Catching Governor Shen’s skeptical glance as a masked Ning Yi descends from the carriage, Zhi Wei introduces him as if it was the most natural thing “This is His Highness’ friend, coming along to visit his family on the way.” 

Not thinking too much of it, Governor Shen open his arms wide and welcomes them with a laugh “Such an honor to have His Highness and Official Tao with us. Why don’t you stay for a while. My Feng Province has a lot of worthwhile things to see.” 

“Of course, of course.” Zhi Wei smiles until her eyes almost disappeared “Before I see everything I want to see you can’t get rid of me even if you tried.” 

Sharing a hearty laugh, Governor Shen lets Helian go first while he himself walks side by side with Zhi Wei as the rest of the officials follow behind with big smiles on their faces as well. 

Zhi Wei notices that the governor’s mansion is on high security as there are guards stationed all over the place. Guess after his failed assassination attempt on herself and Ning Yi, this Governor Shen is feeling a bit jittery. 

When the group finally makes their way to the governor’s office, Zhi Wei looks up at the large inscription hanging overhead “The Winning Office…what great writing!” Governor Shen smiles proudly, apparently he must’ve written it. “Please come in!” (There is a joke here because the straight translation would be Stop Win Office. Governor Shen chose the name to signify this is where he wins but Zhi Wei obviously read it as this is where he will stop winning.) 

Everyone files into the office but Zhi Wei still holds onto Governor Shen’s arm as if she is overjoyed to have the governor pay so much attention to herself. The rest of the officials are secretly jeering at how this particular royal inspector doesn’t seem to know when to stop. Even Governor Shen’s smile is getting a bit forced but he didn’t say anything. 

Walking with the Governor, Zhi Wei compliments “Your governor mansion’s location is in such a great place. What a treasure of an area to be next to a placid lake and towering mountain!” 

Governor Shen was about to return a few polite replies until out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of the Eight Braves following them inside. Taken aback, Governor Shen is about to protest until Zhi Wei finishes the rest of her words with a smile “….it is a well-chosen place for you to be buried at!” 

Official Liu being the last of the group and the first one to react quickly leaps back to try to escape but eight long whips have already snapped out to form a tight net to trap him and Shen Jun Xin. 

With one kick, Helian shuts the door while Gu Nan Yi sends all the military officials smacked against the wall with one wave of his hand. 

Zhi Wei’s sword is already pointed at the back of Governor Shen’s neck. Everything happened so fast that most people still hasn’t figured out what had happened. “You guys…you guys…” His face deathly pale, Shen Jun Xin yells but is unable to get a coherent sentence out as he stares at Ning Yi who has somehow appeared in front and is “looking” at the governor with his arms casually crossed in the back. 

“We thank you for escorting us safely here and helped us walk straight into the governor’s mansion without any obstacles. Thank you, truly.” A very friendly Zhi Wei turns to look at Shen Jun Xin “Please allow me to reintroduce myself. I am the royal inspector sent to the south to inspect the shipping routes, Wei Zhi.” 

An ashen-faced Governor Shen shuddered slightly when he heard the name. One of the clueless officials protests loudly “Official Wei, what are you doing…” 

“To know what we want to do, ask Governor Shen.” Ning Yi is the one who answered this time. He slowly strode to Governor Shen and takes off his mask. “I am, Prince Ning Yi.” 

As high pitched gasps filled the room, Governor Shen’s body begins to tremble in fear. After a moment, Governor Shen forced himself to say “I apologize for not knowing Your Highness has graced us with your presence. Excuse your humble servant, but what is Your Highness doing…” 

*Slap!* His patience completely gone, Helian slaps Governor Shen, sending a handful of teeth flying out. 

Casting a look of disgust at Governor Shen who is howling in pain, Ning Yi says mildly “What am I doing? ….Kill you.” 

“You can’t kill me!” Governor Shen knows well there is no way out for him now but he still stubbornly holds onto a sliver of hope “I have more than a thousand guards here! You guys will never walk out of here alive if you kill me! I am the governor here, even if I am guilty I should be extradited to the Capital for them to question me. You might be a prince but if you kill a governor then you will be…” 

*Swoosh*

The sword was too fast, the blood didn’t have time to shoot out, so even as the sword sinks into his heart the Governor still had time to finish his words “…guilty.” 

If it was silent before the silence has turned deadly quiet now as if everyone’s breathing had been frozen in an instant. The rest of the officials’ faces turned as pale as a dead body, none of them could’ve imagined the governor who wielded so much power, the one who did whatever he wanted would die just like that. 

Helian’s laughter burst out and filled the silence “Ha Ha! Stop Win, a stop for the dead!” (It’s a play on words in Chinese because the word for win and dead body can be made to sound similar.) 

Zhi Wei throws the Governor’s limp dead body down in disgust.

 “…yes, no matter how big of a crime you committed, it is impossible to just kill someone so important as yourself. You will need to be sent to the capital, escorted carefully by guards. After you enter into the lengthy process of the justice courts then you will have the opportunity to utilize all of your influences to make those who are willing and unwilling to come to your aid. Moreover, you have the wealth at your disposal to squander through all of this so in the end, a death sentence could turn into life imprisonment which will give you the chance to wait for an eventual pardon to allow you to rise again….” Ning Yi slowly and carefully wipes his hand with a white handkerchief before throwing it on Governor Shen’s face that is frozen with his last expression of horrified shock, “…so, you should just die now.” Accompanying Ning Yi’s soft spoken words is the thundering sounds of three thousand soldiers rushing into the governor’s manor.  Governor Shen’s manor might be heavily guarded but those men were useless against a real army thus in no time the manor was completely taken over. 

Ning Yi walks past the blood-splattered floor and out of the door to be greeted by Ning Chen who excitedly reports “22 minutes!” From killing off the guards to controlling the manor to wiping away all the signs, it took twenty-two minutes. 

“Very good.” Ning Yi raises his head slightly, sniffs the smell of blood in the air along with the trembling fear behind and smiles “Indeed, other people’s blood smells better.”

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