Everything was ready and all preparations were complete. They only lacked the east wind.
Gao Zeyu smiled. He immediately looked towards Yu Qing in the courtyard below and made a hand gesture to him. He indicated that he could come out, that everything had been communicated successfully, and that they could leave the city.
That hand gesture however made Yu Qing’s back run cold. His heart sank like it had fallen into an ice valley, feeling utterly chilled.
He almost broke out in a cold sweat.
If he had not cultivated the observation technique that allowed him to deduce what people were saying from the movement of their lips, he probably would not even know how he died today.
He had thoroughly experienced what it felt like to be sold out and still help count the money.
Just moments before, he had regarded the man as his saviour. He truly felt heartfelt gratitude in his heart and obediently followed whatever the man said.
In an instant a wave of hatred arose, and endless anger surged within his chest.
He looked around, recalled the situation inside the warehouse, quickly made a decision in his mind, and raised his hand to wave at Gao Zeyu on the city wall, separated by one wall and one road.
Gao Zeyu waved for him to leave the city.
He waved for Gao Zeyu to come over.
On the city wall the two men standing side by side were stunned. The guard asked, “What is going on? What is he doing?”
Gao Zeyu was also stunned. He waved at Yu Qing again and once more signalled for him to leave quickly.
Yu Qing sneered coldly in his heart. He wanted to see who could hold out longer. He did not believe this dog official would not come over, so he continued waving.
Sure enough, Gao Zeyu glanced at the vast capital city, grew a bit anxious, and said to the guard, “I do not know what is wrong with him. He may have something to explain. I will go and take a look.”
The guard said in a deep voice, “Be quick. We do not have much time. Once the old fellow’s men arrive, it will be troublesome.”
“I know, I know.” Gao Zeyu turned and left. He lifted the hem of his official robe and quickly descended the steps of the city wall. The accompanying clerk also followed.
The two quickly returned to the warehouse courtyard one after the other and met Yu Qing again.
Gao Zeyu kept a straight face and complained, “What is wrong with you? I told you to leave quickly, yet you are still dawdling. Do you want to wait for the court troops to come and arrest you?”
Yu Qing said, “Sir, I just thought of a major secret. Sir has treated me so generously, and Shi Heng has no way to repay you. Since I fear it will be difficult to return to the capital after this departure, I have decided to inform Sir of this secret.”
“…” Gao Zeyu was surprised. The dissatisfaction on his face disappeared at once and was replaced by some curiosity. “What secret?”
Yu Qing looked around and made a gesture of invitation, asking to speak inside the warehouse.
Gao Zeyu glanced at the city wall, gave a gesture to wait, and then followed Yu Qing into the warehouse.
The yamen runners sitting on the sacks inside the warehouse were still there, chatting idly. Gao Zeyu took a look and felt it was not as convenient as talking in the outer courtyard.
Yu Qing however once again respectfully extended his hand in invitation and pointed to a single room partitioned off in the inner corner of the warehouse, which was normally a resting place for the warehouse keeper.
In comparison this was indeed a more suitable place for private conversation. Gao Zeyu did not think much of it and immediately walked over quickly, because time was short and they needed to hurry.
Upon approaching, he pushed open the door and saw no one inside. What met his eyes was a work desk with a tube of counting sticks on it, used for recording labour.
Behind it was a curtain. Yu Qing went over, pulled it aside, and saw a bed for resting behind.
After confirming no one was in the room, Yu Qing released the curtain and turned back. Seeing that the clerk had also followed in, he immediately gestured, “This secret can only be told to Sir alone. Please excuse yourself.”
A secret naturally could not be known by too many people. Gao Zeyu also turned and waved his hand to indicate.
The clerk had no choice but to go out. Yu Qing, who went to close the door, also indicated for him to stand further away, as if afraid he would eavesdrop.
The clerk curled his lips, feeling helpless, and had to walk further away.
Only then did Yu Qing close the door and walk back.
Gao Zeyu said, “What is the secret? Tell it quickly. There is no time. You still… what do you want to do?” His tone suddenly changed and the tall official’s voice altered.
Actually there was nothing much. It was just that Yu Qing’s behaviour was somewhat abnormal. As he walked towards him, he drew his sword.
Then casually, as if playing, he indifferently placed the sword edge across the tall official’s neck and asked, “Why harm me?”
Gao Zeyu looked strained. “What are you talking about?”
Yu Qing repeated a passage, “Only wait for him to leave the city, then immediately strike and kill. Do not miss.”
Only then did Gao Zeyu’s expression truly become wonderful. There was panic and surprise, as if he had not expected it. He had not expected the fellow in front of him to hear their conversation from so far away.
“Why harm me?” Yu Qing asked again.
Gao Zeyu on the contrary became calm. “Harming you is not one person’s matter. If you do not even know why you are being harmed, what is the point of asking?
At this point it is my one oversight in a hundred plans. I accept it. I surrender and become your hostage. You should be able to save your life. Do not ask anything extra. I will not say. A person at my level cannot speak recklessly.”
Yu Qing said indifferently, “Are you not afraid I will kill you?”
Gao Zeyu gave a chuckle. “Anyone who can pass the imperial examinations as top scorer is not a fool. You do not dare kill me. You know clearly that I am a fifth-rank official of the court. If you kill me, even if another group seizes you, with so many eyes seeing it, you will find it hard to escape blame.”
Even with the sword at his neck, he still casually spread his hands. “So, I surrender and become your hostage. You obediently wait for the other group to come and take you away. This is the most beneficial outcome for you. Only a fool would not see it. What do you say?”
