A profound sense of accomplishment and satisfaction welled up inside Zhao Lin. He walked up to Chai Jie, saber in hand, and said, "We have both witnesses and evidence. What else do you have to say?"

Chai Jie bit his lip, silent, and turned his head away.

"Take him to the county courthouse."

Zhao Lin waved a dismissive hand, then turned to Gao Xiaoliu and Duan San. "You two are going as well."

"Sir, you said you’d let us go."

"Please, sir, spare us."

Gao Xiaoliu and Duan San pleaded.

Zhao Lin said earnestly, "It’s not that I’m going back on my word. You’re key witnesses. You must appear in court and testify during the trial."

"Making up for your past wrongs is the only way to lessen your charges. Understand?"

The two lowered their heads in unison.

Taking the evidence with them, Zhao Lin, Liang Song, Tao Erleng, and He Qingquan escorted Chai Jie and the others to the county courthouse.

Zhao Lin found a scribe to take down Gao Xiaoliu and Duan San’s statements. Once they had signed and left their thumbprints, he informed the head jailer to lock up all three men.

"Constable Zhao, you’re so young and capable. Truly remarkable. I’m impressed."

He Qingquan said with a grin, giving him a thumbs-up.

His words weren’t pure flattery. He had originally thought Zhao Lin was just a scapegoat and that he, working under such a man, would inevitably get caught in the fallout.

He never expected Zhao Lin to be so competent. To think he’d caught the culprit red-handed in less than two days, using some unknown method. It had completely surpassed his expectations.

"Elder He, you flatter me. It was just luck."

Zhao Lin was in high spirits, but he didn’t let it go to his head.

Catching the murderer was crucial, but the case would only be truly closed once all the loose ends were tied up.

He summoned the medical examiner to inspect the blade seized from Chai Jie’s home.

"Yes, the blade is long and slender with a very slight curve. It matches the sketch of the weapon I drew based on the wound."

After the medical examiner’s confirmation, Zhao Lin went to the criminal division to retrieve the case file and update it with the latest developments.

"Elder He, my calligraphy is terrible. Could you write this for me?"

He Qingquan was getting on in years, so he wasn’t tasked with making arrests. He usually handled miscellaneous duties, but he did have excellent penmanship.

The two conferred, recording the key events of the investigation, the depositions, and the provenance of the evidence in the case file.

As for the finer details, like how he had located the evidence using his hearing, he left them out.

"Elder He, you’re an experienced man. Do you think we’ll be able to secure a conviction?"

He Qingquan chuckled. "Constable, you’re overthinking it. This case is rock-solid. Even a deity couldn’t talk his way out of this one!"

"That’s good to hear."

Zhao Lin’s mind was put at ease. This was his first case, and it was crucial for him to establish a firm footing in the courthouse.

He read through the case file once more from top to bottom, realizing the only thing missing was a motive.

’Although the trial itself is the County Magistrate’s responsibility, I’m still curious. What could possibly drive a man to commit such a monstrous act, to behave worse than an animal?’

’Was it really just for the family fortune?’

Zhao Lin suddenly remembered that Chai Qihong had a widow.

He had planned to seek out the widow for more information if the case stalled, but things had moved so fast he never got the chance.

Now that the case was solved, he could spare some time to go and ask her a few questions.

He organized the case file and returned all the evidence to the repository. By the time he finished, his shift was over.

As usual, Zhao Lin headed to the Liuhe Sect. As he entered, he saw two new faces in the courtyard.

They were youths of sixteen or seventeen, with tall, sturdy physiques—prime material for martial arts, at a glance.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Zhao."

The two newcomers proactively stepped forward to greet him.

"Greetings, junior... brothers."

Zhao Lin responded politely.

Yuan Cheng sidled up to him and whispered, "Those two are quite talented. Their coming to our Liuhe Sect is actually somewhat related to you."

Zhao Lin thought he was joking. "Learning martial arts is about the master. What’s that got to do with me?"

Yuan Cheng chuckled. "You’d better believe it. The story of you completing your bone training in half a year has spread through every martial arts school in the county. They came here drawn by your fame."

Zhao Lin was taken aback. "Oh, is that so? Half a year is an exaggeration, though. It actually took me seven months..."

After a bit more idle chatter, Zhao Lin walked over to the training area, grabbed two enormous iron sandbags, and leaped onto the plum blossom stakes to practice his sinew training.

