Chapter 487 - 486: The Consequences of Opposition

Chapter 487: Chapter 486: The Consequences of Opposition

Once things were out in the open, this status, this title, would be utterly useless.

"Understood. We’ll wipe away the traces. We originally thought having Fu Songhua confess in Lingxu City in person would be more convincing, but if you can’t get him back, just kill him!"

Zhongsun Mou bristled at the tone, but he just frowned and, surprisingly, held his tongue.

"That Special Envoy found Mr. Mai’s residence. He might have other leads."

"He must die!" the man in the mirror declared, his voice cutting like iron.

...

When Hee Lingchuan appeared outside the County Yamen, an official who had been craning his neck to watch the street corner rushed inside in a few quick steps, shouting, "The Special Envoy is here!"

Everyone had long since returned to the County Yamen. He had been the first to leave, yet the last to arrive, with more than an hour passing in between.

Even Marshal Lul had arrived and was preparing to observe.

Seeing him arrive alone, Zhongsun Mou shot to his feet. "Where is the culprit!"

He had also sent people in pursuit, but they lost the trail. He had no idea what method Hee had used for counter-tracking; even the scent had been masked.

"I’ve put him somewhere safe," Hee Lingchuan said, walking in with his hands behind his back. "The Inspector nearly killed him in the side room just now. I don’t think the County Prison is safe either."

Zhongsun Mou sneered. "What are you talking about? Those water snakes were meant for you."

The Baisha Jue County Magistrate also said dryly, "Lord Special Envoy, didn’t you want to retry the case? How can we hold a trial without the prisoner?"

After returning to the County Yamen, he had been mercilessly chewed out by the Lord Inspector.

Hee Lingchuan had been wandering around outside for an hour, and for nearly that entire time, he had been getting an earful. As a result, County Magistrate Tian was feeling rather resentful.

Hee Lingchuan said nonchalantly, "Oh, I already interrogated him outside. He said the County Prison let someone in to force him to collude on his testimony."

County Magistrate Tian was speechless. "Wh—..."

’Can he just do whatever he wants?’

Zhongsun Mou, however, let out a sneer. "And a private interrogation of yours is supposed to count for something?"

"Are you any different?" Hee Lingchuan shot him a sidelong glance. "When you interrogated Fu Songhua, was it a public trial? Were there commoners watching? Putting that aside, was County Magistrate Tian even present?"

When it came to verbal sparring, he had never lost.

"County Magistrate Tian, were you there at the time?"

County Magistrate Tian opened his mouth but failed to make a sound. He lamented inwardly:

’You knew I wasn’t there, so why did you ask!’

"So that’s a no," Hee Lingchuan stated as if it were obvious. "County Magistrate Tian, on the day Fu Songhua was arrested, he was first locked in the County Prison. Who was on duty in the prison at that time?"

Fu Songhua said he heard the sound of a large string of keys clashing together.

Only a jailer on duty would jingle like that. That scoundrel had been bribed.

"Ah, I’ll have someone look into it. Please wait."

A short while later, the results came in:

The jailer on duty at the death row cells that day was named Pi Linhai. He was there from morning until evening—the entire time Fu Songhua was held in the prison.

But this man wasn’t on duty today.

By this point, County Magistrate Tian knew what to do. "Someone go and bring Pi Linhai here."

Pi Linhai’s home wasn’t far from the County Yamen, only about half an hour’s journey.

Soon, the official sent out returned empty-handed. "Pi Linhai isn’t home. His wife said he went out to buy wine an hour ago and hasn’t returned. We checked the place where he usually buys wine, but he wasn’t there."

Hee Lingchuan closed his eyes and said in a low voice, "I’m afraid he won’t be found anytime soon."

’They silenced him at the speed of light,’ he thought, a chill running down his spine.

He had only interrogated Fu Songhua privately for an hour, and in that time, the other party had already taken care of Pi Linhai.

