Chapter 40: Black-Hearted Nie Beihu

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nHuang Qianjun lowered his head and admitted it without any attempts to explain himself.

nSu Yi’s expression softened a little. “I’ll let it go this time.”

nWhen Huang Qianjun heard this, his tension relaxed, and his face filled with gratitude. “Brother Su, don’t worry! I won’t try anything clever again!”

nWhen Nie Beihu saw this, he couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.?Huang Yunchong, you old fox! What a clever move! So long as your son follows Young Lord Su, what need is there to worry about his future? He’s sure to make something of himself!

nWhen I get back, I’ll have to have my son get closer to Young Lord Su too!

nThen, he solemnly cupped his fist. “Young Lord Su, City Lord Fu told me days ago that your problems are his problems. So, tell me…. How should we resolve this?”

nWen Jieyuan was the son of Wen Changqing, while Su Yi was the Wen?Family’s?live-in son-in-law. There was now a blood feud between the two of them. If they didn’t handle this well, it could cause enormous turmoil.

nBefore Su Yi could respond, Wen Jieyuan struggled to turn and face him. He kowtowed, pleading at the top of his lungs, “Su Yi, I was wrong! I was wrong! I’ll never do it again, so please, spare me just this once! I swear I won’t tell anyone what happened here!”

nHe trembled from head to toe, his eyes wide with terror.

nEven an idiot would have realized the situation wasn’t looking good, so he immediately changed his tune.

nBut what happened next was beyond everyone’s expectations—

nHuang Qianjun suddenly stepped forward, grabbed the knife in Wen Jieyuan’s back, and shoved it in.

nSplurt!

nThe sharp blade pierced right through Wen Jieyuan, its sharp tip emerging from his chest with a spray of blood.

nWen Jieyuan’s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. He thudded limply to the ground.

nThe knife Su Yi had thrown wasn’t enough to deal a fatal blow, but Huang Qianjun’s attack directly severed his life.

nNie Beihu and the nearby guards were stunned. They never would have guessed that the one to kill Wen Jieyuan would be the silkpants, Huang Qianjun.

nEven Su Yi’s eyebrows shot up; he hadn’t expected this either.

nHuang Qianjun’s chest heaved, his breathing ragged. He pulled the knife out, splattering blood all over himself.

nBut it was as if he didn’t notice. He lowered his head, not daring to meet Su Yi’s gaze, then said hoarsely, “Brother Su, I did something conceited again.”

nSu Yi stared deeply at him, then said “Wash the blood off your face, then come back.”

nFor a moment, Huang Qianjun was dazed. Then he said in surprise, “Brother Su, you’re not mad at me? But just now, I…”

n“No need to say more. I understand.” Su Yi waved him away.

nHuang Qianjun broke into a grin, then rushed off to clean himself up.

nHuang Qianjun, that kid! He’s ruthless, brave, and he really went all out. That attack was the pinnacle of perfection!

nWith this,?he’s made?himself Su Yi’s co-conspirator and announced his loyalty through his actions. He clearly?won himself Young?Lord Su’s approval, too.

nNie Beihu couldn’t help but sigh to himself.?Why didn’t I realize that this domineering silkpants was so crafty and brave?

nHad Su Yi dealt Wen Jieyuan the final blow, it would have inevitably led to direct conflict with the Wen Family.

nBy choosing that moment to attack, Huang Qianjun had effectively redirected all the trouble onto himself.

nEven if the Wen?Family?found out what had happened, they’d look to Huang Qianjun for revenge.

nThis was the risk and sacrifice Huang Qianjun accepted when he pushed in the knife.

nBut in doing so, he’d really and truly won Su Yi’s approval!

nNie Beihu was ruthless and experienced. How could he possibly miss what was happening here?

nThat was why he sighed with so much emotion.

nHe asked himself, had he been in Huang Qianjun’s shoes, could he have made the same choice? Maybe, but he would likely have hesitated. He couldn’t have been so quick or decisive.

