Chapter 221

Zhou Ruhai, Blacksmith Zhou.

He was the brother-in-law of Island Lord Lan of the Caobang.

All these years, under the care of the helm leader of the Sanjiang Branch Helm, he had lived an extremely comfortable life there.

Every month, not only did he receive a fixed salary, he also pocketed profits from forging weapons.

But the real reason Blacksmith Zhou had risen like a rocket—taking multiple concubines one after another—was the branch helm’s monthly skim from various sources: raw metal ore.

Iron ore, copper ore, and the like—once the storehouse was full, he would arrange for a cargo ship to deliver it to his brother-in-law’s “Sanyan Island,” and he would walk away stuffed to the brim.

Over time, Blacksmith Zhou barely forged at all. He even hired two blacksmiths from outside; whenever work was needed, he would send them in. As for himself, he focused on enjoying life at home—drinking and loafing about like a man who had already “won” at life.

Of course.

As a person, he was not terrible.

He made sure to “take care of” the squad leaders up and down the branch helm.

Otherwise, Hong Biao would not have helped him cover things up by claiming that his Third Concubine was sick…

BOOM!!

When the group led by Hong Biao and Chen Ergou charged in to find the residence of Blacksmith Zhou’s Third Concubine, the old servant at the gate trembled so hard his legs nearly gave out.

“Y-you… who are you people?”

“Ah!”

SLAP—A maid’s tray tipped, and the tea spilled across the ground.

Blacksmith Zhou was still sunk deep in his Third Concubine’s tender embrace, dreaming blissfully. Hearing the noisy commotion outside, he muttered curses in irritation. “So early in the morning—who is blind enough to shout here?”

BOOM!

The bedroom door was kicked open.

A gust of cold wind poured into the room. Blacksmith Zhou stared at the people flooding in.

“Ah!!”

The Third Concubine, with a pleasing figure, screamed and burrowed under the quilt.

Blacksmith Zhou fixed his eyes on the man at the front, his face full of shock and uncertainty.

“Hong Biao, Captain Hong—what are you doing?”

Hong Biao had some ties with him after all. He had bought plenty of weapons from Blacksmith Zhou. But with the helm leader’s trusted subordinate right beside him, he could only handle it officially.

“The helm leader ordered us to take you in for questioning! Move it—get dressed and come with us!”

“Th-the helm leader? Which helm leader?”

Blacksmith Zhou truly did not know that a new deputy helm leader had taken office, nor did he know that earth-shaking changes had already overturned the branch helm.

“Fine. Brothers, do me a favor and step outside. I will get dressed and come out.”

“Step outside?”

Chen Ergou’s gaze turned icy. He drew his saber in a swift motion, and the dazzling arc of steel flashed past—splitting a solid wooden table cleanly in two.

“Ah!”

“Murder!”

The Third Concubine shook beneath the quilt, screaming.

Blacksmith Zhou’s face went deathly pale. He nearly wet himself. A scholar running into soldiers had no way to argue his case. He scrambled out of bed, threw on his clothes, and left with the group.

Meticulous as ever, Chen Ergou warned several men beside him, “You stay here. Keep your eyes on them. No one is allowed in or out!”

“Yes!”

Six men remained behind—one full-fledged martial artist and five Quasi-Martial Artists.

Blacksmith Zhou’s face grew even paler.

It was over.

…

By the time he was brought to the branch helm’s Weapon Room, it was not only Blacksmith Zhou who had arrived. A whole group from the Weapon Room had been hauled in as well—eight shop assistants, plus the two blacksmiths who occasionally came over to do odd jobs.

Eleven people knelt in a row, not daring to lift their heads.

Wangchuan had already checked the Weapon Room storehouse. There were few weapons, and not much ore either…

He looked at the kneeling crowd below, then fixed his stare on Blacksmith Zhou and asked a question that went straight for the soul.

“Blacksmith Zhou, I hear that every month you regularly ship several boatloads of ore to Sanyan Island. You must be bringing in quite a bit every month, yes?”

Blacksmith Zhou knelt on the floor, trembling as he spoke.

“That matter… was ordered by the previous helm leader. I only carried out instructions. I never lined my own pockets.”

He had already thought it through on the way here. The dead former helm leader was the perfect scapegoat.

Wangchuan had expected this. He said, “Never lined your pockets? Then where did the money come from—money enough for you to keep mistresses and concubines, and to buy several residences in Hejiang Town? You even managed to purchase a grand estate over at the prefectural capital, where land is worth a fortune.”

Wangchuan had already gathered plenty of intelligence.

Blacksmith Zhou’s body jolted. He was about to keep arguing, when Wangchuan’s next sentence scared him out of his wits.

