The County Sheriff snorted coldly and countered, "Aren't you afraid that I am the mastermind?"

  Chen Ming quickly replied, "If Your Honor were the mastermind, why would you trouble yourself to clear my name? You could easily find some pretext to throw me in prison, and within days I would die there—problem solved, wouldn't it?"

  This flattery pleased the County Sheriff immensely. He said proudly, "You know what's good for you. Rest assured, I guarantee your safety. As long as you're within Renhe County, if anyone dares to lay a finger on you, I will bring them to justice."

  Chen Ming quickly bowed in gratitude. "Thank you for your protection, Your Honor. I am deeply grateful!"

  The County Sheriff waved his hand and said casually, "Everyone may disperse."

  With that, he rose and strode away.

  Chen Ming breathed a sigh of relief. Since transmigrating, he had faced one life-or-death crisis after another. Now, with the official ruling clearing his name and his personal safety guaranteed, he felt a weight lifted from his shoulders.

  On the other hand, he found the County Sheriff's miraculous methods utterly astonishing. Having already encountered monsters in this other world, and now witnessing supernatural powers, he must have transmigrated into some sort of immortal cultivation world!

  Just then, Chief Constable Zong came forward to offer congratulations. "Congratulations, Mr. Chen, on clearing your name. Allow me to see you part of the way."

  Chen Ming had matters he wanted to inquire about, so this suited him perfectly. He gladly agreed and walked back to the inn with Chief Constable Zong.

  Along the way, Chen Ming asked, "Chief Constable Zong, I have something I'd like to ask, if I may?"

  Chief Constable Zong smiled warmly. "If it's something I know, I'll certainly do my best to tell you."

  Chen Ming asked, "That supernatural ability the County Sheriff demonstrated earlier was quite remarkable. I wonder what it's called?"

  Chief Constable Zong laughed heartily. "Mr. Chen isn't a local of Renhe, so naturally you wouldn't know of the County Sheriff's methods. In fact, the County Sheriff is a cultivator of the Sicong Pathway, and his Sequence 2 title is 'Divine Constable.' He can deduce any truth based on known facts. That's why the County Sheriff judges cases with divine insight—there's never a case he can't solve, and never a wrongful conviction."

  Upon hearing the words "Pathway" and "Sequence," Chen Ming's mind screamed, Holy shit! What kind of place had he transmigrated to? Had he ended up in the world of LORD OF THE MYSTERIES?

  Seeing Chen Ming's dumbfounded expression, Chief Constable Zong showed an envious look and said, "Impressive, right? If only I were a cultivator too!"

  Chen Ming couldn't help but ask, "It's truly enviable. Chief Constable Zong, if I wanted to become a cultivator, what would I need to do? Is there some special organization where joining would allow me to become one?"

  Chief Constable Zong shot Chen Ming a sideways glance and said, "Since when has there ever been such a special organization in this world where joining makes you a cultivator? Alas, cultivators and us ordinary people have long been two different kinds of beings. We only know they possess great supernatural powers—as for where these powers come from or how they're used, we know nothing at all. Only cultivators understand matters related to cultivators. We ordinary folks can only envy them at most."

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  Chen Ming was stunned. Could it be that class differentiation had already emerged between cultivators and ordinary people, with cultivators monopolizing relevant knowledge, blocking commoners' channels of upward mobility? If this continued, resentment among ordinary people would deepen day by day, eventually leading to conflict between cultivators and commoners.

  Soon, Chen Ming and Chief Constable Zong arrived at the inn.

  At the inn's entrance, Chief Constable Zong bid farewell. "Mr. Chen, sorry for disturbing you tonight. Have a good rest!"

  "Not at all, not at all. Chief Constable Zong, you should also go home and get some good rest."

  They parted ways. Chen Ming returned to his room and lay on the bed, growing more excited the more he thought.

  This world was stranger than he had imagined—a Great Ming Empire that had continued to the present, all kinds of demons and monsters, and on top of that, a system of supernatural powers. Transmigrating to this world might not be a disaster; perhaps it was an opportunity!

  The more he thought, the more excited he became, unable to sleep. After a long while, utterly exhausted, he finally sank into deep slumber.

  Chen Ming slept, but others lay awake through the night.

  "Sir, the plan to absorb the Chen & Zhu Trading Firm has failed. Manager Jin and his gang knocked out that Boss Chen fellow and sent him to the forest to silence him, but instead they got eaten by monsters themselves. That young master escaped unharmed and came back."

  "That Jin was truly useless. I recruited him thinking he was somewhat shrewd from his militia background—never expected him to be so incompetent. The Chen & Zhu Firm generates gold daily and is crucial to our great enterprise; we must absorb it. That Boss Chen can run for now, but sooner or later he'll be caught. Find an opportunity to kill him and seize the firm."

  "Sir, I'm afraid this matter might be difficult to handle."

  "Oh? Are you trying to shirk responsibility too? If you can't get things done, what use do I have for you?"

  "It's not that I'm trying to shirk, Sir. There are two compelling reasons."

  "Speak, then."

  "First, the County Sheriff has personally guaranteed Boss Chen's safety. If something happens to him, given the County Sheriff's abilities, he'll definitely trace it back to us."

  "True enough. That old Zhu is really troublesome."

  "Second, I feel that Boss Chen is quite unusual."

  "Oh? What do you mean?"

  "The first time Manager Jin tied him up and took him to the forest, he came back without a scratch. The second time he was taken in, he again emerged unscathed—instead, Manager Jin and that attendant got eaten by monsters. Once could be coincidence, but twice demands suspicion!"

  "Your meaning is... the imperial court has sensed our movements and sent someone to investigate?"

  "You're astute, Sir. That's exactly what I'm thinking. I've looked into Boss Chen's background—his entire family is dead. Verifying his identity is nearly impossible. For this very reason, I suspect he's actually someone sent by the imperial court, secretly taking advantage of the Chen family's annihilation to assume that identity and investigate. Otherwise, how could an ordinary person survive unscathed in the forest?"

  "Your suspicion is reasonable. Even someone like me, a cultivator, must be extremely cautious in the forest—one slip could cost my life. In that case, we must act with even greater care. As for the Chen & Zhu Firm, let it go. Even if the loss is substantial, we must clean up properly and leave no traces behind. Remember, be thorough, but avoid killing anyone. As long as no one dies, that old Zhu won't intervene."

  "Understood, Sir. I'll clean everything up properly. Additionally, I have an idea—using the Chen & Zhu matter to test that Boss Chen."

  "Oh? What method?"

  "Money! In other areas, we can't readily uncover clues about him. But with money, handled properly, he's sure to reveal weaknesses. Because people must eat and drink to survive—without money, how can they? I'll find a way to leave Boss Chen penniless. Then, he'll either slink away from Renhe in disgrace or find some other way to get money. Once he tries to get money, we can trace its source and ultimately uncover his true background."

  "An excellent plan. Carry it out."