Chapter 73: Chapter 69: The Snare

After returning from the Zhou Institute, Chen Qing hadn’t even had a chance to change out of his training clothes when a knock sounded at the door.

“And you are?”

Chen Qing came out and opened the door to see a man in plain clothes with an Arresting Officer’s Waist Token hanging from his waist.

The sturdy man smiled and said, “Brother Chen, I’m Zhao Yousan, your next-door neighbor. I’m busy with official duties, sleeping during the day and working at night, so we haven’t had a chance to meet since you moved in. I’ve come today specifically to congratulate you on your breakthrough. It’s just a small token of my esteem.”

As he spoke, he took out five taels of silver.

He had just finished his morning roll call and was passing the Zhou Institute when he heard the news. He immediately rushed over to the Chen Family’s home without stopping.

’To think that Changping Street has produced a Transmutation Force master, and he’s even my neighbor,’ he thought. ’I naturally have to build a good relationship with him.’

“You’re too kind, Brother Zhao.” Chen Qing smiled, but he didn’t refuse the gesture.

Seeing this, the smile on Zhao Yousan’s face deepened.

’Sometimes, accepting the silver can actually strengthen the bond between people.’

’It’s an investment on their part, and it establishes at least a nodding acquaintance.’

After a few words of small talk, Zhao Yousan tactfully took his leave.

Like a stone dropped into a calm pond, the news of his breakthrough to Transmutation Force had, in just half a day, silently spread to certain discerning ears throughout Gaolin County.

The first to arrive were mostly from the shops on Changping Street, or stewards from wealthy households.

They were all smiles, their words respectful. The congratulatory gifts they offered weren’t particularly valuable, but their merit lay in the sentiment and their timeliness: exquisite porcelain, a few bolts of shimmering silk, or a heavy envelope containing several taels of patterned silver.

The stewards would say, “It’s a meager gift, hardly worth mentioning,” but their eyes held a mix of awe and a desire to curry favor.

Chen Qing cupped his fist in thanks to each one, his expression calm and devoid of any arrogance. He only instructed Ms. Han to record their names and accept the gifts.

Immediately after, the Han Family and the Li Family from the Five Great Races also sent people with gifts.

Their gift lists were clearly much more substantial. They mostly sent Blood Qi Pills, and the silver started at ten taels.

These people were more cautious, their words carrying clear undertones of probing and recruitment.

Chen Qing remained composed, responding without being either servile or overbearing as he accepted the gifts.

The stream of visitors coming and going never stopped for a moment.

Zhou Liang’s good friends, Shen Zhenzhong and Liu Ze, both sent their disciples with gifts.

As the sun began to set, the last visitor arrived.

The visitor was the steward from the Cheng Family, whom Chen Qing had met twice before.

When the steward saw Chen Qing, a sincere yet somewhat nervous smile appeared on his face. He bowed deeply. “Master Chen! Congratulations! This is wonderful news!”

Chen Qing said, “You’re too kind.”

Steward Cheng took out a red cloth bundle from his robes. “Master Chen, my Patriarch was overjoyed when he heard you’d broken through to Transmutation Force! The Patriarch says you’re a talent the likes of which Gaolin County hasn’t seen in a hundred years. The Cheng Family may be a small household, but this sentiment… we sincerely hope you’ll accept it!”

On the red cloth rested a hundred-tael silver note.

Chen Qing cupped his fist and said, “I thank the Patriarch for his generosity!”

Afterward, the Cheng Family’s steward departed.

“This is some really nice stuff…”

Ms. Han caressed the smooth silk, all of it feeling like an unreal dream.

Just over a year ago, she was still worrying about the grain her son consumed for his martial arts training, calculating whether she needed to stay up all night weaving more fishing nets.

Back then, a bowl of thick porridge or a piece of clothing without patches were luxuries that required careful budgeting.

But now, people were showing up with lavish gifts and beaming smiles, practically climbing over each other to press silver into their hands.

Chen Qing briefly sorted through everything.

Of course, his main concern wasn’t who had sent a gift, but who hadn’t.

“Ah Qing…”

Ms. Han’s voice trembled slightly. Looking at all the items, she whispered, “Did people send all this? Just because you… you mastered that ’Force’ thing?”

“Mother, it’s Transmutation Force,” Chen Qing corrected her calmly. “Put these away.”

Ms. Han acknowledged him, her face still a mixture of surprise and joy. Then she asked, “Oh, right, Auntie Cuihua told me the older generation in the bay wants to rebuild the Dragon King Temple. Are you going to go when the time comes?”

The Dragon King Temple held extraordinary significance for the fishermen; it was a talisman for survival amidst storms and a barometer for the abundance of the fishing season.

Even though Chen Qing and his mother had moved away from Mute Bay, their old neighbors there had never forgotten them.

“I’ll go if I have time.”

Chen Qing said, already walking over to the well.

He took out the stalk of Three Yang Grass that Zhou Yu had given him, washed it carefully, and then began to brew a medicinal soup.

The water in the clay pot began to bubble, and the medicinal aroma mingled with the crackling of the firewood.

About an hour later, the medicinal liquid had been boiled down to less than half a cup.

Chen Qing blew on it and, after it had cooled, tilted his head back and drank it all.

A spicy heat rolled down his throat and into his stomach, followed by a warm current. Chen Qing felt as if he could hear his own heartbeat, thudding against his chest.

He tried to practice his Fishing Toad Force. When he inhaled, his qi sank to his Yongquan point; when he exhaled, the force flowed into his arms.

[Great Success in Fishing Toad Skill (421/500)]

A golden light flashed in his mind. The progress of his Fishing Toad Force cultivation had sped up several times over.

