Chapter 232 Some People Are Born Extraordinary
Wasn't Liu Lang keeping an eye on Liu Hong?
Why did you come here?
No need to think too much.
Chen Yi took out a black face mask from his pocket, wrapped it around his face, tied it tightly, and turned his head to look over.
"Knife Maniac?"
Liu Lang, also dressed in night clothes and wearing a black mask, with the precious sword he obtained from Chen Yi slung over his shoulder, was looking at him with his head slightly raised.
"It is I."
"But you, hiding your true colors, is not the behavior of a swordsman."
Seeing that he didn't recognize him, Chen Yi was both amused and exasperated. "Before you say that, you might as well take a look at yourself first."
Liu Lang glanced down, paused, and then said, "I am different from you."
"Even when Liu is dressed in this black outfit, he is still upright and honorable."
Chen Yi: "..."
Damn it, how come I didn't notice he was so talkative before?
Liu Lang didn't care what he thought. He pointed his knife at the direction behind him and asked, "Did you kill the demon from the Illusionary Sound Sect over there?"
Chen Yi nodded helplessly, "It's obvious."
Upon hearing this, Liu Lang's eyes lit up, and he smiled, "Your swordsmanship is quite good."
"I heard earlier that a Great Perfection of the Dao of the Sword appeared outside Shuzhou City, and some people even suspected me. Now it seems that it was you who did it."
Chen Yi shook his head, not answering him, and instead asked, "So what if it is? So what if it isn't?"
"Testing the knife."
Liu Lang looked at him with great interest: "It's rare for a master swordsman to appear in Shu Prefecture. How could I, Liu, miss this opportunity?"
Chen Yi, too lazy to beat around the bush anymore, turned around, used the tip of his knife to lift his straw hat, and stared directly at him, cursing:
"I told you to keep watch, and you come here to fight me?"
Liu Lang was taken aback, looked him up and down, and asked hesitantly, "Boss?"
"It's you?"
"No, that's totally wrong!"
Liu Lang suddenly realized what was happening and stared at him in astonishment: "You, how do you know swordsmanship?"
"He's... he's mastered the art of the sword!?"
Don't blame Liu Lang for not recognizing Chen Yi; he never imagined Chen Yi would use a knife.
After all, no matter how talented someone is, it's impossible for someone who has already mastered the art of spear, fist, and medicine to also master the art of sword.
You can't bite off more than you can chew, right?
Chen Yi twirled his knife, "Is it that strange?"
Liu Lang opened his mouth, "No, isn't that strange?"
He has mastered the art of spear fighting, the art of fist fighting, and the art of sword fighting, in addition to being a master of medicine...
Aren't people like that rare?!
Chen Yi chuckled lightly, clearly aware of his surprise, but unable to explain, he simply said:
"Some people are born extraordinary, like me."
He blatantly fabricated a lie, saying, "I was born with a martial arts saintly body, not only with all my meridians open, but also with a clear and enlightened mind."
"I can learn any martial art with just one glance, master it after one practice, and break through the Dao realm after a hundred days of practice."
"Really?"
"Of course it's fake; such a person doesn't even exist in myths and legends."
Seeing Chen Yi's expression as if he were looking at an idiot, Liu Lang said with a face full of grief and indignation:
"Whether what you said is true or not, I believe it."
"Damn it, I've lived for over twenty years and only now do I realize what it means to be 'there are always people better than you and heavens beyond heavens'."
"I thought that General Jinghong was only twenty years old and that the perfection of swordsmanship and spearmanship was the limit, but I did not expect that you would go even further than her."
After a pause, Liu Lang moved closer and stared at him for a long time.
"Tell me the truth, are you a hundred-year-old monster who disguised himself to play tricks on me?"
"...You old bastard."
Chen Yi cursed and was about to ask him why he was there when he suddenly heard some sounds coming from afar.
"Lord Centurion, there is a corpse here!"
"Search the surrounding area, don't overlook any clues!"
Fang Hongxiu, the Chief Justice?
He's someone I know.
Chen Yi's mind raced. He gestured to Liu Lang to talk later, then flashed toward where Fang Hongxiu and the others were.
Liu Lang also heard the person coming from that direction, and seeing him walk over, he had no choice but to follow.
