Chapter 26: The Death of Zheng Xuancheng, Waking Up to a Fallen Sky
Chapter 26: Chapter 26: The Death of Zheng Xuancheng, Waking Up to a Fallen Sky
The crossbows used by the Jing’an Guard were no ordinary military-grade Strong Crossbows. They were Breaking Gang Crossbows, designed specifically to deal with Martial Artists. Their range was longer, their power greater, and they could even pierce a Martial Artist’s Innate True Qi. Faced with a massive volley, even a master of the Wandering Dragon Realm would have to dodge, unwilling to take the assault head-on.
The Crossbow Arrows shrieked through the air. They punched clean through wooden pillars, blasted stone from the walls, and sent any servant unfortunate enough to be hit flying more than ten meters, their organs ruptured.
"You’re courting death!"
Seeing his own subordinates dare to attack him, Zheng Xuancheng became instantly enraged. He circulated his Inner Strength, his body flickering as he dodged the arrows and charged forward. "You think a bunch of trash like you can kill me?"
’Accusing him of colluding with the Profound Yellow Sect was a clear attempt to brand him a traitor and destroy his family. He couldn’t possibly surrender. If he could just kill Pei Shaoqing and get to Noble Consort Wan, he might still gain her protection and find a way to survive this.’
Zheng Xuancheng, at the late stage of Qi Condensation, held an overwhelming advantage over a group of Body Refining Realm Martial Artists. Even with the Breaking Gang Crossbows harassing him, he was fighting like a cornered beast, unleashing every trump card he had. For a moment, he seemed utterly unstoppable.
At least, until his Inner Strength ran out.
"My Lord?" Gongsun Yi looked toward Pei Shaoqing.
Pei Shaoqing’s expression didn’t change. He calmly watched the slaughter unfold before him and said coolly, "No rush."
’I have to let Zheng Xuancheng kill a few people. Otherwise, how can I demonstrate his viciousness and guilty conscience?’
’If you aren’t a rebel from the Profound Sect, why are you resisting arrest?’
Only after watching Zheng Xuancheng kill three men and wound several more did he speak. "Sect Leader Gongsun, you may make your move."
"Yes!" Gongsun Yi acknowledged. With a light tap of his toes, he shot forward like a streak of light. His longsword left its sheath, its vicious gleam tearing through the curtain of rain as it aimed straight for Zheng Xuancheng’s throat.
The rain vaporized into mist wherever he passed.
"External projection of True Qi... A Wandering Dragon Realm master!" Zheng Xuancheng’s face drained of color. He scrambled to defend himself, but having already spent so much of his Inner Strength, he was forced back step by step by Gongsun Yi.
The longsword in Gongsun Yi’s hand glowed with an eerie blue light, its dance keeping the rain at bay. His projected True Qi tore through the air with a series of sonic booms. Soon, Zheng Xuancheng took a palm strike, spat out a mouthful of blood, and was sent flying to the ground.
He tried to rise, but with a single stride, Gongsun Yi was before him, the tip of his sword pressed against his throat. Feeling its icy touch, he froze, not daring to move.
"CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!" Pei Shaoqing slowly raised his hands to applaud. He strolled toward the two men, praising, "Sect Leader Gongsun, what fine Swordsmanship. What a masterful Palm Technique."
"Young Master Pei," Zheng Xuancheng demanded, his face a mask of grief and indignation, still clinging to a sliver of hope, "I have never slighted you in any way. Why are you doing this to me!"
"Is that so?" Pei Shaoqing offered a slight smile. He stepped forward to look down on the man, asking in a low, careless voice, "Then who sent Xu Zhiyong?"
The words struck Zheng Xuancheng’s ears like a clap of thunder. His eyes flew open, his body locked rigid as if struck by a sledgehammer. All the color drained from his face.
Young Master Pei waved a hand, his expression unreadable.
SHLICK!
Gongsun Yi’s sword plunged into Zheng Xuancheng’s throat.
"I... We all... misjudged you."
Blood bubbled from Zheng Xuancheng’s mouth as he glared fixedly up at Pei Shaoqing, forcing out the words in a broken, halting rasp.
’How ridiculous.’
’He and County Magistrate Wang had been so ridiculous.’
