Chapter 63: Capture
Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Capture
"Answer my questions, or die."
Su Mu said coldly, slightly loosening his grip on the man’s throat.
By now, the man was deathly pale, drenched in a cold sweat.
’This person appeared before me without a sound and subdued me before I could even react. He has to be a Martial Artist at the Second Stage of Body Tempering—the Flesh Tempering Level—at the very least.’
’In the Sect, someone like that would be a Hall Master at minimum, maybe even qualified to be a Vice Sect Leader.’
’A person of this stature is simply not someone I can resist.’
"Yes..."
He answered, his voice trembling.
"Where is the No-Heaven Sect’s main headquarters?"
Su Mu asked in a low voice.
"I... I don’t know."
The man answered, trembling, "I just joined the sect a few months ago. I’m not qualified to go to the main headquarters for an audience with the Sect Leader."
Su Mu frowned. The man didn’t look like he was lying, so he continued, "Who’s your superior?"
"My superior is Master Si."
The man answered, his voice trembling slightly.
"Who is Master Si? What’s his full name?"
Su Mu asked.
"Master Si’s full name is Zhao Gui. He’s the younger brother of Zhao Ji, the constable chief from the South City Bureau."
Trembling, the man looked at Su Mu and quickly added.
"Zhao Gui? What’s his position in the No-Heaven Sect?"
’So this involves Zhao Ji,’ Su Mu thought. ’I wonder how much he knows about the No-Heaven Sect.’
"Master Si—no, Zhao Gui is a Hall Master."
"I heard your No-Heaven Sect is creating demons?"
Su Mu continued to ask.
The man looked utterly lost, as if shrouded in fog. He clearly had no idea the No-Heaven Sect was involved in something so momentous.
Su Mu wasn’t surprised. It was normal for an ordinary member like him to be kept out of the loop on core secrets.
"Did you kill those people in Five Miles Temple Village?"
Su Mu said.
"No... It wasn’t me..."
The man said with a trembling voice, "Master Si sent people to do it. I don’t know who actually did the deed."
"Then what did the Night Watchman give you?"
"I don’t know."
"Where is it?"
"You already sent it to Master Si?"
"How did you send it?"
No more than the time it takes an incense stick to burn had passed between the Night Watchman giving him the item and Su Mu making his move. Su Mu hadn’t seen anyone enter or leave the courtyard.
And he hadn’t detected anyone else’s presence in the courtyard, either.
’How did the item get out?’
Su Mu couldn’t help but become more alert.
"Under the bed, there’s a secret passage..."
The man trembled all over. "Sir, I’m only responsible for receiving the goods. I really don’t know anything else... Urk."
His words came to an abrupt halt.
Su Mu casually crushed the man’s throat, feeling not a single ripple of emotion.
He indifferently dropped the No-Heaven Sect member’s corpse and walked over to the bed.
He threw the bed boards aside, revealing a pitch-black opening underneath.
After a moment’s hesitation, Su Mu decided not to risk entering the tunnel alone.
Now that he knew who the mastermind behind the Five Miles Temple Village murders was, the rest would be simple.
Speed is of the essence in military matters.
Just half a day later, Su Mu had gathered seven or eight constables.
Su Mu had borrowed these constables from Zheng Wang. They were the same men who had followed him previously to repair bridges and pave roads.
They had tasted the sweetness of public support and now walked the streets with their heads held a little higher.
When they heard Su Mu was going to arrest a murderer, they followed without hesitation.
Su Mu was gradually establishing his own prestige and now had considerable influence among the constables of the South City Bureau.
Besides these seven or eight constables, another person followed closely by Su Mu’s side.
That person was, of course, Wei Yongfu, who had already reached the Third Stage of Body Tempering.
To hire him, Su Mu was paying a hefty price: one hundred and fifty taels of silver per day.
The price was steep, but Wei Yongfu’s professionalism was impeccable. He was worth every tael.
"Sergeant Su, are we in the wrong place? This is Master Zhao Si’s mansion."
When Su Mu stopped before a pair of large, vermilion gates, Wang Liu grew uneasy and couldn’t help but speak up.
"Are you related to him?"
Su Mu turned and glanced at Wang Liu.
"No."
Wang Liu shook his head blankly.
"If you’re not related, why are you calling him ’Master Si’?"