nNie Beihu clasped his fist. “Young Lord Su, this is the Apricot Clinic, and numerous people saw Wen Jieyuan enter. Today, both he and his guards lost their lives here. I’m afraid we won’t be able to keep this incident a secret.”

nHe paused, then said decisively, “But you can rest assured that I will do everything in my power to resolve this incident!”

nWen Jieyuan’s status wasn’t simple; he was the son of the main-line elder Wen Changqing. Someone of Nie Beihu’s status would encounter numerous thorny problems if he tried to resolve this.

nBut he nevertheless accepted this responsibility.

nHis reasoning was simple: he had City Lord Fu Shan behind him, and behind Fu Shan was the Spiritjade Marchioness!

nWIth a clang, Su Yi sheathed his sword and said lightly, “There’s no need to go to such trouble. If Wen Changqing asks, just tell him that they fell at the hands of Wu Ruoqiu of the Deathbringer’s Gate.”

nThis was shifting the blame.

nThe best part was that Wen Changqing undoubtedly already knew of Wu Ruoqiu’s existence, and at least a little about the courtyard.

nNo one would doubt them if they pinned his son’s death on Wu Ruoqiu and the Deathbringer’s Gate.

n“The Deathbringer’s Gate? Wu Ruoqiu?” Nie Beihu was dazed; it was obvious he’d never heard of that organization or of Wu Ruoqiu.

nSomething occurred to Su Yi, and he immediately explained how Wu Ruoqiu had been using the courtyard as a Ghoul Worm farm.

n“Brilliant!” When Nie Beihu heard this explanation, he couldn’t help but applaud.

nWu Ruoqiu was undoubtedly the perfect scapegoat to pin the murders on!

nSu Yi said gravely, “Commander Nie, remember to tell the city lord. Have him investigate and see if there are any similar ‘haunted houses’ in Giangling City. After all, now that Wu Ruoqiu is dead, there’s no one left to feed the worms. When they get hungry, they’re certain to charge into the city and bring disaster to the citizens.”

nNie Beihu instantly grew solemn. He cupped his fists. “Young Lord Su, I admire your consideration and your benevolence. We’ll be certain to make this our top priority!”

nWith that, he turned to his guards and said, “Clean up the corpses. I don’t care how you do it, but make absolutely certain that you don’t leave any clues that might disadvantage Young Lord Su. Do you hear me?”

n“Yes, sir!” The guards acknowledged their orders and got to work.

nThey’d worked for the City Lord’s Manor for years. They were elites accustomed to bloodshed, the type to lick the blood off their swords, and they had ample experience resolving such matters. They were ruthless and efficient.

nBy the time Huang Qianjun finished washing off the blood and returned, the courtyard was spotless. Wen Jieyuan and the guards’ corpses had disappeared, as if they’d vanished into thin air.

nEven the rivers of blood staining the ground were gone without a trace!

nHuang Qianjun couldn’t help but exclaim, “Commander Nie, why do I get the sense that this isn’t the first time you and the Old Guard have done this?”

n“It’s just killing people and destroying the corpses, that’s all,” said Nie Beihu offhandedly. “It’s as simple as could be. I’m not bragging when I say that after the Old Guard finishes cleaning a murder scene, not even the Huang Family would be able to find the slightest thread of evidence.”

nAs he spoke, his gaze swept across his subordinates. “Everyone, you know what to do regarding today’s incident, don’t you?”

nThe guards burst into laughter.

nOne of them said, “Sir, let’s go by our usual rules. Treat us to three rounds of drinks, and we guarantee our lips are sealed. It’ll be as if none of this ever happened!”

nNie Beihu nodded. 𝘰𝑣𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

nSu Yi glanced at Huang Qianjun. “You foot the bill for their drinks.”

nHuang Qianjun hurriedly pounded his chest. “Relax, Brother Su! Leave it all to me!”

nNie Beihu couldn’t help but laugh.?Su Yi ordering Huang Qianjun to treat the guards was undoubtedly his way of expressing approval for this arrangement.

nThat was enough!

