Qin Zheng did not delay further.
He quickly arrived at the dilapidated temple in the eastern part of the city, which was the residence of Master Chongming.
At that moment, there was the scent of smoke and the faint aroma of food drifting from within the temple.
As Qin Zheng stepped inside, he saw a group of children sitting obediently and eating porridge.
Next to the group of children, a woman with a haggard face was sitting somewhat constrainedly. Upon seeing Qin Zheng, her eyes suddenly brightened.
It seemed that she had taken his words to heart.
Qin Zheng thought to himself.
Then he shifted his gaze toward Master Chongming, who was still by the fire, continuing to cook the porridge.
Vegetables and rice were scarce, hardly a sign of meat or fat—though the porridge was not as bland as water, it was not thick either.
"Mr. Qin, you have come,"
Upon seeing Qin Zheng approaching, Master Chongming raised his head and greeted him with hands clasped together.
Qin Zheng returned the gesture and then approached Master Chongming, saying, "Master, have you heard the rumors spreading through the city?"
Master Chongming nodded, then spoke, "Today, as I went out, I vaguely heard some rumors."
"I also had the intention of leaving the city to see whether this matter is true or not."
"Rest assured, if this matter is true, I will certainly not ignore it!"
The monk's tone was filled with determination, yet his demeanor remained utterly calm, as if this was not a difficult task for him.
Seeing this, Qin Zheng's slightly lifted heart gradually relaxed.
In Black Goose City, as far as Qin Zheng currently understood, this old monk possessed the most unfathomable strength.
Whether it was Ji Changyin, Xu Weisan, or Shi Dian, they had only reached the Sinew Refining Realm with three significant breakthroughs.
This gave Qin Zheng the impression that the upper limit of martial strength in Black Goose City was the Sinew Refining Realm.
Although Qin Zheng had not seen this old monk in action, the dignity in his conversation revealed that he was certainly no ordinary person.
Whether it was the initial discussion about Shi Dian or now the bandits outside the city, he always remained unflustered.
Thus, if the old monk in front of him decided to intervene in this matter, the outcome would likely not be as severe as the rumors suggested.
The monk's attitude greatly reassured Qin Zheng.
Afterward, he looked at the porridge in the pot, thought for a moment, and took out several silver taels he was carrying and handed them to Master Chongming.
"These children are still young; they need to eat some meat to gain nutrition. Please take this money, Master."
The monk might possess great strength, but he lacked business acumen, wearing tattered clothes and residing in the dilapidated temple.
Now having to manage the feeding of these children, he surely faced some difficulties.
Qin Zheng could not do as the monk did and adopt homeless beggars, but encountering such a person, he could do his part and provide some help within his means.
The monk did not hesitate to accept Qin Zheng's silver. He clasped his hands together and deeply bowed in gratitude.
"Amitabha, Mr. Qin, you have a kind heart. I am very grateful!"
Qin Zheng waved his hand nonchalantly, indicating that no further thanks were necessary.
Now, relying on the Cicada Gang, having killed Wei Feng and Shi Dian, he had obtained a substantial amount of silver and was not short of money.
If it weren't for carrying only a few taels of silver with him, he could have offered more.
After all, Shi Dian alone had contributed two thousand silver notes to him.
However, recalling the scene when he arrived today, Qin Zheng still advised, "Master, with the city full of rumors, many citizens are hoarding food supplies."
"If you do not purchase some food now, I fear that the price of grains will increase later, or it may become difficult to buy food even with money."
Master Chongming nodded and then responded, "Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Qin. I will go out and buy some food shortly."
"Mr. Qin, since you are here at a good time, why not have a bowl of this light porridge?"
Qin Zheng nodded, just as he was about to happily accept the invitation.
He then saw the old monk's gaze shift toward the direction of the temple's main entrance.
Qin Zheng was startled and then, sensing something, he also looked toward the entrance.
Ever since he had achieved a minor proficiency in the Great Sun Golden Cicada Technique, his senses had improved, notably his hearing.
