Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 203 A Suspicious Case (Two Chapters Combined)

Chen Tao lowered his voice, as if afraid that someone might overhear him and leak this news that the imperial court was strictly blocking.

"Our Yanzhou Prefecture's tax payment to the imperial court this year, a full 500,000 taels of silver, was robbed en route!"

"Yanzhou's annual tax revenue was robbed?"

That's definitely a big case.

Li Fu's eyebrows twitched slightly.

When Emperor Taizu of the Great Zhao Dynasty established his dynasty, he set forth the policy of light taxes and levies, allowing the people to recuperate and thrive. This won the hearts of the people, and even now that the current emperor has ascended the throne, he dares not make any major changes.

In addition, Yanzhou has only a few hundred thousand households and a population of just over two million. It is not a fertile land. The taxes, including land tax, poll tax, salt tax, and commercial tax, amount to only a few hundred thousand taels of silver a year.

"Five hundred thousand taels of silver is not a small amount, but it is not a large amount either. It is equivalent to the lifetime accumulation of a very wealthy man."

But the implications are different. Who had the audacity to rob the local governments of their taxes intended for the imperial court?

Moreover, if you have the ability, you could rob ten wealthy households and pocket the same amount of gold and silver. You could probably live a carefree life without any problem. Why commit such a crime that is tantamount to rebellion and will inevitably lead to the extermination of your clan?

Wouldn't that be incredibly unwise?

"When did this happen?"

"Just a few days ago."

Chen Tao quickly said, "This tax amount is huge. According to custom, the state military command will send troops to escort it. At the same time, we have hired Yihe Escort Agency, one of the most reputable and powerful escort agencies in Yanzhou and the North, to take on this imperial escort mission."

It was a secret route, and they traveled day and night. However, when they reached the mountainous area at the border of Weizhou and Qinzhou, the escort team was suddenly ambushed. It is said that they were drugged with a very potent sleeping potion.

The镖局 (escort agency) experts and军马司 (military cavalry) experts were completely paralyzed and powerless, watching helplessly as a group of masked bandits stormed out and looted all 800,000 taels of silver!

Now, the head镖师 (chief镖师, chief镖师, and young master) of Yihe镖局 (Yihe Escort Agency), along with a group of镖师 (镖师, escorts, and guards), have all been imprisoned.

This incident caused a great stir, alarming the Six Doors (a government agency) and the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Justice of the imperial court.

It is said that a special team of detectives and experts from the Six Doors will arrive in Yanzhou soon to thoroughly investigate this case!

The imperial entourage was robbed, suspected of having an inside traitor, and a staggering amount of silver disappeared without a trace. The escort agency was imprisoned, and the entire family was awaiting execution.

Li Fu had already sensed something was amiss with this case, and a strange look flashed across his face.

Why does that sound so familiar?

Could it be that the current official is short of money again?

But is a few hundred thousand taels of silver really worth the current emperor's consideration again?

Times have changed; this is no longer the era when the dynasty was first established and he ascended the throne.

Furthermore, with various local stone collectors using the Stone Tribute to exploit the people for the sake of that high-ranking official, 500,000 taels of silver is just a drop in the ocean for that official. He could probably sell any of the rare stones he casually admires for that price. Logically, there is no need to repeat the old practice of providing disaster relief funds.

"Bring me the case file to take a look."

Li Fudao.

Chen Tao said.

"Boss, you've just returned, and you must be exhausted from the journey. This case has shaken the court, and the higher-ups are already sending people down. We don't need to worry about it. In my opinion, you should rest for a few days first."

"Even if the sky falls, there will be—there will be tall people to hold it up."

He pointed upwards.

Li Fu waved his hand. With his profound internal strength, the days of travel were no different from a stroll for him, and he showed no signs of fatigue.

Upon hearing about such a major case, he didn't find it troublesome at all; on the contrary, it stirred something within him.

Every major case has a mastermind behind it; every suspicious detail may indicate a conspiracy; and innocent people may be wrongly accused and harmed. In most cases, this will trigger the secrets of heaven.

"It's alright, bring me the case file to take a look."

