Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 205 The Commander: "I have long admired your name." (Two chapters combined)

About half a month ago, in the backyard of Yihe Escort Agency in Yanzhou City.

As dusk approached, Chief Escort Zuo Yuncheng had just finished dealing with the day's many tasks.

As a prominent figure in the northern escort agency, he was in charge of the vast Yihe Escort Agency. Every day, he had to deal with various trivial matters, such as friends in the martial arts world, dealings with the government, business accounts, and dispatching escorts, which truly took a toll on his mind.

Fortunately, he is in his prime. Although he is nearly forty, he has been practicing martial arts for many years and has cultivated both his inner and outer qualities. Instead of showing signs of aging, he has gained a more mature and dignified demeanor.

He was tall and straight like a pine tree, with a face full of distinct features and a pair of bright, piercing eyes. He exuded an air of authority and was known for his generosity and shrewdness. He was well-connected in both the legitimate and underworld circles and had a wide network of contacts.

Back in his secluded courtyard, after dismissing the servants, Zuo Yuncheng removed his outer robe and tight-fitting clothes, revealing a strong physique that had been honed over time and had well-defined lines.

On his bronze skin, several old scars are faintly visible, which do not detract from his masculine appearance but instead add to his ruggedness, showing that he has weathered many storms.

He usually likes to take a hot bath after a busy day to wash away his fatigue and relax his tense mind.

Although Zuo Yuncheng settled down and made a name for himself in the north, few people actually knew that his ancestral home was in the Wu region of Jiangnan.

In the water towns of Wu, there is a long-standing custom of taking a bath after meals or work to relieve fatigue and relax muscles, and he was no exception.

Hot water was steaming in the huge cypress bathtub.

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Zuo Yuncheng immersed his entire body in the warm water, leaving only his head, neck, and broad shoulders exposed. He let out a long sigh, closed his eyes, and enjoyed this rare moment of tranquility.

The room was filled with steam and dim light. He was relaxed, but his senses were not completely at ease—a habit he had developed over many years of life in the martial arts world.

While he was resting with his eyes closed, he did not notice anything unusual. A very thin object silently pierced a small hole in the lower right corner of the carved wooden window in the room.

An eye quietly pressed against that small hole.

It was an extremely beautiful eye, with a graceful shape, long eyelashes, and a deep pupil in the dim light.

At this moment, that eye was peering intently through the hole at the strong body inside the bathtub.

His gaze swept over Zuo Yuncheng's chest and arms, which were submerged in the water, leaving no spot untouched, especially lingering on his muscular, hard-lined back.

But a hint of regret flashed in his eyes, as if he couldn't see that body stand up in the bathtub, or see anything more.

The person spying was clearly highly skilled in martial arts, his aura was almost perfectly concealed, blending into the surrounding environment, and his movements were as light as a feather.

However, Zuo Yuncheng was, after all, a master among the best in the martial arts world, with keen intuition.

After that eye had been staring at him for a long time, he felt a slight tremor in his heart for no reason. A vague and indescribable feeling of being watched suddenly rose up, as if a cold snake was crawling down the back of his neck!

He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp, and abruptly turned to look at the window, while simultaneously letting out a low, deep shout.

"Who?!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear both indoors and outdoors in the quiet.

Outside the window, the eye vanished instantly, as if it had never existed; only the tiny hole remained silently on the window paper.

Zuo Yuncheng quickly got up, grabbed a robe from the side and wrapped it around his body, then darted to the window, pushed it open and looked outside.

The courtyard was quiet, dusk was falling, only a few flowering trees were swaying gently in the evening breeze, and there was not a single person in sight.

He frowned, his sharp gaze sweeping across every corner of the courtyard wall and roof where someone might be hiding, but he found nothing.

A cool evening breeze caressed my face, and the only sound was the chirping of insects.

"Could it be—that I'm just too tired and restless today, and I'm imagining things?"

Zuo Yuncheng felt a little relieved and secretly shook his head.

As the chief镖头 (chief镖师, head镖师, or镖局, a type of security escort agency) he had been dealing with all the镖局's affairs and several difficult guests all day, he was indeed feeling quite exhausted.

Martial arts practitioners have keen senses, but sometimes, due to overwork, they may become suspicious and paranoid.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, thinking he must have been overthinking things.

"Although there are flower thieves in the martial arts world and the sordid things of peeping at women bathing are occasionally heard of, how can one possibly peep at a grown man bathing?"

Besides, at my age—wouldn't it be a laughing stock if word got out?

Although Zuo Yuncheng was confident that his charm was as strong as ever and that the years had given him a heroic spirit, he still felt that the idea was rather absurd.

Just as he thought he was being paranoid and was about to close the window and go back to continue his bath, the corner of his eye inadvertently caught a glimpse of the twilight shining through the window frame onto a corner of the paper.

There, an extremely tiny hole with neat edges is clearly visible!

Zuo Yuncheng's pupils contracted, and his self-deprecating smile instantly froze on his face.

