Chapter 5

The county magistrate was feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

Recently, a tiger has appeared in the mountains, having devoured several passersby. Yesterday, an official document was issued, offering a substantial reward for brave warriors to ascend the mountain and slay the tiger. On the same day, a renowned hunter from afar ventured up the mountain, but as of now, he has yet to return... It is feared that the outcome may be dire.

But he said... he said that this matter is of great importance and could allow the elder to gain promotions and titles

The county magistrate smiled and said, "Not to mention an ordinary commoner, even I, a court official, was also taken aback upon meeting you for the first time."

After standing stiffly for a while, Lin Fangzhou suddenly slammed the kitchen knife heavily onto the ground

Moreover, the two ruthless killers searching for the child have returned, sitting in his reception room with dark expressions.

She gritted her teeth, and her hand gripping the knife gradually tightened

The Great Killer remained expressionless and motionless, while the Second Killer chuckled and said, "The flattery you deliver has already bored my brothers to tears"

"I cannot save you! I cannot save you!" Lin Fangzhou called out anxiously in her dream, suddenly waking up

I had rehearsed the words countless times on the way, and she was almost about to blurt them out. However, upon seeing the suddenly cold and sharp gaze of the two when they heard the word "grab," Lin Fangzhou's mind was suddenly struck as if by five thunderclaps—she understood exactly what was wrong!

Lin Fangzhou was extremely frightened; she did not know what to do. She neither wanted to harm him nor did she want to harm herself. Is there really no way to achieve both in this world

... ...

The second killer has laughed to the point of tears. Upon hearing this, he wiped his tears and said: "You still don't know? Not to mention people, even dogs keep their distance when they see you!"

In order to save her life, she had no choice but to come up with a plan. At this moment, Lin Fangzhou's mind was racing faster than a spinning top. After a brief pause, she replied: "I have heard that tigers are most afraid of lions. How about we create a fake lion to scare that beast? When it is frightened, it will surely focus on fleeing, and at that time, we can have some skilled archers shoot at it from behind the lion..."

Lin Fangzhou returned home and fell asleep immediately

It is, it is...

You seek this official, what matter do you wish to report?

She has always slept well, but this time she is suffering from insomnia. With her eyes closed, her mind is filled with thoughts of that child. ... He gazes at her blankly, follows her foolishly, he trusts her so much, and is so obedient to her

Bang! The Great Killing God suddenly slammed the table heavily and coldly said: "We are here to find someone, not to beat up beasts"

He is going to die, he is going to die... Lin Fangzhou did not know what kind of drug had enchanted her. Suddenly, she grabbed her clothes and ran out, climbing over the city wall, running and running until she reached the riverbank

Lin Fangzhou then carried him on his back

At this moment, an officer outside reported: "Sir, there is someone named Lin Fangzhou who wishes to see you."

The reason she does not dare to report to the authorities is that she saved a rebel and even harbored him—yet who knows about this? ... As long as she firmly insists that this foolish boy suddenly broke into her home and stole her belongings, and that after capturing him she realized he was unusual, resembling a rebel, only then did she decide to report to the authorities ...? ... Wouldn't that allow her to shift the blame away?

Lin Fangzhou grew up in Yongzhou City and is particularly familiar with every corner of the city. In the northeast corner of the county town, there was a year when a heavy rain caused the base of the city wall to become loose. Whenever a nearby resident was short of a brick or two, they would go to that loose corner of the wall to take some. As they took more and more, a hole was created in the city wall, just large enough for a child of medium size to crawl in and out.

One of the individuals had a very unpleasant appearance, looking fierce and menacing, with eyes as sharp and fierce as a wolf. When Lin Fangzhou met his gaze, he was immediately struck with a chill, his whole body shivering and his scalp tingling

The county magistrate nodded and said, "Indeed. The threat of tigers should not be dealt with at the cost of human lives. I have been reckless, and it is a shame that the hunter lost his life. Do you have any clever strategies to tackle this issue?"

Just as she had fallen into a deep sleep, she dreamt that he was killed by someone, covered in blood, holding his head and coming to find her, asking her why she did not save him

The night is somewhat cool. She had just run too quickly and broke into a sweat, but now, with the river breeze blowing, she unexpectedly sneezed. After sneezing, Lin Fangzhou asked, "I say, are you cold?"

Secretly

The county magistrate felt particularly wronged. ... Clearly, nothing had been discovered in the past few days, so why were they stubbornly refusing to leave ...

