54: Chapter 53 Disaster Arises from Within 54: Chapter 53 Disaster Arises from Within Two hours later, the mission could be considered reluctantly completed—it could go on depending on one’s mood.
Old Liao licked his lips, still craving more.
His subordinates felt the same; since they wanted to show off in front of Hou Niao to avoid causing trouble, they took twenty to thirty percent less than usual from each Tianxiang house.
Hou Niao’s mood improved, of course, but it also meant their tangible benefits were reduced by the same percentage.
It wasn’t easy to come out , and returning with so little left them resentful.
They were experienced in dealing with such situations, though.
If they took less from each place, they could make it up by demanding from a few more; the Government Office had set rules about the proportion of such random checks, which could never be completely accurate.
Still, covering one or two extra places was not a problem.
Policeman Da Long approached him with a bad idea, “Boss, I saw that Tianxiang Building has plenty of guests today; we just need to hint a little…”
Tianxiang Building held a unique position on the wide street: part-folksy, part-elegant.
While the venue was popular and engaging in normal business, it also hosted upscale receptions where ladies would dance and sing merely to enhance the ambiance.
The establishment was big in transactions and had significant backing, so generally, during random checks, the policemen would not dare to “poking the tiger’s butt” at this place—it was an unspoken rule.
But today was different as Da Long smiled with shifty eyes, “Boss, I just checked, and many of the carriages outside are not from around here; they belong to some wealthy visitors hosting a grand banquet.
It seems doable, doesn’t it?”
Old Liao was also tempted.
Striking at Tianxiang Building could be more lucrative than collecting a basketful of spoiled peaches.
Da Long continued to instigate, “We won’t make a big scene going in.
I’ll take a few brothers to check the situation first and give them a little hint.
Considering the scale of their business, they shouldn’t be short on discretion.
We haven’t troubled them this year, so showing up now would hardly be an imposition, right?”
Seeing that Old Liao was still hesitant, he added fuel to the fire, “Boss, I heard from Team Bing’s Liu that the next time he leads, he plans to test Tianxiang Building’s mettle…”
This statement was more effective than anything else.
Among the policemen under Inspector Huang, he and Team Bing’s Liu were fierce rivals, frequently competing.
A place like Tianxiang Building didn’t deserve to be a feather in Liu’s cap first; getting there before Liu would mean that if Liu tried anything later, he might well fail.
Compared to the potential gains from Tianxiang Building, causing Liu embarrassment was even more significant.
At last, Old Liao nodded, “Alright.
You take three brothers and change your attire.
Make sure you don’t look recognizable at first glance.
Once inside, remain discreet about your presence and simply clarify your intentions with the manager of Tianxiang Building.
If he fails to cooperate…”
Old Liao’s eyes flashed fiercely, intimated, “…then you exit and report back to me.
Do not act rashly under any circumstances!”
With his leader’s approval, Da Long immediately changed into merchant attire along with a few astute policemen.
They were well-prepared and adept at this game; in a moment, four well-dressed policemen were ready and strutted toward Tianxiang Building.
Hou Niao watched coldly from the sidelines.
Honestly, he wasn’t familiar with Tianxiang Building.
Old Liao managed tasks reliably; his dealings along their route were regular, and he hadn’t demanded too much.
Since Old Liao thought it was worth a check, he let him proceed.
The group waited outside, expecting an effortless task, but a stir arose from nowhere.
A disheveled policeman ran out, “Da Long and the others are detained inside, and they’ve been beaten…”
Old Liao’s inner fragility surfaced, and he immediately felt bewildered.
He was well aware of who set the rules in Jin City—it wasn’t them, the mere Prefecture Office Patrol!
Seeking help, his eyes turned towards Hou Niao, who sighed, still unable to avoid trouble.
This time, clad in patrol uniforms and performing public duties, Old Liao followed behind, his heart pounding and filled with regret, fearing a massive blunder would cost him his job—or worse.
Hou Niao walked at the forefront, and when a guard extended his strong arm, Hou Niao swiftly slapped him nearly ten feet away.
This slap was energizing, but it made Old Liao even more panicked.
Dragon was a troublemaker, and Hou Niao showed the true nature of a hothead—were these people ones you could just hit?
Their boldness was as a mountain; you step closer, I push farther.
With the patrol confident, the guards at Tianxiang Building were dazed; they too feared getting caught in disputes between cultivators.
When immortals fight, the lesser beings suffer.
Leading the way, the group strode into the main hall of Tianxiang Building, their heads held high, instantly struck by the lavishness inside; the hall was vast, spanning tens of meters, and the décor clearly expensive, boasting many items whose names were unrecognizable.
Enclosed private rooms bordered the main hall on the second and third floors with pearl curtains that obscured the view inside; one needed not imagine to know they were occupied by Jin City’s elite.
In the center, a stage held young girls singing and dancing gracefully, surrounded by numerous guests, swarms of attendants, exotic delicacies, and flowing fine wine.
Amidst the singing and dancing, the voice of the singer was somehow familiar?
Such overwhelming grandeur immediately turned the group of patrol soldiers into weaklings; probably anyone pulled from the crowd would be too much for them to handle, yet here they were, having blundered their way in…
No panicked yelling or scattering guests occurred because everyone here was a distinguished figure, and, most fatally, it seemed all were cultivators?
With composure, they watched the unfolding events, far more interesting than the performance on the stage.
As soon as Hou Niao stepped into the hall, he immediately sensed something amiss—he shouldn’t have come!
But since he had already entered, he couldn’t just leave without making a sound.
Glancing around, most seated were high-level cultivators, each surpassing his own realm; it seemed only a few cultivators of Energy Induction were left standing?
At one table, he even spotted acquaintances from the Dugu Family, two female members and their kinsfolk, who were smiling brightly at him…and Daoist Wang was there too.
There were also many cultivators in strange and luxurious attire, their eyes sharp, heads wrapped in blood-red cloths—clearly not members of the Quanzhen Sect, but visitors from some other sect?
In that moment, he felt like kicking Old Liao to death, but what would that accomplish now?
He had already led everyone inside!
Dragon lay slumped by a table near the entrance, not seriously injured but a bit bruised and swollen.
The remaining two patrol soldiers stood anxiously to one side, unsure of what to do.
Hou Niao, having no choice, steeled himself and approached Dragon, “What happened?
Dragon’s speech was slurred due to his loose teeth, but someone else answered for him,
For brazenly intruding into private property and attempting extortion, shouldn’t I have struck?”