Chapter 111: The Profound Yin Alms Bowl

Song Kai searched the office thoroughly but found no trace of Sheng Xu. Quietly, he slipped downstairs, hailed a taxi, and headed straight to the Jing Bureau.

Inside the Jing Bureau.

Yang Tianxiao sat in the interrogation room, growing bored.

Indeed, he was the leader of Tianxiao Hall, but he also knew he had no real leverage.

Since the founding of Tianxiao Hall, although many shady dealings had occurred, those matters were handled by others and had nothing to do with him.

Yang Tianxiao sipped water, waiting.

Outside, Wu Hongying watched him thoughtfully but decided not to send anyone in.

A mere case of inciting a disturbance was a minor issue; Yang Tianxiao could easily dismiss it and posed no threat. The key was, Wu Hongying currently had no foothold to threaten Yang Tianxiao, making this interrogation pointless.

Soon, the phone rang—it was Song Kai, who had arrived outside the bureau.

Wu Hongying stepped out and brought Song Kai inside. She pointed toward the interrogation room and said, “Here, take a look. The man you want to question clearly looks cunning and brave—there’s no way to interrogate him. If you want answers, you’ll have to get them yourself. I really can’t help you with this.”

Song Kai considered for a moment and said, “Alright, I’ll go.”

Wu Hongying shrugged and yawned. “Make it quick. Once you’re done, we’ll head back and get some rest.”

“Okay,” Song Kai nodded.

“Clatter!”

The sound of a teacup falling to the floor echoed.

Song Kai turned to see a chubby officer, Zhou Chao, staring at Wu Hongying and Song Kai in disbelief.

“Zhou Chao, what are you doing? Lost your mind?” Wu Hongying asked.

Zhou Chao pointed first at Wu Hongying, then at Song Kai. “What’s your relationship? And why would you say you’re going to sleep together? Kid, where did you come from?”

Wu Hongying rolled her eyes in exasperation and ignored the stout man, turning to Song Kai. “Hurry up and go.”

“Got it.”

Song Kai headed toward the interrogation room.

Zhou Chao was Wu Hongying’s colleague and had long harbored feelings for her. He believed he was the best candidate, boasting the best family background among the bureau’s staff.

Seeing Song Kai enter the interrogation room, Zhou Chao hurried over to Wu Hongying. “Xiaoying, you need to think twice! My mom says never to date someone younger! Seriously! Look at that kid—no facial hair and unreliable. Don’t you get it?”

“My mom also tells me to come home on time. You should finish work and go home,” Wu Hongying said, waving off the mama’s boy.

“No way! I’m sticking with you today. I can’t let you be fooled. Although young guys are trendy now, that’s just foolishness from naive girls. Xiaoying, I have to protect you and keep you from going astray,” Zhou Chao said firmly.

Wu Hongying pointed down the hall. “Hey, I just saw a shadow near the forensic lab. Go check who it is.”

“A shadow? Forensic lab? That department’s long closed,” Zhou Chao said nervously, unwilling to turn around.

“I’ll go see,” Wu Hongying said, heading toward the dark corridor.

Zhou Chao took a few steps but stopped, scared. “My mom says never to go into empty rooms at night, especially where there are dead people... Xiaoying, be careful. I... I’m heading home first.”

Feeling a chill down his spine, Zhou Chao quickly left.

Wu Hongying sighed, flicked her short hair, and muttered, “Really, the Jing Bureau only cares about scores, not courage. They recruit all kinds of people and even put him in criminal investigation...”

Song Kai entered the interrogation room and looked at Yang Tianxiao.

Yang Tianxiao, bored, was wondering why the interrogation hadn’t started yet. Seeing Song Kai enter, he froze.

Song Kai walked over and snapped off the recording device. Then he said, “Leader Yang, seeing me here should make you realize the gravity of your situation.”

“It’s you! You... you’re from the Jing Bureau?” Yang Tianxiao stared at Song Kai.

Song Kai chuckled dryly. “More precisely, I’m an undercover agent. To investigate a particularly heinous case involving drug trafficking and organ smuggling, I infiltrated your club undercover, just to catch you.”

