A modest banquet was prepared and Wu Qianyu enjoyed it. As she ate and drank politely, San Huming explained the situation of the city in more detail. The story she had gotten from Zhou Guanyu was almost night and day. One man led the city from the daylight while the other had to clean up the mess in the dark.
"Mistress Wu, aside from these countless ordinary crimes, two special cases have caused us a tremendous amount of difficulty." San Huming said with a heavy sigh.
"Uncle San, please tell me." She said.
"Alrighty, the first deals with the tragic fall of the Black Sword Lodge…"
Black Sword Lodge was one of the strongest mortal sects that called Black Rock City home before the monster invasion. They were an upright sect and sent forth their disciples and masters to fight the monster hordes that encroached upon the city. As a result, they suffered great losses over the past year. They went from the top two in terms of power and influence all the way to the bottom.
While that was a tragedy, the real crime happened afterward. Xiao Yan, the young master of the Black Sword Lodge, was recently found murdered, his body nailed to the front door of his ancestral home. The male lineage of the Black Sword Lodge effectively ended with his death. This caused the sect master Xiao Zheng, Xiao Yan's father, to offer the Crime and Punishment Division all of the sect's remaining wealth and assets to bring the culprit to justice.
"So, you already have determined the primary culprit? Otherwise, you wouldn't have told me about this case." Wu Qianyu asked.
"That's right." San Huming said, "The culprit is without a doubt Ye Wuzhi, young patriarch of the Shattered Peak Sect. They are a sect with questionable morals. They used to be below the Black Sword Lodge but they conserved their resources and did not fight the monster invasion at all."
She felt her temper flare. The monster invasion caused so much pain and suffering across the province. How dare a sect act so cowardly!
He nodded, "Indeed, but because of their cowardice, they emerged from the crisis intact and now occupy the position that the Black Sword Lodge vacated. As if that was not enough, Ye Wuzhi was always jealous of Xiao Yan and coveted Xiao Yan's fiancé, a beautiful maiden from the richest merchant family in the city named Nalan Wan'er."
She could almost guess what happened and San Huming confirmed it.
The Nalan Family was no longer satisfied with the engagement to the Xiao Family of the Black Sword Lodge. They wanted to marry their daughter to the Ye Family of the Shattered Peak Sect. Both Xiao Yan and Xiao Zheng refused to cancel the engagement agreement but now that the groom was dead, the agreement was naturally voided. On top of it all, the Shattered Peak Sect recently announced to the city that their young patriarch and Nalan Wan'er were now engaged. They were even holding their engagement party this very day.
"Uncle San," Wu Qianyu stopped him, "So you think this Ye Wuzhi murdered Xiao Yan?"
"Yes, we are sure. Our detectives have already finished a thorough investigation. All point to Ye Wuzhi!"
"He isn't locked up yet?"
"This… he isn't." San Huming admitted, "It's not because we don't want to. We simply don't have the strength to. Even if we could take down the entire Shattered Peak Sect by force, Governor Zhou Guanyu won't let us. Causing such a huge commotion in the city and bringing down a major sect and the most important business family is unacceptable for him."
Wu Qianyu put down her chopsticks and got up. She clutched the Purple Jade Sword in her hand and felt a fearsome fighting spirit rise within her. She wanted justice. She wanted to avenge the pain that the Xiao Family suffered. She wanted to punish all the wrongdoers in this city.
"Lead me to the Shattered Peak Sect." She commanded, "Now!"
A few moments later, a sea of red robes thundered out of the Crime and Punishment Division. A hundred heavily armed enforcers led the way on powerful steeds. This was followed by several carriages including armored ones designed to keep prisoners.
They charged through the streets and arrived at a stone tower that was over twenty stories tall. It was the headquarters for the Shattered Peak Sect. Its area at the base was that large but given its height, it was quite spacious inside. The front entrance was decorated in red, with red lanterns everywhere as well as posters of the character for double happiness. The engagement party was already underway and the door was tightly shut.
