Chapter 359 - 342: A Fateful Mix-up
The night was as black as ink.
Zhao Yuanhong returned to the small courtyard behind the Captain’s Mansion. He waved away the servants who came forward to attend to him and walked into the courtyard alone, his expression shifting uncertainly.
This afternoon, the couple Chen Shouheng and Zhou Shuwei had arrived as expected, bringing one million one hundred and twenty thousand taels of silver to complete the transaction.
The entire process was smoother than he could have possibly imagined.
They were composed, smiling and conversing pleasantly. They treated him, the Governor, with impeccable courtesy—even more respectfully than usual—and showed no trace of resentment at having been schemed against.
The couple’s behavior was far too calm.
It was as if paying such a high price was perfectly natural, as if all the sordid business from before—the Celestial Sword Sect showing up to recover stolen goods, the Tan Family deliberately driving up the price at the auction—had never happened.
The calmer they were, the more uneasy Zhao Yuanhong felt.
After all, at market value, the two Sun Family properties were worth nine hundred thousand taels at the absolute most.
The Chen Family had overpaid by two hundred and twenty thousand taels.
Adding the one thousand taels of gold used to bribe him, which converted to another two hundred thousand taels of silver... that was equivalent to throwing away four hundred and twenty thousand taels of snowflake silver for nothing.
Even for the great Noble Families with legacies spanning generations, after a year of hard work and deducting all expenses, the net profit in silver they could pocket might not even reach that amount.
’Doesn’t the Chen Family feel the sting of such extravagance?’
’This isn’t just calmness; it’s downright eerie!’
He was well aware of Zhou Bo’an’s plan.
Use the Sun Family’s property auction as a setup to provoke the Chen Family, forcing them into a desperate move. Then, they could justifiably fabricate charges, take them down, seize the Chen Family’s assets, and complete their assignments for both the imperial Court and the Inner Court.
But now, the Chen Family’s attitude—refusing to fight back or retaliate, and even obediently delivering the gold and silver to his doorstep—made the entire scheme feel like a heavy punch landing on cotton. It had no purchase at all.
’Haven’t all of Governor Zhou’s calculations come to nothing?’
’And what has all my own frantic scrambling been for?’
’That one thousand taels of gold... Should I... find an excuse to return it?’
Zhao Yuanhong felt the money weighing on him, making his heart race with anxiety.
’Taking money and not delivering is a major taboo.’
If it had been just some ordinary wealthy family, he would have taken the money without a second thought. They wouldn’t have the guts or the ability to cause any real trouble.
’A commoner suing an official? That has been a difficult path since ancient times. Unless they had someone with heaven-reaching influence backing them, it’s nothing but a path to self-humiliation.’
But Chen Shouheng was different.
He was a Jieyuan, a Martial Arts Grandmaster, a surefire future Advanced Scholar, and a contender for the First Class in the Martial Examination.
Once he entered the Hanlin Academy, his potential connections and influence would be immense.
At that point, forget about him transferring to a department with real power later on; even a casual mention from him in front of some Prince, Princess, or a high-ranking Elder would be enough to wash away all of Zhao Yuanhong’s years of effort and ruin his future.
’This money is burning a hole in my pocket!’
’Return it?’
The thought popped into his head uncontrollably.
’Return the gold to the Chen Family, show them I have no intention of being their enemy, and at least leave some room for reconciliation?’
But the moment the thought arose, he extinguished it himself.
Zhou Bo’an was stationed right here in Liyang, watching the Chen Family like a tiger stalking its prey—and watching him, too.
At such a critical moment, making a two-faced move like secretly showing goodwill to the Chen Family, if discovered by Zhou Bo’an, would be like the God of Longevity swallowing arsenic—courting death.
He was caught between a rock and a hard place, on pins and needles!
This only made him more anxious and restless.
In the end, Zhao Yuanhong couldn’t bear it any longer. He found an excuse to request a meeting with Zhou Bo’an and cautiously voiced his concerns about the Chen Family’s reaction.
Zhou Bo’an looked up at Zhao Yuanhong, his face betraying no emotion, and said coolly, "Wait."
"Wait?"
Zhao Yuanhong was confused.
"The calmer the surface, the more turbulent the undercurrents."
Zhou Bo’an lifted his gaze, his eyes sharp. "The more nonchalant the Chen Family acts, the more it proves they’re plotting something—and something big. They’re testing our patience, seeing who will lose their composure and reveal a flaw first. Be patient. The fox’s tail will eventually show itself."
Leaving Zhou Bo’an, Zhao Yuanhong’s doubts were not dispelled. Instead, he felt even more agitated.
He was skeptical of Zhou Bo’an’s judgment, feeling that the Governor was overly confident.
’If the Chen Family can truly endure the unendurable, how will this whole scheme end?’
His mind filled with doubt and unease, Zhao Yuanhong returned to his room.
However, the instant his foot crossed the threshold, he froze. It felt as if the blood in his veins had turned to ice.
Two people were standing silently inside the room, having appeared without a sound.
’When did they get in?’
’How did they get in?!’
Zhao Yuanhong was beyond shocked. The hairs on his body stood on end, and his heart felt like it would burst from his chest.
This was the heavily guarded County Captain’s Mansion. While he wouldn’t call it a dragon’s den or a tiger’s lair, it was by no means a place that ordinary people could infiltrate at will.
Even though he had been distracted just now and hadn’t intentionally spread his Divine Sense to investigate, a Grandmaster’s Spiritual Sense was incredibly sharp. How could he possibly have failed to detect two living people within his own residence?
Yet they had appeared in his bedchamber out of thin air, like ghosts.
There was only one explanation: their Cultivation was far superior to his own.
A thought flashed through his mind like lightning... ’The Chen Family!’
