Chapter 32 must be very dirty.

"Have you finished explaining things over there?"

In the largest teahouse in Si'an County, a man around fifty years old stood by the window. Long, faint lines on his profile hinted at old grudges. He watched the soldiers passing by outside, his hawk-like eyes swirling with unspoken tension, his voice deep and resonant.

Attendant: "Rest assured, sir. The families of the assassins have been taken care of. When the time comes, they will come forward and identify the Song family."

The man sneered, "Even if I don't cut off the Song family's hands and feet this time, I'll still take a piece of their flesh. I refuse to believe that the person above truly has no fear of Song Shang, and is merely concerned with saving face. Today, I'll personally deliver this reason to him, and one day, I'll make him pay on his knees."

Attendant: "This Song Shang is ruthless and seemingly cold-hearted. Who would have thought he would hide his own daughter here? Those adopted sons have always been a smokescreen for him. Unfortunately, despite all his calculations, he underestimated your, sir's, profound schemes."

The man said, "Song Shang was arrogant his whole life, and his children inherited that arrogance. It wouldn't be surprising if he did something wicked."

Attendant: "Your Excellency has calculated this very well."

...

The two stood by the window, singing in unison, seemingly discussing something, but in reality, they were only doing it for the person behind them to hear. Then the hour of Si (9-11 AM) sounded.

The eagle-eyed man raised his teacup to the refined man who had remained silent in the private room, downed it in one gulp, and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Sir, I am deeply grateful for your righteousness. When I achieve great things in the future, I will certainly help you realize your wish for a world of harmony and prevent treacherous officials from ruling."

Chu Shao, maintaining the demeanor of a refined gentleman, quietly raised his cup: "May you, sir, be well."

The man paused, a flash of anger crossing his face, which he quickly suppressed. He smiled, nodded, and strode away with his numerous guards.

The two walked past the teahouse and along the stone path to an inconspicuous courtyard. They carefully looked around before heading inside.

The alley outside was quiet. After a while, a young man dressed in plain clothes emerged from around the corner, silently surveying the dilapidated and secluded alley before him, his brow furrowed.

This place is close to the city wall, and this is the first time he's been here in all his years in the city. He never expected it to be so secluded. Looking around, the street seems deserted. No normal person would choose to move here, let alone someone who looks extraordinary.

A seemingly respectable person lives in a secluded place and acts suspiciously...

Why did the Master meet this person several times?

Yan Sheng looked up at the low wall, hesitated for a moment, and then carefully turned and left.

A gentleman has his own way of doing things. Regardless of the other person's status, his act of following someone already violated his principles. If he were to climb over the wall without cause and be seen doing so, it might affect his later examinations—this is absolutely unacceptable.

Yan Sheng left the place with a heavy heart, subconsciously walking towards the vicinity of Huichuntang. Looking at the small courtyard in front of him through a wall, his expression became increasingly hesitant and unsure whether he should go forward.

Before he could even figure it out, he was grabbed by the hand. The newcomer demanded sharply, "Who are you? What do you want?"

The man had a knife at his waist, clearly indicating he was no ordinary person. Yan Sheng was taken aback and quickly introduced himself: "I am a student of Wenyuan Academy, just passing by."

The guard sneered, "Are you just passing by or have your eye on this place? Come back to the county office with me and we'll talk."

Yan Sheng was both surprised and anxious, and hurriedly said, "My lord, please forgive me. Actually, I know the people inside, and I have something to tell you."

The guard squinted: "You know him?"

Yan Sheng noticed his hesitation and quickly introduced himself, also giving the names Song Jin and Niu Tielan.

The guard hesitated for a moment, then another person came over, looked Yan Sheng up and down, and finally led him into the house and knocked on the door.

Who is it?

The door opened with a knock, and a moment later an impatient voice came from inside. Xiao Er hopped open the door, puffing out her cheeks, "Didn't I tell you not to disturb us unless it's absolutely necessary? She's still here, still alive, no one's coming in! My lady isn't in jail! If you keep this up, we're kicking her out!"

