Wang Hu

The newcomer was none other than Wang Long's younger brother, the Iron Tiger Gang's leader, and a Dark Force expert—Wang Hu!

Compared with Wang Long's face, which was covered in rolls of flesh, Wang Hu looked much more refined.

He seemed to be in his thirties and could be called handsome and distinguished, but his tiger-like eyes gleamed brightly, giving off an intimidating pressure.

At that moment, his expression was grim, and his presence was even more imposing.

Behind him followed a group of men whose expressions were just as unpleasant. There were more than a dozen of them, each radiating powerful energy.

When he entered the courtyard, he spotted Wang Long's body on the ground and slowed for a moment. Only after a brief pause did he walk over.

Without changing expression, he looked down at Wang Long's body and remained silent for a long while.

At last, he drew a deep breath and closed his eyes. In that instant, the fury and terrifying killing intent hidden in their depths could be seen.

Then he opened his eyes again, his expression once more grim. He turned to Zhao Xing and Zhou Xing, drew a deep breath, and clasped his hands. "Chief Zhao, Chief Zhou, this time... you've both worked hard... Have you found anything?"

Zhao Xing waved a hand, his tone indifferent. "It's just our duty. There's no need to call it hard work. As for what we've found... nothing of value so far."

Zhou Xing said nothing.

Seeing Zhao Xing's cool indifference, Wang Hu didn't grow angry. He gave a slight nod, then said, "If there's anything we can do to help, please just say the word... In any case, I'll have to trouble you both to find the killer and clear my brother's name."

"It's our duty. There's no need to say more." Zhao Xing remained as cool and indifferent as ever.

"But there are a few things I'd like to ask you about." He paused, then continued.

"I'll tell you everything I know," Wang Hu replied calmly.

"Has Wang Long offended anyone lately?" Zhao Xing asked, raising an eyebrow.

Wang Hu paused, then calmly replied, "My brother was charitable and helpful by nature. He was always eager to lend a hand. He shouldn't have offended anyone."

"Wang Long? Charitable and helpful?" Zhao Xing scoffed.

Wang Hu said nothing.

After a pause, Zhao Xing said, "This is clearly a revenge killing. The culprit came specifically to kill Wang Long and several of his men. If we don't know the reason, it'll be hard to investigate further."

Wang Hu furrowed his brow and fell into thought.

The scene fell silent.

A long while later, Wang Hu finally said calmly, "In that case... I'll have to ask you both to investigate thoroughly and see whether my brother really did offend anyone without realizing it."

Wang Hu was clearly unwilling to say more.

After looking at him, Zhao Xing nodded. "If that's the case... all right."

He glanced around, then said, "We've more or less finished investigating. That's all for today. If we find anything else, I'll come back to you... We're wrapping up."

At his command, the constables began packing up. Someone brought two stretchers, intending to take the dead back to the yamen.

But Wang Hu stopped them.

"My brother has passed away. There's no need to trouble you, Chief Zhao, with his body. Let him rest in peace."

Wang Hu spoke calmly.

"We need to take the bodies from a murder case back to the yamen for examination. We might find some clues. They can't be buried yet," Zhao Xing said with a frown.

"Then please let Chief Zhou examine him here... My sister-in-law and nephew are right outside. I can't let them see my brother like this." Wang Hu gently shook his head.

Zhao Xing turned around and only then noticed that when these men had arrived, they'd brought a coffin with them. It was now waiting at the entrance.

Zhao Xing frowned and instinctively looked toward Zhou Xing.

"There's nothing left to examine on the body. I've already checked what needed checking," Zhou Xing said calmly.

Zhao Xing furrowed his brow at that, but in the end, he said nothing more. He waved a hand, and the constables carrying the stretchers gave up on taking Wang Long away.

Zhao Xing was a little annoyed. He gave a cool snort. "Wang Hu, those who commit too many injustices will bring ruin upon themselves... Your Iron Tiger Gang... you'd better watch yourselves."

Wang Hu's expression didn't change. He bowed and said, "Thank you for the warning, Chief Zhao."

