Day and Night Stakeout

Hou Ping's expression turned ugly to the extreme.

He never imagined that the men from the Criminal Defense Division would not only punish them for their incompetence but even attempt to frame them for colluding with the murderer!

"What's wrong? Clenching your fists so tight—did we hit a nerve?"

"Or perhaps, the murderer is actually you, Chief Constable Hou."

Zhang Yi and Tan Hong continued their provocations.

"You!" Rage burned in Hou Ping's chest; had Fang Xiao not held him back, he might have truly cemented the accusation of being the murderer.

"Heh, quite the self-restraint." Zhang Yi clapped his hands in mockery. "It's fine if you won't confess. Once we find the evidence, you can just wait to be beheaded."

Catching Yamen.

Relying on their status, the three men from the Criminal Defense Division ransacked the Yamen. Finding nothing of use, they flicked their sleeves and departed.

"Brother Fang, Shao Pengshu is nothing but a petty villain! Back when you were an instructor at the Criminal Defense Division and guided him onto the path of martial arts to cultivate blood energy, he didn't even acknowledge it. Now, he actually wants to frame us for the murders! What a heartless, ungrateful cur!"

Snap—

Hou Ping slammed his palm onto his chair, shattering the wooden armrest into splinters that scattered across the room.

Fang Xiao sat composedly to the side, though his inner fury was no less intense than Hou Ping's.

"Brother Hou, Shao Pengshu is now a Captain in the Criminal Defense Division and our direct superior. He has also condensed seven strands of blood energy; even I may not be his match."

Seven strands of blood energy meant he had reached the Great Completion of the Blood Activation Realm. Hou Ping only possessed five strands, and while Fang Xiao could muster seven, his strength was still inferior to the other man's.

Hou Ping gritted his teeth, remaining silent.

"What do we do now? We can't just sit here and watch that brat turn us into scapegoats to claim credit for himself."

Shao Pengshu's show of force upon arrival was meant for nothing more than intimidation.

If they found the real killer, the worst they would face was a reprimand for poor performance. But if they failed to find the culprit, Shao Pengshu and his men would never let it go, and they would likely fabricate charges against them just to secure the merit.

Fang Xiao forcibly suppressed the rage in his heart and looked outside the Yamen.

On the bustling street, the fiery glow of the sunset descended. Passersby glanced toward them from afar, fear flashing across their faces as they hurried away.

He suddenly thought of Chu Ming, who had been undergoing tremendous changes every day since his severe illness.

Those calm eyes, clear and bright, were exactly like the Madam's back in the day.

After the Madam was killed by the Chu Family, the young master had transformed overnight from a dissolute playboy into a genius with an incredible memory and martial talent beyond his wildest imagination.

What struck him most deeply was the young master's indifference toward his own achievements, as if it were only natural.

Was it truly natural...

"What would the young master do if he encountered this?"

"Remain calm and composed? Or perhaps..."

Fang Xiao slowly raised his head, his brow unfurrowing. The previous anger vanished as he looked at Hou Ping. "Brother Hou, although those three are strong, their temperament, vision, and experience are far inferior to ours."

"Solving a case requires more than just brute force."

"If we couldn't uncover the truth behind the Wheat Valley Alley case, there is no way they will."

"Exactly! That's what I'm worried about! Those bastards won't find the killer, and they'll definitely frame us!"

As Hou Ping spoke indignantly, the constables keeping watch at the door felt their hearts skip a beat.

Heartless cur? Ungrateful? Bastards?

They only dared say such things when the men weren't around. If such treasonous words were overheard by the officials from the Criminal Defense Division...

"Brother Hou is right. Shao Pengshu is a greedy man with a vicious heart. If he can't find the killer, we become the killers." After reflecting on Chu Ming's recent conduct, Fang Xiao grew increasingly calm. "Therefore, we must find the killer before they do!"