The guard, somewhat embarrassed, seized the opportunity to pull Yan Sheng aside: "Miss, don't be angry. This man was acting suspiciously outside, claiming to know you. We were just trying to confirm."

Xiao Er didn't believe it at all. These people just wanted to find out about their lady. She snorted and became impatient with the familiar faces who had appeared: "Young Master Yan?"

Yan Sheng breathed a sigh of relief: "Xiao Er, is Jin Jin there? I need to talk to her."

Xiao Er pouted; she disliked the Yan family and said directly, "Miss is out. Just tell me if you need anything."

Yan Sheng smiled wryly: "I don't know if I should say this or not. I remember she was friends with the young master of the Shu family's bookstore. It seems something happened to their family. I wonder if she knows anything about it."

What he really wanted to confirm was whether Song Jin and the others had left. Now that he knew they hadn't, he felt a sense of relief.

Xiao Er: "I understand, I'll pass it on for you. Is there anything else? If not, I'll go back and play cards with Madam."

Yan Sheng: "Is Aunt Niu feeling any better?"

Xiao Er: "It's alright, but it's not convenient to see anyone. Why don't you come back when Miss is back?"

...

The two men were talking, and although it was clear their relationship wasn't good, the guards were certain Yan Sheng wasn't lying, so their vigilance lessened somewhat. They waited until Xiao Er closed the door.

Guard: "Alright, go back if there's nothing else. Don't come here too often these next few days."

Yan Sheng frowned, sizing up the guards, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

He realized these people were there to protect Niu Tielan, and recalling Song Jin's previous words about going to the capital for medical treatment, which involved following Magistrate Xiao's connections.

He knew she must have done something to get this opportunity; she was always that shrewd.

As for him, a useless scholar who couldn't even support himself, Yan Sheng couldn't help but smile bitterly at the thought.

Seeing him standing there for so long with a strange expression, the guards became wary again, gripping their swords and shouting, "What are you still standing here for? If you don't leave, don't blame us for being impolite!"

Yan Sheng pondered for a moment, then took a step back and bowed, saying, "My lord, please forgive me. I suddenly remembered the strange person I encountered earlier, and I don't know how to explain it."

The guards exchanged glances: "What's so strange about it?"

"He was in a hurry, looking around the whole way, and he went to a very secluded place, which seemed extremely suspicious," Yan Sheng said with a wry smile. "Thinking about it, I guess I was just being paranoid. Adults should just listen casually."

Normally, the two guards wouldn't have paid him any attention, but this time was too unusual, and they couldn't let any clue slip by.

Guard: "Wait a moment, I'll go find someone. You take some men and go check it out."

Yan Sheng hesitated again: "What if that person is innocent?"

The guards retorted arrogantly, "We are guards, not bandits."

They won't arrest innocent people for no reason; they're busy with other things.

Yan Sheng gave an awkward smile and waited there. After a while, the patrol team came over, and the guards gave them some instructions.

The patrol team was led by Luo, a yamen runner from the county government. He said, "Let's go see what's going on."

Now that things had come to this, Yan Sheng regretted his loose tongue, but it was too late. He could only steel himself and lead his men toward the small courtyard, hoping in his heart that the teacher would never find out about this.

He didn't doubt the Master; he just found the man strange.

Song Jin once told him, "If you feel someone is strange at first glance, it's best to stay away from them."

He countered at the time, "What if I'm mistaken?"

Song Jin simply smiled and said, "If I misjudge you, it just means you'll miss out on a chance to meet a stranger, but if I do, it could save your life."

This world is never peaceful.

Yan Sheng knew this, so he never went out alone at night, and even during the day he wouldn't wander too far from the town. He would only take a bus back to town and never walk back by himself.

He had heard of and witnessed too many people getting into trouble because of this; the struggles in officialdom began as early as their student days.

Yan Sheng needs to plan for himself. He won't stand with any side, but he can befriend everyone, good or bad, as these will ultimately be his escape routes.

Magistrate Xiao was upright and capable, someone he had always wanted to get to know but had never had the opportunity to meet.

