Ch. 538 - The Mace, The Golden Hammer

In a daze, he heard some rustling movements. Sun Shaozong thought it was Ruan Rong and Xiangling putting on clothes, and instinctively spread his wings, wanting to wrap the two in his arms.

Unexpectedly, both arms swept the air together.

He didn't believe it; he went forward again, but only stirred up the cold air in the bed.

Where were they?

Opening a crack in his eyelids, the refreshing features of Shiliu immediately entered his eyes. Sun Shaozong, who was intimidating, sat up from bed and realized that it was already bright outside.

"Second Master."

Shiliu saw him suddenly sit up, quickly threw open the half-rolled curtain, and shyly said a greeting in front of the bed.

"What time is it?"

Sun Shaozong yawned and casually lifted the blanket. The lethargic aura left by last night's fierce battle suddenly spread.

Perhaps due to the upcoming departure, last night Ruan Rong took the initiative to invite Xiangling to come over and discuss the secrets of having a child through poetry, songs, and prose. Then, based on practice, she analyzed and explained the profound theories simply and profoundly.

If it weren't for Sun Shaozong's hasty actions, this insightful lecture could be considered perfect.

"Returning to the Second Master."

Shiliu blushed and said, "It's almost 9 a.m. The Concubine said you still have important tasks, so she asked me to come and serve you in washing and changing clothes."

Surprisingly, it was already this late.

It seemed that last night was a bit excessive—no wonder. Although Sun Shaozong has experienced many good things since his transmigration, there were always various concerns, and it was difficult to fully unleash them.

Yesterday was different. Anyway, they were all his concubines, so they naturally came as he pleased, without any consideration for the aftermath.

Recalling the unforgettable and unanimous moments of last night in his heart, Sun Shaozong extended his thick and long fur legs, and Shiliu quickly put on his pants.

At this moment, Furong also poured hot water, and the two of them walked up and quickly dressed Sun Shaozong in a completely new way. They also took the bedding and went out to wash and dry it.

Sun Shaozong went straight to the outer room, saw a pot of Eight Treasure Congee and several dishes of vegetables on the square table with bamboo grates, and filled his stomach. He then left the room.

When he arrived at the courtyard, he looked towards the southwest corner, and as expected, three women, including Second Sister You, were guarding their children and having casual conversations in the pavilion.

Sun Shaozong rushed over with great strides, picked up his daughter from the bamboo basket, kissed her, and then smiled and said to Xiangling, who was welcoming him, "You owe me two poems. I won't urge you either. Before heading south to quell the rebellion, when should you let me taste them?"

Xiangling blushed and hesitated, but Ruan Rong had already pushed her back to her seat.

"Don't pay attention to him, he knows it's a waste of proper knowledge."

Ruan Rong spoke seriously and said, "Just now, I heard from Steward Zhao that your golden sword has been cracked several times, and I'm afraid it won't be useful in the future. Since you are going south to suppress the rebellion, you should at least have a handy weapon and have the craftsmen help make armor for self-defense."

This was really an urgent matter.

In this Capital, personal force was rarely used, and bare hands and a body of strange power were enough to run rampant.

But now that he was going south to suppress the rebellion, it was urgent to purchase a suitable set of equipment.

Saying farewell to his wife and children in the pavilion, Sun Shaozong rode out of the mansion, pondering the issue of weapons and armor along the way.

The armor was actually not difficult to find. His Big Brother's size was similar to Sun Shaozong's, but his waist circumference was a bit thicker. If he can't find a suitable one, just make some changes to his armor.

As for this weapon blade…

He was afraid it would be difficult to find ready-made weapons for a while, after all, there were not many in the entire Capital city. The weapons that could rival Sun Shaozong in strength were either too light or too heavy.

After much thought, he had no choice but to go and make a few new blades as a supervisor.

Anyway, Sun Shaozong didn’t pursue any refinement, as long as the weight was sufficient, sturdy, and durable.

As for the appearance, it would be best to have a deterrent effect, such as creating a hundred-and-ten-pound Black Dragon Crescent Blade—in the Huguang area, which was where the classic legend Second Master Guan stepped into the pinnacle of his life. Although the Great Zhou Dynasty did not revere the Second Master Guan as a martial saint, it should not be a problem to use his name to intimidate those mountain barbarians.

Just thinking about it, the Black Dragon Crescent Blade seemed to be beneficial for horse battles, and it might be very inconvenient in the mountains.

Else…

How about two big hammers?

Just follow the golden hammers in the storytelling!

Of course, an 800-pound cudgel named Golden Hammer was definitely out of the question. Even if Sun Shaozong could make a move and carry that thing on his back for a long distance in the mountains, he would have to make people feel tired and vomit blood.

