A series of sudden changes occurred simultaneously. Seeing their accomplice fail, two other men swiftly moved to attack without hesitation. Xu Zhengyang, standing to their side, kicked a chair, the brown wooden chair flying through the air and crashing into the two men. Chen Chaojiang's thin body followed the chair, slamming into the two men. As his right shoulder slammed into one of them, his left hand, wielding a blood-red dagger, plunged into the other's chest.
One of the men was knocked back, staggering and pulling his pistol from his pocket. Before he could fire, Xu Zhengyang grabbed another chair and smashed it over his head. The wooden chair shattered with a cracking sound, and Xu Zhengyang's right foot followed up with a vicious kick to the man's waist.
The other man, who reached into his robes for a gun, didn't even have a chance to pull it out, because Chen Chaojiang had pinned his hand to his chest with a dagger through his clothes. As he opened his mouth to cry out in pain, Chen Chaojiang's forehead slammed into his nose. The impact sent the man staggering and tumbling down the steps.
The man who was first cut on the wrist and stumbled down had already crawled into the van.
The driver shouted, "Get in the car!"
The other two men hurriedly climbed into the open van, and the red minivan sped towards the newly opened iron gate in the southeast corner. As it sped, the rear door slammed shut, and the men inside fired two shots haphazardly in Xu Zhengyang's direction—bang, bang!
The market was deathly silent.
Chen Chaojiang stood where the van had just been parked, his left hand casually gripping the bloodstained, exquisitely crafted dagger. He coldly watched the red van speed away from the market, past the septic tank truck. His expression betrayed no tension or fear; his narrow eyes remained icy and devoid of any warmth. Only a shallow gash of blood marked the whistling bullet that had grazed his pale left cheek.
Xu Zhengyang stood at the bottom of the steps, staring blankly at the crater in the cement ground caused by the bullet.
Jin Qiming, supporting the pale-faced and sweating Yao Chushun, anxiously shouted to the onlookers in the distance, "Call the police! Call the police!"
At the north gate of the market, several police officers were rushing towards them. Clearly, the earlier gunshots had alerted them, and they had reacted quickly.
Volume 3, Judge Chapter 102: I'm Not Stupid
Since the opening of Gu Xiang Xuan a few months ago, Yao Chushun has not returned home.
Everyone thought that Yao Chushun was working diligently to manage Guxiangxuan well, striving to make it bigger as soon as possible, so that it would have the strength to compete with Tianbaozhai and eventually crush Tianbaozhai.
After the shooting, those who knew about the past grievances between Yao Chushun and Zou Mingyuan seemed to realize something.
Perhaps Yao Chushun is afraid to live at home alone?
If the rumors are true, and the seemingly kind and approachable Zou Mingyuan did indeed betray his conscience and harm his master Yao Chushun back then, then what else wouldn't he do? Especially when Gu Xiang Xuan suddenly rose to prominence, becoming famous and unparalleled in just a few months, even showing signs of rivaling Tian Bao Zhai, could Zou Mingyuan remain calm? It is said that... Tian Bao Zhai's two lines have already gravitated towards Gu Xiang Xuan.
No one expected that, in broad daylight, in the antique market, with the police station right across from the main entrance, criminals would dare to commit such a brazen murder.
Xu Zhengyang was extremely annoyed by this; this... was forcing him to take swift action!
It was already evening when they returned from the Fuxing District Public Security Bureau. Xu Zhengyang, Yao Chushun, and Chen Chaojiang had a simple meal at a restaurant in the market before returning to Guxiangxuan and sitting at the dark brown square table in the inner room.
Xu Zhengyang said calmly, "Master Gu, don't worry too much, nothing will happen."
"Hmm." Yao Chushun was still shaken, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. He gulped down his tea, his right hand holding the pipe trembling slightly. "Zhengyang, you... how about we split up Guxiangxuan? I can run this shop myself..."
"What? Now that you've started making money, you want to keep it all for yourself?" Xu Zhengyang said with a smile.
"You, you son of a bitch." Yao Chushun forced a smile.
Xu Zhengyang lit a cigarette, pushed the cigarette pack and lighter in front of Chen Chaojiang, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke, saying, "We were thinking too simply. Moreover... to compete fairly and squarely, to defeat Zou Mingyuan's Tianbaozhai, is a path that takes too long and is prone to too many unforeseen changes."
"Are you sure it was Zou Mingyuan from Tianbaozhai who had someone do it?" Chen Chaojiang asked coldly, his face icy. He was unaware of Yao Chushun and Zou Mingyuan's past, and given his personality, he wouldn't normally pay attention to such matters.
"More or less," Xu Zhengyang sighed softly, and said, "Chaojiang..."
Chen Chaojiang seemed to know what he was going to say and waved his hand to stop him from continuing.
Xu Zhengyang did feel somewhat guilty. He never expected Zou Mingyuan to be so audacious and so reckless. If he had known earlier that Zou Mingyuan would hire a gunman to kill someone, Xu Zhengyang certainly wouldn't have let Chen Chaojiang come to Guxiangxuan to help him manage the shop.
