The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 222 The Women Eat People, Gongsun Sheng Suffers Humiliation

[Guys, I've been busy these past few days, so my schedule is irregular, but I guarantee quality and quantity! I've updated with another 17,000 words today!]

Gongsun Sheng pressed his back against the cold wall, arrows whistling through his face, and he saw the deadly cold star approaching again!

Two sharp glints suddenly flashed in his eyes, and his left hand moved rapidly in front of his chest, the five fingers overlapping and changing like flowers—thumb pressing down on middle finger, ring finger clasping palm, index and little fingers pointing to the sky like swords and halberds!
A Taoist Demon-Subduing Seal was formed in an instant!
"Duh——!!"

A single word of truth resounded like a thunderclap from the heavens in the quiet alley!
The moment that word "du" was uttered, it was not a human voice, but seemed to carry the booming of a temple bell and the howling of a mountain wind!

Centered on his left hand, which was forming a hand seal, it exploded with a deafening roar!

Om-!
The air vibrated violently, like a stagnant pool where a giant rock had been thrown in!
The three wolf-tooth poisoned arrows fired in quick succession seemed to have struck an invisible and incredibly tough wall of air!

The arrow emitted a teeth-grinding, twisting sound, and its momentum suddenly decreased!
It hovered abruptly three feet in front of him, the arrowhead trembling violently and the fletching at its tail swinging wildly, as if it were being held tightly by an invisible hand!

The next arrow that came flying in crashed into it, but it was as if it were stuck in the mud, its speed greatly reduced, its trajectory skewed, and it hit the wall and the ground with a "crashing" sound, losing its deadly edge!
Gongsun Sheng stopped shooting, caught his breath, and his eyes flashed as he looked at the three-story "Cangchun Pavilion" embroidery building diagonally opposite.

Even though it was night, the air still carried a cloying, perfumed fragrance.

On the second floor, a carved wooden window with a crimson gauze curtain was half-open, and a wiry figure stood behind it, the bowstring of the iron bow still humming softly!

It was Shi Wengong!

"Hmph! You filthy rat, all you can do is hide in this brothel and shoot sneak attacks!" Gongsun Sheng sneered even more, his gaze sweeping across the fluttering crimson gauze curtain like lightning.

With a sudden movement of his left hand towards the window, he uttered the incantation, "Thunderfall!"

The night sky above, tinged red by the glow of the embroidered pavilion's lights, was completely still, not even a wisp of cloud in sight. But then, a crisp "crack!" rang out from mid-air, like a fine glass cup being snapped in two!
A thin, bluish-white lightning bolt, as thin as a chopstick yet dazzlingly bright, twisted and carried a burnt sulfur smell. It struck Shi Wengong squarely below the carved wooden window inlaid with mother-of-pearl, right next to the vermilion lacquered railing along the outer edge of the windowsill!
"Boom—crash!"

The fine hardwood railing, along with half a window frame, shattered with a crash!

The flying sawdust mixed with shattered mother-of-pearl, as well as rouge and powder spilled from inside the window, fruit shells and melon seeds, made it look like a pot had been boiled over!
The embroidered pavilion was an exquisite contraption meant to please distinguished guests. With the railing broken, the very spot where Shi Wengong stood collapsed instantly!
He moved with the agility of a cat, twisting his waist and kicking his legs the instant the lightning struck, attempting a "hanging upside down" to hook onto the window frame, but only managing to tear down half of the crimson gauze curtain!
He fell straight down with the collapsed railing and broken window frame, crashing heavily into a corner below where discarded dressing cases, old embroidered stools, and slop buckets were piled up!
"He really is a heretic!" Shi Wengong rolled and jumped up from the pile of cosmetics.

Although she wasn't seriously injured, her body was covered in red and white rouge powder, and a few strands of torn crimson yarn and a tattered mandarin duck-patterned undergarment clung to her hair. She looked utterly disheveled, and the anger in her eyes almost set the alley on fire.

