Chapter 69 - 65: Nightwalk in Brocade, Beheaded with One Slash

Chapter 69: Chapter 65: Nightwalk in Brocade, Beheaded with One Slash

Even after becoming an official, he hadn’t hired any maids or servants. He lived entirely alone. Rumor had it he had a wife back in his hometown, but he hadn’t brought her to the county.

With Xu Heng away, the courtyard felt rather desolate.

Seeing this, Zheng Jun didn’t leave. He simply grabbed a stool from the Xu Mansion, sat quietly in the room to regulate his breathing, and waited for Xu Heng’s return.

Where could he have gone?

Zheng Jun waited in silence. It wasn’t until the dead of night that he heard the faint sound of a door being pushed open, realizing Xu Heng had finally entered the courtyard.

Xu Heng’s footsteps were light and stealthy, not at all like someone returning to his own home.

Zheng Jun remained entirely composed. The moment Xu Heng pushed open the room’s door, Zheng Jun drew his saber. A chilling aura spilled forth as he shouted in a low, hoarse voice, "Xu Heng, your crimes have been exposed!"

This sudden shout made Xu Heng jump out of his skin. He never dreamed someone would be hiding in his house. Catching sight of the saber’s gleaming edge, his first instinct was to flee.

Although Xu Heng was a Ninth Grade official of the Court, soon to be promoted to Eighth Grade County Magistrate, his talent in Martial Arts was mediocre at best. He had only undergone seven blood refinements and hadn’t yet stepped into the Qi Storage Realm.

Fleeing was out of the question. The moment he moved his legs, Zheng Jun struck. With clean and decisive movements, he executed a basic grappling technique from the Eagle-Hawk Force. With a swift lift and press, he pinned Xu Heng firmly to the floor.

Without a shred of hesitation, Zheng Jun tossed the Profound Iron Token right onto Xu Heng’s face. "Garrison Command. Official business."

The cold metal of the token instantly cleared Xu Heng’s mind. Panicked, he cried out, "My lord, I’ve been wronged! Wronged! What crimes could I possibly have committed? I was the one who exposed the Qingshui Gang’s treason! I have performed a great service for the state!"

"A great service for the state?" Zheng Jun nearly lost his composure upon hearing this.

Never mind the Qingshui Gang’s rebellion; Zheng Jun figured that even if all of Black Mountain County or Pingzhang Commandery rebelled, thwarting it wouldn’t be considered a "great service to the state" in the eyes of the Court.

This guy really knew how to flatter himself.

"Since I came looking for you, I naturally have ample evidence!" Zheng Jun said coldly. "If you refuse to confess, then come with me for a trip to the Commandery’s Imperial Prison!"

With that, Zheng Jun hauled Xu Heng up, acting as though he was about to drag him away.

Hearing the words "Imperial Prison," Xu Heng felt as if the sky had collapsed. Trembling uncontrollably, he pleaded, "I know my wrongs! My lord, I merely... I merely framed the Qingshui Gang because I wanted a promotion. Surely that doesn’t warrant a trip to the Imperial Prison...

"Besides, the Qingshui Gang truly did harbor rebellious intentions! I may be suspected of framing them, but I accidentally hit the nail on the head and exposed the traitors!"

With a mournful face and a shivering body, Xu Heng desperately defended himself.

The Imperial Prison.

Whether in operas or rumors, it was an utterly terrifying place. It was said that once inside, death became a sweet release. Because of this, Xu Heng would do absolutely anything to avoid going there.

His minor offense couldn’t possibly be enough to send him to the Imperial Prison, right? Paralyzed by fear, he couldn’t fathom why a Dark Guard of the Garrison Command would come looking for him.

"Hmph." Zheng Jun scoffed coldly. He then crouched down and asked with great patience, "Tell me, are there any suspicious individuals in Black Mountain County?"

"Suspicious?"

Hearing Zheng Jun’s question, Xu Heng immediately realized that the man wasn’t actually here for him. He hastily answered, "Yes, yes! To answer your question, my lord: Zheng Jun, a Captain of the Black Mountain Guard, is acting extremely suspiciously!

"He’s been practicing Martial Arts for less than three months, yet he already possesses such formidable skills. How is that possible? The Zheng Family hasn’t produced a single Qi Storage Realm Martial Artist in ten generations! Where would he get such Martial Arts talent?

"In my humble opinion, this Zheng Jun is either the Demon Path scum who was practicing the Five Organ Skill in the county a few days ago, or he found some incredible treasure on Black Mountain, allowing him to advance by leaps and bounds! His second brother vanished on Black Mountain, after all. And if it’s neither of those, then he must be a Demon Fiend or a spy for Beirong!

"Furthermore, he defeated Gao Jingxing of the Vast Sea Sect today, and he used the Wave-Treading Saber to do it! The deaths of Zhao Da, the Squad Leader of the County Government Office’s Strong Shift, and his brother Zhao Er were fraught with suspicious circumstances!

"I sensed something was wrong back then and secretly tasked the brothers of the Zhao Family with investigating the matter. Looking at it now, they must have uncovered Zheng Jun’s treacherous activities, prompting him to silence them by killing Zhao Da and Zhao Er. I beg you to investigate this thoroughly, my lord!"

Xu Heng spoke with absolute certainty, making it sound as if Zheng Jun were the true mastermind bringing chaos to the Great Zhou, and that unless he was executed, Black Mountain County would never know peace!

Meanwhile, the very Zheng Jun who would allegedly strip Black Mountain County of its peace fell into deep thought.

He wondered, "Is this the reason my strength has been advancing so rapidly?"

"Why did you return so late tonight?" Zheng Jun continued asking.

"I... I treated Mr. Gao and Mr. Bian of the Vast Sea Sect to drinks for their farewell dinner," Xu Heng said in a hushed voice. "At the same time, I asked for their assistance in investigating Zheng Jun."

Zheng Jun didn’t seem to care much about that topic. "What about the County Magistrate? Has Meng Xian made any moves recently?"

"Magistrate Meng?"

Xu Heng was stunned. He never expected this Garrison Command official to ask him about Magistrate Meng.

"Well, about that..." Xu Heng stammered, unsure of what to say. He hadn’t started fabricating stories about Magistrate Meng yet.

"You only need to tell me Magistrate Meng’s actions over the past two months," Zheng Jun said in a deep voice. "Whether he’s done anything that strikes you as rather strange."

Falsely accusing people and chasing shadows were Xu Heng’s specialties. Otherwise, how could he have used frame-ups and slander to achieve his meteoric rise?