Chapter 13 : Chapter 13
Chapter 13: Sha Yue Is Killed, and the Red River Gang’s Martial Artists Stain the Restaurant with Blood
“Once Cheng Yu is in your hands, deal with him however you like! My Jinyiwei absolutely won’t have the slightest reaction!”
Wu Lenggang was afraid of Cheng Yu too. The man was too vicious!
If he was not dealt with quickly, he would inevitably become a grave threat.
“Is that so?”
Burning with rage, Sha Yue stared coldly at Wu Lenggang and bit out the question.
His younger brother and his deputy leader had both been killed in a single day.
His fury was so extreme that he found it hard to believe Wu Lenggang, who was also from the Jinyiwei, would not try to deceive him.
“Absolutely true. That Cheng Yu is a madman! He had only just arrived at the Banner Office and had already humiliated me again and again before we’d even exchanged a few words. I can’t wait for him to die!”
In order to make Sha Yue believe him, this General Banner Captain explained himself in the humblest, most servile manner.
“I’ll trust you for now! I’m going to make that brat learn what true pain beyond death feels like!”
In the end, Sha Yue still accepted Wu Lenggang’s assistance.
Cheng Yu had accomplished so much on his very first day in office that he was bound to attract a great deal of attention.
If Sha Yue openly retaliated and killed him, it would very likely bring enormous trouble.
But with Wu Lenggang covering for him and helping him, even if he slowly tortured Cheng Yu bit by bit, it still would not draw too much response...
By evening, at the Qinghe County Jinyiwei Guard Station, Cheng Yu and his group swaggered back in grand fashion.
They had even hired a few onlookers to help carry back all kinds of goods confiscated from the house raid.
“My lord, should we put these things in the storeroom?”
The strongmen looked at Cheng Yu with delight, their hearts already filled with absolute admiration for this newly arrived Banner Captain.
On his very first day in office, he had led them into a major operation.
He could kill a powerful Second Rank martial artist with a single slash, rewarded his brothers generously, and even knew exactly how to conduct a house raid.
With effortless ease, he had found plenty of valuable things hidden in Fang Bo’s home—in the well, beneath the bedboards, inside the woodpile, and in other places.
They had never had a chance to raid a home before. How could they possibly have seen anything like this?
The more they saw, the more they admired this young Banner Captain.
“Carry them back to our own quarters. If anyone feels jealous, tell them to go raid the homes of villains themselves.”
“Yes!”
People were always afraid of comparison. With Cheng Yu saying it like that, his subordinates immediately straightened their backs one by one.
Everyone else in the station was trash. None of them had fought Red River Gang men like they had, and none of them had raided the home of the Red River Gang’s deputy leader!
Just then, a burst of commotion suddenly came from the entrance to the Jinyiwei station.
A crowd of elderly women and peasant-dressed old folk ran over, tears in their eyes.
They set down the eggs, rice, flour, and other goods they had brought, then knelt and kowtowed toward the inside of the station.
“Thank you, honored sirs of the Jinyiwei, for saving my son! This old woman will never forget it for as long as she lives!”
“You saved my man—you’re heroes, you’re our family’s great benefactors!”
“This commoner thanks all you benefactors. It’s only a small token, but please, you must accept it!”
They were all family members of the laborers who had been tricked, coerced, and dragged off by the Red River Gang to work in the coal mine.
With the men of the household gone, the widows and orphans left behind had suffered every kind of bullying. They had already fallen into complete despair.
Who would have thought that the men of their families would suddenly return home today, saying it was the Jinyiwei who had saved them?
The womenfolk had all come bearing gifts to offer their thanks.
【The host has rectified unlawful forces, restored bright and righteous order to the world, and enhanced the reputation of the Jinyiwei. Reward: Ten Cold Iron Heavy Crossbows!】
Cheng Yu looked outside. Every one of them was utterly sincere.
“My lord, what should we do?”
For the first time in their lives, the Jinyiwei strongmen and officers had been called heroes, and their legs nearly went soft.
They hurriedly asked Cheng Yu how to deal with it.
“Take the things. Divide them up and bring them home yourselves. You all put in quite a lot of effort.” Cheng Yu waved a hand. “Just have these people disperse and make sure they don’t block the station for too long.”
“Thank you, my lord!”
Not only did Cheng Yu refuse to claim the credit for himself, he was not rigid or pretentious either. His men admired him all the more.
They had just been about to go out and accept the gratitude of those people outside when an irritated roar suddenly rang out.
“What sort of spectacle is this, crying and sobbing at the entrance of the Jinyiwei station? Anyone who doesn’t want to be thrown into prison, get lost!”
Wu Lenggang stepped out from behind the crowd and barked the words in a sharp, icy tone.
