This place is fun

Chapter 196 Zhang Qingchen

Inn room.

"If he's fast enough, he should have already started climbing the Heavenly Ladder of Inquiry, right?" Song Xi'er sat on a bamboo bench in the outer room, meditating and cultivating her inner energy while listening to the steady breathing in the inner room.

She had noticed that her mind was becoming somewhat agitated.

Although not a scholar, the intuition of a martial artist is far sharper than that of an ordinary person. Especially for merchants on the waterways, their premonitions are very accurate when their lives and fortunes are at stake.

Moreover, during the two hours Song Xi'er had been protecting Su Daoshan, she had noticed that the people on the streets outside were becoming increasingly chaotic. The angry shouts, cries, and commands, tinged with panic, all indicated that the situation was deteriorating.

Several waves of scouts have been turned back; their current intelligence gathering range is limited to less than five miles.

Looking at the sun, it was already late afternoon. In another two or three hours, the short winter days would be over. Based on Song Xi'er's understanding of the demonic sects, if they could seal off Beizi Town so tightly during the day, they would definitely launch an attack at night.

Just then, she heard footsteps coming this way.

Song Xier finished her practice and opened the door before the other party could knock.

"Where is Junior Brother Su?" It was Liu Hua and Wen Yilan who arrived. The two had just returned from patrolling outside, with fine beads of sweat on their foreheads and their faces looking tired and pale.

Song Xier turned her head and glanced into the inner room, then made a whispering gesture and said, "Today is the opening day of Tiandao Mountain. He has entered the Spirit Realm. What happened?"

"Uncle Wang sent us to inform you to prepare, tonight might not be peaceful..." Liu Hua said, "A large number of demonic cultivators have appeared outside the town, robbing and killing our scouts and messengers. They are clearly preparing to attack Beizi Town..."

Wen Yilan said, "More importantly, a scout team that just returned reported that they smelled an extremely strong stench in several places around here. And according to our contact with other nearby transit stations, they said that a large number of Mad Puppets are crossing the border..."

Song Xier was horrified: "They can control the Mad Puppet Tide? And they're coming this way?"

Liu Hua and Wen Yilan both nodded.

The room fell into a deathly silence.

******
Di You's agile figure darted through the treetops like a bullet, landing near the mountaintop. He straightened his clothes and strode into a small grove of trees.

"Lord Di." In the forest, the Jing'an Division's Overlord Blade Guards stood guard every three steps and sentries every five. Upon seeing Di You, the guards all bowed respectfully, but behind and around Di You, there were rustling sounds.

Di You knew that the sentries were checking if he was being followed or if he posed any risk. There were even people specifically watching him, ready to trigger alarms and take action at the slightest sign of unusual activity.

This is the rule of the Jing'an Division, and even he, as a first-class steward, is no exception.

Di You walked deeper into the forest, passing through layer after layer of guards, and found Zhang Qingchen under a large tree. He immediately knelt on one knee and presented a situation map drawn on mulberry paper: "My lord, this is a map that Ye Tong just sent back."

On the recliner, Zhang Qingchen lazily opened his eyes. With a gentle wave of his chubby hand, adorned with several large gemstone rings, the map flew into his grasp.

"Get up," Zhang Qingchen said. "You've worked hard."

"Thank you, sir." Di You stood up and stood straight beside Zhang Qingchen like a javelin.

Zhang Qingchen yawned, then laboriously moved his bulky body, propped himself up on the armrest, and examined the map by the sunlight filtering through the trees.

"Tsk, Di You, what do you think the You Clan is planning to find in Wanchang City... to go to such lengths?" Zhang Qingchen looked at the map and clicked his tongue. "Not only have they mobilized all the demons and monsters from Xia Prefecture, but they've also drawn so many experts from other places..."

Zhang Qingchen's thick, carrot-like fingers moved across the map. He first tapped the most prominent Wen'an City, then Kelunbao, and finally landed on Beizi Town, a half-smile on his face.

"I dare not make wild guesses..." Di You said.

“In the end, it’s still because we’re incompetent,” Zhang Qingchen sighed, rubbing his bald head with his fat hand. “The Jing’an Division is in charge of inspecting both inside and outside the capital, but they’ve never even heard of Wanchang City. We only got the news from Han Gu after they made their move right under our noses…”

Zhang Qingchen lowered his head, looked at his hands, and then turned to look behind him.

In the sunlight filtering through the leaves, his fat hands were clearly covered in blood; he had left streaks of blood on the map simply by picking it up.

His body, his forehead which he had just rubbed, and the armrests of the recliner were all covered in blood!

Right behind Zhang Qingchen, in a clearing in the woods, several Ba Dao Guards carrying large swords had just dug a large pit. Beside the pit lay several decapitated corpses.

