Chapter 52: A True Man Leaves No Grudge Overnight

East of the city, inside a small tavern.

As night deepened, three red-robed plague gods sat around a table; the tavern's patrons had long since fled clean, leaving only a trembling waiter carrying plates and wine.

An oil lamp sat on the table, beside a gold-threaded gauze cap and a sheathed blade.

Zhou He held a rice bowl, picking up food slowly and steadily, while two subordinates whispered nearby:

"The Li family finally managed to get the Blood Origin Essence from the Alchemy Hospital; how could it have vanished without cause?"

"It must have been hoarded by Xie Jinhuan. There was no proof before, but now there is ironclad evidence; once the Blood Origin Essence is found, he will be unable to deny it no matter how many mouths he has..."

Zhou He, serving as a Hundred-Household Commander in the Red Scale Guard, had handled too many cases and knew better than any Jianghu demon bandits how to shed suspicion; he interjected:

"The item must be hidden in the Princess's Wang Fu; we cannot search it. However, he knew he was being framed yet did not calmly report it to the authorities, but instead went to great lengths to conceal the evidence; there must be something behind this."

The Red Scale Guard on his left poured wine for Zhou He: "Does my lord mean that Xie Jinhuan truly has something shady behind him?"

Zhou He could sense Xie Jinhuan's actions were suspicious but could not figure out the reason behind them:

"What do you two think he is hiding behind him that makes him fear an official search?"

"Hmm... recently in Danyang there have been only two matters—the demon bandits of the Mad Corpse Flower and the demonic qi shooting up from Mount Zihui. Xie Jinhuan discovered a key clue and pointed the spearhead toward the demon bandits; then he could not be one of the demon bandits, so he can only be..."

The other Red Scale Guard in red robes shook his head:

"The blood-evil qi of Mount Zihui must originate from the hand of a supreme demon; if Xie Jinhuan were connected to it, how could he risk living right in front of the Wang Fu?"

Zhou He also felt the claim that Xie Jinhuan was a supreme demon was too absurd; after thinking for a moment, he said:

"In any case, Xie Jinhuan's background must be investigated thoroughly. He has already gained the Alchemy King's favor; rising rapidly is only a matter of time. The Red Scale Guard has old grudges with him, and now we have set a trap; if the matter is exposed, the aftermath will be endless."

"Why not directly..."

The deputy wiped his neck.

Zhou He lifted his wine cup and drained it in one gulp; after pondering for a long while, he replied:

"Xie Jinhuan's martial arts are extraordinary; there must be a master guiding him behind the scenes. Without finding out who it is and rashly striking a killing blow, we might invite great trouble. This matter must first be reported to the superiors; only with their approval dare we act, otherwise afterward the three of us will be scapegoats handed over to settle accounts."

"True; I will send a letter to Jingcheng later..."

Before the words were finished, the tavern suddenly fell silent.

Step, step, step...

The unhurried sound of footsteps rose from the dim small street outside the tavern.

The three glanced around and saw a figure draped in a straw raincoat and wearing a bamboo hat walking from the window to the door.

"Honored guest, we are already closed..."

Thump~

The bamboo-hatted figure kept his head down; due to the angle of the light, his face could not be seen, but the hilt of a blade protruding from under the raincoat was visible. He came to the door without speaking, merely raising a hand to tap lightly and waving outward.

"Uh..."

The waiter wearing an apron, seeing this, looked somewhat bewildered; he turned to glance at the three red-robed plague gods, and finally, without saying a word, lowered his head and ran out of the tavern.

The two Red Scale Guards in red robes, seeing this, furrowed their brows and both reached for the blades at their sides.

Zhou He also put down his bowl and chopsticks, moved the sheathed blade within reach, and held his position without acting:

"Who goes there?"

The bamboo-hatted figure entered the tavern, shut the door with a sweep of his hand, confirmed there were no idle people present, and then lifted his bamboo hat.

Under the firelight, a rather handsome face appeared before the three, even carrying a hint of wine:

"We just met; does my lord Zhou not recognize me so quickly?"

"Xie Jinhuan?"

The tavern instantly fell into dead silence.

The Red Scale Guards were not stupid; seeing Xie Jinhuan's manner of sending others away and entering the room to shut the door, they understood the meaning:

He has come to kill!

The two Red Scale Guards rose with their blades drawn; their red qilin robes shimmered in the candlelight, yet their faces had lost all color.

After all, they had investigated Xie Jinhuan's battle records these past two days; in killing, he almost never used a second move, and even slaying demons only dirtied his sleeves a bit; even alone, he was a formidable foe.

As for why Xie Jinhuan had come to kill, both sides knew clearly; there was no need for further words.

Zhou He knew Xie Jinhuan's martial arts were not low, but he truly did not expect Xie Jinhuan to dare come to take revenge on the Red Scale Guard; at this moment, his fingers lightly tapped the table, and after a moment of silence, he spoke:

"Young Master Xie indeed has great courage. However, the entire city is hunting demon bandits, and the three of us are no ordinary folk; coming now to avenge every slight is not very rational."

