Chapter 67: Chapter 65: Strength
“Defiers will be killed without question!”
Following Shang Qinglai’s order, the government officers quickly moved to attack Zheng Fu and his men.
However, Zheng Fu and his companions did not just wait to be killed; those escorting were all skilled individuals who, having faced fierce and ruthless gang forces along the way, held no fear against government officers either.
Yet, since Shang Qinglai’s group was numerous, and included several skilled Head Constables, the battle escalated quickly. Zheng Fu and his men were soon forced into retreat, and within moments, bodies lay sprawled across the ground.
Only a short while had passed.
Only a few, those skilled in the Body Refinement Realm, including Zheng Fu, were still fiercely fighting.
Yet, these individuals were also extraordinary; not only was Zheng Fu in the Body Refinement Realm, but his Blade Technique also wielded significant Momentum, making him no less powerful than Shang Qinglai. The others, though lacking in Blade Momentum, also possessed physiques refined by body cultivation and were equally fierce in combat against the other Head Constables.
“Shang Qinglai, such bold recklessness from you all will surely be remembered by the Zheng family!”
Blood-stained, Zheng Fu confronted Shang Qinglai with a knife, his voice chillingly cold.
“Then remember it,”
Shang Qinglai scoffed coldly.
No man serves two masters; as a Head Constable of the City Defense Division who had decided to serve under Chen Mu, he would not hesitate or falter in his actions. The threat invoking the Zheng family was insufficient to deter him.
However, compared to Shang Qinglai, the other Head Constables, upon hearing Zheng Fu’s threatening words, slightly slowed their attacks. The Zheng family had a fearsome reputation, and these officers were also worried about reprisals. Yet working for the City Defense Division meant they could not remain uninvolved in such incidents unless they wished to abandon their posts.
Seeing several Head Constables visibly restrained by the threats, Zheng Fu’s eyes gleamed as he searched for a gap, looking for a chance to break out. At this point, protecting the cargo was no longer possible—it would be taken by Chen Mu, but for the wealthy and influential Zheng family, the loss of one shipment would not be devastating. If Chen Mu and the City Defense Division dared to act this way, they would see what comes next!
Thinking this.
Zheng Fu suddenly unleashed a whirlwind of blade light, struggled fiercely to push back Shang Qinglai’s attack, then leapt, attempting to escape through a gap in the battle.
Shang Qinglai’s eyes shifted subtly, trying to block him but it was slightly too late; his strength was roughly equal to Zheng Fu’s, both being in the Minor Achievement of Body Refinement and possessing Blade Momentum. Once an opportunity arose, stopping one who wanted to escape was challenging.
Whoosh!
In the dim moonlight, Zheng Fu’s figure soared, reaching the top of a high wall beside the alley, then leaping again, about to disappear into the darkness.
But almost at that same moment, a flash of light came from the darkness, and suddenly, a heavy object fell from the sky and thudded into the battlefield. To their shock, it was Zheng Fu’s headless body!
A gasp of horror.
The remaining Protector martial masters of the Zheng family were utterly horrified, looking in the direction from which Zheng Fu had fallen, only to see a figure dressed in dark green official attire, casually landing on the high wall with a head in hand.
“Finish it quickly.”
Chen Mu spoke evenly, tossing the head into the alley.
“Yes, my lord!”
Seeing this, Shang Qinglai was profoundly shaken and immediately responded.
Although he had heard from Xu Feng about Chen Mu, the new Prefecture Chief and his remarkable strength despite his young age, it was all hearsay until today, when he truly witnessed Chen Mu’s capabilities.
Zheng Fu, whose power was comparable to his, being in the Minor Achievement of Body Refinement and possessing Blade Momentum, seemed not to have lasted a single round under Chen Mu’s hands, without even a chance to cry out, and was struck down head from body!
Even Xu Feng, the former Prefecture Chief, was probably only about as capable.
It was not only Shang Qinglai.