His strength was so exceptional that ordinary iron sandbags were no longer enough for his training.

So, Zhu Huaishan had two thick, oversized bags custom-made just for him.

A few curious apprentices had tried to lift them when Zhao Lin wasn’t around, only to discover they couldn’t even hoist a single one.

With the case solved, Zhao Lin trained with extra vigor.

Since his breakthrough in martial arts, his metabolism had grown stronger, and the rate at which the Spirit Beast Scroll released its white mist had also quickened.

This further enhanced Zhao Lin’s three specialties—strength, speed, and hearing—which in turn spurred his body’s evolution, creating a positive feedback loop.

...

「The next day.」

Zhao Lin went to the Department of Reception and Dispatch first thing in the morning and handed the case file to the Receiving and Issuing Official.

"Please expedite the scheduling of the hearing, if you would."

As he handed over the file, he slipped a small piece of silver he had prepared into the official’s palm.

This was a tip from He Qingquan.

The Department of Reception and Dispatch was responsible for scheduling hearings and submitting all matters to the County Magistrate for processing.

Which matters were prioritized, which were delayed, and which were postponed indefinitely—all of it was at the department’s discretion.

The Receiving and Issuing Official was slightly surprised but said nothing. He opened the case file, saw it was a homicide, and immediately snapped it shut. "Rest assured, this will be the first matter I present today."

He wouldn’t have dared to delay such an important case even if he had ten times the nerve. But since he had accepted the silver, he would place it at the very top of the docket.

Zhao Lin said his thanks and walked into the main hall to wait for the morning assembly.

Before long, the courthouse staff had all gathered.

Liang Song, He Qingquan, and Tao Erleng stood with Zhao Lin, the four of them forming a small clique.

Sun Zhang, Shi Dahai, Jin Liqun, and the other constables from the East District stood at a distance, deliberately keeping themselves separate.

At the appointed time for the morning assembly, Magistrate Liu appeared.

The Receiving and Issuing Official stepped forward and announced in a loud voice, "Of the three hundred twenty-eight personnel due from all departments and shifts today, three hundred and one are present. Of the twenty-seven who are absent, five are injured or ill, and nine went to the countryside to collect taxes and grain and have not yet returned..."

After listening, Magistrate Liu grunted in acknowledgment. "What is on the docket for this morning’s assembly?"

The Receiving and Issuing Official said, "The first matter concerns the East District constable, Zhao Lin..."

Having accepted the silver, the official deliberately paused after saying Zhao Lin’s name. "...he has solved the murder of the lumber merchant Chai Qihong. We have both witnesses and evidence, and the murderer is already in the dungeons."

With that, he held the case file aloft with both hands and presented it.

"Oh?"

Magistrate Liu’s eyebrows shot up. He took the file and immediately began to flip through it.

Sun Zhang whipped his head around to stare at Zhao Lin as if someone had stepped on his tail. Shi Dahai and Jin Liqun followed his gaze.

Zhao Lin stared straight ahead, feigning ignorance.

Magistrate Liu, already familiar with the case, skipped the old reports and went straight to the new section added by Zhao Lin.

"To think the real killer was the victim’s own son."

Magistrate Liu sighed after reading and looked out over the hall. "Is Zhao Lin present?"

Zhao Lin stepped out from the ranks and strode forward. "Here, Your Honor!"

"You’ve handled this case well," Magistrate Liu praised, "and the report is well-written."

"I was only doing my duty, Your Honor," Zhao Lin replied in a steady voice.

Magistrate Liu nodded, satisfied. Just as he was about to speak, the chief secretary approached and whispered something in his ear.

"Only on the job for two days?"

Magistrate Liu blurted out in surprise. His next look toward Zhao Lin was filled with clear approbation.

"Chief Constable Li, you must make good use of talent like this. As for those who do nothing but warm a seat all day, don’t let them continue to occupy their posts for no reason."

He directed that last sentence at Li Qiuyuan.

Li Qiuyuan quickly replied, "You are right, Your Honor. I will begin cleaning house at once."

Magistrate Liu glanced at the file again. "Since the suspect has been apprehended, let’s hold the trial today."

The Receiving and Issuing Official reminded him, "Today is not a designated court day."

The courthouse only held trials on the third, sixth, and ninth days of each ten-day period.

Magistrate Liu recalled it was the eighth of the month. "A pity," he said. "Then we’ll do it tomorrow!"