The others nodded.
From the first murder in Wheat Valley Alley to the eighth, less than a month had passed.
And that was only a few cult members and a young girl who was the Young Master. No one knew how many people stood behind the Blood Fiend Cult.
If they did nothing, more people would surely die at their hands.
Lin Zhenwu continued, "To prevent the Blood Fiend Cult from doubling back, I'll stay here in Willow Town."
"Shao Pengshu, Tan Hong, you two will leave for Baiyuan County tomorrow and report everything truthfully."
"Yes." The two answered respectfully.
"As for the credit..." He paused and looked at Fang Xiao. "Do as Instructor Fang arranged."
Shao Pengshu hesitated.
Fang Xiao had arranged for Shao Pengshu to claim all the credit, earn a promotion, and protect that young master.
But the situation had changed. The culprit wasn't an individual, but the Blood Fiend Cult, which devoured organs.
Even if they had only killed a few cult members and found little evidence, the credit would probably be greater than they'd originally expected.
If Shao Pengshu still took all the credit, he'd likely make plenty of enemies...
Tan Hong was fine. After all, he was Shao Pengshu's subordinate, so if Shao got credit, Tan Hong would surely get his share too.
Shao Pengshu turned to Hou Ping, his face sincere, and cupped his hands apologetically. "Chief Constable Hou, I offended you twice. Please forgive me."
Then he looked toward Lin Zhenwu. "Chief Instructor Lin, I know you don't care for this little bit of credit, and Instructor Fang won't want it either, but Chief Constable Hou—"
"Chief Constable Hou won't be left out, of course." Lin Zhenwu interrupted before Shao Pengshu could finish. "Instructor Fang needs you to climb the ranks, so climb them."
"As for Chief Constable Hou..." Lin Zhenwu mused. "If I remember right, Chief Constable Hou has a son who's very interested in martial arts?"
Hou Ping's eyes lit up. He hurriedly replied, "That's right. My good-for-nothing boy isn't much at reading, but he's strong and likes swinging swords and spears."
"Perfect, then. Chief Constable Hou, how about having Shao Pengshu bring him into the Criminal Defense Division?"
"Thank you, Instructor Lin!"
Hou Ping was overjoyed.
He'd already guessed why Fang Xiao wanted to give the credit to Shao Pengshu: it was for that young master. He hadn't been thinking about credit for himself anyway.
At his age, still serving as a constable in a small town, he'd more or less reached the end of the road.
To him, the best credit wasn't for himself, but for his son, Hou Wuchun.
Hou Wuchun wasn't good at studying, but he was sturdier than other boys his age—a natural talent for martial arts. If he could join the Criminal Defense Division and receive proper training, he could surely become an expert who could refine his blood and qi.
"Also, Shao Pengshu, besides your promotion, you'll probably receive a good sum of silver as a reward this time. Take it out."
"I was planning to do that even before you said so, Instructor Lin."
Seeing that no one else had anything to say, Lin Zhenwu didn't want to waste time. "All right, that's about it. You can all leave. I have something to discuss with Instructor Fang."
The others tactfully left, leaving only Lin Zhenwu and Fang Xiao in the government hall.
"Lin Zhenwu, didn't you say you didn't want to get involved in my affairs? Why are you arranging for Hou Ping's son to join the Criminal Defense Division?"
Fang Xiao sat upright in his chair, his expression shifting between light and dark. The way things had unfolded had been completely beyond his expectations. If not for the mysterious person's help from the shadows, all his plans would have come to nothing.
But if that mysterious person was the young master, then everything he'd done seemed rather unnecessary.
A martial arts expert on Lin Zhenwu's level wouldn't need him to arrange for Shao Pengshu to protect the young master. Probably only Lin Zhenwu, Chief Instructor of the Criminal Defense Division, was qualified for the job.
But was the young master a mysterious expert?
He wasn't sure.
He couldn't bring himself to believe it, either.
A martial artist nearing the peak of the Blood Activation Realm—in less than a month?
