Chapter 99: Slaughter (2)

Hanzi was Qin Zhen’s lifelong companion. Whenever Qin Zhen was bullied, Hanzi was always the first to stand up and defend him. Over years of companionship, though not brothers by blood, they had become as close as kin.

Now that Hanzi was gravely wounded, hovering between life and death, this hatred drove Qin Zhen to demand justice.

"Qin Zhen, there must be some misunderstanding here. Listen to me—" Chen Kuai began, trying to pacify him.

Before he could finish, a blade was pressed against his throat. It was Qin Zhen’s blade. The surrounding City Guard soldiers were struck with alarm.

"Audacious! Release the official at once!" Hundreds of soldiers leveled their spears at Qin Zhen. Hijacking a government official was a capital crime.

"Draw your weapons!" Chen Shu commanded fiercely.

The twenty members of the Village Guard drew their swords and readied their crossbows. Though they were vastly outnumbered by the City Guard, not one of them flinched. Instead, they appeared eager for battle, particularly Chen Shu, whose eyes flickered with a long-suppressed, burning intensity.

Conflict was imminent.

"Everyone, lower your weapons!" Chen Kuai knew well the terrifying nature of Chen Shu’s group. They had once fought off sea pirates with their bare hands; their ferocity was well-known. Seeing the current situation, he did not doubt for a second that if Qin Zhen gave the order, these twenty men would gladly die alongside him.

Chen Kuai clearly held sway over the City Guard, and with a few brief words, he had the soldiers lower their weapons.

"Zhen, I will definitely give you an account for this! Can’t you trust me? Put down your weapon and don't be rash, will you?"

He had hoped these soothing words would calm Qin Zhen down. To his surprise, Qin Zhen’s blade remained pressed against his neck, showing no sign of yielding.

"I am perfectly calm. I know exactly what I am doing. I only wanted to conduct my business in peace, so why must you push us to the brink of destruction? My brother is currently fighting for his life. He is a hero who stood against the pirates; he deserves better than to suffer like this, and he certainly shouldn't be bullied by these damned mountain bandits!"

To survive, Qin Zhen could endure, he could humble himself, and he could play along. But he would not tolerate anyone touching his brother.

"Just because our status is low, do we deserve to be bullied? Just because we are law-abiding, do we deserve to be hunted and killed? Do good people deserve to have blades pointed at them? Can money buy our lives?"

Qin Zhen’s voice was cold and clear, ringing out to every ear. His words stirred a sense of injustice in the hearts of the soldiers and the citizens present.

Qin Zhen took a deep breath and spoke, enunciating every word. "It is a proven fact that Third Master Chen colluded with mountain bandits to harm innocent people! If you still acknowledge me as Qin Zhen, I will ask you only one thing: Where is Third Master Chen?"

Chen Kuai wanted to dissuade him further, but he could not bring himself to speak; he lacked the courage to even meet Qin Zhen’s gaze.

"He is at the Boyang Tower."

He kept his head bowed, struggling with his conscience, but offered one final warning. "If Third Master Chen colluded with bandits, the law will judge him! If you draw your blade in this city, you will surely die!"

Qin Zhen smiled. He lifted his head and shouted, "Those who are willing to die with me, follow me!"

Chen Shu and the twenty Village Guard members followed Qin Zhen without a moment's hesitation. Li Han was not only Qin Zhen’s brother; he was theirs as well. Why would they shy away from death when they had already shared so much?

"Sir, what should we do?" Watching the figures of Qin Zhen and his men depart, the City Guard soldiers looked at one another in confusion.

Chen Kuai furrowed his brows and muttered, "Something terrible has happened..."

***

Inside the Boyang Tower, music and dance filled the air. Third Master Chen held a songstress young enough to be his granddaughter, his hands wandering over her. His ugly, wrinkled face was nauseating to behold at this moment. His golden, rotting teeth emitted a foul stench as he nibbled at the girl, who dared not show the slightest hint of resistance, instead forcing a smile and squirming carefully.

"Third Master, I am still young, please don't..."

"I prefer playing with the young ones!" Third Master Chen’s appetite was whetted, and he reached out his wicked hands to toy with her further.

Just as he was enjoying himself, the thin, tall steward hurried over and whispered into his ear. "Third Master, something has happened."

Disturbed, Third Master Chen glared at the steward with annoyance before turning back to his amusement. In the past, the steward would never have dared to spoil the Third Master’s mood, but today, he did not retreat. Instead, he lowered his voice and spoke again.

"Third Master, something major has happened!"

Seeing the grave expression on the steward's face, Third Master Chen realized something serious must have occurred. He withdrew his hands and dismissed the songstress. Once the private room was cleared of onlookers, the steward explained.

"Second Master Yu’s men attacked, but they failed. They wounded one of Qin Zhen’s brothers, but over half of Yu’s men were lost, and a few were captured alive..."

Hearing this, Third Master Chen was not angry at the failure, but rather amused. He knew how vicious the bandits of Mao’er Mountain were; that Qin Zhen had managed to escape such ruthless men showed he possessed some skill.

"Are Qin Zhen’s hands still attached?"

"They are." The steward did not understand why the Third Master was concerned about Qin Zhen’s hands.

"Failure is failure! What’s the big deal?" Even then, Third Master Chen did not realize the severity of the situation. He leisurely picked up a cup of Hukun tea and sipped it. "Second Master Yu’s men have tight lips; they won’t implicate us. What is there to panic about?"

This was not the first time he had done such a thing; he was well-practiced.

However, the steward’s next words nearly caused Third Master Chen to choke.

"The captives have spilled everything! They didn't just expose Second Master Yu; they explicitly named you, sir, as the mastermind. The City Guard has taken those men into custody, and Qin Zhen is bringing his people here right now!"

"How does Second Master Yu manage his men? Why are their mouths so loose?" Third Master Chen’s brows furrowed, but he still didn't take it to heart. Who would believe the words of a group of bandits? Furthermore, the City Guard were Chen Kuai’s men; he naturally knew what to do.

The problem was... "Why is Qin Zhen coming here?" Could it be that the wild brat actually dared to come and settle the score with him?

The steward took a deep breath and said, "Sir, Qin Zhen’s brother is likely not going to make it. That boy is coming here now, and he wants your life! I heard they aren't just carrying blades—they have crossbows! They have been pushed to the edge!"

"He wouldn't dare!" Third Master Chen dismissed the notion with a sneer. It had always been he, Third Master Chen, who bullied others. He had never seen anyone he bullied dare to settle the score with him! How many high-ranking officials trembled at the mention of his name, forced to swallow their grievances in silence?

"Go and call the songstresses back! Keep the music playing, keep the dance going!"

Unlike the arrogant Third Master Chen, the tall, thin steward was panicked. "Sir, shouldn't we retreat? You are a person of great status; it’s not worth going head-to-head with a lowly life like Qin Zhen! If that brat loses his head and stabs you, where would we go to cry? We should return to the manor..."

Before he could finish, the main door was kicked open with a heavy thud.

Qin Zhen, covered in blood, stepped inside. Behind him lay a group of Chen family servants, beaten to the ground and groaning in agony. The thick scent of blood made the faces of Third Master Chen and the steward turn pale.

Qin Zhen walked straight toward them and slammed his katana into the dining table.

"Third Master Chen, I have a question for you: Does tonight’s business have anything to do with you?"