Chapter 48

Boom—

Dark clouds choked the sky, wind howled and thunder roared, as if Heaven itself was enraged.

Chu Zhuo stood among the crowd, clutching his bleeding lower back, his eyes fixed on Chen Mo with venomous hatred.

He slashed him with one blade, then still had strength left to kill two Purple Robe Guards—yet he's barely past his teens, and already possesses such power? In the future, he may become a great threat!

Hearing Chen Mo openly confess to murder, Chu Zhuo's heart surged with wild delight.

This brat is utterly audacious!

With both witnesses and evidence in hand, if Young Master Zhou pursues this to the end, even the Chen family won't be able to save him!

……

Zhou Jingan stared at the golden token, feeling it burn like hot iron in his hands.

With his eye for detail, he could easily distinguish truth from falsehood: the Flying Phoenix Token had three tiers—Ming Feng Chao Yang, Feng Qi Wu Tong, and the highest, Bai Niao Chao Feng.

And the one Chen Mo had thrown to him was the genuine "Ming Feng Chao Yang" token!

Though it granted no great privileges, it represented the Eastern Palace's stance!

"Isn't Chen Mo a lapdog of Consort Yu? How could he possess the Empress's token?"

"What in the world is going on?"

Zhou Jingan's mind was in chaos.

Chen Mo's dark eyes fixed on him, his voice low and chilling: "To see the Flying Phoenix Token is to see the Holy Empress. Zhou Jingan, will you kneel or not?"

Boom—

Thunder rolled across the horizon; Zhou Jingan shuddered, fell silent for a long while, then slowly bent his knees and knelt to the ground.

"Your servant Zhou Jingan bows before the Empress!"

Whoosh—

The surrounding guards, seeing this, immediately dropped their weapons and prostrated themselves in a sea of kneeling bodies.

"We bow before the Empress!"

?!

Chu Zhuo's smile froze on his face, his eyes vacant—he still didn't understand what had happened when Chu Chen pulled him down to kneel beside him.

"Father, we've probably stirred up a massive trouble…"

"…."

……

A token no bigger than a palm now weighed a thousand catties, pressing everyone so hard they could not straighten their backs.

Is this what power tastes like?

Chen Mo sat in his chair, speaking calmly: "Speak while you kneel."

Zhou Jingan lifted his head, bloodshot eyes locked onto him, his voice squeezed through clenched teeth: "Chen Mo, this is merely a fleeting moment of triumph—you severely injured imperial troops, murdered on the street, each crime punishable by decapitation! Do you truly believe this token alone can save you?"

Facing this naked threat, Chen Mo remained calm, saying:

"I am ordered by the Holy Empress to investigate the case of demonic murders."

"While discussing the case with the two Investigating Officers, I was attacked by bandits and detained by the Zhou household guards."

"I have reason to suspect that Cabinet Reader Zhou Jingan and Tianlin Guard Captain Chu Zhuo deliberately obstructed the investigation and are suspected of collusion with demons—these two must be detained and interrogated to uncover the truth…"

Here, he paused, then turned and asked: "Captain Lin, Senior Officer Shangguan, does this draft sound acceptable?"

Lin Jingzhu nodded. "Reasonable and well-supported—convincing."

Shangguan Yunfei stroked his chin, musing: "Let my father polish it further, then submit it directly to the Empress. Her Majesty's wisdom will see the truth fully revealed."

?

Zhou Jingan frowned tightly.

His attention had been entirely on Chen Mo—he hadn't noticed the other two until now. Upon closer inspection, the woman's hair was disheveled, her white clothes torn in multiple places, yet her features seemed familiar… as if he'd seen her before…

Her surname is Lin?

Could it be…

Zhou Jingan's blood ran cold!

As for the other man, there was only one Shangguan family in Ducheng.

Its patriarch was Shangguan Jin, the Minister of Communications, a Rank 3 official responsible for internal and external memorials and involved in state affairs.

"How is this possible?!"

"The Shangguan family has always remained neutral, never joining factional struggles; the Lin family are imperial in-laws, always low-key—how could they possibly be allied with Chen Mo, this rebel?"

Zhou Jingan could not fathom it—how had Chen Mo managed to eat from both sides?

Chu Zhuo suddenly rose to his feet, pointing at Chen Mo and shouting: "You're lying! You attacked first—that's why I…"

"Shut up!"

Zhou Jingan glared at him furiously.

If not for this fool's blunder, how could he have ended up in this predicament?

Collusion with demons… He knew Chen Mo was framing him, but he could not be dragged into this—this matter must end here!

