Chapter 45: Noble Lady of the Capital, Shall We Go to the Music Conservatory?

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A dull thudding sound echoed through the street.

"Twenty, nineteen..."

The black rod in Lin Jingzhu’s hand struck down with the force of a thousand jun; the burly man’s clothes tore, his body became a bloody mess, and blood splattered onto her fair cheeks, giving her a look of morbid beauty.

The burly man had stopped moving by now.

He realized that the more he cursed, the harder the other party hit, and she would even deliberately miscount to get in a few extra strikes, so he simply stayed silent and played dead.

Chen Mo watched this scene with great interest.

This woman’s strikes appeared ruthless, but she actually controlled her strength perfectly; the man’s waist, back, buttocks, and legs were not left with a single patch of intact flesh, causing pain that reached the marrow, yet she stopped short of taking his life. Whenever the burly man tried to circulate his qi to resist, the rod would precisely block his meridians, leaving him no choice but to lie honestly on the ground and take the beating.

"Tsk, now that’s professional."

"Lord Chen."

At this moment, a call came from beside his ear.

Chen Mo turned his head to look and saw someone waving at him from a second-floor window of the restaurant nearby; it was Shangguan Yunfei, whom he had met once before.

"Lord Chen, please do me the honor of coming up to speak; this subordinate has matters to discuss," Shangguan Yunfei said, cupping his hands from a distance.

Chen Mo walked into the Zuiyue Restaurant and arrived at the second-floor private room, where Shangguan Yunfei stood up to apologize: "Lord Chen, please do not take offense; with the situation outside, it is truly inconvenient for this subordinate to show his face."

He was long accustomed to such matters; he couldn't stop them, and not stopping them was considered a dereliction of duty, so he simply didn't show his face at all.

"So Lord Chen is a Battalion Commander; if there was any slight previously, I hope you will be magnanimous, my lord."

Shangguan Yunfei was unfamiliar with the internal situation of the Tianlin Guard, and only after inquiring upon returning did he learn that although Chen Mo held the position of Platoon Leader, he enjoyed the salary of a Battalion Commander, making him a sixth-rank official—a full grade higher than him, a Commissioner of Investigation.

"It’s just an empty title, not worth mentioning."

Chen Mo waved his hand, his gaze drifting toward the window as he asked curiously, "Is this person from your Six Fan Gate?"

Shangguan Yunfei nodded. "Come to think of it, Lord Chen knows her too; she is a Commissioner of Investigation for the government office, Lin Jingzhu."

Chen Mo realized.

The reputation of the Four Great Constables was known to everyone in Tiandu City.

But Lin Jingzhu had another identity: her mother, "Lady Jinyun," was the cousin of the current Empress, making her a true member of the imperial family and a noble lady of the capital.

"This Constable Lin is truly... hmm, unconventional," Chen Mo said with a playful tone.

Shangguan Yunfei gave a helpless, bitter smile.

Galloping through a busy market wasn't a major offense, and it was unavoidable during urgent official business, so it shouldn't have been blown out of proportion.

But this man had actually whipped a young child without holding back, showing a vicious heart; it was no wonder Lin Jingzhu was furious.

Bang!

Bang!

The "flogging" was nearing its end.

"...three, two, one."

The beating was finished.

Lin Jingzhu shook the blood off the black rod, and with a flick of her wrist and a "click" of rotating gears, the two ends retracted inward, turning the five-foot-long staff into something the size of a palm, which she hung on the leather belt at her waist.

Looking at the bruised and battered man on the ground, she said indifferently, "You should be thankful that whip didn't land earlier; otherwise, it wouldn't have been as simple as just fifty strikes."

"..."

The burly man trembled all over, forced himself to stand up through the pain, and glared at Lin Jingzhu with a sinister look. "I am a Captain of the Imperial Guard! Daring to attack government troops is a heinous crime!"

"Little wench, you’ve gotten yourself into big trouble!"

To be beaten like this in public—if he didn't get his revenge, he wouldn't be able to show his face in Tiandu City anymore!

This woman was dressed in tight-fitting gear and reeked of alcohol; she must be a martial artist who relied on a bit of cultivation to act recklessly. Just wait and see how he would deal with her later!

"What did you call me?" Lin Jingzhu’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Hmph, you just wait for me!"

The burly man knew he was no match for her and didn't want to tangle with her further. He prepared to mount his horse, but suddenly remembered his buttocks had been whipped to shreds and likely couldn't handle the jolting, so he had to lead the reins and limp away from the street.

