Chapter 49: Bounty

"Shen Hengzhi, you didn't expect this, did you!"

"Who are you?" With the dagger plunged straight into his chest, Shen Yu frowned slightly. The dagger appeared to have a mixture of red and blue colors on it, clearly smeared with something else; it was likely some kind of deadly poison. This old man was ruthless enough.

"Shen Hengzhi, you killed my son, and you ask me who I am!" The old man's eyes were wide with rage, showing no trace of his previous frailty. From the force transmitted through the dagger, Shen Yu knew the opponent was at least an expert of the Postnatal Realm.

"Xu Mufeng!" I couldn't tell; this guy was actually a Postnatal Realm expert. But didn't he notice that there was no blood at all where his dagger was? How did someone with this level of intelligence become a Prefect?

"Cheng'er, Father has finally avenged you!" At this moment, Xu Mufeng hadn't noticed anything unusual at all. His eyes were fixed solely on Shen Yu, hoping to see an expression of panic or the like on his face.

However, he was clearly disappointed; there was nothing on Shen Yu's face but mockery. Xu Mufeng felt a surge of ruthlessness and exerted force with his hand, wanting to drive the dagger in deeper. Being able to avenge his son before being captured was his final obsession.

Yet, Xu Mufeng discovered that no matter how hard he pushed, the dagger simply would not go in. And at the tip of the dagger, not a single drop of blood flowed out.

"Hardened Body Technique!" Xu Mufeng, suddenly realizing, turned pale with fright, but at that moment, Shen Yu's sword appeared and pierced him through in one stroke. Fresh blood dripped onto the ground, leaving only the face of an unreconciled Xu Mufeng, who gasped for air intermittently.

"That was just Xu Mufeng's steward!" Han Hao, who was nearby, also walked over. Looking at Xu Mufeng, who had already been pierced through by Shen Yu, he gave a light snort. "This Xu Mufeng is truly cunning; he actually arranged a body double for himself. I almost fell for it!"

Afterward, Han Hao looked at Shen Yu with keen interest. I couldn't tell; this little County Magistrate was not only highly skilled in martial arts but also practiced a Hardened Body Technique. Otherwise, that sudden strike from Xu Mufeng would have been enough to take his life.

However, the scheming of this old guy Xu Mufeng was too deep; he had clearly figured out Shen Yu's temper before pulling off such a stunt. Unfortunately, it backfired!

"Shen Yu, don't you get cocky!" Blood flowed uncontrollably down the corners of his mouth, yet Xu Mufeng still struggled, wanting to stand up, but his attempts were in vain every time. His vitality and strength were rapidly dissipating, and even his consciousness was blurring quickly.

"Shen Yu, I'm not afraid to tell you: after I knew I was being hunted by the Black-Clad Guard, I already bet my remaining family fortune on the black market to buy your life. That was a full three hundred thousand taels!"

"Haha, there will always be brave men under heavy rewards. Although I cannot avenge Cheng'er myself, I will never let you off! Shen Yu, I'll be waiting for you, I'll be waiting for you, haha, cough, cough!"

"Three hundred thousand taels?" Raising his eyebrows slightly, Han Hao, who was nearby, also looked at Shen Yu in surprise. Just this one person was worth three hundred thousand taels; even he was a bit tempted.

"So I'm worth three hundred thousand taels!" Hearing this news, Shen Yu did not show the slightest panic, but instead mocked with interest, "Prefect Xu, if you had given the money to me, I guarantee I would have stood still and let you hack at me for half an hour. Wouldn't that have been more reliable than putting it on the black market!"

"Cough, cough..." But by now, Xu Mufeng could no longer speak; his consciousness had completely blurred, and he might lose his breath entirely in the next moment.

At this time, Shen Yu quietly leaned into his ear and whispered, "Prefect Xu, I forgot to tell you: I personally wiped out the Zhangnan Bandits, and the evidence of your collusion with the Zhangnan Bandits was also personally delivered by me to the Black-Clad Guard!"

"You shouldn't have done it, you shouldn't have let your son run wild like that! Look, what kind of mess has your precious son gotten you, his father, into? Oh, Prefect Xu, don't get angry!"

"You, you! Pfft!" Hearing Shen Yu's words, Xu Mufeng could no longer hold on, and a mouthful of blood sprayed out. Moreover, his eyes were wide open, looking very unreconciled.

