Free Web NovelChapter 34: Chapter 34: Tu Sandao, Dead
Struck with absolute terror, Tu Sandao tried to twist his body to defend himself, his Horizontal Hard Training instinctively flaring to its absolute limit.
But it was too close!
Too sudden!
Chen Li’s strike was meant to be a killing blow!
PSHHHT!
The Iron Sword ignored the Protective Hard Skill Tu Sandao had hastily activated, piercing with unerring precision through the vital point over his heart from behind.
The moment it made contact, a savage and peerless Inner Qi surged forth, ravaging his insides like countless furious dragons.
CRACK!
His ribs snapped like rotten wood.
His heart, along with the surrounding meridians, was instantly shredded into a mangled pulp by the ferocious Qi Strength.
Tu Sandao’s burly frame went rigid.
He struggled to turn his head, the movement agonizingly slow. The signature coarse flesh of his face was contorted to its absolute limit by excruciating pain and disbelief.
His wide, bell-like eyes bulged as if they would split, staring deathly still at the figure in the shadows outside the door.
"It’s... you..."
He forced two slurred words from his throat, his voice filled with endless terror and a sense of the absurd.
Even in death, he couldn’t believe that his killer was that rich country bumpkin he had met not long ago. freēwebnovel.com
Chen Li twisted his wrist and yanked the Iron Sword free.
PSHH!
A scalding jet of blood shot out from the wound over Tu Sandao’s heart.
THUD!
Losing all support, Tu Sandao’s massive body pitched forward stiffly, crashing heavily onto the cold, damp floor of the latrine and kicking up a cloud of dust.
His eyes, wide and unblinking, were frozen in death with a look of incredulous terror and rage.
The Gang Leader of the San Dao Bang, Tu Sandao, was dead!
The entire process was as swift as a bolt of lightning! From attack to kill, it took but a single breath!
In the distance, Madam Wang had only heard Tu Sandao’s short cry of "Who?" followed by the muffled thud of something heavy hitting the ground.
Confused, she hurriedly called out, "Sir? Sir, did you fall?"
Having succeeded in his attack, Chen Li didn’t linger for a moment.
His figure flickered and he retreated like a ghost from the shadows of the junk pile. In a few silent leaps, he was over the courtyard wall and gone, vanishing into the labyrinthine depths of Zishi Street’s alleyways.
...
"Murder... Murder!"
In the dead of night, the silence was shattered by a bloodcurdling scream.
Madam Wang sat slumped on the cold, damp ground, trembling uncontrollably.
Before her, Tu Sandao’s burly body lay sprawled in the latrine, his eyes wide open, frozen with the same look of terror and disbelief he’d had in his final moments.
A gruesome, bloody hole gaped over his heart from behind. The dark red blood had long since congealed, staining the ground around him a jarring, blackish-brown.
The thick stench of blood mingled with the foul odor of the latrine, creating a nauseating miasma.
Madam Wang scrambled out of the rear courtyard, her shrill cries for help piercing the quiet of the street.
The government constables on night patrol heard the commotion and rushed to the scene.
Torches illuminated the scene.
The sight that greeted them made the constables turn pale.
Tu Sandao, the Gang Leader of the San Dao Bang.
The man whose word was law in the Jingshan County underground had been murdered!
"Report this immediately!"
Knowing the gravity of the situation, the patrolmen dared not dally. They immediately dispatched someone to the County Magistrate’s Office to report the matter.
Chief He, who was on duty at the County Magistrate’s Office that night, rushed over with a forensic doctor.
"A sharp weapon pierced him from behind, straight through the chest. His heart is shattered. It was a single, fatal blow."
The forensic doctor, holding back his disgust at the stench, examined the body carefully. "The attacker’s strength and precision were both exceptionally ruthless. This was the work of an expert."
Chief He crouched beside the corpse, his brow deeply furrowed.
Tu Sandao’s Horizontal Training Skills, which had reached Blood Refining Great Success, were famous throughout Jingshan County. Ordinary swords and sabers could barely scratch him. Even the County Captain couldn’t get the upper hand against him.
Even for an assassination, to be able to so cleanly breach his defenses and take his life meant the killer was no ordinary person.