Lin Jingzhu looked at the sugar figurine crushed on the ground, walked to a nearby stall, tossed down a piece of silver, picked a new one from the straw target, and came before the mother and daughter.

"Here."

Lin Jingzhu knelt down and handed the sugar figurine to the little girl.

"Thank you, big sister."

The little girl’s eyes were sparkling.

Seeing the bloodstains on Lin Jingzhu’s face, she took a small handkerchief from her pocket and earnestly helped her wipe them clean.

Lin Jingzhu smiled, reached out to ruffle the little head with pigtails, stood up, and said to the woman, "Hurry and go; I expect that man will return. Be careful not to bring trouble upon yourselves."

"Th-thank you, Miss."

The woman’s face was pale; not daring to linger, she picked up the girl and left quickly.

Rumble—

A muffled roll of thunder passed overhead, grinding the moisture out of the clouds, and bean-sized raindrops fell, washing away the blood remaining on the street bricks.

Lin Jingzhu leaped, jumping directly through the window into the second-floor private room.

"Stretching my muscles felt quite comfortable, though this time my salary will probably be docked until the year after next... Hmm? It’s you?"

Lin Jingzhu was slightly stunned to see the man who had just saved the others sitting at the table.

Shangguan Yunfei introduced him: "This is the Tianlin Guard Battalion Commander, Lord Chen Mo."

"You are Chen Mo?"

Lin Jingzhu’s expression was one of astonishment; she had just been thinking of him, and she hadn't expected it to be such a coincidence to meet him here.

She looked him over carefully; he was clear-featured and elegant, handsome beyond compare, as if carved from flawless jade. Shangguan Yunfei’s appearance was decent, but by comparison, they weren't even in the same league—it was the first time she had seen such a good-looking man.

At the same time, Chen Mo was also observing her.

[Noble Lady of Tiandu · Skin of Ice and Bones of Jade · Lin Jingzhu]

[Realm: Sixth-Rank Martial Artist]

[Cultivation Technique: Nine Turns Ice Soul Art]

[Martial Arts: Azure Descent Force, Flying Phoenix Feather, Spirit Void Wind-Riding Step]

[Favorability: 0/100 (Locked)]

She wore a plain white martial robe with a leather belt cinched at the waist, outlining her slender figure. Her jet-black hair was simply tied up with a red cord. Her skin was as fair as porcelain, her eye sockets deep, her eyes as clear as autumn water, her nose bridge high, and her jawline clear and smooth.

Beauty lies in the bones, not the skin; Lin Jingzhu was a classic "bone-beauty."

Although her status was noble, she lacked any aristocratic air, possessing instead the free-spirited nature of a wanderer.

"Constable Lin followed Martial Leader Xue for many years, so it is inevitable that she would pick up some of that wanderer's air," Shangguan Yunfei said in a low voice.

Lin Jingzhu rolled her eyes at him. "Can you not whisper right in front of me? I’m not deaf."

"..."

Shangguan Yunfei cleared his throat and said sternly, "Since Lord Chen is here, let’s discuss official business. The impact of this recent demon-caused murder is extremely severe, and the higher-ups have issued a death order: it must be solved within half a month!"

"Lord Chen, you are the lead investigator for this case; where do you think we should go next?"

Shangguan Yunfei looked at Chen Mo with anticipation.

From the Barbarian Slave Case, the Heavenly Demon Case, and now this demon murder case, it was clear that Chen Mo was meticulous and insightful—a master at solving cases!

Plus his extremely keen perception of demonic energy...

Whether this case could be solved depended entirely on this Lord Chen!

Lin Jingzhu looked on with curiosity, wanting to see how he would arrange things next.

Chen Mo pondered for a moment and said, "I suggest we go to the Music Conservatory."

Shangguan Yunfei’s expression brightened. "Does the lord mean that the demons might be hiding in the Music Conservatory? That makes sense! The Music Conservatory is a place where all sorts of people mingle, a den of filth—it is the perfect place to hide!"

"And the identities of the guests coming and going are complex, which is convenient for choosing prey..."

The more he analyzed it, the more reasonable it seemed. He praised him inwardly; as expected of Lord Chen, he was truly a guiding light!

Chen Mo shook his head and said, "I meant that just drinking is boring; we could go to the Music Conservatory to have some fun."

Shangguan Yunfei: "..."