The night was as dark as ink, and the wind howled suddenly. Tree shadows danced as the moonlight hid itself. Amidst the silence, Zheng Jun moved his steps lightly, emanating a chilling aura. After leaving Zhao Er's house, Zheng Jun headed straight for Zhao Da's residence.
Zhao Da was different from Zhao Er. He possessed Martial Arts skills and was a Blood Refining Martial Artist who practiced the Hidden Dog Skill, making him somewhat tricky to deal with.
However, Zheng Jun's eyes were icy, naturally radiating killing intent. Having killed two people in succession in a single night, his momentum was steadily climbing. Riding on this breath, he would cut the man down with a single Slash!
Momentum surges with the first drumbeat, wanes on the second, and exhausts itself by the third.
Taking advantage of the impending Wave-Treading Saber attack, this was truly a golden opportunity. If he missed tonight, trying to kill a Squad Leader without drawing suspicion wouldn't be so easy!
Zheng Jun arrived at the perimeter of the courtyard. He held his breath and concentrated, calming his mind to minimize his breathing before stealthily infiltrating Zhao Da's compound. He even utilized his Pile Skill, making himself like a falcon concealing its tracks before locking onto its prey. With his aura hidden, Zheng Jun lay prone on the wall, quietly waiting for his chance.
He knew he had to wait and avoid a direct confrontation. Once the target let his guard down, he would deliver a fatal blow! Perhaps he could wait until the man fell asleep to strike cleanly and decisively. With this thought in mind, Zheng Jun remained motionless, continuing his stakeout by the outer wall.
Zhao Da was alone in his room. Although he kept two mistresses on the outside, if he wanted to enjoy himself, he would never do it in his own house.
Inside the room, Zhao Da was going through his account books, pondering.
"Another thirteen taels of silver came in this month," he thought. "Tsk... those two fools from the Sun Family don't have the cash, so they used their farmland as collateral. I can flip it later and make a few more taels of silver off it.
"The monthly tributes from the porters and laborers have also arrived. Those muddy-legged cheapskates can still be squeezed for more silver...
"As for Lou Wei, I still have to promise him another fifty taels. Dammit! That old fart wants to curry favor with the Cai Family, yet he refuses to spend his own money! Hmph, just wait until I establish a connection with the Cai Family. I'll show you how I'll kill you off, you old bastard, so I can be the Historian myself!"
Zhao Da calculated his monthly income and expenses in his head. Relying on his status as the Squad Leader of the Strong Shift, he lived quite comfortably in Black Mountain County. Although he couldn't compare to the truly prominent figures, he still raked in nearly twenty taels every month. It was precisely this silver that allowed him to advance his Martial Arts and network with the Blood Refining Martial Artists in the county. To establish a foothold in Black Mountain County, personal Martial Arts prowess and social connections were both indispensable!
However, Zhao Da was already thirty-six years old. As the progress of his Blood Refining grew increasingly arduous, he had gradually given up any aspirations for Qi Storage. His daily Martial Arts practice was merely to ensure his Qi and Blood did not regress. He figured it would be difficult to make even an inch of progress for the rest of his life, forever stalled at the Blood Refining and Body Tempering stages.
His younger brother was also a disappointment, possessing absolutely no talent for Martial Arts.
"When our parents passed away, they told me to take good care of him," Zhao Da reflected with a sigh. "This... sigh."
With a heavy exhale, Zhao Da casually locked up the account books and prepared to go to sleep. There was still a major operation tomorrow. He had hired Lou Wei and his head disciple to make a move tonight, aiming to kill those five constables who had patrolled the Lin Workshop that day. They had probably already succeeded by now, hadn't they? He still had to wake up early tomorrow and couldn't afford to be so lacking in energy.
Soon, Zhao Da covered himself with a silk and cotton quilt. Feeling drowsy, he relaxed and prepared to drift off.
But just as he was on the verge of falling asleep, a wave of killing intent suddenly washed over his face. His heart lurched in shock. He sharply snapped his eyes open and bellowed, "Who's there?!"
The moment he opened his eyes, Zhao Da subconsciously reached for the side of his pillow. Seeing this, the infiltrating Zheng Jun didn't hesitate for a second. He swung his blade and chopped down instantly! Zhao Da only felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking closely, he realized a Wide-Backed Saber had been hacked directly into his chest!
"Who are you?!"
The night was dark and quiet, so pitch-black that one couldn't even see the fingers on their outstretched hand. Enduring the excruciating pain in his chest, Zhao Da cried out in a low, raspy voice. He then raised his hand, wildly thrusting the dagger he kept by his pillow toward Zheng Jun. However, the blade's reach was too short to hit Zheng Jun at all.
Zheng Jun tried to yank his saber out, but Zhao Da, realizing his dagger was useless, bulged the muscles in both arms and desperately clamped his hands down on the saber's blade. He pinned the weapon firmly against his chest, preventing Zheng Jun from pulling it free.