Yu Qing moved the sword in his hand downward and pressed it against his heart area.
Gao Zeyu was pushed back, retreating past the cloth curtain separating the space. Only then did he vaguely sense something wrong. He said in a deep voice, “Do not act recklessly. If I do not show up, you cannot escape the city. His Majesty has already issued an order to arrest you. Now the entire capital, no matter which faction, is searching for you everywhere. You cannot run. Hmm…”
His voice grew louder bit by bit without making it obvious, intending to quietly signal outside. However the person opposite was not stupid.
A flash of sword light appeared before his eyes. The sword tip pressed against his chest suddenly stabbed into his mouth.
Intense pain came from his mouth. His tongue was pierced by the sword, and blood gushed out instantly.
Gao Zeyu made muffled sounds. With the sword tip in his mouth he could not speak clearly and could only wave his hands desperately to signal Yu Qing not to act recklessly. This time he was truly panicked. He realised that after staying in officialdom for so long, he was somewhat unaccustomed to people who did not follow common sense.
He retreated to the edge of the bed and bumped his leg. In the instant he fell back and sat down, Yu Qing suddenly drew the sword back. With his other hand he directly pressed down on his cheek, pinning him face down onto the bedding. He then climbed up, pressing his knee against the man’s back.
The high official with his head buried in the quilt made “wu wu” sounds begging for mercy, slapping the bedding with his hands, wanting to call for help.
Yu Qing remained expressionless. With one sword stroke he passed under his neck, then pulled out another bloodied sword.
Too lazy to waste words, he directly slit the tall official’s throat.
Blood spurted out instantly, soaking the cotton quilt.
Yu Qing casually pulled the quilt to cover his head, stood up, stepped on the wrapped head with one foot, and with a smooth motion stabbed down with the sword, directly into the high official’s back heart area.
The high official’s body was still twitching when Yu Qing had already pulled out the sword, jumped off the bed, sheathed it, quickly reached the main door, opened it, and waved to the clerk who looked over upon hearing the sound. “Sir is calling you.”
The clerk immediately hurried over.
As soon as he entered the door, Yu Qing closed it. Seeing him look over, Yu Qing pointed behind the cloth curtain.
The clerk immediately walked over, lifted the curtain, and before he could see clearly what was happening, his heart felt cold. Then intense pain came. He saw the bloodied sword tip protruding from his own chest and wanted to make a sound, only to find his neck had already been crushed.
Crack. Yu Qing directly crushed his throat, threw the man onto the bed to accompany the high official, sheathed his long sword again, turned, lifted the cloth curtain, opened the door, and waved to the yamen runners outside while shouting, “Come another person.”
The eleven resting and chatting yamen runners immediately scrambled as if competing and all ran over. In the end those who ran slower had to give up after seeing the faster ones, watching helplessly as their colleagues went in.
However before long the door opened again. Yu Qing shouted from there, “High official asks for another person.”
The group rushed over again, with those who got there first causing the rest to feel indignant.
Fortunately the high official’s demand was quite large, and after a while he called for another.
The yamen runners cooperated very well and seemed quite delighted to be summoned by the high official.
One after another, soon all eleven yamen runners had entered the room.
When the last one reached the doorway and looked inside, he turned to run, but was pulled in by one tug.
When the last yamen runner disappeared into the room, the door was not closed, and a bloody smell wafted out.
There was too much blood. It flowed to the doorway but was blocked by the threshold and did not spill out.
Yu Qing stepped over the threshold, walked out, closed the door, and strode towards the outside of the warehouse.
Had Gao Zeyu not said that with so many eyes seeing, if he killed the high official, he Yu Qing would also find it hard to escape blame?
So Yu Qing used the simplest and crudest method and killed all these snakes and rats from the same nest to silence them.
In an instant more than a dozen lives were taken. At this life-and-death juncture he showed no hesitation and no mercy.
However compared to his grand master uncle, who back then slaughtered clean more than a hundred people chasing Ah Jie Zhang’s family, it was still a bit lacking.
As he approached the warehouse door, he untied the scabbard from his waist, threw it under the door, and leaned the sword vertically against the door.
With both hands empty, Yu Qing strode into the courtyard.
The guard on the wall saw him appear, looked at the vast capital city, and grew somewhat anxious, worried that the other group could arrive at any time. He was just short of waving to urge Yu Qing to leave quickly.
Yet Yu Qing waved again, gesturing to the guard to come over, and pointed inside the warehouse, looking as if the high official was looking for him.
The guard pounded his fist on the parapet, not knowing what ghost Gao Zeyu was up to. Did he not know time was very tight?
He did not know what matter could make Gao Zeyu enter the warehouse and not come out.
He believed Gao Zeyu could not fail to distinguish importance, which meant there was something in the warehouse more important than the matter at hand.
He immediately descended the steps quickly, almost running down the city wall. He wanted to see what exactly Gao Zeyu was doing.
It was only separated by the distance of one road at the foot of the city wall.
It took just a few steps to arrive. When he met Yu Qing he could not help looking at him a couple more times. After all this was the top scorer with full marks in four subjects, and also the third-place palace examination graduate.
Yu Qing saw he had not brought anyone and felt it saved trouble. He waved to invite him inside.
The guard strode straight in without needing the invitation, wanting to see what was going on.
He entered the warehouse and looked around but saw no one.
Yu Qing, who followed in, casually picked up the sword leaning against the door.
Fearing the opponent’s strength was too high, he avoided the noise of drawing the sword.
Following right after, he lightly and effortlessly placed the sword across the guard’s neck, as if the man had delivered himself.