Chapter 49: Flaw (Please keep reading)

Chapter 49: Flaw (Please keep reading~)

All day long, Chen Pingan’s mind was preoccupied with Chen Erya at home, making him somewhat distracted. Fortunately, his facial expressions were well-managed; Hou Tou and Da Shan were too busy teasing each other while patrolling the streets to notice anything unusual about him.

Dressed in a black constable's uniform and carrying a saber, Chen Pingan walked through the alleys, listening to the two men's casual banter.

"Did you see the faces of the constables today!? Their brows were furrowed so hard they looked like they were about to crack!"

"Did something happen?"

"Do you know about the Wanmo Sect!?"

"The Wanmo Sect!"

"Traces of Wanmo Sect demons have appeared in the city recently. I heard there have already been several homicides in other districts. In this situation, let alone the constables in our Nanquan Lane, even the high-ranking Constabulary Officers are under immense pressure!"

"Several homicides? Is that so!"

"Yeah! You know how the Wanmo Sect operates; they are incredibly ruthless."

"Hou Tou, how do you know about this? I haven't heard anything."

"Hehe, I have my ways! It's basically common knowledge in the Zhenfu Division; it's just waiting for the official announcement from the constables! Just watch, it won't be many days before they announce it. These days, everyone should be careful."

"..."

Hou Tou didn't say much more, merely mentioning the Wanmo Sect in passing before changing the subject. At a critical juncture like this, bringing up the Wanmo Sect was not a good thing.

The Wanmo Sect!

Chen Pingan listened secretly.

Back then, Old Man Chen had died because he was part of a suppression operation against the Wanmo Sect, where he was severely injured by a deacon within one of their strongholds.

He held an irreconcilable blood feud with the Wanmo Sect!

However...

The Wanmo Sect was no ordinary cult; it was a behemoth that swept across the entire Canglong Province. Even a single branch was enough to warrant serious attention from the Weishui County Zhenfu Division.

At that time, Old Man Chen had been suppressing nothing more than a minor stronghold of the Wanmo Sect. Yet, even then, the joint operation by the Zhenfu Division across the various lanes of the South District resulted in heavy casualties despite having the advantage of time, location, and manpower.

No fewer than ten constables died during that suppression!

And that was just a single stronghold. If it were a higher-level Hall, it would require the concerted effort of the entire Outer Town Zhenfu Division to resolve. If it were a Branch...

Then the strength of Weishui County alone might not be enough.

The day's shift passed quickly amidst the group's wandering.

After finishing his shift, Chen Pingan headed straight home. He had been worrying about Chen Erya all day.

As Chen Pingan approached Lihua Lane, he could sense a hint of severity and tension. Usually, at this time, many neighbors would be walking about or visiting one another to chat. But today, Chen Pingan saw none of that.

Near his doorstep, he saw someone hurrying past.

"Uncle Liang, what's going on? Why are the streets so empty?"

Chen Pingan took a few steps forward and blocked the man's path.

Hearing someone call him, Uncle Liang was startled at first, but he relaxed once he saw it was Chen Pingan.

"Oh, it's Little Brother Chen! Don't you know? Something big has happened!"

"Uncle Liang, what happened?"

Although Chen Pingan already had a vague idea it was about Liu'er, he asked anyway.

"Sixth Lord of the Hutou Gang is dead!"

With that, Uncle Liang hurried away without waiting for a response. At a time like this, he didn't want to be loitering outside; if he were seen by members of the Hutou Gang, he might invite unnecessary trouble.

They were just ordinary folk; they couldn't afford any drama.

"So it really is that matter."

Chen Pingan watched Uncle Liang depart, his eyes flickering slightly. He didn't linger and walked straight toward his front door.

Pushing open the courtyard gate and seeing the busy figure in the kitchen, Chen Pingan felt a sense of relief.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness..."

The heart that had been heavy all day could finally settle a little.

"Nannann, I'm home."

"Brother, you're back! You can eat now!" Chen Erya beamed.

The little girl was young, and her smile struck Chen Pingan as incredibly innocent and adorable.

"Brother is hungry." Chen Pingan laughed and entered the kitchen to help Chen Erya bring out the food.

The weather wasn't great today, and it looked like it might rain, so the siblings ate inside rather than in the courtyard.

The light inside was somewhat dim compared to the brightness outside, but the smiles on each other's faces illuminated their hearts.

After finishing the meal, Chen Erya did not stand up to clear the dishes as she usually did. Instead, she slightly suppressed her smile and stared at Chen Pingan with wide eyes.

"Brother, earlier today, people outside were saying that the Hutou Gang's Sixth Lord, Liu-zi, died last night."

As she spoke, Chen Erya fell silent. Being as intelligent as she was, she had already connected the bloodstains on Chen Pingan's clothes from last night to the news.

Looking into Chen Erya's eyes, Chen Pingan remained silent, weighing his words.

Just as he had organized his thoughts and was about to say something to her, the little girl stood up.

"Alright, Brother, I'm going to wash the dishes."

"Wait." Chen Pingan called out to her. "Last night..."

"Shh!"

The little girl made a gesture, then pointed outside, signaling him not to speak.

"Brother, you don't have to tell me. I know. You don't have to explain, I understand!" The little girl turned around and hugged Chen Pingan. "No matter what you do, I believe in you!"

Chen Pingan felt a warmth in his heart. He was about to reach out to pat her head when, unexpectedly, the little girl suddenly ran off.

"Heehee... I'm going to wash the dishes~"

"This girl..." Chen Pingan was momentarily speechless.

She was only nine years old. If this were in his previous life, who would believe it? She was excessively mature!

However, seeing that the lightness on her face seemed genuine, he gradually felt at ease.

He had been worried that his killing of Liu'er would place a psychological burden on her. He hadn't expected her adaptability to be so strong!

Then again, those with weak adaptability found it hard to survive in this world.

After dinner, while Chen Pingan was preparing to digest his food, he began practicing his flying stones. Standing in the courtyard, he saw the marks on the courtyard wall that were almost turning white, and his heart jolted.

"How could I forget this! My damn brain!"

If one didn't look closely, the marks on the wall wouldn't seem like much. But upon closer inspection, one could see dense, tiny pits.

These were all caused by the impact of the flying stones.

If the Hutou Gang actually came to investigate, while they might not necessarily link this to Liu'er's death, it would undoubtedly create unnecessary complications and leave a flaw.

Thinking of this, Chen Pingan immediately grabbed some materials and ran to the courtyard wall to begin covering the marks.

Just as he was halfway through, a heavy pounding echoed from the courtyard gate.

"Open up! It's the Hutou Gang!"