Everyone quietened down .
γ
Chi Hou, Wan Chong, the surrounding citizens, and even Yan Xiu looked at Fang Zhengzhi, stunned by what they just heard .
It was initially a stalemate .
γ
Furthermore, it was a stalemate between Wan Chong and Chi Hou . Fang Zhengzhi had effectively gotten himself out of the picture .
γγ
Chi Hou would never let Wan Chong capture Fang Zhengzhi .
γγ
This had nothing to do with the law . This concerned the Divine Constabulary's pride and reputation, and by extension, that of the 13 Constabularies .
If he backed off now . . .
γ
He would be taken advantage of in the future . As such, Chi Hou could not back off .
γγ
As for the consequences . . .
γ
With his contributions to the Great Xia, all he had to do was admit his mistake to the Emperor and apologize . He would not be subject to any severe punishment .
γ
Furthermore, he had a daughter, a talented daughter who was in the Heavenly Dao Pavilion . His daughter was the one destined to fulfill the Heavenly Prophecy and lead the army of the Great Xia in the future .
γγ
Chi Hou was not going to let a Minister of Law stand in his way! He was a powerful, influential figure in the Great Xia .
γ
Chi Hou was conflicted .
γ
Fang Zhengzhi had effectively cornered him and he had prepared to face the music for his decisions . However, the strangest thing happened .
γγ
Fang Zhengzhi . . .
γ
Did he decide to back off?
γ
And he even put the target on his back!
γ
Should Chi Hou be thankful?
γ
Chi Hou didn't think so . However, he didn't know what Fang Zhengzhi was trying to do, neither did he know where Fang Zhengzhi was getting his confidence from .
Stand still?
γ
Why would he try to be so arrogant? Doesn't he know that he is a crippled man? Furthermore, even if he wasn't a crippled man, he couldn't block Wan Chong by standing still .
γ
Wan Chong was not weak .
Chi Hou didn't understand .
γ
Wan Chong didn't really understand what Fang Zhengzhi was saying . Was Fang Zhengzhi surrendering? But would someone as shameless as Fang Zhengzhi actually surrender?
γ
"Fang Zhengzhi, are you serious?" Wan Chong was in disbelief .
γ
"Official Wan, you have a horrible memory . I already told you that my name is Fang Zhengzheng and Chi Hou has already testified to it!" Fang Zhengzhi waved him off .
γ
"I don't care if your name is Fang Zhengzhi or Fang Zhengzheng . I only have one question for you . Are you really not going to resist?" Wan Chong tried to figure out what Fang Zhengzhi was planning .
γ
"Like I said before, I will stand still over here . Naturally, I won't resist . The question now is if you have the courage to come over . "
γ
"Courage? Humph . I am the Minister of Law, why would I be afraid of a criminal like yourself?" Wan Chong replied a.s.sertively .
γ
"Since that is the case, please go ahead!" Fang Zhengzhi nodded and looked at the four cloaked and veiled figures .
γ
The four of them bowed to Fang Zhengzhi and formed up behind him .
γ
Wan Chong frowned and squinted so much that he could be blindfolded with a string . He wanted to figure out what Fang Zhengzhi was planning, but he couldn't .
γ
Could it be . . .
γ
Was this guy really surrendering to fate?
Wan Chong found that very hard to believe that Fang Zhengzhi would surrender now, especially not after his antics before .
The crowd couldn't believe their eyes either .
What is Fang Zhengzhi doing?"
"I have no idea . "
γγ
"Is he really surrendering? Why do I think that that is impossible?"
γ
"Yes, I think that it is impossible too! But that was what he just said . "
γ
All of the citizens couldn't bring themselves to believe it, but the facts were laid out in front of them . The people in black surrounding Fang Zhengzhi had withdrawn .
Even Chi Hou stepped aside .
γ
There was a direct path between Wan Chong and Fang Zhengzhi . It was not wide, but it was wide enough for Wan Chong to pa.s.s unhindered .
Wan Chong didn't move immediately .
