Zhang Meng

"Then does anyone know where Zhang Meng went?"

Liu Jinhu's sharp gaze swept across everyone present.

Under the stare of those murderously intent eyes, everyone lowered their heads in silence, not daring to speak, terrified that the moment they opened their mouths, they would be implicated.

This was the living King Yama of the Affairs Hall's Law Enforcement Hall!

If he invited you to the Law Enforcement Hall, even if you did not die, you would be skinned alive.

"What? None of you know?"

Liu Jinhu was somewhat displeased, but seeing the crowd lower their heads out of fear of him also made him secretly pleased.

"You two, investigate. Find Zhang Meng for me."

Liu Jinhu ordered the two Law Enforcement Hall disciples at his sides, and they immediately accepted the order and left.

Liu Jinhu then continued searching through the Waste Hall. It was clear that his methods of handling cases were highly professional; he evidently dealt with similar cases often.

He even searched Zhang Meng's room, gathering up every piece of evidence that looked reliable.

Li Ping'an sat silently with the Waste Hall disciples, all the while observing Liu Jinhu.

It was clear that Liu Jinhu truly was someone formidable. He looked rough and fierce on the outside, but his mind was in fact extremely meticulous, and his methods were seasoned and experienced.

If such a person ever became his enemy, he would truly be a considerable headache!

Since the Waste Hall had burned down, the day's work was ruined as well. The Waste Hall disciples could only remain where they were and wait for the Law Enforcement Hall to finish its investigation.

Still, Li Ping'an finally got a rare chance to relax. These past few days, he had cultivated like a man fighting for his life, day and night without rest. Today was the perfect chance to rest and adjust himself.

He had currently reached the ninth stage of Body Tempering. He needed to choose an auspicious day and take that Qi Refining Pill when he was in his best condition,

so that he could break through into the Qi Refining stage in one stroke. Then, he would be able to cultivate the Taiyi Qi-Guiding Art and use a cultivation technique to circulate the spiritual power within his body.

Thinking of the figure who had attacked him last night, Li Ping'an could not help feeling a lingering chill of fear.

That black-clad man had been seasoned in his methods and tricky in his movements. If not for the Golden Light Talisman, Li Ping'an would have been dead long ago.

He needed to break through as quickly as possible. It would be best to find time to go down the mountain again and buy some defensive magic artifacts and talismans to keep on himself.

From the current situation, whether it was Steward Wang or that Senior Brother Zhang, they had already decided to tear off all pretenses and take his life. He had to stay on guard at all times.

As Li Ping'an pondered this, he suddenly heard a burst of footsteps from outside. From the sound of it, there was more than one person.

Then he saw several Law Enforcement Hall disciples dressed in black escorting someone into the Waste Hall.

That person looked utterly bedraggled, his face bruised and swollen. He had clearly been badly beaten.

Two Law Enforcement Hall disciples kicked him to the ground. He coughed a few times before struggling to climb back up. This person was none other than the long-missing Zhang Meng.

"Senior Brother Liu, we brought him."

A Law Enforcement Hall disciple spoke respectfully.

Liu Jinhu nodded, his eyes filled with excitement as he studied Zhang Meng on the ground with great interest.

"Your name is Zhang Meng, correct?"

"Yes."

The moment Zhang Meng saw Liu Jinhu, his whole body began to tremble uncontrollably. He did not dare meet Liu Jinhu's eyes.

"Then tell me, where did you go from last night until now?"

Zhang Meng paused, seemingly trying hard to recall, before saying in a trembling voice,

"Reporting to Senior Brother, I... I had a housewarming feast last night, so I drank a few cups. I asked Steward He for leave, then went back."

"Steward He, did he ask you for leave?"

Liu Jinhu turned to look at Steward He.

Steward He scratched his head, his eyes full of confusion.

"Leave? Zhang Meng, when did you ask me for leave? Why don't I remember such a thing?"

Zhang Meng looked at Steward He, his eyes full of pleading.

"I did ask! Steward He, don't you remember? Last night, I toasted you with a cup of wine, then I asked you for leave. Do you really not remember?"

The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, looking at Steward He with a face full of desperate pleading.

Seeing this, Steward He also came to understand.

It shocked him greatly!

Could it be that Zhang Meng really had a problem?

From the look of him, he wanted Steward He to cover for him!

But Steward He was no fool. Though he was old, he had spent so many years in the sect. After hesitating for a long while, he still solemnly shook his head.

"Deacon Liu, Zhang Meng did not ask me for leave last night."

"Oh, now that is interesting. Zhang Meng, come. Organize your words again and tell me what you did last night."

Liu Jinhu continued to smile upon hearing this, and the smile on his face grew even broader as he looked at Zhang Meng with narrowed eyes.

A trace of despair flashed through Zhang Meng's eyes, and he struggled to say,

"Then... then I remembered wrong. I was drunk, so I forgot to ask Steward He for leave and went home by myself to rest."

"Is that so? Is that really what happened?"

Liu Jinhu's smile turned somewhat sinister.

Zhang Meng swallowed.

"Y-yes, it's true. Absolutely true. If you don't believe me, you can ask my family."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly let out a miserable scream, startling everyone!

Liu Jinhu had suddenly stepped on Zhang Meng's lower leg and viciously ground down. A series of cracking bones rang out as Zhang Meng broke into a cold sweat from the pain and howled without stop.

"Mercy, my lord! Everything I said is the truth! Please spare me, my lord!"

"Heh, still being stubborn, are you?"

Liu Jinhu sneered.

"I like people like you who keep their mouths shut."

,

He turned and ordered several Law Enforcement Hall disciples,

"Go bring Zhang Meng's entire family here. Bring them all to the Waste Hall, and his son is no exception."

"But... but his son has already become a disciple under Elder Yu De, an outer sect elder..."

"So what?"

Liu Jinhu sneered.

"When our Law Enforcement Hall investigates, no matter who you are, you must cooperate. Otherwise, you are opposing our Law Enforcement Hall!"

Hearing this, everyone could not help drawing in a sharp breath.

So this was the authority of the Law Enforcement Hall. No wonder no one in the entire sect, from top to bottom, dared not fear the Law Enforcement Hall.

Whether inner sect or outer sect, even elders changed color at the mention of the Law Enforcement Hall!

It was because their authority was too great, and they answered directly to the sect master, restrained by no one. Whoever they wished to investigate, they investigated.

Seeing this, Li Ping'an could not help shaking his head. Zhang Meng was truly finished this time!

But if anyone was to blame, it could only be Zhang Meng himself. He had let greed cloud his mind and had most likely accepted benefits from Steward Wang.

He just did not know why, if Zhang Meng wanted to kill him, that was one thing—but why did he also want to burn everyone in the Waste Hall to death?

"My lord, no! I truly was not lying. Everything I said was the truth."