A hammer weighing 82 pounds should be about the same.

The length was tentatively set at four feet. While it might be a disadvantage for long weapons, flexibility was also crucial in mountain warfare.

And the hammer was bound to be of good use; even if it weighs 82 pounds, it might not be much of a lump. As long as the strength was sufficient, it wouldn’t appear clumsy.

*Wait!*

Or he could use a hammer with one hand and a mace with the other. Use a hammer when smashing a door, and use a mace when killing someone. If the sharp needle rubbed against it, it would create a bloody hole, ensuring a reliable deterrent effect.

It was best to get another shield to avoid being accidentally injured by a cold arrow when charging into battle.

Just thinking wildly, Sun Shaozong couldn't help but burst into laughter as he kicked off his horse and saw outside the door of the Northern Detective Department.

It seemed like the things he just pondered were not like going to war with other races, but rather going to be unbeatable in a sandbox game!

"Your Excellency."

With a self-deprecating smile, Yang Licai flew out and lowered his voice, saying, "Last night, a few more confessed, including an Incense Master surnamed Wang."

Has an Incense Master confessed?!

Sun Shaozong's heart twitched, but he knew that this was not the place to speak. He casually threw the reins to the gatekeeper and led Yang Licai into the Northern Detective Department.

It wasn't until he passed through the narrow passage between the two gates that Sun Shaozong spoke up and asked, "What did those rebels confess?"

"It's mostly insider information about the Northwest White Lotus Sect, including the addresses of several branches and what they do to make a living and accumulate wealth daily."

These pieces of intelligence were definitely valuable to Lu Hui, but Sun Shaozong was not particularly interested in them. Not to mention that he would soon be released from the Capital, even if he could stay in the Capital, it wouldn’t be his turn to lead the encirclement and suppression of the remaining members of the White Lotus Sect in the northwest.

Therefore, Sun Shaozong asked again, "Is there any news of an insider in the Capital, or the White Lotus Saint?"

Yang Licai gave a bitter smile and said, "It can't be said that there is none, it's just..."

It turned out that, according to the confession of the Incense Master Wang, only Ge Zhan was aware of the authentication method of the White Lotus Saint.

Even if someone was sent to investigate the baby girl born on the day of the solar eclipse, Ge Zhan only explained that he needed to carefully examine the baby from top to bottom, and if there were any birthmarks or similar, he should remember their location and shape and report them to him carefully.

Therefore, it could only be confirmed that there was a special birthmark on the body of the White Lotus Sect Saint, but the specific location and shape were unknown.

As for the spies hidden in the Capital… Incense Master Wang also said that it was under the control of Auntie Li and that he had never had any contact with her.

However, he still provided a definite message, *‘The ace spy No. 3, who was lurking in the Capital Government, had his wife pregnant.’*

"The Pacifier had already sent someone last night to follow this clue and investigate. He thought it would not be long before the official list of pregnant wives in the Capital would be submitted."

During their conversation, the two of them arrived at the entrance of the dungeon.

As Sun Shaozong watched the two large doors open, revealing the dark downward tunnel, he quickly asked, "Has the Incense Master Wang ever confessed who leaked the secret when he was at the inn?"

Yang Licai shook his head helplessly again and said, "He only knew that someone had found a note reminding them that there were people from our Northern Detective Department's Office lurking nearby. As for who made this note, he was unaware."

This was also within Sun Shaozong's expectations.

Not to mention the traitor in the Dragon Forbidden Guard might not be a member of the White Lotus Sect. Even if he were an undercover agent of the White Lotus Sect, he would never actively reveal his identity at that time.

So he asked again, "Where and when did you find that note?"

Before Yang Li could answer, someone in the dungeon spoke up and said, "It's probably close to 11 a.m. The location is the small courtyard behind the Li Yue residence, which is under the protection of the White Lotus Sect. At that time, someone wrapped stones in paper strips and threw them through the wall."

As he spoke, he saw Lu Hui, who was slightly haggard, walking out of the dungeon.

If it weren't for his appropriately dressed Swallowing Cloud Robe, his face with a ferocious scar, paired with a dark tunnel, he would have looked like a demon crawling out of hell.

Of course, for most middle and low-level officials, the pacification envoy of the Northern Town Governor's Office was much more terrifying than the evil spirits.

"Pacifier."

Sun Shaozong and Yang Licai hurriedly bowed and saluted.

Lu Hui casually waved his hand and said, "No need to be polite. After asking for a long time, I have only temporarily excluded Zhao Jiayi and Song Xiong. The remaining three, I’m afraid, I will have to trouble you, Inspector Sun."

