Chapter 108 - Decisive Killing
Chapter 108: Decisive Killing
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
A white light flashed, and before anyone could react, they saw the Forging Apprentice who had just spoken covering his throat with his hands and choking. Then he fell to the ground in disbelief.
Blood flowed out from the gap between the apprentice’s fingers, and his eyes were wide open. Even in death, he didn’t believe that Zhou Shu would kill him just like that.
“There’s no room for bargaining,” Zhou Shu said coldly.
The Autumn Anatidae Plume Saber had already returned to its sheath. Zhou Shu didn’t seem to notice the message flashing in front of him.
He stared at the other four Forging Apprentices and said coldly, “You guys better understand something. I’m not discussing it with you! If I ask, you answer. You don’t get to choose.
“I’ve given you respect, but you threw it away.”
He wanted the Forging Apprentices to have human rights, but this didn’t mean they could step on his head.
If they really thought that Zhou Shu was weak and a pushover, then they were wrong!
When he treated the apprentices as his own, he would give them enough respect.
But if they became his enemy, Zhou Shu wouldn’t show any mercy.
Although it was slightly troublesome to kill a Forging Apprentice, he had already killed him. If he was given another choice, he would still make the same decision.
The other four apprentices were completely dumbfounded.
They had known Zhou Shu for quite some time. From the moment they met him, Zhou Shu had always been a smiling and kind person.
Even after he became the superintendent of the workshop, he had never put on airs in front of them. Most of the time, he even ate and lived with them.
Only now did they truly realize that Zhou Shu was the workshop’s superintendent, an existence who could determine their fate.
The four of them collapsed to the ground, and a pool of yellow water appeared beneath one of them.
Zhou Shu only looked at them coldly. He didn’t use any martial artist’s aura to deal with them. There was no need for him to do so.
Killing one apprentice was enough to make them confess.
Fifteen minutes later, Zhou Shu called Zhang Yibei in.
When he saw the four corpses on the ground, even though Zhang Yibei was mentally prepared, his legs still went weak, and he almost fell to the ground.
He mustered up all his courage and walked to the front of Zhou Shu. His knees buckled, and he fell to his knees. “Superintendent!”
This time, Zhou Shu didn’t stop him from kneeling. He now understood that this world wasn’t the same as the one in his previous life. Equality simply wasn’t suitable for this world.
Some people forgot about respect when they got too close to others. His respect gave others the impression that he was weak and a pushover.
“These five people betrayed the 0th Workshop. I’ve already killed them on the spot,” Zhou Shu said coldly. “If any of their family members live in the 0th Workshop, chase them out.”
“Yes!” Zhang Yibei’s voice trembled as he spoke. This was the first time he felt the dignity of a true leader from Zhou Shu.
To be honest, although he respected Zhou Shu, deep down, he wasn’t afraid of him.
“Zhang Yibei, I left the 0th Workshop to your management. How do you explain this?” Zhou Shu said coldly.
Zhang Yibei’s back was drenched in cold sweat. “Superintendent, I really didn’t know!”
“If you knew, you would be a corpse now.” Zhou Shu snorted coldly. “I told you to manage them. Is this how you manage them?”
“I know my mistake.” Zhang Yibei was drenched in sweat, and his body was trembling.
“Hmph.” Zhou Shu stood up. “Take care of their corpses. I’m going to the Divine Constable Bureau now. As for how I’m going to punish you, we’ll talk about it when I get back! Before I return, if anything happens at the 0th Workshop, I’ll hold you responsible!”
With that, he hung the Autumn Anatidae Plume Saber on his waist and left.
Zhang Yibei’s body went limp, and he fell to the ground. It was as if he had just been fished out of water. A moment later, a fierce look flashed across his eyes.
It hadn’t been easy for him, Zhang Yibei, to have this day. He even saw the hope of becoming a Forging Master. If anyone dared to destroy his hope, he would fight them to death!
With this thought in mind, a surge of energy erupted from his body, and he stormed toward the front yard.
…
At the Divine Constable Bureau, Zhou Shu looked at Yang Hong, somewhat surprised.
In just one day, Yang Hong actually entered the ranks!
Yang Hong looked at Zhou Shu with a somewhat complicated expression. Previously, he had let Zhou Shu out of the city as a favor. But who would have thought that he would make such a grave mistake?
Thankfully, nothing had happened to Zhou Shu. Otherwise, Yang Hong probably wouldn’t be able to bear the consequences.
“Superintendent Zhou, it’s great to see you,” Yang Hong said happily. “Superintendent Zhou, you should have given me some hints back then.”