He still didn't understand what was happening . He felt like there were too many unknowns for him to take into account .
"Official, how about we go first?" One of the leaders whispered to Wan Chong .
γ
"No need, I would like to see what he has in store for us!" Wan Chong waved him away . Fang Zhengzhi had made it clear that he had to do the arrest personally . He couldn't back down now .
γ
"I understand . Here is the lock and chain . " The leader handed Wan Chong the items .
"Mm . " Wan Chong nodded and took the chain and lock in his hands . The items glistened in the evening sun .
These were the items used to arrest a suspect . There was a hook on the chain . Once the hook was attached, it was almost impossible to escape .
Chi Hou looked at the chain in Wan Chong's hand and then back at Fang Zhengzhi . He wanted to see what Fang Zhengzhi was up to .
At that moment . . .
Wan Chong moved .
One step, then another, and another!
Fang Zhengzhi continued to stand still, staring at Wan Chong calmly . It was almost as though Wan Chong was of no threat to him .
γγ
Wan Chong tightened his grip around the chain . He didn't walk quickly because he didn't believe that Fang Zhengzhi would stay still .
However, Fang Zhengzhi wasn't moving . He even stuck his neck out, almost as though he was waiting for Wan Chong to lock him up .
"This is ridiculous . Do you really think that I will be scared of you?" Wan Chong grit his teeth . He quickened his pace and prepared to rush at Fang Zhengzhi .
He was closing in . . .
He stopped when he was one meter out . Fang Zhengzhi was just an arm's length away . He smirked .
γγ
Did Fang Zhengzhi really give up?
At that moment, a voice rang out from within the crowd .
"Master, master! You have a letter!"
γγ
"Letter? What letter?" Wan Chong stopped in his tracks . He could tell from the voice that this was the manager of his residence .
"I didn't dare to open it myself . The courier said that you had to open it personally . " The manager was still catching his breath .
γγ
"Can't you see that I'm working? What letter couldn't wait till I came back?" Wan Chong's gaze was icy .
γγ
"The courier said that it was a matter of life and death . I . . . I didn't dare to wait . . . so . . . " the manager paled .
Wan Chong was stunned . Then, he instinctively looked at Fang Zhengzhi . For some reason, he had a feeling that Fang Zhengzhi had something to do with this letter .
γ
"Bring it over . " Wan Chong nodded after a moment of hesitation . He took the letter in his hand .
It was a simple letter and there wasn't any name on the cover except for his .
He opened the envelope .
There was a thin piece of paper inside . It was not a letter, it was a picture, a sketch .
γγ
From an artistic standpoint .
This was a horrible picture . The lines were not smooth . In fact, they were shaky and roughly sketched . Furthermore, it wasn't a picture of scenery .
The only way to describe this picture was "graffiti" .
However, this picture caused Wan Chong's expression to change . His hands began to tremble .
γγ
There was one simple phrase on the picture .
γ
"Map of the Wan Residence!"
γγ
This was specially inscribed so that Wan Chong would know what this was .
Of course . . .
γγ
That wasn't the most important point . There was a red spot marked out with sand at the top right corner .
It was this mark that caused Wan Chong to pale . He felt a chill go right down his spine to his feet .
γ
He knew what this red spot represented . This was the biggest secret in his residence and his life .
He had been in the Great Xia courts for many years .
γγ
The fight for power was known to everyone .
As the Minister of Law, Wan Chong had some unspeakable secrets . He had managed to get into this position after much scheming .
Money and treasure were just a part of the deal . There was something worse, a string of letters .
Wan Chong spent his entire life catching and interrogating criminals as well as collecting evidence . No one would expect him to make the mistake of keeping those letters .
γγ
However, sometimes, things were unpredictable .
γγ
Wan Chong was someone who had worked his way into the courts after a stellar showing at the Dao Examinations . He wanted to prove his worth in the courts .
γ
However, few people knew that Wan Chong wanted to be an academic .
γγ
He had topped the theory examination, not the combat examination . This caused him to relinquish his cultivation dreams .
