Chapter 5

"Do you know them?" The two people downstairs at the Shili Fragrance Wine Shop were quite noticeable. Yang Ning glanced at them and knew that the ones Monkey was talking about were them.

Monkey didn’t even turn his head, whispering, "Not only do I know them, but there are few people in the city who don’t know them. You know them too, but you just can’t remember now."

Yang Ning frowned and asked, "Who are they, and why are you so afraid of them?"

Monkey moved closer to Yang Ning, looking back furtively. Seeing that the two people weren’t paying attention to them, he relaxed a bit and lowered his voice, "The taller one is Head Constable Xiao, and the shorter one is Constable Feng, the one who eats people and doesn’t spit out the bones, the mad dog. Do you remember now?"

Yang Ning had no impression of these two in his mind.

"Head Constable Xiao...!" Yang Ning pondered for a moment, "Is that the one called Xiao Yishui? I heard that Big Brother Fang has a good relationship with him."

Monkey squatted down by the wall, and Yang Ning had to squat down as well. Monkey leaned in and whispered, "Big Brother Fang is just a follower of Xiao Yishui...!" He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Anyway, whatever Xiao Yishui says, Big Brother Fang listens. All of us beggars are now under Xiao Yishui’s control."

Although Yang Ning knew that Big Brother Fang and Xiao Yishui were close, he didn’t expect such a relationship. He was taken aback, "Is this Xiao Yishui so powerful?"

Monkey whispered, "If you stay in this city long enough, you’ll know that Xiao Yishui can do anything in Huize County. I’ve heard that even the county magistrate doesn’t dare to order Head Constable Xiao around. The county magistrate stays for a few years and then gets promoted, but Head Constable Xiao has always been in Huize City. I’ve been in Huize City for six or seven years, and this is the third county magistrate I’ve seen, but the head constable has always been Xiao Yishui!"

"From this, it seems that this Head Constable Xiao is a very influential person," Yang Ning touched his nose and smiled faintly.

A strong dragon can’t suppress a local snake; Yang Ning naturally understood this principle. The county magistrate is an official appointed by the court, while the head constable is a local officer. When the county magistrate is promoted, the head constable doesn’t necessarily change.

However, for several consecutive county magistrates, Xiao Yishui has always been the head constable, which is no small feat.

Monkey said, "All the constables and patrolmen in Huize City are under his command." He paused and continued in a low voice, "Many people say privately that the constables in Huize City only recognize Head Constable Xiao. Without Head Constable Xiao’s orders, even the county magistrate can’t mobilize any constable. The county magistrate has to give way to Head Constable Xiao in everything. Do you think he’s powerful? I’ve also heard that in Huize City, if Head Constable Xiao doesn’t get involved in a case, it will never be solved."

Yang Ning just smiled faintly and asked, "What kind of person is that Constable Feng? Why is he called a mad dog?"

At the mention of Constable Feng, Monkey’s face showed panic, and he lowered his head, whispering, "Is he looking at us?"

"No," Yang Ning glanced through the gaps in the crowd on the street and said, "Why are you so afraid of him? You’re just a beggar, and you haven’t committed any crimes, so what do you have to fear?"

The more Yang Ning asked, the more fear was evident in Monkey’s eyes.

Yang Ning couldn’t help but stare at the two, seeing that Constable Feng had finished speaking, and Xiao Yishui was whispering something in his ear. Then he patted Constable Feng’s shoulder, and Constable Feng bowed, showing great respect to Xiao Yishui, before turning and walking down the street, hurrying away.

Yang Ning didn’t take his eyes off Xiao Yishui, watching as he straightened his clothes, scanned the street, and then turned to enter the Shili Fragrance Wine Shop.

"They’re gone," Yang Ning patted Monkey’s shoulder.

Monkey looked up and saw that Xiao Yishui and the other person were no longer at the entrance of the Shili Fragrance Wine Shop. He let out a long breath, "Damn, I was scared to death."

Yang Ning thought, you were so arrogant in the land temple, but now you’re timid and cowardly, truly a failure. But he was still curious and asked, "You haven’t said why Constable Feng is called a mad dog, and why you’re so afraid of them. Have you had any dealings with them before?"

Monkey gritted his teeth, "Mad dog isn’t what I call him; many beggars call that scoundrel a mad dog. He’s the top constable under Head Constable Xiao, and it’s said he has followed Head Constable Xiao for many years. They are even sworn brothers." He clenched his fists, "I was badly treated by him in the past."

Yang Ning asked curiously, "Were you ever thrown into jail by him?"

"That mad dog uses us to practice with the board." Monkey said angrily, "The officers always ask Big Brother Fang for people to practice with the board. Big Brother Fang... that coward doesn’t dare to oppose the officials. Every so often, he sends beggars to the officials, handing them over to the mad dog. Each time, it’s no less than ten or twenty people."

"Practice with live people?" Yang Ning was taken aback.

Although he hadn’t seen it, he knew that the board used by ancient officials was no small matter. If they really went all out, a few dozen boards could take a life.

"They strip us and beat us until we’re bloody," Monkey was both angry and afraid, "The mad dog and his subordinates never treat us like human beings...!" He lowered his voice, "Beating us is just a pretense; they treat us like animals. The mad dog has personally beaten to death three or four people...!"

Yang Ning understood that in times of chaos, the death of a few beggars was insignificant, especially when the perpetrators were officials. There was no place to seek justice.

However, the fact that Constable Feng could treat people so cruelly showed that Xiao Yishui and his group truly had immense power in Huize County.

