My Martial Dao Has No Bottlenecks

"Yes!"

...

「The Guardian Station’s study.」

Three items were laid out on the desk: the Flame Iron Token found on Lin Fu, a dark red ore sample brought back from the mysterious grotto, and Li Mu’s preliminary investigation report.

Liang Cheng read the report while listening to Li Mu’s briefing.

"Over the past month, besides his routine inspections of the Lin Family’s various mines, Lin Fu also visited Old Chen’s Tea Shop on West Street three times. The shopkeeper said that each time, Lin Fu went alone, sat in a private room for about an hour, and then left. The shopkeeper doesn’t know who he met."

"As for the forensic doctor’s examination of the poison, they’ve already identified components of Heart-Eroding Grass. There have been no unusual purchases from the town’s three pharmacies in the last three months."

"Heart-Eroding Grass?"

"Yes. It’s a potent poison. After ingestion, it feels like one’s heart and lungs are on fire, and death is certain within minutes. The state of the bodies is identical to Lin Fu and those men in black."

Liang Cheng’s fingers tapped lightly on the desk.

"Any discoveries from Captain Chen?"

Liang Cheng asked suddenly.

Zhao Yuan immediately replied, "Captain Chen and his men found signs of recent activity in a derelict adobe house in an alley behind West Street. They found a few empty ration bags and some empty waterskins.

Additionally, they found fresh hoofprints by the small path leading to the mine. They’re not from the draft horses commonly used here—they look more like prints from warhorses."

’Warhorses?’

Liang Cheng immediately made a decision.

"Li Mu, keep a close watch on the tea shop and the pharmacies for any leads. Zhao Yuan, send more men to the mine, especially to tunnel number three. Lock it down tight. No one enters without my written order."

"What about the Lin Family...?"

Liang Cheng glanced at the darkening sky outside the window. "We don’t make a move first. Let’s see if he comes to us."

...

「The Lin Mansion study.」

Lin Yue sat in a Grandmaster’s Chair, listening to Lin Mao’s trembling report from below.

"Town Guardian Liang has taken direct control over guarding all the mine tunnels, and he sent me back to the family. Patriarch, he’s making a move against us!"

Lin Yue slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calm. "Did they see what was in tunnel number three?"

"As you instructed, the altar’s explosion collapsed the entrance. But Liang Cheng got in faster than we expected. He must have seen some traces of it."

"It’s good that he saw it."

Lin Yue said coolly, "The Fire Worship Sect is just a bunch of lunatics. They can’t be controlled."

Lin Mao paused, then understanding dawned on him. "Patriarch, you mean..."

"First thing tomorrow morning, go to the Guardian Station yourself. Bring Lin Fu some clothes and necessities. Don’t let him suffer any grievances."

"Ah? Yes, sir!"

After Lin Mao withdrew, a figure emerged from behind a screen. It was Lin Chong.

"Father, why don’t we just tell Liang Cheng the truth? If this continues, I’m afraid Dongshan Mine will fall into chaos."

Lin Yue looked at his son. "Even if we did, who would believe us? Besides, I have a feeling this Liang Cheng is different from the last Town Guardian. Perhaps he really can solve this problem."

"Him?"

Lin Chong’s face was filled with doubt. The Lin Family, the local powerhouse, had been forced to bow their heads and turn a blind eye. Could Liang Cheng, a complete newcomer, really solve the problem?

Lin Yue didn’t answer. He just gazed out the window toward the pitch-black mine, a flicker of deep apprehension in his eyes.

’The thing in that grotto isn’t just wanted by the Fire Worship Sect. The City Lord’s Mansion, the Martial Arts Academy... they probably want to use Liang Cheng as their blade.’

’But the sharper the blade, the easier it is to break.’

’It all depends on whether the hand wielding it is steady enough.’

...

「The next morning.」

Lin Mao arrived at the Guardian Station.

He brought only two Lin Family servants, who carried a small camphorwood chest containing a few sets of new cotton clothes and two bedrolls.

"Town Guardian Liang."

Lin Mao forced a smile, his back bent low. "The Patriarch was shocked and furious to hear that the scoundrel Lin Fu dared to collude with outside bandits. He specifically ordered me to bring some daily necessities.

The Patriarch said that, at the end of the day, Lin Fu is still a member of the Lin Family, and he asks that the Town Guardian not make things too difficult for him."

Lin Mao’s words were eloquent and his posture perfectly humble, but Liang Cheng, seated in the main hall, didn’t even glance at the chest. His gaze was fixed on Lin Mao’s face. "Steward Lin, you can take those things back. Lin Fu is dead. He poisoned himself."

"What?"

Hearing this, Lin Mao froze on the spot, completely at a loss.

Liang Cheng paid him no mind and suddenly asked, "By the way, what exactly were Lin Fu’s duties at the Lin Family?"

Lin Mao finally snapped out of it. "Reporting to the Town Guardian, he was mainly in charge of warehouse inventory, distributing the miners’ monthly wages... mostly miscellaneous tasks."

"Miscellaneous tasks?"

Liang Cheng’s finger tapped lightly on the "Bingxu Seventh" Iron Token on the desk.

"A steward in charge of ’miscellaneous tasks’ had poison hidden in his teeth and a Fire Worship Sect Token in his pocket? And under the Lin Family’s nose, there’s a Blood Altar deep in tunnel number three? Is Dongshan Mine really this chaotic?"

Sweat beaded on Lin Mao’s forehead. "This..."

Liang Cheng stood up and walked over to Lin Mao. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was so heavy it left Lin Mao struggling to breathe. "Steward Lin, I’m a straightforward man. The Fire Worship Sect’s altar was right under your mine. I find it very hard to believe the Lin Family knew nothing about it."

He paused, staring at Lin Mao’s pale face. "Go back and tell Lin Yue that the Lin Family had better conduct a thorough internal investigation. If there are people he has trouble dealing with, he can send them to the Guardian Station."

Lin Mao’s legs went weak, and he almost knelt. "Town Guardian, those words... this humble one wouldn’t dare repeat them..."

Liang Cheng sat back down, his tone indifferent. "I’ve sealed tunnel number three. No one is to enter until the investigation is complete. The Lin Family has operated here for three generations; I’ll trouble you to send over a map of the mine’s veins. I won’t see you out."

As if granted a pardon, Lin Mao nodded repeatedly and hurried away with his men, carrying the chest. As for Lin Fu’s body, who had time to worry about that now?

Li Mu and Zhao Yuan emerged from the back hall, frowning. "Senior Brother, by pressuring them like this, aren’t you afraid you’ll make the Lin Family do something desperate?"

"It doesn’t matter."

"I want to see how they react. In any case, we can’t get to the bottom of this without going through the Lin Family. Lin Yue is a smart man. He won’t push back right now."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!