In the cinema, the Fifth Layer Fighter Zhong Guoshu pressed a knife against Xiao Zhenggong’s ribs.
Xiao Zhenggong appeared unconcerned, neither calling out for help nor fighting back, just quietly watching his opponent.
Zhong Guoshu applied more force. He wanted Xiao Zhenggong to bleed a little, but not fatally; a Fifth Layer Martial Cultivator had precise control over his strength.
Yet, as the Short Knife kept pushing harder, it failed to break the skin.
Zhong Guoshu looked at Xiao Zhenggong in surprise.
According to the Dark Star Bureau’s information, Xiao Zhenggong was a Third Layer Combatant; he shouldn’t have been able to withstand the force of a Fifth Layer Fighter.
Xiao Zhenggong smiled and suddenly grabbed Zhong Guoshu’s wrist.
Zhong Guoshu was shocked and struggled to withdraw his hand, but Xiao Zhenggong pressed down on his palm and lifted his fingers, using a clever force to break Zhong Guoshu’s wrist.
Xiao Zhenggong’s movement was precise and fluid; Zhong Guoshu couldn’t react at all.
The Short Knife fell to the ground. Zhong Guoshu, enduring severe pain, made no sound.
Knowing he was no match for Xiao Zhenggong, he tried to flee.
Xiao Zhenggong casually grabbed Zhong Guoshu’s collar and threw him onto the wooden seating.
The wooden seat shattered, and the iron frame beneath it was bent out of shape.
Zhong Guoshu tried to stand up, but Xiao Zhenggong stepped forward and pinned him to the ground.
CRACK! CRACK! The sounds echoed as several of Zhong Guoshu’s ribs broke.
Hearing the commotion, Light Bulb and Ming Xing rushed over.
They just watched, neither of them extending a hand.
Ming Xing valued his life and wouldn’t charge in under these circumstances, but he shouted loudly, "What happened? Who is this?"
Light Bulb didn’t rush in or talk much. Having suffered at Xiao Zhenggong’s hands before, he just quietly watched from the side.
"Speak, who sent you?" Xiao Zhenggong asked, looking at Zhong Guoshu and pressing down with his foot.
Zhong Guoshu’s body trembled and he breathed with difficulty, but he didn’t say another word.
Xiao Zhenggong said to Ming Xing and Light Bulb, "Handcuff him!"
The Deputy Captain had given an order. Seeing this, Ming Xing had no choice but to move, but Light Bulb still stood motionless.
His inaction was justified; he was just a First Layer Lubricator (Oil Cultivator) who had only reached his current level last month.
Zhong Guoshu was a Fifth Layer Fighter. If an accident occurred, Light Bulb could have been killed in an instant.
As expected, an accident occurred.
Just as Ming Xing was about to apply the handcuffs, a man suddenly emerged from beneath the seats and kicked Ming Xing to the ground.
Ming Xing immediately passed out, losing consciousness.
Light Bulb, covered in oil, fled to a distance.
The Fifth Layer Hermit, Duan Xiangwen, made his move.
Utilizing the Hermit’s ability to be easily overlooked, Duan Xiangwen seized the chance to get close.
He flung a bag of Medicinal Powder into the air.
Xiao Zhenggong, thinking it was poison, quickly held his breath.
Unexpectedly, it was corrosive powder, causing excruciating pain like fire when it touched his skin.
Yes, he was.
But a Hermit’s healing abilities were stronger than those of a Dark Energy User of the same level.
This bag of corrosive Medicinal Powder, specially made by Duan Xiangwen, was designed to injure both the enemy and himself, then to grind down the enemy using his powerful recovery abilities.
In a tough fight, it was a good option, but it was based on the assumption that his opponent was on a comparable level.
Xiao Zhenggong’s level was not comparable to Duan Xiangwen’s; the Medicinal Powder only caused Xiao Zhenggong mild discomfort.
