The First Sage of Military Strategists

Chapter 35 Shi Changsan

After giving his instructions, Yang Wu didn't linger and turned to leave.

Han Qing recalled the scenes from just now, and three words popped into his mind: Refiner of the Spirit.

The old man had just cast some kind of illusion on him. He had read about the characteristics of various schools of thought in Master Fang's book, including the Legalist school, which had the ability to interrogate the mind.

The scene described in the book was so similar to what he had just witnessed.

When an ordinary person falls into such an illusion, it's as if they're being judged by the heavens, and they'll be filled with immense fear, naturally answering any question asked.

What makes him special is that, firstly, he possesses an unknown killing intent that can dispel fear, and secondly, he is also a cultivator of spirit, whose resistance to illusions far surpasses that of ordinary people.

Therefore, he was able to break free quickly. If it weren't for these two points, all his secrets would probably have been exposed by that old man surnamed Cheng.

Whether it's killing Wan Fuchun or possessing the Seven Killings Stele, any leak of either of these would pose a fatal threat to him.

"Luo Sheng! This traitor should be executed!"

Han Qing clenched his fist silently. He stepped forward, recalling the rumors he had heard about Luo Sheng.

"To become a headman in the yamen, one's cultivation level must be at least at the third level. This Luo Sheng is probably at the fourth level."

"If I want to kill him, I need to be at least at the third level of the Dao Realm, and then use the Refining Spirit Technique to have a chance of winning."

"Although it's not possible right now, with the Seven Killings Stele's help, that day won't be far off, and that old thief will definitely die in my hands!"

Han Qing pondered, his desolate figure gradually disappearing at the street corner.

...

At this moment, Luo Sheng and Cheng Xiu were walking side by side on another street.

"Cheng Xiu, you are a cultivator of the Dao and a master of spiritual refinement. How could you fail to understand the mind of a sixteen-year-old boy?" Luo Sheng raised an eyebrow.

Although Cheng Xiu was blind, his walking was not affected at all, and he walked steadily.

He frowned slightly: "This young man has an overwhelming killing intent in his heart. Such a person is crazy. It is normal for him to fail. Moreover, the art of questioning the mind is not guaranteed to succeed. It may also fail when facing ordinary people."

"Is this kid crazy? No wonder there have been rumors in the government that he likes to kill people," Luo Sheng pondered.

"Do I need to question him again?" Cheng Xiu asked.

“No need. Yang Wu has already noticed this. If we continue to interrogate him, it might cause trouble. I have many suspects in my mind, and this kid is just one of them,” Luo Sheng said calmly.

...

While passing through the market, Han Qing ran into Li Tai again.

The poor man was still unshaven, dressed in tattered clothes, and looked very destitute.

But compared to last time, his eyes were sharper, and he exuded a murderous aura when he looked at people.

"Brother Li, you're not going hunting anymore?"

“I’m not going. Yingzi died at the hands of that Yin-Yang Scholar. I must catch that villain and make him confess and be brought to justice!” Li Tai’s eyes were firm.

"After selling this last spirit deer, I'll go to the Zhou family's forge and buy a longsword. One day, I'll cut off the Yin-Yang Scholar's head..."

Han Qing carried a black fish away, and Li Tai's voice drifted behind him.

This man was destined for misery; from now on, he would only live for hatred.

Go home.

Han Qing and his parents cooked a simple dinner together.

"Father, how is Xinglin Hall doing lately? Are the constables still coming to search every day?" Han Qing took a big gulp of warm fish soup.

"It's been gone since you became a cleaver. However, Wan Chun Tang recently got a new manager, Shi Chang San, who was the leader of the Green Snake Gang a few years ago. He was imprisoned for five years and was recently released. I don't know why he became the manager of Wan Chun Tang. The few surviving small pharmacies in the city are still having a hard time. That Shi Chang San is an unreasonable and domineering person," Han Cheng said.

