Chapter 22: Cornered Beast
Shi Hao frowned, “It’s a pity I couldn’t save those children.”
Du Yuejiao said softly, “Since so many children have gone missing, the Six Gates shouldn’t ignore it. They’ll eventually find these people.”
Shi Hao shook his head without saying anything.
He didn’t really believe the Six Gates would put much effort into this matter.
But then he remembered that Yue Ya’er had brought the Thunderclap Eighteen Riders to Jin Prefecture specifically to pressure the Six Gates.
With pressure from a prominent barbarian family like the Yue Ke Tai clan, the local Six Gates wouldn’t dare to be too negligent in this case.
Under Shi Hao’s care, Du Yuejiao’s condition had greatly improved. Although she hadn’t fully recovered, she just needed a few more days of rest.
At daybreak, Shi Hao accompanied her back towards Ming Kun Monastery.
Along the way, they stopped at a town where Shi Hao bought her a set of clothes from a clothing store.
The town didn’t have any fine fabrics. The ready-made outfit was a simple blue cotton dress, the kind worn by ordinary commoner girls.
Du Yuejiao changed into the new clothes in the forest. Shi Hao saw that it fit her reasonably well.
Because she was naturally beautiful, even in such a simple dress, she looked like a delicate orchid in the forest.
They reached the gates of Ming Kun Monastery, and Shi Hao stopped.
Du Yuejiao turned to him, “Brother Shi…”
Shi Hao said slowly, “I’ll leave you here.”
Du Yuejiao lowered her head and whispered, “Brother Shi, won’t you come in and sit for a while? You saved me. My master will be very grateful.”
Shi Hao smiled faintly, “No, I haven’t been back to the city for several days. I should go back and check on things. And I need to report what I saw last night to the Six Gates. Although those people have probably moved, the Six Gates might still be able to find some clues.
“Also, I encountered that supernatural ability user last night. Perhaps someone in the Six Gates knows who he is.”
Du Yuejiao opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but then stopped.
Shi Hao bid her farewell and turned to leave. Behind him, the girl watched him silently until Zhuo Mulan and the others emerged from the monastery. She turned and went to greet her master.
Shi Hao entered Jin City and walked back towards his residence.
As he walked, he frowned.
Suddenly, he stopped in the middle of the street. Figures appeared on the rooftops, aiming crossbows at him.
“Six Gates official business!” The shout caused chaos in the street as people scattered.
Numerous martial artists, some in official uniforms, some in plain clothes, surrounded him.
Qiu Jiangping, the chief constable of the local Six Gates, stepped forward.
Dressed in a black tunic with embroidered eagles on the sleeves, Qiu Jiangping, as chief constable, also possessed an eighth-rank foundation.
However, not being a Daoist cultivator, the signs of his external martial arts training were obvious: his skin was bronzed, his muscles well-defined, his eyes sharp, his entire demeanor as sharp as a blade.
“Constable Qiu,” Shi Hao said calmly, looking at the approaching Qiu Jiangping, “What crime have I committed to warrant such a display of force?”
Qiu Jiangping sneered, “You should know what crimes you’ve committed. Are you going to surrender peacefully, or resist arrest and force us to kill you on the spot?”
Shi Hao slowly scanned his surroundings.
There were about sixty crossbowmen, all armed with powerful crossbows and sharp arrows.
Qiu Jiangping himself was an eighth-rank expert. The Jin Prefecture Six Gates couldn’t possibly have only one eighth-rank martial artist. There were likely a dozen or so ninth-rank experts, as well as many unranked but experienced martial artists recruited by the Six Gates.
He had no chance of escaping this encirclement.
Although many people were watching from the sidelines, the Six Gates constables were known for their arrogance and abuse of power, so no one dared to speak up.
Further down the street, several palanquins were blocked by the Six Gates’ operation. Attendants came to inquire about the commotion, and some lower-ranking constables quietly explained the situation.
Shi Hao untied his sword, tossed it aside, and said loudly, “I, Shi Hao, have a clear conscience. Although I don’t know what crime Constable Qiu intends to charge me with, since you’ve brought so many men, I’ll gladly accompany you.”
His voice, although not loud, carried far.