However, he was still muttering to himself, wondering how such a person or monster could exist.
Chen Yi didn't care what he thought.
After all, they had known each other for a long time and had worked together to kill Black Fang, Liu Wen, and Xiao Dongchen. Knowing a little about their secrets was enough.
He naturally didn't care much about these things.
soon.
Chen Yi arrived at the location of Fang Hongxiu and the others.
Take a look around.
Seeing that they were searching around the demonic sect of the Illusionary Sound Sect, Chen Yi coughed, drawing their attention.
"Commander Fang, searching like this won't be very effective."
Fang Hongxiu gripped a knife in one hand, looking at him warily, and asked, "Who are you?"
Chen Yi adjusted his straw hat and asked with a smile, "Does Commander Fang have a bad memory? You can't recognize me so quickly?"
Before Fang Hongxiu could reply, a young forensic officer beside her reacted first:
"You, you're that bastard who has repeatedly made my Criminal Investigation Department lose face!"
Fang Hongxiu also recognized Chen Yilai and immediately drew her knife.
"How dare you show your face before my Criminal Investigation Department?"
Chen Yi chuckled lightly and said nonchalantly, "Commander Fang is very perceptive. I have always treated the Chief Justice with the utmost respect."
"Respect? How dare you say such a thing?"
"Isn't that right?"
"Otherwise, how could Commander Fang and everyone else have survived until now?"
"If you think about it carefully, I've already spared your lives three times."
Fang Hongxiu's eyes flashed with resentment, "You? It was clearly twice!"
She realized what she meant as soon as she finished speaking, "You lecherous scoundrel, you, you, you..."
Chen Yi said with a smile, "This time will naturally count as one too."
However, seeing that Fang Hongxiu's expression was becoming increasingly unpleasant, he changed the subject and said:
"I was merely stating the truth, and I hope Commander Fang will forgive me."
"Of course, don't even think about taking action."
"You know, you are no match for us."
Upon hearing this, Liu Lang's complicated mood eased somewhat, and he grinned, saying, "He's just courting death."
"..."
Fang Hongxiu and the other chief judges exchanged glances, their expressions all complex.
To say whether Chen Yi is a bad person—yes.
First, kill Liu Erhu right under their noses, then rescue the black-clad man who was fighting with demons in the West Market and Mingyue Tower.
According to the laws of the Great Wei Dynasty, if the Provincial Judicial Commissioner catches him, he will certainly be punished.
But it's true that they escaped Chen Yi's clutches twice...
A moment of silence.
Fang Hongxiu took a deep breath and asked, "What exactly do you want to do?"
Chen Yi chuckled, "Commander Fang has finally gotten to the point."
He pointed to the corpse on the ground and said, "I killed them."
"You...you..."
Just as a forensic officer was about to reprimand him, Fang Hongxiu raised her hand to interrupt him, staring coldly at Chen Yi.
“If you’ve come here to provoke my Criminal Investigation Department, then I admit, you’ve succeeded.”
"But remember this: as long as Fang Hongxiu remains in the Criminal Investigation Department, she will never let you go!"
Chen Yi chuckled and said, "Doesn't Commander Fang want to know why I killed him?"
"According to the laws of the Great Wei Dynasty, those who commit murder must pay with their lives!"
"I have to pay with my life for killing a heretic from the Illusionary Sound Sect?"
"magical……"
Fang Hongxiu realized what was happening and looked down at the corpse on the ground. "Was he one of the Huan Yin Sect members who helped those barbarian slaves escape earlier?"
Chen Yi spread his hands, a slight smile in his eyes, and said, "Of course."
"So, by killing him, I've done a service to the people, haven't I?"
"...Hmph, I'll wait until I confirm his identity."
"what ever."
Perhaps sensing the awkward atmosphere, Fang Hongxiu turned her head and asked:
"You said earlier that our search here was a waste of time, but do you know anything else?"
Chen Yi nodded and said with a smile, "The people from the Illusionary Sound Sect accepted the reward money from the Bright Moon Pavilion in Xizhou, with the aim of rescuing those barbarian slaves."
"And the person who instructed him was, without a doubt, a Vashj people who practiced black magic."
"Vajrasattva Kingdom, black magic, are you sure?"
