Backyard of the Painting and Calligraphy Shop.
Zhang San spoke in a mocking tone: “So, you think your answer was perfect? Very clever?”
Wang Xiaoer carefully recalled, complaining aggrievedly: “What's wrong with it? Where did I go wrong?”
Zhang San scolded: “Still don't understand? Then let me ask you, why would a nine-year-old ordinary little kid, following a poor scholar, living in a small county town, with almost no thought, could basically say in one glance that he saw through the trap in Xiu Wangchou's wandering chivalrous words of 'forgetting enmity', do you think that makes sense?”
Wang Xiaoer suddenly realized, but he thought about it and immediately said: “Why can't it be that I'm innately smart?”
Zhang San angrily said: “Then you go tell Xiu Wangchou and see if he believes you!?”
Wang Xiaoer was still a little unwilling to say: “Then neither saying I can nor saying I can't will work, exposing his trap won't work either, then Master, what should I have said at the time!?”
Isn't this trying to kill me, Wang Xiaoer?
Zhang San said: “This is simple. You just pretend you didn't see through the trap in his words, and do exactly as he said, just repeat it once, isn't it good? This is the normal reaction for a kid. Finally rebut him, saying you were sleeping all night, and perhaps it just sounded alike, isn't it over then?”
Unfortunately, it was all too late.
Now Xiu Wangchou had made it clear that he believed Zhang San was the one who saved him last night.
Wang Xiaoer consoled: “But Master, I see that hero is also a good person, you don't have to be afraid that he will reveal you in the future.”
Zhang San said impatiently: “What if he gets caught? Do you really think that after killing so many government officials, the prefecture won't send someone to deal with it? The underground forces will be even less forgiving, killing a few third rank masters is one thing, but now he has killed their ground rank masters, do you think they'll let it go?"
"That hero is very powerful..." Wang Xiaoer mumbled in a small voice.
Zhang San scolded: “Powerful? No matter how powerful, can he beat the government and the underground forces? And now although he has detoxified, with his injuries, his martial arts prowess will be reduced at least 40-50 percent for the next ten days!"
Once Xiu Wangchou is caught, whether by the government or the underground forces, they are true professionals when it comes to 'cruel torture'.
Especially the underground forces of Poison Valley, other than Xiu Wangchou, they will definitely be 'very interested' in the medical expertise of anyone who can solve their 'Blood Poison Powder'.
Gradually realizing the crux of the matter, Wang Xiaoer also felt some fear.
Wang Xiaoer lowered his head and cried, "Master, I admit my mistake."
Seeing this, Zhang San sighed and said, "Forget it, let it be."
Wang Xiaoer immediately raised his head, overjoyed, and said, "Then Master, can I get up now?"
"Stay kneeling!" Zhang San yelled angrily.
Seeing that the 'sell misery' trick didn't work either, Wang Xiaoer could only obediently keep kneeling.
As for Zhang San covering his face with his hand, he had already started planning to move away.
Fortunately, when they opened the shop, both he and Wang Xiaoer had disguised themselves, so even if Wang Xiaoer's voice was remembered, it was only his voice.
I'll move to another county, change my disguise again, who can still find me?
...
...
At this moment, Xiaoyun County Yamen.
The new magistrate was over fifty years old, but he didn't look old at all. Strangely though, this man had no trace of a scholar's temperament. His back was straight, his eyebrows and eyes gave a sense of fierceness, so to call him a scholar, it was better to say he was more like a Jianghu man!
Wearing his official uniform, Magistrate 'Lin Nu' sat upright in the hall, but had not slept for a full day and night.
On the table in front of him was a letter that had been sent to his mansion the day after Wang Hu died, and had been seen by him, Lin Nu, as well as the Master and several catchers, but unfortunately, they were all dead now.
Lin Nu picked up the letter and read it for the nth time.
The letter was short, the content simple:
Gang leader Lin, we meet again after twenty years. In Xiaoyang County under Bailang Prefecture, in Sifang Village, our killing game back then has not yet ended.
Please, these days, wash yourself clean and enjoy the show.
Wang Hu was just the beginning.
Since the gang leader enjoys this game so much, we ought to take it nice and slow.
Signed: Xiu Wangchou!
The courtesy in which this Xiu Wangchou wrote his letter, in the tone of greeting an old friend, made Lin Nu's hair stand on end!
Lin Nu knew what the letter writer wanted. What the other party wanted was for him to be afraid, terrified, and finally go insane! Just like those villagers of Sifang Village back then.
The player of the game twenty years ago had now become the one being toyed with.
Lin Nu sat upright, but his fingers were unconsciously trembling. At the moment he was sitting in the hall waiting for a message.
Soon after, a man dressed as a catcher ran into the great hall and came to Lin Nu's side.
"Speak," Lin Nu tried his best to calm the fear in his heart, wanting to maintain some dignity in front of this last remaining underling.
"Boss... no, County Magistrate," the catcher saw Lin Nu's gaze and immediately corrected himself, continuing to say, "We didn't find his corpse, and also... the Wang family is dead too!"
There was unspeakable horror in the catcher's words.
Lin Nu was furious and said, "How is that possible!? The Wang family had hired two ground rank masters from Poison Valley, didn't they? And didn't you say yesterday that Xiu Wangchou had already been poisoned?"
The catcher quickly said, "I... I don't know! But Xiu Wangchou was definitely poisoned at the time, and although he killed those two masters, he was severely injured at the time!"
In fact, with Xiu Wangchou's condition at the time, the catcher did have a chance to make a move, but the terrifying sword technique that killed the two ground rank masters made this small catcher, or former bandit of the Bandit Gang, not dare to take advantage of others' peril.
And by the time Lin Nu arrived, there was no trace of Xiu Wangchou.
Lin Nu had originally thought that with the manpower of the Wang clan and the yamen, how could they not find the severely injured Xiu Wangchou in this small county town?
But the facts were contrary to expectations, they searched all night and still could not find him, and bad news came from the Wang clan as well.
Lin Nu fell silent.
Could it be that this Xiu Wangchou could fly? And under severe injuries, he almost massacred the entire Wang clan. If this was true, Xiu Wangchou's martial arts were too unbelievable.
The catcher was clearly much more timid, stammering: "Sir... let's leave quickly. After all, Xiu Wangchou is severely injured."
Lin Nu did not speak.
However, the catcher continued to persuade: "Sir, the twenty plus brothers brought from the gang, including the second boss, died too. We'd better..."
Lin Nu glared at the catcher and scolded: "Panicking for what! Let me think for a moment."
Even if they could escape now, not to mention the tens of thousands of taels of silver spent to buy this official position gone, with his most capable Wang Hu now dead, being chased day and night by the likes of Xiu Wangchou, hiding for a day, could he hide for a lifetime?
Or should he...
Take a gamble while Xiu Wangchou was severely injured?