Heaven's Silence

Chapter 54 – Soft sword

In the morning market of the county city, a large crowd gathered, bustling with activity. The harsh snow that had been relentless on the county residents took a brief pause, and the rare appearance of the sun brought some warmth. Even the elderly, who were seldom seen, wrapped in thick cloth garments, ventured out to the streets, engaging in conversations or heated debates, comparing their children and grandchildren, or sharing gossip with added embellishments. They were eager to exercise their tongues, which had been silenced by the wind and snow in recent days.

On such a lively and seemingly cheerful day, the County Office appeared particularly lifeless. The wind that blew through its doors felt even colder.

Chun Qiong, dressed in official robes, stood before Liu Jinshi's corpse, which had turned waxy yellow due to the preservative herbs, his expression grave.

In his hand, he held a scroll, slightly creased, yet he continued to clutch it, his distracted gaze indicating he was wrestling with something.

Beside Liu Jinshi lay another body.

It was Wu Xie.

His neck was stitched with dense threads, erasing the smooth wound and leaving behind the unique pallor of the dead.

Last night, Wu Xie and A Shui clashed for the second time.

Everything was almost the same as before.

The difference was that this time, his luck was not good.

A Shui's old injury did not flare up again.

The previously missed strike now accurately landed on Wu Xie's neck, unsurprisingly severing his head.

The entire process was seamless.

Chun Qiong had no time for grief or anger; the blood-stained blade was already at his neck. At that moment, Chun Qiong clearly realized the gap between him and A Shui and understood that he could not provoke the woman before him.

Those who watched A Shui fight often fell into an unrealistic illusion, thinking that every swing of her blade, every kill, was so ordinary, so lacking in spectacle.

She always seemed just a bit faster than her enemies, but only just a bit.

Thus, many onlookers believed that if they could be just a bit faster, they could easily defeat her.

Those who held such thoughts ultimately paid a heavy price, only realizing when facing A Shui and her blade that this slight difference was an insurmountable mountain, an unfathomable sea.

Chun Qiong certainly had feelings for Wu Xie, who had served their family for so many years, but not enough to risk his life against someone he couldn't defeat.

He buried this hatred in his heart, letting it take root and grow.

Chun Qiong had already begun contemplating how to collaborate with Lu Chuan and the Wangchuan River to deal with the woman who had twice caused trouble at his County Office and killed his guards.

As he was lost in thought, a shadow appeared at the door, the sound of footsteps bringing Chun Qiong back to his senses. With the events of last night, he was like a startled bird, gripping the soft sword he carried closely.

"Who is it?"

Chun Qiong spoke, and the voice of a constable came from outside:

"Reporting to the magistrate, a commoner dressed in cloth wishes to see you."

Chun Qiong, irritated, said:

"No visitors today."

"Unless it's urgent, do not disturb me!"

The constable hesitated for a moment and then said:

"The man claims he knows the woman who was here last night."

Upon hearing this, Chun Qiong tightened his grip on the soft sword, his gaze instinctively sweeping over Wu Xie's cold corpse. After a moment of silence, he changed his mind:

"Is he alone?"

"Yes, magistrate, he is alone."

"In that case... bring him in."

The constable hurriedly left, and shortly after, returned with a young man standing outside the room. After the constable left, the man pushed the door open and entered. As their eyes met, Chun Qiong's pupils suddenly contracted.

"It's you..."

He murmured, memories flooding back, and he recalled something.

"Yes, the day I first came to the County Office, after dispersing the other citizens, only you and she remained."

"These days have been too troublesome, and last night I didn't think of it."

The visitor was none other than Wen Chaoshen. He glanced at Chun Qiong, then quickly turned his gaze to the corpses of Liu Jinshi and Wu Xie, pointing in that direction:

"Has Lord Chun decided when to close the case?"

Chun Qiong, with his hands behind his back, stood tall and proud in front of Wen Chaoshen, his demeanor seemingly more imposing.

Last night, facing A Shui, he was cautious with his life, speaking softly. Today, seeing before him a man with no cultivation, once a refugee outside the county, Chun Qiong finally had a place to vent his pent-up anger and fear from the night.

"When I close the case is not for a refugee to rush me."

Wen Chaoshen crossed his hands in front of him, slightly bowing to Chun Qiong, and calmly said:

"Thanks to your grace, Chaoshen is now a true citizen of Qi Kingdom."

Chun Qiong took a few steps forward, standing before Wen Chaoshen, leaning in while raising his chin, speaking slowly:

"Remember, what I give you, I can also take back."

"So, why are you here... isn't it to talk about the woman from last night?"

Wen Chaoshen lowered his eyes, staring at Chun Qiong's waist where the soft sword hung and the hand gripping it, speaking softly:

"If I recall correctly, the first day you arrived in Kuhai County, you didn't carry a sword at your waist. After one night, you've become much more cautious, never leaving your sword."

Chun Qiong followed Wen Chaoshen's words, lowering his gaze to see his hand gripping the sword. His eyes narrowed into a dangerous line, his patience wearing thin:

"I may not be able to kill her, but I can certainly kill you... speaking to me like this, are you tired of living?"

Wen Chaoshen chuckled, without a trace of fear.

"On the surface, it's about the woman from last night, but essentially, it's about you, Lord Chun."

As he spoke, he pointed again at Liu Jinshi's corpse, his gaze never leaving Chun Qiong's face.

"And it's about him."

In the room, the candlelight flickered, the sound of the soft sword being drawn resonating with the killing intent.

Facing Chun Qiong's impatience and killing intent, Wen Chaoshen not only did not retreat but even leaned in closer, speaking softly:

"Lord Chun, you better think it through. My life is cheap, killing me is a small matter, but if the missing gut-wrenching poison and the secrets Liu Jinshi left behind get out... it will be a big problem."