The Great Song Dynasty's Soul-Forging in Progress

Qin Tiehua gradually recovered his health under Liu Xinyi's careful care.

With the arrival of Shen Kuo, Wang Xiangjun's studies were enriched with new content.

The news of the tyrant Qiu Laohu's disappearance was like a thunderclap in December, leaving both the legitimate and criminal elements in Chenzhou stunned for a long time. The boatmen, porters, and peddlers who had suffered under Qiu Laohu's oppression in the past, after confirming that the tyrant was truly dead or alive and that his henchmen had scattered like monkeys after the fall of the tree, finally let out their long-suppressed resentment and joy. There was much discussion in the streets, and everyone said that justice would prevail.

However, the undercurrents beneath the surface are far more treacherous than the surface waves. Qiu Laohu, having cultivated a deeply entrenched network for many years, still commands several core henchmen in places like Xiaoyaojin, Zhaojiaji, and Dengchengzhai, despite losing their leader. These men, like headless venomous snakes, continue to writhe and retaliate.

"Young Master Wang has set rules: the toll fee has been reduced by 30%, and he's even designated a fair area for us to set up our stalls!"

"I heard that a few unruly hooligans tried to cause trouble the other day, and they were immediately dealt with by the manor's protection team...tsk tsk, they had a terrible time!"

"That's good, but I'm afraid... Qiu Laohu's remaining gang won't let this go."

The gossip in the marketplace naturally reached Wang Zhonghua's ears without missing a word. Standing on the newly built lookout platform at the ferry crossing, he looked down at the somewhat chaotic yet vibrant crowd below and said to Qin Tiedan, who was rubbing his hands together in anticipation, "Brother Tiedan, did you hear that? The human heart is like water; it can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Qiu Laohu's wrecked boat has sunk, but the silt beneath the surface is still bubbling."

Qin Tiedan frowned, his voice booming, "Brother, just tell me what you want me to do! My fists are itching to be punched! Every single one of those bastards, I'll beat them all into a cesspool and feed them to turtles!"

Wang Zhonghua smiled slightly, his gaze profound: "Simply smashing him will only make him a second Qiu Laohu. What we want is long-term stability and security at this ferry crossing, and even the entire Chenzhou water and land port. Therefore, we need both swift and decisive measures, as well as a compassionate heart—of course, for our own people. Try it and see!"

Qiu Laohu had three notorious henchmen: Zhao Zuosi, the "Smiling Wolf" who collected protection money in Xiaoyaojin; Qian Ba, the "Red Chain Snake" who managed the gambling dens and brothels in Zhaojiaji; and Sun Kui, the "Mad Dog" who specialized in violence in Dengchengzhai. These three were Qiu Laohu's right-hand men, and were utterly wicked.

Wang Zhonghua's strategy was simple: capture the leader first, strike the snake at its vital point.

Under the cover of darkness and high winds, Chenzhou City resembled a colossal beast crouching on the banks of the Huai River, secretly grinding its teeth and sucking blood.

Qiu Laohu's disappearance stirred up a storm within the belly of this behemoth. Zhao Zuosi, the leader of the "Three Fiends," upon receiving the news that very night, distributed the land deeds for three houses, five genuine and fake account books, and over a dozen slips of paper containing officials' secrets in six different locations. He understood the principle of "a cunning rabbit has three burrows," and even more so, the essence of "a burrow within a burrow."

His cunning was so great that even Qiu Laohu admired him, saying, "Zuo Si's head has three more holes than a fox's."

His first target was Chunxing, the top courtesan he had booked at the "Yihong Courtyard" in the north of the city. This woman seemed deeply in love with him, but in reality, she was bait he had laid out. The number of spies planted around the house exceeded the number of guards inside. Every night at midnight, Zhao Zuosi would send a secret letter. The contents of the letters varied widely, but the hidden mark at the end was the signal of his safety. If the mark was incorrect for two consecutive nights, Chunxing would immediately flee, and Zhao Zuosi would disappear completely.

The second hideout was a small boat on the Shahe River south of the city. The boatman was a fugitive he had rescued ten years ago, and he was extremely loyal to him. The boat was well-stocked with gold, silver, valuables, and forged documents. It was just waiting for his order to set sail, and they could escape Chenzhou in a day and a night.

His third hideout, and also his most secretive lair, was a dilapidated house in the slums of the eastern part of the city. It was his old residence before he rose to power, unknown even to Qiu Laohu. A secret passage was dug beneath the house, leading directly to an abandoned City God Temple three miles away. He had already instructed his trusted men to hide the most important account books and lists in the base of the City God's clay statue.

