The Man Who Eats From Both Sides!

BOOM—

Dark clouds gathered, wind howled, and thunder roared as if the heavens themselves were enraged.

Chu Zhuo stood amidst the crowd, clutching his blood-soaked waist, his eyes fixed on Chen Mo with a venomous glare.

To wound him with a single strike and still have the strength to slay two purple-robed guards—for someone barely of age to possess such power, he will surely become a grave threat in the future!

Hearing Chen Mo personally admit to the killings, Chu Zhuo's heart surged with wild joy.

This brat is truly arrogant!

Now that both human and material evidence were present, as long as Young Master Zhou pursued this to the end, even the Chen Family would be unable to protect him!

Zhou Jing'an looked at the golden token, feeling as though it were burning his hands.

With his discernment, he could naturally distinguish the genuine from the fake. The Flying Phoenix Token came in three grades: Singing Phoenix Facing the Sun, Phoenix Perching on Wutong, and the highest, Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.

And the one Chen Mo had tossed to him was a genuine "Singing Phoenix Facing the Sun" token!

Although it carried few special privileges, it represented the stance of the Eastern Palace!

Isn't Chen Mo a lackey of Imperial Concubine Yu? How does he have a token from the Holy Empress?

What on earth is going on?

Zhou Jing'an's mind was in turmoil.

Chen Mo's pitch-black eyes fixed upon him, and he said softly, "To see the Flying Phoenix Token is to see the Holy Empress. Zhou Jing'an, will you kneel or not?"

RUMBLE—

Thunder rolled across the horizon. Zhou Jing'an's body trembled. After a long silence, his knees slowly buckled, and he bowed down to the ground.

"Your humble official, Zhou Jing'an, pays respects to Her Highness the Empress!"

CLATTER—

Seeing this, the surrounding guards threw down their weapons and knelt in a mass.

"Pay respects to Her Highness the Empress!"

?!

Chu Zhuo's smile froze on his face. His eyes were vacant, and before he could grasp what had happened, he was pulled down to his knees by Chu Chen.

"Father, it seems we've stirred up massive trouble this time..."

"..."

A palm-sized token now felt heavier than a thousand jun, pressing down so hard that no one dared to stand straight.

Is this the taste of power?

Chen Mo sat on a chair and said indifferently, "If you have anything to say, speak while kneeling."

Zhou Jing'an raised his head, his bloodshot eyes staring at him, his voice squeezed through his teeth: "Chen Mo, you are merely enjoying a moment of triumph. Severely wounding imperial officers and killing people in the street—each charge is a capital offense! Do you think you can escape just because of this token?"

Facing this naked threat, Chen Mo's expression remained calm as he said:

"This official is acting under the orders of the Holy Empress to oversee the case of the Demon Race murders."

"While discussing the case with two Investigators, we were attacked by villains and coerced by the Zhou Mansion guards."

"This official has reason to suspect that Cabinet Attendant Zhou Jing'an and Heavenly Qilin Guard Centurion Chu Zhuo are intentionally obstructing the investigation and are suspected of colluding with the Demon Race. They should be detained for interrogation to verify the truth..."

At this, he paused, turned his head, and asked, "Investigator Lin, Brother Shangguan, do you think the report should be written this way?"

Lin Jingzhu nodded. "It is reasonable and well-founded; it will be convincing."

Shangguan Yunfei stroked his chin and mused, "When the time comes, I will have my father polish it further before presenting it to the Holy Empress at court. Her Highness is wise and discerning; she will surely get to the bottom of this."

?

Zhou Jing'an's brows locked together.

His attention had been entirely on Chen Mo, so he hadn't noticed the other two. Upon closer inspection, he saw the woman's hair was disheveled and her white robes were torn in several places, yet her features seemed familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before...

The surname Lin?

Could it be...

Zhou Jing'an was struck with horror!

As for the other person, there was no need to say more; there was only one Shangguan family in Heaven Capital City!

The head of the household was none other than Chief of Transmission Shangguan Jin, a third-rank official who managed the submission of memorials and participated in major state affairs!

"How is this possible?!"

"The Shangguan family has always remained neutral and never participated in party strife. The Lin family is even more distinguished as imperial in-laws and has always kept a low profile. How could they be colluding with a rebel like Chen Mo?"

Zhou Jing'an could not fathom it. How did this fellow Chen Mo manage to play both sides?

Hearing this, Chu Zhuo sprang to his feet, pointing at Chen Mo and shouting angrily, "You are slandering me! It was clearly you who committed violence first, and I only..."

"Shut your mouth!"

Zhou Jing'an glared at him fiercely.

If not for the trouble this piece of trash had caused, why would he have fallen into such a predicament?

Colluding with the Demon Race... he knew full well that Chen Mo was just making false accusations, but he absolutely could not be dragged into this. This matter had to end here!

"It was our recklessness that disturbed the three of you."