From the very beginning, his dream was to enter the Imperial Academy and be amongst intellectuals .
γ
However, his dreams never became a reality .
γ
Wan Chong was posted to the Ministry of Law .
Ministry of Law!
Over here, he had to face criminals on a daily basis . He had seen every prison in the Empire, and in the process, met with too many criminals .
This was not the life he wanted .
When faced with a choice between his dreams and reality, Wan Chong wisely chose reality .
γ
However, he never let go of his dreams .
Wan Chong's thirst for knowledge was unparalleled . As such, he had a habit that he continued to keep despite knowing that it could backfire on him one day .
He kept all the letters .
γγ
These were the letters that caused Wan Chong to put aside his dreams and begin the grind in the Ministry of Law .
He went from being the head of a prison to a.s.sistant minister, before he finally . . .
He eventually became the Minister of Law!
When Wan Chong saw the official seal of the Minister in front of him, he knew that his dreams would never come true .
At that moment, he looked at the stack of letters in his study . He played with the flame in his hand but extinguished it time and again .
γγ
In the end . . .
He decided to bury the stack of letters . He buried it in a place that no one would know . It had been five years since that fateful day . Even he had almost forgotten about the existence of those letters .
γγ
But now, the red spot was staring him right in the face .
γγ
"Fang Zhengzhi!" Wan Chong's face turned red as he grit his teeth . There was no indication of who the author was, but it was not difficult to deduce that .
He had no idea how Fang Zhengzhi knew where he had buried those letters, but now, he knew what Fang Zhengzhi was planning .
γγ
"Official Wan, I am Fang Zhengzheng . " Fang Zhengzhi smirked as he reminded Wan Chong .
"Do you think that this will stop me? You are too naive and rash . Do you think that it is this easy to search a Minister's residence?" Wan Chong's voice was only loud enough for Fang Zhengzhi to hear .
He was furious but he wasn't panicking .
γ
Because . . .
γ
He knew that there was still a way out . All he had to do was arrest Fang Zhengzhi right away and go back to burn those letters . He could still be in control .
"Is that so? It is indeed difficult to search your residence, but it is not impossible . " Fang Zhengzhi smiled .
γγ
"What do you mean?" Wan Chong clenched his fists .
Fang Zhengzhi did not answer the question immediately . He simply looked into the distance and watched a servant dressed in black run towards them .
At that moment, a voice echoed through the air .
"Master, master, something bad has happened! Something bad has happened!"
"What is it this time?!" Wan Chong's body shuddered as he watched a panicking figure sprint towards him .
Chapter 496 A red spotTranslator Sparrow Translations Editor Sparrow TranslationsEveryone quietened down . Chi Hou, Wan Chong, the surrounding citizens, and even Yan Xiu looked at Fang Zhengzhi, stunned by what they just heard . It was initially a stalemate . Furthermore, it was a stalemate between Wan Chong and Chi Hou . Fang Zhengzhi had effectively gotten himself out of the picture . Chi Hou would never let Wan Chong capture Fang Zhengzhi . This had nothing to do with the law . This concerned the Divine Constabulary s pride and reputation, and by extension, that of the 13 Constabularies . If he backed off now . . . He would be taken advantage of in the future . As such, Chi Hou could not back off . As for the consequences . . . With his contributions to the Great Xia, all he had to do was admit his mistake to the Emperor and apologize . He would not be subject to any severe punishment . Furthermore, he had a daughter, a talented daughter who was in the Heavenly Dao Pavilion . His daughter was the one destined to fulfill the Heavenly Prophecy and lead the army of the Great Xia in the future . Chi Hou was not going to let a Minister of Law stand in his way He was a powerful, influential figure in the Great Xia . Chi Hou was conflicted . Fang Zhengzhi had effectively cornered him and he had prepared to face the music for his decisions . However, the strangest thing happened . Fang Zhengzhi . . . Did he decide to back off And he even put the target on his back Should Chi Hou be thankful Chi Hou didn t think so . However, he didn t know what Fang Zhengzhi was trying to do, neither did he know where Fang Zhengzhi was getting his confidence from . Stand still Why would he try to be so arrogant Doesn t he know that he is a crippled man Furthermore, even