Madam, You Wouldn't Want...

"Chen Fan, I found a destroyed secret passage in the bedroom. I have no idea where it leads!"

Just then, Lu Xuenning's voice came from a room in the Separate Courtyard.

At her words, Chen Fan hurried over and saw that Lu Xuenning had lifted the bedroom's floorboards, revealing a secret passage that had been filled in.

"With our strength, it shouldn't take long to dig this passage open again, right?"

Chen Fan spoke up.

"This was probably the secret passage Cao De used to meet that woman. But do we still need to find out who she is?"

Lu Xuenning asked, puzzled.

The evidence they had found in the Separate Courtyard was already enough to confirm that Cao De had colluded with Demonic Creatures. Though they had no direct evidence, the circumstantial evidence was sufficient.

As long as she reported the matter, Longyuan Prefecture would certainly send a Spirit Aperture Realm expert to investigate everything. Their mission was already more than halfway complete.

"I'm not trying to find the woman who was involved with Cao De. I'm curious how he got to this Separate Courtyard. If he came through the front gate or climbed over the wall like we did, there was no guarantee nobody would see him."

"So I suspect this passage might lead to two different places: one where the woman was hiding, and another where Cao De was hiding."

"If we find evidence proving the passage's endpoint is connected to Cao De, then we can nail him for good. No matter how silver-tongued he is, he won't be able to wriggle out of it!"

Chen Fan spoke meaningfully.

Truth be told, he was also curious about the woman who had been with Cao De. If they really found her, he figured it would be a huge surprise.

"You're right. I'll find some tools right away. We'll start digging now. The soil in this destroyed underground passage is loose. With our strength, we might have it open again before dawn!"

Lu Xuenning's eyes lit up at his words. She found two shovels in the Separate Courtyard, and the two of them got to work.

By midnight, they had reached a fork in the passage. They each began digging down one branch, and around the fifth watch, Chen Fan broke through one of them.

Crash!

Chen Fan shoved hard. With a sharp crack, the wooden board sealing the exit gave way.

"Who's there?"

"Brother De, is that you?"

Someone stirred from sleep. Chen Fan's eyes lit up.

He looked up and realized he was beneath the bed in someone's bedroom. He crawled through the passage to the space under the bed, then climbed out. As he poked his head out, he saw a beautiful, middle-aged woman in a bellyband leaning over the bed to look underneath it.

Their eyes met!

"Ah... oh-oh-oh!"

The beautiful woman started to scream, but Chen Fan clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Madam, you wouldn't want anyone finding out you're having an affair with Cao De, would you?"

Chen Fan swiftly crawled out from under the bed and climbed onto it. Holding a hand over the woman's mouth, he whispered a threat in her ear.

At his words, the beautiful woman's eyes widened. Then she nodded vigorously.

"I'm going to let go. Don't make a sound, or I'll snap your neck. Blink if you understand!"

Chen Fan added.

The beautiful woman blinked frantically.

"Who are you?"

"Why did you crawl out of a secret passage?"

The beautiful woman asked in a hushed voice.

"Seems like you don't understand the situation, Madam!"

"From now on, I ask the questions and you answer. Lie to me, and I'll twist your head clean off!"

Chen Fan said fiercely.

"What's your name, and what's your position?"

"Me? My name is Wang Menglu. I'm the County Magistrate's second wife."

The beautiful woman answered.

"You're a concubine, not a second wife!"

Chen Fan clicked his tongue.

But he'd just stumbled upon one hell of a scandal.

Cao De, the Baihu at Ping'an County's Jinyiwei Baihu Office, was having an affair with the County Magistrate's beloved concubine. What a bombshell!

The Demonic Creatures had propped up the County Magistrate as their puppet to contend with Cao De, while Cao De had sacrificed his looks to seduce the County Magistrate's beloved concubine and obtain information.

"Why isn't the County Magistrate sleeping with you?"

Chen Fan suddenly asked, curious.

"I'm on my period, so he went to find one of the maids he keeps for his pleasure."

"But if you want me, I can please you another way."

Wang Menglu gazed at Chen Fan with bedroom eyes and licked her red lips.

Although Chen Fan was covered in mud, he still looked quite handsome in the moonlight. And when he had covered her mouth from behind and pulled her into his arms, she had felt his powerful arms and solid chest.

If Chen Fan wanted to take liberties with her, she probably wouldn't refuse.

After all, she was just a delicate woman. If he insisted, she would have no choice but to give in!

"Thanks!"

"But I'll pass!"

Chen Fan struck Wang Menglu with a knife-hand and knocked her unconscious. Then he laid her flat on the bed and casually gave her ample bosom a couple of squeezes.

Not bad. There was plenty there.

No wonder the County Magistrate and Cao De couldn't get enough of her!

He returned the way he had come. By then, Lu Xuenning had also opened the passage on her side.

That exit led to a rice shop along the street. The shop had long since closed for the night, and the passage opened into the storeroom at the back. One street separated it from the County Magistrate's residence, but the straight-line distance wasn't far.

"Look into this rice shop's connection with Cao De. Then we'll be able to convict him."

"But are you sure sending the evidence to Longyuan Prefecture will be enough to bring Cao De down?"

Chen Fan asked, puzzled.

It was true that Lu Xuenning had been sent from Longyuan Prefecture as a ninth-rank Black-Robed Head Catcher, but the Government Office had no authority over the Jinyiwei.

The Jinyiwei answered directly to His Majesty, the Emperor of Great Zhou. They were a privileged department, charged with overseeing clans and sects and slaying Demonic Creatures and ghosts. With imperial authorization, they could execute first and report later!

By rights, even the prefect of Longyuan Prefecture had no authority to deal with Cao De, the Jinyiwei Baihu of Ping'an County.

Jinyiwei officers followed a standard promotion ladder: Xiaoqi Officers were ninth-rank, Zongqi Officers eighth-rank, Baihu seventh-rank, Commanders sixth-rank, Wanhus fifth-rank, Commanding Envoys fourth-rank, and Guard Masters third-rank.

Of course, a privileged department as large as the Jinyiwei also had other staff, who could hold positions such as Deputy Baihu, Deputy Commander, and Deputy Wanhu.

So Cao De, a Jinyiwei Baihu, and the County Magistrate of Ping'an County were of equal rank. The prefect, though far higher in rank at fifth rank, had no authority over him because they weren't in the same chain of command. That meant the prefect couldn't convict Cao De.

"I'll report what happened here to the Longyuan Prefecture Magistrate's Office. The prefect can confer with the Left Commander of Longyuan Prefecture. Then the Left Commander can convict Cao De."

Lu Xuenning paused at his question. Her eyes flickered twice before she gave a reasonable explanation.

"Are the prefect of Longyuan Prefecture and the Left Commander on good terms?"

Chen Fan asked, curious.

"The Left Commander has guarded Longyuan Prefecture for thirty years. Prefects are transferred after five-year terms, so the current prefect and the Left Commander aren't particularly close."

"But the Jinyiwei and the Government Office often work together on cases, so it's only right that they show each other some consideration."

Lu Xuenning gave an awkward smile as she explained.

"It's late. Let's hurry back and get some sleep. I'll leave investigating this rice shop to you."

Chen Fan thought something was off about what Lu Xuenning had said, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The original owner of his body hadn't known much about Longyuan Prefecture either, so for now he could only take Lu Xuenning at her word!

"No problem. Leave this little matter to me!"

Lu Xuenning nodded.

The two climbed over the wall and left the rice shop, then went their separate ways.