Chapter 600 - Mysterious Oriental Man (2/2)
Speaking of which, where did you come from? Did you see any suspicious people along the way?” Zhang Heng was surprised to learn about the background of the people he killed in the bar. The people that the bailiff described were consistent with the group of men he encountered in the bar. At that time, Zhang Heng had an inkling that those men were no straight arrows.
After all, no matter how you’d put it, pelt traders setting up a stronghold in an uninhabited town was something unheard of, and those guys sure didn’t look like nice people either. Nonetheless, Zhang Heng was so preoccupied with getting on with the main mission that he wasted no time prying into the business of those men.
After he had gotten the information he wanted, he terminated the last guy. But it turned out that the excellent habit cost him forty kilograms of gold. Later, when he searched the tavern and did not find any gold, he recalled what Rich said before he died. He thought Zhang Heng had accepted his offer of compromise, but Rich didn’t even get to give up the gold whereabouts in exchange for his own life.
“No. I’ve not seen anyone of that description, Mr. Marshall,” answered Zhang Heng, “but I will keep an eye out. If I come across any of them, I will alert you at once.”
Zhang Heng would never admit to having met those men. Apart from the fact that they were just suspects that hadn’t been actually convicted (and that he had killed them all), the most crucial piece of this puzzle was the whereabouts of 40 kilograms of gold. Even if he told the truth, that he hadn’t so much spotted a single nugget of gold, no one would believe him. What more, he was merely Chinese. Thus, Zhang Heng made a wise move by removing himself from this matter.
He even considered killing the bailiff. After all, the location where they met wasn’t very far from the abandoned little town. It may have taken Zhang Heng two days, but with the bailiff’s horse-riding expertise, it would only take the lawman one day to arrive at the town. Also, since there were not many people around, there was a good chance Zhang Heng would be named a suspect. But he eventually abandoned the idea. While the bailiff may be searching for Rich on his own, once he did find them, he probably wouldn’t have just come barging into the bar on his own.
He would have brought along some of his colleagues with him, and since Zhang Heng did not know where his companions were, and if he would cross paths with them, he could not possibly kill every single person he met. Morton looked at the eyes of the Chinese man before him, and he struggled to find anything unusual or odd-No-in fact, this man was unlike any other Chinese he had met before. Not only was he traveling in the desert without a companion, but he also appeared unfrightened nor was he intimidated by the strange and unfamiliar environment he was in. In fact, he even drew a gun at a law enforcement officer.
To top it off, he seemed well-versed with the West’s legal environment and even spoke standard fluent English as if he had spent some time in Europe. Morton even detected a hint of a London accent. So, there was this Chinese man, sitting on his own; seemingly a man of few words, but not silent to the point of being ignored. “Mysterious oriental man,” Morton thought to himself. Then he chuckled, “However this investigation turns out, I will drop by Lincoln County again sometime later.
If you have any information, you can always go to the sheriff there and they’ll send me a message. Remember, those men are dangerous. If you really do come across them, it’s best you keep your distance.” “Thank you for the heads up, Mr. Marshall, and I wish you success in all your endeavors.” Zhang Heng nodded.
Since another human was a rare sight in the vast desert, the two kept each other company for one night, during which Zhang Heng asked the bailiff for some tips on horse-riding. Morton had witnessed Zhang Heng’s outstanding marksmans.h.i.+p, one that bettered most cowboys, so it came as a surprise to see how Zhang Heng was actually a novice who knew nothing about riding, especially when he was on the horse. Even though the Asian man knew some of the basics, it still seemed as if it was his first time. Yet, this guy had the guts to ride on his own, all the way to Lincoln county. Morton did not know whether to praise Zhang Heng for his bravery or chastise him for stunning injudiciousness.