The laborers’ womenfolk were so frightened that they immediately scattered.
Wu Lenggang looked at the eggs, rice, flour, and other goods spread all over the ground, and his temper flared.
Cheng Yu had gone out and played the hero without caring about anything, leaving him sitting like a man on pins and needles in front of the Red River Gang!
In a fit of anger, he kicked over the things on the ground.
“So you want to play the hero, do you? I’ll let you play the hero!”
After venting some of his fury, Wu Lenggang raised his head and suddenly saw a tall, upright figure standing inside the station.
Cheng Yu’s gaze was cold.
“General Banner Captain Wu seems to be in fine spirits. How is it that you’re only returning from outside at this hour?”
Knowing that Cheng Yu had the strength to kill Fang Bo, and therefore also had the strength to kill him, Wu Lenggang immediately gave up any pretense. His expression turned gentle at once.
“I had official business to take care of, so I’m only just returning now. Still, Banner Captain Cheng truly is a hero among the young. In the span of a single day, you’ve already made a name for yourself throughout Qinghe County.”
“Mhm.”
Cheng Yu nodded and turned to leave.
“Whew. Good thing I didn’t provoke that madman.” Wu Lenggang let out a long breath, but suddenly felt deeply uncomfortable.
He was clearly the General Banner Captain, the highest-ranking Jinyiwei in all of Qinghe County.
So why had he just explained where he had been and even flattered Cheng Yu?
It was as if Cheng Yu were the superior and he were the subordinate!
The hatred in his heart for Cheng Yu deepened again.
“That arrogant bastard! Forget it. You won’t be jumping around for much longer anyway, so I won’t stoop to your level!”
Wu Lenggang comforted himself inwardly, then quickly caught up to Cheng Yu.
“Banner Captain Cheng, now that you’ve returned victorious, I’ve prepared a celebratory feast for you at Weijia Restaurant, the greatest restaurant in the county seat. Please don’t reject my goodwill! At the banquet, I’ll properly explain to you what can and cannot be done in Qinghe County.”
To prevent Cheng Yu from refusing, Wu Lenggang had deliberately added that last sentence.
A celebratory feast?
Cheng Yu naturally knew there was something sinister in Wu Lenggang’s heart. The commotion he had stirred up had shattered Qinghe County’s balance.
Forget rewarding him with a feast—even punishing him would have made more sense.
A celebratory feast?
It was probably a trap banquet!
But what of a trap banquet?
“Thank you for your trouble, General Banner Captain. I’ll tidy up a bit and then head over.”
“Good! I’ll wait for you!” Seeing that Cheng Yu showed not the slightest suspicion and had even accepted the invitation, Wu Lenggang was overjoyed.
This murderous lunatic feared neither heaven nor earth when it came to killing, but a knife in the back from his own side—that was the truly frightening thing!
After agreeing to the invitation, Cheng Yu turned and returned to his own quarters.
Standing before his jubilant subordinates, he issued his orders.
“There’ll be more action tonight. The ten of you, take these pills first.” Cheng Yu tossed the bottle of Internal Strengthening Pills to the men who had gone out with him that day.
These men were still a bit too weak.
“After you finish refining the pills, equip yourselves with the things inside the chest, then come wait near Weijia Restaurant for my orders to move!”
“Yes!”
The strongmen opened the pill bottle, and the dense medicinal power of the Internal Strengthening Pills startled them. Their joy was immediate and overwhelming.
Then they opened the chest, only to find ten exquisite and fearsome heavy crossbows gleaming inside. The moment they picked one up and drew it, they could tell it was far better than the bows and crossbows issued by the station.
After receiving so many good things, they became even more utterly loyal to Cheng Yu.
If only they had known earlier that risking their lives came with so many benefits.
If they had, they would have stopped valuing their lives long ago!
...
Weijia Restaurant.
The largest restaurant in Qinghe County, usually bustling with customers coming and going, had gone completely quiet.
Some great figure from the Red River Gang had booked the entire restaurant.
Without paying, of course.
Cheng Yu did not mind the strange silence in the slightest. Together with Wu Lenggang, he walked up to the most luxurious third floor of the restaurant.
“Banner Captain Cheng, the table I reserved is just ahead.” Wu Lenggang led the way with a face full of eager warmth, though hatred filled his eyes.
Let’s see how arrogant you can stay this time!
“Mhm.”
Cheng Yu nodded.
The Demon-Slaying Dao Canon had purified his Internal Energy, heightening his senses. He could clearly feel a fairly decent aura of Internal Energy not far away.
There was an expert here!
But he felt no fear at all. If they refused to submit, then he would fight. Anyone he killed counted as an expert.
The two of them quickly reached the largest private room. The moment Cheng Yu stepped inside and was still taking in the appearances of the people at the table, the door behind him suddenly slammed shut.