Many other government officers were also shocked as they looked at Zheng Fu’s corpse and severed head. Initially, they thought that Chen Mu was merely filling in for Xu Feng’s position begrudgingly, mostly owing to his background connections. But the scene before them now showed that Chen Mu could hold the position of Prefecture Chief based solely on his strength; no wonder he was unafraid of the Zheng Family and dared to retaliate just days after assuming office.
Having a superior with such formidable strength was undoubtedly a good thing. Several Head Constables who were still wavering internally now had fierce light in their eyes. They became exceptionally ruthless in their attacks, cooperating with Shang Qinglai to quickly dispose of the last few Protector martial masters.
At that moment,
Chen Mu had already approached the two carriages, reached out to lift the tarp covering them, revealing several large wooden boxes, which he opened to let out a strange mix of medicinal scents.
Through practicing various Skin Toughening Methods and Body Refinement Methods, Chen Mu had come into contact with many herbs. Though not an expert, he could still basically identify them. At a glance, he noticed many “banned” medicinal ingredients.
The Da Xuan Dynasty Court had regulations: all crucial primary ingredients for a Martial Artist’s Body Tempering cultivation could not be privately traded; they must be arranged through the Medicine Bureau. First, the Court sought to control Martial Arts; second, it was, inherently, a gigantic profit.
During the zenith of the Court, aside from the Imperial Court itself, many sects were destroyed again and again, and loose martial artists were at most a few here and there; those who practiced Tendon Changing and Bone Tempering dared not cause trouble in the city. Otherwise, they would immediately attract a siege from the Court.
But that time of splendor had long passed.
However, these two carriages of medicinal ingredients were just right for Chen Mu.
According to Court orders, the private sale of banned medicinal ingredients warranted confiscation of property and exile!
Chen Mu was not interested in investigating cases of bullying and murdering in the streets, because the Zheng family could easily pin the crime on someone else, which wouldn’t hurt them deeply. However, this crime was different, as confiscation and exile would uproot the Zheng family completely!
Just as Chen Mu was inspecting the two carriages of medicinal herbs,
The battle on the other side had finally ended. The remaining Protector martial masters dared not resist and surrendered.
“My lord, it’s all taken care of,”
Shang Qinglai, holding a bloodied Servant’s Knife, came up to Chen Mu and respectfully reported.
Chen Mu turned to look, then waved his sleeve and said, “Dispatch a team, take the people and the goods, and escort them back to the City Defense Division for interrogation. The rest of you, follow me.”
With that statement, Shang Qinglai looked slightly stunned. It was necessary to escort the people and the goods back to the City Defense Division; an interrogation would bring considerable distress to the Zheng family, if not deep damage.
However, the latter part of Chen Mu’s statement seemed to indicate that he wasn’t planning on pulling back.
If they weren’t pulling back, where could they go?
Seeming to perceive what was on Shang Qinglai’s mind, Chen Mu spoke somberly, “Head Constable Shang, according to the Da Xuan laws, what is the punishment for illegally selling banned medicinal ingredients?”
With these words, Shang Qinglai was immediately alarmed and understood what Chen Mu intended to do, but he still promptly responded, “The sale of banned medicinal ingredients warrants confiscation of property and exile for three thousand miles.”
Chen Mu’s actions that night were not merely about seizing a batch of goods from the Zheng family; he intended to leverage this point to uproot the entire Zheng family in one night!
This newly appointed Prefecture Chief, merely in his twenties and appearing untroubled when the Zheng family first instigated trouble, had retaliated so swiftly and fiercely!
When he made a move, it was set to turn the world upside down.
No matter the outcome tonight, tomorrow all of Wutong Grove District, and perhaps even the entire South City District, was bound to experience a seismic shift.
“Proceed!”
Chen Mu spoke in a deep voice.
Shang Qinglai dared not hesitate any further and instantly responded, organizing a small squad to escort away the scattered Zheng family Protectors along with the goods. The others then moved again, heading towards the Zheng family’s residence.
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