The faint feeling of being watched was not an illusion; someone really had sneaked out of the window and was spying on him through the small hole.

To be able to do this without him noticing, this person's stealth skills and agility are definitely far superior to his.

When did they arrive? How long did they observe? What was their purpose?

Waiting for the right moment to assassinate him?

It couldn't be because she wanted to peek at an elderly middle-aged man taking a shower, could it?

Zuo Yuncheng was filled with doubt and surprise. After taking a bath, his blood and energy were flowing smoothly and his sense of smell was particularly sharp. At this moment, he seemed to faintly smell a lingering fragrance under the window, a familiar fragrance.

This made his face even more stiff, and even his body stiffened.

Li Fu was brought out of the iron prison by Ma Shixiong. Thinking of what Zuo Ji had just said, that the Zuo family had another daughter-in-law who seemed to be missing, he asked Ma Shixiong and Zhu Bo beside him.

"The daughter-in-law of the Zuo family from the Yihe Escort Agency was not detained along with Zuo Yuncheng and his son, is that right?"

-

As prison guards, Ma Shixiong and Zhu Bo were mainly responsible for guarding the prison and were not very clear about the arrests, but they were well-informed.

Zhu Bo thought for a moment and then answered.

"It seems so."

It is said that a few days before the imperial guards were escorted away, Zuo's daughter-in-law ran away from home, possibly due to a quarrel with her husband, and disappeared without a trace.

The government office has issued a notice designating her as a wanted criminal and ordering their arrest, but—she hasn't been found yet.

Disappeared before the imperial guards were escorted?

Li Fu frowned slightly.

The timing is too coincidental.

The disappearance of this daughter-in-law of the Zuo family may not be as simple as just running away from home.

He vaguely felt that this mysterious daughter-in-law might be a key breakthrough in understanding why the imperial court and the Six Doors were making such a fuss over this case.

Upon returning to the government office, Li Fu immediately summoned Chen Tao and instructed him to retrieve all the files and related information concerning Zuo's daughter-in-law.

Although Zuo's daughter-in-law was on the run and listed as a wanted criminal by the imperial court, the matter did not attract much attention from the government.

Right now, all manpower and energy are focused on tracking down the gang of thieves who stole the tax silver, and everyone is eager to solve the case and recover the 500,000 taels of tax silver.

In contrast, the whereabouts of a female member of the escort agency who had disappeared before taking on the imperial challenge was of little concern to anyone in the government office except for Li Fu.

Chen Tao was efficient and quickly presented the compiled files.

According to the records, Liu Ying'er, the daughter-in-law of the Zuo family of Yihe Escort Agency, was originally from Jiangnan. Her father was a local seventh-rank civil official who was implicated in a power struggle in the court and was exiled by the court, which led to the decline of the family.

Liu Ying'er and her family were forced to migrate to Yanzhou. They struggled to make a living and had no choice but to register as entertainers, becoming singers and earning a living by playing the zither and performing for a living.

She was beautiful and skilled at playing the zither, and was quite famous in Yanzhou.

Later, at a banquet, Liu Ying'er's zither playing attracted Zuo Ji, the young master of the Yihe Escort Agency.

Zuo Ji fell in love with her at first sight and insisted on marrying her despite her background as a singer.

At that time, Yihe Escort Agency was already a leading escort agency in the north. The young master's marriage to a singer as his principal wife caused quite a stir in Yanzhou City.

Zuo Yuncheng also had some reservations about this, but Zuo Ji was determined and eventually married Liu Ying'er.

Chen Tao, standing to the side, sighed slightly.

"This Liu Ying'er also had a bumpy life. She did not enjoy much wealth and honor in her youth, but was implicated and fell into poverty, ending up in the brothel."

Now that she has just settled down, she has been implicated by her husband's family and become a wanted criminal by the imperial court—truly a cruel twist of fate.

After reviewing the case file, Li Fu asked, "Zuo Ji once said that Liu Ying'er gave birth to a son for the Zuo family, continuing their bloodline."

They have a child, right?

Where is that child now?

Zuo Ji is not old, and his son should still be young and need to be taken care of.

Although the laws of the Great Zhao Dynasty were strict, children were usually not executed along with their parents. Instead, they were often sentenced to slavery and dealt with separately.

While Li was questioning Liu Ying'er, Chen Tao had already investigated the relevant situation and immediately replied.

"Liu Ying'er and Zuo Ji's son is still in swaddling clothes, not even a year old."

After the Zuo family's downfall, the child was sentenced to slavery and is currently placed in an orphanage in Yanzhou City, where he is being raised with funds allocated by the government.

"Orphanage?"

Li Fu's eyes flashed.

This is nothing compared to when the child was still living with the Zuo family and had a wet nurse to take care of him.

Although the orphanage nominally took in orphans, it was hard to say how well a baby sentenced to slavery and whose parents were both criminals could receive there.

A mother, especially one who has recently given birth, will always be most concerned about her unborn child, no matter where she is.