He stared at her blankly

Oh? Really? Please tell me! The county magistrate's face lit up with joy, thinking to himself that this young man could truly be considered a timely rain, as he was just troubled by this matter!

The county magistrate nodded slightly, sitting upright, and asked Lin Fangzhou: "Are you Lin Fangzhou?"

He did not struggle, he simply looked into her eyes

Lin Fangzhou's breathing was somewhat rapid, and the kitchen knife was raised in mid-air, as if it were being held back by an invisible force of immense weight, unable to fall.

It is the fourth watch of the night

... ...

Moonlight streamed in through the tattered white curtains, resembling a thin mist. Lin Fangzhou, taking advantage of this moonlight, walked into the outer room and found a rusted kitchen knife.

She felt hot liquid dripping onto her face, drop by drop, like raindrops

The county magistrate broke into a sweat after just two words upon seeing the young man, feeling quite perplexed, and asked, "What have you caught?"

Lin Fangzhou covered his head with a quilt, forcing himself to fall asleep

The Great Killer also seemed to find it amusing, letting out a soft hum. After humming, he appeared somewhat puzzled and asked, "Does he look very afraid of me?"

Kill him

At night, Lin Fangzhou lay in bed, wide awake and deep in thought.

"Let's go, I will take you out to have some fun," she said, as she found a piece of clothing for him to put on.

The county magistrate smiled apologetically and said: "I, as an official of no virtue, have brought about the tiger disaster within the borders. The misfortunes of the people in my county are due to having a parent official as incompetent and unworthy as myself. Fortunately, there are two esteemed gentlemen who have graced us with their presence..."

A moment of silence filled the room, and the county magistrate felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles. He lowered his gaze, his eyes resting on their waist knives, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him. He said: "Gentlemen, your bravery and martial prowess are truly exceptional, undoubtedly making you rare masters in this world"

... ...

I have thought of a method to catch a tiger

Hmm. Lin Fangzhou nodded foolishly.

"Bold and unruly commoner, why do you not kneel before this official?" Upon seeing her, the county magistrate could finally exert a bit of authority

Thus, the Great Killing God harbored no suspicions.

Under the moonlight, those eyes were dark and bright, gazing steadily at her

Let him go. Did I not say that I would not meet with anyone today

The person on the bed suddenly opened their eyes slowly

Lin Fangzhou suddenly felt a wave of sadness. She dared not look at him any longer and turned to walk away briskly

Then she led the child onward, and after a short while, they arrived at the riverbank

He had been standing for too long, and his feet had long since gone numb. As he took a step, he nearly fell to the ground, but fortunately, she caught him.

She walked into the bedroom holding a kitchen knife, and the person on the bed lay still, like a dead man. He must have fallen into a deep sleep. Lin Fangzhou raised the kitchen knife with one hand and gently pressed down on his shoulder with the other. Feeling somewhat guilty, she softly called out to him: "Little fool? Little fool? Are you asleep?"

Before she could finish speaking, the county magistrate was already so enraged that he slammed the table and shouted: "Come here! Throw him out!"

He still stood there, not even changing his posture, as if he were a statue, silently standing in this vast world for a thousand years

He is so pitiful

Lin Fangzhou urgently said: "Master, please consider it! Even if it is not feasible, do not hit me. If you hit me, who will dare to offer you suggestions in the future, Master!"

Could it be that he has already been eaten by the wild beasts in the mountains?

The next day, Lin Fangzhou thought of a new method

Lin Fangzhou found a rope, tied up the little fool, and threw him onto the bed, then went out directly to the county office

Lin Fangzhou has a slender frame and a thin body; she has tried and is able to squeeze through herself

Two constables burst through the door, seizing Lin Fangzhou's arm and leading him away

In another two hours, the city gates will be opened

The mouse had likely grown accustomed to its surroundings and was not afraid of humans. After being kicked by Lin Fangzhou, it flipped over, looked around, and upon realizing that there seemed to be nothing to eat, it then left with a sense of purpose

In another two hours, he will be discovered by others

Now, Lin Fangzhou led the child to the base of the wall, and both of them crawled out.

If the government wants to capture rebels, why not openly issue a maritime capture order? Why resort to covert actions? Why, when Wei Guizi has no connection to the rebels, must he still be killed? Even if they believe that Wei Guizi is indeed colluding with the rebels, why not publicly disclose the reasons for his execution to warn others against colluding with the rebels, lest they face a dire fate?