’It turned out Pei Shaoqing had been in control of everything all along.’
’At the same time, he felt an immense, stifling indignation. This was the fucking brainless fop Noble Consort Wan had described? The one who was useless in both scholarly and martial pursuits, who knew nothing but feasting, drinking, whoring, and gambling?’
’I can’t accept this! I really can’t accept this!’
"PTHOO!"
Overcome by a surge of rage, he coughed up another spray of blood, and Zheng Xuancheng breathed his last. His eyes, however, remained wide and staring.
"Search the premises! Take everyone in the Zheng Mansion into custody and interrogate them thoroughly," Pei Shaoqing commanded.
"Aah! We’ve been framed! My Lord, have mercy!"
"We don’t know anything, My Lord!"
Hearing the order, the residents of the Zheng Mansion let out a collective wail. They all dropped to their knees in the rain, kowtowing and crying out for mercy.
Pei Shaoqing remained expressionless, turning a deaf ear to their pleas. As thunder cracked behind him and the storm raged, he kicked aside the Zheng Mansion’s steward who stood in his way and strode inside.
"My Lord! My Lord! We have a discovery!" Sun Youliang came running over, clutching a wooden box. He presented it to Pei Shaoqing and said, "We found this in Zheng Xuancheng’s study."
Pei Shaoqing glanced inside. It was filled with letters and documents related to the Profound Yellow Sect, along with the Token of the Sub-Squad Leader for the sect’s Tongzhou Branch. ’That crafty bastard, County Magistrate Wang, clearly wanted Zheng Xuancheng to take the fall for him.’
’By giving the Court the false impression that the Profound Yellow Sect’s Tongzhou Branch had suffered a major blow, and with the County Magistrate’s collusion, the sect’s future activities in Tongzhou would be even safer.’
’Of course, he didn’t mind helping County Magistrate Wang out.’
’After all, it meant even more credit for him.’
That night, two servants from the Zheng Mansion broke under torture and confessed to being members of the Profound Sect. They also identified Zheng Xuancheng as the Sub-Squad Leader of the Profound Sect’s Tongzhou Branch.
These were, of course, men planted by County Magistrate Wang. He had also arranged for a mole within the Profound Yellow Sect to "report" Zheng Xuancheng to Pei Shaoqing. Otherwise, how would Pei Shaoqing explain to his superiors how he had discovered Zheng Xuancheng’s identity?
The collaboration was fruitful for both parties. Everyone was happy.
Even Zheng Xuancheng got something out of it: death. He got to skip several decades of life’s detours and die a "natural" death.
Pei Shaoqing stayed up to write a letter, ordering Sun Youliang to personally deliver it, along with the two servants’ confessions and the evidence seized from the Zheng Mansion, to the Prefecture Thousand Households.
By the time he finished, it was the fourth watch of the night, and the sky was beginning to lighten. The rain had subsided into a fine, hair-like drizzle.
"My Lord, you’ve been up all night. Please go and get some rest," Song Youcai said as he entered with a cup of tea.
Pei Shaoqing took the cup and had a sip. Setting it down, he stood and stretched lazily. "I am a little tired," he said. "I’m leaving this place in your hands. Have all the blood scrubbed clean from my house; I don’t want any bad luck when I move in. Over the next two days, find me a new batch of servants to staff the mansion. And change the plaque on the front gate. Who gave Zheng Xuancheng the nerve to hang his family’s sign on my house?"
The last time he was here, he’d thought the residence already felt like his.
"Yes, My Lord. Take care," Song Youcai replied.
Pei Shaoqing walked out with Ye Hanshuang and Gongsun Yi. Once they were outside, Ye Hanshuang, who had been silent the entire night, finally asked, "Big Brother, haven’t you forgotten someone?"
"’You mean Chen Zhongyi?’ Pei Shaoqing, who had of course not forgotten, chuckled. ’He must be kept alive. With Hundred Households Commander Zheng gone, keeping him alive is not only harmless to me, but advantageous.’"
’Originally, I was planning to kill them all. But now that I’ve reached an agreement with County Magistrate Wang, killing just the ringleader, Hundred Households Commander Zheng, is enough. Chen Zhongyi gets to keep his wretched life.’