Only two were excluded, but when mentioning the surnames of Zhao Jiayi and Song Xiong, the scar on Lu Hui's face turned a little red, indicating that his heart was also filled with joy.

After all, as a test taker, Zhao Jiayi could be said to be a leading figure brought back by Lu Hui from Jiangnan. Initially, he was implicated in the case of an insider, which dealt a significant blow to Lu Hui's reputation.

As a result, Lu Hui became increasingly suspicious of Sun Shaozong.

It was not too late to prove Zhao Jiayi's innocence now.

"I dare not afford the word *'trouble.'*”

Sun Shaozong was polite for a moment before saying, "Then Zhao Wei should be able to rule it out. Although he also approached the inn at that hour, someone can prove that he never approached the backyard."

"So, only Zang Liang and Xu Kun are left!"

Lu Hui gave a fierce smile and immediately called out the two Generals following him, instructing them, "Go and invite all the families of Zang Liang and Xu Kun, treat them well first, and wait for Inspector Sun to find out the truth before making any further calculations!"

***Tch!***

He was clearly preparing to use the lives of the whole family to threaten and intimidate the mole.

To be honest, Sun Shaozong was quite resistant to the practice of taking hostages for the elderly, weak, women, and children. However, unfortunately, what the authorities loved to do these days was to *’implicate,’* besides, the saying *’the disaster does not implicate the family’* couldn’t be argued with the other Secret Service Agencies.

At present, he could only hope that the traitor was not a ruthless advocate, otherwise…

Sun Shaozong let out a deep sigh and then arched his hand, saying, "Please bring a copy of the confession so I can also understand what the thieves have confessed first."

Lu Hui was waiting for him to fill in the gaps, so he naturally wouldn't refuse. He quickly led Sun Shaozong to the detention room and presented several confessions in front of him.

Sun Shaozong, however, was not in a hurry to look through it. Instead, he first flipped through the schedule arranged yesterday and placed it on the table, ready for comparison at any time.

"By the way…"

Lu Hui was about to quietly withdraw and check on the progress in the interrogation room when he suddenly remembered something. He stopped and praised, "Wu Shuigen, whom you recruited, is a good material for interrogating prisoners. There are more than half of the confessions here, which he asked for."

It was really heartless to insert willows into the shade.

Originally, Sun Shaozong only wanted to use Wu Shuigen as a gimmick, but he never imagined that this guy, because he almost wore a green hat, would actually hit his former accomplices hard.

And once this traitor went crazy, he was much more ferocious than the enemy—coupled with Wu Shuigen's long-term association with the White Lotus Sect, even if those thieves wanted to lie and deceive, it was difficult to do so.

So by chance, he really became a powerful tool for forcing confessions.

After Lu Hui left, Sun Shaozong read through the confessions line by line, word by word. As expected, the contents were mostly intelligence from the northwest, just like what Yang Licai had said.

As for the news from the Capital, it was lackluster.

Of course, it couldn’t be said that there was no news about the Capital at all. At least a thief who worked as a part-time cowherd under Auntie Li confessed many secrets about the wealthy women in the Capital.

Information like the wife of a certain attendant who loved to be tied up and played with the most; a widow of one of the Marquis has contracted a visceral disease, causing her to shed green water; the mother of a young scholar has twice…

"Eh?"

Being speechless, a surprised voice suddenly sounded outside the door. Sun Shaozong looked up and saw a General holding a booklet, standing at the door and looking inside.

"Inspector."

The General saw Sun Shaozong looking over and quickly entered the door to salute, saying, "I am ordered to present the list to you."

*List?*

Sun Shaozong placed the confession on the table and asked, "Is it the official list of pregnant wives in the Capital?"

Upon hearing this, the General bent down again and responded with a shortness of breath, "Exactly."

Although curious, Sun Shaozong was too lazy to delve deeper into what his timid appearance was all about. He bent his finger and poked the table, saying, "Leave it here for now. I'll personally present it to the Pacifier later."

The General looked up in shock and glanced at Sun Shaozong, then quickly lowered its head and stuttered, "This... this is probably..."

"What's going on?!"

Sun Shaozong's expression was clear and he asked, "Is it because the Pacifier has ordered that I am not allowed to read this list?"

"No, no, no! There's absolutely no such thing!"

The General's face turned green with fear. If this were to reach Lu Hui's ears, a charge of provoking the upper-ups would not be a joke.

Therefore, he didn't care about any taboos and quickly presented the list with both hands to Sun Shaozong.

Sun Shaozong took it in his hand, flipped it over, and immediately understood why this servant was covering up. The most prominent character on the first page is *’Sun Shaozu.’*

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