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Join the ServerThe architecture in the Mid-city was noticeably denser and more rudimentary compared to the Upper City.
Gone were the dazzling golden hues and flamboyant colors. The Mid-city presented a monochrome palette of grey and white, with stone houses stacked one after another, evoking the stark appearance of shipping containers.
The Holy Water Institute, a joint venture between the Smore family and the Holy Healing Clinic, stood as the capital’s sole purveyor of holy water. For years, it had maintained an ironclad monopoly over this lucrative industry, a fact that drew envious glances from other merchants.
It was situated in the eastern part of the Mid-city, bordering the Upper City district.
This location, a vital thoroughfare, boasted a high volume of foot traffic, ensuring that adventurers passing by would easily spot the establishment.
****
As Su Mu and Katusha arrived, a group of blond-haired youths were brazenly blocking the shop’s entrance. With chins arrogantly tilted upwards, they shoved and jostled the employees inside, their mouths spewing a torrent of vulgar curses and unpleasant remarks.
These, it seemed, were the thugs Katusha had mentioned earlier—all blond, each wearing a villainous sneer.
Seeing this scene, Katusha, fearing for her father’s safety, anxiously dashed forward. She pushed aside a few of the outer thugs, intent on squeezing her way inside.
The thug she had bumped into scowled with displeasure. He spat on the ground as he glared at her.
“Where did this brat come from? You dare to meddle here? Are you looking for death?”
Katusha was shoved back by a thug, stumbling precariously and almost collapsing to the ground.
Fortunately, Su Mu was quick to react, his hand shooting out to steady her.
Su Mu frowned, pulling Katusha behind him before stepping forward. The imposing presence of a prince, an inherent authority, radiated from him. This oppressive aura instantly caused the petty thugs, who had been itching for a fight, to shrink back.
“You, who are you?! How dare you interfere with our business? Are you tired of living!”
One thug, mustering his courage, yelled out.
“The Judgment Army is on official business. If you don’t wish to die, then scram!”
Su Mu retorted sharply.
The leading blond-haired thug, however, merely scoffed at Su Mu’s slender frame and seemingly unimposing presence. He then glanced at the two women behind Su Mu, a smirk spreading across his face.
“Hahahaha, with that puny physique, you’re the Judgment Army? If you’re the Judgment Army, then I’m the ruthless Second Prince!”
As he spoke, he pinched his nose, contorting his face into a menacing, clownish grimace.
Su Mu let out a humorless laugh, choosing to say nothing further.
Engaging in conversation with an idiot truly felt like a waste of effort.
Before he could issue any command, Bai Ji stepped forward, her expression frigid.
She advanced towards the foul-mouthed blond thug, and to the thugs’ utter astonishment, she delivered a powerful punch directly to his face. The force sent the blond leader flying, knocking down several others who had been standing nearby.
The blond leader instantly lost consciousness.
His nasal bone was shattered, and blood gushed continuously from his nose and mouth.
The others, witnessing their boss’s gruesome state, realized they had provoked someone formidable. Panic seized them, and they scattered in all directions.
Bai Ji, still unsatisfied and itching to strike again, was restrained by Su Mu.
“A-Bai, that’s enough. Let’s not kill anyone.”
The Mid-city was not like the Lower City, where killing someone might go unnoticed. Here, the Royal Capital’s security forces were present, and escalating the situation further would only invite trouble.
Bai Ji returned to stand behind Su Mu, remaining silent.
Katusha was on the verge of tears. After the thugs were driven away, she hastily rushed into the shop.
Su Mu’s mood also grew heavy. He hadn’t expected the mastermind behind these incidents to be so brazen.
They had caused trouble just yesterday, leading to Katusha’s arrest and imprisonment. Yet, they returned today, showing complete disregard for the Smore family as merchants.
Su Mu patted Bai Ji’s shoulder, whispered a few words, and then quickened his pace to follow Katusha.
Bai Ji turned, walking in a different direction from Su Mu, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.
****
“Father! Father!”
Katusha cried out as she ran into the inner rooms of the building.
Seeing the employees along the way, many with bruises and scrapes on their faces, her anxiety deepened.