Qiu Jiangping snorted, “I, Qiu, always uphold the law. I wouldn’t wrongly accuse anyone. If you’re truly innocent, you won’t be unjustly convicted.”
He barked, “Take him away!”
Constables swarmed forward, placed Shi Hao in shackles, and escorted him to prison.
Inside the cell, Shi Hao sat cross-legged in his shackles, his mind racing. He couldn’t understand why the Six Gates were targeting him.
But he wasn’t worried. He had saved County Mistress Li Tong on Red Mountain. And Deng Liang, loyal friend that he was, had spread the news among the wealthy merchants and gentry. He had announced his name loudly in the street, ensuring the story would spread.
Unless the Marquis’ residence completely disregarded their reputation, they would definitely inquire about this matter.
He sat quietly in the cell, cultivating his internal energy. No one came to see him, and no one came to torture him.
Although the jailer brought him food, he didn’t touch it, sustaining himself with his true energy.
The next morning, Qiu Jiangping arrived with his men, gave him a cold look, and said, “Bring him to the court.”
They dragged him out of the cell and escorted him to the courthouse.
Shi Yujun, the prefect, sat on the magistrate’s bench, dressed in his official robes and hat.
The court guards shouted, “Order!,” their voices loud and imposing.
Shi Yujun glanced at Shi Hao and then gestured to Qiu Jiangping. When Qiu Jiangping approached, Shi Yujun whispered, “Are you certain you have the right person? The Marquis’ residence specifically instructed us not to use torture or force a confession.
“Even my wife mentioned it this morning. It seems the County Mistress has interceded on his behalf. If you don’t have solid evidence, it’s best to release him quickly.”
Qiu Jiangping also lowered his voice, “Rest assured, my lord. We have irrefutable evidence, both witnesses and physical evidence. And you don’t have to worry about the County Mistress. This case is being overseen by the young lady from the capital. Our men are counting on this case to earn merits.”
Shi Yujun pondered for a moment and nodded. He suddenly noticed a crowd gathering outside the courthouse.
Qiu Jiangping slammed the gavel, “Silence! What are you all doing here? Clerk, why aren’t these people being removed?”
The clerk hurried over and whispered, “My lord, these are representatives from the local gentry, along with many onlookers. The prisoner is the young master of Small Han Mountain City. Someone spread rumors that the authorities are arresting him to suppress the local gentry, making everyone nervous.”
Shi Yujun frowned and called Qiu Jiangping over again, “Are you certain there’s no problem with the evidence and witnesses? This man has a certain status. If you can’t build a solid case, you’ll bear the consequences.”
He was clearly aware of the Six Gates’ methods. He would be grateful if even half of their cases were legitimate, so he was skeptical.
Qiu Jiangping gritted his teeth, “Rest assured, my lord. There’s no problem.”
Seeing his confidence, Shi Yujun nodded, sat up straight, and slammed the gavel again, “Silence!”
The courtroom fell silent.
Qiu Jiangping approached Shi Hao and said loudly, “Shi Hao, I ask you, were you at Disordered Chess Mountain on the night of May 18th?”
Shi Hao was surprised by this first question, his heart pounding, but thanks to the Evil Shadow Disguise Technique’s control over his facial muscles, his expression remained unchanged, “Yes.”
Qiu Jiangping turned and addressed the magistrate, “My lord, that night, more than a dozen of our Six Gates men were killed on Disordered Chess Mountain, including Constable Zhao Haisong and the Rat and Bat Duo. They were all killed by this Shi Hao.”
Shi Hao’s heart sank. He hadn’t expected this to be revealed.
He had known that the Six Gates were villains who relied on the barbarian court and committed all sorts of evil deeds.
But today, he experienced their power firsthand.
He regretted underestimating them.
The crowd outside the courthouse fell silent.
Although the Six Gates had a bad reputation, killing more than a dozen of their men was a serious crime. Even if he escaped temporarily, he would be placed on the Six Gates’ blacklist, with nowhere to hide.
Unless he reached the level of the “Top Ten Experts on the Blacklist,” in which case the entire Six Gates would avoid him.
Those top-level experts were listed on the blacklist simply to warn the local Six Gates, “Don’t mess with this person.”