"If it's confirmed to be him, then kill him." When Chen Chaojiang said this, he didn't seem to think that his words were particularly chilling.
"Don't do anything rash," Xu Zhengyang said, shaking his head. "The police will investigate this case, and besides, we're just speculating; we can't be completely certain."
Yao Chushun nodded and said, "No, we can't do anything reckless."
"Are you waiting to be assassinated again?" Chen Chaojiang tilted his head and looked at Xu Zhengyang.
Xu Zhengyang waved his left hand, which was holding a cigarette, and smiled, "Nothing will happen, don't worry."
Yao Chushun nodded. He believed that Xu Zhengyang meant that Zou Mingyuan would not take any further action for a short period of time after the shooting, since the police had already suspected him.
Chen Chaojiang, however, didn't think about any of that. He looked at Xu Zhengyang and said seriously, "From today onwards, I will follow you."
"Am I that cowardly?" Xu Zhengyang asked with a smile.
“I’m a bit stronger than you,” Chen Chaojiang said directly.
Xu Zhengyang sighed and said, "Stay in the shop and watch it."
"Gu Xiang Xuan is safe recently."
Yao Chushun chimed in, "Yes, let Chaojiang go with you. It'll be good for them to look after each other."
Xu Zhengyang smiled but said nothing. He understood Chen Chaojiang and Yao Chushun's thoughts; regardless of their motivations, they were both worried about his safety. However, everyone knew in their hearts that without addressing the root cause, what could the two of them do? No matter how skilled they were, even if they could take on a hundred men with a single strike, could they withstand bullets? Even Xu Zhengyang, who held over twenty divine positions and possessed extraordinary supernatural abilities, had still been beaten, drunk, and vomited…
"Let's just squeeze into the shop and sleep here tonight. Don't go outside; it's not safe," Yao Chushun suddenly said.
For the past few days, Xu Zhengyang has been staying at a small hotel outside the antique market every night. The cost is low, with a single room costing thirty yuan per night.
"No need, I have other things to do." Xu Zhengyang waved his hand and said, "Master Gu, why hasn't that ironwood box been sold yet?"
"Hmm?" Yao Chushun paused for a moment, then smiled bitterly, "The items are good, but they always make people feel disgusted after seeing them... Well, there aren't many people like me who truly appreciate and study antiques from a professional perspective, let alone items that aren't particularly valuable treasures."
Xu Zhengyang remained calm, showing no sign of doubt or disappointment, and said, "I'll take it in a bit."
What are you going to do with that?
"It's nothing," Xu Zhengyang said casually.
Yao Chushun looked puzzled, but didn't ask anything. After all, it wasn't anything valuable, and the ironwood box originally belonged to Xu Zhengyang.
As Xu Zhengyang got up to leave, Chen Chaojiang also stood up.
"Chaojiang, you stay at the shop, don't worry about me," Xu Zhengyang said with a smile and a wave of his hand. He did indeed have some things to do tonight, things that shouldn't be known to anyone.
Chen Chaojiang didn't speak, but simply shook his head slightly. The abrasion on his pale face was slightly red, and his slender eyes revealed an uncompromisingly cold expression.
"Alright." Xu Zhengyang nodded helplessly and walked out.
Chen Chaojiang followed in silence, his left hand constantly twirling the gleaming dagger.
After taking the ironwood box, Xu Zhengyang comforted Jin Qiming for a few more minutes before walking out of Gu Xiang Xuan with Chen Chaojiang.
Outside the shop, the moonlight was like frost, and the Milky Way stretched across the night sky, supporting the not-yet-full moon and the faintly twinkling stars.
Yao Chushun saw them out, and as they reached the bottom of the steps, he said with concern, "Zhengyang, I think you should stay at the inn..."
Xu Zhengyang waved and was about to leave when a silver-white Audi A6 slowly drove from the north under the dim yellow lights of the market. It stopped in front of the three of them, and the driver's side window rolled down, revealing Zou Mingyuan's fair face with gold-rimmed glasses.
"You must be frightened." Zou Mingyuan said to Yao Chushun with disdain.
"You, you son of a bitch!" Yao Chushun was a little timid, but he still mustered up the courage to curse.
Zou Mingyuan ignored Yao Chushun. His gaze swept across Chen Chaojiang's face before fixing on Xu Zhengyang, and he said with a sinister smile, "Young man... why get involved in this mess? Go home and farm your land properly."
"Mr. Zou, let me remind you," Xu Zhengyang said calmly, "From now on, you probably won't have the chance to eat the grains I grow. Eat and drink well these next few days."
"Hmph." Zou Mingyuan turned his head away disdainfully, and the car window slowly rolled up.
Suddenly, Chen Chaojiang's left hand trembled, and a cold glint flashed like a shooting star, making Xu Zhengyang's heart skip a beat. No!
The moment the car window closed, a finely crafted, sharp dagger plunged straight into the car.
"Ah!" Zou Mingyuan cried out in surprise.
The car window was already closed. Xu Zhengyang turned to look at Chen Chaojiang and said, "Chaojiang, you..."
