Chapter 120 - One Hundred and Fifteen Respectful Admiration

120: Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen: Respectful Admiration 120: Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen: Respectful Admiration Jiang Wang and his two companions left the Procuratorate’s main gate, and only then did Dan Cha come out again, standing with his hands behind his back, silent.“Boss,” his trusted subordinate whispered from beside him, “are we just going to let these academy kids be so arrogant?”

“Isn’t it because you’re not effective in doing your job?

Investigating a case so sluggishly, without any results!

Otherwise, why would they have the opportunity to intervene?”

Only cases that the Procuratorate failed to handle would appear on the Dao Merit List.

This was to avoid unclear jurisdictions.

“These pampered academy disciples, what do they know about investigating cases?” the subordinate said with disdain: “Let them busy themselves for nothing!”

Dan Cha did not express an opinion, just called over the Cultivator with the slanted eyebrows and scolded him again, then took great care to ask about the details of the questions Jiang Wang had posed to him, before waving his hand to dismiss him.

“It’s always been the Procuratorate who acts arrogantly, who said anything about being trampled upon by others?

Ever since that old rock Dong Ah arrived, the Maple Forest City academy has become more and more unseemly,” Dan Cha said coldly: “Lately, Secretary Ji Xuan has been inspecting the counties.

Once that old man arrives in Maple Forest City, who will we be afraid of?”

His rank, after all, wasn’t high enough, and he did not know that Ji Xuan had already come and had been embarrassed by Song Hengjiang on the banks of the Qing River.

“Exactly!” his subordinate echoed repeatedly.

Dan Cha sneered again: “The Zhao Family moved to our city not long ago and are so ostentatiously wealthy, their background is certainly not entirely clean.

They have kept a low profile and paid their respects properly over recent years.

We turned a blind eye, and that was that.

But now this young Zhao is so arrogant; then we should check on his family’s background.

See if they can withstand an investigation!”

Although the Procuratorate is only responsible for Transcendent cases, who decides what’s Transcendent or not?

Since areas of authority overlap, in places where the City Lord is strong, the Procuratorate cooperates with the City Lord.

Where the City Lord is weak, the Procuratorate acts independently.

In Qinghe County, because of Secretary Ji Xuan’s dominance, in all the major city regions within the county, the Procuratorate more or less enjoys a certain degree of autonomy, each growing fat and strong.

“Your subordinate obeys!” The confidant couldn’t help but smirk, beginning to calculate how much benefit he could get from the situation.

The Cultivator with slanted eyebrows had made a judgment on the mission that conformed to protocol, without personal bias or any deliberate malice.

At least, that was the result of Jiang Wang and his companions’ investigation.

The original cause for that mission was a murder that took place in a family in Xiaolin Town.

From the traces at the scene, no matter how one judged, the murderer’s cultivation level couldn’t surpass that of the Circulation Realm’s Ninth Grade.

The slanted-eyebrow Cultivator rated the mission as Grade-8, considering the uncertainty of the evil path’s whereabouts and the various incidents that transpired recently in the Maple Forest City Region, which had increased the risk.

On the Maple Forest City academy’s side, two Grade-8 Zhoutian Realm and three Ninth Grade Youmai Realm—such an arrangement for a mission of this level was nearly a sure win.

But the result turned out to be the most severe casualties among the Maple Forest City academy’s disciples since Xiaolin Town, with a full four academy disciples sacrificed.

One should know that every year, the inner gate of Maple Forest City academy only recruits around ten disciples or so.

Every academy disciple is the foundation of the nation.

This was why the Maple Forest City academy took this matter so seriously, and after the Procuratorate’s investigation turned up nothing, they sent out Jiang Wang and others for further investigation.

After leaving the Procuratorate, Jiang Wang and his companions’ third stop was the Zhang Family grounds.

This was the outcome of their discussion, their line of reasoning quite clear.

From Fang Helling to the Procuratorate, the next one was Zhang Xizhi.

That is, the captain responsible for that mission.

Although he was already dead, the information about him had not perished.

In the clan of his family and friends, a Zhang Xizhi in memory was still alive.

The Procuratorate was just north of the City Lord’s mansion, not too far away, close to the Qingmu Main Road.

Geographically speaking, coming out from the Fang Family grounds, it would have been more straightforward to go to the Zhang Family grounds first, then to the Procuratorate.

But Jiang Wang and his companions still chose to take a detour because the actual sequence of events was more important than geographical order.

The Zhang Family had now become the preeminent name among the three major clans, but entering their grounds didn’t convey any sense of arrogance.

Instead, all members of the Zhang Family they encountered were very courteous.