And this scene caused Master Chongming to slightly shift his eyes, looking somewhat surprised.
It wasn't long before Xu Weisan, dressed in a black robe with a long sword at his waist, appeared within their line of sight.
"He's arrived so soon?"
Qin Zheng raised his eyebrows, his expression becoming slightly more serious.
And Xu Weisan, upon seeing Qin Zheng, also raised his eyebrows, seemingly surprised.
But then his gaze swept past Qin Zheng and turned to the old monk by his side.
"May I ask if this is Master Chongming himself?"
He stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and bowed to the old monk.
"I dare not claim such honor, but indeed, my monastic name is Chongming," the old monk replied, returning the gesture. He then shook his head and spoke calmly.
However, Xu Weisan didn't care about these formalities; his gaze swept over Qin Zheng and the group of children behind them.
"I am Xu Weisan from the government office," he started, "I wish to have a word in private with the master, hoping the master would grant me this favor."
His words did not mention Qin Zheng at all.
Upon hearing this, the old monk nodded, glanced at Qin Zheng, then stepped out with Xu Weisan, leaving the dilapidated temple.
Although Qin Zheng was ignored, it did not bother him; it was exactly what he wanted.
Although Xu Weisan had taken the credit, he had not forgotten to investigate the real truth of the matter.
He had come directly to the temple to find the old monk Chongming.
He must have found out that Chongming had appeared there on that day and suspected that the old monk was involved.
Not having connected it to himself was indeed very good.
Qin Zheng nodded slightly, very satisfied with this arrangement.
This way, any suspicion towards him was completely cleared.
As long as Master Chongming did not betray him and reveal the truth about him killing Shi Dian, this matter would be considered resolved.
"That person... sir... just now, was that Inspector Xu from the government office?"
At this moment, the woman who had been sitting reservedly behind him stepped forward, asking Qin Zheng with some trepidation.
Qin Zheng nodded and responded, "Indeed, it was Inspector Xu."
He turned his head to look at the woman.
Previously outside the execution ground, he had only noticed that she was somewhat beautiful.
Now, paying a bit more attention, he realized that the woman's figure was somewhat extraordinary.
He sighed slightly in his mind.
As the saying goes, beauty is a double-edged sword.
Although the woman's appearance was only decent, her figure was indeed striking.
If she came from a wealthy family, it would be fine, but if she were from a poor family, being spotted by a dissolute young master could lead to a tragic story.
"The three this morning were your brothers, weren't they?" Qin Zheng asked.
Upon hearing this, the woman immediately began to cry again and started to explain to Qin Zheng in fits and starts.
The situation was as Qin Zheng had guessed.
The woman's name was Qi Yan; the three men executed today were her brothers.
She came from a poor background, and her parents had died early. It was her three brothers who had raised her.
A few days ago, while buying groceries, she had unintentionally caught the eye of the second-in-command's son from the Canal Gang, who then had people kidnap her and force himself on her.
When her brothers found out, they were furious and captured the young master to beat him senseless.
Although they had taken their revenge, they had also lost their lives as a result.
After listening, Qin Zheng sighed and said only, "For now, follow Master Chongming and see if, in the future, there is a chance to leave Black Goose City."
Qi Yan sobbed and nodded, and the children around also gathered to comfort her.
Though young, these street orphans were already mature beyond their years.
Qin Zheng silently watched this scene.
After a while, the old monk returned alone, his expression slightly heavy.
"Master, what happened?" Qin Zheng asked curiously.
"Mr. Qin, rest assured, Mr. Xu did not ask much, just told me not to claim that I killed Shi Dian and to help him keep it under wraps."
"Shi Dian was killed by Mr. Qin, not by me, so naturally, I would not claim otherwise."
After these words, Qin Zheng was completely at ease.
However, if it were really that simple, why did Master Chongming look so somber?
This was the first time Qin Zheng had seen such an expression on his face.
But the old monk did not continue to say more, and Qin Zheng did not pursue the matter further.
His heart, which had slightly relaxed, tensed up again.