Black Lotus Blooms

Zhao Yongfeng arrived with his men and, without distinguishing black from white, immediately accused Liu Yunfeng of overstepping his bounds. His intentions were obvious: he had come to bail out the Flying Eagle Gang.

But since Liu Yunfeng had already decided to make an example of them, why would he care about Zhao Yongfeng? With a cold sneer, he said, "The Flying Eagle Gang committed a murder in my jurisdiction. I brought men here to investigate the case, perfectly justified. How is that overstepping my bounds?

"On the other hand, not only have you failed to assist your fellow City Guard Office officers in investigating the case, you are even trying to obstruct us. Could it be that you intend to shield criminals?"

Unable to pick fault with Liu Yunfeng, Zhao Yongfeng instead found a huge accusation pinned on him. His face immediately became rather hard to look at.

"Liu Yunfeng, don't spout nonsense! You say you came to investigate a case—did you report it to the chief constable?"

"No need for your concern. Once I have dealt with this, I will naturally report it to the chief constable." Liu Yunfeng remained unmoved.

Zhao Yongfeng frowned, his voice carrying a threat. "Liu Yunfeng, are you truly determined to move against the Flying Eagle Gang? You are merely a petty constable. Can you bear the consequences?"

Zhao Yongfeng's words were naturally meant to remind Liu Yunfeng that the Flying Eagle Gang had an important figure protecting them from behind the scenes. Moving against the Flying Eagle Gang meant offending that great figure.

Liu Yunfeng's attitude was exceedingly resolute. He raised the saber in his hand and said, "As a constable of the City Guard Office, I handle cases impartially. What have I to fear? If you dare obstruct me, you should think carefully about whether you can bear the consequences of sheltering criminals."

Zhao Yongfeng's face alternated between green and white. He was furious, but there was nothing he could do. They were both constables of the City Guard Office; if Liu Yunfeng insisted on having his way, Zhao Yongfeng truly had no means to stop him. He could hardly come to blows with Liu Yunfeng.

Just then, a cold, sinister voice drifted over.

"I would like to see which constable is acting with such arrogance and tyranny."

The newcomer was around thirty years old, with a hooked nose and a gloomy, sinister face. He wore a pale green City Guard Office uniform embroidered with cloud patterns, a three-foot sword hanging at his waist. A faint air of authority rested between his brows.

"Greetings, Lord Zhou."

Delight appeared on Zhao Yongfeng's face as he hurried forward to pay his respects. Liu Yunfeng also sheathed his saber and stepped forward to cup his hands.

The yamen runners who recognized the newcomer likewise bowed in greeting with a rustle.

Chen Cheng did not recognize this Lord Zhou and was a step too slow to react.

Liao San hurriedly tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "This is Lord Zhou Xu, an assistant administrator at the South District City Guard Headquarters."

Chen Cheng suddenly understood and promptly bowed along with the other yamen runners.

The post of assistant administrator was the deputy to the chief official of the South District City Guard Headquarters, half a rank above the chief constables of the various ward branches of the South District City Guard Office.

Cao Fei waved a hand, ordering the Flying Eagle Gang members to put away their weapons. Bending low, he stepped forward to pay his respects with an ingratiating smile.

Zhou Xu merely waved a hand casually and ignored him thereafter. Turning to Liu Yunfeng, he said with a dark expression,

"Constable Liu, you have brought such a grand force here. Are you planning to wipe out the Flying Eagle Gang?"

As an assistant administrator of the City Guard Office, Zhou Xu held a high position. Yet he had personally come to the Flying Eagle Gang's base. There was no need to say it—he was the important figure behind the Flying Eagle Gang.

Liu Yunfeng said solemnly, "That is not my intention. Members of the Flying Eagle Gang broke into a residence at night, robbed it, and took lives. I came in accordance with the law to investigate the case."

There was no solid evidence for the charge of intending to harm City Guard Office yamen runners. Liu Yunfeng could use his official status to suppress Cao Fei, the Flying Eagle Gang's leader, under that pretext and seize the chance to establish his authority, but he could not bring it up before Zhou Xu.

"Oh?" Zhou Xu said. "And how has Constable Liu's investigation progressed?"

Liu Yunfeng said, "The case has already been cleared up. The thief who broke into the residence at night has been executed."

"Since that is so, Constable Liu may return and report completion of the case," Zhou Xu said.

