On the contrary, the civil officials were extremely dissatisfied with General Young's arrogance and his arbitrary handling of the frontier generals. They were all preparing to submit memorials to impeach General Young. Based on Thomas Ross's years of experience greeting and seeing off people at the post station, General Young's unlucky days were not far off. As for James Dean's family, they only needed to pay a large sum of money to continue living a carefree life.

In these past two days, the officials of Yan'an Prefecture would surely put immense pressure on James Dean, with no other purpose than to extort money.

Returning home, Thomas Ross lay on the kang, his gaze fixed on the pitch-black ceiling, silent. His wife, The Young Family, wiped her tears while cursing and berating Butcher Bolton for beating Thomas Ross. Of course, she was even more distressed about the twenty-one coins that Butcher Bolton had stolen, rather than Thomas Ross's bruised and battered body.

Thomas Ross glanced impatiently at his thin wife and said, "Wait until I'm dead before you start wailing!

In a few days, I'll bring you even more money."

The Young Family immediately fell silent, looking at Thomas Cole cautiously and saying, "Don't try to fool me."

Thomas Ross said quietly, "Your husband is unmatched in wit and full of ambition. All I lack now is an opportunity. When the time comes and I can fully spread my wings, I'll make sure you're draped in silks and satins, your arms full of gold, pearls, and jade!"

The Young Family slapped her husband resentfully and said, "You're coaxing me again."

Seeing his wife like this, Thomas Ross suddenly recalled scenes from their childhood when they played together. Stroking her hair, he said, "Be good. You've suffered a lot following me all these years, but these hard days won't last much longer.

The Ming Dynasty is about to collapse."

The Young Family was startled and quickly covered her husband's mouth, saying, "Don't talk nonsense, or you'll get yourself beheaded."

Thomas Ross pulled her hand away and sneered, "The capital was struck by heavenly thunder. Think about it—how dissatisfied must Heaven be with the emperor to send down lightning?

I heard that all the eunuchs around the emperor were blasted to dust by the thunder, and the emperor himself crawled under the table, barely escaping with his life.

Just watch, the world is about to fall into chaos."

The Young Family wiped the dust off Thomas Ross's face and said irritably, "If the world falls into chaos, do you think you'll get rich?"

Thomas Ross sneered, "If the world doesn't fall into chaos, Thomas Ross will spend his whole life as a mere postman. Only when chaos comes will I have a chance to show my skills."

The Young Family lay down beside Thomas Ross and whispered, "As long as you're safe, that's all that matters!"

Thomas Ross slipped his hand into his wife's bodice, squeezed a couple of times, then sighed in boredom, his mind drifting again to the voluptuous figure of that woman in the red jacket...

For two days in a row, Thomas Ross loitered along the road leading to James Dean's ancestral tomb.

Meanwhile, news spread throughout Yan'an Prefecture that James Dean's elder brother, Edward Dean, had been beheaded by General Young.

On the third night, as Thomas Ross crouched in a wind-sheltered pit roasting by the fire, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps, and faint voices carried on the wind.

Thomas Ross listened carefully, then smiled silently.

After the group had gone far, he went to the road, held up his torch, and examined the footprints.

The yellow earth on the road had been sprinkled there by him on purpose. There were clearly four sets of footprints, one pair especially large—very much like the one that had stepped on his face.

He returned to the pit, continued roasting by the fire, and took the opportunity to toast a black-and-yellow millet bun.

After eating his fill, seeing the moon shining brightly, he hurried toward Yan'an Prefecture.

There was a large hole in the dilapidated city wall of Yan'an Prefecture. Thomas Cole slipped easily into the city, groped his way in the dark to James Dean's house, and, panting, knocked the iron ring on the black-painted gate. The knocking echoed far into the silent night.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Thomas Ross left the Du residence, sent off respectfully by the Du family's steward. Once the steward had gone back inside, he quickly felt the two hard silver ingots in his chest and was very satisfied with the profit from this job.

As soon as he mentioned that Butcher Bolton was digging up the Du family's ancestral tomb, the master of the Du family had taken a large group of swordsmen and servants and left the house.

After another half hour, Butcher Bolton and his men would be doomed.

Walking down the pitch-black street, Thomas Ross's heart felt as if it were on fire. In the distance, the red lanterns of the brothel were still shining, but he didn't stop for a moment. Passing through Brothel Street, he reached the West Market!

In the West Market, a beautiful young woman in a red jacket was still waiting for him.

Butcher Bolton's house soon came into view.

Thomas Ross coughed and knocked on the wooden door. Soon, a timid woman's voice came from behind the door: "Grandpa, are you back?"

Thomas Ross grunted, and the wooden door quickly opened. A woman holding an oil lamp stood prettily before him.

When the woman saw it wasn't her husband, she was about to cry out, but Thomas Ross quickly covered her mouth. The oil lamp fell to the ground, igniting a patch of fire.

Thomas Ross dragged the woman into the house, saying as he walked, "Your husband was beaten to death for robbing James Dean's family tomb. From now on, you should come with me."

The woman struggled desperately and even bit Thomas Ross's arm hard. Looking at his bleeding arm, Thomas Ross helplessly took a silver ingot from his chest and stuffed it into her hand, saying, "This is enough to buy two big green mules!"

The woman dumbly clutched the silver ingot, staring in terror as the flames on the ground gradually spread to the wooden door.