He took a piece of clothing from Ming Xing’s body and wiped the Medicinal Powder from his face. Using this brief moment, Duan Xiangwen helped Zhong Guoshu up and quickly rushed toward the door.
Xiao Zhenggong was still wiping his face, doing it very leisurely.
Seeing Duan Xiangwen reaching the door, Xiao Zhenggong picked up a piece of broken wood from the ground and threw it.
The splintered wood accurately pierced Duan Xiangwen’s spine, causing him to stumble. He and Zhong Guoshu both fell to the ground.
In the hands of a high-level Martial Cultivator, any object could serve as an excellent weapon.
Xiao Zhenggong walked step by step towards the pair.
Duan Xiangwen’s lower body was paralyzed. He took out a clay doll from his bosom and flung it towards Xiao Zhenggong.
The clay doll hung in mid-air and spewed out a blaze towards Xiao Zhenggong.
Xiao Zhenggong walked through the flames, unscathed himself; not even his clothes were ignited.
This was the resilience of a high-level Martial Cultivator; attacks of this level, be they blades, fire, or water, had no effect on Xiao Zhenggong.
He grabbed the clay doll in mid-air, took a look at it, and laughed, "Golden House Concealing Beauties. I must say, this is rather exquisitely made."
Xiao Zhenggong crushed the clay doll in his hand and tossed it to the ground.
Duan Xiangwen shouted at Xiao Zhenggong, "I can’t walk! You shouldn’t attack someone who can’t fight back!"
Xiao Zhenggong was taken aback, then nodded and said, "Deep Mansion Courtyard Technique, this is the ability of your House Spirit. What a pity that your House Spirit is a Virtue Cultivator, the kind I detest the most."
As he spoke, Xiao Zhenggong was already standing close to the two men.
Zhong Guoshu suddenly stood up, clung tightly to Xiao Zhenggong, and turned to Duan Xiangwen, "Go!"
Duan Xiangwen didn’t leave, and he couldn’t; he still thought of fighting to the death with Xiao Zhenggong.
"Still quite loyal!" Xiao Zhenggong kicked Zhong Guoshu away, picked up a pebble from the ground, and flung it at Duan Xiangwen’s head.
The pebble penetrated Duan Xiangwen’s skull like a bullet, and Duan Xiangwen was killed on the spot.
Xiao Zhenggong turned around, grabbed Zhong Guoshu’s hair, lifted him off the ground, and asked, "Who exactly sent you here?"
Zhong Guoshu’s expression was stiff. After twitching a few times while looking at Xiao Zhenggong, he fell silent.
He had swallowed poison and committed suicide.
「...」
Xiao Zhenggong returned to the cinema. Looking at Ming Xing lying on the ground, he asked Light Bulb, "Is he still alive?"
Having wiped away the grease, Light Bulb looked over Ming Xing and said, "We can’t be sure right now."
"Then hurry up and find out. If he’s alive, call an ambulance; if he’s dead, send him to the funeral home!" Xiao Zhenggong left the cinema right away.
While driving, Xiao Zhenggong kept pondering one question.
He knew he had many enemies, and a series of names flashed through his mind.
The ring of his phone interrupted Xiao Zhenggong’s thoughts; it was a call from Captain Chen.
After such a major incident, Xiao Zhenggong should have gone to the bureau to report.
Xiao Zhenggong twisted his cell phone into a pretzel shape and threw it onto the passenger seat. He then pressed the accelerator and drove straight home.
「...」
The next day, Xiao Zhenggong attended a meeting at the bureau. The topic of discussion was still the incident at the Cultural Palace from the previous day.
Ming Xing was still alive. After a night of emergency treatment, he had been pulled back from the brink of death.
Although no officers from the bureau had died, the incident had alarmed many people.
Having slept for one night, Xiao Zhenggong’s mood had somewhat stabilized, and he provided a reasonable explanation for the events of the previous night.
He said he went to investigate the black market and was attacked, initially judging it to be a retaliatory act by black market merchants.
