Minglong

Chapter 52 A Real Man Doesn't Hold a Grudge Overnight

In the east of the city, in a small tavern.

As the night deepened, three red-robed plague gods sat around a table. The customers in the tavern had already fled, leaving only the trembling waiter carrying plates of drinks.

An oil lamp was placed on the table, next to it was a gold-threaded gauze hat and a sword.

Zhou He picked up the food from his bowl slowly while two of his subordinates were talking quietly beside him.
"The Li family finally got the blood essence from Dan Hospital, how come it disappeared for no reason?"

"Xie Jinhuan must have hidden it. We didn't have any evidence before, but now we have irrefutable proof. As long as we find the Blood Essence, he will be left with no way to defend himself..."

……

Zhou He, a captain in the Chilin Guard, had handled countless cases and knew how to escape suspicion better than any of the Jianghu bandits. He interrupted and said,
"The item must be in the Princess's Mansion, so we can't find it. However, he knew he was being framed, but instead of reporting it to the authorities, he went to great lengths to hide the evidence. There must be something behind this."

The left-hand Chilin Guard poured wine for Zhou He: "My Lord, are you saying that there is indeed something fishy behind Xie Jinhuan?"

Zhou He could sense that Xie Jinhuan was acting strangely, but he couldn't figure out the reason behind it:

"What do you two think he's hiding that makes him so afraid of the authorities investigating?"

"Well... there have been two things happening in Danyang recently - the demon bandits of the Crazy Corpse Flower and the demonic aura rising from Zihui Mountain. Xie Jinhuan discovered a key clue and pointed the finger at the demon bandits. So it can't be the demon bandits' people, it can only be..."

Another Red Scale Guard in red robe shook his head:

"The bloody evil spirit of Zihui Mountain must have come from the hands of the evil Tongtian demon. If Xie Jinhuan was related to him, why would he risk living in front of the palace?"

Zhou He also felt that the idea that Xie Jinhuan was a demon was too outrageous. After thinking for a moment, he said:
"No matter what, we must get to the bottom of Xie Jinhuan's background. He's already been favored by the Pill King, and it's only a matter of time before he rises to prominence. The Chilin Guards have a long-standing grudge against him, and now we've set him up. If we expose this, there will be endless trouble."

"Why not just..."

The deputy wiped his neck.

Zhou He picked up the wine glass and drank it all. He thought for a long time before responding:
"Xie Jinhuan is a remarkable martial artist. He must have a master guiding him. If we don't find out who is responsible for his murder, we could get into serious trouble. We need to report this to the higher-ups first and get their approval before we can proceed. Otherwise, the three of us will be scapegoats."

"Yes, I will send a letter to the capital later..."

Before he could finish his words, the tavern suddenly became quiet.

Step, step, step...

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

The three of them looked around and saw a figure wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat walking from the window to the door.

"Sir, we're closed..."

thump~
The figure in the bamboo hat lowered his head, and due to the angle of light, his face could not be seen, but the handle of the knife could be seen under the straw raincoat. He came to the door without saying a word, but just raised his hand lightly and waved to the outside.

"Uh……"

The waiter wearing an apron was a little confused when he saw this. He turned around and looked at the three red-robed plague gods. In the end, he said nothing and ran out of the tavern with his head down.

The two red-robed Chilin Guards frowned upon seeing this and reached for their swords at their sides.

Zhou He also put down his bowl and chopsticks, moved his sword to his side, and remained motionless:
"who?"

The figure in the bamboo hat entered the tavern, closed the door, and after making sure there were no outsiders, he lifted his bamboo hat.

Under the light of the fire, a handsome face appeared before the three of them, even with a hint of alcohol on his face.

"We just met, how could you stop recognizing me so soon, Mr. Zhou?"

"Xie Jinhuan?"

The tavern suddenly became dead silent.

The Chilin Guards were not stupid. When they saw Xie Jinhuan dismiss the others and go into the house and close the door, they understood what he meant.
Come and kill people!
Two Chilin Guards stood up with swords in hand. Their red Qilin robes gleamed in the candlelight, but their faces were pale.

After all, they had checked Xie Jinhuan's battle record in the past two days. He almost never used a second move to kill people, and killing monsters only made his sleeves dirty. Even if he was alone, he was still a formidable enemy.

As for why Xie Jinhuan came to kill people, both parties knew it well and there was no need to say more.

Zhou He knew that Xie Jinhuan was a skilled martial artist, but he hadn't expected him to dare to seek revenge against the Chilin Guards. He tapped the table with his fingers and remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"Master Xie is truly courageous. However, the entire city is searching for the demon bandits, and the three of us are no ordinary people. It would be irrational to come here now and seek revenge."

Xie Jinhuan sat down at the table by the door, his sword placed on the table.

