The sky was already bright when Qiao San, in a lazy manner, returned to the Cai family mansion. The rowdy ruffians were still squabbling over the vacant position of the chief gang leader, while the poor former leader’s corpse lay alone and neglected at one side.
At that moment, Beigong Ping suddenly arrived with the local constables, surrounding the Cai mansion. The legendary inspector launched his first move under the pretense of investigating a murder case.
For the ruffians’ territory to be surrounded by constables was an unprecedented humiliation in the underworld of Liumang Town. The top gang leaders, for once united, raised their arms and shouted, “You damned officials, don’t think you can bully us! Brothers, avenge our former leader and show these officials what we’re made of!”
Before the arrogant roar of hundreds of ruffians could leave their throats, it suddenly turned into a chorus of screams.
The Beigong Ten struck like a violent gust of wind, felling dozens of the front-line ruffians in an instant. These elite warriors, accustomed to hunting down notorious outlaws, were like tigers among sheep, wielding their strength against mere street thugs.
Before the ruffians could regain their composure, Beigong Ping suddenly let out a crisp, thunderous shout. Though calm, his voice rang in every ruffian’s ears like a clap of thunder.
“Halt! The Emperor’s personally awarded sword is here! Anyone who disobeys my orders shall be executed on the spot!”
Cold gleams of steel dazzled the crowd, and the aura of martial prowess sent a chill through the ruffians’ hearts. The entire mansion fell into utter silence.
Beigong Ping swept his sharp gaze across the crowd, then commanded in an irresistible tone, “Form a line and submit to questioning! San Ying and the Ten Guards, begin!”
Under the pressure of sheer force and authority, the ruffians finally learned the meaning of discipline. For once in their lives, they obediently lined up like proper citizens.
“Daring San, where were you last night?” The stern-faced youth questioned no one else but the grinning Qiao San, adding in a whisper only the two could hear, “Daring San, remember—I said we would meet again!”
“Officer, last night I was just drinking,” the ever-obedient Qiao San replied with a smile, eagerly cooperating. Without waiting for Beigong Zheng to ask further, he continued, “And during the time of the incident, I was right here—every brother here can testify for me!”
While his subordinates bustled about, Beigong Ping entered the murder room alone.
About half an incense stick’s worth of time later, as Qiao San was still exchanging verbal jabs with the stern-faced youth, a sudden roar exploded behind him.
“Daring San, you are the murderer!”
No one knew when Beigong Ping had appeared behind Qiao San, his gaze fixed on the unusually calm young ruffian with a strange interest.
The courtyard, full of people, fell into absolute silence. Whether ruffians or constables, countless shocked and suspicious eyes shot toward Qiao San.
“Pah! What kind of divine inspector are you—a load of crap!” Qiao San’s smile turned into fury. He jumped up in anger, naturally indignant at being framed. As Daring San, he certainly had the right to act unruly.
“Ha, ha… Young man, I was just kidding with you. Don’t take it so seriously! You’re known as ‘Daring,’ right? Surely my little joke didn’t scare you, did it?”
The tense, murderous atmosphere was abruptly broken by Beigong Ping’s sudden laughter. Patting Qiao San’s shoulder, the inspector raised his voice to address everyone, “I have examined the crime scene…”
Beigong Ping deliberately paused, flashing a mysterious smile before stating more firmly, “I, as the divine inspector, declare to you all—the murderer must be among you!”
“Ahh!” A wave of uproar swept through the ruffians as suspicious glances darted around.
Smiling again, Beigong Ping ceased his focus on Daring San and sternly addressed the crowd, “This is a matter of the martial world—it must be settled by the martial world! I shall not interfere further. Hand over the murderer yourselves! Farewell!”
Not far from the Cai mansion, Beigong Ping calmly questioned his son, “Zheng, do you think it’s wise for us to take large-scale action now?”
“Father, dealing with these street ruffians is easy. But if we act without justification, it will surely cause unrest. That wouldn’t matter much for you and me, but since we were recommended by the Right Chancellor, failure in our duties will give the scheming Left Chancellor an excuse to impeach us. Therefore, we must wait until the right moment, and when we act, it must be with overwhelming force!”
“Mmm! It seems your mind is finally settling.”
The legendary inspector stroked his short beard in satisfaction and sighed, “Indeed! We must wait now—for the right ‘excuse’ to appear! I have no desire to remain here forever as a mere seventh-grade magistrate, heh, heh…”
※※※※※※※
Back at the Cai mansion, no sooner had the officials departed than the ruffians erupted into chaos once more.
“Everyone, don’t fall for the damned officials’ trickery!”
Qiao San, unwilling to take the blame, turned over countless thoughts, surprisingly serious for once as he strategized for the ruffians, “The officials are just trying to make us fight among ourselves. The most important thing now is to drive the damned officials out of Liubang Town. As long as we stand united, this is our territory—there’s no trick they can pull on us!”
“Xiao San makes sense! Then tell us, what should we do?”
The eloquent Daring San radiated an invisible charisma, like a magnet drawing the ruffians’ attention. Ever since the incident in Ghost Forest, whenever he concentrated, those around him felt an inexplicable influence—
The power of the Ten Sun Pearl was no mere mortal or petty ruffian could resist.
“Esteemed leaders, the officials are seeking an ‘excuse’—one that justifies official intervention without angering the townspeople. We must never give them that chance!”
※※※※※※※※
Suddenly, a silence so profound it startled heaven and earth descended upon Liubang Town.
The once chaotic and noisy ruffian haven had transformed into a tranquil paradise. The rowdy hooligans had seemingly turned into gentle scholars overnight, causing even Beigong Ping’s usually calm brow to furrow in surprise.
Inside the Qiao residence, Qiao San was unusually quiet at home, while Qiao Da, for once, stepped out of his study.
After a casual chat, Qiao Da looked toward the twelfth girl sweeping the courtyard and asked curiously, “Brother, why haven’t we heard anything about searching for the twelfth girl? It’s possible the ruffians overlooked her, but how could even Beigong Ping ignore such a crucial witness?”
“Beigong Ping isn’t really here to solve the case—he’s doing this on purpose!” Qiao San sipped his fragrant tea and heavily placed the cup on the small round table, “He wants this matter to drag on and escalate. As soon as those idiotic leaders act recklessly, he’ll have the excuse he needs to clean up the underworld of Liubang Town!”
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