’To be able to rope an Inspector as arrogant as Zhongsun Mou into their conspiracy shows they have immense power.’

’To silence a witness so quickly shows they react fast.’

’These opponents are not to be underestimated.’

Zhongsun Mou folded his arms and mocked him. "You made us wait all this time just to come up with this one useless clue?"

’Even though that bastard snatched Fu Songhua, Hee still can’t point to the real mastermind.’

’He doesn’t even have a suspect.’

’From this perspective alone, our side is already in an invincible position!’

At this thought, Zhongsun Mou’s heart lightened considerably. But this Hee Xiao was a Bone-Devouring Maggot, clinging to them. Sooner or later, he would ruin things. It would be best to get rid of him quickly.

’Most importantly, once Hee Xiao is dead, no one will pursue the so-called mastermind behind the scenes.’

’The original plan can proceed with just a few minor adjustments.’

’I must cut this tangled knot with a swift blade. I can’t let this drag on any longer!’

"What’s the rush? I’m not fighting alone," Hee Lingchuan said slowly. "The clues will soon deliver themselves to my doorstep."

"By the way, since the case has been reopened, I’d like to see the evidence Lord Zhongsun has collected."

Zhongsun Mou was blunt. "You don’t have the authority." ’This guy isn’t even a proper official, just a temporary Special Envoy with a hollow title, and he dares to challenge me?’

Hee Lingchuan wasn’t surprised. "In that case, I’ve only just arrived and will need a few days to gather evidence."

"You’ve been in Baisha Jue for days, sightseeing and goofing off. And now you dare waste more of my time?"

"Oh?" Hee Lingchuan looked surprised. "So Lord Zhongsun has been paying such close attention to me? Let me put it another way: whether you agree or not, Fu Songhua is staying with me. If you’re crying about not having time, you can just run back to Lingxu City yourself."

’What a joke. This bastard dared to plot against Fu Songhua right in front of him. If the prisoner were sent to the County Prison, would he even survive?’

’The real mastermind who sent someone in to tamper with the testimony before could just as easily send someone in to kill Fu Songhua.’

"You!" Rage surged through Zhongsun Mou. He pointed a finger at him from afar, jabbing at the air for a long moment before laughing in fury. "Killing the hounds after the hunt is done... You’re so ruthless. Aren’t you afraid Fushan Yue won’t be able to protect you? He’s no saint either! The moment he turns around and sells you out, you’ll be a dead man!"

He was cursing the Crown Prince of the Chiyan Kingdom. The Baisha Jue County Magistrate kept his eyes lowered, pretending to be invisible, not daring to utter a peep.

"You don’t need to worry about that." Hee Lingchuan had received a letter from Fushan Yue, so he knew the Chiyan Kingdom would back him, at least until this case was closed. "Oh, and by the way, our stay in Zhitian Village was very fruitful. We caught several of Mr. Mai’s Demon Hunting subordinates. They’ve provided quite a few clues. In a few more days, I’ll be able to root out the true mastermind. When that time comes..."

He chuckled twice, then turned and walked out without waiting for Zhongsun Mou’s response.

...

After Hee Lingchuan left the County Yamen, the fierce tiger followed from behind and said admiringly, "To dare challenge an Inspector from Lingxu City to his face and tell him to get lost... Since the founding of Chiyan, you’re probably the first."

"Who wouldn’t want to?" Hee Lingchuan laughed, scratching the tiger’s head. "You don’t?"

"I wouldn’t dare," Jiao Yu said honestly. "It feels good to talk back for a moment, but I’m afraid of the reckoning that comes later."

He had a family and a career in Chiyan; he couldn’t afford to incur the wrath of Lingxu City. This was true for all officials in the Chiyan Kingdom, big and small. What they feared most was facing the consequences of their actions.

’Could the man before him truly bear such consequences?’

"Aren’t you worried about Lingxu City’s thunderous wrath?"

