blueteamnovel Chapter 23: The Mayor and the Captain's Doomsday Deal
Chapter 23: The Mayor and the Captain's Doomsday Deal
At this moment, Blackstone Town was still immersed in the deepest dream before dawn. The streets were empty except for the sound of the night watchman's clapper, "dong-dong," striking the fourth watch, echoing through the silent alleys like a kite with a broken string. The dew on the stone pavement dampened the soles of Lin Yan's boots, making his steps silent, like a faint shadow flitting through the alley.
Instead of going to the town mayor's mansion first, he went to the Demon Suppression Bureau's office. The two stone lions at the entrance looked like two lumps of charcoal in the dim light. Two soldiers, clutching their spears, were dozing in the gatehouse, snoring loudly, drool dripping from their mouths onto their clothes, leaving a damp stain. Lin Yan lightly leaped over the ten-foot-high wall and landed under the paulownia tree in the courtyard—a tree planted by previous Demon Suppression Captains, now lush and leafy, perfectly concealing his figure.
The courtyard was very quiet. The windows of the east wing were all dark, except for Zhao Mang's residence in the west wing, where a light was still on, casting two swaying shadows on the window. Lin Yan silently slid onto the roof, lifted a tile, and the sound of voices from inside drifted out through the gap in the tile.
"The captain has been acting strangely these past few days, going to the town magistrate's mansion every day and not returning until the middle of the night. Could something have happened?" a rough voice complained, accompanied by the creaking sound of wine being poured.
"Stop gossiping!" another voice said in a lower voice. "The other day, Granny Wang was taken in for questioning by the captain. When she came out, her face was as white as paper. I think it's probably because that matter was leaked."
"That matter?" The gruff voice paused, then fell silent for a long while before stammering, "You can't just say anything. If it really gets out, all of us..."
After listening for a moment and confirming that Zhao Mang was not in the mansion, Lin Yan slid off the roof like a cat and disappeared silently into the alley. The town mayor's mansion was in the center of the town. It was a three-courtyard house with blue bricks and gray tiles, and barbed wire was stuck on the walls. In Black Stone Town, where most houses were made of adobe, it stood out conspicuously. The bricks of this mansion were forcibly requisitioned from the townspeople by Chen Fuhai under the pretext of repairing the town wall.
Lin Yan went around to the backyard, where some ivy grew along the wall. Although the branches and leaves were withered, they were just right for him to use as a foothold. He used his toes to push against the cracks in the wall, and with a leap, he flipped over and landed behind a clump of banana trees. Last year, when he accompanied Zhang Bolai to deliver documents to the town mayor, he had rested under these banana trees. Chen Fuhai's youngest son was using a slingshot to shoot sparrows in the tree at that time.
The study on the east side of the central courtyard was still lit. The window paper was thickly pasted, but it couldn't block out the voices inside. Lin Yan slipped past the pillar of the corridor and hid in the shadows under the window, even his breathing was extremely light—a pot of asparagus fern was placed on the windowsill, and the dew on the leaves dripped down his fingertips and landed on the back of his hand, cool and refreshing.
"How's the investigation going with Zhao Mang?" It was Chen Fuhai's voice, tinged with barely concealed anxiety. "That contract is lost. If someone else picks it up, we're all finished!"
"Don't worry, sir," a shrill voice replied, sounding like Chen Fuhai's personal advisor. "Captain Zhao said that the contract was indeed lost in the study, and there were pry marks on the windowsill. It was probably done by an inside man."
"A mole?" Chen Fuhai's voice suddenly rose. "Is it that old hag Wang Po, or Old Man Li from the accounting office? Or one of Zhao Mang's soldiers?"
"The captain wasn't sure, he only said that Lin Yan from the Demon Suppression Division went to the refugee camp the day before yesterday and even spoke with the Zhou mother and son." The clerk paused, "That Lin Yan seemed cowardly before, but the day before yesterday he dared to fight the demon alone, as if he had become a different person. The captain suspects that he is the one pulling the strings behind the scenes."
Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat. He took out the recording stone from his pocket and infused it with a trace of true essence. The stone surface immediately emitted a faint halo, vaguely reflecting the scene inside the room.
"Lin Yan?" Chen Fuhai's voice was tinged with doubt. "That newly promoted squad leader? He's just a poor scholar, does he have the guts?"
"Who knows? Maybe someone is behind this." The advisor sighed. "Sir, in my opinion, whether it's him or not, we can't let him live. In this world, it's better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free."
Chen Fuhai was silent for a moment, then a tapping sound came from inside the room. "Go tell Zhao Mang that when you offer the sacrifice tomorrow night, bring Lin Yan along too. Just say that the Demon Suppression Division sent him to the mountains to investigate the demons, and that he should die in the wolf's den, leaving no trace of his body—no one will suspect anything."
"Yes," the clerk replied, then hesitated, "What about Granny Wang? She knows too much; keeping her around is a potential problem."
"Deal with them all at once." Chen Fuhai's voice was as cold as ice. "This sacrifice will be moved up to tomorrow night. Gather five people—the Zhou mother and son, Granny Wang, Lin Yan, and just grab any refugee to fill the numbers. Tell the Wolf King this is compensation, and tell it to stop pursuing the contract."
"Five?" The clerk was startled. "Master, sacrificing five at once might arouse suspicion from the refugee camp."
"So what if they're suspicious?" Chen Fuhai waved his hand irritably. "Just say there's a plague in the refugee camp. What does it matter if a few people die? What's the value of the lives in Blackstone Town?" He paused, his voice softening slightly. "If the Wolf King turns on us, the whole town will be razed to the ground. We'll be dead then. What do we care about the townspeople's suspicions?"
"Yes, yes, yes, you're right, sir," the clerk quickly replied.
"Have you made contact with Qingzhou Prefecture yet?" Chen Fuhai asked again, his tone filled with hope.
"We've made contact. Chief Liu told the master to put his mind at ease." The clerk's voice also softened. "He said that as long as we continue to offer the blood crystals on time, he can put the contract issue on hold. After all... he gets quite a bit of benefits from us every year."
"That's good." Chen Fuhai's voice came with a sigh of relief. "Tell Chief Liu that I'll give him 30% more blood crystals next month. As long as he's willing to help, I'm willing to give up mountains of gold and silver." He added, "Have Zhao Mang personally lead the team tomorrow night. Make sure Lin Yan and Granny Wang breathe their last, and don't let anything go wrong."
"I understand."
The sound of a chair being moved came from inside the room, followed by footsteps approaching the door. Lin Yan quickly tucked the recording stone into his pocket, shrank back, and hid behind a pillar in the corridor. The door creaked open, and the clerk stepped out, bowing slightly. He looked around, pulled his cotton robe tighter around himself, and hurried towards the back door.
Lin Yan remained in the shadows, listening to Chen Fuhai pacing back and forth inside the room, muttering to himself, "Lin Yan... Lin Yan... how much do you actually know? Were you sent by the enemy of Qingzhou Prefecture? Or was it just a coincidence?" He paced around a few times, then suddenly sighed, "Never mind, everything will be settled after tomorrow night. As long as the Wolf King is satisfied, no evidence will be of any use."
After a while, the lights in the room went out, and Chen Fuhai's footsteps went towards the bedroom, gradually fading into the distance. Only then did Lin Yan emerge from the shadows. When he climbed over the wall of the town mayor's mansion, the sky was already tinged with pale pink at dawn, and the first rooster crowed in the distance, crisp and clear as if breaking through the morning mist.
He clutched the photographic stone in his arms, his fingertips still warm from its surface—it contained records of Chen Fuhai's crimes, every word a death warrant. A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. Chen Fuhai and Zhao Mang were still dreaming of their "sacrifice tomorrow night," unaware that their doom had already quietly arrived.
Lin Yan circled the alley three times, making sure no one was following him, before slowly making his way to the cellar. As he pushed aside the wooden planks, Su Qingyao was sitting by the oil lamp, holding the recipe for the alluring incense, but she hadn't read a single word. Seeing him enter, she abruptly stood up, causing her chair to clatter. "How are you?" she asked quickly, scanning him over. Seeing no new injuries, she relaxed.
