Chapter 83 - 73: Notorious
"A new warrant is out. Someone from each squad, come grab one." Just then, a constable emerged holding a few sheets of yellow paper and called out.
Everyone crowded forward to take a look.
Liao San broke off his conversation with Chen Cheng and went over to grab a sheet of yellow paper. It had sketches of two fierce-looking faces. The drawings were a bit crude, but their features were distinct and easily recognizable.
Both faces were labeled with names. One, named Bo Qi, had a long saber scar on his chin that stretched down to his neck.
The other, Lou Hui, had a soybean-sized black mole on the left side of his forehead.
Below the faces was the text of the warrant. It called for the arrest of Bo Qi and Lou Hui, leaders of the South City Thirteen Thieves who had fled to the Ruyi District. The reward silver for providing a clue was twenty taels, one hundred taels for killing a thief, and two hundred taels for capturing one alive.
The constables in the Government Office Hall were in an uproar after reading the warrant.
"Whoa!" Liao San exclaimed. "Just as you’d expect for a family annihilation case. The reward silver is seriously generous!"
Li Ze, who was standing nearby, said, "Major criminals like the South City Thirteen Thieves have formidable Martial Arts Power. No matter how generous the reward, it’s not for people like us to claim."
"That’s true. A damn shame!" Liao San sighed.
Chen Cheng asked, puzzled, "The South City Thirteen Thieves... shouldn’t there be thirteen of them?"
Liao San shook his head. "There were thirteen of them originally, but between arrests and killings, only these two powerful leaders are left."
Before Chen Cheng could ask, he continued, "Bo Qi and Lou Hui are both Great Success Martial Artists of the Skin Grinding Realm, and they’ve cultivated their Saber Technique to Perfection. They’re incredibly fierce.
"I’m afraid even a dozen City Guard Department constables couldn’t take them down. Only a Chief Constable like Mr. Liu would stand a chance of capturing them."
Chen Cheng knew just how formidable a Martial Artist with Saber Technique Perfection was, and his expression grew serious.
’Only with such power could they annihilate Gentry Zhao’s family so quietly, without alerting the City Guard Department.’
’With my current strength, if I run into either Bo Qi or Lou Hui, I should be able to kill them easily. But if I run into both of them at once, I’ll need to be careful.’
Seeing Chen Cheng lost in thought, Liao San reminded him, "Ah Cheng, the Thirteen Thieves are in your squad’s jurisdiction, and you’re on the night shift. You have to be careful. If you run into both of them, don’t try to be a hero."
"Yeah, I know," Chen Cheng said.
"Well, be careful, Ah Cheng. We’re heading off duty," Li Ze added.
The others went home after their shift, but Chen Cheng headed toward Su Chenglin’s office.
A few of the constables for the night patrol had already arrived and were gathered in small groups outside Su Chenglin’s quarters, chatting idly.
When Chen Cheng arrived, the other constables all smiled and greeted him warmly, "Brother Cheng."
Aside from one Preparatory Constable who had inherited his position, all of these constables were older than Chen Cheng, but their use of "Brother Cheng" sounded completely natural.
Within the unwritten rules of the City Guard Department, strength commanded respect. Chen Cheng was used to this, so he just smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.
"Brother Cheng, you heard about the Gentry Zhao case, right?" Mu Chuan asked, leaning in closer to Chen Cheng.
Chen Cheng had treated Mr. Mu to drinks before, and Elder Mu always brought Mu Chuan along, so the two had gradually gotten to know each other.
The constables on the same shift at the City Guard Department were divided into small groups to patrol different streets, each led by a stronger official constable.
Mu Chuan’s own strength was decent, and he had even been a group leader before. However, at Mr. Mu’s suggestion, he had specifically gone to Chief Constable Su Chenglin and requested a transfer to Chen Cheng’s group. Now, like the others, he implicitly deferred to Chen Cheng as the leader.
The reason for this, of course, was Chen Cheng’s formidable Martial Arts Power. If they ran into dangerous criminals, Chen Cheng could offer some protection.
Chen Cheng was already indebted to Mr. Mu, and since Mu Chuan’s skills were solid, he was happy to go along with it.
"Yes, I just heard. The Thirteen Thieves’ Martial Arts Power is formidable, so we need to be careful. If we encounter them, we can’t be reckless. Our first move should be to find a way back to the City Guard Department for reinforcements," Chen Cheng said with a smile.
"That’s my thinking exactly," Mu Chuan said, nodding emphatically. He then lowered his voice, "If we really do run into the Thirteen Thieves, we’ll have to watch each other’s backs."
Chen Cheng gave a slight nod. "Deal."
The other constables also gathered around to express the same idea, and Chen Cheng readily agreed.
’When faced with powerful criminals, the City Guard Department constables are naturally very united. But against major bandits like the Thirteen Thieves, whose power far exceeds their own, it’s a matter of life and death. I estimate everyone would still try to save their own skin and run for it. As for who can run the fastest... I’m not worried about that at all.’
Before long, all the constables for the shift had arrived, and the topic on everyone’s mind was the South City Thirteen Thieves.
Su Chenglin emerged from his quarters and swept his gaze over them. The constables hurriedly lined up.
Seeing their nervous and anxious expressions, Su Chenglin cleared his throat and said, "I’m sure you’ve all heard about the Gentry Zhao case.
"Although the warrant states it was the work of the South City Thirteen Thieves, there’s more to this case than meets the eye.
"The Chief Constable and I personally surveyed the scene, and we also brought in an experienced Ghostwriter.
"There were few signs of a struggle at the scene. The perpetrators were likely acquainted with the Zhao Family and caught them off guard.
"We suspect the Zhao Family’s Hospital Martial Artist colluded with the criminals. The thirteen handprints left at the scene were likely intended to frame the South City Thirteen Thieves and divert the Government Office’s attention."
Hearing this, all the constables breathed a collective, heavy sigh of relief. As long as it wasn’t the infamously fierce and powerful South City Thirteen Thieves, they wouldn’t have to worry so much.