"A secret room behind the council hall?" Chen Cheng glanced in the direction of the back courtyard, his tone laced with doubt. ’Li Hu just ran to the Queen’s Courtyard to escape. All the money and valuables should be hidden in the back courtyard.’
Shui Chen, reading his expression, guessed Chen Cheng’s thoughts and quickly explained, "Lord Chen, the back courtyard is where the family mbers and servants live. They normally aren’t allowed over here in the hall. The Gang Leader... Li Hu ran that way because there’s a secret passage in the back courtyard that leads directly to the alley next door."
"Oh." Chen Cheng gave a slight nod and imdiately asked, "Are there any Tiger and Leopard Gang mbers in the back courtyard?"
Shui Chen shook his head. "Today, Li Hu had all our manpower stationed here on guard. Apart from the mbers on duty at the gambling dens and brothels, everyone else is here."
Chen Cheng gave a slight nod and walked toward the council hall.
The council hall was a spacious, rectangular chamber capable of holding over a hundred people. It actually looked quite impressive.
After scanning the area and seeing no sign of a secret entrance, Chen Cheng asked, "Where is the secret room?"
"The two Gang Leaders always went to the secret room without us; only they knew the entrance," Shui Chen said cautiously, afraid Chen Cheng wouldn’t believe him. He quickly added, "Every ti the gang collected its example money, the two Gang Leaders would send us all out. And when they weren’t around, they’d post guards at the council hall and forbid anyone from getting close. That’s why I figured there had to be a secret room here."
Chen Cheng didn’t imdiately start searching for the secret room. Instead, he walked out of the council hall.
In the square, Li Sheng and his n were directing the Tiger and Leopard Gang mbers, who had already moved all their unconscious comrades and laid them out in neat rows on the ground.
The bodies of Li Hu, Zhang Bao, and the others had also been brought over. The dismbered corpses had been pieced back together and were laid off to one side.
Snowflakes drifted leisurely from the sky. Against the backdrop of the pure white flakes, the crimson blood staining the ground looked all the more startling.
Every mber of the Tiger and Leopard Gang kept their heads bowed, not daring to breathe too loudly, evidently still in deep awe and fear of the Iron Hand Chief Constable’s thunderous thods.
Looking at the massive crowd of people, Chen Cheng frowned. He turned and ordered Mu Song to take two Preparatory Constables back to fetch reinforcents.
It hadn’t taken many n to kill Li Hu and Zhang Bao and destroy the Tiger and Leopard Gang. However, the cleanup—confiscating the gang’s assets, dealing with the corpses, and other such matters—would require his constables. Fortunately, it was already afternoon, so the constables on the night shift should have had enough rest by now.
His constables were all as fierce as wolves and tigers these days. Besides, seizing the assets of Jianghu Gangs was a profitable task, so they would all be more than happy to work overti.
Even with only one Chief Constable and two constables on site, not a single mber of the Tiger and Leopard Gang dared to cause trouble.
Chen Cheng didn’t remain idle. His gaze swept over the crowd as he asked calmly, "Speak up. Who was the true perpetrator in the Gentry Zhang family massacre?"
No one spoke. Even Shui Chen, the only remaining leader in the crowd, kept his head bowed.
’Li Hu ordered his n to commit the atrocity, so the matter was surely kept secret. Most of the gang mbers are probably ignorant of it, and the few who do know must have their reservations about speaking up.’
Chen Cheng was in no hurry. He continued in an even tone, "Provide a clue, and you’ll get a reward of one tael of silver. Identify the true culprit, and you’ll get ten taels. Anyone who withholds information will be treated as an accomplice if I find out."
The mont he finished speaking, the mbers of the Tiger and Leopard Gang finally reacted. A few of them furtively raised their heads to look at Chen Cheng, seeming to gauge his expression.
For mbers of Jianghu Gangs, a reward of one tael of silver was no small sum. It was enough for a whole family to eat and drink well for quite so ti.
But a reward of one tael of silver apparently wasn’t enough. After a mont’s hesitation, those few gang mbers lowered their heads again, and silence returned to the square.
"The first person to provide a clue gets five taels of silver!"
A hefty reward is sure to inspire courage. Chen Cheng pulled out a five-tael silver note, raising the stakes.
The effect was imdiate. A commotion went through the crowd. Finally, a young gang mber in coarse cloth robes stepped forward, bowed respectfully to Chen Cheng, and said, "Reporting to you, Lord. I have a clue."
Chen Cheng gave a slight nod, offering an encouraging glance.
The gang mber continued, "On the night of the Gentry Zhang family massacre, I was on duty in the square. I saw three n in black carrying a large bundle enter the council hall and report to the two Gang Leaders."
"I was standing far away at the ti, and the two Gang Leaders wouldn’t let anyone approach, so I didn’t notice when those three left, and I don’t know who they were."
"Oh?" Chen Cheng’s eyes lit up. "Good," he said approvingly. "That’s a very important clue."
’According to the evidence at the cri scene, there were indeed three perpetrators in the Gentry Zhang family massacre. This gang mber isn’t lying.’
"Reward."
Chen Cheng said calmly, handing the silver note over.
The young gang mber took the silver note and inspected it carefully. Once he confird it was a genuine five-tael silver note, he was overco with joy and imdiately dropped to his knees, kowtowing.
"Thank you for the reward, my lord!"
After three loud kowtows, the young gang mber bead as he returned to the crowd.
The crowd imdiately erupted in a clamor, especially the few mbers who had been on duty with the young man. They were kicking themselves with regret.
They had the exact sa information, but now that the young man had spoken up first, their clue was worthless.
"My lord, I have a clue to report!"
Another gang mber, this one with a long scar on his forehead, stepped out of the crowd and bowed respectfully.
’Even though he wasn’t the first to provide a clue and wouldn’t get the five taels of reward silver, one tael was still pretty good. He had to grab the chance while he could, right?’
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