Yan Sheng led his men to the small courtyard, somewhat nervous, a mixture of excitement and apprehension. He took a deep breath: "This is the place."

Luo, the constable, went up and knocked on the door, but there was no answer.

Just then, a vendor carrying tofu pudding passed by and, seeing this, struck up a conversation: "Adults, there's no need to knock; there's no one in the yard."

Officer Luo: "Nobody here?"

Vendor: "Yes, this whole area is full of haunted houses. Because they were haunted, everyone moved out, and the rent is super cheap. I live right next door and got a great deal..."

Luo, the constable, remained silent. He exchanged glances with the others, nodded, and then climbed over the wall, stepping on people to enter the house and open the door. A group of people, each holding a knife, entered the house.

The vendor quickly fled upon seeing this. Yan Sheng, who was walking at the back, hesitated for a moment before following him into the courtyard, curiously exploring the situation inside.

The courtyard was clean and tidy, and didn't look like it was uninhabited.

The patrol team soon emerged from their search, their faces grim.

"Fully furnished, definitely occupied."

"Even these unwanted rags are better than my best fabrics."

There's definitely something wrong.

...

They then turned their gaze to Yan Sheng and asked, "When did you see the person enter the room?"

Yan Sheng took a step back: "Less than half an hour."

Everyone frowned. What was that person doing back in less than half an hour? Did he forget something, or was someone else coming?

Unable to make up their minds, the group planned to return and report to their superiors. However, before doing so, Officer Luo said to Yan Sheng, "You should go back first, and don't tell anyone about this."

Yan Sheng was more than happy to oblige. He nodded, bowed to them, and turned to leave, but suddenly slipped and fell to the ground, tumbling along with the stone bench beside him, looking quite disheveled.

"..."

Everyone looked at him with mixed feelings.

Indeed, scholars are useless; they can even drop something like that.

Yan Sheng was also extremely embarrassed, feeling that today was really not a good day to go out. He awkwardly got up, about to say something, when his gaze stopped at his feet, and his expression turned to surprise.

"Jin, Jin Jin?"

Beneath his feet, the original stone slab and bench were moved aside, revealing a dark hole. The opening was gradually widening until it was large enough for a person to enter and exit freely.

Song Jin appeared with a dusty face, tilting her head: "Hey? It's you."

Could it be that this tunnel leads to their academy?

She looked at Yan Sheng with a puzzled expression. Still stuck in the hole and feeling a bit uncomfortable, she simply pushed hard and easily climbed out. Turning around, she met the patrol team's wary faces again. She exclaimed "Oh!" and waved.

"Hey? Brother Luo? Brother Li? Brother Yang, what are you doing here? Is this the government office?"

Everyone: ...

They should be the ones asking that question.

**

After retreating half a day, Song Jin and Qi Zheng entered the valley under the moonlight and found that the people were preparing to evacuate. Large and small bags were packed together, containing not only warehouses full of grain, but also valuable items such as silver and antiques. Anyone who took anything out would have been robbed, and now everything was piled up together.

Seeing is getting

With so much good stuff in front of him, Song Jin didn't hesitate. He knocked out the guards, instantly changing his original stealth plan and starting a chaotic melee.

Qi Zheng responded to this: ...

It's better not to say anything.

Fortunately, it was the dead of night, and ordinary people couldn't see anything at all. Even if the people in the valley lit torches and set up campfires, they could only see their surroundings. Song Jin and Qi Zheng, on the other hand, were unaffected by the darkness and had Huang Huang, the nocturnal beast, by their side.

After a chaotic battle, they temporarily captured the valley.

The advantage is obvious: these people can't escape.

The downsides are also obvious; these people really can't escape.

There were only two of them; they couldn't possibly move that many people even if they worked themselves to death. Killing them all wouldn't be right, but leaving them there alone—whether dead or escaped—would be a waste.

So Song Jin dumped the mess on Qi Zheng, then slunk back home. On the way, he caught a strange man, discovered a tunnel, and dragged him into it.

