Killing-we're professionals!

"Clerk Ye, aside from Sun Liu's adultery case, have there been any similar cases in Huai'an Commandery in recent years?"

After Lu Xiaoliu left, Song Xuan turned toward Clerk Ye outside the cell door.

"Yes!"

Clerk Ye did not even need to consult the files. He answered directly, "Over the past three years, there have been eight recorded adultery cases in Huai'an Commandery and its subordinate counties.

"In all eight cases, the records describe young, beautiful married women having illicit affairs. After review by the Ministry of Justice, the accused in five of those cases were beheaded.

"In another two, the local clans enforced their clan rules and privately drowned the accused women in pig cages. Sun Liu is the only one still alive."

Song Xuan asked again, "Were the adulterers caught?"

Clerk Ye shook his head. "In every case, witnesses saw the accused woman committing adultery, but the men were never caught!"

Song Xuan drew a deep breath, his expression turning cold.

Even Song Qian understood what that meant.

"Brother, ordinary people endure this sort of thing if they possibly can. They don't want to report it to the authorities at all. The cases on official record must be only a tiny fraction. The number that went unrecorded is probably enormous!"

Song Xuan nodded. "When you see a cockroach in your home, it means there are already countless others lurking in the dark corners you can't see!"

Song Qian instinctively clenched her fists. "You mean those adultery cases were all the work of that flower thief, and someone in the government forcibly buried the truth and treated them as adultery?"

Song Xuan nodded and gave a cold chuckle. "Disguising herself as a man and preying exclusively on other people's wives. She really does act without the slightest restraint!"

Lu Xiaoliu was quite good at dealing with people.

To outsiders, the people of the Black Robe Guard's Enforcement Office were murderous fiends, exceedingly difficult to deal with.

Yet less than four hours after leaving, Xiaoliu returned with a squad of Enforcement Office elites riding warhorses, dressed in black Black Robe Guard uniforms, with Black Iron Sabers at their waists.

Song Xuan led Song Qian briskly out of the cells to greet them outside the prison.

As soon as they met, Song Xuan cupped his hands to Lu Xiaoliu in thanks. "Sorry for the trouble of coming here personally, Young Master Zhao!"

He placed heavy emphasis on "Young Master Zhao." Lu Xiaoliu raised his chin with an imposing air. "Remember to put in a few good words with my father when you get back. Let him know I'm not just some spoiled heir who does nothing but eat and wait to die!"

"Of course! Of course!"

Song Xuan laughed heartily, then shifted his gaze toward the man at the head of the Enforcement Office squad.

The man was tall and lean, with bulging muscles in his arms and palms thick with calluses from years of saber practice. He was around thirty, yet looked weathered by wind and frost, lending his face a somewhat careworn cast.

Song Xuan warmly cupped his hands in greeting.

"I'm Song Xuan. May I ask your name, sir?"

"So you're Lord Song!"

The Enforcement Office leader seemed rather cold and unskilled at dealing with people, and in fact, that was exactly what he was like.

After that brief reply, he said nothing more. Only when a companion beside him discreetly nudged his arm did he come to his senses and add another sentence.

"My name is Shen Lian!"

"Sorry for the trouble this time, Lord Shen!" Song Xuan smiled, unbothered.

"Lord Song!" The somewhat smaller but sharp-witted companion beside Shen Lian cupped his hands. "Our Banner Captain Shen isn't much of a talker. Please don't take offense."

The Black Robe Guard had three broad ranks: third class, second class, and first class.

Third class hardly needed explaining. Those were positions for the sons of distinguished nobles to while away their days.

Second-Rank Black Robe Guards were further divided into four ranks: battalion commander, company captain, Banner Captain, and squad leader.

Martial artists recruited from the martial world generally started as squad leaders upon joining the Black Robe Guard Office. Only after accumulating enough merit were they eligible for promotion to Banner Captain.

But someone like Song Xuan, who came from the Imperial Capital with powerful backing and served directly under its Inspection Office, would start as a Banner Captain as soon as he passed the Second-Rank Black Robe Guard assessment.

Thus, in terms of rank, Song Xuan and Shen Lian were equals.

Still, he put on no airs and smiled amiably. "You're too courteous, brother. I'm the one who asked you to come help. How could I possibly take offense? By the way, may I ask your name?"

"Your subordinate is Jin Yichuan, privileged to serve as a squad leader under Banner Captain Shen. You can just call me Yichuan, sir!"

As he spoke, his expression grew serious. He glanced at Lu Xiaoliu, then said, "Earlier, this Young Master Zhao said his life was in danger here in Huai'an and that he needed us to rescue him... Lord Song, where exactly is this danger coming from?"

He was puzzled, and not just him. Shen Lian also looked bewildered.

Within Great Zhou, it had always been the Black Robe Guard who went looking for trouble with others. Few dared provoke them of their own accord. Where could this threat to his life have come from?

Song Xuan smiled. "On the orders of Lord Zhao Dezhu, head of the Black Robe Guard's Inspection Office, I led a team to Huai'an Commandery to investigate an adultery case among the common people."

"An adultery case?"

Shen Lian and the others wore peculiar expressions. Since when had the Black Robe Guard become so idle that they had to meddle in this sort of sordid civilian nonsense?

"This case involves someone from the martial world!" Song Xuan added.

At those words, Shen Lian and the others, who had been unconcerned a moment earlier, immediately grew serious.

The Black Robe Guard had originally been established to check the vast population of martial artists and maintain a balance between the Martial Arts World and the imperial court.

Generally speaking, the Black Robe Guard did not interfere when people in the martial world fought and killed one another. So long as they did not harm innocents or brutalize ordinary citizens, the Black Robe Guard would not intervene casually.

But if someone from the martial world abandoned all honor and used superior martial skills to prey on ordinary people, that fell squarely within the Black Robe Guard's professional jurisdiction.

Song Xuan briefly explained the particulars of the case, then said gravely, "The case is essentially clear now. Any further investigation will touch on the identity of that flower thief.

"Her background must be quite extraordinary. She's very likely a family member of some high-ranking local official. I'm worried that if we push them too far, they'll leap the wall like cornered dogs, so I had no choice but to ask you, my fellow officers, for help."

"It's our duty, Lord Song. There's no need to stand on ceremony!"

Shen Lian was decisive and straightforward. With a clang, he drew the long saber at his waist and said in a low voice, "Investigating cases is the Inspection Office's business. But killing is the Enforcement Office's domain.

"You don't need to tell me too much about the case, Lord Song. Just tell us who needs killing next, and how to find that flower thief!"

As his words fell, the twenty-odd Enforcement Office squad leaders mounted behind him drew their long sabers in unison. They remained silent, but made no attempt to conceal the murderous intent in their eyes.

Song Xuan, Song Qian, and the others exchanged discreet glances, each with an inscrutable look in their eyes.

The Enforcement Office men really were as peculiar as the rumors claimed. Every one of them seethed with killing intent. Who knew how many people they had killed to hone such murderous natures?