Chapter Forty-Four: Stealthy Investigation, Vast Treasure

Until evening, the governor with wind-catching ears went to the rear courtyard to sleep with his concubine, yet nothing suspicious occurred. Han Chong could no longer endure the wait; with every hour delayed, the likelihood of a rebellion among the people increased.

At this point, he had no choice but to employ more drastic measures. If there truly existed a blank commission bearing the Prefect's seal, it would surely be hidden in one of the chambers, but there were too many rooms to search thoroughly.

Han Chong arrived at the cluster of seven or eight interconnected buildings in the rear office and spat ordinary fire on each, igniting them. He paid particular attention to the building in the direction of the governor's study, breathing out extra flames there.

In moments, the entire rear office was engulfed in smoke and blazing fire. Servants were startled; some shouted about the fire, others struck copper gongs, calling for water to extinguish the flames.

The wind-catching governor hurriedly dressed and rushed out, directing everyone to fight the fire. "What’s going on? Quick, put out the fire! Start with the study—hurry!"

As expected, his greatest concern was the study. Once the flames were put out, he would certainly go in to investigate, and Han Chong’s plan worked perfectly.

Yet Han Chong’s arson was somewhat excessive; half of the study had collapsed from the fire, causing the wind-catching governor to panic, circle in distress, and rage furiously. He urged the servants to hurry, and after half an hour, the fire was finally extinguished.

Sending the servants to deal with the remaining fires, the wind-catching governor slipped alone into the study, with Han Chong following leisurely behind.

Fortunately, Han Chong had calculated where to ignite the flames, targeting the reception area rather than the book storage, so the evidence was not destroyed; otherwise, all would have been lost.

Upon entering the study, the governor breathed a sigh of relief, but did not search for documents. Instead, he approached the bookshelf and twisted a mechanism on a bronze cauldron. The bookshelf slowly opened, revealing a secret passage.

Han Chong raised an eyebrow. If a thief built a secret passage to hide, it would be understandable, but for a lord of the district to have such a hidden route—could it be for storing treasures?

He followed closely behind, only to see two knife-wielding, beast-headed, black-clad guards standing at the entrance to the passage. They seemed surprised to see the governor but made no move to stop him, letting him proceed.

Han Chong entered behind the governor. The passage was built with stone walls, sloping downward and stretching far into the distance.

After walking nearly a hundred yards, they reached a tall stone door guarded by another beast-headed creature.

“Ah, Lord Wang, why have you come again?” asked the leader, a bull-headed giant, his eyes lighting up as he spoke in a deep voice.

“Lord Blue Ox, may I ask if Lord Resentment King is inside? I have important matters to report,” replied the governor, pulling out a wooden box and presenting it with a sycophantic smile.

The bull-headed giant took the box calmly, opened it, and found a thick ginseng root inside. His face broke into a broad grin, and he swallowed the ginseng whole, squinting his eyes in satisfaction.

“Haha, Lord Wang, you truly are generous—always thinking of me when there are good things. The Resentment King is inside, drinking with Lord Ridge Tremor. You’ve come at the perfect time; go on in.”

“Thank you, Lord Blue Ox.” With a wave of the giant’s hand, his attendants pushed open the stone door, revealing a vast stone hall.

Han Chong’s eyes widened in disbelief at the scene within. The floor was strewn with countless gold, silver, and jewels—not as exquisite as those in the Lady Yu’s tomb, but the sheer volume rivaled it.

He stepped inside to find a spacious, luxurious hall, with demon maids attending to the sides. On the main throne sat the black-clad man wearing a bronze mask; below him, Lord Ridge Tremor raised his cup in salute.

The masked man, however, did not remove his mask even to drink; the large mouth of the mask opened slightly, and he inhaled, drawing the wine from the cup directly into his mouth.

“Hmm! Governor Wang, instead of dealing with the extra tax collection, why are you hiding in the secret treasury?” Ridge Tremor raised his bushy brows and questioned suspiciously.

The bronze-masked man’s eyes glowed green as he looked over.

“Your humble servant greets Lord Resentment King and Lord Ridge Tremor. As instructed by Lord Resentment King, I have issued the decree for additional tax collection. Today, more than ten thousand refugees gathered at the government gate, attempting to resist the tax. I managed to hold them off, and then a captain from the Monster-Slaying Division came to investigate. Fortunately, with the Prefect’s commission from Lord Resentment King, I was able to fool him. Yet, I am deeply concerned—a sudden fire broke out in the rear courtyard tonight, which I fear is an ill omen. Thus, I descended to the secret treasury to ask Lord Resentment King for protection,” said the governor awkwardly, bowing with hands clasped.

“What? A sudden fire?” Ridge Tremor and the bronze-masked man exchanged glances, both uncertain.

“Lord Wang, did you find the cause of the fire?” Ridge Tremor asked gravely.

“Reporting to Lord Ridge Tremor, there was none. Several large buildings in the rear office caught fire simultaneously. I suspect a wandering hero, displeased with the new tax, sneaked in and set the fires, intending to burn me alive! That’s why I was so frightened and had to seek shelter here,” the governor replied.

“Humph! Mere martial artists of the underworld, and you let them scare you like this—utterly spineless. Very well, I’ll assign you a few personal guards for protection. Our plan is at a critical stage; your responsibilities are great. Gather all the wealth in Peijun Prefecture as quickly as possible. As for rebellion, do not worry—I will protect you. Once our task is accomplished, I’ll recommend you for an important post in the provincial office; your rise will be swift and assured.”

“Thank you, Lord Resentment King, I will fulfill my duties faithfully!” The governor thanked him repeatedly, standing tall, his confidence restored.

“By the way, did you make progress on the matter I assigned you?”

“Reporting to Lord Resentment King, after sending my men to investigate, the new magistrate of Qingqian County reported that after the old fox demon died, a deputy chief constable named Han Chong, together with Monster-Slaying Division captain Leng Yue, killed the fox demon’s emissary and his followers—the Yellow Jade Pipa Spirit, Black Cat Demon, Tea Tree Demon, and so on—in Salty Water Town. They have been searching for Lady White Jade’s whereabouts ever since, finally reaching Peijun Prefecture and destroying the Mourning Flower House. As for what happened next, Lord Ridge Tremor knows best.”

“That’s right, Lord Resentment King. That Han Chong fellow seems to be a newly promoted Monster-Slaying captain. I’ve learned from the Prefect’s third son, the recently appointed Barbarian Pacification captain, that this man is skilled in several strange magics. No one knows where he learned them, but his abilities are such that even Lord One-Horned Ghost Ape is no match for him—troublesome indeed, a serious threat to us!”

“That’s impossible! I’ve seen that lad from afar—his strength is certainly impressive, but not at the level of Qi Refining and Divine Transformation. Yet, oddly enough, not only did Lord One-Horned Ghost Ape die by his hand, but even the Black Lotus cult leader nearly fell to him. Truly extraordinary!”

“So, what does Lord Resentment King suggest?” Ridge Tremor inquired tentatively.

“This man is indeed strange. I must personally take action to kill him. We must find a way to lure him elsewhere,” the bronze-masked man murmured coldly.