Within the dim alleyway, Su Hao's face was a mask of contemplation as he replayed the ninja's dying words in his mind.
"County Magistrate Li Nantian certainly wears many hats... Leader of the Azure Cloud Stronghold, Blood Cult disciple... And he mentioned the Blood Cult Branch Master being held somewhere within the Prefectural Governor's Office…"
"There has to be more to that last part. He must have meant the Branch Master is imprisoned in a specific location within the Prefectural Governor's Office. But the place is vast. Finding one person within its walls would be nearly impossible. I need more information."
Su Hao sank deeper into thought.
[Mission]: Locate the hiding place of the Blood Cult Branch Master. Reward: 1000 Check-in Points, 1 Silver Lottery Card.
"A new mission. It seems fate wants me to find this Branch Master. And the reward is rather generous."
One thousand Check-in Points, along with a Silver Lottery Card, was indeed a tempting offer.
"I can't exactly waltz into the Prefectural Governor's Office. But Li Nantian and Fang Heng are both here in Qingyuan County. They are the key."
A glint of determination flashed in Su Hao's eyes.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
The rhythmic pounding of footsteps echoed from the end of the alley. A group of men clad in constable uniforms, their waists adorned with sabers, marched into view. There were at least seventy of them.
Su Hao's face hardened as he recognized the group.
It was the very same group of constables he had dismissed earlier that day, the ones who had failed to report for duty. Leading the pack were Chen Xuan, Wu Xun, and Lin Mong.
"Search everywhere! Streets, inns, houses! Leave no stone unturned! We will find the assassin who dared to attack the County Magistrate!" Lin Mong roared, his voice booming through the alleyways.
Behind him, over twenty constables fanned out, following his lead as he charged into one of the adjacent streets. The others quickly followed suit, dividing themselves into smaller groups.
Chen Xuan's group headed straight for Su Hao.
"Search everyone!" Chen Xuan barked, gesturing towards a few pedestrians.
Su Hao's eyes narrowed. They had been stripped of their positions, yet they dared to exercise the authority of the City Constable's Office?
One of the constables approached Su Hao, intending to search him.
Su Hao snorted. "On what grounds? You're no longer constables!"
"Looking for a fight, kid? You look like the assassin we're after. Come on, you're coming with us," the constable sneered, reaching for Su Hao's arm, intending to drag him away.
Crack!
Su Hao caught the constable's wrist in a vice-like grip, twisting it until the bones snapped.
"Agh!"
The constable screamed in pain. The others whirled around, alerted by their comrade's cries. Chen Xuan dashed towards them, arriving in front of Su Hao in the blink of an eye.
"You dare assault a constable?! Are you looking for a death wish?!" Chen Xuan roared, his eyes blazing with fury.
"You are not constables! You have no right to impersonate officers of the law! Under the laws of the Xi Liang Empire, impersonating a City Constable is punishable by death!" Su Hao retorted, unfazed by Chen Xuan's anger.
He pulled out his City Constable badge, the symbol of his authority, and held it up for them to see.
"The Head Constable's badge... You're Su Hao?" Chen Xuan paled. He immediately recognized the face beneath the hood.
The other constables froze, realization dawning on them. They had been officially dismissed. They were nothing more than commoners now.
"Now that you know who I am, I suggest you disappear. Otherwise, I will personally see to it that you are all wanted criminals by tomorrow," Su Hao said, his voice cold.
"Head Constable Su, we… There's been an attempt on the County Magistrate's life. We were following the Magistrate's orders to apprehend the assassin. It's me, Chen Xuan," Chen Xuan stammered.
He hadn't expected to run into Su Hao here, so he decided to come clean about his identity.
"An assassination attempt? That's a matter for the City Constable's Office to handle. Why are you involved? Is the County Office short-staffed? Or does the County Magistrate intend to replace the City Constable's Office entirely?" Su Hao asked, his eyes narrowing.
Chen Xuan broke out in a cold sweat. Damn, this Su Hao is a real stickler for the rules.
In the Xi Liang Empire, power was divided between three main branches: the local government, the law enforcement (represented by the Prefectural Governor's Office at the county level and the City Constable's Office in the cities), and the military. These three branches were supposed to operate independently, without interfering with each other's affairs.
While it was common for the County Office to try and exert its influence over the City Constable's Office behind the scenes, suggesting such a thing openly was akin to asking for trouble.
"Head Constable Su, you jest. We'll be on our way. I'll inform the Magistrate and Fang Heng that you've returned. I'm sure they'll want to see you." Chen Xuan said, casting a sidelong glance at Su Hao.
He quickly waved his men away.
He didn't bother to inform the other two teams.
"Leaving so soon?" Su Hao watched them go, a calculating look in his eyes. He had hoped to provoke Chen Xuan into attacking him, giving him a reason to make a move. Unfortunately, Chen Xuan had backed down.
"Perhaps a visit to the County Office is in order. I might be able to find some useful information there. Plus, the Blood Shadow Demon should still be inside. It's time to learn more about my new tenant."
A plan began to form in Su Hao's mind.
Chen Xuan, out of Su Hao's sight, let the mask of civility drop. His face contorted in a snarl.
"That arrogant fool. I'll make sure he regrets crossing me!"
His eyes glinted with malice.
"The rest of you, continue the search. I need to report back to the County Office."
Chen Xuan had to inform Fang Heng about this encounter.
With that, he turned and hurried back towards the County Office.
Meanwhile, Su Hao ducked into a secluded courtyard. He found a set of commoner's clothes and a wide-brimmed bamboo hat. He tossed a few coins to the owner of the clothes, then donned his disguise before heading towards the County Office.
Inside the County Office's main hall, Fang Heng sat with a stony expression, waiting for updates from his men.
"Chen Xuan? You're back so soon? Did you find the assassin's trail?" he asked, a flicker of hope in his voice.
"Sir, I... I haven't found the assassin. However, I encountered Su Hao on the east side of the city. He berated us, claiming that apprehending the assassin was the City Constable's Office's responsibility, not ours. He threatened to issue warrants for our arrest if we continued our investigation."
"Su Hao? He's already back in the city?" Fang Heng frowned.
Su Hao hadn't even arrived in Qingyuan County when he left.
"But you were constables! You have the authority to investigate!" he said, his confusion growing.
"As soon as he arrived, he dismissed all the constables originally assigned to the County Office. He stripped us of our ranks as well!"
Chen Xuan quickly explained everything that had transpired at the City Constable's Office, including their encounter with Su Hao moments ago.
"That arrogant, conniving little… " Fang Heng was furious. He hadn't been gone for more than a day, and this was what happened?
"Forget about searching for the assassin. Leave that to Lin Mong and the others. Go to the three gangs. It's time they pulled their weight. Let's see how Su Hao likes it when he's the only one with free time on his hands," Fang Heng said after a moment of thought.