Hee Lingchuan laughed heartily. "I didn’t lay a single finger on him. I just criticized him a bit. At most, it can be considered disrespectful speech. What crime can Lingxu City charge me with for that?"

Cursing someone out, to put it bluntly, is just a war of words.

Although he had made an enemy of Zhongsun Mou, he hadn’t laid a hand on the man from start to finish. It was defiance, not Barging, so the nature of the offense wasn’t nearly so severe.

"What about Fu Songhua?"

"I’m keeping him to assist with the case. You could call it atoning for his crimes through service. In the end, he’ll still be returned to Lingxu City." Hee Lingchuan gave him a sidelong look. "I asked Fushan Yue. Strictly speaking, a Lingxu City Inspector does not have the authority to arrest an official of a Vassal Demon Kingdom on the spot. The proper procedure is for Lingxu City to inform the Demon King, and the Demon King then either takes action or presents a defense. So even if I detain Fu Songhua, Zhongsun Mou can’t immediately charge me with a crime."

He wasn’t just acting recklessly.

"Besides, look at Zhongsun Mou’s behavior today. Does he look like someone with nothing to hide?"

Jiao Yu licked his nose. "He does not."

Fu Songhua had suddenly recanted his confession. Any normal official would have asked for a reason, yet Zhongsun Mou wanted to pin the crime on him regardless. The reason for this was truly intriguing.

"Once the truth is revealed, if Zhongsun Mou has no connection to the mastermind, Lingxu City will at most blame me for disrespectful speech, a minor offense the King of Chiyan can help me handle. If Zhongsun Mou is proven to have conspired with the real mastermind, then my actions are reasonable, legal, and even meritorious. I don’t lose out either way, so why the hell should I be afraid of him?" As for the so-called consequences, he had already thought them through clearly.

"Uh." Jiao Yu thought about it. It seemed that was indeed the case.

’How did he break down all the complex pros and cons and make it sound so simple?’

As if reading his mind, Hee Lingchuan said flatly, "You people revere Lingxu City too much. So much so that a little brat like Zhongsun Mou, who has no military achievements to his name, can act so high and mighty in front of a Central General like you."

Jiao Yu extended his sharp claws, unconsciously scratching several gouges into the ground.

Hee Lingchuan wasn’t wrong in the slightest. This was an oppressive power built up over many years. Even a proud and powerful Demon like him felt an unconscious dread when facing Lingxu City.

’No wonder the Crown Prince needed to rely on an outsider like him.’

The man and the tiger had walked east for a few hundred yards before the beast finally asked Hee Lingchuan, "Where are we going?"

"To find some new assistance," Hee Lingchuan smiled. "It’s a disadvantage not knowing the people or the place."

The Baisha Jue County Magistrate seemed like a Local Bully, but in reality, he was unreliable.

Having just confronted Zhongsun Mou, he was in a pretty good mood, strolling along the streets for a mile or two. The shop signs on Baisha Jue’s main street were large and bright, and all sorts of high-end stores lined the road. Some even had solid blocks of ice stacked behind their doors or had activated Ice Arrays to cool their customers.

It was the height of summer in the seventh month, but inside these shops, a cool breeze was blowing. It was incredibly pleasant.

Of course, the customer always pays. The prices of the goods in these shops were a big chunk higher than in Zhitian Village.

Hee Lingchuan even stopped to eat a large bowl of cold jelly noodles, while the fierce tiger, having no love for noodles, ordered a whole roast chicken as a snack and crunched it down with relish. CRUNCH. CRUNCH.

After walking for another quarter of an hour, Hee Lingchuan finally stopped in front of a large mansion and handed a calling card to the gatekeeper. "Please inform your master that the Crown Prince Envoy is here to call on him."

This wasn’t a card he had written, but one the master of this mansion had previously sent to him.

The three words, "Crown Prince Envoy," were very intimidating.

And so, in less than thirty breaths, Hee Lingchuan was standing in the main hall of the estate.