Wu Lenggang locked the door and ran!
“Heh. What a coward. He wants to set me up, but doesn’t dare do it himself. He doesn’t even dare make a move personally. Worthless trash that disgraces the Jinyiwei.”
Cheng Yu let out a cold laugh.
Sha Yue and the others seated at the table had not expected Cheng Yu to remain completely unflustered in such a situation. Instead, he had started laughing coldly.
“So I finally get to see you, you little bastard!”
Having just endured the pain of losing his younger brother and the deaths of his subordinates, Sha Yue was the first to erupt.
He released the Internal Energy of a Third Rank martial artist without the slightest restraint.
He had dared to kill Sha Yue’s people and smash his businesses. No one could save Cheng Yu now!
“You little bastard! Even if you kneel and beg for forgiveness now, it’s too late! I’m going to slice your flesh off piece by piece!”
Sha Yue roared with a savage expression.
“Your brother is dead.”
Faced with Sha Yue’s undisguised threats, Cheng Yu showed no reaction at all. Instead, he merely spoke in a calm voice.
“You don’t know whether to live or die!”
Those few short words provoked Sha Yue so fiercely that he charged at once, weapon in hand.
It was an enormously broad chopping blade, like a door panel. Backed by Sha Yue’s terrifying strength, it flashed with dreadful force.
The other experts of the Red River Gang nearby were all shaken by their own gang leader.
“Fierce Wave Cleave! A low-grade mid-tier martial art!”
Sha Yue was an early Third Rank martial artist, but in terms of raw power alone, he was enough to rival top experts of the Third Rank.
This strike was Sha Yue’s full-force blow. That Banner Captain of the Jinyiwei was as good as dead!
Cheng Yu naturally saw the might behind this attack, and his gaze turned cold.
By realm alone, he had already reached the late Second Rank. His Internal Energy had furthermore been cleansed by the Demon-Slaying Dao Canon, making it far stronger than that of ordinary martial artists.
And on top of that, he possessed the Heaven-Tier Hundred-Battle Reincarnation Saber Art. Sha Yue was hardly worth mentioning.
He drew his saber, neither dodging nor retreating, and met the attack head-on.
The Xiuchun Saber flashed like a shuttle, tracing out three streams of saber-light.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three sharp metallic collisions rang out as sparks exploded and power rippled outward!
Cheng Yu had forcibly blocked Sha Yue’s most terrifying full-strength strike head-on!
Not only had he blocked it, Sha Yue himself was driven back a full step by the impact, and three obvious chips had appeared in his great chopping blade.
Yet Cheng Yu had not budged an inch. His Xiuchun Saber was completely intact, without even the slightest rolled edge.
“How is that possible?!”
No one had expected Cheng Yu’s strength to have reached such a level that even Sha Yue, the leader of the Red River Gang, could do nothing against him!
What kind of strength was this?
At the sight of it, the other Red River Gang men lost even the courage to step forward and aid Sha Yue.
Like a pack of minor fish and crabs, they froze in place, not daring to go up and help.
Cheng Yu coldly looked at Sha Yue, who had been forced back by him, and advanced with his saber in hand.
“I told you already. If your brotherly bond is really that deep, then you should just slit your own throat and go see him. There’s no need to make this so troublesome.”
Sha Yue, whose face was still twisted with savage fury, suddenly shuddered and spat out a mouthful of blood.
He had been injured by the shock!
What kind of terrifying iron plate had he kicked this time?
Even his full-strength strike could not injure Cheng Yu, and instead he himself had been hurt by the rebound!
With death looming before him, even his fury vanished, replaced entirely by fear.
He collapsed onto the floor and crawled backward again and again.
“Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me! My lord, I was wrong. Spare my life!”
Cheng Yu seemed not to hear Sha Yue’s pleas at all and continued walking toward him with saber in hand.
“You can’t kill me. The people behind me won’t let you off—”
Before he could finish, there was a wet slicing sound, and his head fell to the ground.
“The people behind you? The more that come, the better.”
Cheng Yu did not care in the slightest about Sha Yue’s threat. The more enemies there were, the more he liked it.
“Jinyiwei, clear the hall!”
The moment Cheng Yu killed Sha Yue and gave the order, ten of his subordinates charged in from outside. Relying on the boost they had received from the Internal Strengthening Pills and their powerful heavy crossbows, they quickly took down every last remaining person.
Blood dyed the entirety of Weijia Restaurant red.
【The host has slain the leader of an illegal faction and upheld the standing of the Jinyiwei. Reward: Internal Energy!】
An unprecedented amount of pure Internal Energy surged into existence once more, breaking through another barrier inside Cheng Yu’s body in an instant.
Third Rank!