Book 7: Chapter 29: Surrender |
“Only during the full moon does he become this powerful?” The relatively composed Fifth Captain asked in a grave tone, “Is there any basis for that claim?”
“There isn’t. It’s merely speculation,” Lauren shook her head slightly. “Besides, since the Moon Demon only appears during the full moon, we have no way of verifying it.”
“If it’s just speculation…”
“Even if it’s only speculation, we must still treat it with utmost caution.” Lauren cut him off, her voice firm and resolute, “Have you all forgotten when the next full moon falls?”
“The next full moon… the Three Moons Festival!” The quick-witted Seventh Captain suddenly realized, his eyes lighting up. “If the Moon Demon’s strength is truly tied to the full moon, then during the Three Moons Festival, it will undoubtedly be at its peak.”
This world was somewhat different from the ordinary. There was not one moon in the sky, but three. The three moons each followed their own paths, never interfering with one another. Though the moon visible each night differed, in practice, it made little difference.
However, once every five years, a festival known as the Three Moons Festival would occur. On that night, a rare phenomenon unfolded. All three moons would converge, hanging together in the sky, each one a perfect full moon.
If the Moon Demon’s power was indeed linked to the moons, then as the Deputy Chief Inspector had said, what they would face next would be the Moon Demon at its absolute peak.
“Think about it carefully. The Moon Demon’s first appearance happened exactly five years ago, during the last Three Moons Festival!” The usually silent Second Captain suddenly spoke up.
There were not that many coincidences in this world. Lauren’s speculation… might very well be true.
“Then can’t we deliberately avoid the Three Moons Festival?” The Seventh Captain pondered aloud. “Clashing head-on with the Moon Demon at the height of its power would be unwise.”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” Lauren answered without hesitation.
“Why not?”
“Because the City Lord’s tolerance for us ends right after the Three Moons Festival.” Lowering her gaze slightly, even someone as strong as Lauren could not help but feel a trace of helplessness and weight pressing upon her at that moment.
“And besides, the Three Moons Festival is our grandest celebration. If we allow the Moon Demon to wreak havoc on that day, the losses incurred will be something neither we nor the Inspection Bureau can bear.”
Moreover, the most crucial question remained… Was the Moon Demon’s objective truly nothing more than indiscriminate slaughter? It was hard to imagine that a being of such a level, such a creature, acted solely for the sake of killing.
Lauren did not voice this thought. There was no point in saying it, and worse, it might distract the others at such a critical moment.
“Since everything that needed to be said has been said, next, let us discuss the defensive arrangements for the Three Moons Festival, as well as the areas each captain will be responsible for.” Lauren shook her head lightly, refocusing her attention on the task at hand. “First, based on past experience, we—”
**Knock, knock.**
The sudden sound of knocking cut her off mid-sentence. A front-desk bailiff cautiously poked his head in through the door, his posture timid and hesitant. “Um… sorry to interrupt…”
“What is it?” Lauren frowned. Hadn’t it been made clear that this meeting was not to be interrupted? It seemed the training of the lower-ranking personnel still needed improvement.
“Um… someone has turned themselves in.”
“Turned themselves in? For something that minor, can’t you handle it yourselves?” A flicker of irritation crossed Lauren’s face as her gaze swept across the room, trying to identify which captain’s men were on duty today.
She saw the Seventh Captain already glaring furiously at the bailiff, signaling him to stop. Yet the bailiff either failed to notice or pretended not to, and continued, “The person who turned themselves in… has a rather unusual identity.”
“What’s so unusual? Don’t tell me the Moon Demon came to surrender himself.” Lauren let out a cold laugh. Someone coming forward to surrender could hardly be anyone important, at most some street thug with a bit of notoriety.
Judging by the bailiff’s flustered demeanor, it seemed that not only did the external threat of the Moon Demon need urgent handling, but the internal staff also required serious improvement. She made a mental note to dock the Seventh Captain’s year-end bonus as a warning.
“The one who turned herself in… is the third young miss of the Ye family, Liana.”
“So what if she’s the Third Miss? Even if she were the Eldest Miss, she’d still have to follow the rules… Wait—who did you just say?” The impatience on Lauren’s face suddenly froze. It felt as though she had just heard a name that absolutely should not have appeared here.
“It’s the Third Miss of the Ye family… Liana…”
“The Third Miss of what?”
“Ye family.”
“Who from the Ye family?”
“Liana.”
“Lia what?”
“I’ve already said it several times—it’s Liana.”
“I know full well you said Liana!”
Lauren slammed her hand onto the table with a loud bang, her voice rising in anger, “I’m asking whether she’s really that Liana, the Third Miss of the Ye family! Did she truly come here to turn herself in?”
The bailiff shrank his neck, then carefully glanced at Lauren before nodding. “Yes.”
“Damn it.” Lauren cursed under her breath. For a moment, she genuinely began to question the logic of this world. The Third Miss of the Ye family… came to surrender herself? That was about as absurd as the City Lord’s young master suddenly becoming a eunuch overnight.
“Forget it. Meeting adjourned. Take a break.” Lauren turned to the bailiff. “Take me there. I want to see what kind of madness that infamous, brain-addled Third Miss of Maplefall Town has stirred up this time.”
……
Inside the main hall of the Inspection Bureau.
The moment Lauren arrived, she saw two familiar young girls sitting comfortably in chairs, leisurely sipping tea, while the floor was filled with a group of… street thugs rolling around, wailing in pain.
Lauren recognized those thugs. She had arrested them many times before for various offenses. But even so, she could not make sense of the situation before her.
“Hey there, Miss Luo.” One of the girls, petite in stature, took the initiative to wave at Lauren, greeting her with the warmth of an old friend they hadn’t seen in ages. “We meet again.”
“You are… Miss Jasmine, correct? And…” Lauren turned her gaze toward the other girl, who was looking around with wide-eyed curiosity, her expression utterly guileless, almost foolish. Instantly, a headache began to form. “The Third Miss of the Ye family.”
“Mm, hello, Deputy Chief.”
“Would you care to explain why you’ve suddenly decided to pay a visit to the Inspection Bureau?” Lauren sat down in front of the two of them and asked in a stern voice.
“Hm? Didn’t that attendant just tell you?” Lilith blinked, her tone puzzled. “We came to turn ourselves in.”
“Turn yourselves in…” What kind of nonsense was that? With the Ye family’s influence, even if the Third Miss accidentally beat someone to death or two, the Inspection Bureau wouldn’t be able to pursue the matter. “So then, what exactly did you do?”
“Well—” Lilith pointed casually at the people sprawled across the ground. “We beat them up. Pretty badly, too.”
“…If I’m not mistaken, they’re all street thugs.” Lauren accepted the hot tea handed over by her subordinate and took a sip. “Compared to you taking the initiative to attack them, I find it far more likely that they picked a fight with you, and you acted in self-defense, which led to their current state.”
“Nonsense!” Lilith lied through her teeth without the slightest hesitation, “Those big brothers were so adorable, so friendly! How could they possibly have provoked us? It was us who didn’t like the look of them, so we beat them up! Look, they’re all crying from the beating! What we did was utterly heinous, completely inhumane! That’s why—”
Lilith stretched out both hands toward Lauren, her face filled with eager anticipation, “Please, Miss Luo, go ahead and arrest us.”