A master of comedy!

Chapter 195 A Gentleman's Word
"It sounds like this is a win-win situation..."

Zhou Sheng looked at Bao Ying, his eyes suddenly sharpening, and said in a deep voice, "But you must first answer one of my questions honestly. If there is any deception, then there is no point in talking."

Bao Ying was somewhat surprised, but nodded and said, "Please speak, Mr. Long. I will answer all your questions to the best of my knowledge."

"What I want to ask is, in investigating this case, are you truly... acting on behalf of Heaven?"

Looking into his eyes, Zhou Sheng spoke slowly and deliberately.

In an instant, Bao Ying's eyes welled up with emotion. He opened his mouth several times, but no words came out. After a long while, a bitter smile appeared on his face.

"Boss Long has a keen eye; nothing can be hidden from you."

He took a deep breath and sighed, "To be honest, this case... I was investigating it secretly and did not have the Emperor's support. I said that before to give you more confidence."

"But in fact, although there are people in the Xuanqiong Division who want to investigate this case as I do, most of them can only support it from behind the scenes. Even these files were saved from the fire because I copied them down in advance."

A cold smile appeared on Zhou Sheng's face.

When they met last night, he realized that the other party was lying, because the files were tattered, with handwriting that was messy and disorganized. They were hardly the kind of things that could be presented to the emperor.
Furthermore, if the current emperor truly has the determination to solve this major case with the resolve of a hero cutting off his own arm, then Bao Ying will certainly not lack a highly skilled person to protect him closely.

Because this is a hot potato, once you take it on, you'll become the target of everyone's criticism, and you could die suddenly at any time.

If the emperor really wanted to solve the case, he would have to send a master who had passed all six levels of the imperial examinations. Otherwise, no matter how intelligent Bao Ying was, his death would have been the end of it all.

However, Zhou Sheng carefully checked and even used the Luoshu divination method to confirm that there were no hidden top experts around Bao Ying.

This proves that Bao Ying lied.

"Looking at your thick eyebrows and big eyes, you seem so upright, but I didn't expect you to be so dishonest. Investigating such a dangerous matter all by yourself, and you still want to drag me onto the boat?"

Faced with Zhou Sheng's questioning, Bao Ying was speechless, a dark red flush rising on his dark face, deeply ashamed.

"I shouldn't have lied to Boss Long. Now that things have come to this, I'll find someone else—"

"I did it."

"I hope you can keep this a secret—hmm?"

Bao Ying suddenly raised her head, her eyes showing disbelief, wondering if she had misheard.

"Boss Long, you... you've agreed?"

Zhou Sheng nodded and smiled faintly: "You heard me right, I agree."

Bao Ying remained silent for a long time, a deep emotion stirring within her.

He never expected that the other party, who had no reaction when he heard that the emperor was backing him last night, would agree so decisively today after discovering that the case did not have the emperor as a backer.

Go ahead to dangers.

The hero in the case file who killed the county magistrate amidst the sound of drums and beheaded the Five Rampant Demons in a fit of rage truly lived up to his reputation.

"However, you must promise me three things first, otherwise you should find someone else."

"What's the matter?"

Zhou Sheng raised his eyes, a murderous glint flashing within them, startling the lights in the room into flickering motion.

"The first thing to do is to decide whether all those involved in the case in the imperial court, regardless of their position or influence, should be executed?"

Bao Ying was filled with excitement and said, "As long as we have irrefutable evidence, I swear in the name of my ancestor Bao Gong that I will never let anyone escape!"

"What if even the emperor is involved?"

Zhou Sheng asked a chilling question.

"The dragon-headed guillotine in your home can behead members of the royal family, but it can't behead the emperor. What if he's one of them—"

"If the emperor is unjust, a new ruler will surely succeed him!"

To Zhou Sheng's surprise, Bao Ying uttered such a rebellious statement, and he was also shocked by the other party's determination.