"Since Big Brother Fang is the leader of the beggars in Huize City, he should protect the beggars. Why does he send them to the wolves?" Yang Ning said coldly, "Such a person who aids the wicked, how can he be a leader?"

"Big Brother Fang?" Monkey snorted, "The officials don’t treat us like human beings, and Big Brother Fang isn’t much better. The mad dog has made us suffer for years, and Big Brother Fang hasn’t even said a word."

Yang Ning nodded slightly. Monkey’s words matched what Old Bark had said about Big Brother Fang. Big Brother Fang was indeed a bastard who didn’t care about the lives of the beggars.

As the sky grew dark and the moon rose, the lights in the inns and taverns were lit. If you only looked at the bright lights on the street and heard the laughter and joy from the taverns and teahouses, it would be hard to imagine that there were countless starving refugees in this city.

The rich feast while the poor freeze to death, this was the best description of the current state of the county.

As the night deepened, the crowds on the street gradually disappeared. This was just a small county, and by the tenth hour, the streets were already quite empty, and many shops had closed.

Yang Ning waited until there were few people on the street before following the alley Monkey had mentioned to the alley entrance.

"That’s the Dead Man’s Alley," Monkey pointed to the opposite alley, the two alley entrances facing each other, separated only by a quiet street.

Yang Ning saw that the alley was pitch black, and the alley entrance looked like a monster’s mouth, deep and impenetrable.

He was about to step into the alley when Monkey pulled his sleeve, and Yang Ning frowned, "What’s wrong?"

"Sable Leader, are we really going?" Monkey’s eyes showed fear, "Why don’t we... wait a bit longer?"

Yang Ning knew Monkey was afraid and said softly, "I know the location, you can go back to the land temple first. You don’t need to come with me." Having such a timid person around would only be a hindrance, so it was better to act alone.

"Ah?" Monkey scratched the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed, "Sable Leader, I... I’m not afraid, I’m just... worried about you."

Yang Ning thought, if I believe you, I must be crazy, but he still smiled, "More people would just be a hindrance. I’ll go alone and see if I can meet Xiaodie. She saved my life, and I should thank her."

Monkey asked softly, "The Flower Lady’s house is surrounded by high walls. We can’t even get close, let alone enter. Do you remember how you used to meet Xiaodie?"

Yang Ning remembered they had said he often came here to meet Xiaodie, but the current Yang Ning was not the former Xiaoshaor, and he had no memory of meeting Xiaodie here.

The memories of the original owner of this body were few and fragmented, as if his soul had taken over the body and had already swallowed or even expelled the original owner’s memories. However, the original owner’s will was strong, and some memory fragments still remained, surfacing at critical moments.

Monkey was still uneasy when he suddenly heard a creaking sound from the street. The two of them peeked out of the alley and saw a black shadow appear at the end of the quiet street. In the moonlight, they could see it was a carriage.

Although the street was paved with blue stones, the small county had some uneven spots. As the carriage approached, the creaking sound of the wheels on the blue stones was quite clear.

"It’s a carriage?" Monkey whispered, "There aren’t many carriages in this city, and it’s hard to see one. During the war, most of the horses in the city were requisitioned, and there are very few horses left in the city."

The carriage rumbled closer, and the two of them pressed against the wall of the alley. The alley was dark, with high walls on both sides, and the moonlight couldn’t easily reach inside, so they were well hidden and hard to be seen.

The carriage stopped at the alley entrance, and Yang Ning saw that it was quite simple, but the horse pulling it was strong and well-built. The driver was dressed in rough clothes and wore a straw hat, and his face was not clear at first.

The carriage stopped at the alley entrance for a moment without moving forward. The driver lifted his straw hat and looked around.

Yang Ning focused his attention and examined the driver in the dim light of the alley, feeling that the driver’s figure was strangely familiar, and he frowned.

The driver looked around and then shook the reins. The horse turned toward the opposite Dead Man’s Alley, and the driver urged the horse, and the carriage entered the alley, quickly disappearing into the darkness.

"Driving a carriage into the Dead Man’s Alley?" Monkey saw the carriage enter the alley and stood steady, whispering, "Who’s in the carriage? Hehe, could it be... could it be going to see the Flower Lady for some fun?" His face showed a lecherous expression.

Yang Ning glanced at him and asked coldly, "You think the person is going to see the Flower Lady?"

Monkey’s eyes sparkled, "I’ve heard that although the Flower Lady is not young, she is well-preserved, with smooth and tender skin. If you could strip her like a white sheep and spend a night with her...!" He suddenly saw Yang Ning’s cold expression and the strange look in his eyes, and stopped speaking, dryly laughing and looking somewhat embarrassed.

Yang Ning thought, you must be starved for women for years to be so lecherous. He ignored it and asked in a low voice, "I don’t know who’s in the carriage, but didn’t you recognize the driver?"

"Driver?" Monkey asked curiously, "Do you know him?"

"You really need to improve your eyesight," Yang Ning said softly, "He’s the person you hate and fear the most. We just met him not long ago."

Monkey was stunned, then opened his mouth, his eyes showing shock, "You... you mean...?"

"The mad dog you mentioned," Yang Ning said coldly, "That’s Constable Feng!"

Monkey was still in shock, and Yang Ning had already darted out of the alley like a leopard, quickly crossing the street. By the time Monkey recovered, Yang Ning had already disappeared into the dark Dead Man’s Alley.

------------------

Please follow and support!

Previous page AD starts

Previous page AD ends