Chapter 65 Nurturing Bandits for Self-Respect

After Chen Mu and Liu Ziming left, the door to the side hall was gently closed by a servant, leaving only Xu Changze and Head Constable Wang inside.

The candlelight flickered, making the expression on Xu Changze's face even harder to read.

Head Constable Wang stood to one side, his face showing clear anxiety as he bent down and asked in a low voice.

"Brother-in-law, that Qi Huan is a Banner Officer sent by the Prefecture. If something really happened to him on our turf, and it involved... that thing, if the higher-ups investigate, the situation might not be looking good."

"What are you panicking about? Look at your spineless appearance."

Xu Changze didn't even lift his eyelids, merely examining his neatly trimmed nails under the candlelight, his voice calm and unruffled.

"An outsider, a Banner Officer, acting on his own initiative in our Yunmeng territory and meeting with misfortune—what does that have to do with us?"

Head Constable Wang was stunned for a moment, not expecting this response, and his confusion deepened.

"But Brother-in-law, Chen Mu and Liu Ziming clearly saw it, and they aren't the type to be easily manipulated. If they were to blabber in front of others..."

"Saw it?"

"What did they see? Did they see Qi Huan fighting a Ghostly Creature and dying in defeat? Or..."

Xu Changze's lips curled into a cold arc, his tone rising a few degrees, even faintly containing a hint of amusement.

"Or did they see Qi Huan, a colleague with whom Chen Mu has long had a grudge, getting into a private brawl and being killed by accident?"

Head Constable Wang was stunned for a moment, and then a look of sudden realization flashed in his eyes.

"Brother-in-law, you mean..."

Xu Changze tapped his fingers on the tabletop, making a dull sound that was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

"Chen Mu, that brat, has always been unruly and disrespectful. He had a conflict with Qi Huan in public today, so he harbored a grudge and ambushed him under the cover of night."

"And that Liu Ziming is an accomplice, either coerced by Chen Mu or colluding with him."

"Witnesses, physical evidence, motive—everything is complete. All we need to do is clean house and purge the degenerate."

"This is the explanation I will give to the Prefecture."

Head Constable Wang was stunned, then overjoyed, nodding repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, yes! The conflict with Qi Huan today was witnessed by the Demon Suppression Division colleagues present; they are the witnesses! The motive is ready-made."

"As for the physical evidence... it shouldn't be hard to have Zhao Qinghe tamper with Qi Huan's corpse!"

Xu Changze glanced at him and nodded, looking as if he were praising him, yet also mocking him.

"At least you aren't completely stupid."

He then yawned and stood up, his posture relaxed, as if what he had just resolved was merely a trivial matter.

"But... that thing in the Zhao residence is making more and more of a scene. If it gets out of control..."

Head Constable Wang still had some misgivings.

Mentioning that thing, Xu Changze's eyes couldn't help but darken, but his tone remained as relaxed as if he were in control of everything.

"It has long had an agreement with this official: it will not slaughter wantonly in the city and attract the attention of the Demon Suppression Division headquarters. It only needs some lowly people every month."

"Beggars, vagrants—there are plenty in the city. If they disappear without a trace, who would care? Just report them as missing, and if there are no leads, that's that."

Head Constable Wang was still a bit uneasy, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he spoke with difficulty.

"But now, it has even... a Banner Officer of the Prefecture... If it grows stronger in the future..."

Xu Changze sneered, cutting him off.

"Grows stronger? Do you think a Ghost King is so easy to cultivate? Swallowing a few lonely ghosts and getting some incense Power Of Will is still a long way from becoming a true Ghost King."

"Besides, if it really dared to bite back, do you think this official wouldn't have a backup plan?"

He paused, his eyes gradually turning cold.

"The waters of this Yunmeng city... are very deep. It cannot leave this official's protection, just as this official... needs it to do some inconvenient things."

Now, Head Constable Wang finally understood his brother-in-law's scheme completely and couldn't help but shudder, though he felt more of a twisted sense of relief and admiration.

This was power, this was strategy.

Being able to turn every threat and trouble into a piece on one's own chessboard, even nurturing the enemy for self-preservation, and negotiating with a tiger for its skin.

"Brother-in-law is brilliant. In this way, not only is the immediate trouble solved, but perhaps in the future..."

Head Constable Wang's face was filled with obsequious smiles.

Xu Changze waved his hand wearily, cutting off his flattery, a deeper scheme flashing in his eyes.

"Keep a close eye on Chen Mu and Liu Ziming. Don't let them run around, especially don't give them a chance to leave Yunmeng."

"Before the conviction documents come down, they cannot go anywhere. Keep them in check."

Head Constable Wang acknowledged the order and bowed out of the side hall.

...

Far from the Xu residence, the streets returned to deathly silence.

Chen Mu and Liu Ziming walked one after the other, each occupied with their own thoughts.

"It seems we can't count on Xu Changze. That official path is likely already blocked."

Chen Mu's complexion turned faintly iron-gray under the moonlight.

Liu Ziming looked up at him, his eyes bloodshot.

"Then what do we do? If we drag this out, Chief Qi will likely..."

Chen Mu waved his hand, cutting him off, his line of thought exceptionally clear.

"We still need to ask for reinforcements, but we cannot go through Xu Changze."

"Qi Huan is, after all, a Banner Officer of the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division. If he goes missing, the Prefecture will certainly not ignore it. We must find a way to bypass the Yunmeng County government and relay the news directly to the Prefecture."

Liu Ziming's eyes lit up when he heard this, but then they dimmed immediately. He had been in service for many years and naturally knew that this was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

"Report to a higher authority?"

He shook his head, smiling somewhat bitterly.

"Chen Mu, we are just two small constables, lowly and without influence. If we rush over, we probably won't even be able to get through the door."

"Besides, empty words have no proof; who would believe us? If Xu Changze bites back and says we killed a colleague and framed an official, this trip would be walking right into a trap."

Chen Mu listened to these words, pondered for a moment, and his tone remained firm.

"No matter how difficult, we must try."

"If we stay in Yunmeng city, we only have a dead end. If we go to the Prefecture, perhaps we can fight for a glimmer of survival."

Liu Ziming took a deep breath, knowing that what Chen Mu said was not false, so he gritted his teeth and stomped his foot.

"Fine, I'll listen to you. Let's set off immediately, the sooner the better."

As he said this, he looked up at the sky.

"While it's still deep in the night, and Xu Changze and Head Constable Wang haven't reacted to block the news or trip us up!"

Chen Mu nodded, then as if remembering something, he shook his head.

"You go to the city gate area and wait for me, keep an eye on things. I'll go back to my residence to get something, and I'll be there shortly."

Liu Ziming didn't suspect anything, assuming Chen Mu was going back to get some gold or valuables, and nodded.

"Then hurry up, be careful in everything."

The two separated at the street corner. Liu Ziming endured the pain in his leg and limped toward the city gate.

Chen Mu turned around and hurried toward his simple courtyard.

He let Liu Ziming go first, partly because he really needed to get things, but more importantly, he remembered there was one more person at home.

Jiang Huoyu.

This woman's origin was mysterious, her strength unknown, and her background was not simple either.

With the current situation as precarious as a pile of eggs, an extra force, even if it was just an extra variable, would be good.

Perhaps... he could find a way to drag her into this?