"This must be a Jianghu vendetta."
Chief He stood up, his tone firm but also tinged with a desire to shirk responsibility. "The San Dao Bang has plenty of enemies. Anyone capable of killing Tu Sandao must be from the Jianghu. A matter like this is beyond the jurisdiction of our County Magistrate’s Office."
He immediately gave his orders. "Record the scene in detail. The forensic doctor’s report must be exhaustive. Send the documents and the report to the County Captain for approval at once. After that, forward them to the Jingwu Bureau in the Commandery City. State the deceased’s identity, Cultivation level, and the suspected nature of the crime as a Jianghu vendetta. Let the Jingwu Bureau make the final decision."
...
「East City Inn」
Liu Yun was curled up in the corner of a bed in a spartan room at the inn, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees.
The slightest noise outside the room made her jump.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded, and the door opened.
"Wh-who is it?"
Liu Yun flinched, her voice a trembling whisper.
"It’s me."
Chen Li’s low, familiar voice came from the doorway.
"Benefactor," Liu Yun said, her voice trembling as she looked at him, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
Chen Li’s gaze fell on Liu Yun, who looked cramped and uneasy in the room.
The young woman’s face was pale and her eyes were filled with panic, like a startled fawn.
’What am I going to do with her?’
Chen Li felt a headache coming on.
’I could just ignore her, give her a few silver taels, and let her fend for herself.’
’But I can’t bring myself to be that heartless.’
’With Tu Sandao dead, the county town is bound to be in turmoil. There will surely be investigations.’
’Especially since Tu Sandao visited Lingxi Village before he died, the Government Office will definitely question people there.’
’If Liu Yun goes to Lingxi Village, she’ll only be in more danger.’
He pushed open the window. The fish-belly white of dawn was appearing in the east. Chen Li said in a low voice, "You can’t stay here for long. Go to my sister’s place for now and lay low for a while."
"Benefactor..." Upon hearing this, Liu Yun trembled slightly. Her eyes held a mixture of fear and bewilderment at the unknown.
"Say no more," Chen Li interrupted, his tone softening. "My sister is a kind person. Just tell her you’re a distant relative seeking shelter for a while. She’ll look after you. We’ll figure out what’s next after things have calmed down."
Liu Yun looked into Chen Li’s steady eyes, and the panic in her heart subsided slightly. She nodded emphatically, her voice soft but filled with gratitude. "I... I understand. I’ll do as you say."
「Early morning」
As soon as the city gates opened, Chen Li was on an ox-cart, taking Liu Yun toward Shangxi Village, where his sister, Chen Yao, lived.
Shangxi Village was not far from the county seat.
It took them less than an hour to reach Chen Yao’s home.
When they knocked, Chen Yao, who had just woken up, opened the door with sleepy eyes. She froze when she saw her younger brother, Chen Li, standing outside with a pretty, unfamiliar young woman.
"Li Zi, what’s all this...?"
Chen Yao stared at her brother in surprise, her gaze quickly shifting to Liu Yun with clear confusion.
Liu Yun kept her head down, nervously twisting the corner of her clothes, not daring to meet Chen Yao’s eyes.
Chen Li lowered his voice. "Sis, let’s talk inside."
Chen Yao quickly stepped aside, and the three of them entered the main hall.
Once inside, Chen Yao got a clearer look at Liu Yun. Though her face was pale and her expression panicked, it couldn’t hide her delicate beauty. Chen Yao’s heart skipped a beat as a thought instantly popped into her head.
"Sis, this is Miss Liu, Liu Yun."
Chen Li made a brief introduction before getting straight to the point. "Something happened with her family, and she has nowhere to go for the time being. I was hoping she could stay with you for a while and lay low."
Chen Yao didn’t answer right away. Her eyes darted back and forth between Liu Yun and Chen Li, a knowing look on her face.
She pulled Chen Li aside, lowering her voice even further. "Li Zi, be honest with your sister. This girl... she’s trouble you got into, isn’t she? You couldn’t take her home, so you brought her to me?"
As she spoke, she glanced toward Liu Yun. "Does your wife know about this?"
