Feng Cheng’s expression changed several times as he stared at Li Shimin and said, “So what if it is? Chunxiu was clearly killed by that wild girl, yet you protected that wild girl, insisting that Chunxiu died by accident, and even had us beaten with forty lashes. How can I let this matter rest!” At this point, he gave a sinister laugh, “Even if you discover that we tampered with the household registration records, so what? As long as you cannot find the original record, you cannot prove Wu Laosan’s age, and he will still be included in this conscription!”

Magistrate Qin shouted, “Feng Cheng, you must immediately hand over the original household registration record, or this official will show no mercy!”

“Mercy?” Feng Cheng gave a sinister laugh, “My daughter is gone, my son has been conscripted into the army and is as good as dead too. What mercy do you need to show? I know you are officials and killing us would be easy as pie, but Wu Laosan – don’t even think about saving him. He must die!”

Feng Chunming gritted his teeth and said, “That’s right, we must avenge my sister’s murder!” For them, once included in the conscription, it was equivalent to being marked for death. Since they would die either way, naturally they had nothing to fear.

While they didn’t care about death, that didn’t mean others felt the same way. Lu Sheng shouted at them, “You bunch of madmen! If you want to die, that’s your business, but I don’t want to die. Quickly bring out that record!”

“Do you think I would really keep that record?” Under Lu Sheng’s horrified gaze, Li Feng said word by word, “Burned it. On the very day you gave it to me, I burned it completely, leaving not even a trace of ash!”

His words made Lu Sheng’s face turn ashen as he lunged forward, grabbing Li Feng’s collar and shouting, “I told you that you must keep that household registration record safe! How could you burn it? Take it out, quickly take it out for me!” Without being able to produce the household registration record, Second Young Master and Magistrate Qin would definitely not spare him.

Li Feng forcefully broke free from his grasp and said coldly, “I already said it’s burned. How do you expect me to give it to you? Lu Sheng, if you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being too stupid. I really don’t know how you became a clerk!”

“You!” Lu Sheng was so angry he couldn’t speak. Damn it, if he had known, he would never have given the household registration record to this madman Li Feng. What could he do now? Was there really… no escape from death?

Over there, Feng Cheng looked at Li Shimin and said viciously, “I know you Second Young Master have great supernatural powers, and your Li family has overwhelming influence in Honghua Prefecture, but so what? Without that household registration record, even you cannot save Wu Laosan. He still cannot escape the fate of being conscripted. Today, I will make Wu Laosan pay with his life for my poor daughter!” At this point, he threw back his head and laughed loudly, his laughter cold and terrifying.

Yunyi walked up to him and said in a deep voice, “Feng Cheng, the person you hate is me. It has nothing to do with my father. Let him go.”

“Impossible!” Feng Cheng suddenly stopped laughing and stared fixedly at Yunyi, “The person who most deserves to die is indeed you, but unfortunately you’re in the Governor’s residence and have hooked up with Second Young Master. I can’t touch you, so I can only settle for second best.” At this point, he suddenly laughed again and said coldly, “But this is also good. You father and daughter have such deep affection. Once Wu Laosan goes, he will surely die. I imagine… it will make you wish you were dead!”

Yunyi was about to speak when Li Shimin, who had remained silent since earlier, suddenly said, “That household registration record was never burned at all.”

Li Feng’s expression changed slightly as he sneered, “It was indeed burned. If you don’t believe it, there’s nothing I can do.”

Li Shimin’s lips curved slightly as he extended his hand, “Bring it out!”

Following his words, Duan Zhihong took out a record from his sleeve and handed it to Li Shimin, who waved it and said, “Li Feng, look at what this is?”

“A household registration record?” Seeing the three large characters on the cover, Li Feng’s expression immediately became extremely ugly as he shook his head repeatedly, “Impossible, I clearly hid it in…” Halfway through his words, he suddenly stopped, then showed a strange smile, “That was close. I almost fell for Second Young Master’s trick.”

Li Shimin’s hand secretly tightened around the record as he said coolly, “What do you mean by that?”

“Originally, Chunming fell for this same trick of yours and ended up revealing the matter of the pearl himself. Now Second Young Master wants to use the same old trick again, trying to trick me into revealing where I hid the household registration record. Am I right?”

Li Shimin stared at him silently without saying a word. During these days, Duan Zhihong had indeed investigated and clarified their mutual collusion and complicity, but regarding the household registration record, there had been no leads at all. Seeing that the conscription deadline was approaching, he could only take a risky gamble, but Li Feng had seen through it.

“Second Young Master, you are very clever. That’s right, I indeed did not burn the household registration record, because that record still has some use. However… I have hidden it in a place you absolutely cannot imagine. Unless you search every inch of soil in this county, you will never find it.”

Li Shimin’s eyes darkened as he said, “Li Feng, as long as you hand over the household registration record, I can plead with Magistrate Qin to spare you from the death penalty!”

Li Feng moved closer to him with a mocking smile, “Should I thank Second Young Master for your great kindness and virtue?” Before Li Shimin could speak, he had already spat directly in Li Shimin’s face, “My current situation is all thanks to you and that whore Wu Meixue, and you still want me to thank you? You’re simply dreaming!”

Even for an ordinary person, being spat upon would be an extreme humiliation, let alone for someone of Li Shimin’s status. Duan Zhihong kicked Li Feng to the ground with one foot, then grabbed him up from the ground, angrily saying, “You scoundrel! How dare you insult Second Young Master like this! I’ll beat you until you’re looking for your teeth on the ground!”

“Zhihong!” Li Shimin stopped Duan Zhihong’s already raised fist. After wiping the saliva from his face, he said coldly, “Li Feng, I’ll give you one last chance, or we’ll have to ask Magistrate Qin to use torture. You were once a bailiff, so you know how terrifying those instruments of torture are.”

A trace of fear flashed through Li Feng’s eyes, but then he said coldly, “Of course I know, but… there is one kind of person from whom you cannot extract a single word no matter how many torture instruments you use.” Before he finished speaking, he had already quickly drawn the long sword from Duan Zhihong’s waist, who was closest to him, and before anyone could react, he placed the blade across his throat and drew it forcefully…

Dark red blood instantly gushed out as Li Feng fell backward. With his actions, he had told everyone the answer – dead men tell no tales!

Duan Zhihong never expected that Li Feng would suddenly seize the sword and kill himself. Now that Li Feng was dead, that household registration record… would it be impossible to trace? Thinking of this, he couldn’t care about wiping the blood that had splattered on his face and hastily knelt before Li Shimin, “This subordinate was negligent. Please punish me, Second Young Master!”

Li Shimin stared at Li Feng’s corpse with wide-open eyes and sighed, “It was my negligence. I failed to notice his death wish!”