"Halt!" A row of disciples from the Shattered Peak Sect blocked the way.
They looked aggressive and obviously uncooperative.
San Huming walked up and showed his red badge. "I am Chief Enforcer San Huming of the Crime and Punishment Division! I am here to arrest Ye Wuzhi for the murder of Xiao Yan. Make way!"
The disciples looked at each other and then laughed mockingly.
"What chief enforcer?"
"Get lost!"
Their strengths were puny, merely at the Mind Focusing Realm, and yet they dared to speak like this to San Huming and his enforcers. There was something seriously wrong with this city.
San Huming called his men and were about to force their way through when a surge of spiritual energy stopped them. A powerful cultivator came through the gate, carrying a war hammer. He was at the 10th Level of the Spirit Initiate Realm, much stronger than San Huming or the others.
The heavy-set man stroked his white beard and laughed, "Old San, have you gone senile? Do you think you can barge through these doors and arrest my grandnephew? Dream on! This is Ye Wuzhi's engagement party, his day of joy. Nobody is going to ruin it!"
He then waved the war hammer around with emphasis. The strength behind each swing was enough to shatter small mountains.
But San Huming wasn't deterred, not with Wu Qianyu's support, "Ye Mo. Don't try to stop me or else I will lock you up as well. This is the Crime and Punishment Department, our authority to investigate crimes and carry out judgment is supreme! Don't bring your sect down just for one Ye Wuzhi!"
Ye Mo laughed like he had heard a great joke, "Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous! Ye Wuzhi is the future of the Shattered Peak Sect. If you want to move against Ye Wuzhi, you are creating an enemy out of the Shattered Peak Sect! Do you think you can bear that responsibility? Do you think Governor Zhou Guanyu will let that happen? No! He is true authority of this city, nobody except him can make me open these doors!"
"Silence!" Wu Qianyu's voice cut through the air like a razor blade.
She finally couldn't take it anymore. Listening to that noisy man boast about nonsense was one thing but hearing Zhou Guanyu's name was the last straw. This city was sick. She had to clean up the filth before it could heal.
The door to her carriage flung open and she leaped out. She landed gracefully on the steps, in front of San Huming.
"Mistress Wu!" The chief enforcer said uncertainly.
She waved her hand at him, commanding him to step back.
"Oh? And who is this lass?" Ye Mo asked, peering at her with dirty eyes, "You seem quite fierce."
Wu Qianyu withdrew her sect badge. A pulse of white spiritual energy filled the surrounding. Those knowledgeable enough knew what immortal energy was and they were cowed by it.
Ye Mo was forced to take a step back. "Who… who are you?"
"Wu Qianyu of Ten Thousand Flower Valley, disciple of Immortal Blue Dragon Chen Wentian!" She said with a slight smirk, "Kneel down!"
Ye Mo showed visible struggle in his expression but he did not kneel down in the end. He hefted the war hammer with both hands stubbornly. "I still cannot let you through. This sect is allied with Governor Zhou and the Zhou Clan. I know about you and I also know that Mistress Zhou Ziyun's authority supersedes yours since she is the second disciple while you are the third!"
Wu Qianyu felt white-hot fury take over her thoughts. The Purple Jade Sword emerged from its scabbard and flashed in the air. A purple ray of spiritual energy slammed into Ye Mo, knocking the weapon out of his hand and sending him tumbling.
"Listen closely!" She said, her voice clear for everyone to hear, "By the will of the Immortal Blue Dragon, this city is now under my authority. Does everyone understand?"
"Yes, Governor Wu!" San Huming shouted excitedly.
"Governor Wu!" The other enforcers echoed.
"Good!" She said and slashed her sword twice at the door.
It couldn't stand up to her sword energy and was destroyed, leaving the way clear.
Wu Qianyu pointed her sword forward, "We are going to take down Ye Wuzhi. Anybody that tries to stop us, take them as well!"
"Yes, Governor Wu!"
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