"Find an experienced coroner to dissect this man in black, and Commander Fang will naturally know whether what I said is true or not."
Fang Hongxiu pondered for a moment, then nodded and asked, "Anything else?"
Chen Yi spread his hands and said, "That's all. That's all I know."
"Then why are you telling us this?"
"You have to ask that? Fine, I might as well tell you."
"I hate the people of Vajrasattva and the barbarians the most in my life. I hope that Commander Fang can find them and bring them to justice."
Fang Hongxiu gave him a deep look. "If you really had that idea, you shouldn't have stopped me from investigating the case in the first place."
She naturally couldn't believe Chen Yi just because of a few words.
However, having been defeated by Chen Yi twice and still alive, her feelings towards him inevitably became more complicated.
Chen Yi could somewhat see through her thoughts, chuckled, and said nothing more before clasping his hands in farewell.
Seeing him turn and leave, Liu Lang glanced at Fang Hongxiu and the others, and then followed him away.
"You...you're just going to let them go like that?"
"Or why don't you go up and take them?"
"We can't beat them, we can't beat them... I think we should go back and report to the commander to issue a warrant for their arrest..."
Listening to the words of the several chief judges, Fang Hongxiu watched Chen Yi and Liu Lang walk away with a complicated expression, then took a deep breath and said:
"Enough with the small talk."
"Old Ma, take this... demon from the Illusionary Sound Sect back to the yamen and ask Coroner Zhang to examine him carefully."
"Zhao Ming, you and San'er go to the grain store and ask about the situation."
"The rest of you, come with me and see if we can find any clues about those barbarian slaves or wandering swordsmen from Vaishsa."
Despite the complexities of his thoughts, the case still needs to be investigated.
As for Chen Yi...
Fang Hongxiu would never give up on capturing him!
...
On the other side.
Chen Yi led Liu Lang north to search for the whereabouts of the barbarian, a thoughtful expression on his face.
His purpose in telling Fang Hongxiu and the others the truth was certainly not as simple as he claimed.
However, since he was currently at the Xiao family's residence and had more important matters to attend to, he could not continue the investigation.
On the contrary, the people from the Criminal Investigation Department had a reason to continue investigating the matter of Man Nu'er's escape tonight.
For various reasons, Chen Yi decided to lay everything out and let Fang Hongxiu and the others investigate the background of those people.
Seeing that no one was around, Liu Lang couldn't help but lower his voice and ask, "Boss, can you tell me how you achieved such success in the art of the sword?"
He didn't care about the Illusionary Sound Sect's barbarian slaves or anything like that; his mind was entirely on Chen Yi's swordsmanship.
Chen Yi glanced at him sideways. "Didn't I say? I'm exceptionally talented."
"But, but..."
"No buts."
"Tell me first why you came to Dongshi. I clearly told you to keep an eye on that person."
Upon hearing this, Liu Lang suddenly stopped in his tracks, slapped his forehead, and said, "Damn it, I almost forgot."
Chen Yi stopped as well. "What's wrong?"
"The person you asked me to follow has been running back and forth between the yamen and the mansion these past two days without any unusual behavior."
"Oh, I see... I thought he came to the East Market tonight too."
Liu Lang shook his head. "He didn't come, but his son did."
Chen Yi frowned slightly, not in a hurry to ask, but led him to a secluded spot before gesturing, "Tell me the details."
"Tonight I was standing guard outside that house when I happened to see his son meeting with someone..."
To be precise, it was Liu Hong's second son, Liu Taofang, who had a secret rendezvous with someone, that caught Liu Lang's attention.
He was about to eavesdrop when he noticed Liu Taofang mysteriously leaving in a carriage.
Out of curiosity, he decided to follow her and see where Liu Taofang was going so late at night.
After a few turns, Liu Lang arrived at the southwest of the East Market—the area where wealthy merchants and gentry gathered.
But before he could sneak in, he was drawn to the swordplay Chen Yi was using.
"...If it weren't for the fact that your sword technique was too noisy, I would still be there watching Liu Taofang."
Chen Yi hummed in agreement and didn't blame him.
Tonight's events are all rather strange, and Liu Lang's case is no exception.
However, Chen Yi had a vague feeling that tonight's events were related to those "sugar daddies".
The reason is simple—grain stores and grain depots.
