Keeping Watch Day and Night

Hou Ping's expression darkened to the extreme.

He had never imagined that the people from the Criminal Defense Division would not only punish them for mishandling the case, but even accuse them of colluding with the murderer!

"What's wrong? Clenching your fists so tightly because I hit a nerve?"

"Or is the murderer you, Chief Constable Hou?"

Zhang Yi and Tan Hong continued to provoke him.

"You!" Anger blazed in Hou Ping's chest. If Fang Xiao hadn't held him back, he might really have let them pin the murderer's crime on him.

"Hoh, you've got some self-control." Zhang Yi clapped mockingly. "It doesn't matter if you won't confess. Once we find the evidence, you can wait to have your heads chopped off."

The Catching Yamen.

The three from the Criminal Defense Division abused their authority to turn the Catching Yamen upside down. Finding nothing useful, they swept out.

"Brother Fang, Shao Pengshu is a despicable little man. Back when you were an instructor at the Criminal Defense Division, you guided him onto the path of martial arts and taught him to cultivate Qi and Blood Power. He could've left it at that, but instead he's trying to pin the murderer's crime on us! What a heartless bastard!"

Smack—

Hou Ping slammed a palm down on the chair. Its wooden armrest instantly burst into splinters, scattering everywhere.

Fang Xiao sat upright beside him. He hadn't spoken, but the anger in his heart was no less than Hou Ping's.

"Brother Hou, Shao Pengshu is now a Constable in the Criminal Defense Division, our superior. He's also condensed seven streams of Qi and Blood Power. Even I might not be his match."

With seven streams of Qi and Blood Power, Shao Pengshu had already entered the great completion stage of the Blood Activation Realm. Hou Ping had only five streams, while Fang Xiao could wield at most seven. Their strength truly couldn't compare to Shao Pengshu's.

Hou Ping gritted his teeth and said nothing.

"What do we do next? We can't just watch that bastard turn us into scapegoats so he can claim credit."

Shao Pengshu had given them a show of force as soon as he arrived, simply to intimidate them.

If they found the real murderer, then at worst they'd be charged with incompetence. But if they couldn't find the murderer, Shao Pengshu and the other two definitely wouldn't let the matter rest. To win credit, they'd very likely force the blame onto them.

Fang Xiao forcibly tamped down his anger and looked outside the Catching Yamen.

On the bustling street, the fiery afterglow of sunset spilled across the road. Passersby watched from afar, fear flashing across their faces before they hurried away.

He suddenly thought of Chu Ming. Ever since his serious illness, he had changed dramatically day by day.

Those calm eyes were clear and bright, exactly like Madam's had been back then.

Madam had been killed by the Chu Family. The young master had gone from a spoiled young noble to a genius with an astonishing memory and a martial talent so terrifying that Fang Xiao could hardly imagine it—all in a single night.

What struck him most was how the young master remained utterly unruffled by his own achievements, as if things simply ought to be this way.

Was that how things ought to be...?

"What would the young master do if he were faced with this?"

"Stay calm and composed? Or..."

Fang Xiao slowly raised his head. His brows eased, and his earlier anger vanished. He looked at Hou Ping. "Brother Hou, Shao Pengshu and the other two are strong, but their temperament, judgment, and experience are far inferior to ours."

"Solving a case isn't just about brute force."

"We couldn't even make sense of the Wheat Valley Alley case. They have even less chance."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about! Those bastards won't find the murderer, and then they'll frame us!"

Hou Ping spoke indignantly. A few constables standing guard at the entrance felt their hearts lurch.

Heartless bastard? Bastards?

Well, they only talked like that when the men weren't around. If the Criminal Defense Division's officials heard those treasonous words...

"Brother Hou is right. Shao Pengshu is greedy for credit and ruthless. If he can't find the murderer, then we'll be the murderers." After considering how Chu Ming had acted recently, Fang Xiao grew calmer still. "So we have to find the murderer before they do!"

"But we've been investigating this whole time. Other than eight hollowed-out corpses, we've found nothing. How are we supposed to find the murderer?"

