Chapter 4165 — The Road Home
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
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.