Martial Saint through Reading

Chapter 353: Chapter 274: Ji Wujiang, Evidence of Guilt Revealed (2)

The firelight illuminated the faces of these men, all numb, eyes vacant, movements mechanical, resembling anything but humans, even less than the oxen and horses plowing the fields.

The cold wind blew past, causing the flames to flicker, revealing processed and polished stone slabs piled up nearby.

"Work faster; if the slabs aren’t enough this month, your heads will be relocated!"

A supervisor kicked out violently, the stones crashing onto a worker, who collapsed in pain.

"I dare you people to slack off!" the supervisor glared threateningly.

The nearby workers were too angry to speak, while those further away pretended not to see, carrying the stones with numbness.

Such situations were too common; almost every worker had experienced them, unable to resist nor having the strength to do so.

In the center of the quarry, there was a pot boiling, a table, and a stool.

The pot was stewing tofu, with the aroma of meat wafting, making the guards stationed there swallow their saliva.

A corpulent man sat on the stool, first picking up a chunk of cooked meat and putting it into his mouth, then followed by a piece of tofu.

"Braised meat and tofu, even His Majesty is no match for me."

"Wonderful, wonderful."

After eating several large chunks, someone walked over briskly in the night.

"Who’s blind enough..."

Cui Dong was about to curse but was startled upon recognizing the person, his facial fat trembling.

"Uncle, why have you come personally?"

"Hmph!" Cui Ye glanced at the boiling pot, anger rising on his face, "Enjoying yourself, aren’t you?"

The visitor was indeed Cui Ye from the Fourth-Grade Camp Repair Department of the Ministry of Industry, with Cui Dong being his nephew.

"Uncle... want some to eat..." Cui Dong said, lowering his head.

"Eat crap!" Cui Ye kicked over the boiling pot, tofu and meat spilling onto the ground, "Have you captured the person I told you to?"

Cui Dong looked mournfully at the spilled meat, making a swallowing gesture as he said, "Captured, Uncle, just a foreman, I got him this afternoon."

"Where is he?"

"Locked up."

"Did you get anything out of him?"

"..." Cui Dong was silent, apparently having extracted nothing.

"Eat, eat, eat! All you know is to eat! Where’s the person, take me to him!"

"Yes..."

They entered a dimly lit room, where a person was bound.

"Uncle, this is the foreman, Sun Jun."

Cui Dong splashed cold water on Sun Jun, who sluggishly opened his eyes.

"Master... Master..." After a moment of blankness, Sun Jun pleaded in terror, "I don’t know anything, don’t know anything."

Just one pleading sentence made the face of the Camp Repair Department’s Cui Ye change instantly.

If he says he knows nothing, he must know something!

"This is the person you captured?!" Cui Ye slapped Cui Dong.

Cui Dong’s face shook with fat, bewildered, "Uncle, didn’t he say he knows nothing?"

His anger surged, and Cui Ye raised his hand for another slap, "Get out and guard the door, don’t let anyone else in!"

"Yes... yes..." Cui Dong covered his face and left.

Cui Ye’s eyes were sinister, staring hard at Sun Jun.

"Master... Truly, I don’t know anything..." Sun Jun cried pitifully.

Cui Ye approached him and his fierce expression softened, replaced by a smile, "Five thousand taels, tell me what you know."

Five thousand taels!

Sun Jun’s heart thumped violently.

Why did he hide the ledger if not to extort some silver?

"Master... Master... I know of a ledger..."

Before he finished speaking.

"Where?!" Cui Ye’s face shifted dramatically.

"Master... Five thousand taels..."

"Tell me where it is, and I’ll give you five thousand taels."

"I... I buried it under the old dead tree in the slums."

Slums’ old dead tree?

Cui Ye turned and left the room.

"Master... Silver..." Sun Jun’s greed was insatiable.

"Gag his mouth," Cui Ye ordered coldly, "Send someone to Sun Jun’s slums to check if there’s an old dead tree, dig and see!"

"..." Cui Dong hesitated, "Uncle, should we..."

"Find the item and then kill him."

"Yes."

"Why are you dawdling? Go now! You personally!"

"... Yes."

Stomach protruding, Cui Dong grumbled bitterly, leading people to the slums.

Cui Ye, meanwhile, went to a dim corner of the quarry, where another person was present.

This man was burly, wearing armor, and on seeing Cui Ye approach, managed a smile: "Lord Cui."

"Captain Dong." Cui Ye also bowed.

The armored man was Captain Dong Zhao of the Huang Forbidden Army, a Late Stage Meridian Unlocking Realm expert.

"Captain Dong, did you find any suspicious people in the quarry?" Cui Ye asked with concern.

Dong Zhao shook his head, "No, Lord Cui, what are you afraid of?"

"Afraid of what?" Cui Ye snapped, "Captain Dong, you know well I’m being investigated by one of those First-Grade Cold Family illegitimate sons!"

"Lord Cui is clear-minded, surely you’re not scared of being investigated?" Dong Zhao said, his smile not touching his eyes.

"..." Cui Ye was silent for a moment before sighing, "Even the clearest cannot withstand investigation, and, after all, with the Ministry of Industry’s affairs, since when could someone from somewhere meddle!"

"Lord Cui is mistaken; the First-Grade Cold Family isn’t from just anywhere; it has the backing of His Highness." Dong Zhao pointed skywards.

"Right, right... I was just anxious, speaking nonsense." Cui Ye quickly added, "But Captain Dong, Lord Tang sent you here not just to laugh at me, right?"

"Certainly not." Dong Zhao bowed, "Rest assured, Lord Cui, no one with me... hmm?"

Before finishing, Dong Zhao suddenly looked into the darkness.

"What’s wrong?"

"There’s a skilled one!"

"Where?"

"Over there!"

"Not good!" Cui Ye’s face dramatically changed.

Dong Zhao was pointing towards where Sun Jun was being held.

In the dark of the night, Zhuge Rui, clad in black, moved swiftly towards Sun Jun.

Just as he was about to open the door, an arrow shot through the night sky.

"A coward hiding in the dark!"

Captain Dong Zhao charged forth, wielding a spear, unleashing the aura of a Late Stage Meridian Unlocking Realm master.