Blood gushed steadily from his chest, soaking through the silk quilt and seeping into the heated brick bed. Zhao Da stared fixedly at Zheng Jun, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"A Wide-Backed Saber?" he realized frantically. "The Wave-Treading Blade Technique? Lou Wei... is Lou Wei trying to kill me?! Why?!"
Gripping the Wide-Backed Saber's blade for dear life, Zhao Da howled internally. Seeing that he couldn't dislodge the Wide-Backed Saber, Zheng Jun didn't hesitate. He mounted Zhao Da directly and began swinging his fists!
One punch, two punches, three punches! Blow after heavy blow rained down. Zheng Jun hadn't learned any Fist Technique, but his foundation in Blood Refining and Body Tempering was undeniable—every punch carried immense physical force!
With each of Zheng Jun's strikes, blood splattered across Zhao Da's face. Emitting a miserable shriek, he released his grip on the Wide-Backed Saber to defend against Zheng Jun's fists.
Spotting Zhao Da letting go, Zheng Jun didn't even bother reclaiming the Wide-Backed Saber. He directly drew his own broken saber. Blinded by the pitch-black room, he relied entirely on instinct, Slashing at Zhao Da once more!
SLICE!
The broken blade bit into flesh. Zheng Jun didn't know where he had hit Zhao Da, but judging by the sound of gushing blood, it was a solid hit—definitely above the chest.
After taking so many hits, Zhao Da wouldn't survive even if Zheng Jun walked away right now. Under the faint moonlight glinting off the blade, Zhao Da suddenly caught a glimpse of his attacker's face.
"Zheng Jun?" he realized in shock. "Zheng Jun! It's actually Zheng Jun!!!"
Never in his wildest dreams did Zhao Da imagine that the one who came to kill him tonight would be Zheng Jun.
"You..."
Zheng Jun's previous Slash had struck Zhao Da's neck, and blood was now bubbling out along his windpipe. Knowing he was a dead man, Zhao Da simply let his arms fall. Mustering the very last ounce of his strength, he stammered out, "Zheng, Zheng San... I hired... Lou Wei and Liang Fan to kill you...
"You coming here to kill me... I accept it...
"I only beg you to spare... spare Zhao Er... All my wealth is...
"In the cabinet... there's a hidden compartment under the account books...
"I beg you... beg..."
At this point, blood choked his throat. It welled up so fast that it bubbled with a wet GURGLE. Shortly after, Zhao Da lost all signs of life. A Blood Refining Martial Artist, in the end, was still just mortal flesh and blood.
Seeing that Zhao Da was utterly still, Zheng Jun frowned at the distinct wound his broken saber had left on the man's neck. He then wrenched the Wide-Backed Saber out of Zhao Da's chest, executed the Wave-Treading Saber, and ruthlessly Chopped down on Zhao Da.
After three or four strikes, both the cotton quilt and Zhao Da were hacked apart like minced meat. Staring at Zhao Da, who had been chopped into three pieces, Zheng Jun finally let out a sigh of relief. Now that the deed was done, he realized his hands were weak and his arms were trembling slightly. He sat on an unstained edge of the bed.
"You really were a good older brother, not forgetting to beg me to spare Zhao Er right before you died..." Zheng Jun thought silently as he looked at Zhao Da's corpse. "It's just a pity that Zhao Er went on ahead of you.
"I'll take this silver as your burial fee. I'll personally handle your funeral tomorrow by rolling you up in a straw mat and tossing you into the mass grave.
"Between you and me, the grudges are settled!"
Having made up his mind, Zheng Jun regulated his breathing, stood up, and headed straight for the chest where Zhao Da kept his account books.
Smashing the lock open with a single Chop, Zheng Jun dumped all the account books out and located the hidden compartment. After prying it open effortlessly, he found a porcelain bottle, three silver notes, and two golden beans stored inside.
Aside from these, there was a neat stack of IOUs. Zheng Jun randomly picked one up. Its contents roughly stated that a Sun Family household in Bailu Square owed five maces of silver. Based on the snowballing interest rate written on it, they would now have to repay over five taels.
"It increased tenfold," Zheng Jun sighed softly. He scanned the room, found a candle, and lit it with a fire starter. Immediately after, he tossed the IOUs into the flames, burning them to ashes.
As for the silver notes, they were unregistered bearer notes, each worth ten taels. Zheng Jun had no idea how much the two golden beans were worth, but Gold had always been a valuable hard currency. The porcelain bottle contained a single brownish-red pill. It gave off a medicinal fragrance, though he had no clue what it was used for. Still, considering it was hidden here, it had to be quite valuable.
After inventorying his spoils, Zheng Jun couldn't help but sigh in marvel. It truly was as the saying went: "A man does not grow rich without windfalls, just as a horse does not grow fat without night fodder!"
After pocketing the silver notes and golden beans, Zheng Jun cast one last glance back. Ensuring he hadn't left anything behind, he grabbed his saber and left, hurrying back to his own residence.
Next, he would chop off the head of the Han in his room. Carrying that head, he would go straight to the Government Office to report a crime!