Chapter 25: Official Envoys Bring Charges to Mashan Village

The next day, Chu Chen arrived at Chang Wei’s house as agreed. Chang Wei’s son opened the door for him with great enthusiasm, a stark contrast to his cold demeanor the day before.

"Mr. Chang, is the budget ready? When can we set out?" Chu Chen asked as he stepped forward.

"Master Chu, tomorrow, I will take my son to survey the terrain first. The day after, I will gather my workers and begin construction."

"And what about the budget for the house?" Chu Chen continued.

"I looked it over yesterday. Building this house won't be cheap; it will cost at least 600 taels of silver. You should think it over carefully, Master Chu." Observing Chu Chen's attire, Chang Wei figured he wasn't a poor man and offered a fair price.

Six hundred taels—good grief, trading a glass cup for a villa. Chu Chen agreed immediately and handed over 100 taels as a deposit. With the matter settled, he took Huzi to the West Market for some supplies before setting off for Mashan Village.

By noon, the two of them reached the road to Mashan Village. This time, no one followed them. However, uninvited guests had already arrived at the village.

At Wang Defa’s house in Mashan Village, two men dressed as government officers sat imposingly in the main hall, while Wang Defa waited anxiously to the side.

"Officers, could there be some mistake? Our village is full of honest folk; where would a murderer come from?"

The older officer glanced at Wang Defa sideways. "Whether there is or not is not for you to decide."

Wang Defa thought to himself, *It’s over. How could young Chu do such a thing? It doesn't seem right.* Yet, it was true that Ma San hadn't been seen in a long time. Could he really have been killed by Chu? *If he was, good riddance—why did he have to cuckold me?*

"Let’s go. Take us to Chu Chen’s house to arrest the culprit."

Helpless, Wang Defa led them toward Chu Chen’s home.

"Is young Chu home?" Wang Defa called out at the gate.

"Who is it?" Li Qinglian’s voice came from inside. As the weathered door creaked open, she said, "Oh, it’s Uncle Wang. What’s the matter?"

"Uh, that is... is Chu home? These two officers need to ask him about something."

Li Qinglian looked past Wang Defa. Two burly officers with swords at their waists stood behind him, staring at her with grins. Her heart skipped a beat—had something happened to her husband?

"Uncle Wang, Chu Chen went to town and hasn't returned yet. Can this wait until he gets back?"

Wang Defa looked at the two officers with a troubled expression. "Officers, why not come inside and have a meal? He isn't home right now."

Before the lead officer could speak, the younger one barked, "A meal? What meal? Chu Chen has committed multiple murders and is a heinous criminal. Since you say he isn't home, we will take this offender's wife first."

Without further ado, he reached out to grab Li Qinglian. Upon hearing that her husband had killed multiple people, Li Qinglian was terrified, though she roughly understood the situation. She forced herself to remain calm. "Officers, as you can see, my husband is not home. Perhaps I could prepare a few small dishes for you to enjoy while you wait?"

"Oh? Since the lady insists, waiting a while wouldn't hurt," the young officer said with a smirk. The lead officer gave him a look of disdain but sat down nonetheless.

Li Qinglian turned and headed to the kitchen, her mind racing. *What should I do?* Under the guise of borrowing rice, she slipped into her uncle-in-law’s house.

"Uncle, two officers are at our house saying Chu Chen committed a murder. Please, go find him and tell him not to come home!"

When Chu Dazhuang heard about a murder, his heart sank. *Had the matter at the pawnshop been exposed?* He told Li Qinglian not to be afraid and to try to keep the officers occupied, then hurried toward the village entrance.

Chu Chen and Huzi were driving their mule cart toward the village when they ran into Chu Dazhuang.

"Young Chu, it’s bad! Something has happened," Chu Dazhuang cried out.

"Don't worry, Uncle. What happened?"

Chu Dazhuang recounted the situation in one breath. Chu Chen finally understood. *The pawnshop? Or the gambling den? The pawnshop incident should have been covered up by the heavy rain. Could it be that I left evidence at the gambling den? I have a perfect alibi.*

Chu Chen frowned, deep in thought. Regardless, he had to face this, and he sensed that there was more to this than met the eye. He said to Huzi, "Let's go home!"

"Home? Nephew, if you go home, you’ll be arrested!" Chu Dazhuang urged anxiously.

"Uncle, we haven't broken the law. What is there to fear? Does the Great Xia Dynasty have no justice?" He cast a significant look at Chu Dazhuang. The older man immediately understood; his nephew must be absolutely certain of his position, or he wouldn't be this calm.

The three returned to the house in a hurry. Wang Defa was outside chatting with the officers, while Li Qinglian was busy in the kitchen, stalling for time. Seeing Chu Chen, Wang Defa waved his hands frantically, wondering why Chu Dazhuang had brought him right back.

"Yo, greetings, officers. I heard you were looking for me?" Chu Chen ignored the flustered Wang Defa and addressed the officers directly.

"You are Chu Chen?" the lead officer asked.

"That is I," Chu Chen replied, showing no signs of panic.

"Very well. I am Niu Er, a bailiff from Qingniu Town. Where were you on the eighth of this month?"

"May I ask why, officer? I have been a law-abiding citizen for over twenty years. Have I made some contribution that you've come to award me?" Chu Chen played the part of someone completely oblivious.

Niu Er felt a wave of doubt. *Could it be the wrong person? Or is this man truly a cold-blooded sociopath?* According to his intelligence, this man was a degenerate spendthrift with no strength to speak of.

"On the eighth, Ma San and several men from the Sanhe Gambling Den were found brutally murdered in the forest. Does this have anything to do with you?" Niu Er asked sharply, staring into Chu Chen’s eyes for any sign of a crack.

"The eighth? I was in the mountains hunting wild boar on the eighth. The entire village can testify to that."

"That's right," Wang Defa chimed in. "On the eighth, the boar was brought back mid-morning, and we spent the rest of the day eating here. No one left the village."

*An alibi, then. Perhaps he really didn't do it.* Moreover, the coroner had reported that while Ma San’s throat was slit, the others were killed by unknown hidden weapons. The technique was expert and required great martial skill—hardly something this weakling could possess.

Niu Er glanced at his subordinate and at Li Qinglian in the kitchen. He understood instantly. His companion was the brother-in-law of the Sanhe Gambling Den’s owner, Wang Fugui. This must be a personal vendetta.

Niu Er felt a surge of regret. *Damn it, if you want revenge, do it yourself—why drag me into this?*