On his way back these past few days, Li Fu has been practicing the Six Meridians Divine Sword, which he has now mastered. This peerless martial art can definitely be described as profound and incredibly powerful.

Once mastered, the Six Meridians Divine Sword allows sword energy to be generated along the six main meridians of the hand, where internal energy passes. This energy condenses at the fingertips, and can be released or withdrawn at will, with the length controlled by the user.

This is less a sword technique with specific moves and more a world-shaking skill that transforms internal energy into an invisible yet tangible blade of energy capable of cutting through gold and jade with unparalleled sharpness.

The six sword techniques each have their own unique characteristics. The Shaoshang sword of the Lung Meridian of Hand Taiyin is powerful and vigorous, with the force of a thunderbolt and the momentum of a great storm.

The Shangyang Sword of the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian is ingenious, flexible, and elusive.

The Shaochong sword of the Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian is light and swift; the Shaoze sword of the Hand Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian is unpredictable and subtle; the Zhongchong sword of the Hand Jueyin Pericardium Meridian is expansive and majestic.

The Guanchong Sword of the Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian is characterized by its ancient simplicity and uprightness.

"The Six Meridian Divine Sword can be used alone, in combination, or in rotation, at will, with unparalleled power!"

However, while its power is unparalleled, this martial art also consumes an extremely high amount of internal energy!

Li Fu possesses the refined skills accumulated over two cycles of sixty years. His Nine Yang Divine Skill is inexhaustible, and his Yi Jin Jing has profound foundations. His internal strength is so profound that it is rarely seen in the world.

However, when fully activating the Six Meridians Divine Sword, especially when unleashing all six swords simultaneously or using moves that consume a great deal of energy, one feels that internal energy is being consumed as rapidly as a rushing river.

With his internal strength, he would be fine in ordinary combat or even a major battle, but if he were to get into a long and arduous battle that required him to continuously use the Six Meridians Divine Sword, even he would probably find it difficult to sustain his internal energy.

Even the most skilled martial arts masters cannot withstand more than two moves from him, and no one in the world knows who can put him in such a difficult situation now.

However, he was still not entirely satisfied with his own skill level.

"No wonder this unique skill passed down in the Duan family of Dali has always existed, but no one has mastered it since the Duan family's ancestor."

Until finally, an extraordinary individual emerged, possessing centuries' worth of internal energy and unparalleled skill.

Li Fu now greatly desires to master another powerful internal skill to increase his own strength.

Chen Tao immediately went to retrieve a thick stack of files.

Li Fu took the file, sat down in the chair, and began to carefully read through it.

The case file records are largely the same as what Chen Tao said.

Five hundred thousand taels of silver, jointly escorted by the Military Horse Guard and the Yihe Escort Agency, were originally intended to be transported to the capital by water, but were ambushed at the border of Qinzhou and Weizhou, and were drugged and robbed.

The gang of thieves acted meticulously, striking with deadly precision, and seemed to know the route and timing of the escort perfectly.

The entire Yihe Escort Agency is now the prime suspect for leaking information and is under strict surveillance and interrogation.

As he flipped through the files, his gaze fell upon the description of the sleeping potion used by the bandits in Guangan, and a sudden thought struck him.

"The escorting soldiers and the镖局 (bodyguard agency) members were ambushed and exposed to a drugging smoke in the mountains bordering Weizhou and Qinzhou. Upon inhaling it, their muscles and bones immediately went limp, and they collapsed to the ground, completely at their mercy."

This sleeping potion was extremely potent, leaving the skilled martial artists of the Yihe Escort Agency and the Military Cavalry with no choice but to watch helplessly as the thieves transported the Yanzhou tax silver away.

This description... why does it feel so familiar?

Muscles and bones become soft and limp, like rotten mud, and even a master's internal energy is useless in resisting—isn't this the typical symptom of being hit by the Immortal's Fall?

"The Immortals Fall—The Dragon Gathering?"

Li Fu's eyes narrowed.

He still remembered that if he could wipe out the Jinglong Society, he could obtain the fully mastered Tathagata Palm.