’The Chen Family has finally lost their patience? They’re making their move?!’
Already paranoid from the day’s events, Zhao Yuanhong was now overcome with terror.
Without a moment’s hesitation, his Inner Qi erupted. He shot backward, and as his Qi sunk into his Dantian, he let out a sharp, piercing shriek that was enough to rip through the night sky.
The shriek, like an alarm, instantly shattered the late-night tranquility of the County Captain’s Mansion.
...
The two people in the room were, of course, the old man with the abacus and the woman in the green skirt.
Their original intention was merely to infiltrate the Captain’s Mansion, find the Acting Governor Zhao Yuanhong, and ask him a few questions to uncover the truth.
They never expected this Zhao Yuanhong to be like a bird startled by the twang of a bowstring. The moment he saw them, without asking a single question, he shrieked, shot backward, and assumed the posture of a man ready to fight to the death.
This sudden, extreme reaction left both the old man with the abacus and the green-skirted woman completely stunned and, for a moment, at a loss for what to do.
’I have to restrain him immediately.’
The old man’s thoughts raced. The man was, after all, a court-appointed official, representing the dignity of the government.
If he was allowed to attract a large number of soldiers, government constables, or even commoners, and the matter became public knowledge, the old man wouldn’t be able to explain himself even if he had a hundred mouths. At that point, a complete break with the Government Office would lead to endless trouble.
The old man’s figure flickered and vanished from his spot.
The next instant, he reappeared silently by Zhao Yuanhong’s side.
He reached out, his five fingers like a hook, intending to seize him in one move and control the situation.
However, just as his fingertips were about to grab Zhao Yuanhong’s clothes, his expression changed abruptly.
Immediately after, a vast and immense pressure, filled with a murderous aura, descended with the force of Mount Tai crashing down.
BOOM!
Roof tiles flew everywhere as an incomparably sharp Palm Wind tore through the night sky, carrying the force of wind and thunder as it chopped straight down at the crown of the old man’s head.
"What audacity! To dare assassinate a court official!"
An enraged roar exploded like a clap of thunder, making one’s eardrums ring.
"A Grandmaster Guiyuan!"
The old man’s pupils contracted sharply. He never would have expected such a master to be hidden in this small Commandery City.
At this critical moment, he could no longer be bothered with capturing Zhao Yuanhong. He forcefully retracted the hand he was attacking with, his internal Primordial Qi circulating wildly as he reversed the motion and struck upward with his palm.
BANG!
The two palms collided, producing a dull, thunderous boom.
A visible, circular shockwave of air erupted from the point of impact, expanding violently outward.
KRAK! CRASH!
The room’s four walls shattered on cue. The roof tiles were blown away, scattering like raindrops. The entire room shook violently as dust and debris rained down.
Amidst the swirling dust, a figure was sent flying backward. After a few flips in mid-air, he landed somewhat unsteadily on a pile of rubble, and the ground beneath his feet collapsed further.
It was the Jiangzhou Governor, Zhou Bo’an.
He steadied himself, his face instantly flashing with a mixture of shock and rage.
In the exchange of palms just now, he had clearly felt the sheer power of his opponent’s Palm Force; it was faintly superior to his own.
’My own sneak attack, for which I’d been gathering power, was easily blocked by his hasty defense, and I even suffered a slight disadvantage.’
’The Chen Family has such a powerful ally?’
The initial joy of the fish taking the bait instantly turned into a cold chill and an even deeper wariness.
A mixture of shock and rage, however, completely ignited Zhou Bo’an’s will to fight. "You attacked a court official, which is tantamount to treason. Surrender now, and I might leave you with an intact corpse."
Hearing this, the old man with the abacus laughed in anger, a baffled fury rising in his heart. "Bullshit! When did I ever try to kill an official? Where did a blockhead like you come from, throwing around such outrageous accusations right off the bat?"
Anger was anger, but the old man was, after all, a veteran of the Jianghu. He instantly sensed that something was wrong.
’His posture makes it clear he was prepared!’
Then he recalled that his beloved apprentice and martial nephew had died at the hands of a Grandmaster, and now, of all places, a Grandmaster just so happened to be hiding in Liyang County...
’How could there be such a coincidence in the world?’
’Could it be him?!’
At this thought, killing intent surged in the old man’s heart.
’This has to be a trap! They were prepared.’
The old man’s mind raced. He knew he had fallen into a trap tonight and couldn’t stay long. Otherwise, if he were surrounded, he wouldn’t be able to escape even with heaven-defying Cultivation.
He immediately let out a low shout to the green-skirted woman: "Go!"
Before his voice had even faded, his figure blurred as he prepared to leave.
"Trying to run? Leave your life behind!"
How could Zhou Bo’an possibly let him escape so easily?
He had waited so hard for this "Chen Family assassin" to show up tonight. If he let him get away, all his subsequent plans would be thrown into chaos.
No matter what, he had to keep this man here.
He let out a sharp cry and unleashed a continuous chain of palm strikes. The Palm Wind was like a raging tsunami, wave after wave, sealing off all of the old man’s escape routes.
The Palm Force was incredibly hard and fierce, cracking the green bricks wherever it passed.
"You’re courting death!"
A sharp, murderous glint flashed in the old man’s eyes. The abacus in his hand suddenly flared with brilliant light as he swung it around, creating a whistling sound like the clash of metal.
The two Grandmasters fought with all their might, and the aftershocks of their battle were terrifying.
The decorative rockery in the courtyard crumbled, the stone pavilion’s pillars snapped, the roof was completely blown away, and walls collapsed in sections.
In just a few breaths, the once elegant inner residence of the Captain’s Mansion was reduced to a field of rubble and ruins.