Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The sound of knocking and shouting caused Qin Ying’s heart to skip two beats, as she had been completely focused on watching the man collect the corpses.

Only then did she realize her food delivery had arrived.

Qin Ying opened the door just a crack, thanked the delivery driver, and took the bags. She had ordered two rice bowls-one with shredded pork and green peppers, and the other with tomato and eggs.

Both were pre-packaged meals, and the rice was soggy; they certainly couldn’t be called delicious.

Inside the box, Han Lie was diligently carrying out his task, stacking the corpses neatly with the dedication of a man who loved his work.

Qin Ying took only a single glance before averting her eyes.

Her late grandfather had been a police officer, as was her eldest uncle. After her uncle’s divorce, he had moved back in with them for a period, bringing his son along.

Sometimes, when dealing with a homicide case, he would return home carrying the scent of death. That particular stench of a corpse was nearly impossible to wash away, no matter how many times you changed your clothes or scrubbed in the bath.

When walking down the street, dogs would smell it from a distance and tuck their tails, taking a long detour to avoid him-to say nothing of a frail, sensitive child.

Not wanting to frighten his niece or his son, Qin Ying’s uncle would often take a detour to a public restroom. Before the old city district was renovated, those public toilets were covered in grime and filth. Strangely, however, only the stench of a filthy public latrine could neutralize the smell of death from a crime scene.

Given those childhood experiences, Qin Ying didn’t even want to imagine how badly that alley must stink.

To avoid losing her appetite, she stopped looking into the box and focused on eating her delivery to soothe her stomach. While she ate, she used her phone to order some daily necessities.

Once she finished her meal, she leaned over to look into the box again.

She saw a man running hurriedly into that place filled with the dead.

“Squad Leader Han!”

Han Lie looked up and saw that the newcomer was Shang Lin, a Team Officer from his unit. Shang Lin carried a bundle on his back and held Han Lie’s personal weapon in his hand.

Upon seeing Han Lie, he said urgently, “Squad Leader Han, you must leave Yunwu County immediately.”

Without waiting for Han Lie to ask, he blurted out the trouble all at once.

As it turned out, the County Governor of Yunwu County and Military Supervisor Dong Hong were actually distant relatives through some convoluted marriage ties. When their mission to capture the Strange Beast Danghu failed, Han Lie had taken the fall and been stripped of his rank as Squad Leader.

Dong Hong hated Han Lie and was bent on revenge, which was why he had ordered Han Lie to come to Corpse-Dumping Alley to collect the bodies. Meanwhile, relying on his connections and a wagging tongue, Dong Hong had claimed all the credit for the ritual that brought the rain.

Inside the Commandery Governor’s Mansion, they were performing sacrifices with the Three Sacrificial Animals and six types of livestock, praying for rain for seven days in hopes of making the rain fall once more.

But the Deity who had actually brought the rain, Qin Ying, was currently lying like a corpse on her bed after drinking the Danghu soup; how could she possibly respond to them?

After several days of rituals with no effect, the County Governor’s expression grew increasingly sour. Seeing this, Military Supervisor Dong Hong had a sudden realization.

During the previous sacrifice, they hadn’t just sacrificed the Danghu; they had also sacrificed the living man, Han Lie. He was now wondering if he should set up a rack, tie Han Lie to it, and roast him.

Han Lie’s former subordinates had found out about this. They were covering for each other while Shang Lin ran ahead to deliver the warning.

Shang Lin stuffed the bundle-containing two pieces of dry rations and a skin of water-into Han Lie’s arms and handed over the Ring-Pommel Saber.

“Squad Leader Han, you must go, quickly.”

“Once you leave Yunwu County, do not return to Luoyang. Whether you go to the Southern Frontier or the Northern Sea, with your skills, you will surely be fine.”

Unexpectedly, Han Lie pushed the bundle back into Shang Lin’s arms, taking only the Ring-Pommel Saber wrapped in red cord.

Under Shang Lin’s confused gaze, Han Lie said, “It’s too late.”

The sound of rhythmic footsteps echoed as squads of County Soldiers blocked both ends of the narrow alley.

Military Supervisor Dong Hong stepped out from behind the soldiers with a look of smug satisfaction. He covered his nose and mouth with a handkerchief, his voice dripping with triumphant laughter. “I knew it. You martial types always stick together.”

He looked at Shang Lin and sneered. “No one is leaving.”

