Chapter 65

Ling Xiao carefully searched the body of the Wheel King, "Hmm, nothing. Hmm, still nothing!" He stood up with a frown and walked towards Ye Zhanying and the others who were trembling in fear.

"With six bullets in my gun, I can kill six people instantly. And I haven't had any professional training for reloading, so it would take at least three seconds. In those three seconds, with your lightness kung fu, you could easily escape." Ling Xiao paused, seeing the killers' eyes light up with renewed hope, and smiled mockingly, "But the Black Stone's hit list clearly and explicitly records all your names, addresses, and other information."

The killers' hearts sank into despair again. Seeing this, Ling Xiao continued, "So, for your own safety, it's best not to resist. Of course, the most important thing is to save me a few bullets."

The killers were in a dilemma. Escaping wouldn't do much good, but staying meant being captured. Helplessly, they all turned their gazes to Ye Zhanying.

Ye Zhanying took a deep breath to calm down, "What do you really want?"

"What do I really want? Hehe!" Answering a question with another question always made people angry. Seeing Ye Zhanying's face turning darker, Ling Xiao felt quite pleased. He glanced at the killers and said, "Sending you to the Six Fans Gate would result in only two outcomes: either a direct death sentence or a life sentence ending in torture. The Six Fans Gate has suffered greatly because of your Black Stone, so sending you there is no different from sending a punching bag."

He paused and continued, "So I've tailored a set of exoneration plans for you!"

"How can we be exonerated?"

"I want you to infiltrate a place without leaving any traces. When I give the signal, you just need to kill as many people as possible. You should be good at that!" Ling Xiao said casually while examining his fingernails.

Ye Zhanying frowned and sneered, "You're sending us to be cannon fodder!"

"That's the right answer, and also the only answer! You have no choice. If you survive the battle by some miracle, I guarantee no one will come after you for what happened before. If anyone tries to escape, you should know the Six Fans Gate and the Jinyiwei's ability to find people!" Ling Xiao said with a look that suggested he wasn't afraid they wouldn't go.

Ye Zhanying's face turned fierce as she gathered all the killers. Ling Xiao, uninterested in their deliberations, returned to Jiang Asheng and his wife, "You are a descendant of a loyal family, do you want to come with me to see the Emperor? There are benefits to be had!"

"Although it sounds tempting, looking at you, I really don't want to go," Jiang Asheng said, looking at Zeng Jing with deep affection, "The Emperor's inaction has allowed Black Stone to become so rampant. I don't want to see him. You go, remember to bring back the rewards."

"The Emperor has his own difficulties," Ling Xiao said in a profound manner, making the two of them feel his depth, though he himself didn't know the exact reasons, but it didn't stop him from putting on an act.

"Hey, have you made up your mind yet? If you keep dilly-dallying, the sun will come up," Ling Xiao shouted to Ye Zhanying.

Ye Zhanying slowly walked over, and Ling Xiao noticed she had even handed her sword to a nearby killer, "We agree to your terms, but we want to know the infiltration location and the identity of the enemy."

Ling Xiao nodded in satisfaction, "That's the right attitude. However, I can't tell you the identity of the enemy to prevent you from giving yourselves away during the infiltration. Your task is to deal with the enemy's subordinates when the battle starts. The infiltration location is—Huixian Yaxu!"

...

In the morning, the sun was bright and the sky was clear, promising a good day.

"Xiao Ling, get out here!" The voice echoed through the universe, shaking the heavens and the earth.

Ling Xiao jumped out of bed and quickly went to the courtyard, "What do you need, Master Mother?" he asked with a ingratiating smile.

Master Mother's lips trembled as she pointed to the body lying in the center of the courtyard, "Explain to me what this body is all about!"

Ling Xiao glanced at it and said nonchalantly, "Oh, that! I was on a mission yesterday, and it was too late, and I was very tired, so I brought the trophy back."

Master Mother pounced on him, grabbing his collar and shaking him wildly, "What do you mean by 'trophy'? A body is just a body, at most you can claim a reward!"

"Little by little, it adds up!" Ling Xiao continued to explain, unaffected by the shaking.

"Little by little? Do you think it's okay to stink up the place without buying air fresheners? And do you think extra soy sauce is free?" Master Mother's anger was about to explode.

Ling Xiao frowned in confusion, "Why would you use soy sauce?"

This time, it was Master Mother's turn to be matter-of-fact, "If it's left for too long, it will start to smell!"

"Hey! What kind of dark answer is that!"

Master Mother continued, "The correct way to handle a body is to place it in a ceramic container, add quicklime and salt, and pour in water. After some time, drain the water, and what's left is a small amount of muscle, organs, and intact bones. You can repeat the process until only the bones remain. Then, take the bones out, use a bone scraper to break them into pieces, cook them in a pot for several hours, add vinegar for a few more hours, crush them with a hammer, and pour them down the drain! But this process is complicated, time-consuming, and expensive, so using soy sauce is a temporary solution."

Ling Xiao felt the world darken for a second and asked weakly, "Master Mother, I've always known you are well-informed, but how do you know these, um, facts?"

"From Ah Fa's books!"

"Those books are full of nothing good!" Ling Xiao thought, gritting his teeth.

"Let's not talk about that. The body stinks, but what about the large pool of blood under it? And the blood trail leading to the door!" Master Mother pointed to a long red streak and shouted.

