Chapter 81

Two hundred taels of silver was no small amount, but He Cuihua quickly took it out of her bundle, which greatly amazed Zhao Jin. He never thought he would have so much money in his hands.

"Mother, don't open the door for anyone except Father and me. If someone tries to force their way in, shout loudly. There are many wealthy families around here, so no one will dare to act rashly." After giving these instructions, Zhao Jin took the silver and hurried out the door. The weight of the silver, about twenty pounds, was not light, but even so, Zhao Jin didn't forget to take his spear.

Despite being cautious on the way, no thief would dare to offend a warrior carrying a spear. He arrived at the yamen smoothly.

There was a small door for official business at night, and Zhao Jin, familiar with the place, entered through it. Usually, this area would be dark and deserted at this hour, but now it was brightly lit.

Someone was standing outside the room, and upon seeing Zhao Jin, they asked cautiously. Recognizing him, they said, "Your father is in the holding cell," and let him in.

The holding cell was in a corner of the yamen, a temporary place for detaining suspects before they were sentenced and imprisoned. It was also where the constables interrogated and beat the suspects.

Zhao Jin walked in with the silver. As soon as he entered, he heard the distant cries of pain. A constable carrying a bucket of water came out and was surprised to see Zhao Jin. This man, surnamed Liu, was a regular constable on the payroll. Zhao Jin usually called him Uncle Liu.

"Xiao Jin, wait here. I'll call your father out." Without waiting for Zhao Jin to respond, Uncle Liu put down the bucket and spoke.

Uncle Liu turned and walked toward the holding cell, turning back after a few steps to specifically remind him, "Wait here, don't go in."

After a short while, Zhao Zhen walked out with large beads of sweat on his forehead, wearing an old black robe. Seeing Zhao Jin, he nodded and said, "Did you bring the silver?"

Zhao Jin quickly handed over the bundle. As they got closer, Zhao Jin frowned and took a few breaths, for he smelled a strong scent of blood.

"Brat, you killed two people and can already smell the blood. With this skill, how did you faint at the execution back then!" Zhao Zhen noticed Zhao Jin's unusual state and mocked him.

This was not the time to bring up such a sore point. In the midst of the blood and screams, Zhao Jin didn't know whether to laugh or not.

Zhao Zhen then said, "Go home and rest well. Don't overthink it. After a good night's sleep, everything will be fine."

With that, Zhao Zhen was about to leave with the bundle, but after a few steps, he turned back and said, "You think too simply. This will get you into trouble sooner or later. Go home now, and I'll talk to you tomorrow morning."

Although Zhao Zhen spoke casually, Zhao Jin noticed the deep worry on his father's face.

Seeing this, Zhao Jin suddenly felt that the matter might not be as easy to resolve as he had thought.

After leaving the yamen, a cold wind blew in his face, and the smell of blood from the yamen disappeared. Zhao Jin found that he wasn't as repulsed by the smell as he thought. He had been calm during the killing in the afternoon and felt quite adapted to the smell in the yamen.

Thinking about the battle in the afternoon and the moment he struck, Zhao Jin suddenly felt a churning in his chest and stomach and vomited.

Having lived two lives, this was his first time killing. The delayed reaction wasn't due to his toughness but rather the shock that had numbed him, leaving him without any feeling.

Thinking about the moment his spear pierced the enemy's throat, the loss of life in the enemy's eyes, and the pungent smell of blood, Zhao Jin found nothing to vomit and finally managed to stand up.

"Damn, I overestimated myself!" Zhao Jin cursed, wiped his mouth, and quickly walked home. This discomfort would probably not bother him in the future.

Zhao Jin hadn't eaten dinner and had been busy rescuing someone, arranging the interrogation, and then taking the girl home and delivering the silver to the yamen. He hadn't eaten all night and, after vomiting, his stomach was completely empty, making him extremely hungry and unable to walk fast.

He slowly walked back home, and as he passed the Wang family's door, he couldn't help but look. Wang Zhaojing should have been home long ago, but he wondered if his family knew about the killing and how they would treat him.

As Zhao Jin walked past the Wang family's door, he didn't hear the servants inside whispering, "Has the young master had dinner yet?"

"What dinner? He's still kneeling in the study!"

"The master has only one son, yet he's so strict."

"Didn't you see the young master leave with a sword and come back with blood on him? He must have caused some trouble outside..."

Wang Zhaojing, who had returned home earlier than Zhao Jin, hadn't eaten dinner and was kneeling in his father's study.

The study in the Wang family was nothing special, even a bit shabby in terms of furniture and decorations. The bookshelves were filled with various books, and those who understood would see the wealth of the Wang family in these fine editions and rare books, which were not cheaper than their weight in gold and silver.

A lamp was lit in the study, and a middle-aged man was reading at the desk. He was Wang You Shan, Wang Zhaojing's father.

Despite his name, Old Man Wang, he was only in his early forties. However, scholars valued a dignified demeanor, so Wang You Shan's mannerisms made him seem like a man in his fifties or sixties.

Wang Zhaojing was kneeling under the bookshelf. He had changed his clothes and cleaned the blood, but after the intense battle and without food, he looked very pale.

Only the father and son were in the study. Wang You Shan ignored his kneeling son and continued to read and take notes.

After finishing a book, Wang You Shan put it down, rubbed his eyes, and said without turning around, "I let you learn martial arts to strengthen your body, not to cause trouble or kill people, and certainly not to act rashly. Your body is a gift from your parents. By being so careless, you are being extremely unfilial!"

His tone became stern at the end, and Wang Zhaojing, with a pained expression, bowed and said, "Father, I know I was wrong."

Wang You Shan shook his head and said coldly, "You are about to take the provincial examination. Do you think the reputation of scholars doesn't matter?"

"Father, I was just trying to save someone. I didn't think about it much," Wang Zhaojing couldn't help but explain.

"Nonsense! Knowing about a den of thieves, why didn't you report it to the authorities? Why did you and a few young men act heroically on your own?" Wang You Shan scolded.

Wang Zhaojing, kneeling on the ground, explained in a low voice, "Brother Zhao said it wasn't convenient to involve the authorities in Miss Mu's case, so..."

"Not convenient? It's because it's related to those evil cultists. I let you make more friends to expand your network and find people who can help you in the future. Now, you, a promising scholar, have become a follower of a constable's son. Truly absurd and laughable." Wang You Shan continued to scold with a cold smile.

Seeing the不服气 (dissatisfied) look on Wang Zhaojing's face, Wang You Shan continued, "You always praise your brother Zhao, but tonight he made many mistakes. You think it was well-arranged, but if his father can't cover it up, he will be imprisoned and sentenced tomorrow."

"Father..." Hearing this, Wang Zhaojing looked up anxiously, but was interrupted by Wang You Shan, who picked up another book and said calmly, "He is your friend, and his family are neighbors. I will help, but I want to see if he is as righteous as you say. I want to see if he takes all the blame in the yamen. There is still some food in the kitchen. Go eat, and you are not allowed to leave the house tomorrow!"

Hearing the dismissal, Wang Zhaojing didn't get up but bowed deeply and said urgently, "Father, I think Brother Zhao's arrangement was very well-considered. Could there still be hidden dangers?"

"Well-considered? How naive. Just a group of children who think they are grown up." Wang You Shan smiled and commented, then waved his hand, signaling Wang Zhaojing to leave.