The Capital's Noble Ladies, Shall We Visit the Music Bureau?

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dull, rhythmic thuds echoed through the street.

"Twenty, nineteen..."

The black staff in Lin Jingzhu's hand descended with the force of a thousand catties. With a sharp whistle, it struck, tearing the burly man's clothes and leaving his flesh a mangled, bloody mess. Splatters of crimson stained her fair cheeks, lending her an air of morbid, delicate beauty.

The burly man had stopped moving.

He had realized that the more he cursed, the harder she struck. She would even intentionally miscount to land a few extra blows, so he simply held his breath and played dead.

Chen Mo watched the scene with keen interest.

The woman's strikes appeared vicious, but her control was impeccable. Every inch of the man's waist, back, buttocks, and legs was a ruin of pain, agonizing to the bone, yet she had carefully avoided any life-threatening injuries. Whenever the man tried to circulate his internal energy to resist, the staff would precisely disrupt his meridians, forcing him to lie flat and endure the beating.

"Tsk, now that is what I call professional."

"Lord Chen."

A voice called out from nearby.

Chen Mo turned to see someone waving at him from a second-story window of the tavern. It was Shangguan Yunfei, an acquaintance from a previous encounter.

"Lord Chen, please, come up. This humble official has something to discuss," Shangguan Yunfei called out, cupping his hands in a salute from across the way.

Chen Mo walked into the Drunken Moon Pavilion and reached the second-floor private room. Shangguan Yunfei stood up to apologize, "Lord Chen, pray do not take offense. Given the situation outside, it is truly inconvenient for me to show my face."

He was long accustomed to such scenes; he couldn't stop her, but failing to intervene was a dereliction of duty, so he simply chose to remain out of sight.

"I did not realize Lord Chen held the rank of Centurion. If I have shown any disrespect previously, I hope you will be magnanimous."

Shangguan Yunfei had not been familiar with the internal affairs of the Heavenly Qilin Guard, but after making inquiries, he learned that while Chen Mo held the title of Flag Officer, he drew the salary of a Centurion—a Principal Sixth Rank official, a full grade higher than his own position as an Inspector.

"It is merely an empty title, not worth mentioning."

Chen Mo waved his hand dismissively, his gaze drifting toward the window as he asked with curiosity, "Is that person one of yours from the Six Gates?"

Shangguan Yunfei nodded. "Actually, Lord Chen, you know her. She is an Inspector of the yamen, Lin Jingzhu."

Chen Mo had a moment of realization.

The reputation of the Four Great Divine Catchers was known to everyone in Heaven Capital City.

However, Lin Jingzhu held another identity: her mother, Lady Jinyun, was a cousin to the current Empress. She was true imperial kin, a noblewoman of the capital.

"This Inspector Lin is certainly... well, unconventional," Chen Mo remarked with a playful tone.

Shangguan Yunfei offered a helpless, bitter smile.

Galloping through a busy market wasn't a major offense; it was often unavoidable during urgent business, and usually not worth making such a scene over.

But this man had lashed out at a young child with his whip, and he hadn't held back. His heart was clearly malicious, so it was no wonder Lin Jingzhu had lost her temper.

Bang!

Bang!

The "flogging" was nearing its end.

"...three, two, one."

The punishment concluded.

Lin Jingzhu flicked the blood off her black staff. With a flick of her wrist and a mechanical click of gears, both ends retracted inward. The five-foot-long staff shrank to the size of a palm and was hooked onto the leather belt at her waist.

Looking down at the battered man on the ground, she said coldly, "You should be grateful that whip didn't land. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been as simple as fifty strokes."

"..."

The burly man trembled all over. He forced himself to stand, his eyes fixed on Lin Jingzhu with a venomous glare. "I am a Captain of the Imperial Guard! Attacking an officer of the imperial army is a capital crime!"

"You little wench, you've brought a world of trouble upon yourself!"

To be beaten like this in public—if he didn't get his revenge, he would never be able to show his face in Heaven Capital City again!

The woman was dressed in combat gear and smelled of alcohol; she was likely a martial artist who thought herself untouchable because of a little cultivation. He would show her exactly how he dealt with people like her later!

"What did you call me?" Lin Jingzhu's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Hmph, you just wait!"

The burly man knew he was no match for her and didn't want to tangle further. He prepared to mount his horse, but suddenly remembered his backside was shredded and likely couldn't handle the jolting. He had to lead the reins and limp away from the market street.