“Wait!” Yang Tianxiao was startled.

Song Kai’s immediate accusation was enough to shock him.

Yang Tianxiao felt uneasy—Jing had even sent an undercover agent to infiltrate his club!

What was more, this agent had risen to the position of steward, meaning he had been inside for some time.

Yang Tianxiao looked at Song Kai. “What do you mean? I don’t understand. I’m just a club owner. Sure, I have many employees, and sometimes they cause trouble, but I have nothing to do with drug trafficking or anything like that.”

“Nothing to do with it?” Song Kai sneered. “If that’s true, why would the Taoist Sheng Xu protect you? Why would Ding Zhe and the evil Sheng Xu eliminate your enemies? Leader Yang, we’re not children anymore. Sheng Xu and Ding Zhe are wanted fugitives, officially hunted by the police. Their crimes—murder, arson, drug trafficking, kidnapping—are punishable by death. Honestly, I don’t know if you have any chance of survival.”

Yang Tianxiao was terrified. He looked at Song Kai. “Officer Jing, I didn’t know any of this. I never took part. I’m just a runner.”

“Ha! Leader Yang, at a time like this, is denial useful? You know the law on drug trafficking: over fifty grams means execution. For people like Ding Zhe and Sheng Xu, there’s no mercy. As one of their favored underlings, if you weren’t involved, do you think the judge would believe you?” Song Kai continued to intimidate him.

Yang Tianxiao couldn’t bear it. He felt he had to explain or else be condemned unfairly.

“Officer Jing, please listen. Yes, it’s known I’m supported by Ding Zhe and Taoist Sheng Xu, but they only asked me to gather information. I never—”

“Gather what kind of information? About drugs?” Song Kai interrupted sharply.

“No, no!” Yang Tianxiao wiped the sweat from his brow. “I only met Taoist Sheng Xu once. He asked me to investigate an old monk from the Republic era, a monk named Xuan’e. He wanted me to find out where this monk died.”

“Nonsense!” Song Kai slammed the table. “Sheng Xu is a Taoist, and a sinister one at that. Do you really think he’d send you to investigate the tomb of a high-ranking Buddhist monk? Maybe even to pay respects? Your lies are full of holes.”

“It’s true!” Yang Tianxiao nearly cried. “Sheng Xu wasn’t going to worship that monk. That monk was a master from the Republic era, famous for exorcisms and powerful cultivation. He supposedly had a magical artifact called the Yin-Subduing Bowl, which is very powerful. Sheng Xu wanted me to find that artifact.”

Song Kai sneered coldly. “A Taoist searching for a Buddhist monk’s artifact? And the monk’s bowl at that? Who would believe that? Be honest—what else did he have you do?”

Yang Tianxiao wiped the sweat again. “Really, it’s true. Although Sheng Xu supported me before, he never asked me to do anything. This time, he said the Blood Night gang would come in two days and asked me to gather information on Song Kai, the son of the Song family, for the Blood Night assassins. Also, to check if any international criminal investigators had arrived in Tengyun City. I swear, that’s all! Nothing else!”

Song Kai looked at him coldly.

Yang Tianxiao grew desperate. “I swear on my family’s lives, that’s all! Sheng Xu never had me do anything else. He only asked me to gather information, nothing more. I’m innocent! I just followed the wrong leader! Ah!”

Song Kai snorted and stared at him.

Yang Tianxiao kept blaming himself.

“Where is the old Taoist Sheng Xu now?” Song Kai asked.

Yang Tianxiao shook his head. “I really don’t know. If I did, I’d tell you. Officer Jing, I don’t want to die, especially not wrongly! *sob*”

Seeing Yang Tianxiao’s sincere distress, Song Kai nodded. “Alright, wait in the detention center. I’ll report your information. If you’re truly innocent, there’s nothing to fear. As long as you cooperate, and we catch Sheng Xu, we won’t wrong any good person.”

With that, Song Kai turned and left the interrogation room.

Outside, Wu Hongying crossed her arms, yawning. “How did it go?”

Song Kai grinned. “Blood Night—what a bunch of nonsense.”

“Ah?” Wu Hongying’s yawn abruptly stopped…