Gun Zi said coldly, “Being pierced by a storm of arrows—now that′s a pain you wouldn′t want to experience.”

  Jin Shi added, “Not to mention the esteemed Bck Brother here, whom I hired at great expense.”

  He smiled before continuing, “Of course, you all know his surname isn′t actually ‘Bck.’ But his sword alone is enough to handle at least two of you. So I′d suggest you behave yourselves—it′ll at least make your deaths a little less painful.”

  Guo Dalu roared, “Bullshit!”

  Jin Shi′s expression darkened. “Kill him first as an example.”

  The bck-cd man, who had been standing silently on the side, suddenly spoke. “Who do you want dead?”

  Jin Shi answered without hesitation, “Obviously him.”

  Gun Zi added, “One kill, three hundred taels of gold.”

  The bck-cd man nodded. “Alright.”

  In an instant, he drew his sword with a reverse grip. A fsh of steel—

  And his bde plunged straight into Jin Shi′s shoulder.

  It wasn′t a longsword—it was a short sword. The curved scabbard, four feet long, concealed a bde that was only one foot and seven inches in length.

  Jin Shi was no easy opponent, but he never expected the bck-cd man to turn on him, let alone that his weapon would be so short.

  Gun Zi, shocked, shouted, "Shoot!"

  Even as the command rang out, he leaped into the air—but there was no way the others would let him escape.

  Guo Dalu and Yan Qi fnked him from both sides, forcing him into a desperate sideways lunge.

  Wang Dong hadn′t moved at all—until now.

  Then, suddenly, he did.

  Just one movement.

  It was so fast and precise that it defied description.

  Before Gun Zi could react, his vision blurred, and the next thing he knew—his wrists were bound as if a pair of shackles had magically appeared on them.

  The men on the walls let out panicked cries.

  Some threw down their bows, others dropped their bdes, and in the blink of an eye, they had all fled without a trace. The gold they had been promised wasn′t worth risking their lives.

  Now, all eyes turned to the bck-cd man.

  No one knew what to make of him.

  Jin Shi′s eyes burned with fury as he gritted his teeth. "You took my gold, then turned around and stabbed me in the back? You're worse than a dog!"

  The bck-cd man replied coolly, "I was never a dog to begin with."

  Jin Shi spat, "I′ve long heard that ‘The Wandering Soul Beneath the Sword,’ Nangong Chou, is a man of honor—his word is w. That′s why we spared no expense to hire you. Who would′ve thought that the hunter would become the hunted today?"

  The bck-cd man sneered, "You were blind from the start."

  Jin Shi stammered, "You... you mean to say..."

  The bck-cd man said coldly, "Did you really think I was Nangong Chou?"

  Jin Shi′s expression twisted. "If you're not Nangong Chou, then who are you?"

  The bck-cd man smirked. "Just someone who enjoys causing trouble. This time, I came specifically to cause trouble for you."

  Jin Shi demanded, "Who exactly are you?"

  The bck-cd man replied, "Your superior, the Inspector-General, has had suspicions about you for some time. So, he sent me to investigate exactly what kind of shady business you've been up to."

  He let out a sharp, chilling ugh before continuing, "And now, you've confessed your crimes with your own mouth. The evidence is all here—wouldn′t you say this is also a case of ‘criminal and evidence caught together, a perfect conclusion’?"

  Jin Shi stared at him, speechless.

  Only then did the bck-cd man turn to the others and offer a slight bow. With a smile, he said, "Every profession has its bad apples, and w enforcement is no exception. Next time you meet an officer, don′t assume they′re all the same as these corrupt fools."

  Guo Dalu grinned. "To be honest, I almost became a constable myself once."

  The bck-cd man chuckled. "Today′s success was all thanks to the four of you lending a hand. Now, I′d like to take these three men back and close this case."

  Yan Qi gestured with a smile. "Be my guest."

  Guo Dalu suddenly patted Feng Qiwu on the shoulder and ughed. “Honestly, once you're in prison, life might actually be more comfortable. At least you won′t have to spend a single penny.”

  Feng Qiwu rolled his eyes. What else could he do besides that?

  The man in bck said, “As for the stolen goods...”

  Guo Dalu replied, “Naturally, they should be confiscated and handed over to the authorities.”

  The man in bck said, “Technically, this case was cracked thanks to the four of you. By reason and by custom, you should receive thirty percent of the loot as your reward. As long as you′re willing to accompany me to the provincial capital...

  Before he could finish, Wang Dong interrupted, “No need.”

  No amount of gold was worth taking that trip—it wasn′t even up for discussion. Guo Dalu, Yan Qi, and Lin Taiping felt the same. To them, there were far more important things in life than money.

  Guo Dalu grinned. “These things have only brought us trouble and nothing else. If you′re willing to let us have those roast ducks in the pit as our reward, we′d be more than satisfied.”

  --------

  Dawn.

  The city had returned to silence. The wind still blew, and the snow still fell. Some things in this world remain unchanged, no matter what happens. Some people, too.

  By now, the ducks had been roasting to perfection. Guo Dalu tore one apart, just about to dig in—

  When suddenly, seven or eight jade stones, each the size of a fingertip, tumbled from the duck′s belly.

  Everyone′s eyes widened.

  Tearing open another duck, they found agate inside. Out of thirty or forty ducks, at least ten had something hidden in their stomachs.

  Yan Qi blinked and suddenly said, “I understand now.”

  Guo Dalu asked, “You understand?”

  Yan Qi said, “Feng Qiwu originally pnned to hide his valuable jewels inside the ducks to smuggle them out unnoticed. But before he could finish, we barged in, so he only managed to stash a small portion.”

  Guo Dalu nodded. “Makes sense.”

  Yan Qi continued, “That man in bck doesn′t even know how much loot there really is. Even if he tried to count it, he couldn′t be sure.”

  Guo Dalu said, “Makes sense.”

  Yan Qi chuckled. “So why are you still pretending to be clueless? You figured this out long ago.”

  Guo Dalu blinks. “I did?”

  Yan Qi said, “If you didn′t, then why did you insist on keeping the ducks?”

  Guo Dalu sighed. “If that′s how you want to see it, I can′t argue with you.”

  Then, he suddenly smiled. “Anyway, by all rights, we should be getting thirty percent of the loot as our reward. This kind of money isn′t dirty—it doesn′t hurt our integrity. If we don′t spend it, it′s just going to waste.”

  Yan Qi stared at him and shook his head. “Sometimes, I really can′t figure you out.”

  Guo Dalu raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  Yan Qi said, “I can′t tell if you′re truly clever or just pying dumb.”

  Wang Dong said leisurely, “When you think he′s being foolish, he turns out to be sharp. But when you think he′s being smart, he suddenly seems foolish again.”

  That was the final verdict.