Chapter 28

At the Luoyang Thousand-Household Office.

In just ten short days, Wu Fan had been summoned here for the third time, and each time for the same reason. The first time, he personally executed the hundred-household officer Chen Yu, claiming that Chen Yu was a spy for the Maitreya Sect. The second time, he personally executed the banner leader Guo Ye, claiming that Guo Ye had plotted to kill him, and he had no choice but to counter-kill. The third time, he personally executed an officer... at least Commander Wu Yuanhao believed so, because the hundred-household officer Zhong Xiu was simply... gone!

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

The atmosphere was eerie.

After an unknown amount of time, Commander Sun Jie, who looked honest and straightforward, yawned and said lazily, "Just say what you want to say, okay?"

"Bang!"

A slap shattered the table beside him, and Wu Yuanhao stood up, his eyes sharp like knives, staring at Wu Fan's face, and shouted, "Wu Fan! You have a lot of nerve! You repeatedly assassinate your superiors! Do you still respect the law? Do you still respect the Eagle-Brave Guard! Speak! Where is Zhong Xiu now? What did you do to him?"

Wu Fan pursed his lips, his voice calm, and bowed, saying, "Reporting to Commander, last night, Hundred-Household Officer Zhong Xiu summoned all the brothers from the Western City Hundred-Household Office to leave Luoyang, saying there was a tip that rebels were gathering outside the city, plotting to cause trouble, and he intended to eliminate them. Initially, I did not know about this, and Zhong Xiu led the way himself. Upon arrival, he divided the troops into three groups: one led by himself, one by Banner Leader Qian, and one by me..."

"Stop! Where is Zhong Xiu? What did you do to him!" Wu Yuanhao roared.

Wu Fan raised his head slightly, looking at Wu Yuanhao's face, somewhat bewildered. After a long while, he said, somewhat aggrieved, "I truly do not know. I... I was lured away in the dense forest and encountered an ambush. I fought to the death with the rebels and beheaded five of them. Afterward, I regrouped with my subordinates and continued the search... When it was light, I did not see Hundred-Household Officer Zhong Xiu, so I searched for a long time but could not find him... That's why I came back to report."

What did Wu Fan ask Yu Xiang to prepare? Nothing else, just five corpses, genuine Maitreya Sect corpses! And they had to be freshly killed, with wounds matching Wu Fan's sword. Otherwise, the experienced forensic experts of the Eagle-Brave Guard would see through the ruse at a glance, and how could he confuse the issue and provide an alibi?

"You...!"

Wu Yuanhao pointed at Wu Fan's nose, his chest heaving with rage. After a long while, he said in a low voice, "I see you won't shed a tear until you see a coffin! You need to taste some 'house rules'! Bring him!"

"What? What?" Deputy Commander Zhao Xi finally spoke, his eyes hiding admiration for Wu Fan, his voice slow and lazy, which did not match his mummy-like appearance: "Commander Wu, what are you doing? Hmm? If you can't find someone, you take it out on your subordinates. By your logic, can I also take it out on you?"

In name, a deputy commander is half a rank higher than a commander.

Slowly standing up, Zhao Xi folded his hands behind his back and gazed emptily at the sunlight outside, saying, "What are the 'house rules' of the Eagle-Brave Guard used to punish? One, disobeying orders; two, interfering in politics; three, embezzlement; four, treason; five, fratricide. I remember correctly, right? What do you think, Commander Sun?"

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

Zhao Xi: "...", didn't hear what you were pondering!

Coughing twice, Zhao Xi continued, "Commander Wu! What rule has Banner Leader Wu violated? Yes, some people gossip and call him an 'assassin of superiors.' But to be fair, Chen Yu was a spy for the Maitreya Sect. If you encountered him, would you not kill him? Guo Ye was even worse, sneaking into someone's house in the middle of the night with a mysterious crossbow, threatening the person to compete for the position of hundred-household officer. If it were you, would you not kill him? Banner Leader Wu exposed Chen Yu's identity and eliminated the spy in the Eagle-Brave Guard, which is a great achievement! Not to mention the day on Whitehead Mountain, where it was thanks to Banner Leader Wu's meticulousness and keen insight that we achieved a great success that the Thousand-Household Office had not seen in years! This time, he also made significant contributions! Treating a meritorious officer like this is unjustified, isn't it?"