"He won't die, it's just a scare tactic," Chen Chaojiang said calmly, looking at the Audi A6 with a cold expression.
After the screams subsided, the Audi A6 stopped for a moment, then sped away.
Only Zou Mingyuan and Chen Chaojiang knew that the chilling dagger was embedded in the back of the seat behind Zou Mingyuan's head.
Watching the Audi drive away, Xu Zhengyang finally felt relieved. Although he also wanted to kill Zou Mingyuan with his own hands, he couldn't just kill him like that! That would be a crime. It would require paying with one's life. In Xu Zhengyang's mind, Zou Mingyuan was already more pitiful than a dead man, and it wasn't worth making Chen Chaojiang or anyone else pay with their lives for him.
Yao Chushun, standing to the side, was still in a daze. Although he had long seen that Chen Chaojiang was a ruthless person, it was only today that he truly discovered that this pale-faced and thin young man actually had such swift and ruthless skills. In particular, his calmness when faced with a problem was frightening.
Thinking back to that afternoon, when the other party suddenly drew their pistol, Chen Chaojiang wasn't afraid at all, nor did he hesitate for a moment. He instantly struck and wounded the other party, then suddenly sprang into action, coordinating with Xu Zhengyang to quickly retreat the other two assassins. Yao Chushun clearly saw Xu Zhengyang's expression and reaction speed at that time. Although it was undeniable that Xu Zhengyang's reaction was quick and his courage was great, Yao Chushun knew that Xu Zhengyang was surprised at the time, and there was a trace of panic and fear in his eyes.
Watching Xu Zhengyang and Chen Chaojiang slowly walk away in the dim light, Yao Chushun was filled with astonishment and confusion. Xu Zhengyang was unfathomable, and his friend… was even more unfathomable!
As they walked slowly, Xu Zhengyang suddenly said, "Chaojiang, you did very well. My worries were unnecessary."
"I'm not stupid," Chen Chaojiang said calmly, reaching into his pocket with his left hand to reveal a small, sharp dagger, which he twirled between his fingers, gleaming brightly.
"Damn, how many knives are you carrying?"
"Three."
"Now there are only two left."
“No, it’s three. I originally had four,” Chen Chaojiang said expressionlessly.
Xu Zhengyang was stunned, then smiled bitterly and said, "Chaojiang, don't even think about killing Zou Mingyuan. I will do it."
"Hmm." Chen Chaojiang didn't doubt Xu Zhengyang's words at all, and said calmly, "If you're having trouble, just tell me, and I'll do it. Don't worry, I'm not stupid."
Xu Zhengyang patted Chen Chaojiang on the shoulder, and then, just like in the village, put his arm around Chen Chaojiang's shoulder. The two equally thin young men walked towards the market entrance under the dim light of the antique market.
A wisp of cloud drifted across the night sky, obscuring the not-yet-full moon.
Volume 3, Judges, Chapter 103: Acting Chief Judge
In the double room of the small hotel, soft white light shone down, illuminating the snow-white walls, the blue and white checkered sheets and blankets, the yellow bedside table, and the pale blue curtains... Simple, unpretentious, and elegant.
Chen Chaojiang lay on the outer side of the bed, his face up, carving the lump of locust wood.
Xu Zhengyang sat on the edge of the bed on the inside, staring thoughtfully at the dark brown ironwood box. The first windfall he received after obtaining his divine office was the two gold bars inside this ironwood box. Today, when he accidentally discovered the box tucked away in a corner of the display case on the second floor of the Gu Xiang Xuan shop, Xu Zhengyang was only slightly puzzled, thinking he should take it down and examine it, perhaps to reminisce about the time just a few months ago when his family was still heavily in debt.
However, as soon as he held it in his hands, he immediately sensed the unique aura emanating from the ironwood box.
He had previously worried about where to find the ironwood needed to make the Judge's Pen, but holding the ironwood box in his hand, he immediately felt certain that this box was indeed the material for making the Judge's Pen—ironwood that had been imbued with the energy of the underworld for over a hundred years. In other words, the area under the stone bridge east of the village might be the place where the underworld meets the human world.
Perhaps it is precisely because of the aura emanating from the ironwood box that people who are unaware of its special characteristics feel a certain inexplicable aversion to it.
Luckily, it has this aura; otherwise, if I sold it, where would I find this thing again?
Xu Zhengyang glanced at Chen Chaojiang, who was lying there intently sculpting a classical beauty, sighed helplessly, and then, without further hesitation, took out his phone and dialed a number.
A clear and melodious song came from the phone. A few seconds later, the call connected, and Zhan Xiaohui said excitedly, his voice trembling slightly, "Sir, is there something you need?"
"Um."
"What are your orders?"
"Go and demolish the Judge Temple on Huanshui Mountain, oh, you can turn it into a Land God Temple, and put incense offerings there; also change the Judge Temple in Chengjia Village..."
"Sir... are you angry?" Zhan Xiaohui asked nervously.
"No, after the changes are made, come to Fuhe City and find a way to build a temple to the judge. The size doesn't matter, the sooner the better! And, incense must be offered."