Book 5: Chapter 35: The Light of Dawn

Of East Port Town’s seventeen alleys, one port and three markets, only the river bank market where Silver Hook Lane was didn’t often have many people from East Port Town.

The river bank night market was primarily composed of fish steak shops, wine shops, and low grade brothels, as well as being where some illegal black market transactions were held. This type of place that burned gold, even if the town’s proper families wanted to come, they still wouldn’t have enough money to do so. Moreover, this river bank market, at night, was full of brilliant lights, corruption and debauchery, prosperity abounds, red light illuminating the entire shallow waters; this was perhaps the most prosperous land of the entire Breath River. However, in the day, this place instead rarely had any people, just like right now, the trash that was produced from last night’s celebration was mixed in the white froth between ships, all of the filth that was hard to see at night was currently appearing on the river, making this place lack the slightest perception of beauty.

Silver Hook Lane was only made into the shape of a decorated pleasure boat. In reality, it was a several story building that was fixed to these shallow waters, extremely large, full of an imposing manner.

When they saw Lin Xi approach, many of the people who were originally throwing rotten vegetable leaves at the large black men, eating and drinking leftovers, didn’t change their overbearing and arrogant attitudes at all, to the extent where even more eyes filled with disdain and provocation aimed at this green clothed youngster who was walking up this boat.

“This one is Gao Zhe, Silver Hook Lane’s boss. I wonder what Enforcer Great One’s purpose in visiting this ship is?”

Gao Zhe who was dressed in white silk clothes greeted him, bowing respectfully, purposely raising his voice so everyone on the shore could hear him.

This white-faced beardless, scholar-like middle-aged man looked like he still hadn’t recovered from his hangover, his body still carrying a faint alcohol smell. While saying this, Gao Zhe looked at this tall and straight green clothed youngster under the sunlight, even feeling a bit of sympathy for him.

He knew that the other party’s intellect and methods were definitely not as tender as he looked on the surface, he could also be considered an ambitious and ruthless figure on this river.

However, by stating that he was the boss of Silver Hook Lane, what proof did this green clothed youngster have that Xu Chengfeng was the true owner of Silver Hook Lane?

Moreover, today, what proof could he even find? That was why even after today, this Silver Hook Lane would definitely still remain here, fine and proper, but this Enforcer Lin might only be able to silently leave.

“Everyone in Silver Hook Lane, all of you are to come out and have your identities clearly recorded. According to Yunqin law, when homicide is involved, if there are any lies spoken while interrogated, the punishment will be increased, depending on the situation, you will be sent to the army for one to more than five years.”

However, what made Gao Zhe’s brows furrow was that Lin Xi seemed like he didn’t even see him, only calmly saying this.

It was as if the one who managed affairs on this boat was empty air. Lin Xi’s current words and expression also made all of the arrogant and domineering people who didn’t change their behavior in the slightest when he walked up shiver inwardly.

Liang Sansi and the other bailiffs also quickly got on this imposing Silver Hook Lane. Ever since that true dragon boat and simple looking older woman appeared, this ordinary substitute bailiff who had already gone with the flow for many years also began to feel a different flame burn within him. This was especially the case when he saw that older woman’s forehead slam into the limestone, blood flowing along East Port Town, this flame already completely ignited within him.

In one’s life, they always had to do some meaningful things.

When he looked at Lin Xi’s grave and stern figure, he took a deep breath. With an unprecedented stern voice, he urged those Silver Hook Lane people who still didn’t move. “Do not stall for time, hurry and come here for your interrogations!”

…

People from Silver Hook Lane walked out one after another. Apart from the servants and singers, the people on shore saw many faces that couldn’t be considered unfamiliar.

A fifty something year old elder similarly dressed in ordinary green clothes hung his head, covering his face with his sleeves as he walked in confusion.

However, because there were just too many people in the surroundings, there were still quite a few people who immediately recognized him.

“He’s Clear River Town’s Correspondent, Lu Zhaoji!”

“No wonder Sir Lin spoke like that… who would have thought that there really were quite a few guests like these.”

“No wonder when Feng Zeyi went to report to Clear River Town, they weren’t willing to handle his case, only saying that this was a missing person case. Turns out it is like this!”

“…”

Yunqin’s correspondent was a Government Sector major eighth rank official, in charge of counting up the progress of concrete affairs of various sectors in local areas, and then reporting to upper authority. Even though he didn’t have as much authority as a Town Supervisor, the military rank was still the same as the Town Supervisor’s, already one of the civil official positions with the highest authority in the various towns. This Clear River Town’s Correspondent Lu Zhaoji, when he was young, should have been a handsome man. Now, even though his age was great, there was still a bit of an exceptional style. However, when he heard the discussions that were getting more and more dark, heard the Enforcer Office say that he wasn’t allowed to leave even after being registered, for everyone to first gather in this boat, this civil official who normally still had a decent reputation in Clear River Town knew that all of the reputation he accumulated with great difficulty might all come to nothing, his refined face also completely becoming the color of pig liver, unable to help but roar at Lin Xi, “Enforcer Lin, could it be that just because I am an official, I cannot enjoy myself a bit?! If you aren’t able to find anything today by doing this, I definitely won’t let you off!”

“Sir Lu, you are forgetting yourself.”

However, when faced with this shouting, Lin Xi only gave him a calm look, and then added, “Then what if something does end up being found?”

