Chapter 51: Storm Over the City
After the Nine Bends Association was found to be connected with the Tengya Mountain Bandit Army, various large and small gangs in the city suffered as a result.
The General Department directly issued orders for a thorough investigation into all factions in the city.
In particular, the gang forces that have risen in recent years faced a wave of major purges.
For a time, the city was full of turmoil.
Everyone was talking every day, about which gang disappeared in the morning, which faction was sealed yesterday.
Those who were well-informed and knew some inside information understood that all this was related to the Tengya Mountain Bandit Army.
The more they investigated, the more shocking it became.
Indeed, many gangs that have risen in recent years in the County City all had the shadow of the Bandit Army behind them!
This was only the first wave of initial investigations uncovering such signs, and further in-depth investigations would likely reveal issues more severe than anyone imagined.
Unknowingly, the entire lower layer of the County City had been severely infiltrated by the Bandit Army.
Outside an old courtyard in the Houli Street district.
Song Changming and Lv Gang stood there, watching their Patrol Guard escorting the people inside out.
"Many people in this Qingfeng Association disappeared two days ago; they probably received a notification early, sensed the danger, and fled the County City.
The remaining ones are mostly newly recruited gang members and are just ordinary people; those left behind likely know very little." Lv Gang looked at the arrested people, shaking his head.
The opposition was well prepared, and these remaining people probably have no interrogation value, at most can confirm that this Qingfeng is problematic.
Just as the two were finishing up and prepared to leave, an old woman rushed over anxiously and said.
"Lord Official, my home, my eldest son is missing. He was still here last night, but gone this morning..."
Song Changming and Lv Gang shared a look, easily guessing that the woman’s son was recruited by the Bandit Army.
Recently, there have been too many missing persons in the city, mostly related to the Bandit Army.
Families like the old woman’s, utterly unaware, Song Changming has encountered many on the streets and alleys these days.
Faced with this, he was helpless and just ordered the Patrol Guard to take the old woman to the government for investigation.
On the way back.
"Is this Bandit Army infiltrating the County City just to secretly recruit people into the army?" Lv Gang pondered.
"Who knows, I only feel that their ability to entice people is remarkable, compelling folks to abandon their families to join them." Song Changming shook his head.
Their brainwashing prowess surpasses even typical evil cults.
A Bandit Army trying to reign over a mountain, yet not doing what mountain bandits are supposed to, engaging in these shady deeds feels quite out of place.
Back at the Patrol Armor Bureau, Song Changming and Lv Gang went to report to Liang Chuan Mountain.
"Looks like the Bandit Army has withdrawn their forces from the city." Liang Chuan Mountain, having seen several futile rounds of his forces, was mentally prepared.
"Chief, given the Bandit Army’s rampant behavior, doesn’t the Governor’s Mansion have any intention of mobilizing troops?" Lv Gang couldn’t help but ask.
Liang Chuan Mountain shook his head: "Around Tengya Mountain, continuous mountain ranges, full of thorns, and often shrouded by clouds, that’s why the Bandit Army hides there.
The mountain paths are treacherous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, making deployment to surround and suppress challenging; even if feasible, for the Governor’s Mansion, the price is too high, and any misstep could result in heavy losses for both sides."
While the term ’mobilize troops’ sounds easy, actually wielding the sword requires great caution.
"Yet we can’t just let the Bandit Army run amok." Lv Gang said in confusion.
"Regardless of whether troops are deployed, we can’t control it; we just need to complete the tasks assigned by the top, don’t overthink it." Liang Chuan Mountain folded the document in his hand, reminding.
Nearby, Song Changming listened silently, not caring much about the upper-level decisions of the Governor’s Mansion.
Even if troops were mobilized to attack, it had nothing to do with him.
After all, he worked for the Patrol Armor Bureau, responsible for urban security, the army matters had nothing to do with him.
The day’s work ended, returning to the house in the evening, he saw two dogs chasing and playing in the yard.
Perhaps due to good food at home, the little creatures grew quite quickly.
In just over a month, their size had increased several folds.
Seeing Song Changming return, they bounced over enthusiastically, circling his pants and boots, filled with energy every day.
"Back home?" Song’s Mother heard the dog’s commotion, signaling her son had returned.
"Back." Song Changming replied, heading inside to take off his official uniform.
Looking at his back in the copper mirror, now that the bandages were removed, a long knife scar was clearly visible, basically fully healed, waiting for the scab to fall off.
Of course, to completely erase this scar would take a long time.
Changed into home attire, he chatted with Father Song by the water tank, checked on the Bisho Silkworm’s survival, rested briefly, and then began practicing Light Body Skill in the yard.
He aimed to accumulate enough experience in this Light Body Skill to officially reach the mastery level.
In a corner of the yard, several iron piles were arranged.
This was where he practiced Light Body Skill, and purchasing these heavy irons cost him quite a bit of money.
Fortunately, after becoming Patrol Captain, he became more financially comfortable, not needing to be overly frugal on buying these objects.
After warmup, Song Changming drew out a long knife, while practicing Light Body Skill, he simultaneously wielded his Sword Skill, multitasking.
This not only could increase his experience in Light Body Skill and Sword Skill but also allow his Sword Skill to integrate more seamlessly with Light Body Skill, applying them better in actual combat for greater power.
This was indeed a win-win situation, though practicing two martial arts simultaneously consumed more physical energy and taxed the heart and mind.
Gradually, ambient noises faded away, Song Changming became more focused and immersed.
When using the Flying Swallow Technique, combined with Light Body Skill, he seemed like a big bird gliding, spinning, swooping, and rising in the air.
The blade was like thunder and lightning, sometimes silent, sometimes lightly humming, sometimes bursting like a thunderous shock, suddenly exploding.
And when he used the Soul-breaking Saber, the style changed again.
With the Perfection Realm Soul-breaking Saber, massive gusts of shadowy winds swept out, streams of air turned into chains entwining his blade.
When the long knife swung, the linked chains seemed to drag hundreds of ghostly black spirits from the shadow winds, charging at the enemy, chilling and terrifying.
This was the Yin Ghost Blade Technique of the Soul-breaking Saber!
Now having reached Perfection Realm, the momentum and might of this blade in his hand were near perfect.
The power was far beyond before!
Back then, Zhou Sixin and the scar-faced Cao Fushan were powerful not only due to high Body Refinement cultivation but also largely because of mastery in this Perfection Realm Sword Skill.
Now that he also possessed Perfection realm level Sword Skill, who was stronger would require another battle to find out.
The scar-faced might still be uncertain, but against the General Department’s Patrol Captain Zhou Sixin, he had some confidence to meet him in battle!