The main idea is to push yourself to the limit if you can't die.

Song Jin first climbed out by herself, but then remembered she had forgotten some things, so she jumped back up and, baring her teeth, shouted from below, "Brother Luo, Brother Li, come help pull him out!"

As she spoke, she dragged a half-dead person outside.

The people in the courtyard were still bewildered, but they were all familiar faces. Seeing the man, a bloody mess, slamming against the side, seemingly about to die if they didn't help, several people rushed forward and pulled him out. They hadn't even had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief yet...

Then Song Jin's voice rang out from below: "Hey, move aside, move aside, be careful not to get hit!"

The group quickly backed away.

The next second, a golden figure leaped out of the cave entrance. It had erect ears, bared its teeth, golden eyes, yellow skin, and large, thick claws that could easily tear flesh apart, making one's heart skip a beat.

Fortunately, Song Jin quickly popped out again, casually tossed aside what she was holding, and clapped her hands.

Huang Huang rolled over and lay on the ground, not wanting to move anymore. She closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.

It's been exhausted these past two days.

Song Jin wiped the dust off her face with her sleeve, looking at the room full of familiar faces with a puzzled expression: "What are you all doing here? Did you catch anyone?"

Luo, the constable: "...We just arrived, what are you doing here?"

Song Jin continued wiping her face, but because she had been in a cave in the mountains for two days, her clothes were barely cleaner than her face, and the more she wiped, the dirtier they became.

Yan Sheng silently took out a handkerchief and handed it over.

Song Jin accepted it without ceremony, casually wiping his face and untangling his sweat-soaked hair. He sighed heavily, "It's a long story, no time to explain. Go find Song Xingzhi and Li Qingshan and tell them these bastards are going to bomb the city. Then quickly evacuate the people and find some gunpowder. I'll continue to check the tunnels."

Song Jin thought the Liang family was crazy. If they had a grudge against someone, they should go fight them. Why were they bombing civilians? The common people's lives were just so-so; even if they died, it wouldn't matter.

This bunch of crazy and stupid bastards

Cursing under her breath, she said to Yan Sheng, "Don't go back to the academy either. The academy and the county government are definitely high-priority targets. Go and take my mother out of the city."

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone was shocked: "Is this really true?"

Song Jin rolled her eyes: "Why would I lie to you? You got all that information from this guy. But because we were in a rush, we went a little too far. Uh, let's get him a doctor to see if he can survive."

"..."

The person lying on the ground was a bloody mess, their limbs twisted, and they were groaning weakly. One could only imagine what they had suffered.

But there was no time to think about that now; the explosives were the priority. After a brief discussion, the group split up and began their operation.

Song Jin didn't have time to rest. She stood there, twisting her body to loosen her muscles, then picked up a bucket of water and crawled back into the tunnel. Following the smell of gunpowder, she took out another packet, skillfully removed the fuse, soaked it in the bucket, and walked along the narrow tunnel.

After removing several explosive charges, Song Jin simply squatted down and started drawing on the ground with a wooden stick.

She initially headed towards the south of the city, which wasn't particularly important, just close to the city wall. Following the path she walked, the general direction was past Wenyuan Academy, Huichun Hall, the military headquarters, the county government office, and the construction site…

This is an attempt to wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

Song Jin sat on the ground, a wooden stick between his teeth, pondering the Liang family's intentions. He thought and thought, but there was no real purpose; they were just going crazy, causing chaos, with no particular goal.

Out of embarrassment and anger?

What a mad dog!

Song Jin spat out the wooden stick with obvious disgust, rubbed her flat stomach, stood up again, and after walking a few steps, picked up a stone from the ground, threw it in front of her, and yawned.

"come out"

Footsteps sounded, and a man dressed as a yamen runner came out. Seeing it was Song Jin, he breathed a sigh of relief: "It's Song Jin! You scared me to death! I thought it was one of those prisoners!"

Song Jin raised an eyebrow: "Brother Luo? What are you doing here? How's it going up there? Have Song Xingzhi and the others sent people to investigate?"

