Chapter 81: Killing

The sky was already beginning to brighten.

In the small courtyard, the smell of blood permeated the air, but under the constant washing of the rain, it did not drift very far.

Luo Jiaorong stood on the corridor, her face deathly pale, her whole body trembling.

Xiaohuan was supporting her, trembling beside her.

Luo Zijun had already washed his hands and body and was currently examining the black Money Pouch in his hand.

This black Money Pouch had been searched from the corpse.

It looked bulging, but strangely, there was nothing inside at all.

He suddenly remembered the cloth bags and Money Pouches he saw every time he went to the martial artist shop to buy medicine, and a bold conjecture immediately arose in his heart.

"Whoosh!"

Just at this moment, a black shadow suddenly jumped in from the courtyard wall at the main gate.

A steel saber in hand, its cold light was chilling!

Luo Zijun's expression changed, he immediately picked up the axe on the ground and said urgently, "Sister, Xiaohuan! Get into the house quickly!"

"Hmm?"

The person who had jumped over the wall, originally full of murderous intent, was suddenly stunned upon hearing the voice and seeing the people in the courtyard: "Zijun?"

"Brother-in-law?"

Luo Zijun saw who it was and was also taken aback.

The two of them, one gripping a saber and the other holding an axe, stared at each other.

"Brother-in-law, why did you jump over the wall?"

Luo Zijun asked.

Li Zhengshan's gaze suddenly turned to the corpse on the ground, his expression changed abruptly, and he hurriedly walked quickly to the corpse to check.

Naturally, he had smelled the blood outside and had jumped over the wall in a hurry.

"This..."

When he saw the face of the head on the ground clearly, his body shook: "It's actually this beast!"

His face was deathly pale, the saber in his hand trembling; he raised his head to look at his gentle and weak brother-in-law before him and began to stutter: "Zijun, you... you..."

"I killed him."

Luo Zijun raised the axe in his hand.

Then he told everything that had just happened, point by point.

"Thanks to Senior Sister's poison..."

After listening, Li Zhengshan's face became even uglier, and the saber in his hand trembled incessantly.

"Zijun, do you know who this person is? He is the fugitive criminal that brother-in-law mentioned last time. We searched the whole city and never caught him. I didn't expect that tonight he would be..."

His heart was filled with fear, and the more he thought, the more afraid he became.

This criminal already had two lives on his hands, and he was also a martial artist with extremely ruthless methods. He didn't expect that he was still hiding in the city, and what made him even more terrified was that this criminal had actually snuck into his home tonight...

This was to slaughter his entire family!

"Brother-in-law, I killed someone, will there be trouble?"

Luo Zijun asked suddenly.

Luo Jiaorong hurriedly rushed over from the corridor and said with a trembling voice, "Zhengshan, will Zijun be taken away?"

Li Zhengshan recovered from his fear and shock, sheathed his saber, and said in a deep voice, "No."

He then explained, "According to the laws of our Daliang, as long as it is someone who breaks into a house at night, the owner can kill them on the spot without bearing any legal responsibility. Furthermore, this person is a criminal who already had lives on his hands and was wanted by the whole city. Zijun killing him will not only not be punished, but he will also receive a reward from the yamen."

Upon hearing this, Luo Jiaorong finally recovered, grabbed his arm with trembling hands, and cried, "Zhengshan, you... you should quickly resign from this job..."

This criminal was clearly here for him; he had come for revenge.

Li Zhengshan's face was pale; he looked down at the corpse on the ground and then at the siblings. This time, he no longer had any hesitation and said in a deep voice, "As soon as the sky brightens, I will go to the yamen to resign from this job."

His eyes suddenly turned red, and he said with a face full of apology, "Wife, Zijun, it is I who was too selfish; I have failed you... I should have resigned from this job long ago..."

Luo Jiaorong was still trembling all over, her eyes filled with fear.

Seeing that her husband seemed to have truly made up his mind this time, she wiped her tears and held his hand to comfort him: "Zhengshan, you are a martial artist; you can go to a wealthy family to be a guard. It will definitely be safer and pay better than working at the yamen. If that doesn't work, going to help people watch over a venue or delivering goods is also fine."

