Chapter 77

As night deepened, the temperature plummeted.

Around midnight, a sudden fog arose, enveloping Changping in a thick mist.

A group of civilian guards passed by the main street outside Fanrenli, gradually moving farther away.

Yang Shouwen walked out of the alley, confirmed the direction, crouched down, and moved along the坊wall, quickly reaching the outside of Hepingfang. Through the坊wall, Yang Shouwen could faintly hear the sounds coming from inside Hepingfang. He looked around to ensure no one was nearby, then ran a few steps, kicked off the坊wall with one foot, and leaped over it, landing silently.

This was the edge of a bustling market in Hepingfang, with a row of shrubs about a meter high at the wall's base.

The weather was gradually getting colder, and the green leaves on the shrubs had started to wither. However, hiding among them, it was hard to spot a person unless one looked closely.

Through the gaps in the shrubs, the streets of Hepingfang appeared deserted.

This was due to both the weather and the recent situation.

The Jingnan Army was stationed outside Juyong Pass, creating a tense atmosphere. Under these circumstances, Hepingfang naturally became much quieter. Most of the wine shops and music halls that used to line the streets had closed down. A few wine shops still had lanterns lit, but they gave off a particularly desolate feeling. Yang Shouwen, dressed in black, moved along the wall and soon turned into a dark alley.

This alley was located behind a guesthouse.

Standing at the alley's entrance, one could clearly see the brightly lit Wuhou post next to the坊gate, and faint voices could be heard.

According to Yang Rui, the Wuhou post in Hepingfang had six people, divided into two shifts, with each shift patrolling every half-hour.

Chen Yi, the head of the post, was on duty tonight and would also patrol the streets.

Although Yang Chenglie did not agree with his suggestion, Yang Shouwen could still sense the murderous intent in Yang Chenglie's heart.

Having ruled Changping for over a decade, he had thought his territory was as solid as a rock.

But unexpectedly, Guan Hu seemed to be secretly colluding with outsiders, and then the head of the bailiffs, Huang Qi, defected to Lu Yongcheng. Now, even the civilian guards and Wuhou had someone betraying Yang Chenglie. How could he not be enraged?

The identity of the person behind Guan Hu was still unclear.

Yang Chenglie could not easily take action against Guan Hu, as he still followed his orders and had been his right-hand man. If he eliminated Guan Hu, it would cause turmoil among the bailiffs, potentially leading to even greater trouble. In comparison, Huang Qi and Chen Yi were less important. Huang Qi would be dealt with by the Gai Lao Army, without Yang Chenglie needing to act. As for Chen Yi... Yang Shouwen felt that killing him might be more effective.

Yang Chenglie needed a pretext to take action against the head of the seven坊groups.

This was part of the deal between Yang Chenglie and the Gai Lao Army. Eliminating Chen Yi would provide Yang Chenglie with the perfect excuse.

Yang Shouwen crouched in the shadow at the alley's entrance, watching the increasingly deserted Hepingfang in the thick fog.

Unconsciously, an hour passed.

Suddenly, a commotion came from the direction of the Wuhou post, followed by flickering firelight, and three figures emerged.

"Captain Chen, it's so cold outside, do we really need to patrol?"

"Yeah, there's not a soul on the streets. Why bother patrolling? It would be more fun to play a few rounds inside the post."

"You know nothing, you fool. My grandfather had terrible luck today. I need to walk around to change my luck."

A rough voice with a strong Changping accent echoed.

Yang Shouwen's eyes lit up, and he quickly focused, looking outside.

A man wearing a sleeveless jacket and holding a Tang sword walked in front, muttering to himself.

Behind him, two Wuhou guards slowly followed, holding torches.

The three of them walked and talked, getting closer and heading toward the alley.

"What do you know? Now that I've joined Clerk Lu, how can County Magistrate Yang let me go?

Clerk Lu is not in Changping right now, so I need to be more cautious. If someone reports me, it would give the County Magistrate an excuse. Heh, once Clerk Lu returns from Jixian, the County Magistrate won't be able to do anything to me."

"Captain Chen, do you really think Clerk Lu can deal with the County Magistrate?"

"Of course!" The rough voice sounded again, "Don't you know who Clerk Lu is backed by?

The Lus of Fanyang! Understand? The Lus of Fanyang! In Youzhou, besides the Emperor, it's the Lu family. Clerk Lu is said to have been summoned back by the Lu family. When he returns to Changping, there will be changes.

I've been a squad leader for three years but never received the County Magistrate's favor.

Now, changing allegiances is the best opportunity. When Clerk Lu gains power, I'll at least become a head of a group."

"Captain Chen is right... To be honest, although County Magistrate Yang has some skills, how can he be a match for Clerk Lu?"

"In the future, we'll need Captain Chen's care."

"Of course, of course!"

The three of them laughed and chatted as they passed the alley's entrance.

Yang Shouwen frowned slightly, wanting to ambush them but fearing he might alert others.

These three moving together was indeed troublesome. But if he didn't act, wouldn't it be a wasted trip?

In Yang Shouwen's mind, Chen Yi was already a dead man.

This person must die; otherwise, he would cause more and more trouble if left in the civilian guards. From their conversation, it was clear that many people were considering joining Lu Yongcheng. The more people joined Lu Yongcheng, the more disadvantageous it would be for his father.

No, he must kill this person!

Yang Shouwen thought this and took a few steps forward.

At that moment, Chen Yi suddenly stopped and looked around.

"Captain Chen, why aren't you moving?"

"Damn, I need to relieve myself.

Wait for me here. I'll go to that alley."

Saying this, he turned and walked toward the alley. Yang Shouwen immediately retreated, silently disappearing into the depths of the alley.

This is what they call, 'When the King of Hell calls you to die at midnight, who dares to keep you alive until dawn?'

Yang Shouwen had been struggling with how to eliminate Chen Yi, but he had delivered himself.

This was better, saving him the trouble.

Chen Yi reached the alley's entrance and unbuttoned his pants.

But after looking around, he felt it was too conspicuous, so he took a few more steps into the darkness.

Yang Shouwen quietly approached Chen Yi from behind, hearing him humming a tune, and slowly extended his hand.

Chen Yi, being a trained fighter, suddenly felt a chill and sensed something was wrong. He quickly turned, but before he could complete the turn, a large hand covered his mouth, and another hand wrapped around his neck, choking him.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh!"

Chen Yi tried to struggle, but Yang Shouwen didn't give him the chance.

Holding Chen Yi's mouth, he applied force, and with a soft crack, he snapped Chen Yi's neck.

Chen Yi's body immediately went limp and slid to the ground.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A new book club has been created: 292273299

Everyone is welcome to join and share your thoughts.

Additionally, if you're interested, you can follow my WeChat public account: gengxin7512, or search for "Gengxin" directly in the top-right corner of your contacts.

I will periodically post updates about the book and my personal insights into the characters and settings. Everyone is welcome to join.

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends