“Our Yudu Guard does have the authority to arrest and handle criminal cases, but that’s mainly for maintaining public order. When it comes to suspicious or major cases, they still have to be handed over to the Ministry of Justice for investigation—they’re the real professionals at this,” John Brooks explained. “If we barge into the scene without permission, and the Ministry of Justice later messes up the case, they might even turn around and accuse us of trespassing and destroying evidence.”

“The Yudu Guard and the Ministry of Justice don’t get along?” George Lambert asked.

Judging from John Brooks’s tone, this kind of buck-passing must happen a lot, which is why he’s so cautious.

They were both new to the Yudu Guard, so neither had much experience. But John Brooks came from a prominent family and was well-informed; his family had probably briefed him on all sorts of matters before he started, so he knew a bit more.

“It used to be fine. The Ministry of Justice was short-staffed and often needed our help with investigations and stakeouts, so they were pretty polite when they needed us,” John Brooks said, looking rather displeased. “But ever since Frank Lambert was promoted from Minister of Justice to Grand Chancellor, the Ministry’s status has skyrocketed. Now they have the most say among the three judicial offices—even independent agencies like the Horse Watering Bureau and the Demon Suppression Division have to show them respect, let alone us, the lowest-ranked Yudu Guard. These days, the Ministry of Justice treats us like servants, bossing us around.”

“Tsk…” George Lambert grimaced as he listened.

So, it turns out the Yudu Guard is at the very bottom of the food chain among all the government offices…

And he himself was now at the very bottom of the Yudu Guard.

Best not to dwell on that.

The status of a government office is closely tied to the standing of its top officials. Right now, Grand Chancellor Frank Lambert controls the Ministries of War, Justice, and Works, and the Ministry of Justice is his power base, so it’s only natural that its people act so high and mighty.

“Actually, if you trace the Yudu Guard’s chain of command all the way up, our boss is the Duke Dinggou, who commands all three Dragon Abyss Guards! So it’s not like we have to be afraid of the Grand Chancellor,” John Brooks continued. “But under the Duke Dinggou, we’re like stepchildren, while the Ministry of Justice is the Grand Chancellor’s foundation—they’re valued way more than we are.”

The Imperial Guards, Palace Guards, and Yudu Guard together make up the Three Dragon Abyss Guards, each responsible for guarding the palace, the imperial city, and the outer city of the capital. These three guards are commanded by the emperor’s most trusted, the Duke Dinggou, James King, and their importance decreases from top to bottom.

The elite troops are all stationed in the imperial city, while the Yudu Guard gets the least pay and does the most menial work—calling them stepchildren is no exaggeration.

“In short, just remember…” With that, John Brooks waved his hand. “If you see any Ministry of Justice lackeys, just steer clear. No need to get yourself into trouble.”

The two of them were talking at the gate of the Zhen family residence, not paying attention to their surroundings. As they spoke, John Brooks suddenly noticed that everyone nearby was looking behind him, and he felt a chill run down his neck.

He spun around and saw that, at some point, a woman in black had appeared behind him.

She was half a head taller than John Brooks, with almond-shaped eyes that flashed with a sharp light, staring at him coldly.

Her skin was pale as snow, her black hair tied back, giving her a crisp and capable look. She had bright eyes and white teeth, her features both striking and a bit coldly beautiful. With a full chest, long legs, and a slender waist, her figure was quite outstanding. She wore a fitted black outfit with red trim, and on her back was a long weapon wrapped in cloth.

The moment John Brooks saw her beauty, he immediately grinned foolishly. “Where is this young lady from? The Dragon Abyss Yudu Guard is handling a case here—no unauthorized entry allowed…”

“Stay away from me!” the woman snapped.

She strode to the center of the courtyard, holding up a badge: “Ministry of Justice, Ninth-Rank Constable, Robert Lincoln. Here to investigate a homicide. All unrelated persons, clear out!”

Behind her, a squad of men in dark uniforms and swords followed closely, carrying iron chains and leading fierce dogs, entering in a menacing line!

…

Inside the strangely arranged study, Charles Jennings’s corpse was still hanging from the beam, not yet taken down.

After kneeling in the courtyard for a full hour, Henry Jennings noticed it was getting late and the study was still unlit, so he went in to check. As soon as he entered, he found his father hanging dead inside.

He was struck like thunder, ran to the door to call for the Zhen family’s only servant, and the old gatekeeper went out to find help. By chance, he ran into three Yudu Guard officers on patrol, which brought the Fukung Ward station’s people to the scene.

A few Yudu Guard officers stood at the door, not even allowing the Zhen family members to enter, so the body was still hanging there, untouched.

When the Ministry of Justice constable Robert Lincoln entered, this was the scene she saw.

After carefully inspecting the surroundings, Robert Lincoln ordered her subordinates, “Take the body down. The coroner will examine it. Have the Five-Spirit Dog check for any traces of true qi.”

“Woof!” Immediately, a constable led a large, glossy black dog around the room, sniffing inside and out.

Once the body was laid on the ground, the coroner stepped forward to examine it and quickly concluded, “Mr. Jennings’s throat was crushed by brute force—he did not die by hanging.”

“So it was murder after all,” Robert Lincoln murmured.

She walked to the window and carefully checked the latches on both sashes—they were perfectly intact, with no sign of damage.

“The Five-Spirit Dog has finished sniffing—no traces of true qi, so no cultivator was involved,” another subordinate reported.