“Hong Biao—according to Caobang rules, what is the punishment for privately swallowing the gang’s property and framing a superior?”

Hong Biao was only a full-fledged martial artist. Under the cold pressure of a second-rank martial artist’s gaze, he did not dare lift his head. He answered obediently.

“Reporting to the helm leader: by gang rules, anyone who takes the gang’s things has their hands chopped off, then gets sunk in the river! If the family cannot turn in the wealth, all property and land deeds are confiscated into the gang! The whole family gets sunk in the river, as a warning to others!”

The Caobang’s rules were brutally strict.

Blacksmith Zhou looked up at Hong Biao in disbelief, then immediately screamed.

“No!”

“You cannot kill me!”

“I am under the helm leader’s jurisdiction! You are only a deputy helm leader! You do not have the authority to reach for me! My brother-in-law is Island Lord Lan!”

“You have no right to punish me!”

He struggled frantically, arguing as if reason could save him.

And yet…

Wangchuan smiled faintly. Staring at Blacksmith Zhou, he enunciated every word.

“You are right. I am not the helm leader yet. I will not ‘deal with’ you. I will send a carrier pigeon message to report to Old Seven and let Old Seven decide. And while I am at it, we will also see whether your brother-in-law, Island Lord Lan, is clean himself.”

The moment those words fell, Blacksmith Zhou froze like a chick grabbed by the throat—eyes wide, body shaking like a sieve.

It was over.

In the Caobang, Old Seven’s name was enough to stop children from crying.

When Old Seven killed, he never killed one person at a time. He killed by the household.

If this matter was handed to Old Seven, his entire family—young and old—would be finished…

Even his brother-in-law might be dragged down with him.

His elder sister and Island Lord Lan might both end up sunk in the river.

BOOM!

Blacksmith Zhou’s eyes went vacant. His whole body went limp, and he nearly fainted from terror.

At that moment, Wangchuan tossed the ledger in his hand onto the side tea table.

“I came up through the Weapon Room. I know exactly how many tricks hide in that place, and you cannot fool my eyes. Over these years, how much wealth have you accumulated by privately swallowing the gang’s property? Admit your guilt and accept punishment, and I will spare your life. Refuse, and I will report to Old Seven and let him handle it.”

Blacksmith Zhou was not stupid. He immediately seized on the thin thread of survival. He scrambled upright in one motion.

“I understand!”

“I was wrong!”

“I accept punishment! I beg the helm leader to deal with me leniently.”

“I will hand over all the gold and silver hidden in my home. I only ask that my family—young and old—be allowed to live.”

He pressed his forehead to the ground and pleaded loudly.

Wangchuan remained expressionless, tapping a finger on the tea table.

“That depends on your attitude. Hong Biao, Ergou, Captain Zhao—take men and go with Blacksmith Zhou once more…”

“Yes!”

The three acknowledged the order.

Blacksmith Zhou was escorted out.

If he did not want to die, he had no choice but to surrender every last piece of his property.

Wangchuan’s gaze shifted to the remaining group.

Eight shop assistants—each dressed neat and proper, far better off than the assistants back in Huishui County. One glance told him they had eaten and drunk their share of benefits over the years.

“And you?”

With that single sentence, everyone trembled.

They kowtowed in a panic.

“This subordinate deserves death! This subordinate accepts punishment!”

Then, one after another, they produced banknotes. Some offered a hundred and fifty or sixty taels, others two or three hundred…

Wangchuan had the silver gathered up.

“Get out.”

“From now on, you are no longer part of the Weapon Room.”

He had no interest in wasting time on small fry.

As if granted amnesty, the group retreated in frantic relief.

What truly mattered to Wangchuan were the final two blacksmiths.

It was said they had been hired from the county seat by Blacksmith Zhou—purely a business arrangement…

If there was an order, they worked.

If there was no business, they had their own blacksmith shop in town, forging farm tools and making rivets and such, earning an honest living.

“You two—are you willing to enter the Weapon Room and work for this helm leader?”

Neither of them dared refuse.

“Yes!”

“I am willing.”

“Good.”

Wangchuan rose to his feet.

“Bring your apprentices and shop assistants with you and join the Weapon Room. Assistants will receive three taels of silver per month, with additional pay for additional work; apprentices who have mastered 《百炼钢锻造术》 will receive five taels of silver per month, also with additional pay for additional work. You two will each receive a fixed salary of fifty taels of silver per month, plus bonuses.”

The two blacksmiths were overjoyed. They bowed low and kowtowed.

“Thank you, Helm Leader!”

Wangchuan had already made his decision. No matter how much punishment Blacksmith Zhou accepted, the Weapon Room would never employ him again.