"Thanks to the Chilinsi's powerful authority, there are no outsiders near the tavern. Even if the waiter hears something unusual, he has to cover his ears and dare not look. As for the nearest patrol soldiers, it takes half a cup of tea to get here, which is enough time to kill a few people ten times."

Zhou He listened attentively, but didn't hear any sound around him. He knew what Xie Jinhuan said was true, and frowned:
"We were all present today during the search for Master Xie. If something were to happen here, do you think you can escape suspicion just because no one saw it?"

Xie Jinhuan spread his hands slightly, his tone calm:

"Don't worry about that, Lord Zhou. I was able to conceal the truth in Jiguanling and pin the blame for the Zihui Mountain incident on the demon bandits. Dealing with the bodies of several people is nothing more than doing it again."

"you?!"

The expressions of the three Chilin Guards suddenly changed.

Zhou He was still trying to determine whether Xie Jinhuan was bluffing, but when he heard the other party explode directly, he knew that the situation was not good today, and said angrily:
"The evil spirit of Zihui Mountain originated from you?"

When Xie Jinhuan left the Princess's Mansion, he had no intention of leaving anyone alive, otherwise his actions would definitely be exposed. He was quite frank at this moment:
"Yes. A few days ago, I dug a demon-suppressing mausoleum in Zihui Mountain and accidentally released a powerful demon, which then took hold of me. Now I'm running around putting out fires, all to cover up the incident. Today, I was nearly killed by Lord Zhou, but luckily I disposed of the evidence in time."

"..."

you fucking...

Even though the three Chilin Guards had expected this, they still cursed inwardly when they heard this shocking news.

After all, everyone, including the Dan King, thought that Zihui Mountain had only given birth to a powerful monster. It was dangerous but could still be dealt with.

But it is different in the Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum. The demons are suppressed and sealed because they cannot be killed completely.

The most recent demon of this level was the 'Corpse Ancestor' from a hundred years ago, who single-handedly caused the witch cult rebellion and caused the world's population to drop by one third!

If what Xie Jinhuan said was true, not only would they not be able to leave the tavern today, Danyang City could be razed to the ground at any time!
Even though Zhou He was a man of strong mind, he was still a little confused. He glanced out the window, obviously wanting to use his naked eyes to find the huge monster that made Danyang so scared.

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

"I have answered Lord Zhou's doubts. Lord Zhou should answer my questions. What old grudge do the Red Lin Guards have against me? Why are you three so eager to silence us?" Zhou He was not a moron. He had no intention of answering these questions at the moment. He said coldly:
"The whole city is searching for monsters right now. You've committed such a heinous crime, yet you still dare to sit here so brazenly. Do you really think the imperial court can't subdue the demon behind you?"

Xie Jinhuan is fearless:
"The imperial court can naturally subdue it, but only after they know that the demon is related to me.

"You three are elite members of the Red Feather Guard. You should be able to remember the patrol schedule. The next wave of people will pass by this tavern in less than half a cup of tea.

"Captain Zhou's answer to the previous question might delay the arrival of the Wuzu, give them a warning, or even buy them a glimmer of hope.

"If you don't want to answer, I won't force you. Captain Zhou's superiors must also know."

After saying this, Xie Jinhuan grabbed the sword on the table.

The expressions of the two Chilin Guards suddenly changed.

Zhou He also stood up, but fearing the demon behind him, he did not take action. Instead, he said anxiously:
"and many more!"

Xie Jinhuan took his hand away from the knife handle and listened attentively.

Zhou He knew how long it would take for the patrol officers to pass by the tavern. Given the possibility of powerful bandits lurking in the dark, he decided to delay the patrol every second.
"If you want to know the reason, it's okay to tell you."

Xie Jinhuan nodded. "Captain Zhou, you'd better not lie. You know my current situation. If I find out you're making things up, there's no point in listening to you. I can only kill you and run away."

The matter could also be found elsewhere. Zhou He had no need to lie. He was just being long-winded at this moment, and he would recall it from time to time:
"Three years ago, the Yugengshan Palace was haunted, disturbing the emperor and his concubines...

"My superior, Han Jingchuan, the Captain of the Wangjing Thousand Households, was in charge of the defense of Yugeng Mountain at the time, and he couldn't escape blame. An investigation into the cause yielded nothing...

"It just so happened that Xie Wen, the Wan'an County Magistrate, was leading a patrol of the outer perimeter when the emperor moved his imperial court to Gengshan. Captain Han, unable to escape responsibility, sought to close the case on the grounds that 'Xie Wen neglected his duties, allowing evil spirits to infiltrate the palace.' However, the case remained questionable, and Xie Wen was only 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. On the way, we encountered a monster wrapped in black mist. I still don't know its true nature. Was this monster sent by you to silence me?"

