Chapter Sixty-Five: Fleeing from Death

Upon entering the vessel, the first thing to be seen was Golden Eyes, his face full of shock and terror. This sudden heap of objects had clearly frightened him greatly; though weak, he struggled with all his might to prop himself up, making plaintive noises that resembled a wildcat's cry, utterly lacking any trace of authority.

Seeing Six Ugly return, Golden Eyes immediately let out several whimpers.

Six Ugly wasted no time, taking out several artificial demon cores and tossing them over. Golden Eyes bit and swallowed them eagerly, and before long, his eyes shone red and bright, his demeanor transformed, vigor restored.

Naturally, he then scampered to Six Ugly's side, wagging his head and tail, saying, “Immortal, your powers are extraordinary. This humble beast is full of admiration!”

Six Ugly, eager to refine his hand crossbow and wary of someone coming to look for him, had no time to linger. He simply pointed at the pile of rubbish, “Move these things to the corner, stack them neatly.”

Once Golden Eyes had gone, Six Ugly placed the hand crossbow in the cauldron, added demon cores and materials, and issued instructions within the Divine Weapon Furnace.

The Divine Weapon Furnace would take a long time—everything was prepared, and the forging would last four whole hours. Six Ugly dared not stay long; after a brief exchange with Golden Eyes, his spirit flashed out. In West Gate Pavilion, snoring still filled the air; the previous night’s drunken revelry left everyone hard to rouse.

Six Ugly yawned, and soon enough, he too slipped into sleep, snoring as he drifted into dreams.

The next day, just as Six Ugly had anticipated, movement began in the city. The gates were tightly inspected, pavilion chiefs summoned by the county captain, and members of the Eagle’s Perch and Giant Gate merchant associations prowled the streets and alleys, investigating in secret, like a pack of hunting hounds unleashed.

Six Ugly remained calm and unhurried. After breakfast, he gathered his men and began cleaning and polishing the Five Weapons in the pavilion, paying no mind to the bustle outside. As noon approached, someone came calling, taking him to East Bridge.

Upon entering the East Bridge Pavilion once more, the atmosphere had changed entirely. Inside, besides the pavilion chief Left Watch, there were several others—various pavilion chiefs, as well as several beast hunters clad in armor, armed and at the ready, faces solemn, the air tinged with a faint metallic resonance.

Compared to the others, Six Ugly’s attire was that of a street layabout, devoid of any sense of wartime urgency.

Meeting Left Watch’s gaze, Six Ugly saw no indication of anything amiss, which set his mind at ease. He followed the others to stand under the eaves of the main hall, beside two pavilion guards he recognized from yesterday’s pursuit of thieves.

In the center of the hall sat the city’s county captain. To his left were three roaming officers; to his right, two armored warriors. Someone was speaking in the center—it was a pavilion guard, and as Six Ugly entered, he caught the words:

“…I handed the ox cart over to the thief-catcher, then returned home. I know nothing of the rest.”

“Are there any witnesses?” asked the first roaming officer on the left.

“My elderly mother and wife and children at home can vouch for me.”

The officer nodded, waving, “Go wait in the courtyard.”

The guard exited; another entered from beneath the eaves, his questions all concerning Shu Wu. Six Ugly grew perplexed and quietly asked the man beside him, “What happened to Shu Wu?”

The pavilion guard glanced furtively at the hall, lowering his voice, “The thief-catcher doesn’t know yet. After you left yesterday, Shu Wu took the Five Weapons, hired an ox cart, and left with those girls and beast children. Everyone thought he was going home, but he left the city instead—no one knows where he went.”

“What?!”

Even Six Ugly was startled by this, but upon reflection, something was off. Even if Shu Wu had fled, it shouldn’t have caused such a commotion. Normally, a simple proclamation would suffice—why such a grand display? He gestured toward the hall, perplexed, and asked again, “Even if he escaped, it shouldn’t warrant the county captain and so many officers, right?”

The thief-catcher is akin to the head of a village or local precinct; the county captain is the equivalent of a city commissioner, and the roaming officers serve as intermediaries—roughly like modern district bureau chiefs. Population flight is a major concern, but at most warrants an officer dispatching men to apprehend; why such a stir?

The guard replied, “If it were just fleeing with people, it wouldn’t cause such alarm. But last night the Eagle’s Perch merchant association had a fire, said to be Shu Wu’s doing—he stole in, robbed, and set fire, fleeing afterward.”

So that was it!

This was not an investigation into Shu Wu, but rather seeking a scapegoat. Shu Wu’s escape gave the officials the perfect excuse, pinning the blame squarely on him for expediency.

Shu Wu’s flight seemed suspicious—truth and falsehood mingled. Whether he actually fled or merely left on business was unclear. If he truly left with the children to seek a livelihood elsewhere, the matter was serious. Thinking back, perhaps it was just to avoid working the well fields, as Six Ugly had joked—who would have guessed he’d take it seriously…

Six Ugly felt a pang of emotion. He struggled for survival by any means, seeking only to preserve his life, yet Shu Wu acted with righteous resolve, casting aside his identity as a citizen and subordinate for the sake of the children, fleeing into the wilderness—this moved him deeply, stirring mixed feelings.

While he pondered, someone in the hall called for Du Pu’s name. Six Ugly was lost in thought and did not react until the guard beside him tugged his sleeve several times. He then came to himself, striding into the hall and bowing in greeting, “Greetings to the county captain and officers.”

The captain’s expression was calm, betraying no emotion; the chief roaming officer on the left was kindly, saying, “Du Pu, I heard you whispering with others outside—what were you discussing?”