Li Zhengshan's expression was heavy: "Wife, rest assured, I will definitely resign from this job this time and will never let you be implicated again."

Luo Zijun said, "Brother-in-law going to a wealthy family to be a guard is indeed good. Those wealthy families are willing to spend money, and brother-in-law's martial arts are not bad, and you are honest and loyal. I believe many wealthy families will like you."

Li Zhengshan reached out and patted his shoulder, wanting to say something, but his lips trembled and he didn't say it out loud; then he suddenly hugged him tightly, his voice choked with sobs: "Zijun, fortunately there is you... fortunately there is you in this family..."

"Sister is also very amazing."

Luo Zijun looked at his sister, who was wiping her tears to the side, and said, "Sister heard movement outside, immediately took a knife, pushed open the window, and scolded angrily, looking majestic. If I were the thief, I would have probably been scared away directly."

"Pfft..."

Luo Jiaorong shed tears, smiled, and patted him.

Li Zhengshan suddenly let him go and said, "Zijun, this matter of killing someone, how about letting brother-in-law take the blame?"

Luo Zijun looked at him.

Li Zhengshan explained, "It's not that brother-in-law wants to take credit for your work, it's just that if it's said that you killed him, it will be more troublesome. After all, you are just a scholar, and this criminal is a Second Realm martial artist. If it gets out, I'm afraid they will take you to the yamen for all kinds of questioning and inspections. And..."

Speaking of this, his expression was heavy, and his voice suddenly lowered: "Brother-in-law doesn't want you to become famous so quickly. Studying is fine, but practicing martial arts..."

Luo Jiaorong suddenly remembered something, her face turned white, and she hurriedly said, "Right, Zijun, let your brother-in-law take the blame for this killing; you cannot admit to it."

Luo Zijun looked at the two of them carefully; both of their gazes seemed to be somewhat evasive.

He did not immediately press for an answer, nodded, and said, "I will listen to brother-in-law. But will this matter be found out?"

Li Zhengshan looked around the courtyard and said, "No problem, the timing matches up. You tell the process from just now again carefully, and I will say that I was walking fast on the road and just happened to run into this criminal when I got home... If it were someone else killed, the yamen might investigate carefully, but this person is a criminal wanted by the yamen; killing him is just killing him, no one will investigate carefully."

"Taking a step back, even if it is found out that I didn't kill him, it won't have any impact. Anyway, I am already prepared to resign from this job, and it will have even less impact on you."

Luo Zijun finally set his mind at ease.

The two discussed things carefully in the courtyard for a while longer, finalizing some details to avoid any slip-ups.

"Brother-in-law, there is also this Money Pouch; it seems to be a Storage Bag..."

Luo Zijun suddenly remembered that black Money Pouch and quickly took it out.

"A Storage Bag?"

Li Zhengshan was stunned, then quickly took it to examine it, becoming both surprised and delighted: "It really is a Storage Bag!"

He then asked in confusion: "That's not right. When the villain escaped, he didn't have anything on him. Could he have snatched this during this time?"

"Brother-in-law, does it need to be handed over?"

Luo Zijun felt a bit reluctant.

Li Zhengshan pondered for a moment, then returned it to him and said: "No need. When the villain escaped, we searched him, and he was clean, with nothing on him. Keep this for yourself to use."

Luo Zijun felt a weight lift from his heart and asked: "Does Brother-in-law know how to use it?"

Li Zhengshan nodded, looked at the sky, and realized it was already dawn, so he quickly said: "We'll talk when I get back. I need to go to the yamen to report the case first, otherwise the timing won't match up."

After saying this, he went over to open the main gate and left in a hurry.

It was already dawn.

The corpse and the head on the ground looked even more terrifying.

Luo Jiaorong did not dare to stay any longer and quickly said: "Zijun, let's go inside and change our clothes quickly."

The three of them immediately went into the house.

Luo Zijun returned to his room and, with Xiaohuan's help, changed into a new set of clothes.

He came to the table and picked up the black Money Pouch.

Thinking of the fearful expressions and shifty eyes of his sister and brother-in-law just now, he said to himself: It seems that the enemy is indeed in Lin'an City, and may be watching us at any time.

