Book 5: Chapter 32: Everything Becomes Clear in One Night
Book 5: Chapter 32: Everything Becomes Clear in One Night
“He has reported to Clear River Town’s Enforcer Office?”
Lin Xi’s brows furrowed. Thriving Prosperity’s abilities were indeed a bit greater than even what he predicted. However, for Song Chengpeng to only say this after being forced to this extent, it seemed like the waters he was playing with might be a bit deeper than what he expected.
“What is his name, what kind of case did he report?” He looked at this strict-faced Song Chengpeng, gazed into his eyes and asked this.
“You have to understand that we are only businessmen, we are not bailiffs.” Song Chengpeng looked at Lin Xi who didn’t seem affected by anything, coldly saying, “We only found out that someone just happened to have entered Clear River Town’s Enforcer Office for a case. As for what kind of case, don’t tell me you can’t look into it yourself?”
Lin Xi raised his head slightly, saying, “Manager Song’s words seem to carry deeper meanings, or perhaps you are hiding many things that should be said.”
Song Chengpeng’s face sunk, not saying anything else, instead seriously repeating, “We are only businessmen. The things that we cannot provoke and should not provoke, we definitely cannot touch.”
Lin Xi gave Song Chengpeng a look, and then he looked at everyone in the surroundings, calmly asking, “In Yunqin law, what is most important?”
Without waiting for Song Chengpeng to say anything, he instead answered his own question. “Human lives are the most precious.”
“The wealth of business cannot compare to human lives.” Lin Xi said seriously and calmly. “That is why according to Yunqin law, even if the emperor himself breaks the law, he must be tried just like his people. Originally, in this case, it is the duty of normal stores to cooperate with investigations, I feel that stopping for a few days is normal, but just because you all are Thriving Prosperity, this Breath River’s greatest merchant company, precisely because you all are large, bribing your way both up and down, that is why you would become so arrogant and overbearing, feel anger when encountering someone like me.”
Song Chengpeng looked at Lin Xi, coldly saying, “You’ve spoken well, even if the emperor violates the law, he must be tried just like the people. I hope great one really is as good as your word.”
Lin Xi nodded. “I will.”
Even though this sentence still wasn’t loud, the tone was calm and resolute, making the faces of many people on these two ships can’t help but become grave. Their hearts that were originally filled with suppressed anger instead produced a bit of a different feeling.
…
Lin Xi returned to Second Grandpa Zhang’s small boat.
The small boat silently left, disappearing into the darkness.
The people on Thriving Prosperity’s ships saw Lin Xi’s skills and the two large wooden chests on his back, but they didn’t see that the one who was controlling the boat was the river’s Dragon King.
…
It was already deep into the night. A small courtyard in the third alley was still brightly lit. Several people sat there quietly, the atmosphere was a bit tense.
Second Grandpa Zhang moved aside the curtains, walking in. Everyone here stood up, greeting him respectfully.
“Second brother, where is that Sir Lin? Fourth brother is still restrained by that riverfront small building.”
After exchanging greetings, a yellow cotton clothed thick and solid man in straw sandals was the first to speak.
This was Fifth Grandpa Zhen of the managing elders. Originally, they had other businesses to take care of outside, but today, this type of event happened, so they immediately hurried back.
“He already returned with me, now taking care of some matters.”
Second Grandpa Zhang nodded calmly, his eyes calmly sweeping over the people here, slowly asking, “During these years, have the wind and waves on this Breath River been great or not? How did we cross everything?”
The people here were all waiting for Second Grandpa Zhang to return and take charge over the greater situation, but when they suddenly heard him say this, they immediately became inwardly stunned. In this heavy hall, there was a cold air that swept about.
“During these years, Breath River’s wind and waves have always been extremely great. We relied on the unity of us brothers in order to make it through.”
Second Grandpa Zhang instead continued speaking. He took a step forward, walking up to one of them and saying, “Zheng Sanlu, even though we are only shrimp in this river, unable to live on the surface, at the very least, what we eat, that is what the brothers will eat. Also, the reason you can sit here today is proof enough that we truly view you as our own arms and legs. Why do you feel that we aren’t as good as others?”
This one was precisely the green clothed middle-aged man with the accountant-like appearance that met with Pu Feng that night, right now, Pu Feng was at his side. When he heard Second Grandpa Zhang’s words, the expressions on everyone’s faces changed, Pu Feng’s face also immediately fell ashen, his piercing eyes staring at this green clothed middle-aged man.
The accountant-like green clothed middle-aged man remained silent for a moment, but then his head lowered slightly. “How do you know it was me?”
Second Grandpa Zhang looked at this green clothed middle-aged man. “During these two years, I couldn’t move about outside, but I had more time to think about some things, instead having more time to look into some matters. During these few days, the number of times you’ve visited that small pub is a bit high, it was just that I wasn’t willing to suspect you without reason.”
The green clothed middle-aged man became silent again, and then he bowed respectfully towards Second Grandpa Zhang, saying, “Second brother, even though you have the reputation of Dragon King, the other party is a true river crossing dragon. I already saw the end of us shrimps and crabs, so I couldn’t just wait for death.”
The others all became silent, the entire hall’s atmosphere becoming heavy and cold.
Second Grandpa Zhang nodded, and then said, “I respect your choice, but you should also know our rules.”
The green clothed middle-aged man’s face turned slightly pale. “I plead second brother to leave me with my life.”
Second Grandpa Zhang became momentarily quiet, and then he said, “That is possible.”
