Chapter 490: Is It Tolerable?

For him, it didn't really matter who was deceiving whom. He didn't want to leave any of these killers alive, including Huang Yingying, because Shi Chun had already made it very clear to him.

Huang Yingying, who was accused on the spot, panicked. He hadn't expected that after this big man's commotion, the tax supervisors would betray him without hesitation. Not only had his good intentions been wasted, but he had also fallen into a trap. This damned big man was truly ruthless.

Now, he wouldn't believe for a second that Wu Jinliang was just a stable hand.

From the moment Wu Jinliang suddenly appeared mid-path to block the killers, Huang Yingying realized it. How could a mere stable hand happen to be on the killers' escape route and easily apprehend a group of people?

Someone with such strength could easily earn much higher wages; they wouldn't settle for the meager pay of a stable hand doing odd jobs.

His eyes darted around frantically, and he immediately blurted out, "Oh, Little Gao, so you've come to save me! You gave me quite a fright; I thought you were trying to harm me. My fault, my fault, I didn't know your intentions just now and didn't dare to speak carelessly. Please forgive me, please forgive me. You are a magnanimous person, don't hold this against me. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, ask whatever you wish; I will tell you everything I know."

"I see," Wu Jinliang said, raising a hand to his forehead. "It's also my fault; I forgot to undo your restraints, which led to the misunderstanding."

With that, he nodded towards Lao Changtai.

Lao Changtai understood and was about to step forward to remove Huang Yingying's restraints when the person who had just reported him urgently said, "He can use earth-burrowing techniques!"

"That's right, he can use earth evasion."

"If you release the restraints, he can escape at any moment."

The other two killers who could speak also eagerly exposed him.

Hearing this, Huang Yingying's heart sank. He wanted to ask the three, 'Are you idiots? If I run, a survivor might make him wary of harming you. Even if he kills you, at least someone will leak the news, and there will be someone to settle accounts for you.'

But the three killers who could speak didn't think that way. They believed long-term thinking was useless right now. Knowing they had lost their value to Wu Jinliang, they just wanted to seize any slim chance of survival in the present moment.

"Earth-burrowing? Earth evasion?" Wu Jinliang asked Huang Yingying with a curious expression, "Old Huang, you also know the Five Elements Evasion techniques?"

Huang Yingying offered a dry laugh. "Just a rudimentary understanding, nothing sophisticated."

Wu Jinliang clicked his tongue. "No wonder you can snoop around everywhere; so you have this ability. No worries, untie him," he then instructed Lao Changtai with a tilt of his chin.

As he spoke, he gave Lao Changtai a look, signaling him to keep a close eye on Huang Yingying.

He had previously restrained Huang Yingying and knew the old man's cultivation level. Despite his advanced age, his innate potential was not well-suited for cultivation, and he only possessed the cultivation of an initial martial arts master. With Lao Changtai's superior high-level martial arts cultivation, as long as he kept a close watch, Huang Yingying wouldn't be able to escape even if he could burrow into the earth.

Lao Changtai immediately complied and released Huang Yingying's restraints.

Huang Yingying got up, stretched his limbs, and glanced at Lao Changtai, who was guarding him. He bowed in thanks, but his smile was forced. He wanted to run but didn't dare, yet staying filled him with dread.

Wu Jinliang then turned to the killers and asked, "Why did you tie up Old Huang?"

"He found out something he shouldn't have."

"Fan Wuze, who went to 'Chao Yue Pavilion' for a blind date, was sent by Supervisor Mei, and Huang Yingying saw through it."

"We wanted to confirm whether he had spread the information to others so we could silence him."

The three killers who could speak again rushed to answer.

Huang Yingying couldn't help but sigh. As soon as he saw the killers' true nature, he had already guessed this.

Wu Jinliang was actually not interested in this answer and had already guessed it. He then tilted his head towards Huang Yingying and signaled, "So, did he spread the news externally?"

This was what he truly wanted to know. These people had mother-child talismans, and he didn't know if Huang Yingying had confessed anything or if they had used the talismans to transmit Huang Yingying's confession.

"We haven't had time to interrogate him yet."

"Yes, it wasn't convenient to question him at the scene."

