Chapter 134: Settling Scores Without Delay

Lu Yan grabbed the burly man and walked out the door, saying, "This man made baseless accusations against a Martial Marquis. This is the consequence."

With that, he tossed the man onto the ground like a dead dog.

The burly man’s two subordinates scrambled over to help him up, then stumbled out through the crowd, fleeing as if their lives depended on it. Lu Yan kept his eyes fixed on the direction they left, his gaze deep and inscrutable.

Once someone has harbored a grudge against you, you cannot let them off the hook. However, with two martial constables present, it was not the right time to strike.

"Sir, since the murderer has not yet been identified, we still need to investigate. We hope you will cooperate with our follow-up inquiries," one of the two constables said as they approached.

"Naturally." Lu Yan nodded, then turned to check on Zhou Xiang’s injuries.

"Uncle Lu, my father’s legs are broken. Can they still be healed?" Doufu asked nervously.

Lu Yan carefully examined Zhou Xiang’s legs. Both were broken, shattered by a heavy-handed strike; the injuries were severe. In the world of ordinary mortals, there would be no hope of recovery, and he would be crippled for life. But this was a world of martial arts, where unique substances known as "martial food" existed. Certain types of martial food possessed healing properties that could be effective even for peak-breaking martial artists and Martial Marquises. With such food, he could be cured.

Lu Yan nodded and said, "Don't worry, I will heal your father. Help him inside to rest first."

Two neighbors, who were usually on good terms with Zhou Xiang, came over to help carry him into the house. Lu Yan then left, claiming he needed to purchase medicinal martial food.

He took a small detour and began to follow the direction the burly man had taken. Before long, he caught sight of the group. The man held a deep grudge against him and was undoubtedly a potential threat. Given Lu Yan’s nature, how could he allow such a person to remain alive? However, he had to plan the execution carefully. He had just clashed with the man; killing him now would be as good as telling everyone that he was the culprit. To kill him, he needed an airtight alibi.

The two subordinates carried the burly man through a street and into a private courtyard. Lu Yan circled the area, memorizing the terrain.

"Got it." Lu Yan’s eyes brightened.

Diagonally across from where the man lived, about three hundred meters away, was a restaurant called the Ten Fragrance Pavilion. It was operated by the Zhao family and sold martial food. Lu Yan went inside to inquire and purchased a portion of deer bone soup. It was a broth simmered from the bones of the exotic Iron-Bone Deer; for martial artists, it had significant healing effects, especially for bone-related injuries. Of course, the price was not low. Although it was a first-grade martial food, it cost thirty taels—three times the price of ordinary first-grade items. But since Doufu’s family had been implicated because of him, Lu Yan naturally did not begrudge the money.

With the deer bone soup and some time to recuperate, it wouldn't be difficult for Zhou Xiang’s legs to heal.

Carrying the soup, he returned to his residence. The deer bone soup was intended for martial artists, and Zhou Xiang, being an ordinary person, would struggle to withstand its potency. If he drank too much, it would not only be ineffective but could also prove counterproductive. Therefore, Lu Yan instructed them to feed him only a small spoonful three times a day. One portion would last for several days. After giving these instructions, Lu Yan wrote a letter and went to the Mingxiang Mansion, asking the guards to deliver it to Zhao Sirong.

That night, in a private room at the Ten Fragrance Pavilion, Lu Yan focused his mind. A clone emerged from the center of his brow, landed on the ground, and donned a set of black clothes he had prepared in advance. With a flash, it slipped out of the room and vanished into the darkness.

A moment later, a spirited and heroic figure walked into the room—it was Zhao Sirong.

"Brother Lu, why did you suddenly invite me for a drink?" Zhao Sirong asked as she sat down across from him.

"Does one need a reason to invite a beauty for a drink?" Lu Yan smiled.

"Brother Lu, you jest." Zhao Sirong’s face flushed slightly.

"With the token you gave me, purchasing martial food has become much more convenient. I came today to show my gratitude. Come, let’s have a drink." Lu Yan raised his glass, intentionally changing his address to "Sirong." When dealing with a woman, one had to be bold and thick-skinned. If she didn't object, wouldn't they be closer?

Zhao Sirong did not object and clinked her glass against his.

"I wonder, is there any pattern to these demonic attacks?" Lu Yan asked.

"None, but they launch an assault almost every few months, so we dare not slacken. The city walls are patrolled day and night. Oh, there is one pattern: the demons always choose to attack at night." Zhao Sirong replied, "Of course, we don't let our guard down during the day, either. Who knows if they might suddenly choose to strike then?"

Lu Yan silently committed this to memory and continued to chat with her about other topics. Meanwhile, his martial clone, having acted since Zhao Sirong arrived, quietly infiltrated the courtyard where the burly man lived. The Ten Fragrance Pavilion and the man’s residence were about three hundred meters apart in a straight line, well within the range of his clone’s activities.

The courtyard was quite large, housing seven or eight people, all of whom were martial artists. However, aside from the burly man, they were only peak-breaking martial artists, not Martial Marquises. Lu Yan quickly located the man’s bedroom.

"Has Young Master Lin arrived at Lingwang City yet?" the man’s voice drifted from the room.

