Chapter 187 - 117: Cracking the Case and Gaining Merit, Evil Must Be Uprooted

Chapter 187: Chapter 117: Cracking the Case and Gaining Merit, Evil Must Be Uprooted

With that, he took a step back, leaving the stage to the Director who desperately needed to establish his authority.

The candlelight flickered.

As he finished listening to Chu Bai’s detailed report, Zhang Cheng’s gaze grew deeper.

He not only asked about the incident at the Mountain God Temple from start to finish, but also pressed Chu Bai for details about his confrontation with Clerk Liu in the logistics department.

When he learned how Chu Bai had reacted to the bribery attempt, Zhang Cheng cheered inwardly.

’This kid,’ he thought. ’Not only is his Cultivation high, but his insight and methods are first-rate.’

Zhang Cheng looked at the calm young man before him and thought with admiration, ’Looks like I really chose the right person for the role of Patrol Banner Inspector.’

Had it been someone more cunning, someone who now had leverage on Wang Sanshui, they might have chosen to blackmail him privately. Or perhaps they would have waited to make a move in open court the next day, seeking greater fame or profit.

While that approach could also achieve the objective, it would have put Zhang Cheng in a much more passive position, possibly even giving the other party an opportunity to get their stories straight and formulate a defense.

But Chu Bai, acting with such lightning speed—trussing the man up and delivering him overnight—was showing more than just trust. It was an unreserved pledge of allegiance.

This was a truly sharp blade—and one that was willing to be wielded by him.

"That’s enough. You’ve had a long day."

Zhang Cheng waved a hand, his tone softening considerably. "Go get some rest. You don’t need to worry about the subsequent interrogation and conviction. First thing tomorrow morning, I will let the entire department know who the real parasites of this Evil Suppression Department are!"

"Then I will take my leave."

Chu Bai bowed with clasped hands, then turned and exited the study, melting into the vast darkness of the night.

As he walked out of the Back Hall, a cool night wind blew in his face, dispersing the faint smell of blood that clung to him.

Chu Bai glanced up at the cold crescent moon. His pace slowed as he mentally reviewed the decision he had made that night.

In truth, he had hesitated for a moment after capturing Wang Sanshui.

From a perspective of maximizing his own benefit, holding on to that leverage would have been the best move.

Though Wang Sanshui was only a Deputy Captain, he was tied to the Noble Faction’s web of interests.

Had he used it as a bargaining chip, he might have been able to extort a hefty sum of hush money from those people, or even saved it as a pawn to be traded at some critical future juncture.

This was the so-called "wisdom of officialdom"—the path of compromise that so many people scrambled to follow.

’But... that’s not what I want.’

Chu Bai shook his head, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint, mocking smile.

Cultivation was meant to be about following one’s heart and seeking a life of freedom.

If he had to feign civility with such rotten people, or even wallow in the mire with them, all for a pittance, then what would be the point of his Cultivation?

Besides...

With a flicker of his thoughts, Chu Bai performed Introspection, peering into the depths of his Sea of Consciousness.

There, the rune for his "Merit and Demerit Shape Destiny" Fate Chart still floated quietly, showing no fluctuations at all from his capture of Wang Sanshui.

This confirmed a suspicion Chu Bai had:

Simply capturing a villain or possessing evidence of their crimes didn’t count as a "Merit."

For the guilty to be properly punished, they must be convicted, their sentences declared for all to know, and made to suffer their just desserts. Only then would it count as eliminating a scourge, and only then would it trigger a response from the Fate Chart.

Evil must be completely uprooted.

If he had made a private deal and allowed the crime to go unpunished, not only would there be no merit, it would likely count as a major demerit.

’So, handing the man over to Zhang Cheng tonight and letting him go through the process of conviction is the method most in line with the Fate Chart’s mechanics.’

Clarity settled over Chu Bai.

’Tomorrow, once Zhang Cheng officially passes judgment, the ’evil’ associated with Wang Sanshui will finally be considered purged.’

Having come to this realization, Chu Bai felt his thoughts become clear and unimpeded, and a lightness spread through his entire body.