Since killing the four elders of the Kongming Sect last time, this mysterious organization seems to have disappeared from his sight. Did they think he was too difficult to deal with and were secretly plotting an even more powerful revenge?

Or perhaps they heard about the things he did later, such as capturing the Tang Clan's young master without any effort, killing the Fairy of Xiandu, and defeating Venerable Shikong and the leader of Quanzhen Sect at Zhongnan Mountain. They felt that dealing with him required a long-term plan, and the manpower they had prepared was not enough, so they kept delaying.

Speaking of immortals, he couldn't help but think of Cao Mufeng.

Where is this person now?

Those who had committed crimes against Li Fu in the past, especially those who had a grudge against him, were mostly dealt with on the spot; those who had no grudge against him but committed crimes were sent to prison according to the law.

Cao Mufeng belonged to the latter category. After being captured, he was thrown into the Yanzhou Iron Prison. Since there was no enmity between them, he paid no further attention to him afterward.

Is he still in prison, or has he been sentenced for the crime of holding a high-ranking official hostage?

He summoned Chen Tao and inquired about Cao Mufeng's whereabouts.

Chen Tao asked, "Cao Mufeng?"

Boss, is that Cao Mufeng you arrested who also uses a kind of domineering drug?

This—I really hadn't noticed.

but----"

He suddenly remembered something, lowered his voice, and spoke with a hint of mystery and excitement.

"Boss, I just heard some rumors. Do you know who from the Six Doors is leading the constables down to investigate the robbery of our Yanzhou taxes?"

"oh?

Which embroidered-robed constable was sent down?

Li went to inquire.

"It's the Commander-in-Chief!" Chen Tao said with reverence, "The Commander-in-Chief, one of the four great constables of the Six Doors, has come down in person!"

The Commander-in-Chief?

Li Fu was slightly surprised.

Among the Six Doors, those who can hold the rank of Embroidered Robe Divine Constable and make a name for themselves in the martial arts world often have nicknames, such as Guan Dao Divine Constable Luo Jiugao.

However, the four most outstanding and universally recognized divine constables in the world are the constable god, the constable immortal, the constable general, and the constable king.

They not only held high positions and wielded great power, controlling the secrets of the Six Doors, but their martial arts skills, wisdom, and crime-solving abilities were unparalleled in the world.

"The Chief Constable is second only to the Chief Constable of the Six Doors, and his status is second only to the Chief Constable, who is in charge of the Six Doors. He is on par with the Chief Constable Immortal and the Chief Constable King."

Chen Tao knew them all like the back of his hand.

"It is said that he was only in his thirties or forties when he was already a peerless master. He was refined and composed, with extraordinary wisdom and was known as a general among generals. He always solved cases with ease and elegance."

"Are you sure it's the Chief Constable leading his men down to investigate the case?"

Li Fu listened, but his brows furrowed slightly.

The robbery of tax silver in Yanzhou is no small case, and its nature is extremely serious, but—does it really require the head of the Six Doors to personally take action?

Although the crime was equivalent to treason and provoking the imperial court, there were many forces in the world that were actually raising the flag of rebellion, and the imperial court was not the only one in a state of great distress.

In the end, it's just a matter of money and supplies.

In contrast, when Tie Liu Wang escaped, if he had been allowed to raise his arms and start another rebellion, the harm he would have caused would have been far greater than the loss of 500,000 taels of tax money. Yet, the constable did not personally lead his men down at that time.

Why did this major case, which had no immediate consequences and was not in any critical situation, alarm the imperial court and the Six Doors, prompting them to send down this renowned figure among the world's top constables?

Although provoking the imperial court is a crime equivalent to treason, and it seems that no amount of attention is too much, is it perhaps too much?

If there were a case involving a royal prince or duke plotting a rebellion, the scale of the operation would probably be no different.

Chen Tao scratched his head and said, "Boss, I just heard it from the rumors. I don't know if it's true or not, but that's what everyone's saying."

"Why don't you go and ask Prefect Feng, sir?"

Li Fudao said, "Chen Tao, go and investigate Cao Mufeng's whereabouts carefully again. If you have any news, report to me immediately."