"Why?" Ye Hanshuang didn’t understand. To her, anyone who tried to kill you should be eliminated, down to the last one.
But first, her Big Brother hadn’t killed County Magistrate Wang, instead choosing to cooperate with him. And now he was sparing Chen Zhongyi’s life as well.
’She felt her Big Brother’s methods had become much more formidable recently.’
Pei Shaoqing spoke with an air of casual indifference. "Xu Zhiyong and Zheng Xuancheng both died by my hand. If Chen Zhongyi isn’t a fool, he’ll wonder why he’s still alive. Once he figures it out, he’ll come to me on his own, begging to be my dog."
"Now that Zheng Xuancheng is dead, the higher-ups are sure to send an acting Hundred Households Commander to take his place. If Chen Zhongyi were also dead, wouldn’t this acting commander be free to install his own men? But as long as Chen Zhongyi also answers to me, I can control the entire Hundred Households. I’ll be a Standard-Bearer in name, but a Hundred Households Commander in practice."
’Chen Zhongyi is just a pawn with no power to choose. Killing him would bring me no satisfaction, no feeling of revenge, and certainly no tangible benefits.’
’So, instead of taking his life, why not use him until he drops? Work him to death! I’ll dump all the dirty work, the tedious jobs, the tasks that make enemies, right on his shoulders.’
’And if he drops dead from exhaustion one day, I won’t lose any sleep over it.’
Ye Hanshuang came to a sudden understanding. ’Big Brother is so smart.’
’So troublesome, though.’
’Good thing I only have to fight and not think.’
"Young Master, you are truly farsighted, your plans are swift and decisive," Gongsun Yi complimented with genuine admiration.
Pei Shaoqing smiled. "You’ve worked hard tonight, Sect Leader Gongsun. You may return to Bazhou tomorrow."
’He no longer had a use for Gongsun Yi here.’
’Besides, Gongsun Yi was surely preoccupied with the Iron Sword Sect. Forcing him to stay would only create friction.’
"Yes, My Lord!" Gongsun Yi replied at once.
The first thing Pei Shaoqing did upon returning home was to have the steward, Chen Youfu, and all the other servants Zheng Xuancheng had planted there thrown out that very night. ’After all,’ he thought, ’who knows if some loyal servant might try to avenge their master by poisoning my food or wine?’
............
Chen Zhongyi had gotten drunk the previous night. He had gone home, collapsed into bed, and only learned what had happened when a subordinate came to his door with the news. It felt as if his world was collapsing.
His vision swam, and the world spun around him. He nearly collapsed, but his subordinate was quick enough to catch him. "My Lord, are you all right?"
"I’m fine." Chen Zhongyi waved a hand and collapsed into a chair, his face ashen as he stared blankly into space.
Though it was the height of summer in the seventh month, an icy chill crept through his limbs. ’Of course, I don’t believe for a second that Hundred Households Commander Zheng was the Sub-Squad Leader of the Profound Yellow Sect’s Tongzhou Branch. That means there’s only one reason he died at Pei Shaoqing’s hands.’
’The same goes for Xu Zhiyong, who died a few days ago!’
"He knows, he knows everything," Chen Zhongyi muttered to himself, breaking out in a cold sweat.
"My Lord, My Lord, what’s the matter?" his subordinate asked, full of confusion and concern.
Chen Zhongyi couldn’t hear a word his subordinate was saying. His heart was pounding with terror. ’Am I next? If Pei Shaoqing wanted to kill me, he wouldn’t need a plan as complicated as the one he used on Hundred Households Commander Zheng.’
’Wait!’
’He had a sudden flash of insight. Yes, it would have been far easier to kill him, yet Pei Shaoqing hadn’t.’
’He didn’t even take the opportunity last night to have me "commit suicide in fear of my crimes" by taking eight stabs to the back. That means he doesn’t want to kill me!’
’I’m still useful to Young Master Pei!’
He breathed a huge sigh of relief at the realization.
He gasped for air, like a man who had narrowly escaped death.
He instinctively rose to his feet, ready to go to Pei Shaoqing to apologize, confess, and pledge his loyalty. But after only two steps, he stopped.
’I can’t just go empty-handed.’
’After all, he did spare my life.’
’I need to prepare a hefty gift, or a pledge of fealty.’