Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 210 The Commander: "Officer Li, things are far more complicated than this." (Two chapters combined)

As Liu Ying'er spoke, tears welled in her eyes. Li Fu nodded, understanding in his heart.

Now that Zuo Yuncheng knew that this embroidery was related to a major secret that could even affect the lives of his entire family, things became much easier.

The next crucial point lies with this Chief Escort Zuo.

He glanced at Liu Ying'er, who was tightly holding the child, and said, "Come with me back to the government jail."

Liu Ying'er trembled and looked up at him.

"If you don't want to go back to the Dragon Shock Society, where the Chief Constable is in charge and the defenses are tight, that might be the safest place for you and your child right now."

Li Fu said, "Considering that you just told the truth and have the intention to abandon darkness and embrace the light, I will instruct the yamen runners to lock you and the child together so that they are not separated."

And I will also plead your case to try and get you a lenient sentence.

Liu Ying'er recounted that she was an orphan raised by the Jinglong Society from a young age. She was ordered to marry into the Zuo family. Over the years, apart from spying on the Zuo family's secrets, she had not done anything immoral.

Hearing Li Fu's words, I felt both grateful and heartbroken.

She looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms, finally nodded, and bowed deeply to Li Fu: "Thank you, Officer Li."

Li Fu said no more and turned to leave.

Liu Ying'er held the child and silently followed behind him.

Yanzi's mother watched the two figures leave, then looked at her shattered door and the messy backyard.

Unexpectedly, her boudoir suffered an undeserved calamity.

Having witnessed Li Fu's unpredictable martial arts skills, she dared not utter a single complaint and could only accept her bad luck.

It's already quite kind of Chief Constable Li to let her go.

Ultimately, however, Yanzi Niang did not break any laws. Stealing the Heaven-Turning Palm was a matter for the martial arts world, and Li Fu was not a member of the Kongtong Sect, so he had no time to meddle in Kongtong's affairs.

The government prison was cold and solemn.

Li Fu led Liu Ying'er inside and instructed the jailer on duty to make proper arrangements, especially instructing that the mother and child be kept together and not to be mistreated.

The jailer dared not delay and readily agreed.

After settling Liu Ying'er in, Li Fu headed straight for the innermost area where serious criminals were imprisoned.

Zuo Yuncheng and his son were originally imprisoned in the Iron Prison of Yanzhou, but after the commander of the police force arrived, they were transferred here by order.

However, Li Fu was stopped outside the cell passage where Zuo Yuncheng was being held.

Two skilled constables from the Six Doors stood like door gods at the entrance to the passage.

One of them, with a cold expression, said, "Officer Li, the commander has ordered that this is a wanted criminal. No one may interrogate or approach him without the commander's permission."

Li Fu paused, his gaze calmly sweeping over the two men.

He had been to this government prison more than once, and had seen prisoners and interrogators more than once or twice, but this was the first time he had been stopped by someone with an order.

"What if I insist on seeing him?"

His voice was calm, yet it carried an overwhelming pressure.

One of the requirements of the Heavenly Book is to investigate the hidden truth behind this case.

According to Liu Ying'er's account, Zuo Yuncheng's ancestors came from the Wu region. People from the Wu region have a long history of cutting their hair short and tattooing their bodies. They worship dragons and snakes and believe in "tattooing their bodies to resemble dragon offspring and avoid water gods." That is, they tattoo dragon and snake patterns on their bodies to symbolize the descendants of dragons and to seek protection from harm in the water.

This is both an ancient custom and a tradition of our ancestors.

The tattoo on Zuo Yuncheng's back is a picture of a blue dragon and water waves. What important secret does this dragon and snake embroidery hide that has caused the imperial court and the Jinglong Society to make such a big fuss?

The two constables in embroidered robes exchanged a glance, both seeing suspicion in each other's eyes.

How could they not know the reputation of Li Fu, the Dragon Master, in the martial arts world?

Although they are among the best in the Six Doors and are renowned in the martial arts world, they are probably no match for this person.

However, due to their duty and the strict orders of the commander, they had no choice but to stop them despite their reluctance.

"Officer Li, it is your duty. Please turn and leave."

Li Fu said no more and casually took a step forward.

With this step, the two divine constables immediately felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy, as if they were facing not a person, but a ferocious beast about to pounce!

They instinctively lowered their bodies slightly, assuming a defensive stance on either side, veins bulging on their foreheads, and cold sweat instantly seeping from their backs.

The official air and composure that had just made Li Fu stop vanished in the face of this invisible pressure. Before Li Fu even made a move, the two men were already terrified, their scalps tingling, looking quite like frightened birds.

Just as tensions were about to escalate, a series of hurried yet steady footsteps came from the end of the passageway.

"Nonsense! What are you trying to do?!"

A low shout came.

Upon arriving in Yanzhou, the reclusive constable, surrounded by a group of equally capable and skilled embroidered-robed constables, strode forward.

