Chapter Seventy-Nine

"Where is he now?"
"He's at my house."
"Take me there."

Su Yang considered the deal to be worthwhile. As a sixth-rank, he could now dispatch eighth-ranks as easily as slaughtering chickens; the remaining three ninth-ranks were hardly worth mentioning. Killing four men just to gain one might seem like a poor bargain, but those four had nothing to do with him. It wasn't as if he was losing anything—just a minor effort on his part. To gain one man's unwavering loyalty in exchange? It was still a trade worth making.

"I thought you might refuse, master, but I didn't expect your agreement to come so swiftly," Hu Shi said. "To tell you the truth, that Constable Hu Jiang is only nineteen this year. He began martial training at eighteen and entered the ninth rank in just a few months. His future is limitless—he's guaranteed to reach eighth rank before long. So, though you gain only a ninth-rank subordinate today, you are in fact securing the loyalty of a future eighth-rank."

As Hu Shi led the way, he grew more and more excited, as though his master’s acquisition of such a promising subordinate was his own accomplishment.

"Hu Shi, if there's nothing pressing at the yamen, help me search for more capable constables with the potential to reach eighth or ninth rank. Make a list—how long it took them to reach ninth, when they made eighth, their ages, and a few brief notes. Don’t go out of your way to investigate. If you don’t know, just leave it blank."

An idea flashed in Su Yang's mind as he spoke. With a little effort, he could turn the entire yamen into his own private enterprise. This regime change would not take long, and then, in Yanggu County, he would hold absolute power.

Moreover, since all his subordinates would be in the yamen, the government would pay their wages—he wouldn’t need to spend extra silver. Truly a profitable arrangement.

And then there were the gangs—he needed to place more of his people within them as well, replacing all the lower-level eighth and ninth ranks with his own men. Only then would the spectacle be worth seeing.

The only drawback was that he had too few Heart-Controlling Worms. The mortuary was unreliable, and the breeding method was too demanding. There was only one such place in all Yanggu County. Otherwise, he would have to wait for someone to die in their sleep and then use special lures to attract the Heart-Eating Worms.

"Understood," Hu Shi replied, nodding. He quickly brought Su Yang to his home.

As soon as they entered, a young man hurried to greet them, followed by a woman in her forties.

"Hu Jiang, this is Master Su," Hu Shi introduced.

"Constable Hu Jiang, at your service, Master Su."

The young constable nearly dropped to his knees to beg Su Yang for help, but Hu Shi quickly supported him.

"This is your wife?" Su Yang asked.

"Yes."

"Oh, love, is it?" Su Yang's lips twitched; he couldn't understand why a man not yet twenty would be attracted to a woman in her forties. Anyone unaware might have thought she was his mother. But wait—wasn't it his wife whom that rich young scoundrel defiled? What a strange taste in women.

"Master, Constable Hu Jiang, I’ve prepared a private room for us. Let’s go there and drink," Hu Shi said.

Su Yang nodded, and the three of them went to a side room. Wine and food were already prepared on the table. There, Hu Jiang poured out his woes, ending with a pledge of loyalty. Su Yang listened carefully.

Finally, Su Yang produced a golden, mung bean-sized Heart-Controlling Worm, dropping it into Hu Jiang’s wine cup. "This creature is called a Heart-Controlling Worm. At my command, it will tear your body apart and devour your heart. The agony is beyond words—worse than death. If you swear loyalty to me, drink it. From now on, you are mine, and your enemies will be mine to deal with."

Without hesitation, Hu Jiang drained the cup. "Master, from this moment, I am yours—utterly loyal."

A man who knows his place, Su Yang thought.

He took an old medicinal herb from his robe. "This is a ninth-rank aged elixir. I give it to you. I hear your talent is remarkable—don’t disappoint me."

"A ninth-rank aged elixir? Thank you, Master!" Hu Jiang’s eyes shone as he knelt and accepted the herb from Su Yang’s hand. For a poor constable, the allure of such a treasure was second only to taking a wife. Even Su Yang would have been too excited to sleep had he stumbled upon a sixth-rank herb now.

"Get up," Su Yang said, helping him to his feet.

"You lead the way. I’ll take you there myself," Su Yang continued.

"At your command, Master," Hu Jiang replied, elated, and led Su Yang toward his enemy’s home—the eighth-rank constable, his greatest threat.

"Master, the resident here is an eighth-rank martial artist with only a wife and a few maids," Hu Jiang said, pointing at a mansion. Before he finished, Su Yang vaulted the wall. In less than half a stick of incense’s time, he reappeared, carrying a bloodied head, which rolled to Hu Jiang’s feet like refuse.

"Is this the man?" Su Yang asked, his expression unchanged.

"It is," Hu Jiang replied, wiping cold sweat from his brow after a cursory glance at the grisly head, inwardly astonished at his master’s ruthless methods.

Next, they visited a wealthy household. Su Yang killed three ninth-rank men with his own hands, extracting from the master of the house the location of his stored grain—fifty dan, which they loaded onto the cart to take home.

"It’s done. You may return," Su Yang said from the cart.

"Thank you, Master. My life is yours from this day forth," Hu Jiang declared, now completely loyal. Not only was his master ruthless and powerful, but he had revealed hints of seventh-rank strength—a veritable giant tree for him to cling to.

With another ninth-rank under his command, Su Yang now had seven. Only three more remained to complete his family’s goal. The cart rattled and creaked along the road, its wooden wheels making far too much noise and bumping them about.

In the darkness, the streets were all but deserted, save for a hunched, foul-smelling figure with beady little eyes, reeking of musk, wandering aimlessly.

Su Yang stopped; the stench was unmistakable. He had killed one just like this the previous night.

The cart halted beside the weasel demon, who turned to look at Su Yang.

"May I help you?" The wrinkled face creased into a smile, though a chill lingered beneath the surface.

"You, sir, are a weasel demon, correct?" Su Yang said, his voice full and commanding.