Boom——
Dark clouds shrouded the sky, as the wind raged and thunder roared, as though the heavens were furious.
Chu Zhuo stood amidst the crowd, clutching his bloody and injured waist, staring at Chen Mo with venomous eyes.
A single stroke had wounded him, and with energy to spare, Chen Mo had killed two purple-robed guards. Being so young yet so capable, he would beco a great threat in the future!
Hearing Chen Mo personally admit to the killings, Chu Zhuo’s heart leapt with joy.
How brazenly audacious this young man was!
Now, with both witness and evidence at hand, as long as Young Master Zhou pursued the matter relentlessly, not even the Chen Family could protect him!
...
Zhou Jing’an looked at the golden order and felt it burning in his hand.
With his discerning eye, he could naturally tell its authenticity—the Flying Phoenix Order had three levels: Phoenix Calling the Sun, Phoenix Perch on Parasol Tree, and the highest level, Hundred Birds Looking for Phoenix.
The one that Chen Mo threw at him was indeed the genuine "Phoenix Calling the Sun" Token!
It might not grant many special privileges, but it represented the stance of the Eastern Royal Palace!
"How could Chen Mo, a lapdog of Consort Yu, possess a token from the Empress?"
"What on earth is going on?"
Zhou Jing’an’s mind was in disarray.
Chen Mo, with his dark eyes fixed on him, said indistinctly, "Seeing the Flying Phoenix Order is as if seeing the Holy Empress herself, Zhou Jing’an, will you kneel or not?"
Boom—
The thunder rolled in the distance; Zhou Jing’an’s body trembled, and after a long silence, his knees slowly bent as he knelt to the ground.
"Your humble servant Zhou Jing’an, greets Her Majesty the Empress!"
Rustle——
Seeing this, the surrounding guards threw down their weapons and knelt en masse.
"Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress!"
?!
Chu Zhuo’s smile froze on his face, his eyes blank with confusion, still unclear about what had happened, when he was pulled down to kneel by Chu Chen beside him.
"Dad, it seems we’ve got ourselves into a big trouble this ti..."
"..."
...
A palm-sized token, yet in this mont, it weighed heavy as a thousand catties, bending everyone’s backs.
Is this the taste of power?
Chen Mo sat on the chair and said lightly, "If you have sothing to say, say it while kneeling."
Zhou Jing’an raised his head, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at him, his voice seeming to squeeze through his teeth, "Chen Mo, this is only a mont of bravado, seriously injuring Imperial Army soldiers, killing people in the street, each of these is a capital offense! Do you think with this token you can walk away scot-free?"
Facing this blatant threat, Chen Mo remained calm, stating:
"I am ordered by the Holy Empress to oversee the Demon Clan murder case."
"While discussing the case with the two Investigators, we were assaulted by criminals, and coerced by the Zhou Mansion guards."
"I have reason to suspect, Cabinet Tutor Zhou Jing’an, Sky Scale Guard Hundred Households Chu Zhuo, deliberately obstructed the investigation and may be colluding with the Demon Clan. They should be detained for questioning to verify the truth..."
As he said this, he paused montarily, then turned and inquired, "Lin Catcher, Brother Shangguan, do you think it’s appropriate to write it this way on the petition?"
Lin Jingzhu nodded, "Logical and convincing."
Shangguan Yunfei stroked his chin, musing, "Let my father refine it a bit later, then present it to the Holy Empress in the morning. Her Highness, with her sagely insight, will surely seek clarity."
?
Zhou Jing’an furrowed his brow.
All his attention had been on Chen Mo until now, and he hadn’t noticed the other two people; upon closer inspection, he saw that the woman’s hair was disheveled, her white clothes were torn in many places, but her eyes seed familiar, as if he had seen them sowhere before...
Last na Lin?
Could it be...
Zhou Jing’an was startled!
There was no need to say who the other person was, for there was only one Shangguan Family in Tiandu City!
The head of the family was none other than Tongzheng Envoy Shangguan Jin, responsible for deliberating internal and external petitions, a third-grade official involved in state affairs!
"How is this possible?!"
"The Shangguan Family has always maintained neutrality, never joining factional struggles, the Lin Family is even nobility connected to Qi Wan, always discreet, how could they collude with this betrayer Chen Mo?"
Zhou Jing’an puzzled over it; how had Chen Mo managed to play both sides?
Hearing this, Chu Zhuo abruptly stood up, pointing at Chen Mo and rebuked furiously, "Slander! It is you who first committed the assault, then I..."
"Shut up!"
Zhou Jing’an glared at him fiercely.
If it weren’t for this fool’s troublemaking, he wouldn’t have fallen into this plight.
Colluding with the Demon Clan... he knew all too well Chen Mo was making unfounded allegations, but he could not get involved; this matter had to end here!
"It was our rashness that disturbed the three distinguished officials."
