Chapter 28: Where's Zhong Xiu?

  Luoyang Qianhu Suo

  Within a short span of ten days, Wu Fan had been summoned here for the third time, and each time he was summoned for the same reason. The first time, he killed Chen Yu, a hundred households, who was said to be a sharp-eyed informant for the Maitreya Sect. The second time, he killed Guo Yang, the commander of the vanguard, who was accused of plotting against him and had to be killed in self-defense. The third time, he killed... At least that's what Wu Yuanhao, the commander-in-chief, thought, because Chen Xiu, the hundred households, just disappeared!

  Deputy Commander Zhao Xi, Commander Wu Yuanhao, and Commander Sun Jie gathered here.

  The atmosphere is eerie.

  After a while, a honest-looking conductor made Sun Jie yawn and said lazily: "Just say what you want to say?"

  Bang!

  With a loud slap, Wu Yanhao rose from his seat, his eyes fixed sharply on Wu Fan's face like a knife, and shouted: "Wu Fan! How dare you! You've made three attempts to assassinate the official, do you still have any regard for the law? Do you still fear the Eagle Guards? Speak! Where is Zhong Xiu now? What have you done with him?"

  Wu Fan pursed the corner of his mouth, his voice calm, and bowed his head in respect. "I report to Commander, last night Gong Baihu summoned all the brothers from the west hundred households outside Luoyang City, saying there was a secret report that a group of evil people were gathering outside the city, plotting something sinister, and wanted to eliminate them. At first, I didn't know about this, and the road was also led by Gong Baihu himself. When we arrived at the location, Gong Baihu divided his troops into three routes: one route was him, one route was Qian Zongqi, and one route was me..."

  "Shut up! I'm asking you where Zhong Xiu is!", Wu Yuanhao bellowed: "What have you done to him?!"

  Wu Fan slightly raised his head, looking at Wu Yuanhao's face with some confusion. After a long time, he said dejectedly: "This official really doesn't know, this official...this official was only led away by the demon in the dense forest and encountered an ambush, fighting to the death and beheading five levels of demons. Afterwards, I reunited with my subordinates and continued searching...after dawn, I didn't see Gong Baihou, so I searched for a long time but couldn't find him...only then did I return to report."

  What did Wu Fan ask Yu Xiang to prepare? Nothing but five corpses, genuine and authentic bodies of the Maitreya Sect. Moreover, they must all be newly killed, with wounds that match Wu Fan's knife. Otherwise, the experienced coroners under Eagle Yang's care would spot the trick at a glance, and how could they confuse the evidence? As proof that Wu Fan was not present?

  "You...!"

  Wu Yanhao pointed at Wu Fan's nose, his chest heaving violently with rage. After a long while, he spoke in a low voice: "I see you won't cry until you see the coffin! I'll have to teach you some 'family law'! Come here!"

  "What are you doing? What are you doing?" Deputy Commander Zhao Xi finally spoke up, his eyes deep with appreciation for Wu Fan, his voice lazy and slow, which was quite mismatched with his corpse-like appearance: "Commander Wu, what are you doing? Hmm? You can't find the person, so you want to take it out on your subordinates. If that's the case, can I also take it out on you?"

  In name, Deputy Commander-in-Chief was actually half a rank higher than Commander-in-Chief.

  Slowly standing up, Zhao Xi put his hands behind his back and gazed emptily at the sunlight outside, saying: "The 'family law' of the Eagle Guard is used to punish what kind of people? First, for disobeying orders; second, for meddling in politics; third, for being corrupt and lawless; fourth, for colluding with the enemy; fifth, for killing fellow soldiers. I remember it correctly, don't you think so, Commander Sun?"

  Sun Jie thought for a moment and nodded suddenly, saying: "Oh! What did you say?"

  Zhao Xi: "......", didn't quite catch what you're mumbling about!

  Coughing twice, Zhao Xi said to himself: "Commander Wu! Commander Wu has now offended which rule? Is it not that some people have been secretly slandering him, saying he's a 'murderous official'? But in all fairness, Chen Yu was a cunning and treacherous person. If you had encountered him, wouldn't you have killed him? And as for Guo Ye, wasn't he over the line, sneaking into someone's home in the middle of the night with an unknown bow and arrow, using the homeowner as leverage just to fight for a hundred-household position? Wouldn't you have killed him too if you were in Wu Zongdai's shoes? Commander Wu has already made great contributions by exposing Chen Yu's true identity and eliminating the internal traitor within the Eagle Guard! Not to mention that on Whitehead Mountain, it was all thanks to Commander Wu's meticulousness and sharp insight that they achieved a great victory that had not been seen in years! This time, there will be gains again! You can't justify treating a meritorious official like this!"

  Zhong Xiukuo was not only one of Wu Yuanhao's top fighters, but also his unwavering loyal follower. With Zhong Xiukuo dead, Wu Yuanhao's strength was weakened by more than a little bit. How could Wu Yuanhao not be shocked? How could he not be angry? Furiously staring at Zhao Xi, Wu Yuanhao pointed at Wu Fan and roared: "He is my subordinate, I can deal with him however I want!"