"So, do you think they deserved to die?" Zhang Qingchen asked calmly.

“Yes!” Di You said decisively.

There were eight dead in total, all from the Xiazhou branch of the Jing'an Division. One was a second-level deacon, one a third-level deacon, and six were secret agents. Di You recognized half of them; they had worked together on several missions before.

But now, these people are all dead. The charge is dereliction of duty.

The Xi Kingdom has two major supervisory agencies: the Jing'an Division and the Jishi Bureau.

The former focuses on external affairs. Founded by the founding emperor, it is primarily responsible for gathering intelligence on the Netherworld Clan, the Demonic Path, and other empires, as well as carrying out assassinations, espionage, and counter-espionage missions. It distinguished itself in the founding wars. Alongside the Gale, Blazing Fire, Dense Forest, and Mighty Mountain legions, it is known as the hidden Fifth Legion.

The latter, which was responsible for internal affairs, was separated from the Jing'an Division after Emperor Yongtai ascended the throne. It was responsible for internally supervising officials, collecting public opinion, and monitoring sects and aristocratic families.

Therefore, in terms of seniority, the Jing'an Division is superior to the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. In terms of size, status, power, and the intelligence network under its control, the Jing'an Division is second to none. Many secrets unknown to others are known to the Jing'an Division. Many movements are planned and executed by the Jing'an Division before the wind even rises.

However, this time, the Xiazhou branch of the Jing'an Division ran into trouble.

As far as Di You knew, six days ago, the higher-ups of the demonic sects had already received secret instructions from the You Clan. Five days ago, some demonic experts from distant locations had already set off for Xia Prefecture. As for the local demonic sects, there were even more noticeable disturbances.

But it wasn't until the day before yesterday that everyone heard the words "Wanchang City Secret Realm" for the first time. Worse still, this news was reported through Han Gu via Han Luheng. Under these circumstances, the problem with the Jing'an Division's Xiazhou branch is no longer just dereliction of duty.

Di You wasn't present at the scene and didn't participate in Zhang Qingchen's interrogation of these people. But he knew that for Zhang Qingchen to personally commit murder, things were definitely not that simple.

I'm afraid the situation in Xiazhou is completely rotten to the core.

"Alright, let's not talk about them anymore," Zhang Qingchen's gaze fell on Beizi Town, "Have you confirmed it? That kid surnamed Su is in Beizi Town?"

“Confirmed,” Di You nodded. “Since arriving in Beizi Town yesterday morning, he has stayed in the post station without leaving. Besides his senior sister Fan Caiyi, he is accompanied by three elders and a group of disciples from Hongzhao Palace, as well as two demon hunters who came with him yesterday…”

As he spoke, Di You reported, "Furthermore, Ye Tong has also investigated the rumors from yesterday. Although everyone outside only knows that Fan Caiyi and Liu Hua joined forces with two demon hunters to kill the demon watchman Feng Chao, in reality, Su Daoshan played the key role. This is no secret within the Red Palace. The demon hunter channels have also confirmed it."

Zhang Qingchen grinned and laughed heartily, nodding in satisfaction. "This kid really does have a secret... Hmph, that old fox Tang Wancheng thinks he's kept it a secret, believing that no one except Tang Mo'er knows what happened back then... But why does this kind of thing need to be investigated and verified one by one?"

"All I need to know is that this kid was with Tang Mo'er when she killed the Nether Demon, and that Tang Mo'er even specifically reported this kid for a first-class military merit."

As Zhang Qingchen spoke, a smug look appeared on his blood-covered face: "Originally, I came here to keep an eye on the Wanchang City secret realm for His Majesty. But since we've stumbled upon it, let's take a shot, even if there's no chance."

"I don't care what role this kid played in killing that demon, even if he just spat on it, it's worth the gamble. If he's incompetent, so be it. But if he really has some secrets, then I've struck gold. Once he becomes my man, I'll treat him with utmost respect, show him kindness and care, and even offer him food and clothing. Won't he be incredibly grateful?"

Zhang Qingchen became increasingly smug as he spoke. By the end, he was bursting into laughter.

“But…” Di You hesitated slightly.

"But what?" Zhang Qingchen glanced sideways at his subordinate, who was not trying to keep up with the conversation at all.

Everyone who knows Zhang Qingchen is most afraid of his sidelong glances. Even Di You, Zhang Qingchen's confidant, gets goosebumps every time Zhang Qingchen looks at him like that.

Even though she knew Zhang Qingchen wouldn't hurt her, the feeling was still like being stared at by a tiger—an instinctive fear.

Di You said in a low voice, "My lord, after all, this person's family is connected to what happened fifteen years ago..."