"Since the three of you have busy official duties, we shall take our leave now. I hope Mr. Chen can solve the case quickly and restore peace to Tiandu City."
Zhou Jing’an lowered his head and presented the Gold Token with both hands.
Chen Mo silently watched him for a long ti, until Zhou Jing’an’s body started to tremble slightly, then he reached out and took the Token.
"Rember to get the restaurant repaired."
"Of course."
Zhou Jing’an did not want to stay a mont longer and was about to leave with his n when Lin Jingzhu spoke up, "Wait, that Chu surnad fellow, you still owe eighty lashes."
"..."
Chu Chen’s face turned pale, and his lips quivered, "Father, save ..."
Chu Zhuo looked at Zhou Jing’an, "Young Master Zhou, about this..."
Zhou Jing’an, expressionless, said coldly, "If he is guilty, he must accept his punishnt. It’s better to take the beating here than to go to the governnt office."
After speaking, he turned on his heel and left without another word.
"Don’t worry, I know my limits, he won’t die."
Lin Jingzhu twirled his stick with a smile.
Chu Zhuo’s face alternated between red and white, but he was powerless to do anything.
Even as a Seventh-Level Warrior, Chu Chen couldn’t withstand such a beating... enduring these eighty lashes would likely leave him bedridden for months!
Bang!
"Eighty..."
"Ah!"
A miserable wail echoed over the ruins.
At this point, Chen Mo stood up and said, "We’ve had enough wine for now. I’ll take my leave first; we can talk more another day."
"Mr. Chen, about the case..."
Shangguan Yunfei hadn’t finished speaking when Chen Mo disappeared in a flash.
"..."
Shangguan Yunfei’s gaze turned towards Lin Jingzhu.
"Investigator Lin, that case..."
"Seventy, sixty-nine... stop interrupting, now I’ve forgotten the count... seventy-nine..."
"..."
Shangguan Yunfei rubbed his temples, his head aching fiercely.
"Why does it feel like I’m the only one worried about this? What’s going on..."
...
A tea ti later, the punishnt was over.
Chu Chen had passed out, his body embedded in the floor. It took Chu Zhuo a great effort to pry him out and, without a word, he carried him away swiftly from the restaurant to head for a physician.
Lin Jingzhu stretched his shoulders, "Ah, that’s satisfying!"
Shangguan Yunfei frowned and said, "If you had revealed your identity earlier, wouldn’t we have avoided all this nonsense? How would a Sixth-rank Hundred Households dare to lay a hand on you?"
Lin Jingzhu replied righteously, "During my duty, my identity is that of an Investigator from Six Gates. Should I be bullied because I have no background?"
Shangguan Yunfei snorted silently:
If you really had no background, Six Gates would have dismissed you long ago!
Clearly itching for a fight, yet putting on such an honorable front...
"But we haven’t co away empty-handed today; at least now we know how to proceed with the case," Lin Jingzhu said with a smile.
The mont he ntioned the case, Shangguan Yunfei’s interest was piqued, "Really, do you have a lead?"
"Don’t you think there’s sothing curious about Zhou Jing’an?"
"I’ve only seen him from a distance at the longevity banquet and don’t know him well. However, as the son of the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, pursuing a path of promotion through the Cabinet, why would he be involved with the Sky Scale Guard?"
"Moreover, Mr. Chen ntioned earlier that he ’has associations with the Demon Clan,’ which, at first sounds ominous but is actually baseless upon scrutiny. Nevertheless, Young Master Zhou seems to be very wary of it..."
Shangguan Yunfei pondered, "Maybe he recognized us and does not want to offend?"
Lin Jingzhu shook his head, "Your father’s status is destined to be neutral, otherwise he would lose the favor of the Holy Empress. And though the Lin Family is related by marriage, they have no real power and are not a concern."
"Now with fierce factional struggles, the Three Divisions and Six Ministries are all involved. The Ministry of Revenue’s corruption case just ended, providing a perfect opportunity to counterattack, even potentially dragging down the Chen Family. And yet, Zhou Jing’an gave up so easily."
Shangguan Yunfei’s frown deepened, "You an..."
Lin Jingzhu’s eyes narrowed, a chill flitting across them, "This Young Master Zhou seems to be very afraid of being associated with the Demon Clan."
...
Night fell.
The curtain of nightfall, like a vast black silk cloth, heavily enveloped the Capital City.
The rain did not let up, and the large raindrops drumd against the blue tiles, creating a "pitter-patter" of dense sounds.
Chen Mo squatted on the roof of Mingcui Building, nearly one with the night, silently watching the black sedan chair in the alley.
After a while, Zhou Jing’an, dressed in blue brocade, stepped off the carriage, followed by guards holding umbrellas, and walked towards the Zhou Mansion.
"I didn’t co looking for you, yet you just show up on my door..."
Chen Mo’s lips curled up, his eyes deep and dark.
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