Gongsun Sheng almost let out a cold laugh. Just as he was about to make another hand gesture to give this guy a hard time, he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps coming from the alley behind him, mixed with rude shouts and curses!
A quick glance back sent a jolt through me—a dense mass of strong, muscular men, at least twenty or thirty in total, all dressed in shorts, clutching long spears with white waxwood handles and iron-tipped clubs, completely blocking the alleyway!
Their steps were perfectly synchronized, clearly the result of military training.

"The wind is coming!" Gongsun Sheng sneered, showing no fear. His left hand flashed through a series of hand seals, forming the "Wind Seal," and his lips parted slightly, a true incantation about to be uttered—

But at that moment, a cacophony of shouts and curses erupted from above:
"You evil Taoist! Prepare to die! Here's your treasure!"

"Splash it!"

"Drizzle that old man to death!"

"Give Grandpa a good, refreshing bath!"

From the upturned eaves of the Cangchun Pavilion overhead, a series of shrill, raspy voices, like those of a duck, suddenly erupted!
At the same time, something was poured down on my head!
"Hmph! As expected! It's that filthy lime again! Do you think I, a Daoist, would fall into the same latrine twice?" Alarm bells rang in Gongsun Sheng's mind, his face showing a mocking expression, already on guard.

With his left hand forming a hand seal, he suddenly raised it upwards, and without hesitation, he shouted "Wind, come!" towards the top of his head. A gust of wind was already flowing from his fingertips, ready to sweep the disgusting powder back and teach the rats upstairs a lesson.

"Wind—uh?! Ugh...!"

The word "wind" had barely left his lips when an indescribable stench, strong enough to suffocate the living and bring the dead back to life, scalded his nostrils like a red-hot iron!

The smell was as strong as blood tofu wrapped around maggot-infested, rotting flesh.

It smelled like black dog blood that had been fermenting for ten days in the sweltering summer, with a cloying sweetness mixed with a rusty fishy smell, and a sour, rotten stench like a dead fish rotting in menstrual blood!

Behind the towering "Hidden Spring Pavilion" embroidered towers on both sides, with their upturned eaves and carved railings, a dozen or twenty guards from the Ximen Mansion emerged, their noses and mouths stuffed with thick gauze!
They stood on the windowsills, rode on the railings, or clung to the roof tiles, each one like a demon appearing in the world!

What he held in his hands was not a knife or a spear, but—

A huge wooden tub with a chipped rim! A filthy wooden bucket bound with iron hoops!
The lid is lifted.

"Splash—!!!" "Splash splash splash—!!!" "Pfft—!!!"

Dozens of pots! Dozens of buckets!
Like a celestial river overflowing its banks! Like a sea of ​​blood bursting its dam!
The filthy and foul-smelling mixture of blood and water poured down on Gongsun Sheng from all sides, front and back, up and down, relentlessly and without any blind spots, right over his head and face in the middle of the alley!

The entire narrow alley was instantly enveloped by this foul-smelling rain of blood!
hide?
Where to hide?
How can we hide from this overwhelming stench and blood?
As soon as Gongsun Sheng opened his mouth, he spat out the "Wind" incantation, instantly pouring a mouthful of filth into the boss's mouth!
"My goodness—!"

Gongsun Sheng felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, stars flashing everywhere, and the world spinning around him!
My internal organs were instantly churning, as if they were being gripped and rubbed by a hand covered in filth!

A surge of hot, sour liquid rushed from his stomach to his throat. He tried desperately to suppress it, but this only resulted in more violent retching and excruciating coughing! He coughed so hard he couldn't straighten up, and his face was covered in tears and snot!
The remaining half-truth on the tip of his tongue was abruptly blocked by the stench that pierced his very soul, choking him and turning into desperate "uh...uh...ugh—"

His nostrils were filled with a stench a thousand times stronger than that of corpses left to rot in a mass grave for a hundred days!
When this unprecedented filth and evil substance was poured over his head, the Taoist Qi flowing through his body was instantly melted away like snow being splashed with boiling water!

He saw stars before his eyes and could no longer hold on. With a thud, his knees slammed onto the dirty ground!

