them, or they have obtained some incredible opportunity."

He stood up, walked to the window with his hands behind his back, and turned his back to the sharp-mouthed man.

"At present, the Sect is planning a major event; the Sect Leader is about to go into seclusion, one of the four Dharma Kings has already fallen, and the Left and Right Walkers each have their own agendas. In our Heimu Prefecture branch, I am only a Branch Leader; the power I can mobilize is limited."

Zhou Xiangzhu's voice was unhurried but carried an unquestionable weight. "This matter cannot be handled rashly, but it absolutely cannot be left as is. If the revenge for killing the Raging Fire Dharma King is not taken, what will other factions in the Sect think of us?"

The sharp-mouthed man hurriedly stood up and bowed: "Presumably that person's strength is not bad either; please give your instructions, Zhou Xiangzhu."

"Two lines of action in parallel." Zhou Xiangzhu extended one finger. "First, continue to keep a close watch on the Cheng Mansion and figure out the situation in his household. How many wives and concubines, how many servants, his daily routine of coming and going, the medicinal herbs and food ingredients he purchases—record everything. Do not get close, do not alert him, just watch from afar."

He extended a second finger: "Second, go and investigate his Martial Dao origins. His wife, Zhao Shi, is the daughter of a Martial Arts Hall master; which Martial Arts Hall? Who was her teacher? Before he joined the Imperial Guard, had he ever displayed any martial arts? Every single detail must be investigated clearly."

The sharp-mouthed man noted them down one by one and asked again: "Then... should we send two people to test him first?"

Zhou Xiangzhu turned his head and glanced at him, his gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny.

The sharp-mouthed man felt a chill down his back from this gaze and hurriedly lowered his head.

"Fine, if you want to test him, you can," Zhou Xiangzhu said slowly, his tone as if he were deliberating. "But you cannot use our own people. Isn't there a group of desperate outlaws in the ruined temple in South City? Give them 5,000 taels of silver and tell them that Cheng Feng has 400,000 taels in silver notes on him and is just an upstart with no foundation. They will be tempted."

"As for whether they succeed or not, it is not important." Zhou Xiangzhu sat back in his chair, picked up the tea that had long since gone cold and drank it in one gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing once. "If they succeed, it counts as us avenging the Raging Fire Dharma King. If they fail, it won't be our people who die, and we will be able to probe his bottom line."

A look of admiration appeared on the sharp-mouthed man's face, and he nodded repeatedly: "Zhou Xiangzhu is brilliant; I will go handle it now."

"Wait," Division Master Zhou called out to him as he was about to turn around.

The sharp-mouthed man stopped in his tracks.

"Stop using that identity of a candied hawthorn seller." Division Master Zhou fished a silver ingot from his sleeve and tossed it over casually, "Change your trade; tomorrow, set up a wonton stall at the street corner by the Cheng Mansion."

The sharp-mouthed man caught the silver and weighed it in his hand; it was a full twenty taels, and his face immediately blossomed into a smile: "Thank you for the reward, Division Master Zhou!"

After the sharp-mouthed man left the private room, Division Master Zhou sat alone for a moment.

He poured himself a fresh cup of hot tea and stared blankly at the swirling steam.

"Someone who popped up out of nowhere?"

After pondering alone for a while, Division Master Zhou pushed open the door of the private room and strode into the flow of people in the street market.