All the Stewards Stared Wide-Eyed

Inside the Council Hall, everyone sat in order.

Lin Xuankong naturally remained in the very last seat, by the door, where drafts blew through.

Jiang Yurán, seated at the head, wore an immaculate moon-white Daoist robe. She sat upright behind a brightly polished rune-inscribed sandalwood table, while several Great Stewards stood in rows on either side.

Her gaze swept across the room as she said, "Though the task of tracking down the Flying Thieves is difficult, the lives of dozens of disciples cannot have been lost in vain. Those two Flying Thieves must be caught! Everyone, report yesterday's progress."

Ma Jiang, his heart brimming with delight, was just about to rise when Steward Xu Bei became the first to stand.

Clad in a blue steward's Daoist robe, Xu Bei stood before the others and swept his gaze over the room with a faintly smug look.

He cupped his hands toward Jiang Yurán. "Reporting to Manager Jiang, yesterday Steward Zhao, Steward Huang, and I thoroughly searched the Spirit Snake Gang's territory within the city. Next are the territories of the Huang Family, Guo Family, Feng Family, and Black Tiger Gang!"

He said with complete certainty, "As long as those Flying Thieves have not left the city, they will absolutely be unable to evade the Dragon Blood Treasure Hounds' formidable tracking abilities! Within seven days, we will search the entire city and uncover solid clues!"

Jiang Yurán nodded slightly. "The Dragon Blood Treasure Hounds' tracking abilities are unmatched. So long as Steward Xu and the others search diligently and find clues quickly, the punishments for you and Ma Rusong can naturally be waived."

Joy immediately appeared on the faces of Xu Bei and Ma Rusong.

Zhao Yufei, seated to one side, slightly lifted her chin.

The Dragon Blood Treasure Hounds' strength gave her immense confidence. She knew she was only one step away from the Silver Jade Position!

Several blood-red beads were pinched between her fingers. They were Vile Lizard Essence Blood Beads, which she intended to feed to the three Dragon Blood Treasure Hounds today.

Thinking of the three Dragon Blood hounds that had recently brought her so much glory, a smile touched her tightly pressed red lips. Today, she would definitely have the servant girls attend to them properly.

The other stewards and managers secretly shook their heads. Without Dragon Blood Treasure Hounds, it was far too difficult for them to compete against Zhao Yufei.

Zhao Yufei had Xu Bei and Huang Yinrong, along with Dragon Blood Treasure Hounds. They could only urge their subordinate disciples onward. The difference in efficiency was not merely several dozen times! Yet even so, how could they bear to simply give up on a Silver Jade Position?

"Manager Jiang, I have an important matter to report!" Ma Jiang rose to his full height, glancing at the smug Xu Bei and the chin-raised Zhao Yufei.

Jiang Yurán lifted the clear tea on the table and nodded. "Steward Ma, please speak."

Suppressing the delight in his heart, Ma Jiang said as calmly as possible, "Steward Lin under my command has already completed the task!"

Jiang Yurán's expression shifted. Forgetting even to drink her tea, she asked in surprise, "You found a clue?"

Xu Bei, who was still standing, looked at Ma Jiang and Lin Xuankong. "You already found a clue? How is that possible!"

According to Jiang Yurán, this search-and-capture mission actually had two steps: first, gather solid clues; second, capture the Flying Thieves. Xu Bei and Jiang Yurán had clearly misunderstood Ma Jiang's meaning.

The other stewards were also somewhat astonished. Among them, the Red-Faced Steward could not help saying, "The area of Great Marsh Prefecture City is so vast, yet you found clues this quickly! Steward Ma, where exactly did Steward Lin begin his investigation?"

Ma Jiang smiled. "Naturally, he began by tracing the origin of the darts. However, Steward Hu, there is one slight error in what you said. Steward Lin did not find clues—he already found the Flying Thieves!"

"Found the Flying Thieves?" The red-faced Steward Hu nearly thought he had misheard.

The other managers and stewards could not help turning to look at Ma Jiang and Lin Xuankong. If they were not in the Council Hall, and if Manager Jiang and the Great Stewards were not present, they would have almost believed Ma Jiang was joking. Great Marsh Prefecture City was so immense; hiding one or two people in it was like hiding a needle in the sea, like concealing a single hair on an ox's body. How could they possibly have been found so quickly?

