Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess

Jiang Shouzhong walked out of the small courtyard, his face gaunt and drawn.

"How did it go, Jiang? The people from Silver Moon Tower didn't give you a hard time, did they? If you hadn't come out soon, I would've charged in there to demand your release," Jia said.

"Would you dare?"

Jiang Shouzhong squinted at him contemptuously.

Lu Renjia maintained a stern face and didn't speak. Only after they had walked some distance did he vehemently spit out, "What's there not to dare? I've been roaming around the south and crusading in the north for so many years, I've got my own people in all sorts of families, factions, and forces. What's the big deal about a Silver Moon Tower? Even if their boss showed up, he would still have to show some respect to Jia."

"Lu, that female bodyguard just now didn't give you any respect," Zhang Yunwu reminded him with his simple voice.

Jia pretended not to hear and cleared his throat before turning to ask Jiang Shouzhong, "Jiang, did you find any clues?"

Jiang Shouzhong nodded and shared his speculation.

"Extorting a demon?"

Lu Renjia was startled and deeply skeptical, "Does Ge Dasheng have the guts to do that?"

Jiang Shouzhong replied, "A gambler in desperation can do anything. It's also possible he didn't know the other party was a demon; he might have seen something he shouldn't have and then got the idea to blackmail. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to the Taoist temple alone in the middle of the night."

Lu Renjia rubbed his somewhat cold hands and tucked them into his sleeves as he asked, "So, what's our next move in the investigation?"

"Have the Judicial Council allocate more staff to continue questioning people who've been in contact with Ge Dasheng, and find out all the places he's been these past few days. There's bound to be a clue," Jiang Shouzhong said.

"Especially those from the gambling dens who are on good terms with him, we need to interrogate them carefully," he added.

"Alright, I'll have a word with Liao and get him to deploy more brothers."

Zhang Yunwu nodded in agreement.

The Liao he referred to was the head constable of the county yamen in the capital.

Zhang Yunwu, who once was a minor constable there, had a good relationship with him and would usually seek his assistance with case investigations.

Lu Renjia frowned slightly, "Speaking of which, those people from the Judicial Council have been rather slow in handling cases lately, but they seem very attentive to other halls. Is it because we haven't invited them for a meal in a while?"

Although the Liushan Division held a higher status than local government yamen, the two were interdependent.

Many cases required the assistance of officials at the bottom of the official hierarchy.

Therefore, some Hall Masters from the Liushan Division would take time to treat the officials to meals or provide them with some benefits, so that they would actively assist in case investigations.

After all, whether in the court or in the Jianghu, social niceties needed to be observed.

Li Nanshuang disdained such practices.

It was up to Jiang Shouzhong and others to pave the way for building relationships.

Zhang Yunwu scratched his head, "Is that really necessary? I've got a pretty good relationship with Liao."

"It's not good to keep leveraging a relationship without giving something back," Lu Renjia said, somewhat indignant at Zhang Yunwu's simple-mindedness, nudging Jiang Shouzhong with his elbow, "Jiang, how about we arrange a time to take Liao and his brothers to Spring Rain Building for some fun? What do you think?"

"Hmm, that's possible," Jiang Shouzhong said expressionlessly, "So what comes next is definitely me asking the boss for more funds, isn't it? You'll handle the favors then. Plus, it could bring some business and customers to Spring Rain Building's Qing Niang, earning her smiles of favor."

"Ah, Jiang, you know me best," Lu said, not at all embarrassed to have his ulterior motive exposed; he shamelessly admitted it.

Lu Renjia took Jiang Shouzhong's hand and spoke earnestly, "This challenging task of requesting funds will be yours; both Zhang and I will surely support you silently from behind."

...

As dusk approached, the clouds, dyed red by the glow of the setting sun, resembled exquisite brocades flowing through the sky.

In the slightly darkened study, red candles had already been lit.

The drunken candlelight cast scattered yellow glimmers across the desk, like pearls shining upon the paper, the elegant ink deeply embedding the handwriting there.

The woman, her head bowed, was writing furiously at the desk. A few disheveled strands of hair hung before her brow, obscuring her eyes. Under the candle's soft glow, her neck seemed to be whiter than snow, more tender than silk.

Within the study, the faint scent of ink created a hint of tranquility.

"Dong Dong~"

The slight knocking sound broke the quiet of the study.

Ran Qingchen massaged her arm, tired from prolonged writing, with a voice that was pleasant yet cool, "Come in."

The door opened, and in walked a servant girl with a delicate appearance.

The servant girl held a recommendation list in her hands.

"Miss, this is the recommendation list sent by Mr. Yuan Anjiang from the Judicial Council's Second Oversight Team."

The servant girl said softly.

"Hmm, just put it there,"

Ran Qingchen responded casually, continuing to write with her head lowered.

The servant girl carefully placed the list on the desk and tiptoed out, closing the door behind her.

The study returned to its former silence.

After a long while, Ran Qingchen set down her pen and, once the ink on the paper had dried, folded it and placed it in an envelope, ready to be sent to Qingzhou early the next morning.

Recalling the case that occurred recently in Qingzhou, the woman rubbed her snow-white, delicate forehead with a sense of fatigue and could not help but feel somewhat irritable.

Being connected to her sworn sister, the esteemed noblewoman, made the case particularly difficult to handle.

Yet, not handling it was not an option.

Others might find various reasons to decline, but she was the only one who could not.

She could only blame that woman named Qu Hongling, who was domineering and reckless, even going so far as to kill a court official. Although her official position had been stripped, it still brought shame upon the court.

If she could encounter this young Sect Master of the Sky Demon Sect on her trip to Qingzhou, she would like to see for herself what this woman was capable of.

In her heart, Ran Qingchen had an intuition.

Perhaps this woman called Qu Hongling would become her arch-enemy.

Glancing out at the darkening sky, Ran Qingchen sighed softly, preparing to return to her quarters to rest for a while. As she got up, her gaze inadvertently caught sight of the recommendation list the servant girl had brought in.

"Yuan Anjiang..."

Ran Qingchen hesitated slightly before picking up the list.

She quickly scanned the list, and suddenly her gaze halted, her slender eyebrows knitting together ever so slightly.

[Wind Thunder Hall, Jiang Mo]

Ran Qingchen lowered her head and closed her eyes, her delicate white jade fingers tapping lightly on these words, her expression revealing a mix of emotions.

That weighty marriage certificate resurfaced in her mind.

Also resurfacing was her grandmother's earnest advice.

"Qingchen, Granny knows you have a million reasons to refuse, but whether you like him or not, this son-in-law... our Ran Family must accept!"

The woman stood up and opened the window.

The cold wind assaulted her.

The very fine strands of her hair danced silently like flowing water.

On the desk, the yellow-white flame of the candle flickered wildly, seeming about to go out, much like her current state of mind.

Ran Qingchen gazed at the crimson clouds in the sky, lost in thought.

From the moment she took up the sword, her life was destined to pursue the supreme Sword Dao. If her husband were a person with exceptional aptitude and talent for cultivation, it might have been acceptable.

But it just so happened to be a man of mediocrity, leaving her deeply dissatisfied.

After standing for a long time, she returned to her desk.

The candlelight reflected on her exquisitely beautiful, unstained features, her eyes rimmed with a hint of mist.

The woman lifted her wrist to dip her brush in the inkstone and bit her lush lips before crossing out the line "Wind Thunder Hall, Jiang Mo" with determination.

"You, will not do!"