The ancient sword in his right hand clattered to the ground.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several large, coarse hemp nets, soaked in tung oil and emitting a pungent fishy smell, were thrown down from the alley entrance, the alley end, and even from the low rooftops on both sides, just like fishermen casting nets to catch fish and shrimp!
It covered Gongsun Sheng, who was covered in blood and filth and was kneeling on the ground vomiting uncontrollably!
"Close the net!" came a low growl.

The net tightened suddenly!

Caught off guard, Gongsun Sheng was tightly bound by the rough hemp rope that reeked of tung oil!

The more he struggled, the tighter the net rope tightened. The Taoist robe, stained with blood and filth, rubbed against the rough net rope, making a sticky "sizzling" sound, and wrapped him up like a "blood-stained rice dumpling" that emitted a terrible stench!
Each futile breath only inhaled more of the filthy blood dripping from the mesh and the stench of decay!
Forget about reciting incantations, even breathing became torture! All that could be made were weak, gasping sounds of struggle.

at the same time--

The spacious courtyard of the Ximen mansion was ablaze with lights, a scene that never sleeps!
“Bang—pop!”

"Whoosh—splash!"

The silver snakes danced wildly, illuminating the entire Qinghe County as bright as day!

The deafening explosion, the exclamations of the crowd, and the screams and laughter of the children blended into a cacophony that completely swallowed up and covered up everything that had happened in that filthy alley a few streets away—the stench, the struggle, and the muffled thud of the net being pulled in.

Under the dazzling lights of fireworks, Ximen Da Guanren stood in the middle, full of self-satisfaction.

He was already surrounded by a fragrant atmosphere, with soft, warm flesh gathered together:
Wu Yueniang, with her plump figure like a ripe peach, was so excited that her face flushed with spring. She nestled tightly against the master's left arm, and her warm, fragrant breath, carrying the scent of a mature woman, wafted into the master's nose.

Pan Jinlian squeezed to the right, wishing she could melt into the master's arms.

Her body exuded a seductive fragrance mixed with the scent of jasmine, and she spoke with a coquettish tone:

"Father! My dear father! The fireworks you set off are making my heart fly to the sky!" As she spoke, her soft and supple body pressed itself even closer to the master.

Meng Yulou stood a little further back, not as crowded as the others, but her eyes were also filled with tears as she gazed at the magnificent sky.

Even she, who was usually composed, couldn't help but feel her emotions surge at this moment.

In this world, women's lives are as worthless as grass. Have you ever seen a man who would go to such lengths for the women in his home?
Even if she shared this sentiment with someone else, it would be enough to make her heart tremble and melt with warmth.

When the women were deeply moved, they almost wanted to crush their husbands and melt them into their bodies, their voices like nightingales and the fragrance of their hair wafting through the air!
But at this very moment—

The servant, Ping An, hunched over like a frightened quail, cautiously squeezed through the fragrant crowd of women, approached them, and lowered his voice, trembling with tears, said:
"Uncle... Master Wu and Instructor Shi sent people to say... that little thing in the alley... has been... all cleaned up!"

Once the words were spoken!

brush!brush!brush!
Several gazes, sharper than knives and colder than ice, instantly fixed on Ping An! Several beautiful women frowned slightly, their eyes filled with displeasure at being disturbed.

Pan Jinlian'er's eyebrows shot up, her eyes filled with a look that seemed to want to devour Ping An alive.

Ping An felt a chill run down his neck. His face fell, and he was filled with remorse. He cursed inwardly, "Dai An! You son of a bitch! You didn't want to do this unlucky job yourself, but you made me take the fall!"

In the shadows of the corridor not far away, Dai'an crossed his arms, a cold smile playing on his lips. Looking at Ping'an's unfortunate state, he felt incredibly pleased: "You little brat, serves you right for trying to flatter the master before I did! You deserve it!"

His eyes darted around and he saw that the servant next to him was Wang Liu'er's brother, Wang Jing, who was still staring blankly at the fireworks in the sky, his mouth agape, almost drooling.