She noticed that his forehead was sweating again, so she handed him a handkerchief, but her gaze lingered on his face as if to make sure that every inch of his skin was intact.
Lin Yan didn't speak, but took out the recording stone from his pocket and infused it with true essence. The stone flashed and projected a clear image in the air—Chen Fuhai was sitting in the armchair in the study, and his advisor was standing beside him with his back bowed. Their conversation could be heard clearly, and even the sound of Chen Fuhai banging on the table when he was irritable could be heard clearly.
"...Whether it's him or not, we can't let him live..."
"...When we offer the sacrifice tomorrow night, let's bring Lin Yan along too..."
"...What does it matter if a few people die in the refugee camp because of the plague..."
As the images faded, the cellar was so quiet that they could hear each other's breathing. Su Qingyao's face went from pale to flushed, then to ashen. Her knuckles turned white from clenching her fists, and her nails dug deep into her palms, drawing blood without her noticing. "They...they actually treated human life so lightly!" Her voice trembled, and tears finally streamed down her face, falling silently onto the dry grass on the ground.
"There are many people in this world who treat human life like dirt." Lin Yan put away the recording stone and reached out to wipe away her tears. "But we can't let them continue like this."
"Then shall we proceed as planned and make our move tonight?" Su Qingyao wiped away her tears, her eyes filled with determination.
"No, the plan needs to be changed." Lin Yan shook his head, leaned close to her ear, and whispered his new plan—he wanted to turn the tables and use the sacrifice tomorrow night to lure Chen Fuhai and Zhao Mang into a trap.
As Su Qingyao listened, her eyes gradually brightened, her previous fear and anger transforming into unwavering resolve. "This method, though risky, is the most likely to be fatal." She paused, then suddenly remembered something, her voice becoming urgent, "But this means you'll have to face them head-on tomorrow night—can your injuries withstand it?"
"It's alright." Lin Yan waved his hand. Seeing that she was still worried, he took out the jade bottle from his bosom, poured out a pill of Gu Yuan San, and put it under his tongue.
Su Qingyao nodded slightly, then took out two needle pouches from her medicine bag and stuffed them into his hand. "These are armor-piercing needles specially made by the Demon Suppression Division, coated with paralyzing poison. Take them with you." As she said this, her gaze was lowered, focusing only on her fingertips.
Lin Yan accepted the needle pouch and said softly, "Don't worry."
"But we need to notify Uncle Zhang immediately so that he can prepare." Su Qingyao changed the subject, her tone returning to its usual calm.
"It's already dawn, it'll be too conspicuous to go out now." Lin Yan looked towards the cave entrance, where the morning light was already seeping in through the cracks in the wooden planks, illuminating the dust swirling in the air. "Once the townspeople are out and about around noon, I'll try to contact Uncle Zhang. We should conserve our energy for the next half day—luring the demon tiger to fight the wolf king tonight is the first step, and we can't afford any mistakes."
Su Qingyao nodded, turned around and took out the ingredients for the alluring incense and the berserk powder from her cloth bag—dried orchid petals, powdered sulfur, and some potent medicinal herbs bought from a pharmacy. She sorted these things out, her movements as meticulous as if she were copying documents, but a little slower than usual, occasionally glancing at Lin Yan's retreating figure as he meditated.
Lin Yan sat cross-legged on the haystack, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing. The Soul-Devouring True Essence within his body flowed slowly, nourishing the meridians at the site of his broken bones. The mark on his chest felt slightly warm, as if echoing his resolve. He recalled the grateful eyes of the Zhou mother and son, and the refugees who died on the altar—their grievances deserved an explanation.
The morning light at the cave entrance grew brighter and brighter, finally penetrating the wooden planks and illuminating the cellar. A new day had begun; this was the last day before the decisive battle. Lin Yan opened his eyes, his gaze clear—he was ready to seek justice for the wronged souls of Blackstone Town. Blood debts must be repaid in blood.