The next day, at the County Government.
"Chen Yuan, a murder has occurred at the back door of the Huang Family. Take a few White Servants and investigate…"
Just arrived at the County Government, Chen Yuan was already assigned by Arrest Officer Huang Xing to a task, which happened to be the very crime he himself had committed last night. Yet, Chen Yuan still managed to display some feigned surprise at the appropriate time.
Such that no one would easily suspect him, while Arrest Officer Huang Xing did not seem to take much notice, his brows furrowed, apparently preoccupied with some distressing matter.
At the back door of the Huang Family, within a narrow street about three hundred meters away, Chen Yuan emotionlessly scrutinized the severed head of Wang Er. Overnight, the bloodstains next to Wang Er had spread out over a large area with the rain.
"Constable Chen, this kid... seems to be Wang Er from the Beihai Gang."
A White Servant examined closely.
"Hmm... you two, take the body away. This looks like a gang dispute. A strike to kill, swift, accurate, and ruthless—clearly premeditated."
Chen Yuan's voice reached the ears of several White Servants.
The two who were instructed exchanged glances. Although they were somewhat reluctant, they did not dare refuse and held their noses as they placed Wang Er's corpse in a body bag.
"Constable Chen, should we go and ask the Huang Family?" someone suggested.
Chen Yuan shook his head:
"Everyone is clear about the relationship between the Huang Family and the Beihai Gang. We won't get anything from asking. With the constant murders in the county, how can we investigate?"
"Basically, the arrest officer wants us to remove the body... don't bother inviting trouble."
Of course, Chen Yuan was not going to delve further into the investigation, as he was the culprit.
Such gang-related murders are quite common in Ping'an County; they hardly ever create much of a stir, unless they multiply. It's only when people die daily that the County Magistrate will be enraged and the various powers within the County Government will be subdued by the majesty of the court and settle down.
Indeed, such cases wouldn't even be formally recorded in the case files.
After staying in the County Government for a while, Chen Yuan took people out on patrol, and even visited Wang Ping to check on his recovery. Although he is improving, he still needs to lie down for over a month.
They say it takes a hundred days to recover from serious muscle and bone injuries. With several ribs broken, even the strong-bodied Wang Ping needs to rest for over a month.
Within the County Government, it was Wang Ping who had the best relationship with Chen Yuan. Although the current Chen Yuan didn't feel much for him, to avoid drawing suspicion, he still made trips to see him every few days.
In the following days, Chen Yuan had quite a leisurely time, having refined the last Tiger Bone Pill. With his Golden Paint covering over half of his body, even without resources and relying solely on his daily training, he could reach Perfection in the Skin Refining Realm within two months.
However, it was clear that Chen Yuan could not wait that long.
After making sure there were no abnormalities with Hall Master Wang's situation, Chen Yuan planned to find someone to exchange Silver for Tiger Bone Pills for his training.
That night.
Once again, Chen Yuan wrapped himself in his night garment and disappeared into the shades of the night.
Chen Yuan had already identified his target—the South City's Song Laoliu, also the person he had learned about from Liu Yishou's information—who was rather influential there.
He must have channels for obtaining Tiger Bone Pills.
Dealing with people from the County Government would have been cheaper, but the risks were too high. It would certainly raise questions about the origin of his Silver, thus it was not worth the potential loss.
Chen Yuan, currently lacking in strength, only wished to get by in Ping'an County and, incidentally, during his patrols in the city, to see if anyone possessed Qi Fortune.
Recently, Song Laoliu spent most of his time away from the gambling house; he often slept in an inconspicuous little courtyard in South City. Chen Yuan had later found Liu Yishou and learned of this secret through him.
Liu Yishou mentioned that uncovering Song Laoliu's secret retreat was a matter of chance and never dared to disclose it to anyone else.
One must plan before taking action.
Chen Yuan's reason for choosing Song Laoliu was not only because of his connections but also because his strength was merely at the Blood Refining Level, which meant that even if there were unexpected complications, with Chen Yuan's current strength, he was confident in controlling the situation.
After scoping out the small courtyard and ensuring there were no threats, Chen Yuan climbed over the wall and entered, making his steps as light as possible, until he reached the outside of a room.
"Rustle, rustle..."
In the room, a middle-aged man dressed in plain clothes who had been sleeping suddenly sat up from the bed, reaching out to grab a long saber at the bedside, startling the young woman who had been sleeping next to him.
"Master... what's wrong?" the young woman asked, her sleepy eyes slightly opening, somewhat perplexed.
"I'm not sure which friend has come here, and I, Song Laoliu, have failed to welcome you from afar..." Song Laoliu patted the woman beside him to reassure her, then got up from the bed and cautiously eyed the faint black silhouette at the door.
The woman on the bed was greatly alarmed, shielding herself with the bedding, her body trembling slightly...
She was a young concubine Song Laoliu kept outside, deeply afraid that it was one of Song Laoliu's jealous wives from his household.
Despite appearing quite reputable outside, Song Laoliu actually feared his wife back home the most, as several of his mistresses from before had all died under various circumstances.
"Brother Song, there's no need for panic. I've come here solely to make a transaction with you..." Chen Yuan's hoarse voice came from outside the door into the room.
Song Laoliu breathed a sigh of relief. Long periods of luxury had nearly eroded his strength, and although he was at the Blood Refining Level, his power ranked at the very bottom of those within this realm.
If it had truly been an assassin or such outside, he would have been in danger.
"What business would you like to discuss, brother? Why not come inside for a chat?"
"There's no need. Disturbing Brother Song's pleasure is truly not my wish."
"Hehe... don't mention it."
"I would like three Tiger Bone Pills, Brother Song. Please set your price..."
Song Laoliu's eyes shifted slightly as he spoke in a low voice:
"Tiger Bone Pills are market-priced at ten Patterned Silver each, in high demand and with extremely hard-to-find ingredients. If you want them, I can get a few for you at eleven Patterned Silver apiece."
He didn't dare to ask for an exorbitant price; if the person outside hadn't purposely made some noise, he might still be sound asleep now.
The stranger's strength was likely stronger than his own.
"That's acceptable... How many days will it take to get them?"
"Seven days."
"Whoosh!"
A small hole was made in the window, and a bar of finely minted silver landed in front of Song Laoliu.
"This ten Silver is the deposit. Seven days from now, at the same time, I will come on schedule. I hope you will have the Tiger Bone Pills ready, Brother Song."
"By the way... I am a solitary person and would prefer no other outsiders to be present at that time..."
After these words, the footsteps outside the window gradually receded.
Song Laoliu picked up the silver from the ground and scrutinized it carefully, his complexion dark and uncertain. His little courtyard was supposed to be extremely hidden, yet he hadn't expected someone to find it...
It was no longer safe.
"Master..." the young woman on the bed said, worry in her voice.
"Don't panic, it's just a friend."
Song Laoliu fell silent for a moment before putting down the silver and slowly returning to bed to rest.
"Master... I don't want to live this kind of skulking life anymore."
_________
Thank you to Dalao Wolf for turning back and for the reward, thank you for the support!