The moment Lu Zhaoji felt like he lost himself a bit, becoming a bit sluggish, Xu Chengfeng who was also brought all the way here to Silver Hook Lane gave Gao Zhe a probing look, while Gao Zhe bowed slightly in his direction. This prince of a Three Towns Battalion Commander immediately felt at ease, a bit of a cold smile appearing on his face.

Lin Xi noticed Xu Chengfeng’s change in expression from the corners of his eyes. When he turned around, Xu Chengfeng not only didn’t retract his expression, he instead revealed an even more complacent and provocative expression.

Another official walked out from Silver Hook Lane.

This was an official from Swallow Descent Town. When this official was recognized, he didn’t argue back, only standing with his head lowered before everyone.

When everyone in Silver Hook Lane was brought out, there was no one left in the large boat. All of the tightly shut windows and doors were completely opened.

Liang Sansi, Du Weiqing, and the others began to search through the rooms, the investigation extremely careful, even some walls carefully tapped. The more they didn’t discover anything, the more nervous Du Weiqing and the others became… From the many traces they found all night, as well as these people’s displays, and then the rumors that spread about, Du Weiqing, this older bailiff, was sure that Silver Hook Lane was filthy to the extreme. However, without decisive proof, even though they clearly knew there was darkness here, there was no way of placing guilt on these people.

As they passed one room after another, when they saw that there were only five or six rooms left that weren’t searched, yet there was still nothing, this old bailiff who had already worked tirelessly for an entire night already began to break out into large amounts of sweat. Right now, it was pouring down his forehead, drenching his bailiff uniform.

“Even though our Silver Hook Lane’s business has been doing rather well, incurring the dissatisfaction of some people, not organizing everything enough, we have always been an honorable business.”

When he saw that the search was nearing its end, Gao Zhe turned around, giving Lin Xi and Second Grandpa Zhang a meaningful look, saying, “If Enforcer Great One feels like the search isn’t careful enough, you can search once more, or you can also often come to search around.”

When they heard this, many people on the shore who also felt like there was something wrong with Silver Hook Lane all felt their minds going tense, inwardly clenching their teeth in anger, starting to feel worry for Lin Xi, Second Grandpa Zhang and the others.

Gao Zhe claimed to be the boss of Silver Hook Lane, if there was no proof found, then it would be hard to drag Xu Chengfeng down. Meanwhile, because his words didn’t obtain much results from criticizing Lin Xi, he also dragged Second Grandpa Zhang and others with him.

“There is no need to search anymore.”

However, right at this time, Lin Xi’s brows furrowed slightly, and then calmly spoke, making Du Weiqing and the others, as well as the densely packed townsmen ashore become stunned.

“It seems like you all already had some methods, even if the search is continued, it will only be wasting their strength. In that case, I can only use my own methods.” Right at this time, when Lian Zhanshan and Gao Zhe’s eyes all concentrated on Lin Xi, filled with curiosity, Lin Xi instead calmly turned around, looking at Xu Chengfeng, saying this.

“What methods do you still have?” With Xu Chengfeng’s background, he didn’t place Lin XI’s trifling rank in his eyes at all. The only thing that made him feel a bit of misgivings was Lin Xi’s cultivator background. However, after being tossed and turned for an entire night, it already completely exceeded his bottom line. Together with how he clearly knew the other didn’t have any proof, he even more so became filled with resentment, directly taking a step forward, looking at Lin Xi and saying, “Are you certain that I am guilty? But how will you arrest me? Even if you personally saw me do it, the testimony of you alone isn’t enough to arrest me! What can you do?!”

“Your words right now only make me even more certain that you are precisely the true owner of Silver Hook Lane.” Lin Xi looked at the overbearing Xu Chengfeng, still saying calmly.

“So what?” Xu Chengfeng’s eyes narrowed slightly, saying maliciously, “Without proof, when the time comes, you can only be crushed to death by me.”

“As long as I am sure, it is enough. I can use my methods.”

When facing Xu Chengfeng’s malicious smile, Lin Xi calmly said this in reply. Then, he reached out a hand, left hand grabbing Xu Chengfeng’s neck, longsword in his right hand, stabbing Xu Chengfeng’s chest.

A sword point came out from Xu Chengfeng’s back.

Originally, this longsword in Lin Xi’s hands was wrapped in cloth, even now, it was still wrapped in cloth strips, stabbing through Xu Chengfeng’s body just like that. The sword edge tore through the thin cloth, piercing through Xu Chengfeng’s body, coming out of his back. Only now did everyone see that this sword was light green, just like the glimmers of daybreak.

All of the arrogance and maliciousness on Xu Chengfeng’s face completely turned into horror and disbelief. Lian Zhanshan and others were immediately stunned as well. “Lin Xi, you actually dare to consciously go against the laws, kill someone in front of everyone!” In that instant, Lian Zhanshan and the military official dressed in copper plate armor immediately reacted, releasing a sky shocking roar.

“If you all come, then he will die really quickly.”

Lin Xi held the longsword in hand steadily, not looking at Lian Zhanshan and the others, only looking at the blood that flowed along the sword, while looking at Xu Chengfeng, he said, “I will give you one more chance. If you still don’t say the true words I want to hear, the sword in my hand will quickly move in your body, cut through your heart… Also, it is best if you act quickly, or else even if I don’t kill you, if the rescue treatment is a bit slower, you won’t be able to live either.”

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