Cultivation: From Poor Peasant to Celestial Lord

Chapter 194: Chapter 121: Auspicious Sign in the River, Wild God’s Profane Shrine (Part 2)

Although the Evil Suppression Department had been consolidated, its jurisdictional divisions still followed certain conventions.

West City was Squad Three’s territory, while the fertile, prosperous lands along the Sanmu River had always been the ”personal fiefdom” of Squad Two, which was controlled by the Noble Races.

Hearing this, a wry smile touched Pang Song’s lips, along with a hint of unconcealed mockery.

”Banner Inspector Chu is as perceptive as ever.”

Pang Song said, ”Squad Two was indeed in charge of this matter at the beginning. Their Deputy Captain took some men and made a round.”

”And the result? Not only did they fail to uncover the Wild God’s origins, but they also used the pretense of ’cracking down on unauthorized worship’ to viciously extort the fishermen in those villages.”

”In the end, their conclusion was ’no concrete evidence, purely coincidental.’ They just walked away without a care, leaving a complete mess behind.”

”Now, as the situation has escalated, the Wild God’s influence is growing and even starting to spread to the surrounding villages. The higher-ups, afraid of major trouble, forcefully shoved this hot potato into our Squad Three’s hands.”

Chu Bai nodded slightly. He had indeed glanced at the records on this matter in the archives, but they only contained Squad Two’s hastily written concluding statement. So, there was this whole backstory to it.

”Since you’ve taken the case, Captain Pang, you should just go investigate it.”

Chu Bai looked at Pang Song with an ambiguous smile. ”With Captain Pang’s Late-stage Qi Cultivation and the manpower of Squad Three, dealing with a Wild God that has yet to become a real threat shouldn’t be difficult. I wonder, what help could a humble Patrol Banner Inspector like myself possibly offer?”

Pang Song took a deep breath, finally revealing his true intentions.

”Catching the Wild God is a duty Squad Three will not shirk. But as for the ’man-made disaster’ within this case, I find myself willing but unable.”

He looked directly into Chu Bai’s eyes, his tone sincere yet laced with a ruthless edge. ”Squad Two was not just derelict in their duty; they used it as an opportunity to amass wealth, nurturing a tiger that would become a future threat. If not for their indulgence back then, this Wild God would never have grown so powerful.”

”How is such behavior any different from what Wang Sanshui did?”

”I hope Banner Inspector Chu can exercise his authority as an Inspector to launch a thorough investigation into Squad Two’s ’fruitless investigation’ and ’extortion’!”

A brief silence fell over the room.

Only the occasional gust of wind from outside and the crackling of the candle flame could be heard.

Chu Bai’s fingers tapped gently on the table. He didn’t answer immediately, instead sizing up the seemingly righteous Captain Pang before him with a scrutinizing gaze.

’He wants to kill with a borrowed knife.’

’Pang Song’s words sound so high and mighty—all for the sake of justice, all because he can’t stand what Squad Two did—but his core objective is singular: to borrow a knife.’

’Squad Two is backed by the County Magistrate’s Noble Race faction. Although Pang Song is the Captain of Squad Three and has some power, he clearly doesn’t want to—or doesn’t dare to—confront those local bullies head-on.’

’So, he thought of me.’

’He thought of this reckless youth who had just executed Wang Sanshui, who was currently in the limelight, and who supposedly had a ”profound background.”’

’He wants to push me, this sharp knife, out to poke the hornet’s nest that is Squad Two.’

’If I succeed, he, Pang Song, gets to reap the benefits and strike at his rivals. If I fail, or if I’m the one targeted for retaliation, that’s my problem. What would it have to do with him?’

’What a clever scheme.’

Chu Bai sneered internally.

’If the other party had presented substantial evidence, it could be considered an act for justice. In that case, it would be reasonable for me to get involved.’

’But since there’s no solid proof, I can’t act rashly.’

However, even though he had seen through Pang Song’s scheme, he didn’t refuse him outright.

Because this matter was not entirely without its benefits for him.

First, investigating wrongdoing was part of his duties to begin with.

If Squad Two was truly suspected of serious dereliction of duty and corruption, prosecuting them would not only align with his Dao Heart, but would also allow him to receive a huge amount of Merit feedback from his Merit and Demerit Shape Destiny Fate Chart.

Second, the Sanmu River. That place was an area he had been wanting to explore.

The Purifying Spirit Flow he had accidentally obtained there last time had greatly benefited his cultivation. He had been looking for a chance to go back and investigate further, and to see if he could find any Spiritual Qi to supplement his Water Element Foundation.

But that didn’t mean he was willing to be used as someone’s pawn.

Whether to lend this ”knife,” when to lend it, and how to lend it—the initiative had to remain in his hands.

”Captain Pang.”

Chu Bai stopped tapping his fingers, his tone level. ”Matters of inspection require evidence. Squad Two may act a bit domineeringly, but without solid, ironclad proof, I can’t just go arresting people based on a few rumors.”

”Besides, directly prosecuting the Deputy Captain of a squad would cause a huge stir. If the investigation turns up nothing, it would not only put me in a difficult position, but I’m afraid it would also be hard to answer to the Director.”

Seeing that Chu Bai hadn’t refused outright but was instead negotiating terms, a flash of joy appeared in Pang Song’s eyes.

’There’s a chance!’

He wasn’t afraid of Chu Bai setting conditions; he was afraid that Chu Bai was truly as aloof and proud as the rumors said, unwilling to get his hands dirty with such worldly affairs.

”As for the evidence, Banner Inspector Chu can rest assured.”

Pang Song pulled a Jade Scroll from his sleeve, placed it gently on the table, and slid it over. ”This contains some clues I had my men gather in secret. It includes a detailed map of the Wild God sacrificial sites in those fishing villages, as well as some witness testimonies regarding the bribes taken by the Squad Two Deputy Captain responsible for the case.”

”Of course, this isn’t enough to secure a conviction. But as long as Banner Inspector Chu is willing to investigate, it’s a breakthrough.”

Pang Song leaned forward, laying out his final bargaining chip. ”Squad Three will handle the Wild God affair openly and with great fanfare, drawing everyone’s attention. Squad Two will definitely be focused on the commotion over there, which will give Banner Inspector Chu the opportunity to investigate from the shadows.”

”We’ll be in the open, and you’ll be in the shadows. We won’t interfere with each other, but we can provide cover for one another.”