"Yes." Liu Yunfeng answered, then waved his hand and led his yamen runners out of the Flying Eagle Gang's base.

Ruyi Ward branch office of the City Guard Office.

Liu Yunfeng's office.

"Many thanks for what happened today, Chief Liu." Chen Cheng cupped his hands and offered his solemn thanks.

Liu Yunfeng looked relaxed. Smiling, he said, "A-Cheng, you are a yamen runner of the City Guard Office, and you serve under me, Liu Yunfeng. If the Flying Eagle Gang dares set its sights on you, they are making trouble for me. Naturally, I have to teach them a lesson.

"If I cannot even protect my own brothers, then there is no need for me, Liu Yunfeng, to remain a constable."

Chen Cheng said worriedly, "Chief Liu, you stood up for me and offended Lord Zhou. I fear he may make things difficult for you in the future."

Liu Yunfeng gave a hearty laugh, not taking it to heart at all. "Although Zhou Xu is an assistant administrator at the South District City Guard Headquarters, he does not directly oversee the Ruyi Ward branch office. It will not be so easy for him to make things difficult for me."

Just then, a rather beautiful woman in blue robes, a longsword at her waist, arrived at the doorway.

She was Xiao Qing, Shen Qingshuang's personal maid.

"Miss Xiao Qing, do you need something from me?"

Liu Yunfeng hurriedly stepped forward and asked.

"Constable Liu, you have quite the nerve. You mobilized the entire force to handle a case without reporting it to the chief constable!"

Xiao Qing wore a stern expression, clearly here to call him to account.

As Shen Qingshuang's personal maid, she was practically the chief constable's incarnation within the Ruyi Ward branch office. She had always been domineering, and even constables received no pleasant looks from her.

Liu Yunfeng seemed long accustomed to her attitude. Without any haste, he said, "The case was urgent, and I did not have time."

"The chief constable has ordered you to go report to her immediately." Xiao Qing's face remained cold.

"A-Cheng, go handle your affairs first. If anything comes up, come find me anytime." Liu Yunfeng called out before hurrying toward Shen Qingshuang's courtyard.

Chen Cheng was about to leave when he saw Xiao Qing staring at him intently, seemingly lost in thought.

How would Chen Cheng dare provoke her? He immediately turned and left.

But Xiao Qing called out, "Stop."

"What does Miss Xiao Qing need of me?" Chen Cheng stopped.

Xiao Qing's face reddened slightly. She hesitated for quite some time before finally asking in a low voice, "While you were in prison, did you learn any cultivation art from Master Xiuchen?"

What Chen Cheng feared most was others asking about Master Xiuchen. His heart immediately tightened, and his first instinct was to deny it outright.

But after a moment's thought, he felt that would be inappropriate. Xiao Qing would not ask for no reason.

In the blink of an eye, he put on a teeth-gritting expression and said, "You mean that bald donkey Xiuchen? He was a fraud. He took out some lousy Iron Garment Art manual and tricked me into buying him good wine and fine dishes.

"After I practiced it, I nearly became crippled.

"If I had not discovered in time that it was a fake manual and stopped cultivating it, I would probably be dead by now."

His words were half true and half false, but to Xiao Qing, they completely matched the information she had received from Shen Qingshuang. They could not have sounded more genuine.

Xiao Qing's expression suddenly softened, carrying a trace of sympathy as she said quietly,

"You cultivated a fake manual. You must have been seriously injured, right?"

Chen Cheng widened his eyes and cursed bitterly, "Wasn't I? I vomited a full three liters of blood and lay in bed for half a month before recovering.

"That bastard Xiuchen was truly hateful! But I did not let him off easily either. After recovering from my injuries, I worked him over with a branding iron for more than ten days straight. There was not a single good spot left on his body. At last, I had my revenge."

Chen Cheng's bitter, hatred-filled appearance amused Xiao Qing so much that she nearly laughed aloud. She hurriedly covered her little mouth and said, "All right, go about your business!"

Without realizing it, her attitude toward Chen Cheng had already undergone a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn.

Only after watching Chen Cheng walk away did she head toward Shen Qingshuang's small courtyard, muttering, "Who would have thought? This Chen Cheng is rather pitiful."

In the small courtyard, Shen Qingshuang looked up at the sky. Dark clouds had gathered in the somewhat gloomy heavens, forming the shape of a lotus. She too murmured to herself.

"The black lotus blooms, and all laws are at ease..."