He looked at the other person intently for a moment, and then stated his second condition.

"The second thing is that you and I are just cooperating. If one day I don't want to do it anymore, I can leave at any time, and you must not harass or stop me."

Although Bao Ying himself seemed trustworthy, Zhou Sheng remained wary of those in the imperial court and was unwilling to form close relationships with them. The incident involving Magistrate Zhu had left him deeply disappointed, even disgusted, with the Great Xuan court.

Not only Magistrate Zhu, but all the officials and constables in Qinggu County were no good either. They not only bullied the people, but they also strangled Uncle Xu to death in the night when he was about to file a complaint.

That's why Zhou Sheng went on a killing spree, sparing not a single official.

He had long since lost trust in such a court and such officials. If it weren't for Bao Ying's actions that moved him, he would never have agreed today.

Therefore, you should be prepared to withdraw at any time.

"That's natural..."

After a pause, Bao Ying continued, "This case is far too dangerous. It's already enough that Boss Long was able to help us locate the Night Stalker. I never intended to trouble you with anything else."

Zhou Sheng nodded, and then said one last thing.

"The third thing is that after this is done, I hope you can use the power of the government to help Yaotai Feng build a temple and establish a shrine, so that the incense can be spread."

Since Yaotai Feng intends to ascend to the divine path, Zhou Sheng will naturally lend her a hand.

The quickest way would undoubtedly be through official appointment by the imperial court.

Bao Ying pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement: "Feng Dajia was well-known for her good deeds during her lifetime, and after her death she displayed her remarkable feats of heroism, helping you to eliminate evil. It would be a blessing for such a person to become a righteous god."

"But all I can guarantee is that I will do my best to make this happen."

"it is good."

Zhou Sheng extended his hand and smiled, "A gentleman's word is his bond."

Bao Ying also extended his hand and gently patted him on the shoulder, saying loudly, "A promise made in heaven cannot be broken."

With their hands clapping together, they reached a groundbreaking agreement in this small almshouse.

Two energetic young people are determined to investigate a case that has been buried for countless years and to speak out for the thousands of innocent people who died unjustly.

"There is a fourth thing."

These were Bao Ying's words. He smiled and said, "The fourth thing is that I will do my best to help you get through this ordeal of completing your apprenticeship."

“On your way to perform the Ghost Festival opera, anyone who mentions the word ‘baozi’ is my friend. You can trust them completely.”

……

Inside the room, the two chatted for a long time, until the sun set, finally ending their conversation, both feeling somewhat reluctant to stop.

Zhou Sheng discovered that the other party was indeed a talented scholar who had once been famous throughout the world. His knowledge was all-encompassing, covering astronomy, geography, military affairs, and politics. He was proficient in everything, and even knew how to do carpentry.

Moreover, the other party was very frank, telling many secrets about the cultivation world, involving the Yin School, Buddhism, Taoism, and even the underworld.

Zhou Sheng originally planned to have a few drinks and then leave, but he didn't expect that they would chat for several hours and it would get late.

Bao Ying also discovered that Zhou Sheng's knowledge was diverse and he often made surprising remarks, full of ingenious ideas, but upon closer examination, they made a lot of sense.

For example, Zhou Sheng believed that the earth was round, so when a sailboat approached from afar, people would often see the mast first.

After a long talk, the two gained a deeper understanding of each other and their relationship became much closer.

"We've been chatting for so long without realizing it, it's time to go."

Zhou Sheng stood up, and Bao Ying hurriedly saw him off personally.

However, before they even stepped outside, a series of panicked shouts suddenly rang out.

"Oh no! The backyard is flooded!"

In an instant, their drunkenness vanished, and Zhou Sheng's pupils narrowed as he immediately looked at Bao Ying.

The other person seemed to know what Zhou Sheng wanted to ask, and said with a calm expression, "The backyard is where Xiao Ning lives."

Someone wants to silence them!

(End of this chapter)