Han Yuan was a little disappointed to find not a single silver note when he searched Gao Yuan’s body.

He had left with the intention of ambushing Tan Bingren, so it was only natural he wasn’t carrying anything valuable.

Han Yuan gathered some dry firewood inside the ruined temple and burned Gao Yuan’s body. He then escorted Tan Bingren’s wife and son back to the carriage and headed for Qingshui County, braving the downpour.

DRUM... DRUM... DRUM...

It was a torrential downpour.

Two figures hid in a two-story wooden building near the city gate, their faces filled with anxiety as they stared out into the pitch-black, rainy night.

"Steward Zhang, it’s been so long with no word. Do you think Han Yuan failed?"

"I think we should make a run for it."

Zheng Heda was growing anxious.

He had already arranged for his wife and son to leave the city that day.

Now, he was just waiting for the outcome of the battle at the ruined temple.

"Lord Zheng, you must have a little more faith in Constable Han."

"I believe he’s more than capable of pulling off a miracle..."

"No... maybe ’miracle’ isn’t the right word. He’s just not the kind of person who can be measured by common sense."

Zhang Hu didn’t quite know how to describe the impression Han Yuan left on him.

"Then we’ll wait a little longer."

"If Han Yuan hasn’t returned in another half hour, we’re leaving."

Zheng Heda said in a heavy voice.

"My Lord, he’s coming!"

Zhang Hu had suddenly spotted a carriage charging through the city gate in the distant, dark, rainy night.

"Is that really Han Yuan?!"

Zheng Heda’s face lit up with joy when he saw the carriage.

"It has to be him."

"I recognize that carriage!"

Zhang Hu said with a laugh.

After entering Qingshui County, the carriage turned into an alley and stopped directly behind their wooden building.

Zheng Heda and Zhang Hu stepped out with umbrellas at that moment.

"Han Yuan."

"I knew you could kill Gao Yuan!"

Zheng Heda was ecstatic to see the man driving the carriage.

"I’ve slain Gao Yuan, and his body has been cremated in the ruined temple."

"Tan Bingren’s wife and son are still in the carriage. I’ll leave them to you."

Han Yuan said quickly.

It was only then that Zhang Hu noticed the terrible blade wound on Han Yuan’s chest. Realizing he must have been through a vicious fight, he quickly said, "Don’t worry, Constable Han. Leave it to me."

Han Yuan nodded, jumped off the carriage, and walked away into the downpour, his Cold Blade in hand.

Zhang Hu and Zheng Heda watched his retreating figure, speechless for a long moment.

...

Back home, Han Yuan applied some ointment to his wound, which immediately began to sting as if seared by fire.

But he paid it no mind, instead feeling a sense of refreshing clarity and exhilaration.

He replayed the recent battle with Gao Yuan in his mind, savoring the memory.

The thrill that came from a life-or-death battle seemed to transcend everything else.

It was only then that Han Yuan realized something. He had originally gone after Gao Yuan to avenge Han Jiudao.

He was, after all, the biological brother of this body’s original owner—they were connected by blood.

But now that he had killed Gao Yuan, he felt little of the satisfaction that was supposed to come with revenge.

The thrill of the battle, however, was something he savored endlessly.

’Could I be a natural-born savage?’

Han Yuan shook his head.

Gao Yuan might have been dealt with, but the matter was far from over.

But he wasn’t in a hurry. It could wait until tomorrow.

...

「The next day.」

Zhang Fang returned from his shift at the prison.

He planned to find Gao Yuan and ask about the previous night’s events, but he couldn’t find him at the County Yamen.

Zhang Fang asked around some more and discovered that Han Yuan hadn’t come back either.

He just figured the two of them hadn’t finished their business yet, paid it no mind, and went home to rest.

But when Zhang Fang pushed open the gate to his courtyard, he trembled.

A figure was sitting on the stone steps of the courtyard, watching him with a smile.

"Old Zhang, long time no see."