Zhou He waited anxiously for the patrol soldiers to arrive, but he still responded calmly:

"Xie Wen has already been held responsible for his dereliction of duty. Given Xie Wen's status, he can't possibly return to the capital to settle accounts. Lord Han has no reason to intervene midway. Captain Duan was the one investigating the case. If you can leave Danyang City alive, you can ask him for details."

Seeing that Zhou He didn't seem to be lying, Xie Jinhuan nodded slightly:

"With your blessing, I will try to leave alive. Anything else?"

After that, the tavern fell silent.

Zhou He was anxiously thinking of something that would make Xie Jinhuan listen patiently. Before he could find a reason, a voice suddenly rang out from above the house outside the window:

"Goo-goo-"

? !
Zhou He's heart sank slightly, realizing that this was a warning signal that someone was coming. Xie Jinhuan couldn't wait any longer, so he immediately took the initiative and drew his sword with a slight movement of his right hand:

Choking!

But also at this time!
sough--

Xie Jinhuan flicked his wrist, and the two tea bowls on the table turned into spinning sharp blades, sweeping past the necks of the two Chilin guards on the left and right!

The two Chilin Guards pulled out their swords only three inches when blood spurted out from the left side of their necks and they staggered and fell backwards.

Zhou He, a centurion, was not bad at martial arts. He retreated and drew his sword, but before he could even jump out of the window, he felt a terrifying aura rushing towards him!
bang——

Xie Jinhuan, who was originally sitting at the door, did not stand up, but moved sideways around the table and pulled out a three-foot steel knife.

Then he stepped forward and attacked, holding the steel knife upside down in his left hand, which brought out a bright silver light in the firelight!
Hey~
Sparks flew in the tavern!
Zhou He reacted amazingly and narrowly blocked the knife that was slashing at his ribs, but the power contained in the blade was amazing!
The moment the two blades collided, a half-inch deep gash was left on the sharp official sword.

The back of the knife hit Zhou He's chest and abdomen, breaking several ribs in an instant!

click -

Zhou He was shocked and horrified. Without hesitation, he stabbed Xie Jinhuan's throat with his left hand like a knife.

But unfortunately, just as he stretched out his hand a little, his wrist was grabbed by the claws of a dragon, and then:
Snap, snap——

Xie Jinhuan grabbed Zhou He's left arm, held the steel knife upside down and brushed it across the official knife, then cut off the upper arm and then wiped it back with his hand!
puff--

The unprotected left side of the neck suddenly burst into blood!
Before the blood splashed out, Xie Jinhuan had already dodged and pulled up the raincoat behind him.

Squeak squeak squeak~~~
Three red-robed, red-feathered guards fell to the ground one after another, all with fatal wounds in the left carotid artery, so that blood splattered in the dimly lit tavern, as if three fountains had suddenly appeared.

wow~
Zhou He covered his neck with his only remaining right hand and hit the table beside him. There was boundless fear in his eyes. Even when he was dying, he still looked towards the street and tried to call for help.

But the throat and trachea were cut off with a knife, so no sound could be made.

Xie Jinhuan used his straw raincoat to shield himself from the blood, then walked slowly around the two struggling Chilin Guards, came to the window, and took down the support pole.
"The warning outside means that a soldier has just appeared at the street corner. You should wait until you hear footsteps before taking action. Although the result will be the same, in order to avoid making too much noise, I will choose to break his neck. At least the death will look more beautiful."

Click~
The windows were closed, blocking out the dim light and blood!
Thump~
Zhou He slid to the ground and kicked hard against the stool, trying to make some noise.

Unfortunately, as soon as I lifted my foot, the stool was moved away and placed just inches away, but out of reach of me.

Xie Jinhuan came to the door, glanced at the three Chilin guards who were quickly losing their lives, and carefully checked the surroundings. After making sure that there were no clues left, he took out a silver ingot from his arms, placed it on the counter as compensation for the tavern, opened the door, bent down and walked out.

Click~
The door closed and the tavern fell completely quiet.

"Hs...hs..."

Zhou He lay on the ground, only the faint sound of breathing remained. He tried to raise his hands, but his consciousness became increasingly dim. The last thing he heard was:

"With a brother like this, Yang Weishi is likely to soar to the sky..."

"This is what they call one man's success brings prosperity to his family. Master Xie is handsome, skilled in martial arts, and a decent man. He even treats me, the officers and soldiers, as his brothers. If he doesn't rise to prominence, who will?"

"I heard that Master Xie is drinking in Wuwei Pavilion right now, and Her Highness invited him to a banquet alone. Wow, what a treat..."

……

stomping on...

The sound of footsteps and the light of lanterns passed by the street outside, and then gradually faded away...

(End of this chapter)