togophonebook Chapter 15 Family
Chapter 15 Family
Yuelai Teahouse, Qinghe Town.
The once bustling and lively second floor was now deathly silent, like a ghost town.
Broken pieces of tables and chairs were scattered all over the floor, several corpses lay dead, and blood meandered across the floor. The air was filled with a pungent smell of blood and a faint, sweet, toxic odor.
The few tea drinkers who had miraculously survived, along with the burly, bearded man, huddled in a corner, barely daring to breathe, staring in terror at the broken window as if some vengeful ghost might burst in at any moment.
About an incense stick later, a series of hurried and orderly footsteps came from outside the teahouse, accompanied by the clanging sound of nail polish rubbing together.
A group of constables dressed in black robes and carrying broadswords at their waists rushed up in a hurry, led by a man who looked like a constable.
The head constable, who was about forty years old, had a sharp face and keen eyes; he was Zhao Gang, the head constable of Qinghe Town.
As soon as he went upstairs, a strong stench of blood hit him, and Zhao Gang's brows furrowed instantly, his face turning extremely ugly.
His sharp gaze swept quickly across the entire scene, taking in the tragic situation.
"Seal off the scene! No unauthorized personnel are allowed to approach!" Zhao Gang ordered in a deep voice.
The constables immediately dispersed, taking control of the stairwell and windows, and separating the few trembling survivors.
Zhao Gang walked to the body whose throat had been pierced by the barbs of the grappling hook, squatted down, and examined it carefully.
The wound was gruesome; a single blow was fatal.
He then looked to the other side, at the disciple whose Tanzhong acupoint had been struck by Lin Mo's finger. Although he was still breathing faintly, his face was ashen and his breath was barely perceptible; it was clear that he was not going to survive.
Finally, his gaze fell on his hoarse senior brother, who had been poisoned and died from a dart wound to his shoulder blade, his face blackened.
"What ruthless methods!" Zhao Gang thought with a chill.
He recognized the distinctive patterns on the clothing worn by these people, though they weren't very clear, but they were definitely not from a local gang. "They're outsiders... Judging from their attire, they seem to belong to some sect in the southwest that specializes in hidden weapons."
He got up and walked to the tables, chairs, and pillars nailed with dark blue willow-leaf darts. He carefully wrapped his hands in cloth and tried to remove the poisoned darts.
The dart felt icy cold to the touch, its deep blue color sending chills down my spine.
"Treated with potent poison...this method..."
Having traveled the martial world for many years, Zhao Gang was quite knowledgeable. He vaguely felt that this style of operation was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place which sect it belonged to.
"Boss, we've found something here!"
A young constable, while inspecting the broken window, exclaimed, "There are stomping marks on the window frame, it's very fresh, the murderer escaped from here."
Zhao Gang walked over, looked at the mark, and then peered out the window at the bustling street below, his brows furrowing even deeper.
Such a vicious fight taking place in broad daylight in a teahouse in the most bustling part of town has an extremely negative impact, and the higher authorities will surely hold them strictly accountable.
"Bring the witnesses over and question them separately!" Zhao Gang ordered.
The survivors were taken to separate corners and questioned by different constables.
Although their accounts were somewhat disorganized due to their fear, they generally pieced together the outline of the events.
Several outside martial artists clashed with a young man who was drinking tea. Both sides used extremely powerful hidden weapons and martial arts. The young man was incredibly strong and killed most of the outsiders before breaking through a window to escape.
"Young man? What does he look like?" Zhao Gang pressed the burly man with the thick beard, the survivor who was closest to the center of the conflict and had the clearest view.
The burly, bearded man, still shaken, stammered, "He was probably...about seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing ordinary gray cloth clothes, like...like the attire of a low-ranking member of the Canal Gang? Yes, somewhat like! He was quite handsome, but when he started fighting...it was terrifying! His eyes were as cold as ice!"
"People from the Grand Canal Gang?" Zhao Gang was taken aback.
Although the Canal Gang wields considerable power in Qinghe Town, when did such a ruthless character emerge from among the low-level laborers and minor leaders? How could he single-handedly defeat three martial artists who were clearly of extraordinary background?
He immediately realized that this was by no means simple.