Dai'an raised his hand and slapped Wang Jing on the back of the head without any politeness, cursing, "What are you looking at! Are your eyes blinded by the fireworks? You have no sense of propriety! Come with me, tomorrow morning, we'll go to the martial arts arena together to report for duty and practice standing stances for Master Wu!"

Wang Jing shrank back when he was slapped, immediately regaining his senses. His face plastered with an extremely obsequious smile as he nodded and bowed, "Yes, yes, yes! Grandpa Dai is right! I'll go with you right away!"

He followed Dai'an eagerly, disappearing into the depths of the corridor.

Outside the back wall of Ximen's mansion, the courtyards of several families had long been completely "smoothed out" by the wealthy official using silver.

They bought several small courtyards, demolished the high walls, and leveled the ground.

From the outside, it doesn't look like anything special, but inside, a huge martial arts training ground has been carved out in Qinghe County, where land is extremely valuable!

The newly built wall still exuded the dampness of the white lime. Weapon racks, stone locks, and targets stood along the edge of the field. In one corner, there was even a simple stable where several strong horses were snorting restlessly. The air was filled with the mixed smell of fresh soil, sweat, and horse manure.

On the north side of the training ground, several main houses that originally belonged to other families were preserved, and the walls were knocked down to turn them into a spacious council hall.

At this moment, Master Ximen stood with his hands behind his back in front of the large window in the hall.

His gaze fell on a spot several feet away from him.

There, Gongsun Sheng was kneeling on the cold, hard, newly rammed earth.

Where is even a trace of the otherworldly elegance of the "Dragon Soaring into the Clouds"?

He was soaked to the bone, his blue cotton jacket and Taoist robe clinging to his body, patchy with dark and light colors, and dripping with murky black blood.

Her hair was disheveled and stuck to her pale face, with a few strands still clinging to her forehead, and water droplets rolled down the ends of her hair.

His body trembled slightly uncontrollably, whether from the chill of deep winter seeping into his bones or from the lingering, bone-chilling cold brought on by the filth. Worst of all, he would occasionally hunch his back abruptly, stretch his neck, and let out a series of heart-wrenching retching sounds, his shoulders heaving violently as if he were about to vomit up his internal organs.

His entire body was bound tightly from his shoulders to his ankles by several strands of palm rope soaked in tung oil, each as thick as a thumb. The ropes were wrapped around him like a pig being tied up for slaughter. The ropes cut deep into his soaked Taoist robe, causing his skin to dent and making him unable to move an inch.

Only the slight trembling and intermittent violent dry heaving proved that he was still alive.

The official frowned deeply, and his nostrils twitched slightly involuntarily.

A faint, almost imperceptible stench stubbornly penetrated several meters, seeping into his nostrils and causing the official's stomach to churn.

He subconsciously covered his mouth and nose with his right hand, which was adorned with an emerald ring, and took two steps back imperceptibly, distancing himself further from Gongsun Sheng.

"Tsk! He's pathetic!" The official looked at Gongsun Sheng in the distance. "He's supposed to be the top young talent in the Daoist sect, yet you should give him a few more buckets of water! This smell... it's still getting into my nose from this far away! It's awful!"

Shi Wengong quickly clasped his hands in a fist and respectfully replied, "Sir, we have already had people use well water to rinse it thirty or forty times! At first, the smell... was really too overpowering. None of the brothers wanted to get close. Even if they held their noses, they couldn't stand it and would vomit up their dinner from the night before."

"In the end, there was really no other way, so I had to... I had to use a thick lasso to put around his neck from a distance and let the horse drag him... drag him here." As he said this, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily, clearly the "taste" of being dragged was still fresh in his memory.

Upon hearing this, Wu Song, who was standing next to him with his arms crossed, a fierce-looking face, and wearing a tight-fitting black robe, grinned widely, revealing a set of white teeth, and chuckled.