He first sternly reprimanded the two men who were blocking his way.

"You two are really ignorant of your own limitations!"

With your meager martial arts skills, you think you can stop Constable Li from going to the capital?

"You've really been blinded by those empty titles you hold that allow you to mobilize local authorities when you're on assignment!"

Although his words were harsh, they implied a desire to protect them. He was clearly afraid that they would suffer losses if they clashed with Li Fu, so he quickly reprimanded them.

After reprimanding his subordinates, the constable turned to Li Fu, his face now bearing a warm smile.

"Officer Li, the people below are ignorant and are only doing their duty. Please forgive them."

"Since you work in the public sector, you can probably understand their difficulties."

He spoke with the affable demeanor characteristic of someone in a high position, attempting to ease the atmosphere.

However, the seven or eight embroidered-robed constables behind the constable leader, with their calm demeanor and sharp eyes, were subtly forming a battle formation. Their faces were tense and they were very nervous. Li Fu's actions just now had exceeded the behavior expected of a purple-robed constable. It could be said that he had disobeyed the orders of the Six Doors, which were in charge of all the constables in the world.

These embroidered-cloth constables were on high alert. Each of them was a renowned master in the martial arts world, and they were able to confront Li Fu, who stood calmly and independently in the passageway. Even with the constable leader, they were only on par with the invisible aura emanating from Li Fu alone.

"As soon as I received the news that you had arrested Liu Ying'er, the daughter-in-law of the Zuo family who had been on the run, I knew that you would most likely get something out of that woman and would most likely come to see Zuo Yuncheng."

The constable looked at Li Fu and got straight to the point.

Li Fu's gaze was calm: "Judging from what you're saying, Commander, it seems you already knew that Zuo's daughter-in-law had a problem."

Then why not arrest them?

"I am the commander," said the constable.

"I know she is a spy secretly sent by the Jinglong Society to infiltrate the Zuo family, but people like her from the Jinglong Society are everywhere in the world."

Moreover, catching her wouldn't be of much use to the case; her knowledge is limited, and she wouldn't know more than I do.

Moreover—

He paused, his gaze sweeping meaningfully toward the heavily guarded cell deep in the passageway.

"The matter here is extremely important and cannot be allowed to go wrong."

I don't have any more men available.

Li Fu understood the unspoken meaning in his words.

It seems that the commander is under tremendous pressure. The enemy has not even shown up yet, but he is already stretched thin and has no more manpower available.

"The tax silver in Yanzhou was robbed. This case is partly my responsibility, and I will definitely investigate it thoroughly."

"Now that we have obtained a crucial clue, the constable's men are preventing me from interrogating the wanted criminal. What is the reason for this?"

Are you trying to stop me from solving the case?

Li Fu said in a calm tone.

"The waters behind this case seem to run much deeper than they appear."

I have dealt with people from the Jinglong Society before. It is said that the Jinglong Society's tentacles are spread all over the world, even reaching the highest levels of the imperial court, and its power is deeply entrenched.

This makes me wonder if someone is obstructing the investigation, perhaps at the behest of the Dragon Shock Society?

In fact, the simplest and most direct reason for not allowing Li Fu to interrogate Zuo Yuncheng was that Li Fu's official rank was not high enough and he was not authorized to know the core details of the case.

But the commander-in-chief naturally dared not say it so bluntly.

Even though he was one of the Four Great Constables, he dared not offend Li Fu, a man of unparalleled martial arts skills and renowned throughout the martial arts world, without any courtesy.

Putting aside his official position, although Li Fu's rise to power was relatively recent, his reputation in the martial arts world was already no less than that of the constable.

If such a person were to resign from his post, it would be like a dragon returning to the sea or a tiger entering the mountains. Who would be willing to easily form a grudge against him?

When the constable heard Li Fu imply that the Jinglong Society had planted people in the imperial court, his expression became somewhat strange, and he chuckled.

"Officer Li is joking."

I haven't even suspected that Constable Li is involved with Jinglong, yet Constable Li is already suspicious of me, the imperial court's appointed commander-in-chief of this case?"

Li Fu said calmly, "I, Li, am certainly not a member of the Jinglong Society."

I have thwarted their plans time and again; the enmity between us runs deep.

The constable actually nodded: "That's right. So I originally wanted to find an opportunity to invite Constable Li for tea and have a good talk about this case. Constable Li is a master of martial arts and is also a public servant, so he is an indispensable help in handling this task well."

He changed the subject and spoke frankly.

"However, I originally did not intend to reveal the true details of the case."

Firstly, the imperial court was deeply wary of this case, and the scope of knowledge about it had to be strictly controlled.

Although Officer Li is highly skilled in martial arts, he has only been in the public service for a short time, and due to his official rank, there are certain confidential matters that he is not allowed to discuss with others according to the law.

Even among the trusted constables I brought with me, none of them, except myself, knew the full details of this case.