Zhou Shu smiled. He had wanted to leave the city at the time, so why would he hint to Yang Hong?
Speaking of which, he had let Yang Hong down in this matter. After all, letting him out of the city was considered Yang Hong’s negligence.
However, Yang Hong had already entered the ranks, and Zhu Chuanfeng didn’t get away, so he shouldn’t receive too severe a punishment.
Otherwise, Zhou Shu would have had to secretly find ways to make up to Yang Hong. He wasn’t used to owing others.
“Let’s not talk about the past anymore. This time, it’s a blessing in disguise.” Zhou Shu shook his head. “I haven’t congratulated you, Constable Yang. No, I should say Divine Constable Yang.”
“No, no.” Yang Hong’s smile blossomed like a flower. He had been stuck at the threshold of ranked for several years, and he still had to thank Zhou Shu for the pressure he had brought upon him.
“Divine Constable Yang, may I know if Commander Ma is here?” Zhou Shu didn’t waste time with small talk and went straight to the point.
“The commander isn’t back yet,” Yang Hong said. “What’s the matter, Superintendent Zhou?”
“I have something to tell him.” Zhou Shu nodded. “I wonder where Commander Ma went. When will he return?”
“The commander has entered the palace. It’s not certain when he will return,” Yang Hong said. “If there’s anything you need, you can tell me. I might be able to help you.”
The moment he spoke, Yang Hong wished he could slap himself.
Am I looking for trouble? If Zhou Shu really tells me, will I help or not?
Do I have the power to help him?
If I don’t help, will I offend him?
He must have gotten carried away after entering the ranks. Why did he think that he could help the second master of the Mi family, the princess’s…
“Might as well.” Zhou Shu nodded. “Divine Constable Yang, you are already a divine constable. I can tell you about this.”
Zhou Shu’s words made Yang Hong’s heart skip a beat, but it was too late to regret now.
“Please speak, Superintendent Zhou. If, I mean what if, if I can’t help you, we’ll wait for the commander to return.”
He really didn’t want to hear Zhou Shu out. He was just being polite earlier. Why did he take it seriously?
Ever since he met Zhou Shu, whenever Zhou Shu was involved, Yang Hong found that things would always go out of control. He really didn’t know how things would develop.
The first time was when he had been tricked by Old Thief Zhu. He had just brought Zhou Shu back to investigate, but the princess, the steward of the Mi family, and Eunuch Zhao had come one after another. He had almost been scared to death.
The second time, with the intention of befriending Zhou Shu, he had even broken the rules and allowed Zhou Shu to leave the city. In the end? Zhou Shu had actually been held hostage by Old Thief Zhu!
This was a trap. Yang Hong even felt that if Zhou Shu had died outside the city, he would have been killed by the princess and the Mi family.
This was the third time…
Yang Hong was scared.
“It’s like this,” Zhou Shu said. “When I was checking the warehouse of the 0th Workshop, I discovered that a few weapons had been lost. After investigating, I discovered that some people had colluded with Zhu Chuanfeng to steal the secrets of the Forging Division. I have uncovered the traitors in the 0th Workshop. According to their confessions, there are more people from the Forging Division who colluded with them.
“Your Divine Constable Bureau is in charge of capturing traitors. Divine Constable Yang, find a few divine constables to follow me. Quickly capture them. I’m worried that if we’re slow, they will get the news and escape.”
“The divine constables in the Divine Constable Bureau are all out now,” Yang Hong said subconsciously.
He wasn’t lying. Although Zhu Chuanfeng had died, the matter was still far from over. Not only had Ma Fengzhang not returned to the Divine Constable Bureau, but the divine constables hadn’t returned either.
He had forgotten that he was also a divine constable.
“It’s the same with you around, Divine Constable Yang,” Zhou Shu said impolitely. “If we delay, something might happen. Let’s hurry up and leave.”
“I—”
Before Yang Hong could say anything, Zhou Shu had already grabbed his arm and pulled him outside.
He was a newly-advanced divine constable, yet he was being pulled away.
“Superintendent Zhou, it’s just the two of us. Is it enough?” Yang Hong said weakly.
“Why not? You are a divine constable. You have to be confident,” Zhou Shu said. “In Chang’an, who would dare attack a divine constable?”
Why not? Yang Hong shouted in his heart. How many divine constables have died in Chang’an?
It’s just that ordinary people like you don’t know!
Without our Divine Constable Bureau, how can everyone live a peaceful life?