Zhao Xing gave Wang Hu a long look, then said no more. He waved his hand, and the constables left.

Outside the entrance, they passed Wang Long's middle-aged, plump wife.

She stood there in a daze, holding the child in her arms, with no telling what was going through her mind.

"Brother Hu."

Only after the constables had left did one of the men beside Wang Hu speak in a low voice.

Wang Hu's face was cold and solemn. He looked at Wang Long's body for a moment, then asked calmly, "With all that commotion last night, did nobody really hear anything?"

"The families next door all heard it," someone said quietly. "But they didn't dare show their faces."

Wang Long's death and the arrival of the constables had naturally alarmed the neighbors long ago.

During the investigation, someone had told the neighbors the truth... They had all heard the commotion last night.

But...

"Wang Long was with the Iron Tiger Gang. Who knows who he'd offended? How could I dare go outside? I never thought something would really happen..."

These days, it was best to avoid trouble whenever possible.

Wang Hu's expression was numb as he said flatly, "I want to know everything they heard last night."

"Then what?" his subordinate asked quietly.

"Then what?... They didn't come out when my brother was dying. They won't need to come out again." Wang Hu looked at Wang Long's body and spoke coldly.

A chill flashed through his subordinate's eyes. He bowed to accept the order, then left with several men.

Wang Hu looked at Wang Long's body without speaking.

"Could the Four Seas Gang have done it?" someone beside Wang Hu asked in a low voice.

"If it were Cao Zhen, there'd be no need for all this trouble... Qiu Jin said that person killed someone at Lan Gui Fang, then escaped using a feigned injury. That doesn't seem like Cao Zhen's style." Wang Hu gently shook his head.

"Then..."

Everyone furrowed their brows, at a loss.

"Investigate what my brother's been doing lately." Wang Hu closed his eyes and spoke in a low voice.

Although Wang Long was his older brother, Wang Hu generally kept him away from important gang affairs because his cultivation couldn't keep up.

So as for what Wang Long usually did... Wang Hu really didn't know much.

"And that Scar-Head Li... What's his background? Look into him too."

Wang Hu looked at Wang Long's body. "He died at the mouth of the alley, also killed by a dart. Clearly, he may be connected to this matter."

"Yes."

The constables knew nothing of Wang Hu's actions.

After they returned to the Duty Office, Zhao Xing instructed everyone to organize the files for the case. He went into the yamen himself, intending to report to the county magistrate.

...Eight lives. Even if they were all ruffians, even gang members, they were still eight people. Under normal circumstances, this would be a major case that shook the heavens.

Only... there had been far too many cases in True Martial County lately.

The wave of unrest among the refugees alone had claimed at least several hundred lives, and the aftermath was still a tangled mess.

But no matter what, a case this serious had to be reported to the magistrate.

Zhao Xing left to see the magistrate.

Zhou Xing stayed behind with the other constables to sort through the case materials and evidence, and fill out the body examination forms...

But not long afterward, Zhao Xing returned, his brow furrowed.

Zhou Xing looked up and saw his expression. He froze, then asked in a low voice with a frown, "Not in again?"

Zhao Xing let out a soft sigh and nodded.

"The people from above will probably arrive soon. The magistrate is likely trying to find a way out... Sigh, I wonder if he'll be able to escape blame this time."

Zhao Xing sounded worried.

The magistrate he was talking about was, of course, Yang Zhenwu, the county magistrate of True Martial County.

The situation in True Martial County had grown far too serious this time. The relief grain had been burned, and the refugees had rebelled... It was a matter that reached the highest levels.

As the county magistrate of True Martial County, Yang Zhenwu was the first to bear the brunt.

Heard that his connections ran deep... but the matter was too serious. Whether he could get out unscathed was still hard to say.

Now that the rebellious refugees had reportedly been suppressed, the reckoning would likely come soon.

An imperial commissioner could arrive in True Martial at any moment...

Yang Zhenwu had been coming and going like a dragon, never to be seen for long, these past few days. He was probably trying to work his connections.

To be fair, Yang Zhenwu was innocent. It was obvious someone had been scheming in secret.