The laughter carried a hint of schadenfreude from their past as street thugs. These wandering outlaws were most annoyed by these pretentious and mysterious sorcerers, and seeing them now was truly cathartic!
"Hehe, my lord, this saved me, Wu Er, a lot of punches and kicks! You didn't see the spectacle when that filthy stuff was poured down! Tsk tsk!"

He gestured towards Gongsun Sheng's direction with his lip: "If this evil Taoist hadn't been knocked down by this 'Five Yin Extinction Soup,' I, Wu Er, really wouldn't have had the guts to hit him with my fists! He's so filthy! If I touched him, I'm afraid it would take three days to wash away that evil smell!"

Upon hearing this, the official's brow relaxed slightly. Looking at the "living dumpling" in the distance—bound tightly as if just pulled from a ditch, still retching and trembling—a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth. He then gave the order to Shi Wengong:

"Fine, since it can't be rinsed clean, let's just leave it tied up and drying for now. Find a sheltered corner to lock it up, and be careful not to let it escape."

"And provide him with hot food and clean clothes; it would be such a waste for such a person to die."

Shi Wengong and Wu Song knew that their master was going to subdue this evil Taoist priest, so they both clasped their hands and said "Yes!"
The official continued, "If he's sober, tell him a few things: whether he wants to live or die. If he wants to live, make him think carefully about how to make me believe him!"

"Bring him to see me again when he's figured things out."

"Yes!" Shi Wengong and Wu Song clasped their hands in a fist salute.

The heavy weight that had been pressing on the official's heart finally lifted. When he returned to his residence, the moon was high in the sky and all was quiet.

As soon as he stepped through the gilded and painted moon gate of the inner courtyard, a sweet, warm breeze mixed with fragrance, cosmetics, and the scent of a woman rushed towards him, making him pause in his steps.

Jin Lian'er leaned against the chaise longue covered with a scarlet velvet carpet, wearing a light pink gauze dress that revealed half of her breasts and her jade legs. She lazily played with a round fan in her hand, but her eyes, which seemed to have hooks, were watery and sticky, clinging to the master. A lazy yet dangerous smile played on her lips.

Xiang Ling'er sat on an embroidered stool, seemingly serene, but her slightly rapid breathing, her rosy cheeks, and her almond-shaped eyes that occasionally stole glances at her, as if they were filled with two pools of spring water, had already betrayed her true thoughts.

Li Guijie wore a light green bodice covered by a thin veil, and her phoenix eyes stared at the official with a fiery, naked gaze, just like a mother leopard that hadn't eaten for three days seeing the freshest meat!

Those gazes, burning hot and viscous, brimming with undisguised desire and possessiveness, wove an invisible net of lust that descended upon us relentlessly!

Those predatory, lustful eyes of theirs made the official want to run away on the spot.

The dazzling display created by burning silver was merely a cover for the fight; it only served to completely ignite and fan the flames already burning in their backyard!
Who would have thought that upon returning to the mansion, the beautiful ladies would be so deeply moved!
This night.

Everyone used all their skills and tricks, and they all served their masters with their lives on the line. Even Yue Niang, who usually sat in the main room and was particular about etiquette, made an exception and stayed behind this time.

For a time, the air was filled with the sounds of warbling birds and the fragrance of perfumes and cosmetics.

That night, the official was completely enveloped by her jade-like arms and pink legs, taking turns tasting the cloves and smelling the lily fragrance. He truly experienced the feeling of "the spring night is too short and the sun rises high, from then on the emperor no longer holds morning court"!

The next morning, the official carefully withdrew from the powder array.

Looking at the large, carved rosewood bed, which was twelve feet wide, it was now filled with the exquisitely carved bodies of four people, their white arms and legs so large that there was not even a gap to put their feet in!
The aroma was so strong and enticing that it made me feel completely infused with the flavor.

The official gazed at his beloved concubines still fast asleep on the couch, and thought... it seemed he would have to find a skilled craftsman to make another magnificent sandalwood canopy bed, over three zhang long, to be truly at ease.

Early in the morning, just as dawn was breaking, winter frost still clung to the bluestone road.