nNie Beihu thought about it, then whispered a recommendation, “Young Lord Su, I’ve already sent people to request Wen Changqing’s presence. When he gets here, all you have to do is watch.”

nSu Yi nodded.

nTime flew by.?A full hour passed before a group rushed through the courtyard gates.

nTheir leader was a glaring, pale-faced, whiskerless man. This was none other than the Wen Family’s Second Elder, Wen Changqing.

nHowever, his frantic concern and heavy heart were written on his face. The second he stepped into the courtyard, he said in a low voice, “Commander Nie, where is my son? Where are his guards?”

nNie Beihu’s expression filled with grief, and he said hoarsely, “Brother Changqing, when I got here, it was already too late. I’m afraid your son and his attendants?were?already dead.”

n“What!?” Wen Changqing reacted as if he’d been struck by lightning, and his eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets. “Who was it? Who killed my son?”

nHis vicious gaze swept across everyone in the courtyard, like an infuriated beast looking for someone to devour.

nHe had two children. Wen Jieyuan was his eldest son, and he was in the prime of his youth. Wen Changjing had poured his heart and soul into training him.?He’d planned to send Wen Jieyuan to Blueriver Sword Manor in the near future.

nWho would have thought that his son would die before he got the chance?

n“My condolences, Brother Changqing.” Nie Beihu’s face filled with mourning, and he sighed. “None of us could have guessed that malevolent apparitions hid within the courtyard. That heretical Daoist, Wu Ruoqiu, was even more vicious; he summoned evil insects called ‘Ghoul Worms’ to devour your son and his guards whole….”

n“Wu Ruoqiu…. Wu Ruoqiu….” Wen Changqing’s expression shifted dramatically, and the veins?bulged?on his forehead. “That blasted wandering Daoist! I thought of him as my friend, yet he dared murder my son?!”

nSuddenly, he glanced at Su Yi, as if realizing something.

n“No, that’s not right!” he exclaimed. “That waste spent the night without being attacked, so why is my son dead?”

nHe was both stunned and angry, and he’d sensed that something fishy was going on.

nInstead of answering him, Nie Beihu looked stunned. “Brother Changqing, you’re saying you know the heretical cultivator Wu Ruoqiu? And you knew this residence was haunted and dangerous?”

nThe nearby guards were in uproar. They played along, shouting and clamoring. All of them glared at Wen Changqing and shouted questions.

n“Wen Changqing, you dared leave that evildoer to wreak havoc?”

n“I never would have guessed that the Wen Family would commit such dark, heretical acts behind closed doors. Simply unforgivable!”

n“The Wen Family has been consorting with the heretical cultivator Wu Ruoqiu of the Deathbringer’s Gate! I’ll have to inform City Lord Fu Shan of this!”

n…..

nThe pain of losing his son made Wen Changqing mad with anger, but when he heard the guards’ questions and rebukes, he felt a chill run down his spine, as if someone had poured cold water over his head. This helped him calm down.

nHe took a deep breath, his expression unsightly as he tried to explain. “Commander Nie, if I were in cahoots with Wu Ruoqiu, why would he kill my son?”

n“How about this?” said Nie Beihu coldly. “You and I will pay City Lord Fu Shan a visit and have him uphold justice. If you’re innocent, you’ll naturally be free to leave without charges!”

nWen Changqing froze, and his chest heaved violently.

nBefore he could make up his mind, Nie Beihu waved to his subordinates. “Come! Escort Wen Changqing to the city lord’s manor!”

nWhen he saw this, Huang Qianjun, who’d been playing the part of a spectator, couldn’t help but gasp.

nI’ve seen my fair share of wickedness, but I’ve never seen anyone this black-hearted!

nHe isn’t just making the Deathbringer’s Gate and Wu Ruoqiu take the fall for this; he’s even seizing this chance to drag Wen Changqing off.

nHow wicked!

nIf he makes it to the city lord’s estate, given City Lord Fu Shan’s relationship with Su Yi, Wen Changqing is doomed!

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Chapter end