125: Chapter 125 Investigation

"There's more," Wang Xiaoer interjected. He was sharp-witted and had looked into things more thoroughly. "Boss, the Li family has been like local emperors in West City these past few years. Abducting women is just the tip of the iceberg. Their pharmacy, 'Huichun Hall,' has long had a foul reputation. They mix moldy herbs into new medicine and sell it; if someone dies, they just pay a little hush money. If the victim's family dares to make a scene, they send the Black Tiger Gang to have a 'heart-to-heart.' Eventually, the person just disappears."

Chen Mo’s fingers lightly tapped the tabletop.

All of this was within expectations.

These powerful families—which of them had a clean record?

"Is that all?" Chen Mo looked at Wang Xiaoer. "If it's just these trivial matters, I won't be able to say much to the Regional Commander. After all, that old geezer just said he has strong connections up there."

Wang Xiaoer hesitated, looked around, and lowered his voice as if afraid the walls had ears.

He took two steps forward and leaned in toward Chen Mo’s desk.

"Boss, there's something I heard from a fellow villager who works as a laborer for the Li family. I can't guarantee it's true."

"Speak."

"The Li family... seems to be smuggling contraband."

Chen Mo’s fingers stopped.

"What kind of things?"

"Armor and crossbows." Wang Xiaoer’s voice was extremely low, audible only to the three of them. "The Li family has a manor outside the city, supposedly for storing medicinal herbs. But that fellow villager of mine got up in the middle of the night once and saw people moving crates into a cellar. A corner of one crate was chipped, and the contents inside glinted coldly—they looked like the mechanisms of military crossbows."

The air in the hall instantly froze.

Secretly stockpiling armor was a capital crime of rebellion.

Under the Great Ming Code, this was ten thousand times more serious than murder or arson. Murder might just get you beheaded, but hiding armor meant the extermination of nine generations.

Chen Mo narrowed his eyes.

If this was true, then the Li family wasn't just any ordinary powerful clan.

Why would a merchant family hide such things?

Unless there was someone else behind the Li family.

Chen Mo recalled Li Wanshan’s arrogant behavior earlier. A merchant daring to lead hundreds of people to besiege a government office was inherently abnormal. This was someone testing the waters.

Using the Li family as a spear to test how much weight he, the newly appointed minor banner officer, carried... or to see if the West City Garrison could still be controlled.

"How interesting."

A cold sneer curled at the corner of Chen Mo’s mouth.

He had thought he was just dealing with a local bully, but he hadn't expected hidden landmines beneath this snake's nest.

"Are they trying to use the Li family to put me in my place?"

"Fine."

"Since you want to play, let's play big."

"Dazhu, Xiaoer."

Chen Mo called out.

"Your subordinates are here!"

"You two, put aside what you're doing." Chen Mo pulled out two silver ingots from his robes and tossed them over. "Change into plain clothes and investigate two things. Dazhu, go keep an eye on the Li family's manor outside the city. Don't get too close; just watch from a distance and record the people and carriages going in and out. Xiaoer, go investigate the Black Tiger Gang. See where they've been nesting lately and who they've been close with."

"Remember," Chen Mo stared into their eyes, "Watch only, do not act. Don't let anyone discover you're from the yamen. If you blow your cover, cut out your own tongues."

Their hearts shuddered as they took the silver. "Understood!"

Once they retreated, Chen Mo let out a long breath.

He had intelligence; next came the fists.

Intelligence alone was useless; one needed the hard power to smash through this turtle shell.

His current strength was sufficient—Body Tempering Realm Great Perfection. He could walk tall in West City without issue. But he was an official; he couldn't roll up his sleeves and enter the fray for everything.

The men under him needed training.

The current City Guard Department claimed to be soldiers, but they were actually just a bunch of thugs in uniforms. They were fine for bullying commoners, but if they truly clashed with desperate outlaws like the Black Tiger Gang, they would likely run faster than rabbits.

"Zhao Si!"

Chen Mo called out.

Zhao Si was hiding in the side hall drinking tea to calm his nerves. Hearing the call, he scrambled inside.

"Sir, your orders."

Chen Mo looked at this old fox.

Zhao Si didn't have much talent, but he was obedient and knew West City like his own backyard.

"Go, summon everyone from the three squads and six offices to the courtyard. Now."

Zhao Si was stunned. "Sir, it's almost noon. Some of the brothers have just finished their shifts, and others are about to eat..."

"I told you to summon them."

Chen Mo’s voice wasn't loud, but it carried a bone-chilling coldness. "Do you not understand human speech?"

Zhao Si’s neck shrank, and a chill ran down his spine. "I understand! I understand! This humble subordinate will go at once!"

...

Fifteen minutes later.

On the drill ground in the yamen's backyard, over fifty people stood in a scattered, disorganized mess.

Some wore their hats crookedly, some hadn't even buttoned their uniforms properly, and some were still picking their teeth. None of them stood or sat with any decorum.

This was the entirety of the West City Garrison's assets.

Chen Mo stood on the command platform, hands behind his back.

The wind and snow made his robes snap loudly.

He didn't speak, just quietly watched the crowd below.

That gaze was like he was looking at a group of dead pigs.

Gradually, the chatter below died down. Those Runners who were still smirking felt an inexplicable pressure. Although the new official on the platform was young, the Aura he exuded made it hard for them to breathe.

It was the Aura of someone who had killed.

Only when the field was completely silent, without even the sound of a cough, did Chen Mo slowly speak.

"Look at your pathetic state."

Chen Mo’s voice wasn't loud, but bolstered by internal energy, it pierced clearly into everyone's ears. "In these uniforms, you are government officers. Without them, you're worse than beggars on the street."

Someone below curled their lip in defiance but didn't dare speak out.

"When the Li family brought people to besiege the yamen today, what were you doing?"

Chen Mo’s gaze was like a blade, sweeping across their faces. "Some hid under tables, others tried to slip out the back door. Did a few hundred thugs and hoodlums scare the wits out of you?"

"Disgraceful."

Chen Mo spat out the word.

A commotion rippled through the crowd; many lowered their heads in shame, while others looked indifferent.

"I don't care how you've been idling your days away before."

Chen Mo took a step forward, the wooden platform letting out a tooth-gritting creak. "From today onward, the rules of the West City Garrison have changed."

He held up one finger.

"First, starting tomorrow, every day during the hours of Mao (5-7 AM) and You (5-7 PM), everyone will drill on the grounds for one hour. Whether you're on duty or off, as long as you're still breathing, you must show up."

Boom!

The crowd erupted.

"What? Drills?"

"Sir, this isn't the rule! We're Runners, not soldiers!"

"Exactly, we have families to support. Who has time for that..."

"Shut up!"

Chen Mo suddenly stomped his foot.

Boom!

The entire command platform shook violently, and dust cascaded down. On the hard wooden planks, he had actually stomped out a deep footprint, sending wood splinters flying.

The entire field fell into an instant, deathly silence.

Everyone’s eyes widened as they stared at that footprint, their throats going dry.

"If that foot landed on a person..."

"Who has an objection?" Chen Mo asked flatly.