Su Mu said calmly, "Wang Liu, you are a constable of the South City Bureau. You represent the Bureau. Is he worthy of you addressing him as ’Master’?"
"That’s what everyone on the street calls him..."
Wang Liu mumbled weakly, his confidence faltering.
The moment he finished speaking, he heard Su Mu say dispassionately, "Break down the door."
Immediately, the big man named Wei Yongfu stepped forward and smashed a fist into the two vermilion gates.
BOOM!
The heavy wooden doors shattered into pieces.
Wei Yongfu was the first to rush in, sending two charging household servants flying with a kick.
"South City Bureau business! All uninvolved personnel, stand aside! Those who resist will be killed without mercy!"
Su Mu shouted.
Under the gazes of Wang Liu and the other constables, he strode into the Zhao Mansion.
Wang Liu and the others exchanged bewildered glances. Weren’t they here to catch a murderer?
Could the murderer be Chief Zhao’s younger brother?
"Brother Liu, what now?"
"We’re already here, what choice do we have? You think Chief Zhao will spare us if we turn back now? Dammit, I’m all in!"
Wang Liu’s face twisted into a snarl. "I trust Sergeant Su won’t lead us into a trap. Let’s make this bet! Worst comes to worst, we die. If we pull this off, we’ll be living the high life. If not... screw it, I’ll just quit being a constable!"
With that, Wang Liu drew his Constable Saber with a CLANG and charged in after them.
"Nobody move!"
With Wang Liu already inside, the other constables hesitated for a moment before gritting their teeth and rushing in too.
Wang Liu was right. It was too late to turn back now.
They might as well take a gamble with Sergeant Su.
"Insolence! Who gave you the nerve to trespass in the Zhao Mansion!
Do you have any idea where you are?!"
In the blink of an eye, Su Mu and Wei Yongfu had already entered the inner courtyard.
Meanwhile, Wang Liu and the other constables were held up in the outer courtyard by a group of household guards.
At that moment, a middle-aged man who looked to be in his thirties or forties walked out, his face contorted with rage as he stared at Su Mu and Wei Yongfu.
"Zhao Gui, the jig is up. If you don’t want any extra trouble, come back with me to the South City Bureau for questioning."
Su Mu looked at the man and spoke calmly.
"Haha!"
Zhao Gui roared with laughter. "You want to take me back to the South City Bureau? Do you know who I am?"
"Take him."
Su Mu couldn’t be bothered to waste words on him.
Receiving the order, Wei Yongfu exploded forward like a tiger bursting from its cage, lunging at Zhao Gui.
"How dare you!"
Zhao Gui roared in anger. With a wave of his hand, the guard behind him drew his blade and charged forward.
BANG!
The guard was sent flying back just as fast as he had charged forward.
Wei Yongfu had downed him with a single whip kick.
This guard was a Martial Artist at the Second Stage of Body Tempering and had at least reached minor mastery in his Flesh Tempering Technique.
But before Wei Yongfu, who had reached the Third Stage of Body Tempering, he was nothing.
A smile touched Wei Yongfu’s lips. ’So this is all a No-Heaven Sect Hall Master amounts to? This job is too easy. I almost feel guilty taking the money... Maybe I should make Zhao Gui kowtow to Su Mu?’
His hand had already landed on Zhao Gui, and he was about to kick the back of the man’s knee to force him to kneel.
Suddenly, alarm bells screamed in Wei Yongfu’s mind.
His reactions, honed as a Ghostwriter through countless life-and-death situations, took over. Wei Yongfu stomped his foot and somersaulted backward without a shred of hesitation.
RIIIP—
Amid the sound of tearing cloth, Wei Yongfu landed more than ten feet away. His sleeve had been ripped open by some unseen force, and several shallow cuts had appeared on his arm.
Before Wei Yongfu could recover from his shock, a black shadow appeared before him, moving so fast that he had no time to think. His body reacted purely on instinct.
A series of muffled THUDS instantly echoed through the courtyard.
"If you want to take me, you’ll have to be skilled enough to do it."
Zhao Gui sneered as he ripped off his outer robe, revealing the bulging muscles underneath.
"A mere junior squad leader dares to provoke me. I’ve decided to kill you with my own hands.
To die at the hands of an expert at the Second Stage of Body Tempering... you should consider it an honor!"