“Well…” Yang Hong made his last effort. “Superintendent Zhou, who are those people who colluded with the traitors? The commander and the other divine constables are handling Zhu Chuanfeng’s case. Who knows. Those people might have already been arrested. We don’t need to do anything.”
Yang Hong was actually not afraid of handling cases. What he was afraid of was something happening to Zhou Shu.
If Zhou Shu got injured or died while working on the case, who would bear the wrath of the princess and the Mi family?
He was just a mere divine constable. He really couldn’t handle a case while protecting this second master’s safety.
In Yang Hong’s eyes, Zhou Shu was only an apprentice who had just started cultivating the Martial Dao. Even if he hadn’t advanced to a ranked martial artist, he could defeat ten such people.
Yet he still dared to go and catch a traitor?
“Let’s go and take a look. If they’ve really been captured by Commander Ma and the others, that would be great. If not, this is your chance to make a contribution,” Zhou Shu said without stopping.
Yang Hong only wanted to roll his eyes. He would rather not have this opportunity to gain merit. The risk and benefits were not proportional.
If anything happened to Zhou Shu in the process, he wouldn’t be able to get any credit.
Even though Yang Hong was extremely unwilling, Zhou Shu didn’t give him an option.
Yang Hong could have turned around and run. But if he ran away, and Zhou Shu went alone, he wouldn’t be able to escape responsibility as well.
No matter what he did, he couldn’t get away.
Zhou Shu didn’t know that Yang Hong had so many thoughts in his mind. He didn’t take this matter of catching the traitor seriously at all.
If not for the sake of legitimacy, he wouldn’t have come to the Divine Constable Bureau at all.
Pulling Yang Hong along was also to comply with the rules.
Otherwise, he could have done it himself.
With his current cultivation level, could anyone in the capital threaten his safety?
There might be, but definitely not many.
At least that traitor wouldn’t be able to!
Therefore, what Yang Hong was worried about wouldn’t happen at all.
Both of them had their own thoughts, but their actions didn’t reflect these thoughts.
Soon, under Zhou Shu’s lead, the two arrived at the northeast of Chang’an.
“Superintendent Zhou, are we at the wrong place?” Yang Hong asked.
This area was the slums of Chang’an. Why would a traitor live in such a place?
Traitors, spies, no matter what they were called, these people were here to inquire about the secrets of the Great Xia Imperial Court and not to observe the internal affairs of Great Xia.
What could they find out from hiding in the slums and coming into contact with the lowest level existences all day?
Under normal circumstances, even if spies wanted to hide, they would rarely hide in such places. Spies were also human and didn’t like to be abused. The slums were not somewhere anyone would want to stay in.
Besides, the people in the slums were complicated and under the government’s control. It might not be safe to hide here.
“Trust me. It’s right,” Zhou Shu said. “Divine Constable Yang, even you don’t believe that the other party is hiding here. This means that this place is very safe.”
Yang Hong was somewhat speechless. Did it matter whether he believed it or not?
He didn’t want to say anything more, so he continued to follow Zhou Shu.
The slums were full of yellow-skinned, skinny people dressed in tattered clothes. When these people saw Zhou Shu and Yang Hong, they subconsciously raised their eyes before going back to their own business.
Forget about Zhou Shu. Yang Hong’s clothes were still something.
To ordinary people, the people from the Divine Constable Bureau were just like the Embroidered Uniform Guards on Earth in ancient times…
Yang Hong held the handle of a Spring Embroidered Saber. Although he had entered the ranks, he had yet to possess his own ranked weapon. So what he carried with him was still the Divine Constable Bureau’s standard weapon—the Spring Embroidered Saber.
The spiritual essence in his body flowed slowly. Yang Hong was on full alert.
If he was alone, he wouldn’t be so nervous.
But the person in front of him was a very important person. He couldn’t let him get hurt.
“Superintendent Zhou, who exactly is the target? How is his cultivation?” Yang Hong said in a low voice. “The Huben Troops cleaned up traitors once before. Logically speaking, there shouldn’t be spies here.”
“One could have escaped,” Zhou Shu said, “Perhaps because this person is too inconspicuous, so the Huben Troops missed him.
“I reckon that he’s just an ordinary person without any cultivation. I might be able to finish him off without you doing anything.”
As Zhou Shu spoke, the two of them arrived in front of a dilapidated courtyard.
Clang!
Zhou Shu unceremoniously kicked open the broken wooden door and loudly yelled, “The Divine Constable Bureau is handling a case. All unrelated people should retreat!”
Yang Hong was shocked and hurriedly followed.. Just as he crossed the threshold, he saw a black shadow fly out.