Prince Rong's Heir, Zhao Yun Chuan

Li Chen Zhou paid no heed to everyone's emotions. His gaze swept over the three before him like a blade. "How did the previous Xiaoqi die?"

Black Dog's expression darkened, his voice low. "He was unfortunately killed while pursuing The Skinner..."

"Was the case solved?"

"He got away." Black Dog clenched his fists. "That bastard's lightness skill was exceptional. We couldn't catch him."

"Ding... Congratulations, Host, for triggering the profession quest: Capture The Skinner. Reward: five years of internal cultivation. Time limit: three days."

"Accepted," Li Chen Zhou said decisively.

He quietly considered the order of tackling the easy matters before the difficult ones. Thinking of Prince Rong in court, a cold smile curled across Li Chen Zhou's lips—if he could not touch him, could he not touch his maternal relatives?

His gaze returned to the three men, and Li Chen Zhou suddenly smiled. "The three of you have rather interesting names."

Black Dog hastily cupped his fists. "Reporting to my lord, this subordinate Black Dog excels at tracking, White Cat is skilled in gathering intelligence, and Bookworm has memorized every case file."

Li Chen Zhou's eyes lit up. This combination was simply made in heaven. Other than being somewhat lacking in combat strength, everything else was ready-made. As for fighting? With him here, that was enough.

"Let's start with the first case." He dusted off his sleeve. "Take me to Hundred Flowers Brothel for questioning, then arrest the culprit directly."

Deep within Green Mouth Alley, Hundred Flowers Brothel looked especially decadent in the morning light. Before they even approached, the stench of cheap rouge mingled with sour overnight wine rushed at them.

Black Dog stepped forward and knocked on the door ring. After a while, a bleary-eyed madam pulled open a crack in the door. Upon seeing the officers, she immediately piled on a fawning smile. "Oh, officers, the girls are still resting..."

Before she could finish, a blood-red scabbard silently came to rest on her shoulder. The chilling killing intent radiating from the Blood Demon Blade coiled upward like a venomous snake, and the smile on the madam's face instantly froze.

To everyone's surprise, the golden lock at her neck suddenly glimmered with an eerie dark light, forcefully blocking three-tenths of the Blood Demon Blade's pressure. Even stranger, a dark-purple lotus tattoo gradually emerged behind her ear.

"Someone from the Joyful Union Sect?" Bookworm cried out in alarm, then explained to Li Chen Zhou, "My lord, this is the unique mark of the Joyful Union Sect, a demonic cult from ten years ago!"

A fierce chill flared in Li Chen Zhou's eyes, though his lips hooked into an amused smile. "Looks like we've hooked a big fish."

The madam trembled all over beneath the pressure, yet still forced herself to say, "My lord... are you here to wreck the place?"

Li Chen Zhou merely smiled without answering. He simply watched her with the calm gaze of a cat playing with a mouse, waiting for what she would say next.

"Our Hundred Flowers Brothel couldn't keep standing in the Capital City without some strength. My lord had best weigh matters carefully."

Li Chen Zhou found a table and sat down. The Blood Demon Blade dragged across the wooden tabletop with a grating screech. He sprawled imposingly in the grand chair, the blade tip touching the floor and carving a ditch an inch deep. "Half an incense stick. Either everyone gathers here, or this official will help you tear apart this filthy place."

The procuress decided to prepare with both hands, calling people together while also sending someone to seek out her backer.

Before long, everyone from Hundred Flowers Brothel had gathered in the main hall.

Li Chen Zhou sat with his blade planted before him, while Bookworm stood beside him, responsible for taking down statements.

"When the victim was killed that day, who was present, and what did you see? My blade has tasted three hundred and sixty-one flavors of lies. You may as well try the cutting method from the fourth sixty-year cycle..." He gently turned the hilt. The Blood Demon Blade remained sheathed, yet its blade qi had already condensed into a blood-red crescent. A sandalwood table three zhang away instantly became countless wooden splinters, which eerily hung in midair to form the character "death." Only after three breaths did they rustle down.

The Blood Demon Blade released overwhelming killing intent that blanketed everyone. That pure killing intent plunged them into extreme terror.

Then Li Chen Zhou casually pointed at one of the girls. "You. Come out and speak."