Because he was injured, Xiao Zhenggong had gone to the hospital for treatment, and his cell phone was damaged during the fight, so he didn’t receive Captain Chen’s call.
All explanations were coherent and reasonable.
Even when asked which hospital he was treated at, Xiao Zhenggong gave a clear answer; he had prepared in advance.
When Captain Chen asked about the injuries, Xiao Zhenggong brushed it off. After the meeting, Xiao Zhenggong planned to go to the crime scene to look for any overlooked clues. Captain Chen approved.
Xiao Zhenggong had not been gone long when Chen Changrui suddenly frowned.
The explanations Xiao Zhenggong had just given sounded reasonable, but upon closer consideration, there was a serious problem.
If black market merchants really wanted to take revenge on the Dark Star Bureau, they shouldn’t have targeted Xiao Zhenggong.
Since joining the Dark Star Bureau, Xiao Zhenggong had never been active in investigating the black market; he had never offended any black market merchants!
After pondering for a moment, Captain Chen summoned Big Head and quietly instructed him, "Go to the Cultural Palace and see what Xiao Zhenggong is really up to. Whatever he’s doing, don’t make a scene. Just come back and report to me."
「...」
Big Head drove to the Cultural Palace. The crime scene had already been cordoned off, but he didn’t see Xiao Zhenggong.
After thinking for a moment, Big Head started the car again and left the Cultural Palace.
「...」
At Yuezhou Sanatorium, an orderly had just finished changing the bedsheets and carried He Jiaqing back to bed.
Xiao Zhenggong pushed the door and walked in, smiling at the orderly. "You can step out for a moment."
The orderly looked bewildered. "How can that be? The patient is still here."
Xiao Zhenggong maintained his smile, but his tone grew slightly grave. "I’m asking you to leave."
The orderly shuddered, feeling a force pressing down on her entire body, making breathing exceedingly difficult.
Not daring to delay, she immediately left the ward.
Xiao Zhenggong pulled up a chair and sat down by He Jiaqing’s bed.
After a long silence, Xiao Zhenggong asked softly, "So you wanted to kill me?"
He Jiaqing lay motionless in bed.
Xiao Zhenggong patted He Jiaqing’s face. "If you want to kill me, make your move. I’m standing right here. Don’t play dead, okay?"
He Jiaqing remained motionless.
Xiao Zhenggong stood up. "Is it about Zhao Xiaowan? Are you upset about it? Let me tell you the truth, Zhao Xiaowan is in my hands. If you want her, come and get her. Stand up and fight me. As long as you have the courage to make a move, I’ll hand over Zhao Xiaowan to you. You’re not moving, huh? Then I won’t be polite. Since you like lying down so much, I’ll make sure you lie down for the rest of your life."
Xiao Zhenggong took out a coin from his pocket. He was about to flick it at He Jiaqing’s forehead when he heard someone from outside say, "Deputy Captain Xiao, why are you here?"
Xiao Zhenggong turned around to see Big Head standing at the doorway.
"You’re here too," Xiao Zhenggong was not surprised at all. "I was going to ask you the same. What are you doing here?"
Big Head responded calmly, "I came to check on He Jiaqing’s condition; I’ve been following this case."
"Yes, you’ve been following it, and I’ve noticed you’ve been doing it for quite some time," Xiao Zhenggong said, rolling the coin between his fingers as if ready to flick it at Big Head’s face at any moment.
Big Head took half a step back. "Chief Xiao, calm down. Captain Chen sent me."
"Captain Chen sent you to run to the hospital every day? You’re really diligent! I’m not as diligent as you. Yesterday, I went to the black market just to go through the motions, and it caused such a commotion. I was still pondering last night: how did He Jiaqing know I was going to the black market? Why was he able to ambush people in the cinema in advance? Who let the news slip? Big Head, what did He Jiaqing give you? You dare to sell me out?"
PS: Don’t discriminate against the Young Gang Leader; he also clawed his way through blood and violence. Ban Feng never expected that wielding the Explosive Tiger Spear could stir up so much trouble.