Xie Jinhuan sat at the table by the door, placing his sheathed blade on the table:

"Thanks to the Red Scale Bureau's mighty terror, there are no outsiders near the tavern; even if the waiter heard any disturbance, he would have to cover his ears and dare not take a look. As for the Wu Zu on patrol nearest here, it would take half a cup of tea for them to arrive; this time is enough to kill each of you ten times over."

Zhou He listened intently, detected no sound from the surroundings, knew Xie Jinhuan's words were true, and furrowed his brows:

"Today when we searched Young Master Xie, the three of us were present; if something happens here, do you think no one saw it, and you can shed all suspicion?"

Xie Jinhuan slightly spread his hands, his tone calm:

"This does not require my lord Zhou's worry; I was able to deceive heaven and earth at Rooster Crest Ridge, frame the demon bandits for the matter of Mount Zihui; handling a few corpses is nothing more than doing it once again."

"You?!"

The three Red Scale Guards' faces changed abruptly.

Zhou He had just been judging whether Xie Jinhuan was bluffing; hearing the other party directly confess, he knew the situation today was dire, and shouted angrily:

"The demonic qi of Mount Zihui originated from your hand?"

When Xie Jinhuan stepped out of the Princess's Wang Fu, he had never intended to leave any survivors; otherwise, it would surely have been exposed; at this moment, he was quite frank:

"Yes. A few days ago, I dug a Demon-Suppressing Tomb inside Mount Zihui and accidentally released a powerful demon, which then latched onto me. Now putting out fires everywhere is all to cover this matter; today I was almost set alight by my lord Zhou, but fortunately I handled the evidence in time."

"..."

You damn...

Three Red Scale Guards, despite having anticipated it, muttered a curse under their breath upon hearing this earth-shattering news.

After all, including the Pill King, everyone believed Mount Zihui had merely nurtured a powerful great demon; dangerous, yet manageable.

The Demon Suppression Tomb was different; demons were suppressed and sealed precisely because they could not be utterly killed.

The last great demon of this caliber was the 'Corpse Ancestor' from a century ago, who, with his own strength, triggered the Wu Sect rebellion, causing the world's population to plummet by one-third!

If what Xie Jinhuan said was true, not only could they not walk out of the tavern door today, but the entire Danyang City could be leveled at any moment!

Zhou He, though mentally tough, felt his composure shake; he glanced out the window, clearly trying to spot that sky-reaching great demon with his own eyes that had put Danyang on high alert.

Xie Jinhuan looked at the three Red Scale Guards, his tone still calm:

"I have answered Lord Zhou's doubts; now Lord Zhou should answer my questions. What old grudge do the Red Scale Guards have with me? Why are the three of you so eager to silence us?"

Zhou He was no fool; he had no mind to answer such things now, and said coldly:

"The entire city is hunting the demon. You have committed such heinous crimes, yet you dare sit here boldly. Do you truly believe the imperial court cannot suppress the demon behind you?"

Xie Jinhuan, confident and unafraid:

"The imperial court certainly can suppress it, but only if they know the great demon is connected to me.

"The three of you are elites of the Red Feather Guards; you should remember the Wu Zu patrol schedule. The next group passing this tavern will arrive in less than half a cup of tea time.

"If Lord Zhou Hundred-Household answers the previous question, perhaps we can delay until the Wu Zu arrive, find a way to warn them, or even seize a sliver of a chance for survival.

"If you are unwilling to answer, I do not force you; Lord Zhou Hundred-Household's superior certainly knows as well."

As he finished speaking, Xie Jinhuan gripped the sword on the table.

The faces of the two Red Scale Guards changed instantly.

Zhou He also stood up, but fearing the demon behind him had not yet acted, he spoke urgently:

"Wait!"

Xie Jinhuan moved his hand from the sword hilt and listened attentively.

Zhou He knew how long it would take for the patrol officers to pass the tavern; with potentially powerful demon bandits lurking in the shadows, every second counted:

"If you wish to know the reason, I see no harm in telling you."

Xie Jinhuan nodded: "Lord Zhou Hundred-Household had best not lie. You know my current situation; if I discover you are fabricating lies, there is no need for me to listen further, and I will immediately silence you and flee."

The matter could be investigated elsewhere, so Zhou He had no need to lie; speaking now was merely tedious, and he occasionally paused to recall:

"Three years ago, a ghost disturbed the Imperial Plowing Mountain Palace, alarming the Son of Heaven and the imperial consorts...

"At that time, my superior, Han Jingchuan, the Thousand-Household Commander of the Wangjing Thousand-Household Office, was responsible for the defense of the Imperial Plowing Mountain and could not escape blame. An investigation yielded nothing...

"Coincidentally, Xie Wen, the County Commandant of Wan'an, led a patrol on the outer perimeter when the Son of Heaven moved to the Imperial Plowing Mountain. Since Han Thousand-Household could not escape blame, to solve the case and report, he intended to close it on the grounds of 'Xie Wen's negligence allowed evil spirits to infiltrate the palace.' However, doubts remained in the case, so Xie Wen was merely demoted to Lingnan..."

