Chapter 48: The Man Who Plays Both Sides!

Boom—

Dark clouds gathered, the wind howled, and thunder roared as if the Heavens were enraged.

Chu Zhuo stood among the crowd, clutching his blood-soaked waist, his eyes fixed on Chen Mo with a sinister glare.

To slash him with a single blade and still have the strength to kill two purple-robed guards—to possess such power at such a young age, he would surely become a grave threat in the future!

Hearing Chen Mo admit to the killing himself, Chu Zhuo could not help but feel a surge of wild joy.

This brat was truly arrogant!

Now that both human and material evidence were present, as long as Young Master Zhou pursued the matter to the end, even the Chen family would not be able to protect him!

……

Zhou Jing'an looked at the golden token, feeling it was incomparably scorching to the touch.

With his discernment, he could naturally distinguish the genuine from the fake. The Flying Phoenix Token had three grades: Phoenix Singing to the Sun, Phoenix Perching on the Parasol Tree, and the highest grade, One Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.

And the one Chen Mo had thrown to him was a genuine "Phoenix Singing to the Sun" token!

Although it carried no great special privileges, it represented the attitude of the Eastern Palace!

"Isn't Chen Mo a lackey of Imperial Consort Yu? How could he have the Empress's token?"

"What on earth is going on?"

Zhou Jing'an’s mind was in a bit of a mess.

Chen Mo stared at him with pitch-black eyes and said softly, "To see the Flying Phoenix Token is to see the Empress. Zhou Jing'an, will you kneel or not?"

Rumble—

Thunder rolled across the horizon. Zhou Jing'an’s body trembled, and after a long silence, his knees slowly bent, and he bowed down to the ground.

"Your humble servant Zhou Jing'an pays respects to Her Majesty the Empress!"

Clatter—

Seeing this, the surrounding guards threw down their weapons and knelt in a mass.

"Pay respects to Her Majesty the Empress!"

?!

Chu Zhuo’s smile froze on his face, his eyes dazed. Before he could figure out what had happened, he was pulled down to his knees by Chu Chen beside him.

"Father, it seems we’ve stirred up big trouble this time..."

"..."

……

A token the size of a palm now felt heavier than a thousand jun, pressing down so hard that no one could straighten their backs.

Was this the taste of power?

Chen Mo sat in his chair and said indifferently, "If you have anything to say, say it while kneeling."

Zhou Jing'an raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on him, his voice squeezed out from between his teeth: "Chen Mo, you are merely indulging in a moment of spite. Severely wounding imperial troops and killing in the street—each one is a capital crime punishable by beheading! Do you think you can escape just by relying on this token?"

Facing this naked threat, Chen Mo’s expression remained calm as he said:

"I am acting under the Empress’s orders to oversee the case of the demon race murders."

"While discussing the case with two Investigation Commissioners, I encountered criminals committing violence and was coerced by the Zhou Fu guards."

"I have reason to suspect that Cabinet Reader Zhou Jing'an and Tianlin Guard Battalion Commander Chu Zhuo are deliberately obstructing the investigation and are suspected of being involved with the demon race. They should be detained for interrogation to verify the truth..."

At this point, he paused in his tone and looked back, asking, "Head Constable Lin, Brother Shangguan, do you think it’s acceptable to write the report like this?"

Lin Jingzhu nodded, "It is reasonable and well-founded, and it will be convincing."

Shangguan Yunfei rubbed his chin and mused, "When the time comes, I will have my father polish it further and present it to the Empress at court. Her Majesty is wise and discerning; she will surely get to the bottom of this."

?

Zhou Jing'an’s brows locked tightly.

Just now, his attention had been entirely on Chen Mo, and he hadn't noticed the other two. Looking closely, he saw the woman’s hair was disheveled and her white clothes were torn in many places, yet her features seemed familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before...

The surname Lin?

Could it be...

Zhou Jing'an was struck with horror!

As for the other person, there was no need to say; there was only one Shangguan family in the capital city!

The head of the family was the Transmission Commissioner Shangguan Jin, a third-rank official responsible for memorials and participating in major state affairs!

"How is this possible?!"

"The Shangguan family has always maintained neutrality and never participated in party strife. The Lin family is even more of an imperial relative, always keeping a low profile. How could they get mixed up with a rebel like Chen Mo?"

Zhou Jing'an was completely baffled. How did this guy Chen Mo manage to play both sides?

Hearing this, Chu Zhuo suddenly stood up and pointed at Chen Mo, berating him, "You are spouting blood! It was clearly you who committed violence first, and I only..."

"Shut up!"

Zhou Jing'an glared at him fiercely.

If it weren't for the trouble this useless man had caused, why would he have fallen into such a predicament?

Involved with the demon race... He knew Chen Mo was making false accusations, but he absolutely could not get involved in this. This matter had to end here!

"It was our recklessness that disturbed the three officials."