The most critical thing was that if Shen Yu could truly wipe out the Zhangnan Bandits, didn't that mean his strength was beyond imagination—at least not something an ordinary person could kill? Could he still get his revenge?

He could only pin his hopes on those people in the black market being capable enough; otherwise, wouldn't his hard-earned family fortune have gone down the drain?

"Magistrate Shen, that's three hundred thousand taels!" Looking at Shen Yu, who seemed not to care much, Han Hao couldn't help but say, "Three hundred thousand taels is enough to tempt too many people. Even if you are an official of the imperial court, there are plenty of people in the Jianghu who will take the risk."

"Besides, Magistrate Shen is only a Ninth Rank minor official; this official robe of yours cannot protect you!"

"Then what does Magistrate Han mean..."

"Join my Black-Clad Guard; the Black-Clad Guard will protect your life!" Patting Shen Yu on the shoulder, Han Hao said very seriously, "Magistrate Shen, consider it!"

"No need!" Although slightly tempted, Shen Yu still shook his head. Working for someone else was not as good as being his own boss. If he happened to encounter a superior who wanted to set him up, wouldn't he cry himself to death?

Moreover, this Han Hao nearby sounded like he was looking out for him, but the greed in his eyes just now had flashed and vanished. Although it was quickly hidden, it couldn't deceive him. Wealth moves people's hearts; Shen Yu dared not gamble.

"That is a great pity, then. Magistrate Shen, you must hold on. If one day you change your mind, my Black-Clad Guard welcomes you at any time!"

"Then many thanks to Magistrate Han!" After a pause, Shen Yu then asked, "Magistrate Han, I have a matter I would like to ask you about. I wonder what kind of expert three hundred thousand taels can hire? Will experts above the Innate Realm take action?"

"Magistrate Shen is joking!" Han Hao couldn't help but chuckle, but he quickly composed his expression and became a bit more serious.

"Magistrate Shen, in the Jianghu, even Innate Experts are people of status and reputation, let alone those experts above the Innate Realm. Wanting to drive such an expert with three hundred thousand taels is no different from a pipe dream, unless they are truly in urgent need—so desperate that they can discard their dignity!"

"However, Magistrate Shen must still be careful. For three hundred thousand taels, there are surely no shortage of Innate Experts who would be tempted! Magistrate Shen, you..."

Speaking up to this point, Han Hao glanced slightly at Shen Yu. Shen Yu's strike just now had been instantaneous; Han Hao could only judge that he was an expert and possessed a Hardened Body Technique. As for how high his level was, that remained unknown.

As for whether Shen Yu could be an Innate Expert, Han Hao did not believe it. How many Innate Experts this young could there be in the entire Jianghu? Which one of them wasn't a person of peerless talent since childhood, famous for ten thousand miles? Moreover, if he were an Innate Expert, how could he be just a Ninth Rank County Magistrate?

"That's good!" Nodding, Shen Yu felt a bit more confident in his heart. With his current level, as long as it wasn't an expert who had surpassed the Innate Realm, Shen Yu believed he still had some ability to protect himself.

At the very least, even if he couldn't win, he could definitely run. In terms of light-body techniques, Shen Yu absolutely had enough confidence. Among fellow Innate Experts, there were few who could outrun him.

Thinking of those incoming assassins, Shen Yu smiled lightly. Were those assassins coming to kill him? They were all just experience points. He really wanted to shout to everyone: let the storm rage even harder!

"Magistrate Shen, Magistrate Shen!"

"Magistrate Han, I apologize, I was thinking about something else just now!"

"No matter!" Waving his hand, Han Hao couldn't help but look at Shen Yu again. What kind of person was this? Someone had placed a kill order on him for three hundred thousand taels, yet he could still laugh so happily. This Magistrate Shen was truly unexpected.

"Magistrate Shen, Xu Mufeng has been caught, so this official should return to report the task. This official will say the same thing: if Magistrate Shen changes his mind one day, you can come to the Black-Clad Guard to find me at any time!"

"Certainly, certainly!"

"Can you be any more perfunctory?" Looking at Shen Yu's expression, Han Hao felt a wave of helplessness, but in the end, he only cupped his hands and said, "Then, Magistrate Shen, farewell, we shall meet again!"