There are three main streets in Liudu City. The vertical West Street and East Street divide the bustling city into three parts, while the horizontal North Street separates the Feng Mansion from the other residents.
The incident occurred on West Street, where Yu Chi Feng was previously stopped and later found by Bai Zhong.
West Street is the most prosperous and lively place, where most of the vendors and restaurants are located, while East Street is relatively quiet.
Yu Chi Feng followed Xia Yi to West Street. Xia Yi was in a great hurry, his short legs moving rapidly. Yu Chi Feng, on the other hand, easily kept up with long strides. This disparity annoyed the short Xia Yi, who turned back and scolded him several times as "big fool".
The vendors on West Street were gathered in a circle. Through the gaps between the crowded people, one could see the bright red blood on the ground, and some white crumbs scattered around - they should be the broken tender tofu.
"Make way! Make way!" Xia Yi's youthful voice was extremely loud, cutting through the noisy crowd.
"It's Priest Xia coming!" "Make way quickly!"
Hearing Xia Yi's voice, the people hurriedly made a path, allowing Xia Yi and Yu Chi Feng to reach the center.
There lay a man in commoner's clothes in a pool of blood. His eyes were wide open, filled with pain and fear. The fatal wound was on the man's head, and the flesh and blood were so blurred that the original appearance of the top of his head could no longer be seen.
Seeing this cruel murder case, Yu Chi Feng couldn't help but tremble in shock, and unnoticeably took half a step back.
On the other side, two strong men held a thin and delicate man to the ground. The thin man had some blood on him, and he showed no intention of resisting. A blood-stained kitchen knife fell beside him, and it was not difficult to see that he was the murderer.
The tofu stand beside was splattered with blood, and it was a pity for the table of fragrant tender tofu.
Inside the door behind the tofu stand, a woman half-covered and half-exposed, showing only one eye, was watching everything. She seemed to be frightened and was slightly trembling. But Yu Chi Feng keenly noticed that although the woman was trembling, her hand was holding a plate of tofu steadily without the slightest tremor.
Strange. Yu Chi Feng looked warily and thought to himself.
Xia Yi stood in front of the pool of blood, only one step away from staining his Taoist robe. He stood firm, holding a horsetail whisk in one hand, looking composed: "Tell me, what happened."
The thin man, Zhang Dou, who sold tofu, raised a pair of calm eyes and said: "I chopped Yang Laowu to death."
"Why?"
"He had his eyes on my wife and repeatedly tried to approach and make a move. I stopped him many times, and my wife also refused him many times, but he was still stubborn. Today, he came here and smashed my stand. Thinking that I was weak and could be bullied, he grabbed my wife's hand and wanted to forcefully humiliate her in front of me. Naturally, I couldn't bear it."
Zhang Dou's voice was calm, and he was extremely patient when narrating.
Yu Chi Feng looked at his appearance. He didn't look like a tofu-selling farmer, but more like a scholar or a disciple of a famous and upright sect.
Yu Chi Feng thought that although Zhang Dou was thin, he was a courageous and responsible man. But he wondered how Xia Yi and Feng Tingliu would punish such a murderer who killed for love.
After listening, Xia Yi nodded, indicating that he knew. Suddenly, he remembered something, narrowed his eyes, and pursued: "Is the one in the room Sister Qiao from Zhijin Workshop? When did the two of you become husband and wife?"
Hearing this, Zhang Dou lowered his head and blushed, saying shyly: "We met and got to know each other three months ago, and we confessed our love to each other only a month ago... My wife and I are both introverted, and we haven't reported this matter to the City Lord. It's Zhang's fault."
Xia Yi stroked his chin, pretending to think deeply.
Seeing him like this, Zhang Dou hurriedly said: "I know that Priest Xia always acts on behalf of City Lord Feng. I would never dare to deceive the City Lord! Please forgive me, Priest Xia!"
Yu Chi Feng couldn't understand why the matter of the couple could be related to Feng Tingliu, but he could only watch from the side, speculate on Feng Tingliu's intention for asking him to follow, and how this farce would end.
"Oh, you're overthinking. I'm not blaming this matter." Xia Yi finally stopped and said, "I'm just thinking about how to handle your and Sister Qiao's wedding."
Hearing this, Zhang Dou was stunned for a moment, and his expression suddenly changed from gloomy to cheerful. He kept saying thank you. Sister Qiao in the room also put down the plate in her hand and ran out, disregarding her husband's blood-stained body, and hugged him.
"When will the wedding banquet be held? Hurry up, I think they've been affectionate for a long time!"
"That's right! There must be fine wine at this wedding banquet! Otherwise, I won't go!"
"Don't pretend. How much can you drink? If you can't drink, go to the children's table!"
The onlookers around were chatting excitedly, unable to hide their excitement. It seemed that they wanted to use the blood on the ground as red paper and red cloth, and with the heaven and earth as the backdrop, hold the wedding ceremony grandly. Someone sensible brought a white cloth to cover Yang Laowu's body, wrapped it quietly, and carried it away.
Yu Chi Feng looked at the crowd whose attitude had suddenly changed, and his expression changed. He didn't expect it to end like this...
It's not unusual to have a murder case in the city, but the entire process did not involve the government. With just Xia Yi's words, the murder case was settled.
