Chapter 97: Die

"Spare me, spare me!"

At this moment, Zheng Shiyong was plunged into the depths of despair.

He never could have imagined that all his schemes and calculations would end like this.

Zheng Zhenwu, a master at the Qi Blood Fourth Level Bone Forging Realm, couldn’t even survive a single move from Chen Ping’an!

’He... he hid his strength so well!’

’Just what kind of person is he?!’

Despair, panic, terror, and dread intertwined in Zheng Shiyong’s heart.

Behind all these emotions, an unstoppable feeling called regret surged forth.

Zheng Shiyong was filled with regret. So much regret.

Why did he have to provoke such a deadly foe? If he had known, he wouldn’t have dared to steal his merits even if he had ten thousand times the courage.

But now... it was too late for anything!

Chen Ping’an walked up to Zheng Shiyong, yanked off his hood, and looked at the man’s face, filled with regret, despair, and fear. Chen Ping’an’s heart was a sea of tranquility.

"Heaven has a path, but you refused to walk it. Hell has no gate, yet you broke your way in! I was planning on letting you two live a few more days, but since you’re in such a hurry to die, then..."

"Spare me, I was wrong, I was wrong..."

Zheng Shiyong’s emotions collapsed, and he burst into tears.

Although he had achieved Martial Arts Introduction, his courage was shattered, and he couldn’t summon an ounce of his strength.

This was the consequence of training behind closed doors without experiencing real combat. At a critical moment, his martial arts skills were completely useless.

"Die!"

CRACK!

Zheng Shiyong’s eyes bulged wide, and his pupils quickly dilated.

Chen Ping’an watched Zheng Shiyong, his neck snapped, without a ripple of emotion on his face.

He had been waiting for this day for quite some time!

He had long been wary of the uncle-nephew pair, Zheng Zhenwu and Zheng Shiyong, and never expected them to simply back down. But honestly, he hadn’t thought Zheng Zhenwu would resort to such a desperate, cornered-dog move.

Killing a Constable was no small crime!

If this got out, Zheng Zhenwu would be completely cutting himself off from the Garrison Commandant’s Office!

It had to be said, Zheng Zhenwu was a ruthless man!

But no matter how ruthless, he couldn’t change his fate.

Zheng Zhenwu’s Martial Arts Realm was impressive. If Chen Ping’an hadn’t exploited the information gap with an explosive, all-or-nothing strike, it wouldn’t have been so easy to kill Zheng Zhenwu, even with his superior Realm.

’Speaking of which, my chest still hurts a little.’

His Perfection Level Iron Cloth Shirt, combined with the Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Horizontal Training, had allowed him to withstand Zheng Zhenwu’s saber strike, but he had still sustained a minor injury.

Fortunately, his saber was faster. Otherwise, even with his Hard Skills for protection, his injuries would have been far worse.

’These two bodies...’

Chen Ping’an pondered for a moment before quickly making a decision.

Zheng Zhenwu had just invited him for drinks. If he, Chen Ping’an, had met with a mishap right afterward, Zheng Zhenwu would be inextricably linked. Therefore, the two must have prepared a solid alibi before coming to kill him.

Since that was the case, he could use this to his advantage!

After a glance at the two bodies, Chen Ping’an took no further action and left the scene directly.

Logically, he should have immediately dealt with the traces here, even destroying the bodies, to clear his own name.

But no matter what he did, it would be difficult to avoid discovery.

After all, he was short on time, and given the location and the deaths of Zheng Zhenwu and his nephew, he would definitely be the prime suspect.

But...

’Prime suspect?’

’So what? As long as they can’t find any concrete evidence, what can they do to me?’

He was no longer the cautious and timid temporary constable he once was.

Chen Ping’an moved quickly and was back in his small courtyard in no time. Chen Erya was waiting for him as usual, but this time, she was flipping through a book.

"Brother, you’re back~"

"Yes, Nannan, I’m back." Chen Ping’an smiled peacefully. "What book are you reading, Nannan?"

"This one! Let me tell you, Brother, it’s about..."

Chen Erya became particularly animated when talking about the book’s contents.

The siblings chatted for a while, and then Chen Ping’an began his daily practice.

He was becoming more and more proficient with the Public Door Thirteen Sabers, and the speed of each practice session was increasing. Even though it was late at night, he still practiced the Public Door Thirteen Sabers six times.

+1.

+1.

+1.

...

As the Experience Points flickered and jumped one after another, Chen Ping’an completed his training for the night.

After practicing the Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Horizontal Training one more time, Chen Ping’an then went to rest on the bed with Chen Erya.

Lying in bed, he constantly replayed the day’s events in his mind.

He hadn’t disposed of Zheng Zhenwu’s and Zheng Shiyong’s bodies. As for that small alley, even if the night patrol constables weren’t slacking off, they still might not patrol that specific spot.

So, the bodies would most likely be discovered tomorrow.

With the two of them dead right after he had been invited out for drinks with them, he would inevitably be the prime suspect.

However... they could suspect him all they wanted, but convicting him would be nearly impossible.

There were three reasons for this.

First, from an outsider’s perspective, since Zheng Zhenwu had invited him to eat and drink, and witnesses could attest to the amicable atmosphere at the meal, he had no motive to brutally murder Zheng Zhenwu.

Second, he had left Spring Rain Tower alone. After the meal, since Zheng Zhenwu had been determined to ambush and kill him, he must have prepared a solid alibi. Under such circumstances, for Zheng Zhenwu to die in a small alley some distance from Spring Rain Tower was rather strange.

Third, and most crucially, his publicly known Martial Arts Realm was only Qi Blood Second Realm Perfection. Even if he was proficient with the Public Door Thirteen Sabers, at best he would have the strength of an ordinary Qi Blood Third Layer practitioner. How could he possibly kill Zheng Zhenwu, a master of the Qi Blood Fourth Layer, and do it so easily?

All of the above served to exonerate Chen Ping’an.

There was also a hidden fourth point: the current Chen Ping’an was no longer an expendable temporary constable, but a respectable Constable of the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office!

To take down a Constable, suspicion alone was not enough!

’Zheng Zhenwu is dead. What does that have to do with me, Chen Ping’an?’

Zheng Zhenwu and Zheng Shiyong had been a thorn in his side for quite some time. Now that they were both dead, he had finally gotten his satisfaction!

He had done it swiftly and satisfyingly, without much risk!

’Indeed, I’ve learned to make time my friend! Something that would have been extremely risky in the past can now be done with the risk kept within a controllable range.’

’This feeling of having strength to back me up, this absolute confidence... it’s really not bad at all!’

...

Something major had happened in Nanquan Lane! News of it spread like wildfire among the various gangs of Nanquan Lane, and even the common folk had heard of it.

Constable Zheng of the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office was dead!

He had died last night in an ordinary little alley. It was said that when the body was discovered, his head had been partially devoured by feral dogs, presenting a truly gruesome sight.

A Constable of the Garrison Commandant’s Office being killed was a huge deal!

The moment the news broke, it immediately caused a massive uproar.