Upon learning that they were academy disciples, someone proactively offered to lead the way.

Jiang Wang and his party split up into three groups, heading to Zhang Xizhi’s home, the home of Zhang Xizhi’s best friend, and the Clan Leader’s residence.

Jiang Wang went to the Clan Leader’s home.

Going to Zhang Xizhi’s home would most likely yield the most clues, and Zhao Rucheng was the least likely to lose track of these clues.

The Clan Leader of the Zhang Family, by seniority, should be of the same generation as Zhang Linchuan’s grandfather, yet they do not share the same lineage.

Of course, with Zhang Linchuan’s current strength, he naturally belongs to the direct line.

In fact, if he had not set his sights elsewhere, the position of the next Clan Leader would undoubtedly have been his.

As Jiang Wang was a rising star in the Daoist Academy of Fenglin City, the Clan Leader of the Zhang Family specifically took time to help him sort out the relevant information about Zhang Xizhi’s case, in support of his mission.

After some casual conversation with little to show for it, Jiang Wang was about to take his leave when he suddenly heard a voice from outside.

“Young Master Linchuan has returned!”

Zhang Linchuan stepped into the courtyard following the sound and first greeted the Clan Leader with a formal greeting: “Linchuan comes to pay respects to Granduncle.”

His manners were impeccable.

The Clan Leader of the Zhang Family sat upright, gesturing with a raised hand and a friendly smile: “It’s hard work cultivating, and it’s not easy to come back.

You don’t have to visit me every time.”

“It’s only proper,” said Zhang Linchuan with a smile before addressing Jiang Wang, “Is Disciple Jiang here to visit my home?”

Jiang Wang, not one to presume, had already stood up to the side and now replied with a wry smile, “Is it anything other than being assigned a task?

I don’t know if it’s Vice Dean Song Qifang’s idea or Dean Dong Ah’s.”

He wouldn’t dare to ask Dong Ah about it, and Dong Ah wouldn’t bother with him.

Dong Ah was the Dean of the Daoist Academy, not a wet nurse or nanny.

“Oh?” Zhang Linchuan asked with interest, “Is there a difference?”

There’s a big difference!

If it was Dong Ah, it would mean recognition.

If it was Song Qifang, it might just mean trouble.

“It’s nothing much,” Jiang Wang said, not wishing to go into the friction with Song Qifang, and changed the subject: “I came empty-handed today, which is inconvenient.

Once I’m done with this task, I’ll visit Brother Zhang for a drink another time.”

“Alright,” Zhang Linchuan said with a smile, and then took his leave from the old Clan Leader, “Granduncle, I’ll head back home now.”

The old man chuckled, “Go on, go on.

If you make your mother wait too long, she’ll blame me later.”

For adults, a next time without a specific time generally means never.

Zhang Linchuan left the Clan Leader’s residence and headed for his own home.

He nodded in response to the greetings from fellow clan members he encountered along the way but never removed the handkerchief covering his mouth.

The clan members didn’t mind; they knew of his preference for cleanliness.

Zhang Linchuan’s home wasn’t particularly large, but with four courtyards inside and out, it couldn’t be considered humble.

His father held a manager position within the clan which wasn’t very demanding but provided a substantial income.

Given Zhang Linchuan’s current strength and future prospects, no one in the entire clan would treat his family unfairly.

Before he could enter his courtyard, the servants had already come out to greet him.

“Young Master, you’re back.

Shall we have dinner now?

The Master and Madam have been waiting!”

The family should have been ready since the moment he stepped onto clan grounds.

Zhang Linchuan nodded and headed for the dining hall to eat.

Indeed, his parents were already seated at the head of the dining table waiting for him.

Zhang Linchuan’s father, a stern man, was pleased to see his son but did not show much emotion, simply saying, “Sit.”

His mother, on the other hand, smiled at him and moved a dish of bass in front of his place, saying, “Linchuan, try this.”

Zhang Linchuan approached his seat and, noticing some grease stains on the stool, wiped it off with his handkerchief—it must have been accidentally dripped while serving—before balling up the handkerchief and placing it to the side.

Shortly after, he heard his father’s voice, tinged with anger: “What’s the matter?

I told you to command the servants to clean thoroughly since Linchuan is coming home to eat today, and you can’t even keep a stool clean!”

His mother’s voice remained aggrieved: “I’ve cleaned inside and out several times…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Zhang Linchuan interjected with a smile.

“Let’s eat.”

The family of three sat down to dinner, dividing the round table into three equal sections, each occupying a corner.

Treating each other with mutual respect.