"Alright, alright, stop arguing! I'll go and tell the City Lord about this. Get a few people to clean up the place. Zhang Dou, calculate how much money you've lost, and the City Lord will compensate you." Xia Yi waved his hand and ended the matter like this, without any intention of punishing Zhang Dou.
"Well... It's already a great kindness not to punish me. I haven't lost much money, and I don't want to trouble the City Lord."
Xia Yi smiled. The smile on his somewhat childish face was rather free and easy. He waved his horsetail whisk, turned around and left, leaving only one sentence: "Punishment is still necessary. You are punished to drink ten jars of wine on your wedding day before entering the bridal chamber!"
Zhang Dou looked at Xia Yi's back, kowtowed heavily, and sincerely thanked: "Thank you, Priest Xia! Thank you, City Lord!"
The matter was resolved too quickly. When Yu Chi Feng followed Xia Yi to leave, he was still confused and couldn't help but ask: "Is this it?"
Xia Yi listened and looked confusedly back, nodding: "Yes, otherwise?"
Yu Chi Feng felt that his mind was not clear. Although he had no memory, he still had basic common sense. He knew that killing someone required paying a price. Even if there were other circumstances, one should also be punished, not ended so carelessly.
Xia Yi thought for a moment and realized the problem. He said: "In Liudu City, there is no government. The people here are a group of abandoned people in the martial arts world. To survive, they have to rely on their own abilities. And most people are absolutely loyal to Brother Feng - well, you should know the three rules of Liudu City, right?"
Yu Chi Feng recalled for a moment and said: "Don't accept useless people, don't accept traitors, and don't accept those who can't survive?"
"That's right. It means that as long as one is useful to Brother Feng and loyal to him, one can do anything else. However, if one causes trouble in the city, the people in the city will automatically solve it for the sake of Liudu City and Brother Feng - just like Yang Laowu."
Yu Chi Feng opened his mouth but didn't know how to respond. Only then did he come to his senses. In this place without a government, every person in the city is by no means simple... And they just follow Feng Tingliu's orders to live peacefully here...
"That Zhang Dou, he shouldn't be an ordinary tofu seller, right?" Yu Chi Feng suddenly asked this most puzzling question.
"That's right. That Zhang Dou's real name is Zhang Xiuyuan. Just by his name, you can tell he's not a tofu seller, right? He was originally a disciple of the Songshan Sect. It is said that his position in the Songshan Sect was not low. But what's the use? The elder of the Songshan Sect fell into the demonic path and was discovered by him. In order to preserve their reputation, the Songshan Sect actually wanted to get rid of Zhang Xiuyuan... Alas, it's a pity. Zhang Xiuyuan is highly skilled in martial arts and was not completely eradicated. Instead, he exposed the evil deeds of that elder. Zhang Xiuyuan was completely disappointed with the Songshan Sect and did not go back. Instead, he came to Liudu City."
Xia Yi was telling a story that was enough to make people feel sad, but his tone was relaxed, as if he was just telling a fictional story in a script. However, Yu Chi Feng was shocked. He vaguely felt that the Songshan Sect should be a famous and upright sect in the martial arts world, but what they did was full of sins.
"But he's selling tofu here... Isn't that a waste of his talent?"
"Not at all. Zhang Dou has seen through it. He thinks that all the so-called righteous paths in the martial arts world are illusory. In the end, after punishing the evil and eradicating the villains, his own sect has lost its original intention and become the evil ones. Now he just wants to sell tofu well... Oh, and now he also wants to live a good life with Sister Qiao and have a big, fat baby. In fact, hehe, almost everyone in Liudu City is like him."
As Xia Yi spoke, he actually felt somewhat happy, and his steps became even lighter. He even started to murmur about the dishes and snacks he wanted to eat at the banquet.
Yu Chi Feng looked at his innocent and simple appearance and suddenly felt a sense of incongruity. Xia Yi lives in Liudu City and works for Feng Tingliu. Looking at the way others treat him, when they see Priest Xia, they respect him as if they were seeing Feng Tingliu. Then his background must not be simple.
"What about you?" Yu Chi Feng asked.
Xia Yi's steps suddenly slowed down. He didn't turn back, and Yu Chi Feng couldn't see his expression. Just when Yu Chi Feng thought that he had touched on Xia Yi's sad matter and wouldn't get an answer, he heard the childish voice suddenly ring out coldly.
"I've said it before. I'm from the Huashan Sect. Of course, I'm also someone who has been completely abandoned by the Huashan Sect."
Yu Chi Feng felt a chill down his spine. He looked towards Xia Yi and met a pair of cold, almond-shaped eyes filled with killing intent and malice. He was shocked in his heart and subconsciously took a step back.
Xia Yi's face, after being stained with malice, showed no incongruity. It seemed that he was a born killer. Anyone standing in front of him would end up dead.
Yu Chi Feng broke out in a cold sweat. Just when his mouth slightly opened to say something, Xia Yi's face suddenly wore an innocent smile again, as if what he had just seen was an illusion. Xia Yi hopped into the Feng Mansion, without saying anything more.
"Brother Feng - I'm back! Uncle Zhong, Uncle Zhong, I want to eat snacks!"
He has a childlike temperament.
And Yu Chi Feng stood at the entrance, only feeling that the fabric on his back was already soaked with cold sweat, and his fingers were somewhat stiff.
Liudu City and the people in this city are by no means as simple as he imagined.
Only then did Yu Chi Feng completely understand what it means to "not accept those who can't survive in Liudu City".