"But we've been investigating the whole time! Aside from eight hollowed-out corpses, we've found nothing. How are we supposed to find the killer?"

Hou Ping looked at the young constable outside the Yamen, his eyes suddenly lighting up. He leaned into Fang Xiao's ear and lowered his voice. "Brother Fang, do you mean... we should manufacture fake evidence and find some scapegoats first?"

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

"That's not it?" Hou Ping gripped his saber, his gaze fierce. "Does Brother Fang mean we should secretly..."

He made a throat-slitting gesture.

Though the three men were strong and they couldn't win in a direct confrontation, there were ways to kill other than brute force.

"Brother Hou..." Ripples stirred in Fang Xiao's mirror-like heart. He looked at Hou Ping with a meaningful gaze, followed by a brief silence.

Seeing the subtle change in Fang Xiao's expression, Hou Ping shifted his stance and corrected himself. "Brother Fang, that method is unwise. Shao Pengshu is a Captain of the Criminal Defense Division, a Subordinate Eighth Rank official. If he dies in our Willow Town while investigating a case, even if you and I grew a thousand mouths, we couldn't escape the responsibility."

Fang Xiao's gaze sank to the wooden table, avoiding Hou Ping's eyes. He said in a deep voice, "It is not about manufacturing evidence, nor is it about silencing them. It is about finding the real killer."

"The real killer? How does Brother Fang intend to find them?"

"Stakeout."

"A non-stop, day-and-night stakeout at Wheat Valley Alley," Fang Xiao said calmly.

The primary reason the young master achieved his current standing despite his damaged foundation was that beneath his seemingly indifferent exterior, he harbored an unyielding heart.

He sold his travelogues, stopped listening to music, and began reading and practicing his cultivation techniques the moment he woke up; aside from eating, his life consisted of nothing but study and martial arts.

Winning first place in the academy examinations in just over twenty days, condensing four strands of blood energy, and repairing his physical damage—while it appeared to be the result of talent, it was actually the fruit of unremitting effort, the hardships of which only the young master himself could truly understand.

This was the style of conduct he had learned from Chu Ming: only through perseverance could one find a path to survival.

"Staking it out day and night?" Hou Ping frowned slightly. "The Catching Yamen only has so many men, Brother Fang; I fear it will be too much for them to bear."

Fang Xiao pondered for a moment. "There is no need for everyone to be on duty day and night. The first eight murders all occurred at night, which means we only need to increase our surveillance during the night hours; during the day, everyone can take turns resting."

Hou Ping's lips moved as he weighed the feasibility of this plan.

A moment later, he seemed to have made up his mind.

"Brother Fang's words make sense. As long as we can catch the real culprit and clear our names, this is nothing, but..." A look of distress flashed across his face.

"But what?" Fang Xiao asked with a serious expression.

Hou Ping's face suddenly turned red. He leaned in toward Fang Xiao and whispered, "My wife is quite strict, and I still have to 'pay the grain' at night, so I'm afraid I'll need Brother Fang to handle the first half of the night..."

"..." Fang Xiao nodded, his expression blank.

Seeing this, Hou Ping chuckled a few times and shouted toward the entrance of the Catching Yamen, "You lot, get in here! I have an announcement."

Several junior bailiffs hurried inside, packing up their belongings. "Please give your orders, sir."

"After consulting with Head Catcher Fang, we have decided to stake out Wheat Valley Alley day and night."

"Ah?"

As soon as the words fell, the bailiffs' expressions changed instantly.

"S-sir, will there be a raise in pay?"

"Yes."

"Sir, we are only ordinary men. If that killer is some bloodthirsty beast..."

"Those who claim to be ordinary can go home. Tomorrow, the day after, and from here on out, you need not return."

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

"Then patrol the first half of the night, and go stake out the second half."

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

"Do you think you're the only one with a family?"

"Can't we just solve the matter during the day?!"

"..."

Fang Xiao: "?"