Chapter 4165 — The Road Home

This particular law enforcement officer was none other than Niu Qiang. Back when his diehard brother Ma Jian had been thrown into prison over a personal vendetta, Niu Qiang had escaped the fallout untouched. Ma Jian had since been tortured to death, but Niu Qiang had survived. And now the case of the wanted martial artist Ling Yi was being handled by none other than him.

"So it's Steward Si of the Central Chamber of Commerce. I've heard much of you—Niu Qiang, law enforcement officer, at your service." Niu Qiang recognized Si Haitao at a glance and hastened to salute him with clasped hands.

His patron Xu Lingchong had vanished without a trace, and his diehard brother Ma Jian had been imprisoned and killed. Lately he had been living with his tail tucked between his legs, offending no one, terrified that someone would dredge up old scores and he would end up just like Ma Jian. So rare was it for him to meet anyone of influence—even someone as out of favor with the Threefold Pavilion as Si Haitao—that he had to seize the chance to curry favor. Who knew, perhaps it would open a way out in the future.

"Ah, Officer Niu. I hear you're the one handling the case of the martial artist Ling Yi?" Si Haitao looked him up and down and asked.

"That's right, it's me. What guidance might Steward Si have?" Niu Qiang nodded and answered without betraying any expression.

"I wouldn't call it guidance, but I do have a lead on that martial artist Ling Yi." Si Haitao smiled a knowing smile.

"Truly?" Niu Qiang's eyes lit up at once. The arrest notice had been out for some time now, yet there had been no word at all—as if no martial artist Ling Yi had ever existed. He had been fretting over it, and now, unexpectedly, Si Haitao had delivered the intelligence right to his door.

Having come here specifically to deal with Wei Zhao, Si Haitao did not hold back. He recounted what he had discovered on Central Island, and Niu Qiang was overjoyed to hear it.

"So the martial artist Ling Yi was Wei Zhao in disguise! That's wonderful. I'll apply to my superiors for men at once and bring him in!" Niu Qiang said, unable to contain his excitement.

Ma Jian had, plainly put, been killed by Wei Zhao. Now that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity had arrived, he could avenge his dead diehard brother and at the same time use it to curry favor with a figure now burning bright in the Heaven-Rushing Pavilion—two birds with one stone!

"Don't be hasty. Wei Zhao is still on Central Island and hasn't returned. Whatever you do, don't let word leak out and give him time to prepare. This chance is rare—you must build an ironclad case and destroy him in one stroke, leaving him no chance to turn things around!" Si Haitao cautioned from the side.

"An ironclad case?" Niu Qiang's expression stiffened slightly at that, and he said awkwardly, "That's a bit difficult. His killing of Su Zhaohu happened in the Huacaitian Wushan region, which is already outside the Northern Island's jurisdiction. Strictly speaking, even my issuing the arrest notice was an overreach. It's only because of Brother Su that the others turned a blind eye and didn't question it."

"Brother Su? Who's that?" Si Haitao was taken aback.

"The hottest young genius disciple in the Heaven-Rushing Pavilion right now—Su Zhaohe, about to be taken in as a disciple by Pavilion Master Shangguan. His cousin Su Zhaohu wasn't killed within the Northern Island's borders, so by normal procedure no case would be opened. It was he who put in a word, and that's why I took on this assignment," Niu Qiang explained.

With Xu Lingchong missing, he was desperate to find a new patron. Running into a genius of boundless future like Su Zhaohe was a godsend, and naturally he grabbed the chance to ingratiate himself. Once he handled this assignment well, he would be connected to Su Zhaohe in the days to come.

It was common knowledge that Chief Hall Master Gongyang Jun of the Law Enforcement Hall had long enjoyed a close relationship with Shangguan Tianxia, and Su Zhaohe was Shangguan Tianxia's prospective disciple. Once he formally took him as master, he and Gongyang Jun would be as good as fellow disciples. If Niu Qiang could latch onto such a thick, sturdy leg, the benefits would be boundless.

"So the warrant for the martial artist Ling Yi was just to do someone a favor—meaning this case truly can't be made ironclad?" Si Haitao frowned.

"Exactly. If we force it through, I'm afraid it won't hold... All I can do now is arrest Wei Zhao first and hand him over to the higher-ups to decide," Niu Qiang said helplessly.

At the thought of Wei Zhao, he could not help thinking of his diehard brother Ma Jian, who had met such a miserable death because he had moved against Wei Zhao. If he again abused his office for personal revenge, he feared he would follow in Ma Jian's footsteps, and the consequences did not bear thinking about.

"In that case, why not simply bypass the official channels? They're far too restrictive, and I hear Shangguan Tianxia thinks well of Wei Zhao. If this blows up, even if you catch Wei Zhao, you won't be able to kill him. Private channels are safer." Si Haitao's eyes darted this way and that.

"Private channels? What do you mean by that?" Niu Qiang was utterly baffled.

"Isn't it simple?" Si Haitao glanced at him, privately thinking the man a fool, and prompted with forced patience, "Why are you handling this case at all? Isn't it to do Su Zhaohe a favor? Tell him Wei Zhao's identity—what do you suppose he'll do?"

"Brother Su will certainly move against Wei Zhao! He's at the very peak of his fortunes right now. Wei Zhao killed his cousin—how could he possibly swallow that? Even if he wanted to let it go, once word got out, people would inevitably call him weak, and it might even affect his acceptance as a disciple. Then he'd have no choice but to settle accounts with Wei Zhao!" Niu Qiang's eyes lit up with excitement.

"So, you tell him the intelligence, then take him to find Wei Zhao and challenge him, and after that all you have to do is sit back and watch the show! Su Zhaohe was deemed worthy by a figure like Shangguan Tianxia—you could call him the strongest Foundation Establishment expert without exaggeration. He'll make short work of Wei Zhao!" Si Haitao said with a sinister smile.

In his eyes, Su Zhaohe had already become a keen blade, and one aimed squarely at Wei Zhao. All he had to do now was egg Niu Qiang on to nudge that blade's edge a little closer to Wei Zhao's throat—nothing more.

Unfortunately, he still had no idea of Wei Zhao's true strength, and took it for granted that Wei Zhao must still be at the Foundation Establishment realm. When Wei Shenjin had been injured, it had been a sneak attack from behind by Wei Zhao—that hardly counted.

Little did he know that Wei Zhao was no ordinary man, and could hardly be measured by ordinary standards. Even if Wei Zhao walked right up to it, that so-called strongest Foundation Establishment blade, Su Zhaohe, would not be able to cut him down!

"A fine idea! Steward Si is truly brilliant!" Niu Qiang nodded again and again as he listened. This way he would neither break the rules nor take any risk, and at the same time he could please Su Zhaohe and use the opportunity to destroy Wei Zhao—three benefits in one stroke.

After staying on Central Island for more than a month, Wei Zhao bade farewell to the people of the Heavenly Path Sect. Then, after a long, lingering parting with the two women, Tianchan and Xueli, he finally set out on the road home. R1152