Chapter 195 - 121: Return to Prison

"Mr. Chen, everyone at the Lishui Sub-Department is talking about your mighty deeds! It’s a real shame I wasn’t there to see you slay the long-infamous Flying Thief Ren Fei with a single strike."

Li Sheng boomed boisterously the moment he walked in the door.

But Mu Song said, "Li Sheng, you only know half the story. The fight between Mr. Chen and Ren Fei was incredibly perilous."

"You heard it during the autopsy. The Chief Constable and the other Constable Captains all speculated that Ren Fei was a formidable Muscle Strengthening Realm Martial Artist."

"What’s more, he first tried to ambush Mr. Chen with a Poisoned Flying Saber. If Mr. Chen had been the slightest bit careless, the consequences would have been unthinkable."

Li Sheng shrugged. "And that’s why I’m saying Mr. Chen is so incredible! If it had been any other Constable Captain, they’d no doubt have been killed by Ren Fei."

"It’s because Mr. Chen is so strong that everyone is singing his praises and holds him in complete admiration. And because of him, we constables can strut around the Lishui Sub-Department like we own the place."

Mu Song nodded in agreement. "That’s true. I have to admit, I feel pretty damn important at the Lishui Sub-Department now!"

Chen Cheng waved his hand dismissively. "I only killed Ren Fei. It’s nothing to make a big deal about."

Li Sheng and Mu Song hastily agreed.

Chen Cheng then asked, "How are the interrogations going with those thieves we caught?"

Li Sheng replied, "They’re sticking to their original stories. After they saw Ren Fei’s corpse, they all pointed the finger at him, saying he was the one who ordered them to steal."

"Oh?" Chen Cheng’s expression darkened. "So they’re being stubborn. Since no one is willing to name the real mastermind, then let them get a taste of the methods used in the South City Prison’s interrogation rooms!"

Li Sheng asked in confusion, "The real mastermind? Mr. Chen, isn’t the case already clear? Ren Fei was the mastermind."

Chen Cheng shot him a look. "You still don’t get it. There were three cases in the Qingshui Pier area. Ren Fei committed the burglaries at Gentry Shu’s House and Gentry Li’s House, but the culprit behind the massacre at Gentry Zhang’s house has yet to be found."

"All three incidents happened on the same day, so they have to be connected. As Ren Fei’s underlings, one of those thieves must know something."

"With Ren Fei dead, they’re our only source for clues."

"But..." Li Sheng frowned, pondering the meaning behind Chen Cheng’s words, but he couldn’t make sense of it.

Chen Cheng said, "Only Jianghu Gangs could commit a massacre in the Qingshui Pier area and get away clean. Do you understand what I’m getting at?"

Realization dawned on Li Sheng. "Mr. Chen, are you talking about the Tiger and Leopard Gang?"

"Not yet. We need to interrogate the thieves and get a confession first. Then it will be them. Come on. Follow me and we’ll take these thieves to the South City Prison." With that, Chen Cheng strode out of the room.

’Ren Fei is dead. The next step is to solve the massacre at Gentry Zhang’s house. Regardless of whether the real killer is from the Tiger and Leopard Gang, the gang itself can’t escape involvement.’

’It’s time to take down the Tiger and Leopard Gang. But to do that, I need a pretext—a confession that points directly to them.’

’Otherwise, I’m afraid that the moment I show up at the Tiger and Leopard Gang’s headquarters, Chief Constable Ji Jingbei will rush over to interfere.’

’The South City Prison is also under the jurisdiction of the South City District City Guard Headquarters. With Lord Chief Steward Shen Qingshuang around, the Prison will naturally cooperate and help me extract the confession I need.’

「...」

Chen Cheng led Li Sheng and the others, escorting the captured thieves to the South City District City Guard Headquarters. He ordered Li Sheng and his men to take the prisoners to the Prison first, while he hurried to the Lord Chief Steward’s Government Office Hall on the Third Floor.

When Shen Qingshuang first became Chief of the South City District City Guard Headquarters, she was quite proactive in handling her official duties.

However, she gradually became much like she was back in the Ruyi District, spending most of her time Cultivating the Martial Dao at the Shen Family villa near the South City District City Guard Headquarters, leaving most official business for Xiaoxing to manage.

Chen Cheng hadn’t expected to see Shen Qingshuang. ’Finding Xiaoxing would have been just as good,’ he thought. ’If I want the Prison to help with the interrogations, I have to give the Lord Chief Steward a heads-up first, one way or another.’

When he reached the Government Office Hall, he was surprised to find Shen Qingshuang there. As Chen Cheng entered, she was sitting leisurely in a mahogany armchair, resting with her eyes closed.

After he paid his respects, Shen Qingshuang asked with keen interest about his recent duties at the Lishui Sub-Department.

Chen Cheng briefly recounted the cases at Qingshui Pier and then explained the purpose of his visit.

"You’re saying the Zhou Family is behind the Tiger and Leopard Gang?" Shen Qingshuang’s expression darkened when he finished, a hint of fury in her eyes.

Chen Cheng answered truthfully, "That is merely my own speculation. It’s hard to say if it’s true. However, the Tiger and Leopard Gang is definitely connected to the massacre at Gentry Zhang’s house."

"Since you want to make a move on the Tiger and Leopard Gang, then you have a free hand to do so," Shen Qingshuang said.

「...」

South City Prison.

Prison Chief Cheng Rui strolled casually past the cells.

He still had a hidden pocket sewn into his pant leg, bulging with a round Money Bag. His physique, however, had changed significantly. Where he was once rather lean, he was now much more robust.

Furthermore, his once-stern expression was gone, replaced by a constant, cheerful smile.

The Prison Guards on duty didn’t seem to take their jobs very seriously. Some gathered in small groups to play dice, while others dozed off in corners.

"Mr. Cheng!" The sound of Cheng Rui’s footsteps startled an old Prison Guard who was leaning against a cell, lost in a pleasant dream.

"Old Li, another rough night’s sleep?" Instead of a reprimand, Cheng Rui spoke amiably.

"Ah, I forgot to add charcoal to the brazier last night and woke up freezing in the middle of the night." Prison Guard Li grinned, then added, "Mr. Cheng, I hear your young concubine is starting to show. You’ve really still got it!"