However, Zhao Zuosi never dreamed that his seemingly flawless plan was nothing more than a transparent spider web in Wang Zhonghua's eyes.

Three days ago, Wang Zhonghua sat in the secret room of "Wang Family Spicy Soup," with a map drawn by Lü Maoyi's reconnaissance team spread out in front of him. It was densely marked with Zhao Zuosi's whereabouts over the past three months: when he went to the gambling den to collect debts, when he went to the brothel to inspect, when he met with which official, and even which restaurant he ate what dishes and said.

"He thinks he's clever, but he's actually greedy." Wang Zhonghua pointed his long finger at the chart. "A truly clever person wouldn't appear in the same restaurant seven times in a row, much less order the same dish every time. This is to tell everyone that his life has a predictable pattern."

Lu Maoyi was utterly impressed. Their men, who were keeping watch, were almost ready to give up because Zhao Zuosi's movements were too elusive. But Wang Zhonghua saw a flaw in these elusive movements.

"The more erratic he tries to appear, the more it reveals what he's hiding," Wang Zhonghua said calmly. "The guards at his residence in the brothel rotate at a more regular pace than the government officials, which is abnormal in itself. The boats on the Shahe River south of the city deliver rice and vegetables on odd-numbered days, rain or shine, which is also abnormal. As for the old house in the east of the city…" He smiled slightly, "He goes there once a month, ostensibly to pay respects to his deceased mother, but his stay never exceeds the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Would a filial son be so hurried?"

"Which cave should we attack first?" Qin Tiedan asked in a deep voice. His towering figure stood in the shadows, like a fierce Vajra ready to pounce.

"Don't touch a single one." Wang Zhonghua shook his head. "It's better to lure the snake out than to disturb it. The fact that he has so many hiding places shows that he's afraid of death. People who are afraid of death will always leave themselves a way out. What we need to do is turn that door into his gate to hell."

Wang Zhonghua's plan, though seemingly simple, was fraught with hidden dangers.

He had Lü Maoyi fabricate several false rumors about "Qiu Laohu's henchmen betraying him," and deliberately spread the word that the government was about to seal off the Yihong Courtyard. Upon hearing this, Zhao Zuosi couldn't sit still. He was a born gambler, best at weighing pros and cons. In his view, the Yihong Courtyard was already exposed, and the boats on the Shahe River in the south of the city were too slow; only the old house in the east of the city was his last resort.

But he didn't expect that Wang Zhonghua had already calculated that he would go to the old house to retrieve the most important account books. Before retrieving the account books, he would definitely go to the brothel first to leave Chunxing a "safe" signal, so that if he were to escape, he would still have Chunxing as a backup plan.

That night, Zhao Zuosi, cloaked in black, sneaked into the backyard of the Yihong Courtyard like a ghost. He moved nimbly, landing silently, clearly having practiced martial arts. He didn't go through the main gate, but instead went around to the west wall, where there was a hidden door that he had personally modified. The door panel and the wall bricks fit together perfectly, almost invisible to the naked eye.

As soon as he pushed open the door, Chunxing's sweet voice came from inside: "Is that Master?"

"Hmm," Zhao responded thoughtfully, but alarm bells were ringing in his mind. It was too quiet. The Yihong Courtyard should have been bustling with music and revelry, but tonight it was eerily quiet. He paused, about to back away, when he saw a flicker of candlelight inside the room, illuminating a tall figure.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time." Wang Zhonghua's voice was as gentle as if he were catching up with an old friend, and the curve of his lips was exactly like Louis Koo's—of course, Zhao was too stupid to know Louis Koo.

Zhao Zuosi's pupils contracted sharply, and he reached back to close the door, but felt a tremendous force coming from the door panel, making his hand go numb. Qin Tiedan had appeared behind him at some point, one hand on the door, the heavy wooden door as light as cotton in his hand.

"You're asking for death, oh no, you little brat, you're really something else!" Qin Tiedan grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth. He didn't use any force at all, he just gently pushed the door forward, and Zhao Zuosi felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him, and he staggered and fell into the house.

Inside the room, Chunxing was tied to a chair, her mouth gagged with a strip of cloth, her eyes brimming with tears. Standing beside her were two of Lü Maoyi's brothers, holding short knives, the blades gleaming coldly in the candlelight.