Han Yuan smiled.

A chill went down Zhang Fang’s spine.

He was a wily old veteran; for Han Yuan to appear so mysteriously, something was definitely wrong.

He instinctively wanted to run.

But Han Yuan simply pointed at the house.

The color instantly drained from Zhang Fang’s face. He walked weakly to Han Yuan’s side and sat down.

"I killed Gao Yuan last night."

"I know he was responsible for my brother’s death."

"You had a hand in it too, I imagine."

Han Yuan’s tone was casual.

But every word, every sentence, pierced Zhang Fang’s heart.

Abandoning all hope, he gave a bitter laugh. "You know everything?"

"More or less..."

"My brother ran into trouble because he was investigating the disappearances at the prison, right?"

Han Yuan asked.

"Yes..."

"Pretty much." Zhang Fang nodded, then asked, "You got any wine?"

"As a matter of fact, I brought some." Han Yuan produced a wine jug from behind his back.

Zhang Fang opened it without hesitation and took several large gulps before speaking. "Starting a year ago, Chief Constable Gao had me ’disappear’ more than a dozen prisoners from the jail each month. They all had to be young, able-bodied men."

"I would put them in an iron cage, cover it with a black cloth, and secretly transport them to a forest outside the city."

"After that, I was allowed to leave..."

"And those people... they would vanish without a trace."

Han Yuan asked, surprised. "Human trafficking?"

"I don’t know... I never dared to ask too many questions."

"You know how it is. Sometimes, the more you know, the faster you die."

Zhang Fang said with a bitter laugh.

"I see..."

Han Yuan was lost in thought.

With Gao Yuan dead and Zhang Fang ignorant of the full truth, getting to the bottom of this would be extremely difficult.

Zhang Fang continued, "Later, when Gao Yuan learned your brother was investigating the missing prisoners, he decided to kill him."

"He deliberately fed your brother false information, making him think Blood Eagle was committing crimes in the city."

"In reality, there was no Blood Eagle. It was just Gao Yuan in disguise. He lured your brother outside the city and murdered him."

"That way, it was done without anyone knowing."

Han Yuan nodded. "Indeed... I never imagined this was what happened."

"But you still found out, unfortunately." Zhang Fang shook his head slightly.

"So where is my brother’s body buried?"

Han Yuan asked.

"I heard Gao Yuan mention it once. He burned it to ashes."

Zhang Fang said.

At this point, he couldn’t be bothered to hide anything else.

Han Yuan sighed. "Anything else you want to say?"

"Han Yuan, families should be off-limits," Zhang Fang said gravely.

"Don’t worry, I just knocked them unconscious."

"They don’t know about any of this."

Han Yuan said lightly.

"They... they didn’t see your face, did they?" Zhang Fang asked cautiously.

"No, I was masked," Han Yuan said softly.

"That’s good..."

"Sigh... In the Martial World, your life is not your own."

Zhang Fang let out a long sigh, grabbed the wine jug, and began to drink frantically.

When the jug was empty... 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

A flash of a blade streaked across his neck.

Han Yuan left without a backward glance.

...

「In a stately residence」

Tan Bingren, the Vice Gang Leader of the Cyan Sand Gang, was pacing back and forth anxiously.

The previous night, he had received a message from a mysterious person.

The person claimed to have his wife and son.

But after that, there had been no further word.

’Hong’Er and our son really are missing.’

’But what does the person who took them actually want?’

Tan Bingren’s mind was in turmoil.

Just then, a servant came in to report.

"Master, the mistress has returned with the young master!"

Hearing this, Tan Bingren rushed out of the main hall.

Soon, he saw his wife and son.

After questioning her, Tan Bingren learned his wife knew nothing.

She only knew that she and her son had been knocked unconscious by a masked man.

When they woke up, they found themselves on a city street.

She had no idea what had happened in between.

Afterward, Tan Bingren sent men to investigate, but they found no clues.

He had no choice but to let the matter drop.