If Liu Ying'er were still alive, she would never forget her young son who was still in the orphanage.

Li Fu had made up his mind.

Perhaps we can start with this child and wait for the opportunity to strike.

He immediately deployed his men, ordering them to search for his whereabouts while Chen Tao selected several shrewd and reliable constables to pose as ordinary citizens or peddlers and secretly set up sentries around the Yanzhou Orphanage.

Pay close attention to whether there are any suspicious women, especially those who try to approach or inquire about the babies in the hospital. Keep an eye out for Liu Ying'er's whereabouts.

In the following days, the imperial court and the Six Doors, as expected, remained silent regarding Li Fu's great achievements in Zhongnan Mountain.

The official document that had initially assigned him to participate in the public trial and monitor the various factions to prevent the situation from getting out of control seemed to have never existed, and there was no further news about it.

Li Fu observed the entire officialdom's aversion to the matter but was neither surprised nor concerned. He continued his daily routine of checking in, reviewing files, and waiting for the appearance of Zuo's daughter-in-law.

However, the men they sent out failed to find her, and the sentries Chen Tao dispatched to stake out the orphanage for several days also failed to spot Liu Ying'er.

This daughter-in-law of the Zuo family seemed to have completely disappeared.

"She has either met with misfortune or is not free to come."

"Or have we not yet received news of the loss of the Imperial Gang or the trouble with the Zuo family?"

Li Fu pondered.

It's impossible for a mother not to worry about her infant child who is in dire need of feeding.

Perhaps we should wait a little longer.

If there's still no news, then something really must have happened.

On this day, the imperial court's special envoy to investigate the case finally arrived in Yanzhou.

The atmosphere inside and outside the Yanzhou government office was solemn.

Prefect Feng Shaoting had already ordered his yamen runners to sweep the streets and tidy up the yamen, and everything was ready.

He himself dressed in his official robes early in the morning and led a group of officials and constables from the prefecture to gather in front of the government office to wait.

Just after noon, a group of people came from the direction of the city gate. There were about several dozen people, all dressed in the uniforms of the Six Doors constables. They marched in an orderly manner and had solemn expressions.

Li Fu met the legendary constable in front of the government office.

The renowned constable looked to be around thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with a face like jade, eyes like bright stars, and three wisps of fine beard on his chin. He wore a moon-white brocade robe with a black cloak over it, and his demeanor was composed and elegant. He rode a magnificent white horse and indeed possessed the dignified air of a general among commanders.

Behind him, a group of embroidered-clothes constables and the heads of the Six Doors followed closely.

Upon seeing the group, Feng Shaoting immediately put on a smile, quickly stepped forward, and bowed, saying, "Feng Shaoting, Prefect of Yanzhou, respectfully welcomes the Commander."

The constable reined in his horse, nodded slightly, dismounted gracefully and nimbly, and raised his hand to help.

"Prefect Feng, there's no need for such formalities."

"I am investigating a case under imperial orders, and I am preoccupied with official duties. I apologize for disturbing the local authorities."

"You flatter me, Commander. It is an honor for Yanzhou that you have personally come to investigate the case."

Feng Shaoting said.

"I have prepared a room and courtyard, and a little wine, to welcome the commander and his colleagues."

This case concerns the imperial court's taxes. I and everyone in Yanzhou will cooperate fully with you, sir, to solve it as soon as possible, capture the thieves, and recover the tax money!

Li Fu watched from the side. Although Prefect Feng maintained the respect and decorum expected of officials, his slightly bright eyes and rapid breathing revealed his inner turmoil and anticipation, which he could hardly contain. It was as if the arrival of the Chief Constable was not just a case investigation for him, but a crucial opportunity.

Compared to Prefect Feng's enthusiasm, the constable remained calm, showing little emotion, as if he were merely handling official business, and spoke in a detached manner.

"Prefect Feng is very thoughtful. Everything should be done with the case in mind."

"Please, sir!"

Feng Shaoting quickly stepped aside to lead the way, intending to respectfully welcome the constable and his entourage into the government office.

The officials and constables in front of the yamen bowed and prepared to see off this high-ranking and powerful constable as he entered.

The constable stopped in his tracks, his gaze sweeping past Feng Shaoting, across the crowd waiting in front of the government office, and finally landing on Li Fu, who stood calmly to the side.

Compared to the excitement, trepidation, and awe of the others, Li Fu, who did not have much of a special reaction to the arrival of the constable, was indeed very conspicuous and could be described as a crane standing among chickens.

The constable's gaze fell on Li Fu, and after looking him up and down, a warm smile appeared on his face. He then took the initiative to walk towards Li Fu.

This move surprised Feng Shaoting and all the officials and constables present.

"This must be the famous 'Palm Dragon' Constable Li Fu,' who is renowned throughout the martial arts world."

I have long admired you; indeed, a hero emerges from among the young, your demeanor is extraordinary. It is a pleasure to finally meet you today.