"Can I study, but not practice martial arts?"

He gripped the Money Pouch in his hand tightly and looked at the drizzling spring rain outside the window, his resolve growing firmer.

Soon, the people from the yamen arrived.

With the tacit cooperation of the family of four, the corpse was quickly taken away, and the scene was only cursorily inspected.

Li Zhengshan left with them.

Luo Zijun took the initiative to go to the small courtyard to clean up the bloodstains not yet washed away by the rain, as well as the blood-stained soil.

Luo Jiaorong stood on the corridor, watching his back silently, her eyes moist.

Her younger brother had grown up; he had become a true man, a man who could stand tall and protect his family.

The hardships of these years had finally blossomed into fruit.

Although it was dawn, the light remained dim.

The sky was covered with dark clouds and looked gloomy.

The continuous drizzle nourished the earth, watered the fields, kissed the flowers and grass, and nurtured all things.

But many people in the city did not like it.

Peddlers could not go out on the streets, tourists could not go sightseeing, and it was very inconvenient for those going out to drink wine, have tea, or listen to folk songs.

The girls in the Brothel were also frowning and cursing the heavens.

It was truly a case of one side's joy being another's sorrow. Luo Zijun did not pay it any mind; he took an oil-paper umbrella and prepared to go out.

He could skip the Academy when it rained.

But he had to practice martial arts.

Last night's events made him even more desperate to practice martial arts and to make himself strong as quickly as possible.

If not for the poison from his senior sister last night, and if that villain had been even stronger, the three of them would already be ghosts under the blade.

"Zijun, are you still going to the Academy in this rain? Be careful not to get sick."

Luo Jiaorong said with some worry.

Luo Zijun waved his hand and said: "Sister, don't worry. My body is fine, and besides, Sister, you forgot that I am a doctor."

Luo Jiaorong rolled her eyes at him, suddenly remembered something, and quickly said: "Zijun, invite Ling'er to eat at home tonight."

If it weren't for her medicine last night...

"Sister, aren't we going to eat at Sun Yan'er's house tonight?"

!

Luo Zijun stopped in his tracks.

Luo Jiaorong was stunned, then remembered, and her face immediately darkened: "Who cares about that."

Luo Zijun quickly said: "Then Sister, go to the Sun Family and decline now; I don't want to go anyway."

Luo Jiaorong frowned, thought about it carefully, and said: "Alright, you go to the Academy first. When your brother-in-law returns, I will discuss it with him."

"I'm off!"

Luo Zijun waved his hand and went out the door.

He intended to go straight to the Martial Arts Hall.

But he suddenly looked at the sky, then at the umbrella in his hand, and the image of Xu Xian and Bai Niangzi walking under an umbrella at West Lake involuntarily popped into his mind.

And the covered boat.

The image of the two—no, the three of them—hiding from the rain and touring West Lake in the boat.

He suddenly felt a sense of unease in his heart.

He immediately changed direction, deciding to go and take a look.

As he passed by Bao'an Hall.

He thought for a moment, then walked straight inside.

Su Qingling was wearing a plain white dress, sitting quietly behind the counter in a daze.

Her two fair and beautiful jade hands were propping up her chin, her slender fingers resting against her cheeks like blooming petals, while her delicate and lovely cheeks were like the tender, pink stamen wrapped within the petals, appearing even more pink and alluring against the backdrop of the fresh flowers in the vase nearby.

"Senior Sister, did you go flower-picking again?"

Luo Zijun walked into the shop and said.

Su Qingling lifted her eyelids to glance at him, saying expressionlessly, "I didn't pick you."

Luo Zijun was stunned for a moment, immediately realizing this girl was making an insinuation.

Back when he was at Hanshan Temple, he had indeed been "picked" by a female flower-thief.

"This flower is so fragrant."

Luo Zijun walked to the counter, stretched out a finger, and fiddled with the petals in the vase.

The petals still held crystal-clear water droplets, looking exceptionally tender and pink.

"It's as fragrant as Senior Sister, and just as pink and beautiful."

He began to flatter her quite naturally.