It's not just a feud between江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the martial arts world) members; it could very well involve more complex forces.
"Go to the canal gang's docks immediately and inquire whether any young gang members matching the description left today, especially those at the level of minor leaders!"
Zhao Gang instructed one of his subordinates, adding, "Keep it quiet, don't make a fuss."
"Yes!" The constable accepted the order and left.
Just then, a commotion broke out at the stairwell.
A constable came up to report: "Boss, the Wang, Li, Zheng, and Zhou families have all arrived and are downstairs."
Zhao Gang's expression changed slightly. The four great families were so well-informed? He took a deep breath, straightened his robes, and said in a deep voice, "Please bring them up."
A moment later, four distinguished middle-aged men, surrounded by a group of servants and guards, walked up to the second floor.
Wang Tong, the Wang family's external affairs manager.
Li Tieshan, the head of the guards and instructors of the Li family.
Zheng Yuan, the accountant of the Zheng family.
Zhou Kun, an elder of the Zhou family.
As soon as the four of them went upstairs and saw the horrific scene, their expressions varied, but all conveyed a sense of solemnity.
Wang Tong's gaze swept over the corpses and poisoned darts, his pupils contracting slightly. He spoke first, his tone carrying the reserved yet authoritative air characteristic of aristocratic families: "Officer Zhao, such a horrific murder occurred in broad daylight in this town. It seems your yamen has failed in its efforts to apprehend thieves and maintain order among the people."
Zhao Gang was displeased, but he remained outwardly calm and cupped his hands, saying, "Steward Wang, you flatter me. The murder happened suddenly, and I just arrived at the scene and am currently conducting a full investigation."
Li Tieshan was a burly man with a booming voice. "I heard he's a young man? Extremely skilled? What style does he use?"
He walked over to the disciple injured by the finger strike, carefully examined the wound on his chest, and then glanced at the dark blue willow-leaf darts. His thick eyebrows rose. "This finger strike... it's both fierce and subtle, directly shattering the heart meridian! And these poisoned darts... the methods of the Thousand Silk Sect of the Southwest?"
"The Thousand Silk Sect?" Zheng Yuan stroked his beard, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. "Why would their people come to our remote little town? And fight people in the street?"
Elder Zhou Kun, however, remained calm. He slowly said, "Regardless of who the other party is, causing a death within Qinghe Town's territory is breaking the rules. More importantly, what is the background of that young man who was able to kill a disciple of the Thousand Silk Sect? Such skill indicates he is no nobody. Why would he be hiding in my Qinghe Town? Is he a powerful outsider, or... was he already lurking here?"
The four powerful families have been entrenched in Qinghe Town for many years, cooperating and competing with each other to maintain local order.
Any uncontrolled, powerful external force, especially one of unknown origin and ruthless methods, will instinctively arouse their vigilance and investigation.
Zhao Gang briefly explained to the four people what he had learned so far, including eyewitness accounts and clues that the murderer might be wearing the clothing of the Canal Gang.
"A minor leader of the Grand Canal Gang?" Wang Tong sneered. "When did the Grand Canal Gang have such a talent? They've kept it a secret for a long time!" His tone was tinged with suspicion and dissatisfaction.
Li Tieshan said in a deep voice, "Whether it's true or not, we'll know soon enough. If they really are from the Grand Canal Gang, they must give the four of us an explanation!"
Zheng Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "The most urgent task is to find that young man. We must find him alive or dead. We must find out his identity, his purpose, and why he clashed with the Thousand Silk Sect."
Zhou Kun nodded: "That's right. This matter concerns the stability of Qinghe Town. I suggest that our four families each send people to cooperate with the government in searching for this person. At the same time, we should restrain our disciples and tell them to be cautious in their actions recently and not to cause trouble without cause."
The four great families quickly reached a consensus.
This mysterious expert who suddenly appeared is like a stone thrown into a calm lake, breaking the original balance and tacit understanding. We must find him as soon as possible, assess his threat, and either control him or... eliminate him.
As Zhao Gang watched the representatives of the four powerful families quickly reach an agreement and begin allocating search areas, he understood that the government's control over the investigation had actually been largely taken away.
In Qinghe Town, the words of the four great families often carry more weight than those of the government.