if he wasn t a crippled man, he couldn t block Wan Chong by standing still . Wan Chong was not weak . Chi Hou didn t understand . Wan Chong didn t really understand what Fang Zhengzhi was saying . Was Fang Zhengzhi surrendering But would someone as shameless as Fang Zhengzhi actually surrender Fang Zhengzhi, are you serious Wan Chong was in disbelief . Official Wan, you have a horrible memory . I already told you that my name is Fang Zhengzheng and Chi Hou has already testified to it Fang Zhengzhi waved him off . I don t care if your name is Fang Zhengzhi or Fang Zhengzheng . I only have one question for you . Are you really not going to resist Wan Chong tried to figure out what Fang Zhengzhi was planning . Like I said before, I will stand still over here . Naturally, I won t resist . The question now is if you have the courage to come over . Courage Humph . I am the Minister of Law, why would I be afraid of a criminal like yourself Wan Chong replied a.s.sertively . Since that is the case, please go ahead Fang Zhengzhi nodded and looked at the four cloaked and veiled figures . The four of them bowed to Fang Zhengzhi and formed up behind him . Wan Chong frowned and squinted so much that he could be blindfolded with a string . He wanted to figure out what Fang Zhengzhi was planning, but he couldn t . Could it be . . . Was this guy really surrendering to fate Wan Chong found that very hard to believe that Fang Zhengzhi would surrender now, especially not after his antics before . The crowd couldn t believe their eyes either . What is Fang Zhengzhi doing I have no idea . Is he really surrendering Why do I think that that is impossible Yes, I think that it is impossible too But that was what he just said . All of the citizens couldn t bring themselves to believe it, but the facts were laid out in front of them . The people in black surrounding Fang Zhengzhi had withdrawn . Even Chi Hou stepped aside . There was a direct path between Wan Chong and Fang Zhengzhi . It was not wide, but it was wide enough for Wan Chong to pa.s.s unhindered . Wan Chong didn t move immediately . He still didn t understand what was happening . He felt like there were too many unknowns for him to take into account . Official, how about we go first One of the leaders whispered to Wan Chong . No need, I would like to see what he has in store for us Wan Chong waved him away . Fang Zhengzhi had made it clear that he had to do the arrest personally . He couldn t back down now . I understand . Here is the lock and chain . The leader handed Wan Chong the items . Mm . Wan Chong nodded and took the chain and lock in his hands . The items glistened in the evening sun . These were the items used to arrest a suspect . There was a hook on the chain . Once the hook was attached, it was almost impossible to escape . Chi Hou looked at the chain in Wan Chong s hand and then back at Fang Zhengzhi . He wanted to see what Fang Zhengzhi was up to . At that moment . . . Wan Chong moved . One step, then another, and another Fang Zhengzhi continued to stand still, staring at Wan Chong calmly . It was almost as though Wan Chong was of no threat to him . Wan Chong tightened his grip around the chain . He didn t walk quickly because he didn t believe that Fang Zhengzhi would stay still . However, Fang Zhengzhi wasn t moving . He even stuck his neck out, almost as though he was waiting for Wan Chong to lock him up . This is ridiculous . Do you really think that I will be scared of you Wan Chong grit his teeth . He quickened his pace and prepared to rush at Fang Zhengzhi . He was closing in . . . He stopped when he was one meter out . Fang Zhengzhi was just an arm s length away . He smirked . Did Fang Zhengzhi really give up At that moment, a voice rang out from within the crowd . Master, master You have a letter Letter What letter Wan Chong stopped in his tracks . He could tell from the voice that this was the manager of his residence . I didn t dare to open it myself . The courier said that you had to open it personally . The manager was still catching his breath . Can t you see that I m working What letter couldn t wait till I came back Wan Chong s gaze was icy . The courier said that it was a matter of life and death . I . . . I didn t dare to wait . . . so . . . the manager paled . Wan Chong was stunned . Then, he instinctively looked at Fang Zhengzhi . For some reason, he had a feeling that Fang Zhengzhi had something to do with this letter . Bring it over . Wan Chong nodded after a moment of hesitation . He took the letter in his hand . It was a simple letter and there wasn t any name on