"Since the three of you are busy with official business, we shall take our leave. I hope Lord Chen can solve the case as soon as possible and restore peace and order to Heaven Capital City."

Zhou Jing'an lowered his head, offering the golden token with both hands.

Chen Mo watched him silently for a long time, only reaching out to take the token once the man's body began to tremble slightly.

"Remember to have the restaurant repaired."

"That goes without saying."

Zhou Jing'an did not want to stay for even a second longer. Just as he prepared to lead his men away, Lin Jingzhu spoke up: "Wait a moment. You, the one surnamed Chu, you still owe me eighty strokes."

"..."

Chu Chen's face turned pale, his lips trembling, "Father, save me..."

Chu Zhuo looked toward Zhou Jing'an, "Young Master Zhou, this..."

Zhou Jing'an remained expressionless, saying coldly: "Since there is guilt, one must accept the punishment. Taking the strokes here is fine; it saves us a trip to the yamen."

With a flick of his sleeves, he turned and left directly.

"Don't worry, I know my limits. You won't die."

Lin Jingzhu spun her staff with a flourish, smiling brightly.

Chu Zhuo's face alternated between red and white, but he was helpless to do anything.

Although Chu Chen was a seventh-rank martial artist, he couldn't withstand such a beating... After taking these eighty strokes, he probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed for months!

Thwack!

"Eighty..."

"Ah!"

A miserable wail echoed over the ruins.

At this moment, Chen Mo stood up and said: "The wine is about finished. I'll be heading off first; let's chat another day."

"Lord Chen, what about the case..."

Before Shangguan Yunfei could finish his sentence, Chen Mo's figure flickered and vanished.

"..."

Shangguan Yunfei turned his gaze toward Lin Jingzhu.

"Constable Lin, what about the case..."

"Seventy, sixty-nine... don't interrupt me, I lost count again... seventy-nine..."

"..."

Shangguan Yunfei rubbed his temples, feeling a sharp ache in his head.

How does it feel like I'm the only one worrying about anything? What kind of mess is this...

After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the caning ended.

Chu Chen had already fainted, his entire body embedded into the floorboards. It took great effort for Chu Zhuo to pry him out. Not daring to say another word, he carried him and hurried out of the restaurant, heading straight for the medical clinic.

Lin Jingzhu stretched her shoulders, "Tsk, refreshing!"

Shangguan Yunfei frowned, "If you had revealed your identity earlier, would there have been so much nonsense? How would a sixth-rank centurion dare to lay a hand on you?"

Lin Jingzhu looked righteous, "While on duty, my identity is that of a Constable of the Six Gates. Does having no background mean one should be bullied?"

Shangguan Yunfei curled his lip, muttering to himself:

If you didn't have a background, you would have been kicked out of the Six Gates long ago!

You were clearly just itching for a fight, yet you put on such a self-righteous act...

"But today wasn't entirely without gain. At least I know how to investigate this case now." Lin Jingzhu pulled a smile.

Upon hearing about the case, Shangguan Yunfei immediately perked up, "What, you have a lead?"

"Don't you think Zhou Jing'an is a bit strange?"

"I've only seen him from afar once at the Longevity Banquet and don't know him well. But as the son of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and someone following the path of promotion through the Cabinet, why would he get involved with the Heavenly Qilin Guard?"

"Furthermore, when Chen Mo said he was 'colluding with the Demon Race,' it sounded intimidating at first, but it was actually just a baseless accusation that wouldn't hold up to scrutiny. Yet, this Young Master Zhou was so terrified..."

Shangguan Yunfei pondered, "Perhaps he recognized us and didn't want to offend anyone?"

Lin Jingzhu shook her head, "Your father's position dictates that he must remain neutral, otherwise he would lose the Emperor's favor. And while the Lin family are imperial in-laws, we hold no real power and are not worth worrying about."

"The factional strife is intense right now, with the Three Offices and Six Ministries all dragged into the fray. The embezzlement case in the Ministry of Revenue has only just concluded, providing a prime opportunity for a counterattack—one that could even drag the Chen Family down with it. And yet, Zhou Jing'an has simply given it all up."

Shangguan Yunfei's brow furrowed even deeper. "You mean to say..."

Lin Jingzhu's eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within them. "This Young Master Zhou seems deathly afraid of being linked to the Demon Race."

The sky grew late.

Night fell, draping over the capital like a massive, heavy sheet of black silk.

The rain showed no sign of letting up, with fat droplets drumming a dense, rhythmic tattoo against the grey roof tiles.

Chen Mo crouched atop the Singing Emerald Pavilion, his form nearly merging with the night as he silently watched the black sedan chair in the alleyway.

After a long while, Zhou Jing'an, dressed in blue brocade, stepped out of the carriage. With a guard holding an umbrella over him, he began to walk toward the Zhou Mansion.

I wasn't looking for you, yet you've delivered yourself right to my doorstep...

Chen Mo's lips curled upward, his eyes dark and profound.