Qiu Jiangping pointed at Shi Hao and said sternly, “This man not only killed Constable Zhao and more than a dozen of our colleagues, but he is also the mastermind behind a recent major case.”
He looked around and said sharply, “Recently, a group of villains, taking advantage of the refugee crisis in the central plains, have been abducting and stealing children, engaging in child trafficking and profiting from this heinous act. We have confirmed that this man is the mastermind.”
An uproar erupted around him. Shi Hao turned to Qiu Jiangping, his eyebrows slightly raised.
Shi Yujun slammed the gavel to restore order and said loudly, “Shi Hao, do you confess to your crimes?”
Shi Hao looked up and said, “These are false accusations. I didn’t kill Constable Zhao, and I didn’t commit this crime.”
Qiu Jiangping said, “You secretly cultivated martial arts, hiding your skills from everyone. That night, many of our Six Gates men were killed on Disordered Chess Mountain, and you happened to be there as well. Do you really believe in such coincidences?”
He stepped forward and presented a stack of documents, “This is the coroner’s report. According to the examination, all the victims were killed by finger strikes. The attacker possesses at least eighth-rank strength. The wounds are thin and deep, indicating the use of fingers as swords, and there are signs of freezing around the wounds.
“On Red Mountain, many people witnessed Shi Hao using a branch as a sword. Using a branch as a sword and using fingers as a sword are similar. I personally witnessed Miss Du Yuejiao of Ming Kun Monastery exchanging a palm strike with him at the Marquis’ residence. His internal energy is orthodox Daoist, carrying a chilling aura, matching the attacker on Disordered Chess Mountain.
“This man was at Disordered Chess Mountain that night. His swordsmanship, his internal energy, everything matches. What are the odds of such a coincidence? If he’s not the killer, then who is?”
The crowd outside the courthouse murmured.
A strange expression appeared on Shi Hao’s face.
For a moment, he was truly shocked by Qiu Jiangping and the Six Gates’ abilities.
He had used a different appearance and different martial arts, yet they had still seen through him. The Six Gates’ abilities were truly terrifying and unpredictable.
But then he realized that Qiu Jiangping hadn’t actually found the real killer. He was simply framing him.
On Disordered Chess Mountain, although he had used finger strikes to kill Zhao Haisong, the Rat and Bat Duo, and the others, he hadn’t used his “fingers as swords,” and the wounds weren’t frozen, but burned by the Mysterious Charm Technique and the Severing Meridian Burning Heart Finger.
With Qiu Jiangping’s skills, he couldn’t possibly mistake these distinct techniques.
The coroner’s report presented by Qiu Jiangping was completely fabricated, false evidence designed to frame Shi Hao.
Qiu Jiangping knew that the killer on Disordered Chess Mountain and Shi Hao couldn’t possibly be the same person.
Finger techniques versus swordsmanship, burning energy versus freezing energy, demonic arts versus Daoist internal energy… Everything was different.
Yet, Qiu Jiangping was using fabricated evidence to frame Shi Hao… the real killer!
Shi Hao couldn’t control his expression, a mixture of amusement and disbelief appearing on his face… Was this a stroke of luck for Qiu Jiangping, or a stroke of misfortune for himself?
To be “identified” by the Six Gates in such a way?
Qiu Jiangping knew Shi Hao couldn’t possibly be the killer, but that didn’t stop him from framing him.
Shi Hao knew he was the killer… but Qiu Jiangping couldn’t possibly know that!
Shi Yujun quickly scanned the evidence presented by Qiu Jiangping and looked down, “Shi Hao, what is your defense?”
Shi Hao said calmly, “This is a false accusation. I…”
Qiu Jiangping stepped forward again, “My lord, I have other witnesses who can prove that Shi Hao intended to kill more than just those who died on Disordered Chess Mountain.”
Shi Yujun said, “Bring them forward!”
Qiu Jiangping turned and said, “Please bring Witness Yuan Jia to the stand.”
Shi Hao, still in shackles, turned and saw a short, thin man with a sharp, monkey-like face, dressed in an official uniform, enter with two court guards.
Only then did Shi Hao understand why Qiu Jiangping had suddenly targeted him, even risking offending the prefectural government and causing conflict, just to frame him.
Last night’s encounter had inadvertently cornered them…
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