Free Web NovelChapter 17: Chapter 17: Arriving at Cangzhou Prefecture
With that, Jiang Ran started to pack up.
Aside from his own belongings, he primarily focused on searching the bodies of Dao Zhen and Ghost Seven for anything of value.
But the two of them were even poorer than Zhang Dongxuan.
Between the two of them, they had less than five taels of loose silver.
He also found various medicinal pills—antidotes, healing remedies, a little of everything.
However, he couldn’t find the type of pill on Ghost Seven’s body that Dao Zhen had tried to take earlier.
Jiang Ran guessed it must have been some kind of life-saving item, something that could turn the tide of a battle.
But forget about identifying its ingredients from a quick sniff—even if he had time to study it, he doubted he could figure it out.
His medical skills were passed down directly from the old drunkard.
But the old drunkard’s medical arts were rather unconventional.
His repertoire included few methods for curing illnesses and saving lives, but it was filled with ways to kill and harm.
From Sedatives and Muscle Relaxant Powder to lethal poisons that could dissolve a person to the bone, the old drunkard knew it all.
As a result, Jiang Ran was an expert in knockout drugs and poisons, but asking him to do anything else... was a bit of a stretch.
In addition to these items, Jiang Ran unsurprisingly found a Heartless Order on each of their bodies.
As he stared at the tokens, Jiang Ran grew pensive, though it was unclear what he was thinking...
As Jiang Ran was gathering the items, he noticed Ye Jingshuang watching him intently.
He couldn’t help but touch his face.
"Miss Ye... why are you staring at me?"
Ye Jingshuang didn’t seem embarrassed by his question. She simply remarked with a sigh:
"Young Master Jiang, you may not know much about the goings-on of the Jianghu."
"But... your strategic mind is profound. It’s truly admirable."
"Oh?"
Jiang Ran smiled.
"And what makes you say that?"
"Putting aside everything that happened today, I was just thinking back. In the ruined temple that night, when you poisoned Zhang Dongxuan’s corpse... you did it for this, didn’t you?"
Ye Jingshuang said softly.
"And you only came up with that plan after I told you about the Heartless Ghost Mansion."
Jiang Ran gave Ye Jingshuang a somewhat surprised look, then cupped his fist in a light salute.
"You are perceptive, Miss Ye."
She was right. That night, after Jiang Ran had heard Ye Jingshuang’s story about the Heartless Ghost Mansion, an idea had taken root in his mind.
That was why he left a little something extra on Zhang Dongxuan’s body.
From the simplest standpoint, the move was intended to weaken any pursuers.
But looking at it from another angle,
if they were poisoned but continued the pursuit relentlessly, it would give Jiang Ran a chance to probe the inner workings of the Heartless Ghost Mansion. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
If the order had truly come down from the master of the Heartless Ghost Mansion,
then under no circumstances would they continue the chase while severely injured.
They might face punishment for failing to carry out their master’s orders,
but when their own lives were on the line, the best choice would be to retreat, recuperate, and let someone else take over the mission.
Unless... they had no master coordinating their efforts at all.
Of course, Jiang Ran couldn’t be certain things would unfold as he imagined. His opponents could have been cautious and avoided touching Zhang Dongxuan’s corpse, thereby avoiding the poison altogether.
So, it was just a passing thought, a contingency.
It would be great if it worked out, but if it didn’t, it wouldn’t change much.
After all, it was just a matter of sprinkling a little poison on Zhang Dongxuan’s body.
He just never expected to run into Cheng Jimo and Qingyi today.
That encounter forced Dao Zhen and Ghost Seven to try and silence witnesses, a desperate act that was completely exposed to Jiang Ran. It provided further evidence for his little theory.
Ye Jingshuang gave a wry smile.
"I’m just slow on the uptake. You’re the one who is truly far-sighted, Young Master Jiang."
"It’s a shame Ghost Seven still died..."
Jiang Ran trailed off, then smiled.
"But if they’re so afraid of their master..."
"...so afraid that they can’t let a single witness live..."
"...why didn’t they just hide? Why run to the Ye family and act so recklessly? What could they possibly be after...?"
"Speaking of which, Miss Ye, does your family possess anything that others might covet?"
"I... I don’t know."
Ye Jingshuang shook her head.
Jiang Ran looked thoughtful for a moment, then finally smiled.
"For now, there’s no need to dwell on it."
"Let’s put it aside for the time being. Now that Dao Zhen and Ghost Seven are dead, it’s highly unlikely there will be any more pursuers."
"And once we get to Cangzhou Prefecture, you can report this to your family’s old friend."
"After that, someone will surely cause trouble for them."
"And this whole affair will basically be over."
"Yes."
Ye Jingshuang let out a soft sigh of relief.
They said no more. After Jiang Ran finished packing, he picked up Dao Zhen’s head.
"It’s really hard to carry this thing without any hair," he muttered, wrapping it in Dao Zhen’s monastic robe.
Only then did he signal for Ye Jingshuang to continue their journey.
After several more days of travel, the two of them finally arrived at Cangzhou Prefecture. freewebnøvel.coɱ
It was noon, and the streets of Cangzhou Prefecture were bustling with people, creating a lively scene.
Travelers from all directions thronged the streets, which were lined with an endless stream of vendors hawking their wares. There were street stalls, fortune-tellers, and performers of every kind.
Walking and taking it all in, Jiang Ran felt it was quite an eye-opening experience.
What caught his attention, however, was that in addition to ordinary folk, the streets were filled with Jianghu People carrying sabers and swords.
Ye Jingshuang’s brow furrowed slightly.
"I’ve been to Cangzhou Prefecture a few times before, but I’ve never seen this many Jianghu People."
Jiang Ran’s first thought was of Cheng Jimo.
He didn’t say anything, however, merely asking Ye Jingshuang,
"Miss Ye, do you know where the Government Office is?"
’The Jianghu People in Cangzhou Prefecture might be connected to Cheng Jimo and Feiyun Stronghold.’
’But that wasn’t an urgent matter. Feiyun Stronghold has been there for years. A big, juicy target like that—a veritable treasure trove—wasn’t going to just get up and run away.’
’The immediate priority is to deal with these two heads I’m carrying.’
"Follow me."
Compared to Jiang Ran, Ye Jingshuang had at least been to Cangzhou Prefecture a few times. She immediately took the lead, guiding him toward the Government Office.
The journey wasn’t long. After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the two of them arrived before the Government Office.
As they tried to enter, they were naturally stopped by a government constable.
The two stated their purpose, and the government constable’s face lit up with understanding.
"Ah, so you’re Assassins. Come with me."
With that, he turned and led Jiang Ran and Ye Jingshuang into the Government Office’s gatehouse to wait.
He then went inside to announce their arrival.
Jiang Ran and Ye Jingshuang did not have to wait long. Soon, a middle-aged, scholarly-looking man with a long beard pushed the door open and entered.
He paused the moment he came in, apparently surprised at how young Jiang Ran and Ye Jingshuang were.
He offered a slight bow with cupped fists.
"Greetings. My surname is Liu, and I am the advisor here at the Government Office."
"I hear you’ve come to claim a bounty. May I ask who you’ve taken down?"