In the Yongtai Dynasty, the earth-shattering incident fifteen years ago was a taboo subject. Even though the Jing'an Division held a superior position and Zhang Qingchen had a special identity, some lines simply could not be crossed.

However, Zhang Qingchen laughed.

He shook the map in his hand, put it aside, got up, washed his hands in the basin of water brought by his guard, wrung out a towel to wash his face, and asked leisurely, "Have those guys from the Cataclysmic Sect already surrounded Beizi Town?"

“Yes, sir.” Di You nodded. “The information Ye Tong gathered indicates that they have at least a low-level alien squad of over a hundred people, and they possess the tokens to control the Mad Puppets. They are currently gathering several large groups of Mad Puppets in the surrounding area, and they are probably preparing to attack Beizi Town.”

"Where is Sun Zheng from the Criminal Investigation Bureau? Is he with these demonic cultivators?"

Di You replied, "Yes."

“Leng Chuanjin is a smart man, and Gu Mingxiu is a smart man too,” Zhang Qingchen’s eyes, which were squeezed into tiny slits by his fat, were now narrowed to just two lines. “Otherwise, the Criminal Investigation Bureau wouldn’t have grown from a branch that was separated from us to now being on par with us…”

As Zhang Qingchen spoke, the sentimentality on his face turned into amusement: "However, they were clever all their lives, but they made a foolish mistake this time. They shouldn't have provoked the Su family at this time."

Di You asked in astonishment, "Why? My lord, does the Su family have some kind of background...?"

“What background?” Zhang Qingchen chuckled. “But you have to understand, it’s precisely because their family has no power or influence that they are harmless. And being harmless is harmful to the Criminal Investigation Bureau. If the Criminal Investigation Bureau hadn’t made this mistake, I wouldn’t have even considered this.”

Di You was completely confused and didn't understand.

"Don't understand?" Zhang Qingchen pointed at him with a finger, exasperated. "Don't you even use your brain? Think about it. Over the years, how many people has the Criminal Investigation Bureau offended? From princes and ministers to ordinary people, the military, powerful families, and sects... how many people are eyeing them, wishing them dead..."

Di You quickly nodded in agreement.

Power struggles are always a matter of life and death. Putting aside the hatred of families torn apart, just considering the current unbridled power and status of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, countless people want to bring them down.

This also includes the Jing'an Division!

Di You didn't know about others. But if you were to say who had been staring at Jing An Si's neck the longest, whose fangs were the sharpest, and who was the most eager to bite, it would be the one right in front of him.

“In the past, no one dared to speak up.” Zhang Qingchen sat down on the recliner. “It was because everyone understood that whether the people in the Criminal Investigation Bureau lived or died had nothing to do with the case. Even if the whole world knew you were innocent, if you stood in a place His Majesty didn’t want to see you, then you deserved to die.”

"Therefore, the Bureau of Investigation can wipe out entire families, implicate relatives, and frame whomever they want; they can do whatever they want. The higher the status and power of the people they arrest, the less likely anyone is to plead for them. As long as they don't want to be enemies with His Majesty, everyone can only pretend not to see it. But the Su family is different..."

Upon hearing this, a look of realization dawned on Di You's eyes.

"You can treat the Su family like dirt, but they happen to have a connection with His Majesty from when he was a prince," Zhang Qingchen sneered. "It's one thing to kill others, but after killing so many, to finally target this family gives everyone a righteous opportunity to stand up for justice..."

As he spoke, Zhang Qingchen pointed his thick finger at his nose and said with a smile, "Just like me, I am upright by nature, chivalrous and righteous. What I can't stand is bullying the weak, and what I like to do is speak out for justice."

He lowered his voice and asked quietly with a happy expression, "It just so happens that the You Clan has invaded, and their young lad has made a great contribution. At this critical juncture, if someone colludes with the demonic path to do evil, do you think I should take action? And once my Jing'an Division sets this precedent, how will those who want to kill the Bureau of Investigation react?"

Di You finally understood and was completely convinced.

Zhang Qingchen leaned back in his recliner, half-closing his eyes, enjoying the sunlight filtering through the trees: "What a pity. Leng Chuanjin has become so arrogant in the years he's been in charge of the Criminal Investigation Bureau that he's lost sight of himself. Gu Mingxiu should be a smart man, but fifteen years of fruitless investigation has made him somewhat disorganized."

"Heh... that kid's achievement was clever, and my arrival was just as lucky," Zhang Qingchen said, laughing to himself. His muttered words seemed to possess a magical quality, "It's all fate!"

"Notify Nightshade to keep a close watch on the front. As soon as they prepare to attack, we'll head over. The Nether Clan has invested so heavily this time, and I didn't bring a large force; I can't afford to mess with them. But we can ignore everyone else; that kid has to be taken!"

(End of this chapter)