But the people above wouldn't care about that... They only looked at the result.

And the result was... the relief grain sent to True Martial had been burned, causing tens of thousands of refugees to rebel.

As the one chiefly responsible, Yang Zhenwu would probably be unable to escape blame.

Zhou Xing sighed at that too, and could only say, "May fortune favor the virtuous... Let's just hope nothing too bad happens."

For something this serious, minor officials like him and Zhao Xing couldn't do a thing to help.

All they could do was pray.

"Sigh, forget it. Let's put it aside for now. Wang Hu doesn't seem to want us to investigate anyway... Let them fight among themselves. All right, all right, we've been busy all morning. Let's go get lunch."

Zhao Xing gave up on it altogether.

The constables, who'd been working all morning, immediately perked up at the mention of lunch and quickly tidied up.

They were just about to leave.

"Chief Zhou, Chief Zhou..."

Suddenly, a constable appeared at the door. He peered into the Duty Office, spotted the group about to leave, and froze. Then he called out to Zhou Xing.

Zhou Xing saw who it was and froze for a moment, but quickly realized what was going on. A smile appeared on his face. "You're here? We were just going to get lunch. Want to come along? We can talk while we eat."

"No, no." The constable hurriedly waved his hands, then lowered his voice. "Chief Zhou, could I speak with you in private..."

Seeing the constable's expression, Zhou Xing froze. His brow furrowed slightly as he realized there might be bad news. He nodded, then said to Zhao Xing, "You go ahead. I've got something to take care of."

Zhao Xing froze for a moment. He knew this constable, of course... He was a clerk from the Household Department.

He was a little curious about what Zhou Xing could have to do with the Household Department, but Zhao Xing was no fool. He didn't ask. He nodded and said, "Then hurry up. We'll be at our usual place."

"All right."

Zhao Xing and the other constables left to get lunch, while Zhou Xing and the Household Department clerk stepped outside the Duty Office.

The clerk rubbed his hands, then sighed softly. He said in a low voice, "Chief Zhou, I'm sorry. The matter you asked me to handle last time... I'm afraid it can't be done for now."

Just as he'd expected.

The moment Zhou Xing heard that, his brow furrowed deeply.

"What happened? It's only a matter of registering a refugee as a resident... Is something making it difficult?"

"Well... It was Head An's decision... You know that all residency registrations need Head An's approval. But Head An said that the unrest among the refugees hasn't yet settled down, so we have to be extra cautious when registering them as residents, in case rebels use it to escape punishment. So..."

The Household Department clerk spread his hands helplessly.

"An Changyu?"

Zhou Xing's brow furrowed at once.

"Chief Zhou, you know I can't go against Head An's orders... So... I'm sorry. And since the matter didn't get done, I really don't feel right accepting your gift. This..."

As the clerk spoke, he took an Identity Plate and several taels of silver from his clothes and tried to return them to Zhou Xing.

Zhou Xing breathed out softly and held down his hand. "What are you doing? It's not your fault the matter didn't get done... I saw how you ran around trying to handle it these past few days. It's just a small token of my appreciation. Keep it and buy yourself a drink."

"This..." The clerk looked embarrassed.

Zhou Xing smiled and reassured him a few times. In the end, the clerk said quietly, "As for this matter, I think you'll have to speak to Head An yourself... Or have the magistrate give the order... Chief Zhou, you should get back to work. I still have some official business to take care of, so I'll take my leave."

"All right. Thanks for your effort."

"It was nothing, nothing..."

The Household Department clerk left.

Zhou Xing, however, stood there with his brow furrowed, looking at the somewhat dirty Identity Plate in his hand.

His expression gradually darkened.

He hadn't expected to botch the one task his master had finally asked him to handle...

"An Changyu..."

His brow furrowed tightly.

A moment later, he breathed out softly and turned to leave the yamen.

Even though he hadn't managed to get it done, he still had to tell his master.

He first bought two jin of liquor, then cut several jin of yellow beef, and only then headed to his master's place.

Not long afterward, he entered Spring Return Hall.