"We were planning to go somewhere further away, but we ran into you before we had the chance."

The three articulate killers responded quickly again.

Wu Jinliang didn't blindly believe them; he observed the reactions of the other killers to see if any of them wanted to fight for a chance to live.

Seeing no reaction from them, he looked at Huang Yingying again for confirmation. "Is that true?"

Huang Yingying nodded. "That's exactly what happened. Tell me, Little Gao, how did you happen to block their path?"

"That's not important," Wu Jinliang said, walking over and tapping the dagger in his hand against Huang Yingying's chest. "What's important is why you mistakenly thought I was going to deal with you. After hearing what they just said, your previous explanation suddenly doesn't make sense!"

Huang Yingying was startled by the pointing dagger. Just as he was about to explain, Wu Jinliang suddenly inverted the dagger and offered him the hilt. "Words mean nothing. Let's see some action."

"Huh?" Huang Yingying was confused.

Wu Jinliang pointed to the killers lying against the wall. "Go kill two of those who aren't honest, and then I'll believe you."

The killers immediately panicked. 'How can we confess anything if you don't unseal our mute points?' they thought.

"This..." Huang Yingying's face was filled with resistance. He knew very well that once he killed someone from the City Lord's Mansion, there would be no turning back for him.

Wu Jinliang didn't waste words with him. He directly thrust the dagger into Huang Yingying's hand. "Take it. Either you kill two, or you use the knife to slit your own throat. I'm not forcing you; choose your own way to live. I'll count to five: One, two, three..."

Just as he reached "three," Huang Yingying, in a panic, made a desperate decision. Before his mind could even process it, he rushed forward and stabbed one of them.

Before he could nervously overthink, Wu Jinliang called out again, "Four..."

Huang Yingying quickly pulled out the dagger and swung it at the second person nearby, slitting their throat. In his haste, he forgot to dodge and was sprayed with a gush of blood all over his face and body. He shivered, and the hand holding the knife trembled slightly.

Bai Qiru landed on Zhelan Slope, and the attendant waiting there quickly stepped forward to report the situation.

After confirming the situation, Bai Qiru's brows furrowed as she coolly scanned her surroundings. Without lingering, she flashed away again, heading in the direction of Dazhi City.

Shortly after she left, two city guards who had been pursuing also arrived. After landing and seeing the bodies, they questioned the attendant about the situation.

Inside the cave, Huang Yingying, covered in blood from squatting and killing two people, had fallen to the ground. Seeing Lao Changtai guarding him with a watchful gaze, he struggled several times, kicking his legs, before finally getting up. He then forced a smile that was uglier than a grimace and presented the dagger back to Wu Jinliang with both hands.

Wu Jinliang wasn't sure if Huang Yingying was faking it or truly so cowardly. Wasn't this demon cultivator incredibly bold when he was snooping around for information everywhere?

As Wu Jinliang took back the dagger, he suddenly struck, subduing Huang Yingying once more. With another casual push, Huang Yingying was made to sit against the wall.

"Little Gao, Master Gao, what's the meaning of this?" Huang Yingying, unable to move, cried out in panic. He had witnessed firsthand the other man's ruthlessness. With the pungent smell of blood in the air, and suddenly restrained again, how could he not be terrified?

Wu Jinliang looked at Huang Yingying, then at the other still-alive, equally panicked killers. He slowly said, "One last test. I want to ask you something. Several years ago, there was an incident of reanimation in the Dazhi City area. I heard it was caused by a strange incense called 'Death-Defying Incense.' Whoever knows the whereabouts of 'Death-Defying Incense' qualifies to live. Does anyone know?"

All those on the ground, whether they could speak or not, had their eyes flicker.

Huang Yingying, in particular, looked surprised and suspicious, wondering why this person was suddenly asking about this, especially since he had clearly shown no interest before.

Qiu Laosan, one of the killers, suddenly interjected, "I know! There's a 'Treasure-Seeking Pavilion' in the city, they..."

Wu Jinliang cut him off sharply. "The one at Treasure-Seeking Pavilion is fake." He pointed at Huang Yingying. "He took me to see it; it was fake."