This alone reminded him of the recent rise in grain prices in Shuzhou.
"With the granaries burned down, grain supplies dwindled, and grain prices... there was even more reason for them to rise."
"But what about those barbarian slaves and the sorcerers from Vaishsa?"
Chen Yi couldn't understand the connection between the two things, nor could he be 100% certain that his guess was true.
He had no choice but to put it aside for the time being and wait until the next two days to see if the grain store was as he expected.
Fortunately, Old Master Xiao had a solution, so he didn't have to worry too much about the Dingyuan Army's finances and provisions.
Thinking of this, Chen Yi gestured for Liu Lang to lead the way to Liu Taofang's place, while giving her instructions:
"I'll let it go this time, but I need you to keep a close eye on the Liu family members from now on, with that one being the primary focus."
Liu Lang walked ahead and, upon hearing this, chuckled awkwardly and said, "Don't worry, even if the sky falls down next time, I won't even glance at it."
"You'd better be..."
A moment of silence.
Liu Lang couldn't help but ask again, "Boss, um, do you remember what you promised me before?"
"A duel or friendly sparring?"
"Yes, yes..."
"Don't worry, you're welcome."
Chen Yi was naturally not going to let go of someone as eager to be beaten as Liu Lang.
After his battle with Yan Fusha, he had a clear understanding of his own strength.
Even if his swordsmanship is similar to Liu Lang's, he can easily win by relying on his spearmanship.
He might as well teach Liu Lang a lesson he won't forget.
Just then, Chen Yi saw two lines of large golden characters appear before his eyes:
[Witness the riot of barbarian slaves at the grain store in the East Market. Reward: Sonic attack technique "Soul Sorrow" [Yellow Rank], +16 Chance.]
[Comment: The person arrived, and their voice was heard... the performance was slightly lacking.]
Sound-killing techniques? The techniques of the Illusionary Sound Sect?
Chen Yi secretly scoffed and put this heretical martial arts manual, along with the previously obtained "Thousand Poisons Technique," away on a high shelf.
There's no way he'll practice it. At most, he'll look through the martial arts routines of the Five Poisons Sect and the Illusionary Sound Sect later to learn about them and prepare for the worst.
Not long after.
Chen Yi followed Liu Lang to the southwest of the East Market, to the outside of a three-courtyard house.
Just as he was about to go in to investigate, he heard some sounds and quickly signaled Liu Lang to conceal his presence.
The next moment, he saw the gate of the house open and several carriages drive out.
However, these were all situations where the coachman would wait outside in the carriage while other people came out from inside.
You can still faintly hear some soft laughter.
"Young Master Liu, I guarantee you'll get a good price for those old corn kernels."
"With your words, Uncle, I am naturally relieved."
"But I'm warning you beforehand, please don't implicate me if I offend anyone."
"My uncle should know my father's temperament well."
"Understood, understood, haha... Lord Liu is honest and upright, and is someone we all admire."
As they spoke, the group walked out together.
Chen Yi looked them over one by one and saw that a young master was in front, followed by three older middle-aged men. He thought to himself:
"In business?"
Just then, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the last person who walked out of the door.
—That was none other than Mr. Lingchuan from Guiyun Academy, Zhu Lingchuan!
"How come he's here too?"
Without much thought, Chen Yi saw Liu Taofang, Zhu Lingchuan, and the others bid farewell one by one, get into their carriages, and leave.
Seeing this, Liu Lang nudged him, indicating what to do next.
Chen Yi's mind raced. "You keep an eye on that person."
And you?
"I have some things to do. Go ahead, don't worry about me."
Liu Lang hummed in agreement and then quietly followed Liu Taofang's carriage.
Chen Yi remained motionless, staring intently at the house in front of him, his mind racing.
"Liu Taofang is the son of Liu Hong, the Provincial Governor of Shu Prefecture."
"Zhu Lingchuan, from the Zhu family, is the brother of the deputy commander of the Shu Prefecture Military Command."
"The owners of this house are the Lin family... and Baomi..."
Are these the same people who manipulate grain prices?
A sugar daddy?
A cold glint flashed in Chen Yi's eyes, and he immediately got up and sneaked into the house.
Whether it is or not, a simple question will tell you!
(End of this chapter)
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