Shang Lin knew this man was prone to twisting the truth, but he hadn’t expected his heart to be this venomous.
The target was the entire squad.

Han Lie’s expression darkened. “Why involve the others?”

Dong Hong gave a cold sneer but did not answer. He waved a hand at the County Soldiers he had brought along. “Enough talk. Take them down.”

He added a warning: “This man named Han is extremely skilled. Make sure you give it your all.”

The County Soldiers leveled their Long Halberds and charged at Han Lie in a disciplined formation.

Shang Lin unsheathed his blade, guarding Han Lie’s back.

The alley was narrow, and with Han Lie’s height and long reach, his Ring-Pommel Saber swept out in a horizontal slash.

A spray of hot blood splattered against the yellow earth wall as the first wave of County Soldiers fell like harvested grain.

Though it was only Han Lie and Shang Lin against many, there was a massive gulf in combat power between the soldiers of the Jade Balance Army, who were responsible for hunting Monstrous Beasts, and local County Soldiers.

Han Lie, in particular, was famous within the Jade Balance Army for his raw strength.

After several exchanges, the ground was littered with the bodies of the soldiers Dong Hong had brought.

Crimson blood soaked into the yellow mud of Corpse-Dumping Alley. The remaining County Soldiers of Yunwu County were terrified and dared not step forward.

Dong Hong’s temples throbbed with rage.

Seeing that the soldiers couldn’t take the men down, his eyes darted around as he hatched a plan. He shouted, “The two of you are certainly brave, but I wonder how the others at the Post House are faring?”

Hearing this, both Han Lie and Shang Lin’s expressions changed instantly.

In a moment of distraction, a Long Halberd grazed Shang Lin, tearing away a strip of flesh.

Seeing his ploy working, Dong Hong continued, “I’m afraid your brothers in the squad are facing a grim fate.”

“Han Lie, even if you succeeded in praying for rain, the fact remains that the Danghu was lost.”

“Why don’t you lend me your head? If you do, I might consider letting Shang Lin and the others go.”

Noticing that Han Lie’s blade work seemed to slow down, Dong Hong smiled with supreme confidence. “Decide quickly, or the others won’t be able to wait.”

Han Lie knew that even if he surrendered, a man of Dong Hong’s temperament would never let the others go.

However, he couldn’t help the anxiety rising in his heart.

He grit his teeth, and the words that escaped his lips were a plea: “Supreme Deity.”

Before he could even promise a sacrifice, Qin Ying’s response reached his ears: “Don’t panic. I’ve found them.”

Taking advantage of her bird’s-eye view, Qin Ying had spotted another skirmish.

County Soldiers had surrounded a Post House and were locked in a fierce battle with the people inside.

She had found them, but it was difficult for Qin Ying to distinguish friend from foe among over a hundred tiny black dots to kill the enemies precisely without causing collateral damage.

After a moment’s thought, she decided to make a big scene.

Unaware of what was about to happen, Dong Hong continued to sneer. “Unless a god helps you today, how do you expect to fight me?”

Before the words had fully left his mouth, the sky suddenly went dark.

It was as if noon had instantly turned into dusk.

Dong Hong’s neck stiffened as he looked up at the sky, his heart skipping a beat.

Everyone in the city who was still able to move looked up at the heavens.

In the Commandery Governor’s Mansion, the County Governor, who had been burning incense in prayer, collapsed in a daze before the altar.

While countless commoners in the county had starved to death during the famine, this County Governor remained as plump as a pig.

He stared into the distance, the color draining from his face inch by inch.

After many days, the deity was looking down upon the mortal realm once more.

She was shrouded in a halo of light. Looking directly at her for too long caused a stinging sensation in the eyes, like cold needles, and a ringing in the ears.

Dong Hong’s legs went weak, and he slumped to the ground.

He had just mentioned a god, and a god appeared-it was quite the dramatic entrance.

Even more dramatic was the massive wooden pillar plummeting from the sky directly toward him.

The giant pillar, which smelled of stir-fried eggs and tomatoes, was coated in a glistening sheen of oil.

“Get away from Dong Hong!” Han Lie shouted a warning.

The County Soldiers scrambled away as fast as their legs could carry them.

Dong Hong was left alone, paralyzed in the dark alley.

Under the gaze of countless eyes, the giant pillar slammed into the alley with a wet thud.

Beneath the pillar, Dong Hong’s one visible foot twitched twice, then went still.