Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 186 - 180: The Criminal is Dead!? Did You Do It?

Chapter 186: Chapter 180: The Criminal is Dead!? Did You Do It?

The next morning, Zhang San carried a rather large jug to buy some wine.

As he was passing the grain store, he glanced inside a few times before he reached the tavern, where he happened to meet Cui Jiu, who had also come to buy wine.

"Dao Ye, drinking so early in the morning, be careful not to drink yourself to death,"

Cui Jiu, with a cold face, countered, "Then why are you here to get wine so early?"

Zhang San chuckled and leaned closer to Cui Jiu, whispering, "I drink at night."

At this moment, Zhang San and Cui Jiu seemed like two drunkards who had just met, starting to exchange their drinking experiences.

Zhang San took the opportunity to whisper very softly, "Your people have caught the attention of the Town Martial Office."

Cui Jiu’s face bore a smile as if the two were merely chatting, but his tone became more solemn, and he quietly asked, "Who?"

"How would I know? It’s not me who’s watching them. But I need a few tokens from the Heavenly Punishment Sect to handle this matter. I’ll inform you later on how to proceed."

Suddenly, Cui Jiu burst into laughter, saying, "That’s because your jug doesn’t work. Don’t believe me? Try using mine and see, when you carry the wine back, it still retains a fresh aroma."

Zhang San took the gourd from Cui Jiu and thanked him with a smile.

In fact, Zhang San discovered that, although it was an ordinary wine gourd, the red string on the gourd was actually a spatial magical treasure.

However, the space inside was very small, capable of holding only a few books. Inside it, lying quietly, were six tokens that could represent the identity of the Heavenly Punishment Sect.

After finishing his wine purchase, Zhang San returned to Xiongfeng Manor with the gourd.

No sooner had he returned than he heard a commotion coming from the direction of the prison.

Zhang San immediately rushed over and discovered that the person arguing, was none other than Wen Ruchu.

Zhang San frowned, knowing that Wen Ruchu was now under his command, and as the Acting Military Chief, he needed to discipline his sole subordinate martial artist properly.

"What’s going on?"

Following Zhang San’s loud shout, the dozen martial artists from the Wen Family at the prison door stepped aside, and the other martial artists from the Town Martial Office also made way for Zhang San.

But there were still a few martial artists stubbornly guarding the entrance to the prison, across from whom stood an angry Wen Ruchu.

"Zhang San, I wanted to interrogate the three prisoners from yesterday. Is that not allowed?"

Wen Ruchu, without even glancing at Zhang San, crossed his arms and continued to glare at the martial artists at the door of the prison.

A martial artist ran over to report to Zhang San the events that had just unfolded here.

It turned out that Wen Ruchu, eager to prove himself, claimed he had previously visited the Ministry of Punishment to learn and had seen the world, so he came to interrogate the three people who had broken into the archive room last night.

But the prison guards wouldn’t simply allow Wen Ruchu, a martial artist who had only reported in yesterday, to enter. Besides, each of the Wen Family’s martial artists was arrogant, so a heated argument quickly broke out.

Fortunately, everyone restrained themselves, and it was merely an argument.

After hearing what had happened, Zhang San looked around angrily at all the martial artists and exclaimed, "Audacious!"

This shout of "Audacious" was unleashed with the power of the Forty-Eight Layers Tower.

Everyone present felt their eardrums buzz from the vibration.

"Even setting aside Wen Ruchu’s identity as the young master of the Wen Family, he is also a formal martial artist of the Town Martial Office, and moreover, under my command. Going in to see the prisoners and conducting some interrogations, what’s the issue?"

Saying this, Zhang San patted the shoulder of a guard, and said coldly, "Three may be too many, but one should be fine, right? Take Wen Ruchu inside now, to the cell at the far left hand side right by the door. You lead the way, let Wen Ruchu enter by himself! Are my people not to be trusted?"

Wen Ruchu glanced at Zhang San, unsure whether Zhang San was genuinely defending his own people or just trying to appease him.

He must have wanted to curry favor with me; after all, I am the young master of the Wen Family, and the future head of the Wen Family.

Zhang San is just a lowly Acting Military Chief from the Ninth Grade Scattered Official. Facing a colossal entity like my Wen Family, it’s only natural that he would want to please me.

Just like Deputy Officer Lu who visited me this morning.

So, Wen Ruchu boldly followed the guiding Martial Artist into the cell.

Seeing the guiding Martial Artist come out all dejected, Zhang San walked over and put his arm around the other’s shoulder, whispering, "At the Town Martial Office, indeed we need to follow the rules, but you also need to know whom you’re dealing with. That’s the young master of the Wen Family! How dare you stop him? Would you believe it if you directly confronted him and got your skin peeled off?"

"Besides, Wen Ruchu just wanted to interrogate the prisoner a bit, the newcomer wanted to make a merit. Could he really have killed the prisoner? Wouldn’t that be silencing him? Could it be that the Wen Family would send someone to steal from our Town Martial Office’s archives?"

Zhang San’s words were secretly thrilling to the nearby Wen Family’s Martial Artists.

The faces of a few Martial Artists guarding the cell door and those who had come to support upon hearing the argument showed slight awkwardness.

"Let’s stop here; nothing will go wrong, rest assured. If something happens, I’ll have the young master of the Wen Family compensate you all with ten taels of gold each. Is that enough?"

At this moment, Lu Qingquan happened to pass by the entrance.

After all, he was considering clinging to the powerful coattails of the Wen Family, naturally seeking to manufacture more encounters and opportunities for interaction with Wen Ruchu.

But just as he reached the entrance to the courtyard where the cells were, he noticed that something seemed amiss inside.

"What’s going on here?"

Zhang San immediately came over to report, detailing everything that had just happened to Lu Qingquan.

After hearing this, Lu Qingquan frowned slightly, whispering, "But Wen Ruchu is only a Martial Artist, without the permission of the Acting Officer, he shouldn’t have been allowed in!"

Zhang San saw that Lu Qingquan’s next word was "no."

Zhang San quickly interjected, "However, I think that although Wen Ruchu doesn’t have the authority, since he came from the Capital and has previously visited the Ministry of Punishment, he might have some skills in interrogation and perhaps could find out something."

Lu Qingquan’s mouth, halfway open, failed to deliver the intended flattery.

Stuck in his throat, like a fishbone.

"So, let’s all wait for good news; I believe we will soon hear..."

"Ah—"

Zhang San hadn’t finished his sentence when he heard a scream from Wen Ruchu coming from inside the cell.

Then, a panic-stricken Wen Ruchu ran out, his face pale, and tremblingly pointed inside, "Dead... dead... he’s dead..."

Zhang San asked in shock, "What! How did you end up killing him? Even in forced interrogation, you can’t do this!"

A flustered Wen Ruchu was about to explain, but Zhang San interrupted him.

Zhang San shouted at all the Martial Artists around, "Nobody is allowed to speak of Wen Ruchu killing anyone."

At that moment, the expression on Wen Ruchu’s face was almost tearful, no longer having the arrogance of the day before when he met the Officer and many Military Chiefs without dismounting his high horse.

"Don’t worry, you’re my man; I’ll protect you. Deputy Officer Lu, let’s go in and take a look!"

Wen Ruchu wanted to argue, but his mouth opened and closed in nervousness, unable to speak a word.

Lu Qingquan was secretly thrilled. If he had such leverage over Wen Ruchu, wouldn’t he securely become a trusted confidante of the Wen Family!

He immediately followed Zhang San jovially.

And Zhang San, grabbing Wen Ruchu by the back of his neck, led him like one would a chick to show the way.