Ma Yu's face turned deathly pale, his right hand lifted, tightly clutching his heart. The oppressive feeling he had sensed a few nights ago surged back, more powerful and intense than before! He felt dizzy and lightheaded. The sound of steady footsteps shattered everything, mixed with screams. The blade of the Mo Blade traced an arc back in the air, returning to its original position. The cold, sunless winter light fell on the blade, casting a cold blue glow, telling everyone the weight of this blade. Everyone's breath almost instantly halted, leaving only the continuous screams of the brawny man with broken teeth, rolling on the ground, increasingly desolate and miserable. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novelFirｅ.net Wang Anfeng mounted his horse, his expression indifferent, the contours of his face devoid of any warmth. The unusual steed beneath him sensed his emotions, its front hooves continuously pounding the ground, creating shocking cracks. Ma Yu's heart twinged slightly. The earth, frozen and solid in winter, echoed with the rhythmical sound of hooves pounding on it, like the clashing of swords, cold and piercing. Then he heard the person on horseback, speaking in a cold tone: "Your speculation isn't wrong, but unfortunately, you've missed another possibility." Wang Anfeng urged his steed forward slowly, his expression icy, looking down at the people in front of him rather than at eye level. He saw anger and vigilance on their faces, lifted his eyes slightly, and said calmly: "Why didn't you consider this possibility?" "For example, Zhou Chao, killed by me." The camp fell into silence, and after the silence, came terror. Everyone recalled the scene they had just witnessed, eyes wide open, Zhou Chao's unwilling face, blood-soaked, once again appeared before them. Clang, clang, the sound of weapons falling continuously filled the air. One by one, the tall men staggered back, sitting down on the ground. The lean horse shook its mane arrogantly, stepped forward, paused slightly near where Wang Anfeng had cooked porridge, then, for some unknown reason, stomped its hoof heavily on the ground. Cracks spread outwards, and the pot of porridge toppled onto the fire with a sizzle. Ma Yu found himself standing in front of the man and horse, his face pale, legs weak, collapsing to the ground. Eyes tightly shut in fear, but he realized the latter did not look at him at all, both the man and horse gazed forward, calmly walking past him. Their calmness only made them appear more arrogant and disdainful. As if in his eyes, the many people before him were nothing. It took a long time before the camp was no longer silent. Finally, one of the Eighth Rank Martial Artists, with barely adequate martial skills, managed to gather all the merchants. After some discussion, they decided to take Zhou Chao's body and continue along the path Zhou Chao had pointed out before. They were terrified of Wang Anfeng, but even more afraid of losing their profits. As they traveled with anxiety and in disarray, without a guide, afraid they might have to stay outside overnight, their pace quickened. To their amazement, they reached the northwest frontier fortress of Great Qin, Tian Xiong City, before sunset. No matter how many times they visited, they were always awestruck by the majestic aura of this grand city. Although Tian Kui City was also a great pillar of the northwest, it was more gracious. In terms of grandeur and vastness, very few cities in Great Qin could compare with Tian Xiong. Once inside the city, they heaved a heavy sigh of relief, naturally settling down in an inn. But upon seeing Zhou Chao's corpse lying on the carriage, they fell into silence again. No one knew how much time passed when suddenly someone asked, "What do we do with the body?" No one spoke, each remained silent, and after a long time, someone muttered dourly. "Why not report it to the authorities?" "We are a bunch of merchants with a corpse, it affects business." "So... report it? Besides, that pharmacist has already admitted it. When the Ministry of Punishment inquires, we can be open and candid, there's nothing to fear." The merchant who replaced Zhou Chao took a deep swig of liquor, hesitated, and said: "Carrying a corpse brings bad luck and drives away fortune. But leaving it risks trouble if the Ministry of Punishment comes for us." "We should report it to the authorities!" The group was somewhat relieved, deciding to have a few individuals take the carriage with the corpse to report the case at the Ministry of Punishment. The rest waited behind the Ministry for quicker evidence gathering. After anxiously waiting for more than an hour, the movement of personnel gradually increased. Everyone bore a sharp aura, their steps were steady and strong, and no one dared to stop them to inquire. Until they were restless and uneasy, the vermilion doors of the Ministry of Punishment finally reopened. This time, they saw those familiar faces, but also numerous martial soldiers from the Ministry of Punishment. All were clad in vermilion clothes, curved sabers at their waists, crossbows on their backs, and lined up with a chilling and murderous air that almost overpowered them, making their hearts beat faster. "What, what's happening?!" Among those waiting outside, one merchant was half-forced into the crowd, walked to a familiar companion, and stammered a question. Ma Yu, who had gone into the Ministry earlier, looked somewhat pale and whispered: "This, the officials of the Ministry of Punishment take this matter seriously... A fierce individual capable of killing a Seventh Rank Martial Artist is inside the city, and since Zhou Chao was registered as a citizen of Great Qin, this case falls under the Ministry's jurisdiction. The officials of the Ministry plan to take action..."