How did I, a mere son-in-law lying down, become a "Fenglang Juxu" (a legendary martial art

Chapter 109 Identity

Qin Muyun, the clan chief, slowly raised his head, a complex look flashing in his eyes, and said in a low voice, "The blacksmith shop did not provide these knives."

"Nonsense! Could it be that these bull-tail knives were privately forged by your Qin family?"

Qin Muyun smiled helplessly and admitted, "These ox-tail knives were indeed made privately by our Qin family. I bribed the blacksmiths at the blacksmith shop, and every night, our Qin family's blacksmiths would secretly forge these weapons in the blacksmith shop."

Liu Shan frowned and asked in a cold voice, "So, the blacksmith shop is just a front for your Qin family? What is the Qin family's purpose in forging these ox-tail knives?"

Qin Muyun sighed and said slowly, "For the sake of collecting."

Liu Shan sneered and pressed further, "Collection? Why would the Qin family collect such a large number of weapons? Is it just for display?"

Qin Muyun nodded and said, "It was indeed for viewing purposes. Please investigate, sir."

"Snapped!"

Liu Shan slammed the gavel again and roared, "Clan Chief Qin, do you take me for a three-year-old child? Possessing prohibited weapons is clearly a sign of treason! Confess immediately! What conspiracy does the Qin family have? If you continue to conceal anything, don't blame me for punishing you severely!"

Qin Muyun's face turned pale. After a moment of silence, he said bitterly, "Lord Liu, the Qin family has been wiped out. How much more severe the punishment should be? Must they be completely exterminated?"

Liu Shan snorted coldly, "The Qin family's illegal manufacture of prohibited weapons is a crime punishable by extermination; even annihilation would be too lenient. However, does the Qin clan leader not want to atone for his crimes and leave a glimmer of hope for the family's survival?"

A hint of hesitation flashed in Qin Muyun's eyes as he slowly said, "If we can leave a sliver of hope, the Qin family is willing to reveal all our secrets, only asking that you, sir, do not break your promise."

Liu Shan said in a deep voice, "Clan Chief Qin, the Qin family has no way out. Only by trusting me can they have a glimmer of hope. But if you continue to conceal anything, don't blame me for being ruthless. Clan Chief Qin, this is your last chance. Quickly confess, what exactly is the Qin family plotting?"

Qin Muyun took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes, and slowly said, "Lord Liu, you overestimate the Qin family. We have no ulterior motives, nor would we dare to. These ox-tail knives will be handed over to you by a man named Qu Dacheng."

Qu Dacheng?

Liu Shan raised an eyebrow. This was the second time he had heard this name. He pressed on, "Who is Qu Dacheng? Why should we give him the ox-tail knife?"

Qin Muyun gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "Qu Dacheng is quite mysterious. He never shows his face. Every time I meet him, he is dressed in black, wearing a bamboo hat and mask. I can only hear his voice but never see him. He once promised that as long as the Qin family delivers the Ox-Tail Knife on time, he will give them a large reward. We were also lured by the profit, which is why we took the risk."

Liu Shan scrutinized him coldly, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "A hefty reward? Clan Chief Qin, do you know who this Qu Dacheng really is? And what is his true purpose?"

Qin Muyun shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Sir, we really don't know. Every transaction takes place late at night. Qu Dacheng is extremely secretive. We only know his name, but we have never seen him."

Liu Shan frowned, thinking to himself: There must be a bigger conspiracy behind this great success of the song, and the Qin family is just a pawn in their game.

He then asked, "A few months ago, officials from the Cangzhou government were ambushed by men in black at a blacksmith's shop in this county, resulting in the deaths of twenty-five people. Is this incident related to Qu Dacheng?"

Qin Muyun's expression changed drastically, and he said in a trembling voice, "Sir, we know nothing about this matter. However, Qu Dacheng did lead a group of men in black that night to drive us out of the blacksmith shop and ordered us to return to the Qin family immediately, strictly forbidding us from leaving the Qin family that night."

Liu Shan clenched his fists instinctively and said coldly, "So, you know nothing about what happened afterward?"

Qin Muyun nodded hurriedly: "Your Excellency is wise. We were unaware of the situation and were simply following orders. If it can preserve the Qin family bloodline, we are willing to cooperate fully."

Liu Shan sneered, "You know nothing when I ask you anything, how can I possibly make an exception for you?"

Qin Muyun said urgently, "My lord, although we do not know the details, the Qin family is willing to do everything in its power to find out where Qu Dacheng is and prove its innocence."

Liu Shan said disdainfully, "Go all out to investigate? The entire Qin family, dozens of people, are in the county jail. How can we investigate them?"

Qin Muyun was speechless.

Liu Shan said coldly, "Clan Chief Qin, if you really want to seek a glimmer of hope for the clan, then tell me some useful information. For example, how to contact Qu Dacheng, or clues about where he might be hiding."

Qin Muyun shook his head with a wry smile, "Reporting to my lord, Qu Dacheng has never revealed any contact information. He always takes the initiative to contact me, and I have no way of knowing where he is hiding."

Liu Shan sighed, too lazy to ask any more questions. "Clan Chief Qin, just tell us everything you know. Perhaps it can give the Qin family a chance to survive."

Qin Muyun's face turned ashen, and he said in a trembling voice, "Lord Liu, I only know that Qu Dacheng is from Cangzhou, and I really know nothing else."

Liu Shan slowly stood up and said expressionlessly, "It seems I was just being presumptuous. Chief Qin doesn't seem to cherish this only opportunity."

He turned to the constable beside him and ordered, "Take Qin Muyun away and keep a close watch on him."

Qin Muyun closed his eyes in despair, letting the constables escort him away.

Just as he was about to step out of the hall, he suddenly stopped, broke free from the bailiff's hand, and turned around, saying, "Sir, I just remembered something that might be of some help to you."

Liu Shan hurriedly said, "Clan Chief Qin, what has come to mind? Tell me quickly."

Qin Muyun took a deep breath and said, "Qu Dacheng once mentioned unintentionally that he was a military general."

Born into a military family?

A glint of light flashed in Liu Shan's eyes, and his first thought was of the Cangzhou garrison.

However, the standard weapon of the garrison was the ox-tail knife, and they looked down on the ox-tail knife that the Qin family had made on their own.

If he's not a military officer from the garrison, then where could he be a military officer from?

Yin Nantian's personal guards?

Liu Shan shook his head. Although Yin Nantian held great power, his personal guards mostly used fine iron longswords, not ox-tail knives.

Could he be a traitor?

Liu Shan shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh. What use would a traitor have for a fine ox-tail knife?

K……

Liu Shan suddenly had a thought.

However, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, his expression changed drastically, and he quickly suppressed it, not daring to think about it any further.

He took a deep breath and said coldly to the constables, "Take Qin Muyun away first. This matter needs to be discussed in detail."

The constables responded and escorted Qin Muyun away again.

Liu Shan paced back and forth alone in the lobby, his mood growing increasingly heavy.

Whether Qu Dacheng was a江湖人士 (jianghu figure), a rebel, or a garrison soldier, it was nothing to Liu Shan; it was just a small case.

However, what if Qu Dacheng's true identity is...?

hiss!

Liu Shan slapped his face hard with both hands, unable to bear the thought, absolutely unable to bear the thought!

Thinking of this, he immediately strode toward He Qiong's room, silently thinking, "This matter is of utmost importance. This is a huge burden that I cannot and dare not carry myself!"