Chapter 496: A red spot
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Everyone 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 assertively.
"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 pass 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 assistant 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.