The second killer suddenly said, "This is not a court of law, so there is no need to be so formal. Look, he is already scared out of his wits."

The night watchman passed by with a lantern, dong—dong, dong, dong

Lin Fangzhou thought to herself that her home must be a land of good fortune, even the mice had become clever.

When the midnight bell tolled, she suddenly nudged the person sleeping beside her: "Little fool, wake up"

Even if there is, it cannot wait any longer. Because he is about to die

He remained completely still, offering her no response whatsoever

Then, she heard a voice beside her say: "Thank you"

I believe that the tiger is too fierce, and we should not confront it head-on; it is better to outsmart it.

In the end, it is difficult to take action...

Although the child seemed somewhat dull, he was very obedient to her words. She took his hand and led him outside, and he followed her obediently

Lin Fangzhou feared that he would go back to find her. She tied the child's hands with a rope, the other end of the rope secured to a tree. She touched his head and sighed, "Life and death are determined by fate, wealth and honor are in the hands of heaven. From the moment I saved you, I was wrong; you... do not blame me"

Sweat is pouring down my forehead

She does not expect him to respond either

She turned over and lay on the bed, saying angrily: "Sleep!"

Suddenly, tick-tock, tick-tock

What is the difference between causing his death in this way and directly killing him with a kitchen knife

The county magistrate was quite annoyed: "Nonsense! Tell him to get lost! If he doesn't leave, I'll give him twenty lashes!"

In the night, Lin Fangzhou turned over several times, hearing the even breathing of the person beside her, deeply immersed in sweet dreams. She quietly sat up and got out of bed

She leaned against the window, looking out at the street through the tattered window screen

Since making that decision, Lin Fangzhou has always felt that something was amiss, yet she could not articulate why. She thought it might be due to her own nervousness. Upon entering the reception room, she discovered that in addition to the county magistrate, there were two other individuals seated inside.

After the yamen runners took away Lin Fangzhou, the two killers could no longer contain themselves and burst into laughter, exclaiming: "Hahahahahaha! Where did this live treasure come from! Trying to use a paper lion to scare a real tiger, hahahahahaha!"

The second killer impatiently said: "What are you rambling on about? Speak plainly. I can't stand you bureaucrats who just spout off your books!"

"Wait a moment," the second killer glanced at the county magistrate with a smile that was not quite a smile and said, "Why not let him come in and see what a good thing it is to be promoted and granted titles."

The two assassins fixed their gaze on him, and he decisively fell silent

On her way to find the knife, she accidentally kicked a mouse, startling her and prompting her to mutter under her breath: "You ignorant beast, I don't have a single grain of rice, but there is a piece of fat meat on the bed; go take that away!"

The moon is large, the river reflects a white light, weeds dominate the shore, the shadows of the trees sway gently, all things have fallen into a deep sleep, and even the chirping of insects is absent

Lin Fangzhou's hands were somewhat sweaty and trembled slightly. ... She kept telling herself in her heart: Kill him, he is a rebel, he will die sooner or later, kill him, bury him, without anyone knowing, then everything will be peaceful and uneventful ...

She seemed to be transfixed by his gaze, standing there, speechless and dazed, as if in a trance.

In Lin Fangzhou's heart, it felt as if tumultuous waves had crashed, leaving her terrified to the core, her courage shattered, and cold sweat pouring down like rain

They intend to secretly capture and kill people

Although a bad idea was proposed, the last sentence caused the county magistrate some concern, so he instructed: "Just drive him away, and he is not allowed to set foot in the county office again!"

The child was awakened by him, yawned, and wanted to continue sleeping, but she pushed him up: "Don't sleep!"

If he is discovered by someone tomorrow, he will undoubtedly die

Lin Fangzhou ran over and untied the rope. She did not dare to look at him, only lowering her head and softly saying, "Let's go, we are going home"

The county magistrate trembled in fear and quickly said, "What I meant to say is, could the two esteemed officials lend me a helping hand to eliminate the tiger menace that is causing havoc in the world..."

Saying this, she took his hand

In another two hours, he will die

Yet he stubbornly fixed his gaze on her silhouette. Her figure gradually disappeared, leaving him alone in this world.

Between heaven and earth, the ground before me is filled with moonlight, while a wave of chill lingers behind me

Anyone who knows their secrets, or has the potential to know their secrets, may be killed