Not only them—even the four Great Stewards of the Yin Talisman Sect present, whether Wu Liangye carrying his wine gourd or the elegant and handsome Gao Yunchao, showed some surprise.

Xu Bei frowned and repeated, "You already found the Flying Thieves?"

He and Huang Yinrong were using Steward Zhao Yufei's Dragon Blood Treasure Hounds! Those were Dragon Blood Treasure Hounds worth a fortune; one hound's tracking ability likely rivaled thousands of people! Even he had not found a clue. What especially rankled him was that the one claiming to have found clues and the Flying Thieves was Ma Jiang, that straight-laced fool he despised most!

Yet Ma Jiang now looked at Lin Xuankong with delight in his eyes.

The reason he revealed the truth bit by bit was naturally to leave a deep impression on every person present—a deep impression of Lin Xuankong, the most capable general under his command!

Then he said, "My apologies, I misspoke. In truth, Steward Lin did not merely find clues or the Flying Thieves. He had already killed both Flying Thieves and brought back all the stolen goods!"

"What?"

"How could that be possible?"

"How could it have happened so quickly!"

"He killed the Flying Thieves? Those were two Flying Thieves skilled in darts!"

The many stewards and managers who had been lounging in their chairs all rose one after another, unanimously looking toward Ma Jiang and Lin Xuankong.

Jiang Yurán and the four Great Stewards also rose to their feet.

The beautiful manager's face was full of doubt. As she stood, she knocked over the teacup on the table and soaked her immaculate moon-white Daoist robe, yet she did not even notice.

"Really?" Jiang Yurán asked.

"Absolutely true!" Ma Jiang replied with cupped hands.

Xu Bei's expression shifted unpredictably as he stood to the side, his eyes full of unwillingness. He had intended to wash away his humiliation by finding clues. "Steward Ma, you are not joking, are you? This is the Council Hall, not some brothel where you play pai gow and dice!"

Ma Jiang gave a cold laugh and ignored him.

Among the crowd, Manager Ma Rusong wore an exceedingly complicated expression.

Ma Jiang said that Lin Xuankong, that old bastard, had killed the Flying Thieves and recovered the stolen goods! Ma Rusong even began to hope that everything before his eyes was nothing but a dream.

Damn it, could that old bastard Lin Xuankong have gone to every possible length to buy some supplies, Marsh Python Forehead Scales, and Vile Lizard Essence Blood Beads, then pass them off as stolen goods? But that old bastard was a poor wretch. Even the Wooden Building he lived in was an old, dilapidated one. Where could he possibly have gotten so much silver to buy all those supplies?

While Ma Rusong's mind was in a daze, Jiang Yurán, standing behind the sandalwood table, hurried around to the front. A trace of delight appeared on her lovely face as she repeatedly asked, "Where are the Flying Thieves' bodies? Where are the stolen goods? Did you bring them here?"

The theft from the Third Warehouse had been the most revolting and vexing matter she had encountered since coming at her father's command to assist Hall Master Xu Zhenhuan, who was in Closed-door Cultivation, in overseeing Great Marsh Hall! Now that she was finally about to vent this pent-up fury, how could she not be happy?

Yet until she personally saw the stolen goods and the Flying Thieves' corpses, until everything was thoroughly confirmed, even her heart remained full of doubt. After all, without Dragon Blood Treasure Hounds to assist him, how could Lin Xuankong have found the Flying Thieves so quickly in a Great Marsh Prefecture City of such vast scope?

Ma Jiang nodded toward Lin Xuankong. Lin Xuankong turned toward the outside of the Council Hall and called, "Li Er, Yang Shan, bring the things in!"

After Yang Shan and Li Er brought in the Tao brothers' heads and the wooden chest,

Everyone looked over. Jiang Yurán said,

"Steward Xu, you are responsible for warehouse affairs. Manager Ma Rusong, you are the manager of the Third Warehouse. The two of you, inspect whether these stolen goods are the supplies taken back then!"

"Great Steward Gao Yunchao, you are responsible for gathering intelligence on the many Rogue Cultivators in the prefectural city. Take a look at the heads of these two Flying Thieves!"

Upon hearing this, all three rose and walked toward the heads and wooden chest. Yet their expressions were utterly different. Gao Yunchao carried a faint hint of delight and nodded at Ma Jiang, while Xu Bei and Ma Rusong's faces alternated between green and white, their eyes flickering.