Hou Ping glanced at the young constable outside the yamen. His eyes suddenly lit up. Leaning close to Fang Xiao, he lowered his voice. "Brother Fang, you mean... we forge evidence and find a few scapegoats first?"

"..." Fang Xiao's mouth twitched. "Brother Hou, that's not what I meant."

"That's not what you meant?" Hou Ping tightened his grip on his saber, his eyes turning fierce. "Brother Fang, you want to secretly take care of those three bastards..."

As he spoke, he made a slicing motion across his neck.

Though Shao Pengshu and the other two were strong, they weren't a match for them in a direct fight. But there was more than one way to kill someone.

"Brother Hou..." Ripples stirred in Fang Xiao's heart, calm as a mirror. He glanced at Hou Ping with a hint of meaning, then fell silent for a moment.

Seeing Fang Xiao's subtle change in expression, Hou Ping's thoughts shifted, and he changed his tune. "Brother Fang, that won't work. Shao Pengshu is a Constable in the Criminal Defense Division, a Subordinate Eighth Rank official. If he dies while handling a case in Willow Town, you and I couldn't shirk responsibility even if we grew mouths all over our bodies."

Fang Xiao lowered his gaze to the wooden table, avoiding Hou Ping's eyes. In a low voice, he said, "It's not about forging evidence or silencing them. We have to find the real murderer."

"The real murderer? How do we find him, Brother Fang?"

"Keep watch."

"Day and night, without interruption, in Wheat Valley Alley," Fang Xiao said calmly.

The young master had suffered damage to his foundation, yet still achieved what he had today. The main reason was that beneath his seemingly indifferent exterior, he hid a heart that refused to give in.

He sold his travel journals, stopped listening to music, and began reading and practicing martial arts from the moment he got up in the morning. Apart from eating, all he did was read and train.

He'd won first place in the Academy Exam in just over twenty days, condensed four streams of Qi and Blood Power, and repaired his bodily damage. It might have looked like a result of talent, but it was really the fruit of unrelenting effort, never resting for even half a moment. Only the young master could understand the hardship involved...

That was the approach Fang Xiao had learned from Chu Ming: persevere, and a chance at survival would come.

"Keep watch day and night?" Hou Ping furrowed his brow. "There are only so many people in the Catching Yamen, Brother Fang. I'm afraid we won't be able to keep that up."

Fang Xiao considered it. "We don't need everyone keeping watch day and night. The first eight murders happened at night, so we'll increase the number on watch at night. During the day, everyone can take turns resting."

Hou Ping's lips moved as he weighed whether the plan would work.

After a moment, he seemed to reach a decision.

"Brother Fang makes sense. As long as we catch the real murderer and clear our names, it's all worth it. It's just..." A troubled look crossed his face.

"Just what?" Fang Xiao asked solemnly.

Hou Ping's old face suddenly reddened. He leaned close to Fang Xiao and whispered, "My wife keeps a tight rein on me. I still have to do my husbandly duties at night, so I'm afraid you'll have to put in the extra effort during the first half of the night..."

"..." Fang Xiao nodded without expression.

Seeing his reaction, Hou Ping chuckled a few times and called toward the entrance of the Catching Yamen. "You lot, come in! I have an announcement."

The young constables hurried inside, gathering their belongings. "What are your orders, sir?"

"Head Constable Fang and I have discussed it and decided to keep watch in Wheat Valley Alley day and night."

"Huh?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the constables' expressions changed.

"S-sir, will we get a pay raise?"

"Yes."

"Sir, we're just ordinary people. What if the murderer is some Bloodthirsty beast...?"

"Anyone who says he's an ordinary person can go home. You won't need to come in tomorrow, the day after, or ever again."

"Sir, I still have night patrol..."

"Then do the first half of the night patrol, and go keep watch afterward."

"Sir, my wife definitely won't agree."

"You're the only one with a wife?"

"Can't we take care of this during the day?!"

"..."

Fang Xiao: "?"