“Indeed, sir. Hearing today’s summons concerned Shu Wu, I was inquiring about his whereabouts, hoping to serve you,” Six Ugly’s memories from his previous life made handling such matters effortless, and he immediately adopted the most appropriate reply, “May I ask if your summons concerns this matter?”

“I hear the thief-catchers have recently solved major cases—first capturing missing monsters, then assisting East Bridge in apprehending thieves. Admirable work, truly a pillar of West City,” the officer praised blandly before getting to the point, “Yesterday you joined him in catching thieves—did you notice anything unusual?”

Though unfamiliar with the officer, Six Ugly quickly grasped their relationship. The officer was formally questioning him, praising him publicly, but mainly to separate West Gate Pavilion from the case and avoid implicating him. The details were likely already clear from the guards; all he needed was corroboration of Shu Wu’s flight.

Though he felt a measure of respect for Shu Wu, Six Ugly saw no reason not to cooperate. Things were already set, so after a moment’s thought, he replied with a guilty expression:

“I noticed nothing at the time, but now that I know of his escape, I recall some signs—my own carelessness failed to spot them.”

“Oh?”

The officer’s eyes lit up—not only his, but the county captain and others’ faces brightened. Only the two merchant association members remained grim, a hint of anger in their eyes.

“What signs? Speak in detail!” the officer pressed.

Since it was all a fabrication, Six Ugly improvised, “Yesterday, after capturing the thieves and rescuing eight children, Shu Wu wanted to care for them but lacked means to support them. He expressed resentment—if he fled, it likely stemmed from that.”

“Wait!” At these words, the officer seemed to realize something, interrupting, “Why did Shu Wu want to care for those children? Any clue?”

“Um…” Six Ugly guessed the officer’s intent, hesitated, then replied, “I recall he was moved by the girls’ beauty…”

This was pure slander, casting filth upon Shu Wu!

“Oh!” The county captain slapped the table heavily, his eyes gleaming, voice rising with excitement, “Yes, yes! That must be the reason for the escape!”

“Exactly!” The officers echoed in unison.

The merchant association members glared angrily at Six Ugly, gritting their teeth, but dared not protest in front of the captain, keeping their resentment to themselves.

The words that Six Ugly uttered were precisely what the captain and officers wanted. Afterward, they merely asked a few trivial questions before dismissing him. Their faces now wore expressions of confidence as they discussed issuing proclamations and the pursuit of Shu Wu.

Six Ugly exited the hall, standing quietly in the courtyard with the guards, each with uncertain expressions. Six Ugly understood their thoughts but said little, merely greeting Left Watch. Left Watch’s face was awkward as he murmured,

“Du Pu, you didn’t betray Shu Wu, but your words will surely anger the others!”

Six Ugly only smiled, saying nothing more. He knew his testimony had doomed Shu Wu utterly and offended the East Bridge men, but since it was what the captain and officers wanted, he could only comply. Betraying Shu Wu would bring endless trouble and not save him anyway.

Flight was a grave crime; the reason mattered little. Even Shu Wu himself likely wouldn’t care about an extra charge.

With memories of the future, Six Ugly had long anticipated the officials’ need for a scapegoat and their methods, unlike the simple-minded guards and chiefs willing to risk themselves without thought for consequences.

Seeing Six Ugly’s silence, Left Watch could only wait quietly beside him. Soon, orders came from the captain, naming several pavilion chiefs to assemble guards for the pursuit, leaving West Gate Pavilion behind, with Six Ugly in charge to continue searching within the city for traces of Shu Wu.

Six Ugly finally relaxed. Had he been ordered to join the pursuit, he would have had to kill and assume another identity—his month was not yet up, and he dared not leave rashly.

With orders given, the city erupted in chaos—half the pavilions gathered and split into four groups to pursue Shu Wu outside, proclamations issued everywhere. Six Ugly and Left Watch returned to West Gate Pavilion, gathering their men to search Shu Wu’s residence, neighbors, and usual haunts.

During the search, Six Ugly met members of the Eagle’s Perch merchant association and learned that all four associations had joined the pursuit. Giant Gate assisted with city defense, Eagle’s Perch was the aggrieved party, and Taixi and Five Colors, as supporting associations, also lent aid.

Six Ugly was glad for the respite, and after a perfunctory search returned to the courtyard, closed the doors, and began practicing the staff techniques taught by Master Deer and the Ten Thousand Demons Secret, using the rare opportunity to strengthen himself.

Meanwhile, his hand crossbow was finally refined, consuming all demon cores and materials.

Its appearance had changed dramatically—dark silver sheen, body like a spike, with a curious spider at the handle, webs covering the crossbow, threads gathering at the bow, merging with the arrowhead.

Beneath the spider motif was a movable slot for injecting poison; each arrow would automatically carry venom until the reservoir was empty.

Additionally, the crossbow now had a slot for demon cores; arrows no longer relied solely on mechanical force but were powered by the cores, greatly increasing both power and range beyond the Eight Ox Crossbow.

The Eight Ox Crossbow’s effective range was seven hundred paces, maximum one thousand—roughly 1000 to 1500 meters by modern measure. Now, with demon core propulsion, the new crossbow reached a thousand paces effective, maximum fifteen hundred—almost 2200 meters!

This hand crossbow had surpassed ordinary weapons, its lethality on par with spiritual artifacts.

Meanwhile, the few remaining demon cores were immediately refined into spiritual pills and swallowed.