"What difference is there between you and those you despise now?" Gu Yanxi removed his own cloak and draped it over A Zhi, then turned his gaze to the man kneeling on the ground with a contorted face. "If you had the courage to confront the court officials you loathe and turn the world upside down, I might still respect you as a man. But you’ve merely found an excuse to justify yourself, comfortably becoming an executioner."
"It’s easy for the head of the Seven Constellation Bureau to say such things, yet you too stand on the side of the officials, birds of a feather with them. Me, confront the court officials and turn the world upside down? Hahaha, what a fine joke. If I truly tried, I’d likely be riddled with arrows before I even got close. There’s no need for you to be so enraged. The entire Daqing has only the Seven Constellation Bureau of any use; the rest are all worthless. With Daqing’s current national strength, it’s only a matter of time before the Chao Li Tribe attacks. I’ll wait to see if they can still cling to power then, arrogantly enjoying their privileges as if it’s their right. I’ll wait!"
By the time Gu Yanxi sensed something was wrong, it was already too late. Zeng Xianglin had been clutching the hairpin Yu Weiwei had stabbed into her neck all along. With impossible speed, he drove it straight into the artery on the right side of his neck, then slashed forcefully. The blood vessel ruptured, and blood sprayed out.
Shaoyao rushed forward swiftly, but after examining him, she could only shake her head at Yan Ge. This man had no intention of living. With the rate of bleeding, she couldn’t stop it; he would soon bleed to death. All she could do was slow the flow slightly.
Hua Zhi touched her face, her fingertips stained crimson. The warmth of the blood still lingered, and her heart suddenly ached unbearably.
Zeng Xianglin had once been a favored son of his family, full of ambition to make his clan more prosperous. But back then, he would never have imagined ending like this. Falling from heaven into hell—it was nothing less than that.
Kneeling beside Zeng Xianglin, Hua Zhi asked the man whose eyes were glazing over, "Is there anything I can do for you?"
Zeng Xianglin’s gaze sharpened slightly. He looked at the woman whose face was calm but whose eyes overflowed with sorrow. "I’ve heard the young lady is a businesswoman."
"Yes."
"Coincidentally, so am I. I’d like to make a deal with you."
"Go on."
"Ensure my family remains unharmed, and I’ll tell you where the silver is hidden."
Hua Zhi glanced up at Yan Xi, then nodded in agreement. "Deal."
Zeng Xianglin smiled. This time, his smile held genuine warmth, as if in a final resurgence of life, his voice gained strength. "My silver is hidden at the horse racing track. Theirs is hidden at Pengkou. I exhausted all my efforts but only uncovered this much. I don’t know the exact locations."
"Very well, I will definitely protect your family."
"I trust the young lady’s word." Zeng Xianglin turned his head away, murmuring as he gazed at the azure sky, "Finally, I don’t have to live anymore. How wonderful... In the next life, I don’t want to be human..."
Not being human, one wouldn’t understand the taste of powerlessness. Not being human, one wouldn’t know the agony of heart-wrenching pain. Not being human, one wouldn’t even come to hate oneself.
Not being human...
Don’t be human...
Shaoyao, seeing the light fade from his eyes, checked his pulse and looked up. "He’s gone."
Hua Zhi bowed her head, watching his unseeing expression for a moment. She raised her hand, gently closing his eyelids, paused briefly, and withdrew her hand—his eyes were shut."The crime of familial extermination is the most inhumane offense in all legal codes. Zeng Xianglin's crimes deserve death by a thousand cuts, but his punishment should be borne by himself alone. What guilt do his family members bear? Executing innocent people makes one no different from Zeng Xianglin himself."
Just like her Hua family, implicated so widely because of her grandfather's circumstances. Children barely over ten years old were forcibly dragged from their sheltered lives and thrown into bitterly cold lands - what fault lay with those innocent children?
Gu Yanxi led her away from this bloody scene. "The information he provided is very useful. I'll let him atone for his crimes through meritorious service, without bringing disaster upon his family."
Hua Zhi clutched his lapel and lowered her head. "I was being willful."
"I would have been surprised if you hadn't responded to him." His A Zhi possessed the softest heart in the world. "A Zhi, you need to stay a few more days."
Hua Zhi looked up.
