Chapter 179: Arresting Someone in Public!

"Y-yes." Lu Ziyi gasped in reply.

What a coincidence!

"Miss Lu."

Chen Mu's voice softened, speaking quietly, "How much do you know about your Lu family's origins? And do you know the specifics of the leg guards taken by Lin Kuan?"

Lu Ziyi slumped to the ground, rubbing her reddened neck, casting a trembling glance at Chen Mu.

Though she did not know why Chen Mu had suddenly asked this, her life now hung in his hands, so she dared not conceal anything and whispered, "My Lu family was originally a minor clan under Taoyi County in Lincang Prefecture. My grandfather was of the Innate Realm, but as for ancestors before him… I truly do not know; our family genealogy was lost long ago."

"I only know the leg guards were ancestral heirlooms, treasured through generations. My grandfather never elaborated on their supernatural qualities, only saying they were the very foundation of our family and could not be lost."

Her eyes burned with bitter hatred, "That dog Lin Kuan must have learned of the treasure's existence from somewhere, then fabricated an excuse to slaughter my entire Lu family and seize the leg guards!"

Ancestral treasure, treasured through generations…

A thought stirred in Chen Mu's mind.

Could the Lu family's ancestors have been connected to that "Tianhe Sword Sovereign"?

The "Tianhe Sword Sovereign" split the "Sword Armor" into pieces and scattered them across the land—his purpose remains unmentioned for now.

But it is entirely possible he kept one or two components for his closest kin!

At this thought, Chen Mu made his decision.

He looked at Lu Ziyi, his tone turning grave, "Miss Lu, I am not here to harass you. To be frank, my visit to Lincang Prefecture as an inspector is genuine, and my primary mission is to investigate Lin Kuan's unlawful deeds."

Lu Ziyi snapped her head up, her beautiful eyes blazing with disbelief and overwhelming joy, "My lord, you… you're telling the truth?"

"Absolutely true."

Chen Mu nodded, "Since you bear a blood feud with Lin Kuan and have long infiltrated his inner circle, you must know many of his crimes. Tell me: which factions in Lincang Prefecture has Lin Kuan colluded with? What specific crimes has he committed?"

Lu Ziyi trembled violently with excitement, as if a single ray of light had pierced endless darkness.

She quickly straightened her kneeling posture and spilled out everything she had secretly gathered, like beans pouring from a bamboo tube, "My lord, hear me! Lin Kuan is insatiable! Within the Town Martial Office, the Innate Realm officer Xie Ning is his henchman—his accomplice in every crime! Lin Kuan delegates most of his affairs to him."

"For example, he colludes with Qiu Lie, the master of the 'Dominant Blade Martial Gym,' seizing property by force, monopolizing markets, and splitting profits three to seven!"

"He also covertly supports criminal gangs, extorting 'cleaning fees'… as for his crimes, they are too numerous to record! Framing the innocent and taking lives casually are routine!"

"More than a year ago, Lin Kuan discovered a small yuan-iron vein thirty li outside the city, in Qingshi Village. To monopolize it, he sent Xie Ning to disguise as bandits and massacre all one hundred and thirty-seven innocent villagers!"

"… "

Lu Ziyi continued speaking.

Chen Mu listened silently, his expression unreadable.

…

The next morning, Chen Mu went straight to the Lincang Prefecture Town Martial Office.

As soon as he stepped through the gate, Xie Ning, a sharp-eyed man, rushed forward with a beaming smile, his eyes carrying a knowing, lewd glint, "Inspector Chen, good morning! Did you rest well at the inn last night?"

He thought this teasing would draw closer ties, but Chen Mu didn't even glance at his sycophantic grin—he struck instantly!

Swoosh~

His body moved like lightning; Chen Mu's right hand curled into a claw, seizing Xie Ning's shoulder acupoint in an instant, his stored qi surging into the man's body.

The entire process was blindingly fast!

Caught completely off guard, Xie Ning saw only a blur, felt his shoulder go numb, then his entire body locked rigid—his dantian qi sealed in an instant.

He stood frozen like a duck with its neck wrung.

"Ah~ Inspector Chen! What are you doing?!"

Xie Ning, terrified beyond words, screamed loudly, "Someone! Quick! Inspector Chen is arresting someone without cause!"

His cry echoed instantly through the entire courtyard of the office.

Many Town Martial officers were startled, rushing from all directions to surround him, their faces filled with shock and uncertainty.

Then three powerful auras rapidly approached: the cold-faced Wang Jianzhong, the vigorous Yang Xue, and the burly Zhang Yaoqi.

"Inspector Chen, what has happened?" Wang Jianzhong asked, his gaze sweeping over the immobilized Xie Ning.

Yang Xue and Zhang Yaoqi also wore expressions of confusion and wariness.

Chen Mu's gaze swept coldly over everyone present, his voice like ice, clear and resonant across the entire courtyard: "Xie Ning! As a Gold Guard officer of the Town Martial Office, you murdered the innocent for personal gain! Last March, to cover up your illegal mining of yuan iron, you led men disguised as bandits to massacre all one hundred and thirty-seven innocent villagers of Qingshi Village!"

His words fell—and the crowd erupted.

The Qingshi Village massacre had been an unsolved case—could it truly have been Xie Ning?

Before anyone could process this shocking revelation, Chen Mu continued, "That's not all! Afterwards, fearing exposure, you murdered your own colleague Zhang Heng—who had noticed the anomaly and intended to report it—luring him outside the city last year and killing him, staging it as an accident!"

"Zhang Heng?"

At the name, Yang Xue reeled as if struck by lightning, her face turning deathly pale, her slender frame trembling, her beautiful eyes instantly bloodshot with grief and fury!

She and Zhang Heng had been deeply in love, secretly betrothed; his "accidental" death had been her greatest pain.

"Lies! Chen Mu! You're slandering me!"

Xie Ning's face turned ashen as he struggled desperately, screaming hoarsely, "You accuse me of murdering a colleague? Chen, what proof do you have?!"

"You want proof? I'll give you proof!"

Chen Mu sneered, pulling from his sleeve a seemingly ordinary ledger, raising it high: "This is the ledger recording your profit-sharing with Qiu Lie of the 'Dominant Blade Martial Gym'! It clearly lists every share you received—and the silver rewards paid to the men who carried out the massacres! The final entry? Payment to the killer of Zhang Heng! The handwriting, the secret marks—all verifiable!"

This ledger was, of course, one of the key pieces of evidence provided by Lu Ziyi the previous night!

"This… how could this be…"

Staring at the ledger, Xie Ning's eyes bulged in horror.

How could there be a ledger?

He didn't believe it. He refused to believe it!

Overwhelmed, Xie Ning collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut, his face as gray as ash.

The courtyard fell deathly silent; all were stunned by the sudden turn and irrefutable evidence, their gazes fixed on Xie Ning—filled with contempt, rage, and disbelief.

Bang!

Chen Mu struck with lightning speed, slamming a palm into Xie Ning's dantian and shattering it.

Then, amid Xie Ning's scream, his icy gaze swept across the entire scene.

"By the laws of the Martial Guard Office, seize this criminal! Take him away and place him under strict watch!"

"Yes…"

"Hold!!"