"We wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare. We'll definitely report truthfully. That day, Young Master Chen seemed to be meeting some guest. He took Little Cui into the room, and that guest left afterward. Not long after, we heard Yun Cui scream from inside, then Young Master Chen came out with blood all over his hands. He threatened us before leaving."

"Mm. Come over and look it over. If there's no issue, press your fingerprint. Next."

After a round of questioning, all the testimonies were more or less the same.

However, judging from the procuress's expression, Li Chen Zhou sensed that she was still holding something back.

Li Chen Zhou slowly rose, resting the Blood Demon Blade on his shoulder. He stopped before the procuress and swept his gaze over her. "You're not being very honest. Come with me to the Imperial Prison."

The procuress's face instantly turned deathly pale. "No, no!"

Just then, the pearl curtain on the second floor stirred without wind, and the three copper coins at Red Fox's waist suddenly rose upright and began spinning.

A burst of chaotic footsteps came from outside Hundred Flowers Brothel.

Prince Rong's Heir, Zhao Yun Chuan, strode inside with Chen Chen, that Young Master Chen who had committed murder.

The Heir wore a luxurious brocade robe and a piece of emerald jade at his waist. With his head held high and his strides broad, he exuded utter arrogance.

Young Master Chen followed behind him, equally bearing the overbearing, tyrannical look of a dog relying on its master's power.

Zhao Yun Chuan rubbed the chi-dragon jade pendant at his waist with his fingertips, then suddenly crushed the third dragon scale on it. "Three years ago, an Assistant Minister of Justice lost three fingers in this building. Five years ago, a Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review lost a son here—" Jade powder sifted from between his fingers. "When my father trained hawks, he most enjoyed breaking three flight feathers before feeding them bloody meat. Is Lord Li's neck hard enough?!"

Seeing this, White Cat hurried to Li Chen Zhou's side and lowered his voice. "That is Prince Rong's Heir, Zhao Yun Chuan. The one behind him is Chen Chen, the murderer."

Looking at the two men, Li Chen Zhou secretly rejoiced. He had searched everywhere in worn-out iron shoes to no avail, only to find them without spending the slightest effort.

The corner of his lips rose slightly. As though he had not heard Zhao Yun Chuan at all, he revealed a nearly imperceptible cold smile and slowly tightened his grip on the Blood Demon Blade. The scabbard trembled faintly in his hand, as if it could not wait to drink blood.

Without another word, Li Chen Zhou flashed straight before Chen Chen and kicked him down, leaving him limp on the ground and unconscious.

He said to the people behind him, "Take him back too."

Li Chen Zhou's actions enraged Zhao Yun Chuan beyond measure.

"You dare? A mere dog of the Imperial Prison dares touch one of this Heir's men?"

"I don't care who you are. The Brocade Guard is handling a case. Everyone, get out of the way." Li Chen Zhou gave him no face whatsoever.

Zhao Yun Chuan crushed his snuff bottle into powder. "Very good. It has been a long time since anyone spoke to me like this." Then he tilted his head.

The group behind Zhao Yun Chuan immediately stepped forward, preparing to attack Li Chen Zhou.

"What crime is obstructing the Brocade Guard in the handling of a case?" Killing intent flickered in Li Chen Zhou's eyes.

Bookworm hurriedly stepped out. "By the Founding Emperor's law, obstruction of official duties is punishable by beheading and public display."

The Blood Demon Blade transformed into nine afterimages, its blade qi forming scarlet crescent strings at the throats of seven men. Amid the clanging of seven steel blades falling to the ground, seven heads actually spun three full circles atop their necks. At the cuts, droplets of blood condensed into the character "execute" before finally spraying out.

Everyone present, including the three men with Bookworm, had not expected Li Chen Zhou to act so decisively.

Li Chen Zhou lightly tapped the Heir's gold-threaded shoe with the Blood Demon Blade. "Who else gave you the courage to order an attack on the Brocade Guard?"

Then he smacked Zhao Yun Chuan across the face with the flat of his blade, sending Zhao Yun Chuan spinning in a full circle.

The blood blade returned to its sheath. Li Chen Zhou looked down at Zhao Yun Chuan with utter disdain and said flatly, "Take him back."

He then turned to the people of Hundred Flowers Brothel. "Send someone to inform Prince Rong to bring money to the Northern Investigation Bureau and ransom his man."

Then, without looking back, he headed toward the Northern Investigation Bureau headquarters of the Brocade Guard.