Chen Qing took a deep breath and, wasting no more time, began to focus on cultivating his Fishing Toad Force.

…

「Gaolin County, County Soldier Camp.」

In a secret room, beneath flickering candlelight, Pang Qinhai sat as still as an abyss.

His face was pale, and bloodstains seeped through the white bandages wrapped around his chest. The “fatal wound” he had meticulously orchestrated at the River God Festival was nothing more than a ruse to lull his enemies into a false sense of security.

“My lord, the medicine.”

His trusted guard, Pang Jiu, appeared silently, presenting a bowl of thick, black medicinal soup. A pungent odor filled the secret room.

This was not a healing medicine, but a poison to maintain the illusion of him being ’gravely injured and near death’. It could perfectly mimic the symptoms of severe internal organ damage and decaying qi and blood.

It was because of this medicine that he had been able to deceive all the master physicians in Gaolin County.

Pang Qinhai took the bowl and drank it all without a change in expression. His throat bobbed, and beads of cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead. He deliberately made his breathing heavy and erratic.

He set down the bowl, his voice low but every word clear. “What’s the status of the investigation?”

“The fish have taken the bait, my lord.”

Pang Jiu’s eyes glittered with a mixture of excitement and reverence. “Just as you predicted, my lord, the remnants of the Water Bandits were just a smokescreen. The real big fish can’t hold back any longer.”

He presented a secret report:

“Our men, disguised as Desperadoes in desperate need of ’Blood Gathering Pills,’ successfully made contact with the source. The trail leads directly to ’Renhe Pharmacy.’ On the surface, it belongs to the Li Family’s Shopkeeper, but the real operator is the third branch of the Huang Family. They use the convenience of river transport to mix contraband like ’Blood Gathering Pills’ and ’Bone-Eroding Ointment’ with ordinary medicinal herbs or fish, distributing them to the major Martial Arts Halls and gambling dens in the county! This medicine is incredibly profitable and allows them to quickly amass wealth to raise Guests and Nursing Homes.”

“Wu Peng, the Chief of the Wangyuan Escort Agency, secretly visited the back entrance of the Zhu Mansion on the third day after news of the Captain’s ’severe injury’ spread, staying for nearly two hours. On the same day, the Blood River Gang’s gambling den in the south of the city received a ’routine payment’ from a Huang Family Steward, the amount far exceeding previous payments. The ’special products’ that the Weapon Forging Shop has been frequently escorting to the Songfeng Martial Arts Hall were investigated and found to contain Armor and Crossbows. And Shi Wenshan, the master of the Songfeng Martial Arts Hall, is the brother-in-law of the Zhu Family’s second master.”

“There’s also Lord Liu of the Directorate of Grain Transport. After the Wu Family took control of the Goddess Temple Pier, our secret investigation revealed that although Lord Liu never appeared directly, his trusted Junior Official repeatedly allowed suspicious vessels to pass and secretly destroyed inspection records. We intercepted a fragment of a secret letter between him and a Huang Family Steward, which mentioned that the ’tribute has entered the Inner Treasury.’ And the County Magistrate… it seems he’s not entirely ignorant of the situation either. Zhu Qing, the Patriarch of the Zhu Family, has been frequently visiting the rear residence of the County Yamen, ostensibly to check on an illness.”

“Not only that, but the Songfeng Martial Arts Hall has also colluded with Chief Examiner Lord Liu Ang to manipulate the drawing of lots… Several of the promising young talents the Lord Captain once favored have either died or disappeared.”

As Pang Qinhai listened, his eyes were fixed on a map of Gaolin County, precisely on the locations of the Five Great Races’ mansions.

The candlelight cast his stern profile onto the wall, making him look like a hawk waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

“Illicit medicine, military-grade weaponry, corrupting officials, colluding with gangs, meddling in the Martial Arts Examination…”

he murmured, each word laced with a bone-chilling coldness. “What a deeply rooted tumor! Do they really think my ’severe injury’ is their ladder to heaven?”

He picked up another secret report. It contained records of abnormal river shipments and copies of some “overlooked” cargo manifests.

“Let them go wild.”

A cold sneer touched the corners of Pang Qinhai’s mouth. “The ’heavier’ my injuries seem, the more brazen they’ll become, and the more mistakes they’ll make. The Blood River Gang is eager to carve up the Cao Sect’s territory after its fall? Shi Wenshan wants to manipulate the Martial Arts Examination? The Huang Family and Zhu Family want to completely control Gaolin and become a state within a state? …Excellent.”

He looked at Pang Jiu, his gaze as sharp as lightning. “Keep a close watch! Every batch of ’special’ goods from Renhe Pharmacy, every financial transaction between the Blood River Gang and the Huang Family, all the ’special products’ received by the Songfeng Martial Arts Hall, every abnormal release document from the Directorate of Grain Transport, and the ’sick visits’ to the County Magistrate’s rear residence… Every detail, no matter how small, must be backed by ironclad evidence! Especially the illicit medicine and Armor—their origin, distribution, and transaction records—dig everything up by the roots!”

“As you command!” Pang Jiu accepted the order with a solemn expression and melted silently into the shadows.

The secret room fell silent once more, with only the occasional CRACKLE of the candle flame.

Pang Qinhai closed his eyes. The intense pain from the bowl of medicine was excruciatingly real.

’The Five Great Races think I’ve fallen, that this is the start of their carnival. Little do they know, this is the exact moment my carefully woven net begins to tighten.’

On the map before him, Gaolin County looked like an intricate and complex game of chess.

“Soon.”

Pang Qinhai opened his eyes, the candlelight dancing in his bottomless pupils.

…

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