Xie Jinhuan was not in a hurry; after listening patiently, he asked again:

"Three years ago, I went to Lingnan with my father. Halfway, we encountered a demon creature shrouded in black mist; to this day, I have not uncovered its true nature. Was this demon sent by you to silence us?"

Zhou He, anxious as fire, waited for the patrol Wu Zu to arrive, yet his mouth remained unhurried in response:

"Xie Wen has already taken the blame for negligence. Given Xie Wen's status, he could not return to the capital to settle accounts, so Lord Han had no reason to strike secretly halfway. It was Thousand-Household Commander Duan who handled the case; if you can leave Danyang City alive, you can ask him for the specifics."

Seeing that Zhou He did not seem to be lying, Xie Jinhuan nodded slightly:

"I borrow your auspicious words; I will strive to leave alive. Is there anything else?"

As he finished speaking, silence fell within the tavern.

Zhou He hurriedly thought of something that might make Xie Jinhuan listen patiently; before he found a pretext, a sound suddenly rose above the houses outside the window:

"Goo—goo—"

?!

Zhou He's heart sank slightly; he understood this was a warning signal that someone was approaching. Xie Jinhuan could wait no longer, so he struck first; his right hand moved slightly, drawing the sword at his waist:

Clang!

But at that very moment!

Whoosh—whoosh—

Xie Jinhuan flicked his wrist lightly; the two tea bowls on the table transformed into spinning blades, sweeping across the necks of the two Red Scale Guards on the left and right!

The two Red Scale Guards had drawn their swords no more than three inches when blood sprayed from their left necks; their bodies stumbled backward.

Zhou He, as a Hundred-Household Commander, was not lacking in martial skill; he leaped backward, drawing his sword, but before he could leap out the window, he felt a terrifying force rush toward him!

Boom—

Xie Jinhuan, originally seated by the door, did not appear to rise, yet his figure had already moved sideways around the table, smoothly drawing a three-foot steel blade.

Then he stomped heavily, pressing forward for a surprise attack, holding the steel blade reversed in his left hand, drawing a brilliant silver gleam in the firelight!

Ting~

Sparks flew within the tavern!

With astonishing reflexes, Zhou He barely blocked a horizontal slash aimed at his ribs, but the force contained within the blade was terrifying!

The instant the two blades met, the snow-bright official sword was chipped half an inch deep.

The flat of the blade struck Zhou He's chest and abdomen, instantly snapping several ribs!

Crack—

Zhou He's internal organs shook violently, his eyes wide with shock; without hesitation, his left hand, sharp as a blade, thrust toward Xie Jinhuan's throat.

But alas, his hand had barely extended when it was seized by a hand-claw like a dragon, and then:

Slash, slash—

Xie Jinhuan seized Zhou He's left arm; the reversed steel blade scraped against the official sword, smoothly slicing upward to sever the upper arm, then swept back!

Pfft—

The unprotected left side of the neck instantly burst with blood!

Before the blood could spatter outward, Xie Jinhuan had already flashed past, smoothly pulling the rain cloak from his back.

Tssss~~~

Three red-robed, crimson-plumed Guards collapsed in succession, each with a fatal wound to the left carotid artery, causing blood to spray across the dimly lit tavern like three sudden fountains.

Whoosh~

Zhou He clutched his neck with his last remaining hand, slamming into the table beside him, his eyes still filled with boundless terror, staring toward the street even as he neared death, trying to cry for help.

But his throat and trachea had been severed clean—he could not utter a single sound.

Xie Jinhuan shielded the blood droplets with his rain cape, calmly stepping around the two writhing Crimson Plumed Guards, then approaching the window to pull down the support pole:

"The alarm outside means the Wu Zu just appeared at the street corner—you should've waited until you heard their footsteps before acting. The outcome is the same, but to avoid making too much noise, I'd choose to snap the neck; at least the corpse looks decent."

Click~

The window shut, blocking out the dim yellow light and the splashes of blood!

Thud~

Zhou He slid to the floor, desperately kicking his foot toward the stool, trying to make some noise.

Too bad—he lifted his foot, but the stool had already been moved just out of reach, beyond any possibility of contact.

Xie Jinhuan walked to the door, scanning the three Crimson Plumed Guards whose lives were swiftly fading, then carefully inspected the surroundings, confirming no trace remained. He took a silver ingot from his robe and placed it on the counter as compensation to the tavern, opened the door, bent low, and stepped out.

Click~

The door closed, and the tavern fell utterly silent.

"Sss… sss…"

Zhou He lay on the floor, his breath reduced to faint, ragged whispers, struggling to lift his hand, his consciousness dimming further—until the last thing he heard was:

"If Yang Wei Shi has a brother like this, he's bound to soar to the heavens…"

"This is what they call 'one man attains the Dao, even dogs and chickens ascend with him.' Young Master Xie is handsome, skilled in martial arts, upright in character, and treats us constables and Wu Zu like brothers—who else but him deserves to rise without effort?"

"I heard Young Master Xie is now drinking at the Wu Wei Pavilion—the Princess invited only him. Tsk, tsk, tsk… what an honor…"

……

Tap-tap-tap…

Footsteps and lantern light passed along the street outside, then faded into the distance…

(End of Chapter)