My Martial Dao Has No Bottlenecks

The Guardian Station study.

Liang Cheng’s finger was still pressed on the map, pointing to the locations where the men had disappeared. Lin Chong, Zhao Yuan, and Li Mu sat before him, their expressions grim.

"Half a month, twelve men."

Liang Cheng’s voice was calm. "It always happens between patrols, and they never leave a trace. Do you think this is the work of men, or of ghosts?"

Lin Chong’s Adam’s apple bobbed. "Town Guardian, my father has repeatedly said that the Dongshan Mine is rotten to the core. Even my Lin Family can’t guarantee that we’ve completely rooted out all the vermin."

Li Mu nodded. "Exactly. To pull something like this off without an inside man... not even a ghost would believe it."

Just as Liang Cheng was about to speak, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

"Town Guardian!"

The door was thrown open, and a Personal Guard from the Guardian Station practically crawled inside, his eyes filled with terror.

"Something’s happened! The transport escort is completely wiped out!"

Liang Cheng set down his teacup and strode forward to help the Personal Guard up. "Don’t panic! Speak slowly. What happened?"

The Personal Guard gasped for breath, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face. "We were escorting the third shipment of ore for the year to Lin Wu City. Two days ago, as we passed through the narrow cliffs at Sandaogou, boulders suddenly rolled down from the mountains on both sides, blocking the path in front and behind. Then came the arrows and jars of burning oil. The brothers had nowhere to hide!"

"Captain Chen, who was leading the team, tried to charge up the mountain, but as soon as he showed his head, three streams of Sword Qi pinned him to a rock. I hid under a pile of bodies and barely made it out alive."

"After the bandits finished taking stock of the goods, I got up and found everyone was dead, including Steward Lu Ming of the Lu Family!"

As his voice fell, a dead silence filled the study. Lin Chong sucked in a sharp breath.

Liang Cheng’s heart sank.

’Chen Ping is dead?’

’The inside man I’ve suspected for so long... he was silenced?’

’With Chen Ping dead, all my previous leads are gone. The timing of this is too perfect.’

’And Lu Ming... the Lu Family’s steward at the Dongshan Mine. He’d been cooperating with me because of my connection to Lu Qingzhou, and now he’s dead on the road too?’

Just then, Wu Zhenshan walked in, his face dark. He had clearly heard the news. "Town Guardian, this is bad. Chen Ping is dead, and the ore has been stolen."

Liang Cheng nodded.

Liang Cheng then said, "Wu the Treasurer, I just learned of this myself. This is the sole surviving Personal Guard."

Wu Zhenshan gently patted the guard’s shoulder. "You’ve been through a lot. Go get your injuries treated. Leave this to us."

After the Personal Guard was helped away, Wu Zhenshan slowly straightened up and turned to Liang Cheng, his expression grave and tinged with worry.

He sighed and pressed a finger heavily on Sandaogou on the map. "Town Guardian Liang, the situation is dire. Chen Ping was a capable general of my Martial Preparation Hall, and Lu Ming was a key aide to the Lu Family. This shipment, moreover, involved several other families..."

"The bandits set an ambush here, knowing our itinerary like the back of their hands. This was a premeditated attack, meant to put us in our place!"

He looked at Liang Cheng, his tone sincere. "Town Guardian Liang, you’ve only recently taken over the mine, and you’re already facing a season of turmoil. I understand the difficulties. Though we may have had our misunderstandings in the past, we now face a great enemy. We should bury the hatchet and cooperate in good faith.

The elites I brought from the Martial Preparation Hall are all at your disposal. The most urgent task now is to recover the goods, capture and kill the perpetrators, and give all involved parties an explanation!"

Liang Cheng’s expression was placid, but inwardly he was sneering. He cupped his hands and said, "Wu the Treasurer, your understanding of the greater good is profound, and I am extremely grateful. The Guardian Station cannot evade responsibility for the loss at Sandaogou. However, the bandits’ plan was meticulous, which means there must have been an inside man. I will get to the bottom of this matter."

Wu Zhenshan nodded immediately. "As it should be. But with the goods lost, the various families will be demanding answers soon. Time is short."

He then put on a troubled expression, as if thinking of Liang Cheng’s predicament. "Town Guardian Liang, you have to hunt down the culprits, investigate the missing miners, and placate the various families. I fear it will be difficult to manage everything at once."

"I have been in Lin Wu City for many years and have some small influence with the families. Perhaps I could temporarily take over the task of coordination, allowing you to focus on investigating the Sandaogou incident."

Liang Cheng’s gaze sharpened. ’Wu Zhenshan is making a play for power.’

He refused bluntly, "I appreciate the kind offer, Wu the Treasurer, but I can still handle it. As for hunting the culprits, I have my own plans."

The smile on Wu Zhenshan’s face froze for an instant before he recovered. "Very well, very well. In that case, I will await Town Guardian Liang’s arrangements. I am ready to be dispatched at any time, without complaint."

...

Early the next morning, a travel-worn Lu Qingzhou arrived.

When he saw Lu Ming’s body in the morgue, his back went ramrod straight. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. After a long moment, he forced a single sentence through his teeth.

"Brother Liang, Lu Ming was with me for over a decade. He was always hardworking and never complained, and he never once made a mistake. I never thought..."

Lu Qingzhou’s voice trailed off. When he turned, his eyes were like ice. "Brother Liang, the full strength of the Lu Family is at your disposal. This debt must be repaid."

Liang Cheng solemnly cupped his fist. "Brother Lu, my condolences. I will personally cut down the culprit to console Steward Lu’s spirit in the heavens."

Lu Qingzhou reined in his emotions and added a reminder, "The loss of the ore from Sandaogou is a major incident. I’m afraid the other families will be here soon. You should be careful."

His words had barely faded when, before Liang Cheng could thank him, the sound of hoofbeats rose again from the courtyard.

Qin Huaiyu strode in, his face etched with urgency and worry. "Brother Liang, the Black Star Iron was stolen! My father is demanding an update. What’s the situation on your end? Do you have any leads?"

There was concern in his voice; after all, he and Liang Cheng had a friendly history. Just as Liang Cheng was about to reply, Wu Zhenshan led a scholar in a green robe into the room.

"Town Guardian Liang, this is Steward Zhou Jin from the City Lord’s Mansion’s Internal Affairs Department."

Zhou Jin gave a refined bow. "By order of the City Lord, I have come to offer condolences and to convey His Lordship’s will. Town Guardian Liang is to have full authority over this case, and all parties must offer their complete cooperation."