The green clothed middle-aged man bowed respectfully again, saying, “The ones in charge of the assassination today were Silver Hook Lane’s people.” When these words were spoken, his expression became a bit calmer, asking, “I heard second brother controlled the boat, I wonder how the situation went? Did you meet that Prince Xu?”
“Me and Enforcer Lin brought back an embroidered clothed youngster, the corners of his eyes a bit long and narrow, expression arrogant.” Second Grandpa Zhang looked at the green clothed middle-aged man, saying, “This one is precisely the Prince Xu you are speaking of?”
The green clothed middle-aged man nodded, saying, “That is precisely him. He is precisely the master behind the scenes of Silver Hook Lane. Silver Hook Lane… should have a military background.”
“Military?”
When he heard this word, the faces of the people around Second Grandpa Zhang immediately became a bit colder.
…
The riverfront small building was brightly lit.
Lin’s superior Lian Zhanshan and some officials under East Port Town’s Supervisor Dong were already at the riverfront terrace in front of this small building.
Three ice-cold corpses dressed in black waterproof armor laid on the terrace.
When they heard that an assassination was directed at the new Enforcer, the townsmen who hurried over already packed the area around the small building, and it seemed like more and more were coming.
Today, Lin Xi’s reputation in the townsmen’s eyes was already quite good, and for most of these townsmen, only an official who truly worked for the people and dared to antagonize some great powers might encounter this type of assassination. That was why most of the townsmen were truly worried for Lin Xi’s safety.
The expressions of Lian Zhanshan and the other officials were all extremely ugly.
They knew that Lin Xi was safe and sound, but even now, he actually still didn’t return, not appearing.
Du Weiqing, Liang Sansi and the other bailiffs were maintaining order around this small building together with some ordinary soldiers, not letting others get close to this small building.
Right now, the two of them had extremely complicated expressions. What left them shocked was that there was actually someone who dared to openly assassinate an Enforcer. Moreover, they immediately examined the bodies, what they found out from these individuals’ builds, outfits, and battle traces was that these assassins weren’t ordinary river gangsters, but rather true iron-blooded fierce individuals.
There were actually three corpses of these fierce individuals who they might not even necessarily be able to deal with one on one left right here.
This young Enforcer actually had this level of ability?
However, since so many vicious individuals could be moved out to assassinate an Enforcer, the one behind this was even more so not an ordinary person. Would Lin Xi be able to deal with him?
Suddenly, a dark faced porter crammed his way in, as if he wanted to forcefully enter. When Du Weiqing reached out a hand to stop him, a paper scroll was placed into his hands.
Du Weiqing’s expression became a bit rigid. When he looked around, he discovered that no one else noticed this. Thus, he quietly told Liang Sansi that he was going to excuse himself, and then left.
After reading the words on the scroll in an unmanned place under the dusky moonlight, after a bit of hesitation, he began to sprint through an alley, running to a river bank.
There was a boat at the river bank.
It was a speedboat that was like a dragon boat, there were twelve dark faced men who held oars on it. Their bodies were bare, their skin as if coated in black oil, bright and shiny.
Du Weiqing got on this boat, and then this speedboat immediately moved across the water surface with a speed even faster than the boat Dragon King personally controlled, rushing towards Clear River Town that was even further than Swallow Descent Town.
…
East Port Town, within a certain simple and crude stone room.
The embroidered clothed youngster sneered as he looked at Lin Xi who was quietly thinking about his own matters, saying, “You brought me all the way back from Swallow Descent Town just to have me keep you company here?”
“At the very least, even if you don’t admit it, I already know that you are Silver Hook Lane’s boss.” Lin Xi looked at this embroidered clothed youngster, saying, “Right now, what I am struggling a bit to figure out is how someone as smart as you, just for the sake of framing Fourth Grandpa Zhu, having me pull out this nail for you, why would you send such great forces.”
“As long as true human lives are lost, then this case will involve much more people.” After a slight pause, Lin Xi looked at this embroidered clothed youngster, continuing his questions, “But I believe those assassins truly wished to get rid of me, this is something I just can’t figure out… what exactly is going on here?”
The embroidered clothed youngster gave the outside sky a look, yawning in a somewhat tired manner, and then saying with ridicule, “What does that have to do with me? Either way, you already waited for so long in this room, thought for so long, to the point where the sky outside is even about to brighten… If you are this interested, you can keep thinking slowly, I just hope that your immediate superiors who are waiting for you outside have as much interest as you, similarly patient and well-tempered.”
“Just like how I do not like you, I do not like those people either. That is why the more impatient they are and the worse their tempers become, the happier I become.” After Lin Xi said this, he heard a bit of activity, a hopeful expression appearing in his eyes. He turned around towards this stone room’s entrance.
With a light creak noise, this stone room’s entrance was pushed open.
A black skinned large man quickly walked in, his body bringing in moisture and humidity, but it was unknown if this was from the river or his own sweat.
He greeted Lin Xi respectfully, handing him a small cowhide scroll.
Lin Xi only carefully read it once, and then he stood up. He took a deep breath, and then turned around to look at the embroidered clothed youngster, his body exuding an unprecedented austere presence. “This document came from Clear River Town… I now already completely understand, so there is no longer any reason to wait.”
After saying this, he directly lifted this embroidered clothed youngster whose face always carried sneers and expressions of mockery. While this youngster was full of shock, anger, and disbelief, he flung him out of the stone room, pushing him to the point where he couldn’t stand still, staggering and falling to the ground.
Lin Xi then walked out of this stone room.
It was precisely sunrise, a red sun carrying an endless brilliance gradually rising above the river surface.
Just and honorable. [1]
1. Honorable here can also mean radiant