Ling Xiao scratched the back of his head, blushing, "That must have happened when I dragged it back last night. Hehe!"

"Hehe, my sister! Do you think you're dragging a dead pig?"

Ling Xiao saw smoke rising from Master Mother's head.

"Hey? Is that how you drag a dead pig?"

"That's not the point!"

"He's very valuable!"

"How valuable?"

"All your gold bricks depend on him!"

"…I'll clean up the trail outside."

Master Mother calmly picked up a mop and went out.

...

"Your Majesty, your humble servant has not failed you. This is the leader of Black Stone, the Wheel King!" Ling Xiao knelt and said respectfully.

The body was thrown carelessly onto the floor of the hall, of course, with a white cloth underneath to avoid defiling the hall.

The Emperor came closer out of curiosity, "Have you identified this person?"

"According to his own account, he was a common ninth-rank eunuch in the palace."

"What?" The Emperor was shocked, looking at the body with a hint of fear, then returned to his throne. He frowned and slammed his hand on the armrest, "Rubbish!"

Everyone in the hall fell to their knees, "Your Majesty, please calm down!"

"How can I calm down? A highly skilled killer who has been opposing the court has been eating the state's salary right under my nose! If it weren't for Xiao Ling, would you have waited until I was dead to bury me with him?" The Golden Hall seemed to amplify the Emperor's roar, even the guards outside could hear it.

The Emperor's anger was most directly felt by those in the hall, like a fear aura sweeping through the room. Ling Xiao even thought he saw a golden mist-like substance emanating from the Emperor's body, but when he rubbed his eyes, it was gone. "Was it just a lack of sleep?" he wondered, shaking his head to clear his mind.

"The old servant deserves the death penalty for not detecting such a villain in the palace. Please punish me, Your Majesty, and please calm down to preserve your health!" Wei Zhongxian, tears streaming down his face, bowed his head, earning Ling Xiao's admiration. This acting was far superior to any Oscar-winning performance! Indeed, experts come from life!

The Emperor, seeing the old eunuch's forehead bleeding, took a deep breath, his anger slightly subsiding, and said, "Bring all the eunuch rosters for comparison. I want to see who he is!"

"Your Majesty, the Wheel King's room may contain other important evidence. Your humble servant requests permission to search it and hopes for the assistance of Lord Wei, as he is very familiar with eunuch affairs," Ling Xiao suggested suddenly, already confident that Wei Zhongxian was the mastermind behind the Wheel King. If he didn't bind him, he would have time to destroy evidence!

Wei Zhongxian frowned at Ling Xiao but quickly put on a determined expression, "The old servant will do everything to assist Mr. Ling and atone for his sins!"

The Emperor nodded, "Very well, go ahead!"

Soon, a eunuch brought the ninth-rank eunuch roster and compared it with the Wheel King. After a moment, he said, "Your Majesty, this man's name is Cao Feng, a ninth-rank messenger eunuch."

"Your Majesty, Cao Feng may have accomplices in the palace. Your humble servant requests permission to search his home immediately," Ling Xiao said urgently.

"Granted!"

A large group of people, both from the Six Fans Gate and the palace guards, stormed the Wheel King's residence, their auras of menace clear. The Wheel King had offended many!

The Wheel King's room was extremely simple, with a bed, a table, a chair, and a bookshelf. It was hard to believe he had killed so many people and enjoyed nothing!

Bang!

Ling Xiao kicked open the door and waved his hand, "Search!"

Everyone rushed in, but Ling Xiao headed straight for the bed, followed closely by Wei Zhongxian, who looked at him curiously. Pulling back the bedding, they saw a half-dried, emaciated corpse, and beneath it, a book with the title "Heavenly Flying Immortal."

"That's it!" Ling Xiao picked up the sword manual, opened it to confirm the sword intent, and was about to put it in his pocket.

"What is that? A list of the Wheel King's accomplices? Why is there a half-dried corpse in his room?" Wei Zhongxian asked, slightly nervous, staring at the sword manual.

Ling Xiao glanced at him, then casually threw the sword manual into Wei Zhongxian's arms. Wei Zhongxian was taken aback, fumbling to catch it. "Heavenly Flying Immortal? How, how can this be?" he stammered, unable to speak when he saw the title.

Ling Xiao smiled, "Do you remember Ye Gucheng's rampage at the Six Fans Gate? It was because of this! This sword manual was originally given to me by Ye Gucheng, but it was stolen by the Wheel King during the raid! That's how everything started."

Wei Zhongxian, holding the sword manual with both hands, respectfully handed it back to Ling Xiao, "I didn't know you were Ye Gucheng's disciple. The Wheel King truly deserved his fate."

Ling Xiao didn't explain, but the mix of respect and hatred in Wei Zhongxian's expression made him think. He took the sword manual and put it in his pocket, then said, "As for the dried corpse, it's the remains of Rama, who once preached in the palace. According to legend, this corpse contains a treasure! The Wheel King probably wanted to use the treasure for some sinister purpose!"

"Hmph! Overestimating himself!" Wei Zhongxian sneered.

Ling Xiao looked at Wei Zhongxian with a smile, "Lord Wei seems to know a lot about the Wheel King!"

Wei Zhongxian choked and said calmly, "Mr. Ling is joking." He then turned and walked away.

Ling Xiao watched Wei Zhongxian's back and thought, "So, he's one of Ye Gucheng's people!"

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