the cover except for his . He opened the envelope . There was a thin piece of paper inside . It was not a letter, it was a picture, a sketch . From an artistic standpoint . This was a horrible picture . The lines were not smooth . In fact, they were shaky and roughly sketched . Furthermore, it wasn t a picture of scenery . The only way to describe this picture was graffiti . However, this picture caused Wan Chong s expression to change . His hands began to tremble . There was one simple phrase on the picture . Map of the Wan Residence This was specially inscribed so that Wan Chong would know what this was . Of course . . . That wasn t the most important point . There was a red spot marked out with sand at the top right corner . It was this mark that caused Wan Chong to pale . He felt a chill go right down his spine to his feet . He knew what this red spot represented . This was the biggest secret in his residence and his life . He had been in the Great Xia courts for many years . The fight for power was known to everyone . As the Minister of Law, Wan Chong had some unspeakable secrets . He had managed to get into this position after much scheming . Money and treasure were just a part of the deal . There was something worse, a string of letters . Wan Chong spent his entire life catching and interrogating criminals as well as collecting evidence . No one would expect him to make the mistake of keeping those letters . However, sometimes, things were unpredictable . Wan Chong was someone who had worked his way into the courts after a stellar showing at the Dao Examinations . He wanted to prove his worth in the courts . However, few people knew that Wan Chong wanted to be an academic . He had topped the theory examination, not the combat examination . This caused him to relinquish his cultivation dreams . From the very beginning, his dream was to enter the Imperial Academy and be amongst intellectuals . However, his dreams never became a reality . Wan Chong was posted to the Ministry of Law . Ministry of Law Over here, he had to face criminals on a daily basis . He had seen every prison in the Empire, and in the process, met with too many criminals . This was not the life he wanted . When faced with a choice between his dreams and reality, Wan Chong wisely chose reality . However, he never let go of his dreams . Wan Chong s thirst for knowledge was unparalleled . As such, he had a habit that he continued to keep despite knowing that it could backfire on him one day . He kept all the letters . These were the letters that caused Wan Chong to put aside his dreams and begin the grind in the Ministry of Law . He went from being the head of a prison to a.s.sistant minister, before he finally . . . He eventually became the Minister of Law When Wan Chong saw the official seal of the Minister in front of him, he knew that his dreams would never come true . At that moment, he looked at the stack of letters in his study . He played with the flame in his hand but extinguished it time and again . In the end . . . He decided to bury the stack of letters . He buried it in a place that no one would know . It had been five years since that fateful day . Even he had almost forgotten about the existence of those letters . But now, the red spot was staring him right in the face . Fang Zhengzhi Wan Chong s face turned red as he grit his teeth . There was no indication of who the author was, but it was not difficult to deduce that . He had no idea how Fang Zhengzhi knew where he had buried those letters, but now, he knew what Fang Zhengzhi was planning . Official Wan, I am Fang Zhengzheng . Fang Zhengzhi smirked as he reminded Wan Chong . Do you think that this will stop me You are too naive and rash . Do you think that it is this easy to search a Minister s residence Wan Chong s voice was only loud enough for Fang Zhengzhi to hear . He was furious but he wasn t panicking . Because . . . He knew that there was still a way out . All he had to do was arrest Fang Zhengzhi right away and go back to burn those letters . He could still be in control . Is that so It is indeed difficult to search your residence, but it is not impossible . Fang Zhengzhi smiled . What do you mean Wan Chong clenched his fists . Fang Zhengzhi did not answer the question immediately . He simply looked into the distance and watched a servant dressed in black run towards them . At that moment, a voice echoed through the air . Master, master, something bad has happened Something bad has happened What is it this time Wan Chong s body shuddered as he watched a panicking figure sprint towards him .