Cultivation: From Poor Peasant to Celestial Lord

Chapter 186: Chapter 117: Merit from Solving the Case, Uprooting Evil

’I’ve practiced the Blazing Fire Saber Technique for twenty years, and I’ve only reached the Skilled Realm. And yet this young Chu Bai can actually use a Magic Technique with such Mastery?’

A one-hit kill...

’We’re both at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer, so why is the gap between us so huge?’

Chu Bai ignored everyone’s shock and strode over to Wang Sanshui.

’The man wasn’t young; he was already middle-aged. But in terms of strength...’

’He’s not even on par with the elites from the Daoist School. No wonder Zhang Cheng said that graduating from a Daoist School guarantees a bright future.’

’With seven or eight men in the temple earlier, if they’d just had a decent leader, they never would have been beaten so badly.’

At that moment, Wang Sanshui had lost all his former thuggish bravado. He was limp as a noodle. Seeing Chu Bai approach, he scrambled backward in terror, and the stench of urine even wafted up from his trousers.

"Lord... Lord Chu... Spare me... Spare my life!"

Wang Sanshui knocked his head on the ground repeatedly, begging for mercy incoherently.

Expressionless, Chu Bai bent down and picked up the stick of Demon-Attracting Incense from the floor. It had been untouched by the battle and was still burning. He snuffed it out with a pinch of his fingers.

He then walked to a corner and dragged out an ordinary fox that had long since fainted from the fright.

"THUMP."

He tossed both items unceremoniously onto Wang Sanshui.

"Deputy Captain Wang, do you still want your props?" Chu Bai asked coolly.

Staring at the two pieces of damning evidence, Wang Sanshui’s face turned ashen. He was speechless.

Chu Bai looked down at him, his voice calm. Yet, every word hammered into Wang Sanshui’s heart like a nail:

"Using low-grade Demon-Attracting Incense to lure your quarry, then passing off a wild fox to fraudulently claim a reward."

"You wanted to perpetuate a threat to make yourself seem important, treating this Liu Family Village as your personal cash cow. And what happened? You lured a real demon, got your comrades killed, and nearly died yourself."

"What is this called? It’s called digging your own grave."

With that, Chu Bai took the Profound Iron Waist Token from his waist and infused it with Spiritual Power.

The waist token glowed with a faint Spiritual Light, amplifying Chu Bai’s voice until it echoed through the temple like a great bell:

"In my capacity as a Patrol Banner Inspector of the Anping County Evil Suppression Department, I hereby declare that you are all suspected of colluding with demons, falsifying reports, embezzling funds, and causing the wrongful deaths of your comrades!"

"With both witnesses and physical evidence present, you are all under arrest!"

Chu Bai’s gaze swept over the surviving team members as he barked, "Anyone who resists will be charged with collaborating with demons and executed on the spot! No pardon will be given!"

How could those team members dare to resist?

The scene from moments ago had already frightened the wits out of them. Hearing Chu Bai’s words, they reacted as if granted a great pardon, dropping their weapons and falling to their knees to beg for mercy.

"Tie him up."

Chu Bai pointed at Wang Sanshui.

Hoping to atone for their crimes with a meritorious deed, a few of the quicker-witted team members immediately found a rope and hastily trussed Wang Sanshui up like a rice dumpling.

Wang Sanshui didn’t resist. He stared lifelessly at the hole in the temple roof, knowing that this time, he was truly finished.

’It’s over.’

’Completely and utterly over.’

...

「Late that night, in the Back Hall of the Evil Suppression Department.」

The lights in Zhang Cheng’s study were still on.

As the newly appointed Director, he had been under a lot of pressure lately.

The mess from the merger of the two departments was a chaotic tangle. He had the County Magistrate breathing down his neck from above and the Noble Races obstructing him from below. Trying to accomplish anything of substance felt harder than ascending to the heavens.

"Sigh..."

Zhang Cheng rubbed his throbbing brow, just about to put out the light and rest.

A steady knock sounded at the door.

"Who is it?" Zhang Cheng asked, suddenly alert.

"Director, it is your subordinate, Chu Bai. I have an urgent matter and request an audience."

The young man’s calm voice came from outside the door.

Zhang Cheng paused. ’Chu Bai? What is he doing here at this hour?’

"Come in."

The door swung open.

When Zhang Cheng saw the scene before him, his pupils contracted sharply.

He saw Chu Bai, dressed in his green robes, dragging the corpse of a massive black wolf behind him. In his other hand, he held Wang Sanshui, who was bound tightly and limp as a dead dog.

The thick stench of blood hit him in the face.

"This... What is this?" Zhang Cheng shot to his feet, staring at the scene in shock and disbelief.

Chu Bai strode into the study, casually tossed Wang Sanshui onto the floor, and then saluted Zhang Cheng with cupped fists, his expression grave.

"Director, while inspecting Liu Family Village west of the city today, this subordinate cracked a case of ’perpetuating a threat to seem important.’"

He then concisely recounted the entire sequence of events: how Wang Sanshui had used Demon-Attracting Incense to fake a mission, how he had defrauded the department for rewards, and how he had ultimately lured a real demon, resulting in tragedy.

Zhang Cheng’s expression shifted several times as he listened to the report.

First came rage, a deep hatred for scum like Wang Sanshui. This was followed by shock, astonishment at Chu Bai’s power to single-handedly kill a Demon Wolf at the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation. Finally, it all morphed into a look of irrepressible ecstasy.

He knew exactly what this incredible gift meant.

Who was Wang Sanshui?

He was the Deputy Captain of Team Three, and though he was a good-for-nothing, he was connected to the interests of many others.

Ordinarily, whenever Zhang Cheng tried to make a move against people like him, he was always stonewalled with all sorts of excuses.

But now, he had both witnesses and physical evidence. There were even casualties and a real demon involved!

This was an open-and-shut case!

With this case as a wedge, he could justifiably purge Team Three, issue a warning to the other factions, and re-establish order in the Evil Suppression Department!

Chu Bai had handed him a sword—a heavy, undeniable pledge of allegiance!

Zhang Cheng took a deep breath, walked around his desk to Chu Bai, and clapped him firmly on the shoulder.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Zhang Cheng said the word "good" three times, his eyes brimming with admiration and excitement. "Chu Bai, it’s your very first day, and you’ve already given me such a massive surprise!"

"By cracking this case, you’ve not only eliminated a black sheep, but you’ve also redeemed the name of our Evil Suppression Department!"

"Rest assured, you will receive every bit of the credit you deserve!"

Chu Bai smiled faintly and said with humility, "This subordinate was merely doing his duty. The culprit is here. I leave him to the Director’s judgment."

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