Han Qing also recalled information about the Green Snake Gang. A few years ago, there was a saying circulating among the people of Baiyun County: "Outside the city lies Black Cloud Mountain, inside lies the Green Snake Gang." One robbed outside the city, while the other oppressed the people inside. Later, County Magistrate Qi Chong arrived and wiped out the Green Snake Gang with lightning speed that same year. Shi Changsan, as the hall master, did not die but was imprisoned.

This person also had a terrible reputation in the city. In his early years, he bullied men and women and was extremely tyrannical.

Han Qing made up his mind. Luo Sheng's interrogation of his secrets had already threatened his life. How could he swallow this insult?

Since we can't touch Luo Sheng, let's target Shi Changsan and make Luo Sheng pay the price.

As for feasibility, he had previously reviewed Shi Changsan's records in the government office, and he was only at the second level of the Body Dao realm; otherwise, he wouldn't just be a hall master. He was extremely confident that he could win.

So, at the dinner table, Han Qing didn't say a word, but he had already made up a whole plan in his mind.

The next day.

After the two elders left, Han Qing did not practice martial arts at home. Instead, he got up and went outside for a walk, silently planning his route.

That night.

A wind rose from the horizon.

Han Qing, his face covered with a black cloth, crept toward a courtyard on Dangyang Street. This was Shi Changsan's residence after he was released from prison, a fact known to everyone in the Dangyang Street area.

He leaped into the air, and with the blessing of the Great Perfection Wild Goose Technique, he silently jumped onto the top of the wall, and then leaped onto the roof. He then slowly drew his sword, quietly lay in wait, and waited for Shi Changsan to return.

As midnight approached, Han Qing waited for an hour before his prey finally appeared.

From a distance, he heard a rough man's shouts drifting over.

"Damn it, I'll go urge him again tomorrow. I heard that old Zhang from Ankang Lane is a tough nut to crack. If Wan Fuchun can't take him down, I'll do it and show Luo Sheng what I'm capable of!"

The speaker seemed to be drunk; Han Qing could faintly hear a tremor in his voice.

"Master Shi is very clever. That old Zhang will have to send over the secret recipe sooner or later."

"Uncle Shi, we're home!"

The door was pushed open, and Han Qing squinted, his whole body tense, like a cheetah poised to pounce.

He saw two people, the middle one being a strong man with tattoos on his face, who was none other than Shi Changsan.

The two men beside him were of thin build and were Shi Changsan's attendants.

Shi Changsan was drunk, and his body reeked of cheap perfume, clearly indicating that he had been out partying at a brothel.

As the three reached the eaves, Han Qing suddenly leaped up, descended from the sky, and raised his hand with a knife.

With the blessing of the Great Perfection Hundred-Crack Blade, this long sword was wielded with incredible speed and ferocity.

Under the moonlight, the shadows of blades stretched endlessly, forming a circular arc that swept past the three figures with a whistling sound.

This knife is too fast and too sharp.

So much so that none of the three had time to dodge or even let out a scream before their heads were severed and fell to the ground.

thump!
The three corpses fell to the ground one after another, blood gushing out like a fountain.

Han Qing hadn't expected to win so easily, but then he thought about it and realized that with so many advanced martial arts skills at his disposal and the advantage of a sneak attack, he was naturally able to win easily.

Three points of light appeared on the Seven Killings Stele.

Han Qing didn't have time to examine them closely. He quickly searched the three bodies from top to bottom and found two taels of silver and a key. This key opened a house to the east.

He went inside and searched carefully, then went out and searched the nearby houses as well, finally finding more than three taels of silver.

After doing all this, Han Qing turned and left. After circling around a few times, he sneaked back home, where his parents were already asleep.

He soaked the clothes in tung oil he had prepared beforehand to mask the smell, then quickly changed into the standard long robes of the yamen's executioner before going to bed.

(End of this chapter)