"No," another replied.

"Tomorrow, send someone out of the city to notify Young Master Lin. Tell him my junior sister is dead, and that they framed her for practicing evil arts—draining the yang to replenish the yin—slandering her innocence."

"Young Master Lin has always adored my junior sister; he will never let this go. That brat, I want him dead. And not just him—I want to track down his family and kill them all, leaving no one alive." The burly man’s voice was filled with venomous malice.

"Yes," the other replied.

Creak!

Lu Yan pushed the door open.

"Who told you to come in—" The man was about to shout in anger, but—

Swish!

Lu Yan’s clone flashed to the bedside and slammed a palm onto the man’s skull. The man’s head burst like a watermelon. Then, Lu Yan struck the other man in the chest, sending him flying through the wall to land outside, his chest caved in and his breath extinguished.

"Who’s there?!" The massive commotion startled the others in the courtyard, and four or five figures rushed out of their rooms.

Lu Yan had caused the disturbance intentionally. Only in this way could he establish the time of the murder—a time during which he was currently drinking with Zhao Sirong.

With a flicker, Lu Yan’s clone left the courtyard and merged into the darkness.

Inside the restaurant, Lu Yan and Zhao Sirong were chatting merrily when they suddenly heard a commotion outside. They heard whispers that someone had died—that a Martial Marquis had been killed.

They left the room and saw many people rushing toward a nearby courtyard.

"Another Martial Marquis killed?" Zhao Sirong’s expression darkened.

"Another? Besides Lin Qiuyu, there are others?" Lu Yan asked.

"Yes. In the past few days, five Martial Marquises have been murdered. No killer has been found, and the factions of the victims suspect their rivals. You know, many clans fight each other for resources and hold old grudges. If it weren't for the demonic threat, they wouldn't be gathered together to defend the city, but those conflicts haven't faded."

"In the last few days, over ten clans have had friction. If not for the Zhao family working tirelessly to mediate, they would have likely started fighting already," Zhao Sirong said.

"It seems someone is intentionally trying to incite conflict between the major clans," Lu Yan remarked.

"Many of our elders think so too, which is why they have been investigating the killer with all their might, but there hasn't been much progress," she replied.

As they spoke, they approached the courtyard—the very one where the burly man lived. Soon, the martial constables arrived. This time, there were five of them, including the two who had investigated the Lin Qiuyu case earlier that day.

After the constables investigated the courtyard, two of them walked out quickly toward Doufu’s home. However, they caught sight of Lu Yan after only a few steps and immediately turned toward him.

"Lu Ren." The two constables surrounded him, one on each side.

"Officers, what can I do for you?" Lu Yan asked, his expression calm.

"Lin Chang is dead," one of them said. Lin Chang was the name of the burly man.

"Lin Chang is dead?" Lu Yan feigned astonishment.

"You had a grudge with him during the day, and tonight he was killed in his own bedroom. It makes it hard not to suspect you," the constable said.

"Officers, when was Lin Chang killed? Is there any witness?" Lu Yan asked.

"Two sticks of incense ago. Several of Lin Chang’s disciples saw the killer, but they didn't see his face," the constable replied.

"Two sticks of incense ago, I was drinking and chatting with Lady Sirong, and I haven't left her side for a single moment. How could I have killed Lin Chang? Do I have the ability to be in two places at once?" Lu Yan asked.

"Miss Sirong, is what he says true?" the constable asked, looking at Zhao Sirong. She held a high status in the Zhao family, so naturally, these constables knew her.

"What Lu Ren says is true. During this time, he has been drinking with me and has not left, not even once," Zhao Sirong said, casting a secret glance at Lu Yan. She wasn't stupid; Lu Yan had suddenly invited her to drink, and the location was so close to the crime scene—was there something fishy going on? Yet, during this time, he had truly been with her, not leaving even once, not even to use the latrine. Although she felt it was strange, she couldn't fathom how he could have done it.

"He never left?" The two constables frowned. Lin Chang’s death made Lu Yan the prime suspect, but he had an unimpeachable witness and no time to commit the crime. They had no choice but to let Lu Yan go and join the other constables to continue their investigation.

"Sirong, shall we continue drinking?" Lu Yan asked.

"Brother Lu, your goal has been achieved. Is there any need to continue?" Zhao Sirong asked with an enigmatic smile, testing him.

"Sirong, you jest. My goal was to get you drunk and carry you home, and that hasn't been achieved yet," Lu Yan said, looking perfectly serious.

"You silver-tongued devil. But I’m not falling for that. I’m leaving." Zhao Sirong waved her hand and walked away gracefully, leaving behind a beautiful silhouette with her ponytail swaying in the air.

"Not falling for that? Then what kind of routine would work?" Lu Yan rubbed his nose and strode back toward his residence.

In the following days, Lingwang City remained restless and full of intrigue. Every day, more Martial Marquises were killed. In total, ten had already fallen, and each case left behind clues that pointed toward the victim's rivals. Although the accused denied it vehemently, the conflicts between the already antagonistic clans intensified further, to the point where even the Zhao family struggled to mediate. Some clans even broke out into fierce skirmishes within the city walls.