Xi Dingzhou City·Ministry of Punishment.
Bing Hongcai flipped through the records in his hand and, upon seeing the latest one that had been delivered, smacked his lips and said with a grin:
"He has made his move again, taking down two branches of the Immortal Pavilion within three days."
"He is really out to destroy the Immortal Pavilion… Truly a ruthless man. When did such a ferocious individual appear in the Jianghu of Fufeng?"
"Do you know, A-Liu?"
The young man, who had been expressionless until now, showed a flicker of emotion but did not answer. Instead, he simply said:
"Lord Bing, you are currently in the process of disciplining. Today, you must review all remaining records and report to the Chief Arrestor tomorrow, or else your punishment will be increased."
"Please do not joke."
Bing Hongcai’s lips twitched as he glanced over the stacks of records on the table, which were retrieved by the young man from the storeroom today. Many of them were covered with a thick layer of dust, which when blown, diffused like mist, making one involuntarily want to cough.
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These records piled up like a towering peak, weighing heavily on Bing Hongcai’s heart. Although he was highly skilled in martial arts and had never flinched in countless battles amid flashing blades, he couldn’t help feeling a sense of desperation from deep within, and he gritted his teeth and said:
"Are you still talking?!"
"If it weren’t for you delivering…"
His voice paused as Bing Hongcai unconsciously looked up, then lowered his voice and said:
"If it weren’t for you delivering that report to him, how could I end up so miserable?!"
A-Liu glanced at him indifferently and said,
"Sorry, my lord."
"Before being your deputy, I also belong to the Ministry of Punishment. Reporting your condition as it is, is also my duty."
Bing Hongcai’s eyes widened in shock as he looked at the young man and said:
"Were you just sneering?!"
The young man maintained a neutral expression and responded,
"No."
"My lord, you saw it wrong."
"You definitely sneered…"
Bing Hongcai’s lips slightly twitched, and A-Liu gave him a glance, pursing his lips, and decided not to persist further. He softened his voice and said:
"However, that day, I was indeed a bit rash."
"After all, my lord, you are over the prime of life and still live alone. It is understandable to have such needs."
"I didn’t take that into account at the moment, and I hope you won’t blame me."
Bing Hongcai’s expression started to soften but then turned completely dark as he stared at the young man with an indifferent demeanor. A surge of frustration welled up within him, almost making him vomit blood, and he gritted his teeth and said:
"You, cruel…"
A-Liu, noticing Bing Hongcai’s frustrated look, remained expressionless, delivering the final blow:
"However, despite that, I still need to caution you, my lord."
"As an Iron Guard of the Ministry of Punishment, if you get caught in those pleasure quarters, you might face a lot of trouble."
"I suggest you could…"
Bing Hongcai’s face darkened, and he could no longer hold back. He raised his hand and threw the record he was holding, shouting:
"Say one more word, and believe it or not, I’ll fight it out with you!"
The young man caught the record, his lips barely curving in an imperceptible smirk, signs of withdrawal, no longer saying more. He had great experience, stopping just before pushing Bing Hongcai to lash out.
Placing the record on the table and spreading it out, he glanced over it and immediately noticed several familiar names. His brows slightly furrowed and seeing this, Bing Hongcai, though irritated by what his deputy had just said, was also aware of his subordinate’s abilities. He gave a slight start and said:
"What happened?!"
"Wait a moment, my lord."
A-Liu’s voice grew much more solemn. Bing Hongcai understood that this meant his subordinate was now extremely serious, no longer in a joking mood.
The young man held the record, concentrating on it for a long time before finally setting it down.
Looking up at Bing Hongcai, he said in a grave tone:
"The person he killed, there’s a big problem."
Bing Hongcai furrowed his brows and said,
"What issue...could it be that he killed someone he shouldn’t have?"
Jianghu is extensive, with countless Sects and their power interwoven, secretly connected. The Great Qin Ministry of Punishment had dispatched many covert agents into various Sects of Jianghu. Their identities were highly secretive, unknown to ordinary people, which was why Bing Hongcai asked this question.
The young man shook his head and spoke slowly,
"No, quite the opposite..."
"You could say, he killed only those who had criminal records in our files, with crimes sufficient for beheading."
"As for the innocents, they were not harmed at all."
"Within three days, he had broken through two branches, killing dozens under his blade without a single oversight or mistaken identity."
Bing Hongcai, being from the Military Family, naturally understood what the situation implied. Hearing this, he frowned and said,
"A spy? No... these files mean nothing in that sense..."
"There are no people with unclean records in my department."
"Was it a coincidence? No, that’s not right either..."
Ah Liu quietly waited for Bing Hongcai to think, then softly said,
"Sir, besides us, there’s another place that also knows these things..."
Bing Hongcai’s eyes brightened slightly, his voice lifting as he said,
"Military Family’s covert agents!"
"So... this Mo Blade wielder is one of their people..."
"Acts on a disagreement, directly draws his blade, hey, such domineering madness, it truly is characteristic of those Military Family maniacs..."
As the young man observed the look of sudden realization on Bing Hongcai’s face, he felt something was still off in his heart. Although logically there seemed to be no issues, he felt as if he was missing something. However, when he tried to think it through, it slipped through his fingers like sand, leaving nothing behind. He shook his head and decided not to force it anymore.
He spread the files in his hand, looking at them while sighing to himself.
Unfortunately, whether they were Military Family’s covert agents or the Ministry of Punishment’s secret chasers, their real identities were top secret and absolutely not disclosed to people from other schools of thought.
............
Meanwhile.
Near Xi Dingzhou, inside a military camp.
On the training ground, the Great Qin Iron Guards, wielding unsharpened weapons, fought each other mercilessly, a fierce and strict aura rising to the sky, enveloping the camp.
Inside a large tent in this camp.
A middle-aged commander in Light Armor stroked his chin, standing in front of him was a young man, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, who was speaking to him. Moments later, the commander slapped his forehead, realizing something, and burst out laughing,
"I get it!"
"So that’s it..."
"This man was the Ministry of Punishment’s covert agent. Having found the clues, he acted brazenly, killing everyone involved without showing the slightest mercy."
"Tsk tsk tsk, indeed, only those iron lumps could pull off such a deed. If it were us, we at least would have left a way out."
"The camp just happens to need some more soldiers."
The commander shook his head, smacked his lips, and casually tossed the file onto the desk. The tea cup on the desk trembled slightly.
His face was full of disdain.
............
Near Xi Dingzhou City.
At a crossroad on a government road.
A Martial Artist clad in black rode a horse, holding several letters in his hand, filled with neat ink characters, as if copied by a child with no trace of personal style. Wang Anfeng looked over them again to confirm he had not killed anyone by mistake, then carefully folded the letters and tucked them back into his chest, exhaling a breath, he sighed in his heart,
"Gongsun’s work... indeed very reliable..."
"It seems, this might just be the justice Wuxin pursued back then..."
"I wonder how he has been doing at the Ministry of Punishment these past few years..."
PS: First update for today
Thanks to Wuyou for the top reward, much appreciated