After scanning the surprised and uncertain reactions of everyone, he turned around. As he passed Lao Changtai, he lightly stated, "Looks like no one knows. Kill them all."

With that, he walked straight out of the cave.

In truth, he didn't expect these people to know about the 'Death-Defying Incense.' He did it partly to try, but mainly to show Lao Changtai, as a way of accounting to Shi Chun.

From Shi Chun's ability to track Huang Yingying's movements, he knew that Chu Jingtang and his group had not dismissed their suspicions about Huang Yingying.

If it weren't for intimidating Huang Yingying, he wouldn't have dragged out this current situation for so long; it would have been much simpler. It was just about silencing witnesses, after all.

Lao Changtai wasn't foolish. By this point, he naturally understood Wu Jinliang's long-planned intentions. He drew his sword, and the first "butcher's knife" was raised towards Huang Yingying—not a feigned killing, but a real one.

If he was useless, he would be silenced immediately. If he proved useful, Huang Yingying would at least face the consequences of killing personnel from the City Lord's Mansion. Wu Jinliang had prepared both outcomes for him, right or wrong.

What Wu Jinliang never expected was that just as he walked out of the cave entrance and looked up at the countless stars, and just as Lao Changtai was about to strike Huang Yingying down with his sword, a terrified Huang Yingying suddenly shrieked hysterically, "I know! I know about the 'Death-Defying Incense,' Little Gao, Master Gao! I really do know, don't kill me, I'll tell you, I really know..."

His voice was filled with boundless terror and urgency.

Lao Changtai, mid-swing with his sword, froze. He even doubted himself: Was it real? Did this old man truly know?

He turned his head to look at the tall figure outside the cave.

Wu Jinliang was a bit bewildered. Could it be such a coincidence? He had come all the way to Dazhi City for the 'Death-Defying Incense,' and a random old sly fox he encountered happened to be an insider? What about all his searching then?

He chuckled, a truly sinister grin on his face. Then he spun around quickly, practically charging back inside, and unleashed a furious, wild beating on Huang Yingying.

He had actually been fooled, the acting was so convincing that it completely deceived him. If Chu Jingtang and his group hadn't had an extra trick up their sleeve, this matter would have fallen squarely on him. While things might be okay with Chun Tian, the key issue was his prestige with Chu Jingtang and the others.

This was truly unbearable!

The beating seemed endless, and the cave echoed with continuous wails and screams...

On the highest peak in the city, a white figure descended and was also intercepted by guards.

The newcomer was Bai Qiru. She glanced at the obstructing guards but didn't force her way through. Instead, she used a spell to project her voice clearly towards the inner chambers of the palace: "Bai Qiru requests an audience with the City Lord."

After a brief silence, a woman's faint voice replied, "Let her in."

The guards exchanged glances and immediately moved aside, allowing her to pass.

Bai Qiru was in a hurry, moving swiftly and directly entering the deep palace. She seemed to have been here before, ignoring the intricate pavilions and complex paths, showing no hesitation at any crossroads.

Soon after, a quickly approaching maid extended an inviting hand, leading her in another direction, to a pavilion overlooking the myriad lights of the city below.

Inside the pavilion was a woman with long, shoulder-length hair. She wore colorful clothes, had a fair complexion, and bright red lips like cherry blossoms. Her appearance was quite pleasant, yet there was something peculiar about her; her hair was so long that it dragged on the ground while she sat, and presumably, it would do the same when she stood.

This woman was Li Xianghong, the current City Lord of Dazhi City, who was alone, raising her cup to the moon.

She turned her head, glanced at Bai Qiru, who nodded in greeting, and said indifferently, "What right do you have to fly unlawfully within the city?"

Bai Qiru avoided the question and instead walked up to her, saying, "Someone broke the rules. They bought a large amount of spirit rice but didn't pay for it, and they killed three of our shop's delivery staff at Zhelan Slope. My husband's whereabouts are unknown, and I'm anxious to pursue the culprits, so I didn't have time to explain. I heard that Lord Axun has just arrived here. While the incident is still recent and his senses can be useful, I ask for your quick assistance in facilitating things. This would also help uphold the rules of Dazhi City and ensure justice."