Lin Zhenwu's expression was indifferent. His gaze shifted away from the long spear. "I really didn't want to get involved. Your affairs with the Chu Family, and that third young master, Chu Ming, are all trouble. A big reason you're in such poor condition, with your blood and qi in decline, is the Chu Family."
"I thought that once the Chu Family's young master died of his illness, you could return to the Criminal Defense Division. But somehow, you managed to save someone whose foundation had been severely damaged."
"I also have no idea how you turned a heedless, pleasure-seeking bastard into the top student in the Academy Exam."
"As a comrade who once fought alongside you, all I can say is this: Fang Xiao, I admire you, but I pity you too."
"Was it worth it, for one woman and one illegitimate son?"
Lin Zhenwu's gaze flickered as he stared fixedly at Fang Xiao.
Fang Xiao listened without showing much emotion. He only replied coolly, "Qingning once saved my life."
"Then why didn't you destroy the Chu Family after they killed Qingning? Don't tell me you don't have the strength."
"Qingning wouldn't let me. She said that was where she belonged."
"Just for those words?"
"Yes."
"Ah..."
After a long while, Lin Zhenwu finally said, "You've never changed. You're still the same as when you were young—repaying a drop of kindness with a spring of gratitude."
"For decades, the people around me have either died on the battlefield or fallen in the struggle for power. Now you're the only stubborn old mule I have left as a friend."
"I'll protect that young master."
"Then I owe you my thanks, Chief Instructor Lin." Fang Xiao finally relaxed his tense expression.
Silence fell over the government hall again.
A little while later, Fang Xiao glanced outside and stood. "It's about time. If you have nothing else, Chief Instructor Lin, I'll be on my way."
Lin Zhenwu said nothing. Only when Fang Xiao reached the doorway did he ask, "You really won't return to Baiyuan County?"
Fang Xiao stopped. His voice suddenly turned cold. "I swore that the day I set foot in Baiyuan County again would be the day the Chu Family was wiped out."
"Isn't that a good thing? You'd avenge Qingning," Lin Zhenwu asked in confusion.
"But I also promised Qingning I wouldn't lay a hand on the Chu Family."
"So I can't go back."
"...You're stubborn as ever."
A small courtyard at the end of West Street, Willow Town.
The oil lamp flickered in the dim little room. Chu Ming sat at the desk, where three books lay.
One was half of the Blood Fiend Body-Forging Technique, taken from the constable Yuan Chengji. The other two were obtained today after killing the Teahouse Owner.
His gaze lowered to the titles on the two books: Blood Fiend Body-Forging Technique and Blood Claw Hand.
"The complete Blood Fiend Body-Forging Technique for the Blood Activation Realm, and a martial skill."
He moved the oil lamp closer. Everything about this world was fine, except that there was no electricity. At night, they could only rely on oil lamps, and the wind made the light dance and hurt his eyes.
Even so, nothing could dampen his eagerness to study the two books.
Chu Ming first looked through the complete Blood Fiend Body-Forging Technique. He only skimmed the first half, since he'd already memorized it yesterday.
Skipping that part, he quickly read the rest of the Blood Fiend Art.
He read ten lines at a glance and never forgot what he saw. It didn't take long for him to finish.
At the same time, in his mind, the small puddle that represented the Blood Fiend Body-Forging Technique transformed into a somewhat larger one.
He had done that on purpose.
Chu Ming didn't want to practice this bloodthirsty technique. He wanted to refine and improve it, creating a new technique, just as he had with the Tiger Python Body-Forging Technique.
As he had the day before, he first tried guiding the lake water from the Body Forging Technique into the puddle.
The puddle expanded, transforming into a stream.
That stream then joined the streams and lakes in his mind that held his travel journals, the Classic of Poetry, the Art of War, and the Tiger Python Body-Forging Technique.
It converged, dispersed, and was refined...
The bloodthirsty aspect was stripped away, leaving its fierce offensive power exposed.
Before long, the feeling he'd had when improving the Tiger Python Body-Forging Technique returned.
The corner of his mouth twitched, and a smile appeared on his face.
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