"Yes, boss."

Afterwards, he went to the backyard of the government office and decided to meet with Prefect Feng Shaoting to sound out whether the imperial court had really sent down a constable.

Upon arriving at the backyard of the government office, Li Fu stepped into Feng Shaoting's study.

Feng Shaoting stood in the study, with official documents on the desk and a book in his hand, pacing back and forth. However, his mind was clearly not on the book; he seemed somewhat uneasy and excited, unable to sit still.

Upon seeing Li Fu enter, he put down his book, put on a smile, and greeted him.

"Officer Li is back?"

"I've heard about what Constable Li did during our trip to Zhongnan Mountain; it shook the martial arts world. You must be tired. Please have a seat."

He invited Li Fu to sit down and ordered someone to serve tea.

For some reason, the bodyguard Dead Sword, who is usually like Feng Shaoting's shadow, is nowhere to be seen. Could it be that he has been sent out to do something?

What could be so important that he even sent away his ever-present bodyguard?

"Thank you for your concern, Prefect. It's just my duty, nothing to worry about."

Li Fu sat down, his gaze sweeping over the area subtly.

Although the prefect's smile remained unchanged, a closer look revealed slightly dark circles under his eyes, bloodshot eyes, and a somewhat tired appearance. Yet, within this weariness seemed to lie an indescribable mix of unease and excitement, as if something weighed on his mind, preventing him from calming down. He said, "Officer Li was invited to attend the public trial convened by the Quanzhen Sect. In Zhongnan Mountain, he turned the tide, exposed a treacherous plot, stopped a storm in the martial world, and protected the Northern Underground Sect, shaking the entire martial world. I had already heard about this before Officer Li even returned—"

It's clear that Feng Shaoting was quite surprised by this, especially when he mentioned that Li Fujing had single-handedly defeated the number one martial artist in Tibet and the leader of the Quanzhen Sect.

However, he did not discuss the matter further, as it involved the Mongol Yuan dynasty, and officials needed to be careful about it, especially as a prefect of a prefecture.

After he said a couple of sentences and then stopped talking, Li Fu went straight to the point and asked, "I just returned and heard about the major case of the robbery of taxes in Yanzhou, which has shocked the court."

I wonder what the current situation is?

When the tax evasion case was mentioned, Feng Shaoting seemed to instinctively perk up, his eyes lighting up, but then he seemed to realize that he shouldn't have reacted that way, sighed, and frowned.

"Alas, this matter has kept me awake at night."

Five hundred thousand taels of silver, representing a year's worth of hard-earned money from the people of Yanzhou and a portion of the national treasury to be handed over to the imperial court, was robbed in broad daylight. How audacious of the thieves!

The imperial court was furious and ordered a thorough investigation.

Fortunately, the imperial court and the Six Doors (a government agency) took this matter very seriously and have dispatched the chief constable to personally investigate.

"With the commander personally arriving, we will surely uncover the truth and capture the culprit," Li Fu echoed, observing Feng Shaoting's reaction.

"That's natural, that's natural."

Feng Shaoting nodded repeatedly, his tone slightly unsteady.

"Your Excellency, the Commander of the Arrest Bureau is discerning and will surely uncover the truth. I will also do my utmost to cooperate in order to solve the case as soon as possible, catch those audacious thieves, and report back to the court."

The prefect seemed very interested in this important case, his eyes lighting up whenever it was mentioned. However, for some reason, his mind seemed to be completely elsewhere when it came to solving the case and catching the thief. When talking about solving the case and catching the thief, his tone was casual, as if he didn't care at all whether he could catch him or not.

Li Fudao.

"In that case, we will not disturb the prefect's work any longer."

Feng Shaoting also quickly got up to see him off, and the smile on his face returned to a slightly relaxed state.

"Officer Li is very kind."

You've just returned, and you must be tired from your journey. Please rest for a couple of days first.

With the Chief Constable in charge, the case should be resolved soon.

Li Fu remained calm and nodded to take his leave.

Stepping out of the study, my doubts deepened.

"There's probably more to this case than meets the eye."

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