Ximen, dressed in a brand-new official blue robe, with a jade belt tightly fastened around his waist and black boots with pink soles, stepped into the eerie and gloomy gate of the Criminal Investigation Bureau.

He appeared calm, but in his heart he was calculating the troublesome matter of Hua Zixu.

To be honest, I didn't have any deep feelings for this sworn brother—that guy was nothing but a good-for-nothing who relied on the influence of his deceased eunuch uncle and spent his days fighting cocks, chasing dogs, and sleeping with prostitutes.

But... Hua Zixu had a great deal of trust in his "elder brother" and a deep-seated fear of him. He was usually quite filial and would take advantage of any opportunity to make a quick buck.

Just as they passed through the ceremonial gate and around the mottled screen wall with the inscription "A Bright Mirror Hanging High," they saw that Magistrate Xia had also arrived early and was pacing back and forth at the entrance of the signing room with his hands behind his back.

Upon seeing the important official, his small eyes immediately lit up. He rushed forward, grabbed the official's arm, and spoke in a warm, low voice:

"Oh my! My dear brother Ximen! You've finally arrived! What a stroke of luck! An incredible stroke of luck!"

Xia, the magistrate, exhaled a breath reeking of stale alcohol mixed with strong tea, his face beaming with undisguised excitement. "We've caught him! The real culprit is down! Quick, come with me to interrogate that Hua Zixu! This case is almost closed!"

The official was being pulled along, but he didn't move.

He frowned almost imperceptibly, looking at Xia Tixing's eagerness to claim credit, and knew perfectly well who the "real culprit" was.

"Brother Xia, wait a moment." The official spoke softly, with a hint of helplessness, "To tell you the truth, this Hua Zixu... is my sworn brother whom I kowtowed to."

"Oh?" Xia Tixing's smile froze instantly, and the grip on the official's arm loosened slightly.

The official sighed and continued, "I know this man well. He's nothing but a spoiled brat who spends his days eating, drinking, having fun, cockfighting, dog racing, and indulging in debauchery."

He shook his head slightly: "As for his background, it can be considered clean. He is the nephew of a steward named Eunuch Hua in the palace back then. Lord Xia, think about it, how could such a good-for-nothing who only knows how to wallow in the world of women and whose hands tremble even when killing a chicken be capable of handling such a major case of confiscating property?"

"Brother Ximen... judging from your tone... could it be... could it be that you're thinking of... letting him pass?"

The official remained noncommittal, merely glancing over with a slight smile: "What's your brilliant idea, Brother Xia?"

Xia, the magistrate, shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum.
"Brother Ximen! Release him? Absolutely not! I dare not agree to such a thing! Do you want to lose your head?"

He glanced around and whispered, "If... if the higher-ups weren't pushing so hard, if they hadn't put this case on the spot, then it would be fine! I'll listen to you, brother! Find an excuse, turn a blind eye, and release them whole, it's not something we can't do!"

He abruptly changed the subject, a cold smile like frost spreading across his face: "But now... things are completely different! Brother! Touch the top of your head! That's the birthday tribute for Grand Tutor Cai!"

"The urgent summonses, written in black and yellow, are coming one after another! Solve the case within a limited time! Our official hats and our heads are all tied to this case!"

"The deadline is fast approaching in Jeju Prefecture. If we don't solve the case soon, we brothers will have to take the blame!" He took a deep breath, his eyes turning like poisoned knives. "If... if we can't catch the 'real' killer, we won't be able to fill this hole..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping menacingly over the official's shoulder, his voice so cold it could drop ice shards, "Then we can only... use this ready-made 'scapegoat'... to take the fall! Either way we're going to die, at least someone will take the blame, and we brothers can get away with it!"

A ruthless smile crept across Xia Tixing's oily face: "When the time comes, we'll turn his house upside down! Who cares if the silver is an heirloom or something else? We just need to find some white stuff, take a file, and smooth out those unsightly marks! Heh, wouldn't that make it the 'birthday tribute'?"