Gu Yanxi's expression was helpless. "Zeng Xianglin's actions were too sudden - it's like he ripped the lid right off Jin Yang. I'm not fully prepared. Jin Yang needs your help to stabilize. I must hurry to Pengkou."
"But I'm just a woman, without proper authority. No one will listen to me."
Gu Yanxi placed his token representing the head of the Seven Constellation Bureau into her palm. "Don't underestimate yourself, A Zhi. You'll do better than anyone else could."
"I understand." Hua Zhi pressed her lips together and nodded in agreement. This was the best opportunity - with Zeng Xianglin fallen and Zhu Ling unable to escape, it was the perfect time for a major cleanup. Mahjong and playing cards had only recently appeared - it was impossible to stop people from playing altogether, but they could be properly guided. Blocking was inferior to channeling - if they could transform gambling into mere play, the nature would change, and so would people's attitudes.
Gu Yanxi smiled and touched the nape of her neck, an unobtrusive gesture of intimacy. "We've been monitoring Zeng Xianglin's associates all along. Their recent large-scale movements have helped us locate the Chao Li Tribe's hiding place. Wang Hai has taken people there - we should be able to clean things up thoroughly this time. But we don't know if any might escape, so I need to depart quickly to prevent the Chao Li Tribe from receiving advance warning and relocating."
"What about the Green Willow Battalion?"
"I've sent word to General Lu. He'll arrive soon - I can't claim such great achievements alone. However, the army cannot enter the city, only serve as deterrence outside the walls. Moreover, generals have no administrative authority, so you'll need to make all decisions."
Hua Zhi thought for a moment. "Tell General Lu to select a hundred elite soldiers for me. Take all the Seven Constellation Bureau personnel with you, including Shaoyao."
"That's not possible..."
"It must be done." Hua Zhi interrupted him. "You're heading to Pengkou to confront the Chao Li Tribe at their silver storage location. We don't know how many they have stationed there - you must bring sufficient personnel."
Gu Yanxi knew A Zhi spoke sense, but... "Shaoyao must stay."
Hua Zhi pulled Shaoyao, who had been eavesdropping nearby, to her side. "How does the powder you scattered earlier differ from the previous version?"
"Three times more potent."
"Yet even triple strength didn't completely incapacitate the Chao Li Tribe, though it did slow their movements and reactions." Hua Zhi looked steadily at Yanxi. "Having Shaoyao accompany you means weakening the Chao Li Tribe's combat effectiveness. She must go."
"A Zhi, Jin Yang isn't without its dangers either. How can you be left with no one?"
"Yu Mu and Jia Yang will stay."
"Not enough. Leave four more people." For the first time, Gu Yanxi stood firm before A Zhi. When it concerned her safety, he didn't dare yield.Hua Zhi blinked, then softened her tone as she continued, "With the army surrounding the city, Yan Xi, you should believe that even the boldest wouldn’t dare act recklessly in such a situation. This is Jin Yang, the minor capital of Daqing—we’re on our own turf, among our own people. But you’re not. If you don’t agree, I’ll have no choice but to go with you."
Gu Yanxi was momentarily torn between amusement and exasperation. To persuade him, had A Zhi resorted to using both a beauty trap and psychological tactics?
Yet he had to admit A Zhi’s reasoning was sound. Besides, A Zhi had never been one to tolerate bullying easily—if anyone crossed her, it was hard to say who would end up worse off.
With that thought, Gu Yanxi felt somewhat reassured and nodded, "Alright, as you wish."
PS: I completely understand how eager you all are for more updates. Having been an avid reader for years, I’ve felt the same way while following stories. However, at the moment, I can’t even guarantee two updates a day. This part of the plot is incredibly challenging to write—rewriting from scratch has become the norm. I’m not complaining; in fact, I’m thrilled with how the story has unfolded so far. I’ve managed to steer it well, and it’s beloved by so many. I just hope you’ll grant me a little more time to give this story a better, more perfect conclusion. Your urging makes me particularly anxious.
I aspire to be an author whose name you remember—one where just seeing the words "Kong Liu" is enough for you to click and read, regardless of the synopsis or genre. I want you to speak well of me when my name comes up. I hope that when your friends ask which authors are worth reading, you’ll mention mine. And I hope every cent you spend on my books feels willingly given.
No author writes without wanting to earn, but for me, writing began with passion before it became a profession. I’ve never forgotten my original intention.
Love you all.
OpenNovel