Chapter Nineteen: Slaughter

Ten miles outside the southern gate of Yan Prefecture lay the refugee slums, desolate with the dead and dying from hunger. Yet Lei Yinyang had chosen to build his residence not far from this place. The reason was simple: he made frequent use of the refugees for his enterprises, as their labor cost him almost nothing. For convenience, he raised his mansion nearby, and would occasionally distribute porridge as a show of false charity to mask his crimes.

Passing by the slums, one could see only suffering, the air thick with resentment. In the distance, Lei Lord's residence gleamed with gold and jade, a stark contrast that brought a flush of anger to Chu Youcai's face.

As he neared the mansion, the sun was already blazing. Chu Youcai glanced cautiously about, then slipped behind the garden wall and climbed over, landing in the stable yard.

Beneath the scorching sun, the stable hand was sprawled in the stall, snoring thunderously.

Since leaving the trial world within the Alligator-Dragon Mountain River Pearl, Chu Youcai’s strength had grown considerably, with five years of life-force remaining.

Last night, upon entering the trial world, he’d found only the option of Red Aunt. Reflecting that the Snake Shadow’s head was far stronger than Red Aunt and that he could now hold his own, he had refrained from wasting his life energy on further trial entries. Every shred of vitality was too precious to squander.

Just then, the stable hand mumbled in his sleep, “You all go snatch the women and leave none for me…”

With a sudden crash, Chu Youcai kicked open the door, startling awake a burly man of about forty with a full bristling beard. Chu Youcai pressed his dagger to the man’s chest and, recognizing the face, asked coldly, “Do you know who I am?”

“Spare me, sir!” The man was terrified out of his wits. Seeing it was Chu Youcai, his complexion turned ashen. In the past, the casino had ordered him to act as a shill against Chu Youcai, causing him to lose heavily. Now, he whimpered, “Young Master, I was only following orders, please don’t blame me.”

“Just tell me, where is your boss?”

“He’s on the second-floor terrace, drinking with a guest.” The man replied without hesitation.

Chu Youcai, satisfied, reversed his dagger and killed the man. This fellow had deceived countless people at the casino’s bidding; his death was a just end.

Seeing no one else around, Chu Youcai approached the horses and gently stroked their flanks. Normally unruly, the animals grew meek before his murderous aura. He mixed some croton beans—prepared in advance—into their feed. The potent drug would wreak havoc in a matter of moments.

He quickly made his way toward the observation pavilion. With a burst of energy, he vaulted over the rear garden.

In a guest room on the pavilion’s first floor, he glimpsed two handsome youths in the midst of a heated exchange.

One complained, “This guest is so fat and keeps groping everywhere. I don’t want to serve him anymore. Shall we swap?”

The other replied, “Don’t play coy. When he handed you those ten taels of silver, you were beaming. The palace folk are indeed generous. I bet you wish you could serve him every day.”

Chu Youcai’s heart stirred—Lei Yinyang’s guest was someone from the Prince’s Mansion?

As the two boys continued their lewd chatter, Chu Youcai kicked open the door, seized one by the collar, and with a swift slash to the throat, killed him instantly. The other, frozen with terror, could not even scream, but Chu Youcai dispatched him with a strike of his Alligator-Dragon Palm.

Thinking of the refugees in the slums, Chu Youcai took the silver from the boy’s robe—over a dozen taels—and covered the bodies with a blanket.

Hearing nothing unusual from above, Chu Youcai was about to ascend when a burning sensation flared in his chest. He found the brocade pouch given to him by Hongyu was now searing hot. When he’d opened it earlier, he’d seen a bright red fox hair inside, its aura far stronger than the strand of hair or the drop of blood Hongyu had given him before.

Now, holding the pouch, Chu Youcai felt a strange sensation—as if it could awaken the power of the Alligator-Dragon Mountain River Pearl, break through some bottleneck, shatter some barrier.

What could this mean?

He tried activating the pearl, but nothing happened. Even entering the inner world of the pearl, the fox hair caused no change.

Puzzled, Chu Youcai set this aside. Judging by his calculations, the time for his plan was near, so he ascended the stairs quietly.

The second floor was expansive, partitioned by many screens, but empty of others. Lei Yinyang always conducted his business in utmost secrecy, never allowing servants nearby except when he required the company of youths.

Moving with silent steps, Chu Youcai heard voices in conversation.

A man was chuckling wickedly: “This two hundred thousand taels is just the rent. When the Prince returns for the mansion’s trial, there will be another eight hundred thousand taels as tribute.”

A cold, sinister voice did not answer directly, but said, “Chu Youcai sold Yun Cuixian to a brothel. After she agreed, she wished to see her family one last time, so he took her home. It turned out to be a splendid mansion, filled with riches. There Yun Cuixian cursed Chu Youcai three times, shattering his very spirit. If storytellers spread word of this scene, Chu Youcai’s reputation would be utterly ruined. When the Prince returns in a month and hears of it, he will surely banish Chu Youcai from Yan Prefecture, stripping him of any chance to undergo the trial. How then could he hope to enter the Immortal Execution Institute?”

The first man exclaimed, “Master Lei, what a marvelous scheme! With this, Chu Youcai will be disqualified from both the civil and martial examinations, and naturally lose his eligibility for the Immortal Execution Institute!”

The cold voice replied, “He is just a callow youth. Why is your Lady so worried he might come first in the literary or martial trials? And even if he did, the Immortal Execution Institute is the holy land of the world—how could a man with a ruined name like Chu Youcai ever hope to succeed?”

“Our Lady is most cautious and will tolerate no mishaps.”

Hearing this, Chu Youcai understood: the cold voice belonged to Lei Yinyang, and the other was the steward of the Lady. A month remained until the Prince’s return, and yet the Lady still plotted against him with such venom. Had he not overheard this, the storytellers of Yan Prefecture would have turned his name to mud and Yun Cuixian would be too shamed to show her face.

His anger burned within him, but a glance toward the stables reminded him of his plan, and he restrained himself, gripping his dagger so tightly the hilt nearly splintered in his hand.

Just then, Lei Yinyang chuckled, “I’ll accept the two hundred thousand taels for now. But if my cursed artifact ascends from common to bronze grade by then, the fee will double.”

“Of course,” the steward replied obsequiously. “By the way, when you capture Yun Cuixian today, might you allow me a share?”

“Yun Cuixian is renowned as the beauty of Yan Prefecture. The second time will naturally be yours to enjoy,” Lei Yinyang promised.

At that moment, a tremendous uproar erupted outside—the stables were in chaos as a dozen maddened horses rampaged, injuring many and spreading havoc through the entire estate.

With his rage at its peak, Chu Youcai seized the moment, bursting in. In his left hand, hidden, was the Alligator-Dragon Mountain River Pearl, in his right, the dagger. With a heavy blow, he sliced through the steward’s ear and neck, severing flesh and bone, and blood spattered everywhere.

The steward died instantly on the spot.