Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

In a secluded courtyard in the city, Commander Feng and Commander Yun were drinking and eating together, arm in arm, chatting and laughing. Their relationship seemed extraordinary. No one knew that their apparent discord was merely an act for the Lu Si Mansion.

"Old Yun, do you think the commander's plan will work? I'm starting to feel a little uneasy," Commander Feng asked, pouring Commander Yun a glass of wine and putting his arm around his shoulder.

Yun Zongqi took a sip of wine and chuckled, "You're just bored out of your mind. Let's treat this period as a vacation and let them do whatever they want. Let's see them build tall buildings, host banquets, and then see the buildings collapse."

Upon hearing this, Commander Feng couldn't help but laugh, recalling how Zhou Qingfeng and the others had slunk away from the Night Patrol Division. "Young people don't realize that the higher you climb, the harder you fall."

……

"Madam, isn't it a bit cruel to throw these lambs into the wolf's den? They are still just children." In the city lord's mansion, Steward Qiu stood ten steps away with his head down, his heart filled with worry.

The First Lady, dressed in a white and gold nightgown, sat on the edge of the pond, fishing with a rod in hand: "A sword's edge is honed by grinding, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold. No matter how good the seedling is, it will be difficult to shoulder great responsibilities without experiencing wind and frost."

"Don't worry, these kids are all talents you personally selected. I trust your judgment and their abilities. With me here, no one in Sword Tower City will dare to kill them. At most, they'll suffer a bit."

Butler Qiu agreed and stopped talking, then reported after a pause: "The matter you asked us to investigate has been resolved."

"Yes, please explain in detail."

Upon hearing this, Steward Qiu said, "The destruction of Yumi City and the loss of its inhabitants were not caused by a natural disaster."

"Last August, the harvest failed and famine spread to the area around Yumi City for two hundred miles. People in the city starved to death every day, and the internal organs of the starving people disappeared."

"Last November, a plague broke out in the city, killing and injuring countless people. The bones of the dead mysteriously disappeared. At the end of the same month, the Lord of Yumi City died suddenly in his mansion. Everyone in the mansion was slaughtered, and the blood in his body disappeared."

"The next day, the army mutinied, and the dead were piled up like mountains."

The First Lady raised her eyes and looked at the sudden ripples on the calm pond surface. She said lazily, "They destroyed a city and killed so many people. It seems they're collecting materials for advancement."

Steward Qiu lowered his head and said, "Yes, to ascend to the realm of food disaster, one must have the bones of those who died from plague, the internal organs of those who died from famine, and the blood of those who died from war. None of these can be missing."

"The various anomalies that have occurred in Yumi City all indicate that there must be something fishy going on."

Without turning her head, the First Lady said, "Have you found out who did it?"

"No." Butler Qiu had someone he suspected, but he didn't say it. Suspicion is suspicion, and guess is just guess. He wouldn't speak carelessly unless there was solid evidence to confirm it.

The First Lady rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought: "With so many materials for advancement, they must find a place to go."

"Keep an eye on the shops in the city and the caravans from outside."

"Let's see if there are any people selling large quantities of materials for advancement. Let's follow the trail and investigate further."

……

"Ah Gou, come here."

"Commander Zhou, what can I do for you?"

"Where are the case files stored?"

"Report to Commander Zhou, it's in the archives."

"take me."

"Yes, Commander Zhou, please follow me."

In the Night Patrol Office, at the archives, Ah Gou rushed in first, looked around, and saw the old cripple working at his desk. He quickly stepped forward and said, "Quick, quick, Commander Zhou is here! Go and greet him, or you'll lose your job."

Earlier, he had swiftly struck down someone's livelihood, and the news spread throughout the entire Night Patrol Bureau in no time.

The old cripple knew what was going on, and with Ah Gou's help, he got up and, leaning on a cane, went to greet them.

However, at this moment, Zhou Qingfeng had already strode into the archives.

Seeing this, the old cripple did not panic. Instead, he remained calm and composed, and with his cane, he managed to clasp his hands in a gesture of respect: "Commander Zhou, please forgive me for my leg ailment, which prevents me from performing the full ceremony."

Afraid that the old cripple would also be dismissed, Ah Gou explained from the side, "Commander Zhou, the old cripple's left leg is indeed disabled, and he usually has to use a cane to walk."

Zhou Qingfeng glanced down at the old cripple's legs and smiled slightly: "Since your legs are bad, then don't stand. Sit down and answer the question. I am not the kind of cold-blooded, heartless, or unreasonable person."

"Thank you for your consideration, Commander Zhou." The old cripple bowed his thanks, then turned and leaned on his cane to sit back down in his chair.

"How should I address you, sir? You're old enough to be my father, so calling you 'Old Cripple' wouldn't be appropriate." Zhou Qingfeng casually picked up a case file from the bookshelf and began to read.

The old cripple smiled and said, "My surname is Liao. I am just an ordinary servant in the archives. I usually do some trivial tasks such as recording, organizing, and filing cases."

“Just an ordinary handyman, fine, I’ll just consider you an ordinary handyman.” Zhou Qingfeng turned his head and looked at the old cripple with a half-smile. He didn’t believe that a disabled old man could be capable of working in the Night Patrol Division; there must be a story behind him.

However, I didn't come here to find out the story behind an old cripple, so there was no need to delve into it.

"I'm asking you, how many cases are backlogged in the department?"

Upon hearing this, the old cripple smiled and said, "There are no backlogged cases in the department."

Zhou Qingfeng narrowed his eyes, expressing his doubt: "Not a single one?"

The old cripple's smile remained unchanged: "Thanks to the merits of the commander-in-chief, the dedication of the two captains, and the unity of the entire department, we have achieved the result of solving every case and resolving every murder case."

“Commander Zhou is new to the Night Patrol Division and is eager to make a name for himself, which I can understand.”

"But you can't just conjure up a case if there isn't one."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng closed the case file and placed it aside, his fingers unconsciously rubbing together inside his sleeve.

I don't know how many people live in Sword Tower City, what the security situation is like, or whether there are any demons or monsters lurking in the city. But it's impossible that there isn't a single backlog of cases!

Could it be that they've fabricated something?

After much thought, this is very likely.

So, should we continue to play dumb?

No, I'm in charge of investigating cases and catching criminals in the Night Patrol Division. If there are any problems with old cases, and they come to light in my hands, it will definitely implicate me. At the very least, I'll be charged with negligence. On the other hand, if I proactively find out the problems before they come to light and report them to Madam, that would be a merit, no matter how small.

"Ah Gou, bring over the case files from nearly three years, no, nearly five years ago. I want to review them personally."

The handyman, Agou, stared wide-eyed: "Huh? Commander Zhou, can you finish reading all those case files?"

Zhou Qingfeng said calmly, "Staying up all night to study is something I, the commander, am most good at."

One by one, the case files were moved onto the desk, and soon they piled up like a small mountain. Zhou Qingfeng remained calm and silent, simply walking over and picking up the files to examine them.

Seeing this, Ah Gou wisely withdrew.

The old cripple continued working at his desk, showing no unusual reaction to the extra person in the archives, nor did he try to curry favor with Zhou Qingfeng; he simply went about his daily work in solitude.