Lin Jingzhu looked at the sugar figurine crushed on the ground. She walked to a nearby stall, tossed down a piece of silver, picked a new figurine from the straw target, and approached the mother and daughter.

"Here."

Lin Jingzhu knelt down and handed the figurine to the little girl.

"Thank you, big sister."

The little girl's eyes sparkled.

Seeing the bloodstains on Lin Jingzhu's face, she pulled a small handkerchief from her pocket and earnestly helped her wipe it clean.

Lin Jingzhu beamed, reached out to ruffle the girl's braided hair, then stood up and said to the mother, "You should leave quickly. That man will likely return. Be careful not to invite any more trouble."

"Th-thank you, miss."

The woman's face was deathly pale; she dared not linger, clutching the little girl and hurrying away.

Rumble—

Muffled thunder rolled across the sky, crushing the moisture out of the clouds until bean-sized raindrops pelted down, washing away the bloodstains lingering on the street stones.

Lin Jingzhu leaped, vaulting directly through the window into the second-floor private room.

"Stretching my limbs feels quite comfortable, though my salary is really going to be docked until the year after next this time... Hm? It's you?"

Lin Jingzhu was slightly stunned to see the man who had just intervened to save the girl sitting at the table.

Shangguan Yunfei introduced, "This is the Heavenly Qilin Guard Centurion, Lord Chen Mo."

"You are Chen Mo?"

Lin Jingzhu's expression was one of astonishment; she had just been talking about him, and she never expected such a coincidence that they would meet here.

She scrutinized him carefully, seeing that he was refined and elegant, peerlessly handsome, like flawless jade. Shangguan Yunfei's appearance could be considered decent, but by comparison, they were simply not in the same league—it was the first time she had ever seen a man this good-looking.

At the same time, Chen Mo was also observing her.

[Noble Lady of Tiandu · Skin of Ice and Bones of Jade · Lin Jingzhu]
[Realm: Sixth-Rank Martial Artist]
[Technique: Nine-Turn Ice Soul Technique]
[Martial Skills: Blue Sky Force, Flying Phoenix Feather, Spirit Void Wind-Riding Step]
[Favorability: 0/100 (Locked)]

She wore a plain white martial robe, with a leather belt cinched at her waist that outlined her slender figure. Her raven-black hair was tied up simply with a Red String, her skin was as fair as porcelain, her eye sockets were deep, her eyes were as clear as autumn water, her nose bridge was high, and her jawline was sharp and fluid.

Beauty lies in the bones, not just the skin; Lin Jingzhu was a classic "bone-structure beauty."

Despite her noble status, she lacked any aristocratic airs, possessing instead the free-spirited nature of a wanderer in her every gesture.

"Captain Lin has trained under Martial Chief Xue for many years, so it is inevitable that she has picked up some of that wanderer's temperament," Shangguan Yunfei whispered.

Lin Jingzhu rolled her eyes at him. "Can you not whisper right in front of me? I'm not deaf."

"..."

Shangguan Yunfei cleared his throat and said solemnly, "Since Lord Chen is here, let's discuss official business. This Demon Race murder case has had a vile impact, and the higher-ups have issued a death order: it must be solved within half a month!"

"Lord Chen, you are the lead investigator for this case. Where do you think we should go next?"

Shangguan Yunfei looked at Chen Mo with anticipation.

From the Barbarian Slave case and the Heavenly Demon case to this current Demon Race murder case, it was clear that Chen Mo was meticulous and possessed keen insight—he was an expert at solving cases!

Coupled with his extremely sensitive perception of demonic aura...

Whether this case could be solved depended entirely on this Lord Chen!

Lin Jingzhu's face showed curiosity; she wanted to know how he would arrange things next.

Chen Mo pondered for a moment and said, "I suggest we go to the Music Bureau."

Shangguan Yunfei's expression brightened. "Does the Lord mean that the Demon Race might be hiding in the Music Bureau? That makes sense! The Music Bureau is a chaotic place, a den of iniquity, and the perfect place to hide!"

"Furthermore, the identities of the guests coming and going are complex, which is advantageous for selecting prey..."

The more he analyzed it, the more reasonable it seemed, and he marveled inwardly—truly worthy of being Lord Chen, a veritable guiding light!

Chen Mo shook his head and said, "I mean that just drinking is boring; we could go to the Music Bureau to have some fun."

Shangguan Yunfei: "..."