Chapter 10: Carrying the Aura of an Outlaw

“What? The accounting office was robbed?”

“That’s right, Young Master. You entrusted me with fifty thousand taels of silver and three thousand taels of gold. Thirty thousand taels of silver are missing, and only one thousand taels of gold remain!”

Waking up from a deep sleep, Qin Yu felt as if the sky had fallen.

The accounting office had been stolen from!

After a long moment of shock, Qin Yu accepted the harsh reality, then sensed something was off.

“Are you saying… the thief only took thirty thousand taels of silver and one thousand taels of gold, leaving behind twenty thousand taels of silver and two thousand taels of gold?”

“Exactly. The rest of the silver in the accounting office remains untouched.”

Qin Yu’s expression grew peculiar.

What was the meaning behind this thief’s actions?

Leaving behind twenty thousand taels of silver and two thousand taels of gold…

Wait!

When investigating Prince Su’s case, the prince had bestowed upon him a thousand taels of gold on the spot, and afterward, the princess sent two thousand taels of silver and a thousand taels of gold.

In other words, the thief did not touch the rewards given by Prince Su and his wife but stole the silver that had been illicitly accumulated previously.

A chivalrous thief?

What a ridiculous notion!

“Let’s go, check the accounting office!”

Qin Yu hurried to the accounting office. The four family retainers responsible for guarding it last night knelt immediately upon seeing him, their faces full of guilt.

“Young Master, I am incompetent!”

“We’re sorry, Young Master; we have failed your trust!”

“I am willing to accept any punishment!”

“Whatever punishment you give, Young Master, we will not complain!”

The four quickly expressed their remorse with sincere attitudes.

Qin Yu helped them up and said sternly, “I know you are loyal to the Qin family; this is not your fault.”

According to his previous life’s memories, these four were absolutely loyal to the Qin family.

But human hearts are hard to fathom; who knows what they truly think?

These were mere formalities; Qin Yu was just speaking casually.

He had already identified one of them and began a mental rewind, the images forming in his mind like a clear film.

Because one retainer was on night duty, he rested during the day and came to relieve the others after dark, joining the other three.

Until the whole Qin estate turned off the lights, the four showed no unusual behavior; bored, they chatted and boasted until the third watch when an anomaly occurred.

A shadow flashed like lightning, striking the four men several times.

Not a sound came from them as they fell stiffly to the ground.

Seeing this scene, Qin Yu broke out in a cold sweat.

Just like the unparalleled masters in martial arts films from his previous life!

With such skill, if this person wanted to kill him, it would be effortless—dying in his sleep without understanding why.

The Great Qian Empire was established through martial prowess; many martial masters abounded.

His previous incarnation had the strength of a fourth-rank martial artist; above him were third-rank minor grandmasters, second-rank grandmasters, and first-rank great grandmasters.

Judging by the figure in the scene, the expert was likely a rare second-rank grandmaster, which made it puzzling why such a formidable being would stoop to petty theft.

The four retainers were only fifth-rank martial men; how could they stand against a second-rank grandmaster?

Being subdued so easily was entirely understandable.

Qin Yu felt a deep sense of danger.

Since his transmigration, he hadn’t practiced at all.

Though his previous self was a fourth-rank martial artist, he had no confidence how much of that strength he could now wield; he suspected he might not even overpower his own retainers.

What if he faced an assassination attempt?

He must cultivate martial arts to improve his strength!

And raise his retainers’ abilities as well!

Qin Yu resolved silently.

As he pondered, the scene in his mind shifted again.

The second-rank grandmaster had knocked out the four retainers and stopped moving; Qin Yu observed carefully but saw that the man wore black clothes and a black scarf, his face obscured.

At that moment, the man muttered softly, complaining,

“Eunuch Cao actually had me do such petty thieving. If this got out, it would be a laughingstock. I’d rather just eliminate him.”

Qin Yu was startled.

Eunuch Cao…

The eunuch who could command a second-rank grandmaster!

Cao Jingyun!

Qin Yu’s body stiffened instantly.

Cao Jingyun was the personal eunuch of Emperor Qianwu. Legend said he had fought alongside the emperor in his rise to power and was utterly loyal.

Besides being the chief eunuch of the imperial household, he controlled a dreaded organization—the Blackwater Bureau.

No one knew how many people belonged to the Blackwater Bureau or who they were, but it was certain their strength was terrifying.

The Blackwater Bureau was outside the jurisdiction of any court institution, answering only to Emperor Qianwu, tasked with doing the emperor’s dirty work in the shadows.

In other words… Emperor Qianwu had sent the Blackwater Bureau to rob his accounting office, stealing all the illicit wealth he had previously accumulated!

What a wretched emperor!

For someone of his status to do such a thing was humiliating.

But considering Emperor Qianwu’s background, Qin Yu felt a strange sense of understanding.

Back in the previous dynasty, Emperor Qianwu and his brother had become outlaws, hunted repeatedly by local officials. Instead of being wiped out, their power grew, and eventually, they rebelled to seize the empire.

This emperor carried a certain bandit spirit.

Housekeeper Hu saw Qin Yu standing silently, lost in thought, and cautiously suggested,

“Young Master, should we report this to the authorities and have them investigate?”

Qin Yu regained his composure and shook his head.

“I am the authority—who would I report to? Consider it a loss and let it go.”

What a joke.

If he didn’t know it was Emperor Qianwu behind this, reporting it would be one thing.

But since he knew, why bother?

Looking at the time and remembering he had to go to the Court of Justice to investigate a case today, Qin Yu felt no urge to examine the accounting office further and turned to leave.

The four retainers and Housekeeper Hu were stunned.

Such a huge incident, and he said only a few words, asked no questions, didn’t even check the accounts, and just left?

One of the retainers called after Qin Yu’s retreating figure,

“Young Master, won’t you investigate us? Don’t you suspect we might have betrayed your trust?”

Qin Yu didn’t look back, waving his hand,

“You risked your lives alongside my father; you are the ones he trusted most, and I trust you as well. What need is there for an investigation?”

Hearing this, the four were stunned, then their eyes reddened as they knelt, pounding the ground with three resounding kowtows, their expressions resolute.

With such a master, how could they not be willing to die for him?

Housekeeper Hu sighed,

“Young Master’s magnanimity and broad vision surpass even the old master’s. To have such a lord is our fortune!”

The four nodded in earnest agreement.

Qin Yu had lost a great sum of money but gained the unwavering loyalty of five men.

By now, he was already on the carriage, heading to the Court of Justice.

“Emperor Qianwu, Emperor Qianwu, you stole the dirty silver I embezzled; perhaps now you won’t come after me in the afterlife?”

“No, that’s not safe enough. If he can send people to steal silver, I must earn some merit; otherwise, I’ll just make enemies,”

Qin Yu’s headache grew worse as he pondered further.