"We were reckless and disturbed the three my lords."

"Since you three are occupied with official duties, we shall take our leave. We hope Elder Chen will solve the case swiftly and restore clarity to Ducheng."

Zhou Jingan bowed his head and offered the golden token with both hands.

Chen Mo watched him silently for a long while, until his body trembled slightly, then reached out and took the token.

"Remember to repair the tavern."

"Naturally."

Zhou Jingan didn't want to stay a moment longer and was about to leave with his men when Lin Jingzhu called out: "Wait—a moment. That Chu guy, you still owe me eighty strokes."

"…"

Chu Chen's face was pale, his lips trembling: "Father, save me…"

Chu Zhuo looked at Zhou Jingan: "Young Master Zhou, this…"

Zhou Jingan's expression was blank; he coldly said: "Since he's guilty, he must accept punishment. Let him take the beats here—it saves having to drag him to the courthouse."

With that, he swept his sleeve and walked away directly.

"Don't worry—I've got control. He won't die."

Lin Jingzhu spun his staff, smiling sweetly.

Chu Zhuo's face flushed red then white, but he could do nothing.

Chu Chen was a seventh-rank martialist, but even he couldn't withstand this beating… surviving eighty strokes would leave him bedridden for months!

Thud!

"Eighty…"

"Ahh!"

A pitiful wail echoed over the ruins.

At this moment, Chen Mo stood up and said: "I've had enough wine. I'll take my leave—we'll talk another day."

"Inspector Chen, about that case…"

Before Shangguan Yunfei finished speaking, Chen Mo vanished in a flash.

"…"

Shangguan Yunfei's gaze turned to Lin Jingzhu.

"Chief Lin, about that case…"

"Seventy, sixty-nine… don't interrupt, you lost count again… seventy-nine…"

"…"

Shangguan Yunfei rubbed his temples, his head throbbing painfully.

"Why does it feel like I'm the only one worrying? What kind of mess is this…"

…

After a cup of tea, the punishment ended.

Chu Chen had fainted, his body embedded into the floor. Chu Zhuo barely pried him loose, dared not utter another word, and hurriedly carried him out of the tavern straight toward the clinic.

Lin Jingzhu stretched his shoulders. "Tsk. That felt good!"

Shangguan Yunfei frowned: "If you'd revealed your identity earlier, none of this nonsense would've happened. How would a sixth-rank captain dare lay hands on you?"

Lin Jingzhu wore an air of righteous indignation: "While on duty, my identity is that of a Six Gates Investigator. Does lacking connections mean I deserve to be bullied?"

Shangguan Yunfei sneered inwardly:

Without connections, you'd have been expelled from the Six Gates long ago!

You're just itching for a fight, yet pretending to be morally upright…

"Still, today wasn't entirely fruitless—at least now I know how to investigate this case," Lin Jingzhu said with a faint smile.

At the mention of the case, Shangguan Yunfei perked up instantly: "What? You've got a lead?"

"Don't you find Zhou Jingan strange?"

"I've only seen him once, from afar, at the Longevity Banquet—I don't know him well. But as the son of a Vice Minister of Revenue, on the path to the Grand Secretariat, why would he be tied to the Tianlin Guard?"

"Besides, Chen Mo just claimed he 'has ties with the demon race.' At first it sounds alarming, but it's pure slander—completely unsubstantiated. Yet this Young Master Zhou reacted with such fear…"

Shangguan Yunfei mused: "Perhaps he recognized us and didn't want to offend anyone?"

Lin Jingzhu shook his head: "Your father's position demands neutrality—otherwise he'd lose the Emperor's favor. The Lin family, though imperial in-laws, holds no real power and isn't worth fearing."

"With factional strife raging, all three courts and six ministries are entangled. The Ministry of Revenue corruption case just ended—this is a perfect chance to strike back. It could even drag the Chen family into the mud. Yet Zhou Jingan gave it up so easily."

Shangguan Yunfei's brow furrowed deeper: "You mean…"

Lin Jingzhu's eyes narrowed, a glint of cold light flashing: "This Young Master Zhou… seems terrified of being linked to the demon race."

…

Night fell.

The night curtain drew open like a vast black silk, heavy and pressing over Ducheng.

The rain showed no sign of abating; heavy drops hammered the green tiles with a steady pitter-patter.

Chen Mo crouched atop Mingcui Tower, nearly merged with the night, silently watching the black sedan in the alley.

After a long while, Zhou Jingan in blue brocade stepped down from his carriage, his guards holding umbrellas over him as they walked toward Zhou Fu.

"I didn't come looking for you—you came to me instead…"

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