  Zhao Xi's head jerked up, his fists clenched in a salute towards the west: "Preposterous! The Eagle Guards are the Emperor's personal troops! Your subordinates? Are you planning to rebel?"

  "Pffft!"

  Sun Jie, who was secretly drinking tea, suddenly sprayed water vapor all over the sky. Looking at Zhao Xi and Wu Yuanhao's not very good expressions, he said with a smile: "You continue, you continue!"

  Zhao Xi secretly resented him... [This Sun Jie, pretending to be ignorant and muddle-headed, clearly knew that I had forced Wu Yuanhao into a corner, yet he actually intervened to help!]

  With Sun Jie's outburst, Wu Yanhao also understood Zhao Xi's provocation and hastily changed his tone: "The Eagle Guards are the Emperor's personal troops, but the Eagle Guards also have their own rules and regulations! From a regulatory perspective, Wu Fan is my subordinate, he made a mistake, don't I have the right to deal with him?"

  Zhao Xi spread out his hands and said, "Has he done anything wrong?"

  Wu Yuanhao angrily said: "Zhong Xiu is gone, I suspect he assassinated Shangguan!"

  Zhao Xi's expression didn't change, and he said in a low voice: "Where is the evidence?"

  Wu Yuanhao was at a loss for words.

  Zhao Xi shook his sleeves and said, "Without evidence, don't talk nonsense, it makes you look very uncultured!" Seeing Wu Yuanhao's great anger, Zhao Xi not only didn't dodge, but instead slightly leaned forward with his face upturned, as if to say "you hit me", continuing to provoke Wu Yuanhao, saying: "Commander Wu, even if this matter is put before Commander Wu Qian, you still have no reason and no evidence, everything is just your wild imagination, so it's not reliable!"

  Wu Yuanhao didn't have the guts to severely beat Zhao Xi in a place like this, and he angrily swung his sleeves as he walked away. When he reached Wu Fan's side, he let out a heavy hum, clearly showing that he had strong murderous intentions towards Wu Fan.

  Zhao Xi gazed at Wu Yuanhao's back, smiling and saying: "The hundred households in Chengxi are vacant again. General Wu has repeatedly achieved great merits, he should fill the vacancy! Commander-in-Chief Wu! You can't suppress meritorious officials!"

  Wu Yuanhao furiously roared without turning his head: "Even if all my subordinates died, I wouldn't use a despicable person like him! Suppressing meritorious officials! What can you do to me?"

  *yawn*~~~~

  Stretching his waist, he gestured to Sun Jie to slowly get up from his seat, humming a little tune, and walked away as if no one was around... Generally speaking, he is a very qualified spectator, only watching but not speaking, and arriving before the show starts and leaving after it ends.

  "Look up!", after making sure no one was around, Zhao Xi walked to Wu Fan's front and asked him to make eye contact before asking: "Where is Zhong Xiu?"

  Wu Fan blinked his eyes repeatedly, feeling that Zhao Xi's gaze was somewhat piercing: "I don't know!"

  Zhao Xi's eyebrows rose, and his usually expressionless face turned gloomy: "Really?"

  Wu Fan nodded resolutely and said, "Really don't know, the subordinate... how to say it well! Zhong Baihu is one of the most famous and powerful fighters under Wu Zhihui's command, with a sharp blade and a cultivation level that has reached the 'gathered energy into the sea' stage. In terms of martial arts, with the subordinate's few tricks and three-legged cat skills, wanting to kill him? Don't joke! If he doesn't kill the subordinate, the subordinate will burn incense!"

  Zhao Xi narrowed his eyes, suddenly laughed, and laughed inexplicably. When Wu Fan also started laughing, his face turned cold and he said in a low voice: "The more you speak, the more likely you are to slip up! Remember to control your mouth! Moreover... when you came, your expression should have been slightly worried, not serious. You need to show that you're extremely worried about Zhong Xiu's disappearance, just like your superior officer has disappeared and you're going to die soon. That way, it will be more convincing!"

  "Ah! Is this what it means for a powerful senior actor to bring along a junior? Indeed, it's practical and impressive!"

  Wu Fan was amazed, his eyes suddenly filled with respect, and he was even more shocked by Zhao Xi as a heavenly man!

  Zhao Xi shook his head and left, leaving behind a sentence: "To accurately show respect for others and make them feel comfortable, you have to differentiate between types of people. For rough and bold individuals, be more straightforward, but for someone like me, lower your head slightly and don't stare so widely..."

  With his back to Zhao Xi, Wu Fan's expression from just now had vanished, and in his heart he had a new understanding of this greedy "big leg".

  ……

  PS1: Collecting, recommending votes, and likes are welcome.

  PS2: Thank you for the 500 coin reward from Camp Hou's drum tube child, thank you.