Seeing him poke the petals with his finger, Su Qingling immediately took the vase away and placed it far off where he couldn't touch it, then looked at him coldly with her beautiful eyes and said, "Say what you have to say."

Coming to flatter her early in the morning, he naturally had a favor to ask.

Luo Zijun felt a bit awkward.

The poison had been used up last night, and the effect was excellent—the kind that could save a life. So, coming here today, he naturally wanted to ask this girl for a few more packets.

"Senior Sister, where is the rest of the poison from last time?"

In front of this girl, it was better to just get straight to the point.

"Threw it away."

Su Qingling said coldly.

Luo Zijun naturally did not believe she would throw it away.

This girl was very good at managing a household and being frugal; she would argue with him for a long time over a single copper coin, so how could she throw away poison she had painstakingly refined?

"Give me a few more packets, I've used them all up."

Luo Zijun reached out his hand, asking directly.

Seeming to feel a bit embarrassed, he added, "Or, how about you pinch my butt again, and I won't fight back?"

Why did this feel a bit like selling himself for medicine?

No, that's selling his butt for medicine.

Su Qingling ignored him, took out some nail polish, extended her fair, slender fingers, and began to apply it, her expression cold and icy.

"Senior Sister, let me help you apply it."

Luo Zijun said obsequiously.

Su Qingling paused, looked at him with her beautiful eyes for a few moments, then reached out and handed the nail polish to him, saying coldly, "If you get it on my skin, hmph."

Luo Zijun immediately took the nail polish and said, "Don't worry, my hands are very steady."

Who knew that just as he finished speaking.

His hand shook, and the small brush stained with pink nail polish immediately swept across the fair skin above her nail.

Su Qingling narrowed her eyes.

Luo Zijun hurriedly said, "Senior Sister, calm your anger, I will definitely be steady this time!"

He immediately steadied his hand and began to apply it gently.

This girl's fingers were slender and long, and her nails were also Fenfen, like a perfectly carved piece of art; they were truly beautiful.

Even if nothing were applied, they would absolutely be breathtakingly beautiful.

Fortunately, there were no more mistakes after that.

"Senior Sister, the other hand."

Having successfully finished one hand, Luo Zijun secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Su Qingling lifted her slender jade fingers that had been finished, looked at them carefully for a while, and then extended her other jade hand.

Luo Zijun continued to apply it carefully.

Soon, the nails on the second hand were also completely finished.

The finished nails, set off by her fair jade hands, were Fenfen, overflowing with luster, and even more beautiful.

Luo Zijun praised her sincerely, "Senior Sister's hands are truly beautiful."

This was truly not flattery.

Su Qingling glanced at him indifferently and withdrew her hand; as he was putting away the nail polish, she suddenly said coldly again, "Do you want to help me apply it to my toenails?"

"Ah???"

Luo Zijun was taken aback.

Su Qingling said expressionlessly, "My toenails are even better looking."

Luo Zijun hesitated for a moment, and before he could reply, a pink fist suddenly struck out, hitting him in the eye with a "Bang!"

"That's for being lecherous!"

"..."

Luo Zijun covered his eye and clenched his fists.

Su Qingling looked at him coldly and did not dodge.

Luo Zijun relaxed his fists again and said, "Senior Sister, how was I being lecherous? I hadn't even spoken yet; I was actually going to refuse."

Su Qingling ignored him, took a few packets of medicine from under the counter, and placed them in front of him.

"Many thanks, Senior Sister!"

Upon seeing the medicine, the fist that Luo Zijun had just quietly clenched again immediately relaxed.

Forget it.

Selling one's backside is not as good as selling one's eye.

Compared to pinching the backside, it is still better to be hit in the eye.

At least it won't bleed.

Luo Zijun carefully put away the poison, and while rubbing his bruised eye, he waved his hand and said, "See you tonight, Senior Sister."

Su Qingling looked at his black-and-blue eye and the somewhat humble, ingratiating expression on his face, and her brows twitched slightly.

After his figure disappeared outside the door, she remained dazed for a while before lowering her head to look at her own hands and her shiny, pink, delicate fingernails.

(End of this chapter)