Luo, the constable, wiped his sweat: "We're investigating and evacuating the people, but they were worried about you being alone down there, so they specifically sent us over. The roads are winding and we got separated as we walked. Luckily we ran into you. Are you alright?"

Song Jin waved the bucket in his hand: "It's alright. The tunnel is much easier to clean than the one above. I'm just worried they might have something else up their sleeve waiting here. These mad dogs, to be honest, they're not thinking straight. What's the point of blowing this up? There aren't any important figures in the county. If they're so capable, why don't they go to the capital and blow it up? Any random explosive they drop would be enough to take down a big shot."

Luo, the constable, shook his head: "Yes, I don't know what they were thinking. But the Liang family is really something else. They built such a huge tunnel. It's the first time I've ever seen such a complex tunnel."

Song Jin clicked his tongue: "After more than 10 years, this is all the lousy project we've done? What's there to brag about? It's a piece of junk. You have to bend over to walk."

Standing behind her, Officer Luo looked at her back and said, "You're too tall. I've never seen a girl as tall as you."

Song Jin's eyebrows danced with delight: "Being tall is great, you have to look down at people, it's impressive!"

The constable, Luo, shook his head and sighed, "You, a young lady, really need to tone down your temper, or what will you do in the future?"

Song Jin stood there, looking at the constable brother she had known since childhood, and laughed, "How come you're just like that fool Song Xingzhi? What's the point of life if not to be free and happy? All this fuss and worrying about this and that is exhausting."

Luo, the constable, gave a wry smile: "It's not as simple as it sounds. We people aren't as free and carefree as those big shots. We have no choice in what we do; we're just barely surviving."

Song Jin's once flamboyant eyebrows drooped, and the light in her phoenix eyes gradually faded. She sighed deeply, drew the long sword from her waist, and pursed her lips tightly.

"Then there's nothing more to say, right? Brother Luo, I thought of no one but you. Among all the yamen runners in the county government, you've always been the best one."

He was approachable, considerate of ordinary people, calm and thoughtful, and devoted to his wife and children. He was the most respected yamen runner in the county government and Song Jin's favorite. Song Jin would often go back to visit him, and he would always share any good things with him first.

She gave a smirk: "Magistrate Xiao told me the other day that when he's transferred, he'll take you with him and find you a position."

The constable Luo drew his long sword and sighed, "You're still so clever. I never imagined that you, the little girl I've watched grow up, would have such a background. If only you had stayed in town and never come out."

Song Jin said helplessly, "Is there really nothing to talk about? To be honest, I have no interest in your infighting between the righteous and the rebellious factions. You are a good person and have always been very good to me. If you leave now, I will pretend I know nothing."

Luo, the constable, simply shook his head: "Come on, let me see if your swordsmanship has improved."

Song Jin stood there, looking at the resolute expression on his face, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart. Her expression darkened, but in her grief, her hand moved faster than her mouth. The hidden throwing knife instantly reached Luo Yabu, piercing his shoulder before he could react.

Luo, the constable, widened his eyes: "You..."

Three, two, one

Song Jin silently recited the mantra in her heart, watching him finally stagger and collapse to the ground. She sighed deeply, and after a long while, she walked heavily to Officer Luo. Meeting his wide, incredulous eyes, she kicked the long sword out of his hand, her expression heavy with melancholy.

"Brother Luo, why do you think I'd fight you?"

The tunnel was narrow and stuffy, and the air didn't circulate well. It was hard to breathe inside. No matter how skilled she was in martial arts, she would inevitably get injured fighting in this environment.

Let me emphasize again, she's reckless, not stupid. Why would she create trouble for herself when she could easily take someone down?

Song Jin said worriedly, "Brother Luo, don't worry. For the sake of our long-standing friendship, I will give Song Xingzhi a proper explanation and make him give you a quick death. As for your wife, she will definitely remarry safely with your children. Don't worry too much."

Luo, the constable, struggled to stay conscious, staring intently at the man with the trembling face. His lips quivered uncontrollably; if he could utter a sound at this moment...

It must be very dirty