The next day, at the county yamen.

"Chen Yuan, a murder case occurred at the back door of the Huang family. Take a few bailiffs to investigate..."

As soon as he arrived at the yamen, Chen Yuan was assigned a task by Head Constable Huang Xing, the very one he had committed the previous night. However, Chen Yuan still managed to express some appropriate surprise.

It wouldn't easily arouse suspicion, and Head Constable Huang Xing didn't seem to be in the mood to observe him, his brow furrowed, as if he was troubled by something.

At the back door of the Huang family, within a narrow street about three hundred meters away, Chen Yuan expressionlessly surveyed Wang Er's head. Overnight, the bloodstains around Wang Er had spread significantly, soaked by the rain.

"Constable Chen, this kid... looks like Wang Er from the North Sea Gang."

One of the bailiffs observed carefully.

"Yes... you two take the body away. It's likely a gang dispute. A single, swift, and accurate strike to the death. It must have been premeditated."

Chen Yuan's voice reached the ears of the bailiffs.

The two who were ordered exchanged glances. Although reluctant, they didn't dare refuse, holding their noses as they placed Wang Er's body into a body bag.

"Constable Chen, should we go ask the Huang family?" Someone suggested.

Chen Yuan shook his head:

"Everyone knows the relationship between the Huang family and the North Sea Gang. We won't get anything out of them. There have been constant murders in the county recently. How can we investigate?"

"The head constable's intention is actually for us to take the body away... don't go looking for trouble."

Chen Yuan certainly wouldn't investigate deeply, after all, he was the culprit himself.

Such gang-related murder cases were common in Ping An County, so they didn't cause much of a stir. Unless it escalated, with people dying every day, would the magistrate be furious, and the various forces within the yamen be awed by the court's authority and settle down.

Such matters wouldn't even warrant a case file.

After staying in the yamen for a while, Chen Yuan led his men on patrol. He also visited Wang Ping once, but although he was improving, he would still need to rest for over a month.

It takes a hundred days to recover from a bone injury. Wang Ping had broken several ribs, and even with his strong physique, he would need to rest for over a month.

In the yamen, Wang Ping and Chen Yuan had the best relationship. Although Chen Yuan didn't feel much for him now, he still visited him every few days to avoid raising suspicion.

The following days were quite leisurely. Chen Yuan had refined the last Tiger Bone Pill, and the golden lacquer on his body was already more than halfway complete. Even without resources, Chen Yuan could completely cultivate the Skin Refining Realm to perfection within two months just by cultivating daily.

However, clearly, Chen Yuan couldn't wait that long.

After discovering that Hall Master Wang showed no signs of anything unusual, Chen Yuan prepared to find someone to exchange the silver for Tiger Bone Pills to use for cultivation.

That night.

Chen Yuan once again wrapped himself in a nightsuit and disappeared into the darkness.

Chen Yuan's target was already chosen: Song Lao Liu in the south of the city, the one he had learned about from Liu Yishou. He was considered a relatively powerful figure in the south of the city.

He definitely had access to Tiger Bone Pill channels.

Buying from people in the yamen would certainly be cheaper, but the risk was too great. Someone would definitely question the source of his silver, and it wouldn't be worth it.

Chen Yuan's strength was insufficient now. He just wanted to lay low in Ping An County, and take the opportunity to see if anyone possessed any luck while patrolling the city.

Song Lao Liu hadn't been spending much time at the gambling den recently. Instead, he often slept in an inconspicuous little courtyard in the south of the city. This was a secret that Chen Yuan later found Liu Yishou and extracted from him.

According to him, discovering Song Lao Liu's secret place was purely by chance and he had never dared to reveal it to anyone.

Plan before acting.

Chen Yuan chose Song Lao Liu not only because he had access to channels, but also because his strength was only at the Blood Refining level. Even if unexpected situations arose, Chen Yuan was confident that he could counteract them with his current strength.

After scouting the courtyard and confirming that there were no threats, Chen Yuan jumped over the wall, lightened his footsteps, and arrived outside a room.

"Rustle..."

Inside the room, a middle-aged man sleeping in plain clothes suddenly sat up from the bed, reaching for a long sword in front of the bed, startling the young woman sleeping beside him.

"Master... what's wrong?" The young woman's hazy eyes opened slightly, somewhat puzzled.

"I wonder which friend has come here. Song is remiss in not welcoming you..." Song Lao Liu patted the woman beside him, reassuring her, while he got out of bed, vigilantly looking at the faint black figure outside the door.

The woman on the bed was shocked, using the quilt to shield herself, her body trembling...

She was Song Lao Liu's mistress, kept outside. She was afraid that the person outside was Song Lao Liu's jealous wife.

Despite Song Lao Liu's outward success, he was most afraid of the wife at home. The previous mistresses he had kept all died tragically for various reasons.

"Brother Song, no need to panic. I am here only to do a transaction with you..." Chen Yuan's hoarse voice came from outside the door.

Song Lao Liu breathed a sigh of relief. His prolonged comfort had eroded his strength to almost nothing. Although he was at the Blood Refining level, his strength was at the very bottom of the Blood Refining realm.

If the person outside was really an assassin, he would be in danger.

"What business does brother want to discuss? Why not come in for a chat?"

"No need. I wouldn't want to disturb Brother Song's good time."

"Heh... it's no problem."

"I want three Tiger Bone Pills. What's your price, Brother Song?"

Song Lao Liu's eyes flickered slightly, and he said in a low voice:

"The market price for Tiger Bone Pills is ten taels of silver, and the supply can't meet the demand. Besides, the materials are extremely difficult to find. If brother wants them, it's eleven taels per pill. I can help you get a few."

He didn't dare to overcharge. If the person outside hadn't deliberately made some noise, he might still be asleep right now.

Their strength was likely stronger than his.

"Alright... how many days will it take to get them?"

"Seven days."

"Whoosh!"

A small hole was broken in the window, and a tael of high-quality silver fell in front of Song Lao Liu.

"These ten taels of silver are the deposit. Seven days later, at the same time, I will come again. I hope Brother Song will have the Tiger Bone Pills ready."

"Oh, right... I'm a solitary person. I hope there won't be any outsiders present at that time..."

After saying that, the sound of footsteps outside the window slowly faded away.

Song Lao Liu picked up the silver on the ground and carefully examined it, his expression uncertain. His little courtyard was extremely secretive, but he didn't expect someone to find it...

It wasn't safe anymore.

"Master..." The young woman on the bed was a little worried.

"Don't panic, it's just a friend."

Song Lao Liu was silent for a moment before putting down the silver and slowly getting back into bed to rest.

"Master... this concubine doesn't want to live this hidden life anymore."

_________

Thanks to the reward from the boss Wolf Returns, thank you for your support!