"That a huge responsibility is off the hook! As for what happens afterward," Xia Tixing let out a few dry, cold laughs, the chill in his voice sending shivers down one's spine, "If you want to blame someone, you can only blame Hua Zixu for being destined for this calamity. His birth chart was too strong, it brought him death! Heh heh."

He glanced sideways at the high-ranking official with his beady green eyes, and slowly added a sentence with a detached indifference that seemed to have seen through the ways of the world: "But in this world, there are plenty of people whose lives are more bitter than bitter herbs and whose luck is thinner than paper! The mass grave won't be any different from the stinking body of Hua Zixu who died unjustly! One more or one less won't make a difference!"

The official remained silent for a few moments, then clasped his hands in a fist and smiled, saying, "Then... as you say, let's wait and see. Don't use any 'methods' on him these next few days. If the case in Jizhou Prefecture really can't be closed, and I can't find the person in charge..."

"Then I'll let Brother Xia do whatever he wants with me! I won't say a word!"

Xia Tixing then withdrew his stern expression, replaced by a greasy grin, and patted the official's shoulder heavily with his thick, oily hand: "That's more like it! Brother, brother! Who are we now? Officials!"

"Who do they think they are? It's not worth risking your future and your life for such filthy scum! It's not worth it!"

The official laughed and said, "Lord Xia's words are golden and wise, each one a wake-up call."

"Hahaha, easy, easy!" Xia Tixing was full of pride and laughed heartily. He patted the official's shoulder hard, then, satisfied, he turned around and strolled back to the signing room with his belly protruding.

The official stood there, shook his head, and said that Hua Zixu could only blame his bad luck.

It's not that we don't want to save him, but at this critical juncture, we can only let this confused brother "enjoy" a few more days of peace and quiet in jail.

With his influence intact, Magistrate Xia wouldn't dare to really push him to the brink of death for the time being.

The most important thing right now is to quickly liquidate that hot potato of 100,000 taels of silver! That's the most important thing!

When Master Ximen returned to his residence, he instructed Dai'an to summon Shi Wengong and Wu Song.

Soon the two men arrived and bowed to the official.

"Please have a seat, both of you!" The official looked at Shi Wengong and Wu Song, who were sitting at the lower seat: "This shipment of goods can't be stored in the warehouse for long. We need to find a place to dispose of it properly. What are your suggestions?"

Shi Wengong, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, stepped forward with his fists clasped, his voice carrying the crispness of a soldier: "Please allow me to report, sir. We have no shortage of gleaming silver. It's all top-quality official ingots, hard currency!"

“Find a quiet furnace, melt it a little, turn it into molten silver that has no bottom, and then cast it into ordinary silver ingots.”

"If you find it too troublesome, find a few good files and puncture those unsightly official seals and fire loss marks until they are unrecognizable! Once the marks are gone, it is just ownerless floating property!"

He paused, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "I know Zengtou City inside and out! They only care about the money, not its origin. Take this 'clean' silver there, and you can bring back cartloads of top-quality armor, powerful bows, and crossbows, let alone horses!"

Shi Wengong frowned slightly and looked at the official. "Those glittering jewels, jade bracelets, mutton fat jade pendants, antique calligraphy and paintings from the previous dynasty... Zengtou City probably finds it troublesome to sell them and is not very willing to buy them. Even if they do buy them, the price will be greatly discounted."

The official grunted, neither confirming nor denying, and turned his gaze to Wu Song, who stood beside him with his arms crossed and a cold expression: "These things can't possibly be sold on the black market in the capital. Wu Er, do you have a place to go?"

Wu Song grinned: "My lord, those 'refined items' that Instructor Shi worries about are much easier to 'transfer' than silver in my eyes!"

“There are a few shady places that can handle this. There’s a place called Happy Forest, a mixed bag of all sorts of people. There are a few pawnshops and antique shops that are all bark and no bite, but their owners have connections everywhere. They specialize in buying these kinds of ‘good items that wealthy people have accidentally left behind’! As long as the goods are good enough, the price… will naturally attract people who are willing and able to pay!”

(End of this chapter)