"Since the three of you are busy with official business, we shall take our leave. I hope Official Chen can solve the case as soon as possible and restore peace to the capital city."

Zhou Jing'an lowered his head and offered the golden token with both hands.

Chen Mo watched him silently for a long time until his body trembled slightly, only then reaching out to take the token.

"Remember to have the restaurant repaired."

"That is only right."

Zhou Jing'an did not want to stay for even a second longer. Just as he was about to take his men away, Lin Jingzhu spoke up: "Wait a moment, that one surnamed Chu, you still owe me eighty strokes."

"..."

Chu Chen’s face turned pale, his lips trembling, "Father, save me..."

Chu Zhuo looked at Zhou Jing'an, "Young Master Zhou, this..."

Zhou Jing'an was expressionless and said coldly, "Since there is guilt, one must accept punishment. It is better to take the strokes here than to have to run to the government office."

After saying this, he flicked his sleeves and left directly.

"Don't worry, I know my limits; you won't die."

Lin Jingzhu spun her staff and said with a smile.

Chu Zhuo’s face turned red and then white, but there was nothing he could do.

Although Chu Chen was a seventh-rank martial artist, he could not withstand such a beating... If he took these eighty strokes, he probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed for months!

Bang!

"Eighty..."

"Ah!"

Miserable wails echoed over the ruins.

At this moment, Chen Mo stood up and said, "The wine is about finished, I’ll take my leave first. Let’s talk another day."

"Official Chen, what about that case..."

Before Shangguan Yunfei could finish his sentence, Chen Mo’s figure flashed and disappeared.

"..."

Shangguan Yunfei looked at Lin Jingzhu.

"Head Constable Lin, what about that case..."

"Seventy, sixty-nine... don't interrupt, I lost count again... seventy-nine..."

"..."

Shangguan Yunfei rubbed his brow, feeling a severe headache.

"Why does it feel like I’m the only one worrying about anything? What kind of situation is this..."

……

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the caning ended.

Chu Chen had already fainted, his entire body embedded in the floor. Chu Zhuo finally managed to pry him out, not daring to say another word, and carried him away from the restaurant, heading straight for a medical clinic.

Lin Jingzhu stretched her shoulders, "Tsk, refreshing!"

Shangguan Yunfei frowned, "If you had revealed your identity earlier, there wouldn't have been so much trouble, would there? How would a sixth-rank Battalion Commander dare to lay a hand on you?"

Lin Jingzhu looked righteous, "While on duty, my identity is that of a Six Fan School Investigation Commissioner. Does one deserve to be bullied just because they have no background?"

Shangguan Yunfei curled his lips, secretly slandering:

If you didn't have a background, you would have been kicked out of the Six Fan School long ago!

It was clearly just an itch to fight, yet she put on such a righteous front...

"But it wasn't a total loss today; at least I know how to investigate this case now." Lin Jingzhu pulled a smile.

Upon hearing about the case, Shangguan Yunfei immediately perked up, "What, do you have a lead?"

"Don't you think Zhou Jing'an is a bit strange?"

"I only saw him from afar at the Longevity Banquet and don't know him well, but since he is the son of the Vice Minister of Revenue and is following the path of promotion in the Cabinet, why would he get involved with the Tianlin Guard?"

"Moreover, Chen Mo just said he was 'involved with the demon race.' It sounds intimidating at first, but it is completely a false accusation that cannot withstand scrutiny. Yet, this Young Master Zhou was so fearful..."

Shangguan Yunfei mused, "He must have recognized us and didn't want to offend anyone, right?"

Lin Jingzhu shook her head, "Your father’s status dictates that he must remain neutral, otherwise he will lose the Emperor's favor. And although the Lin family are imperial relatives, they have no real power and are not worth worrying about."

"The factional strife is intense now, and the Three Judicial Offices and Six Ministries are all embroiled in it. The Ministry of Revenue corruption case has just concluded, which is an excellent opportunity for a counterattack, even offering a chance to drag the Chen family down with them, yet Zhou Jing'an has given it up so easily."

Shangguan Yunfei frowned even deeper, "You mean..."

Lin Jingzhu narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing through them, "This Young Master Zhou seems very afraid of being associated with the demon race."

The sky grew late.

The curtain of night pulled open, like a massive piece of black silk, pressing heavily over the sky above Ducheng.

The rain showed no sign of letting up, with bean-sized droplets pelting the green tiles and producing a dense "pitter-patter" sound.

Chen Mo crouched on the roof of Mingcui Pavilion, nearly merging with the night, silently watching the black sedan chair in the alley.

After a long while, Zhou Jing'an, dressed in blue brocade, stepped down from the carriage, and with a guard holding an umbrella behind him, walked toward the Zhou residence.

"I didn't come looking for you, yet you delivered yourself to my doorstep..."

Chen Mo curled his lips, his eyes deep and dark.