Zhong Xiu was not just one of Wu Yuanhao's top enforcers but also a staunch and unwavering follower. With Zhong Xiu dead, Wu Yuanhao's power was significantly weakened. How could he not be shocked? How could he not be angry? Staring furiously at Zhao Xi, Wu Yuanhao pointed at Wu Fan and roared, "He is my subordinate, and I can deal with him as I see fit!"

Zhao Xi raised his head, folded his hands, and faced west, countering, "Ridiculous! The Eagle-Brave Guard is the emperor's personal army! Your subordinate? Are you planning to rebel?"

"Spit—!"

Sun Jie, who was secretly drinking tea, suddenly sprayed water everywhere. Seeing the unfriendly expressions of Zhao Xi and Wu Yuanhao, he said awkwardly, "Continue, continue!"

Zhao Xi inwardly hated... [This Sun Jie, pretending to be ignorant, knowing I had Wu Yuanhao cornered, actually interfered and helped!]

With Sun Jie's intervention, Wu Yuanhao realized he had been provoked by Zhao Xi and quickly changed his tone, saying, "The Eagle-Brave Guard is the emperor's personal army, but it also has its own rules and regulations! According to the rules, Wu Fan is my subordinate. If he commits a crime, do I not have the right to punish him?"

Zhao Xi spread his hands and said, "Did he commit a crime?"

Wu Yuanhao angrily said, "Zhong Xiu is missing, and I suspect he killed his superior!"

Zhao Xi's expression did not change, and he said calmly, "What evidence do you have?"

Wu Yuanhao was momentarily speechless.

Zhao Xi flicked his sleeves and said, "Without evidence, don't speak recklessly; it makes you look uncultivated!" Seeing Wu Yuanhao's anger, Zhao Xi did not back away but leaned forward, as if inviting a hit, and continued to provoke Wu Yuanhao, saying, "Commander Wu, even if this matter were brought to Commander Wu, you would have no case and no evidence. Everything is just your baseless speculation, so it's unreliable!"

Wu Yuanhao ultimately did not have the courage to beat Zhao Xi in this place. He angrily flicked his sleeves and walked out. As he passed Wu Fan, he snorted heavily, clearly harboring strong murderous intent.

Zhao Xi watched Wu Yuanhao's back and said with a smile, "The Western City Hundred-Household Office is vacant again. Banner Leader Wu has repeatedly achieved great feats and should fill the vacancy! Commander Wu, you must not suppress meritorious officers!"

Wu Yuanhao did not look back and roared, "Even if all my subordinates die, I will not use such a scoundrel! Suppressing meritorious officers! What can I do by suppressing them?"

"Yawn~~~"

Stretching lazily, Commander Sun Jie slowly stood up from his seat, humming a tune, and walked away... Overall, he was a very qualified spectator, watching without speaking, and arriving before the start and leaving after the end.

"Look up!" When no one was around, Zhao Xi walked to Wu Fan and made him look him in the eye, then asked, "Where is Zhong Xiu?"

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

Zhao Xi raised an eyebrow, his mummy-like face turning grim: "Really?"

Wu Fan nodded firmly, saying, "Really, I... how to put it! Zhong Xiu is one of Commander Wu's top enforcers, with a sharp blade and cultivation at the 'Qi Gathering Sea' level. In terms of martial arts, with my limited skills, how could I kill him? I would be lucky if he didn't kill me!"

Zhao Xi squinted his eyes and suddenly smiled, a mysterious smile. When Wu Fan also smiled, Zhao Xi's face turned cold, and he said in a low voice, "Too much talk will lead to mistakes! Remember to control your words! Also... when you came, you should have looked worried, not serious. You should have acted very worried about Zhong Xiu's disappearance, as if your superior's disappearance meant your immediate death. This would be more convincing!"

[Ah! This is the guidance of a senior actor to a junior! Indeed, it's practical and effective!]

Wu Fan suddenly understood, his eyes filled with respect, and he was even more amazed by Zhao Xi!

Zhao Xi shook his head and, as he walked out, left a parting word: "To accurately show respect and make others comfortable, you need to consider the type of person. For rough and bold people, be more direct. For someone like me, lower your head slightly and don't open your eyes so wide..."

Facing Zhao Xi, Wu Fan's previous expression disappeared, and he had a new understanding of this greedy "ally."

...

PS1: Request for collection, recommendation, and likes.

PS2: Thank you to Ying Hou Gu Tongzi for the 500-point coin tip. Thank you.

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