Secondly—

"Officer Li, trust me."

Knowing the details of this case is definitely not a good thing.

As the constable sighed, he couldn't help but glance again at the dark direction of the prison cell, a bitter look flashing across his face, as if lamenting the troublesome and dangerous task he had been assigned.

Li Fu became even more curious.

Even a high-ranking and experienced figure like the Chief Constable of the Six Doors, who is accustomed to seeing many storms, is so reluctant to talk about this case, and even feels a headache about it. What secrets are involved?

Now that Officer Li has uncovered some information himself, and has touched upon the real crux of the case—”

The constable sighed slightly, as if he had made up his mind.

He stopped confronting Li Fu with his men, gestured for him to enter, and spoke sincerely.

"Officer Li, this is not the place to talk."

"Why don't we move over here? I have some fine tea that I brought from Kyoto. Please, Officer Li, taste it, and we can discuss things in detail later."

Li Fujian, seeing that the constable seemed to be revealing some of the truth, nodded slightly: "Alright."

The two left the gloomy prison passage and went to a secluded side room in the backyard of the government office. Several imperial constables stood guard outside, ensuring that no one could get close.

Outside the window, bamboo shadows sway gently; inside, the furnishings are elegant and refined.

The commander personally boiled water and brewed tea, his movements fluid and skillful, demonstrating his profound knowledge of the art of tea.

A moment later, the aroma of tea wafted through the air, and he personally presented Li Fu with a cup of clear, green tea.

"This is a pre-rain Longjing tea from Jiangnan, please have Officer Li taste it."

The constable smiled and said, "If you didn't know better, you would really think that the person sitting in front of you is just a refined and elegant middle-aged scholar who likes to drink tea and discuss philosophy, rather than one of the four great constables of the Six Doors who is highly skilled in martial arts and holds a high position."

Li Fu took the teacup, inhaled the aroma of the tea, and said calmly, "Looking across the world, there are probably not many people who are fortunate enough to have the Commander personally brew tea for them."

This was both a polite remark and a way of saving face for the other person.

Upon hearing this, the constable smiled even more broadly: "Officer Li, you're too kind."

I am a few years older than you, so may I presume to address you as Brother Li?

Li Fu said, "I dare not refuse the commander's kindness."

Previously, outside the prison, the head constable had given him face, so he naturally wanted to return the favor now.

The constable said, "Brother Li turned the tide at the public trial in Zhongnan Mountain."

He single-handedly confronted Venerable Shikong, the number one martial artist in Tibet, and Liu Changzhen, the leader of the Quanzhen School, uncovering their conspiracy involving the Mongol Yuan Dynasty and defeating them, thus protecting the Northern Earth Sect.

I heard that the Northern Underground Sect is willing to jointly forge a True Martial Token to give to Brother Li as a token of their gratitude.

I heard about this and have always admired it greatly, wishing I could have done it in his place!

He spoke sincerely, and when he mentioned this matter, there was a look of admiration in his eyes.

After a slight pause, the constable continued, "However, neither the imperial court nor the Six Doors issued any explicit commendation for this matter afterward. I suppose Brother Li harbors some resentment towards the imperial court?"

Li Fu took a sip of tea, his expression unchanged.

"This is not surprising."

The imperial court has always feared the Mongol Yuan dynasty like a tiger.

Sometimes, even when a tiger has broken into their yard, some people would rather pretend they don't see it.

When this matter was mentioned, the constable's smile turned bitter, revealing a sense of helplessness in his high position, yet he often felt constrained.

"The God of Catching is the head of the Six Doors, high above all others, making it difficult for him to personally handle every matter, big or small."

The immortals are detached from worldly affairs, like free-spirited clouds and wild cranes, rarely concerning themselves with mundane matters.

The veteran hunter, now nearly sixty, has dedicated his life to apprehending wanted criminals. He has captured countless ruthless criminals and solved numerous cases, yet he would rather travel far and wide, enduring wind and snow, than bury himself in paperwork and navigate the complexities of officialdom.

As a result, many troublesome and difficult matters naturally fell on my shoulders, the one with the nickname "Captain of the City".

The word "handsome" seems to be inherently linked to the word "hardworking".

Therefore, I deeply resonate with what Brother Li said.

After a slightly self-deprecating remark that brought the two closer, the constable composed himself and spoke solemnly.

"However, the reason why the court has so many taboos is because there are indeed many difficulties."

For example, this time—

The constable stopped talking and stared intently at Li Fu.

"Brother Li, are you really so determined to find out some inside information about this case?"

The dangers involved are so great that even I would not want to get involved if I had a choice.

If I had informed you, and this matter ultimately failed, we might both—potentially lose our heads.

He emphasized the words "do it well".

"What I mean by 'doing it well' is not just about keeping Zuo Yuncheng safely locked up in prison and preventing anyone from kidnapping him, or simply discovering his secrets."

Things are far more complicated than that!

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