Fortunately, in a room deep within the Holy Water Institute, she found her father completely unharmed.
“Father!”
Katusha threw herself into the man’s embrace.
“Katusha?”
The man looked surprised, then gently hugged his daughter. Despite the recent turmoil, he was overjoyed to see his daughter return safely.
Suddenly, the man noticed Su Mu, who had followed Katusha inside, and froze. He gently pushed his daughter away and quickly bowed.
“Your Royal Highness, Second Prince!”
Seeing Su Mu, he immediately understood the reason for his daughter’s safe return.
“Mr. Smore, there’s no need for such formalities.”
Su Mu nodded slightly.
“Father, why are only you and the others here at the Holy Water Institute? Where are the adventurers we hired? Why didn’t they help?”
Katusha asked.
“The adventurers who helped us yesterday were all arrested. We couldn’t even rescue you, let alone them… Now, no one at the Adventurer’s Guild is willing to take on our escort missions.”
The man shook his head helplessly.
Katusha understood, but still spoke with indignation.
“How dare those thugs? They were just here yesterday! Don’t they fear the Judgment Army?”
“The Judgment Army won’t waste time chasing after a few worthless individuals who’ve already fled.”
Su Mu interjected, his tone laced with sarcasm.
He stepped forward, his expression impassive, and addressed the man in a formal tone. “Foren Smore, as the Second Prince and the person in charge of the Holy Water Adulteration case, I now command you to cooperate with our investigation.”
Katusha paused, somewhat bewildered by Su Mu’s sudden cold and official demeanor.
However, she remained silent, ceding the floor to Su Mu.
Katusha’s father naturally bowed. “Foren obeys your command.”
“Now, ensure the crime scene remains undisturbed. Immediately leave the Holy Water Institute and return to your home. Silently await my summons.”
Su Mu stated coldly.
“Yes.”
Foren unhesitatingly turned and left the Holy Water Institute, not even glancing back at his daughter.
Katusha also remained silent until her father had departed. Only then did she finally speak, unable to hold back.
“Brother Mu, what’s wrong?”
Su Mu offered no extensive explanation, merely stating, “Time is pressing. Your uncle would only hinder matters here. I heard you were responsible for everything before and after the incident, so your help here is sufficient.”
Katusha nodded, still feeling a little confused. She looked behind Su Mu, suddenly realizing someone was missing. “Oh, right, Brother Mu, where’s Bai Ji?”
“Oh, I think I dropped a ring at your house. I sent her to retrieve it.”
Su Mu said casually, striding forward and surveying the Holy Water Institute’s environment, searching for any potential clues.
The room they were currently in appeared to be where the holy water was stored.
In a corner, Su Mu spotted a pile of glass bottles filled with red liquid.
He walked over, picked up a bottle, and examined it closely.
‘This is holy water? Why does it feel… a little familiar?’
Katusha also shifted into work mode. She brought over the Holy Water Institute’s ledger and called Su Mu to examine it with her.
“This is the ledger from when I took over the holy water business. It meticulously records every transaction with adventurers. You can take a look.”
Su Mu casually glanced at it, then flipped through the pages, finding that these were the last ones.
“A new ledger?”
“Yes, because this section is my responsibility, I was afraid of getting things mixed up, so I started a new ledger.”
Katusha explained.
“Do you have the previous ledgers?”
Su Mu asked.
“Yes, I’ll go get them.”
Katusha quickly ran out.
Su Mu picked up the ledger in front of him, glanced at it a few times, and then put it down.
The dense numerical records, to be honest, gave him a bit of a headache. He decided it would be better to wait for Katusha to return and have her read it aloud to him…
However, he waited for a long time, but Katusha did not return.
Su Mu frowned and walked out of the room.
He then saw Katusha kneeling weakly before a wooden cabinet, sobbing uncontrollably.
Around her, yellow papers were scattered everywhere, suggesting a frantic search.
“Shasha?”
Seeing Su Mu’s arrival, Katusha buried her head, biting her lip, her body shaking with suppressed sobs. With a thick, tearful voice, she managed to say:
“W-w-woo, Mu… Your Highness, I’m so sorry, so sorry. I can’t find the old ledgers… W-w-woo…”
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