133: 133.
Good riddance.
133: 133.
Good riddance.
When a child is growing, they often feel itchy and sore all over, which is what is called “growing pains.”
At this moment, Lu Li was experiencing the same feeling, a tingling sensation spreading throughout the bones in his body.
This was the inevitable path to bone strengthening, and it was just the beginning.
Xiao Cha solemnly said,
“The itch will get worse with each passing day, to the point where you can’t sleep or eat because of it, and scratching won’t help.
But you can’t stop cultivating.
Just bear with it!”
Lu Li nodded, “No problem, I’m not afraid of suffering.
Bring it on.”
Xiao Cha then cracked a smile and playfully punched Lu Li in the chest,
“I know you’re not frail, just a little reminder~”
At that moment, Wanqing was about to say that she knew a way to alleviate the discomfort…
But Lu Li grabbed Xiao Cha’s buttocks and began to knead them, causing the girl to coyly protest and lash out in a mixture of mock anger and flirtation.
Hearing the sounds of their playful banter, Wanqing felt that the couple was getting more and more brazen, not minding her presence at all.
Feeling annoyed, she sulked quietly without a word.
Just as Lu Li was feeling pleased with himself, suddenly there were footsteps coming from outside the courtyard.
“Xiao Cha, there’s been a serious case.
Everyone gather immediately.”
The voice was Chen Zhizhong’s!
Xiao Cha quickly opened the door and saw the stern-faced Chief Constable, along with many colleagues.
Chen Zhizhong announced, “A shocking murder has occurred at Baiyang Beach.
All patrol officers must rush there immediately.”
“At your command!”
Xiao Cha saluted and hurriedly stood one step behind Chen Zhizhong.
This position was a little too close to the leader and made some people unhappy.
A narrow-faced and mean-looking middle-aged arrest officer glanced inside the yard, just in time to spot the car.
“Oh~ Chief Luo has bought a car now?
A Cadillac, that’s not cheap, 4000 silver coins.”
The remark was not well-intentioned; it was a veiled questioning of how a mere arrest officer could amass so much money.
But it didn’t stop there, the narrow-faced man turned to Chen Zhizhong with an ingratiating smile,
“Young people are so capable these days, this car is even better than yours~”
This was outright flattery with several other officers chiming in,
“As members of the public service, it’s better to keep a low profile, to avoid getting people talking behind our backs.”
“Chief Luo, if you have any money-making tricks, do share them with us~”
…
With her early success, Xiao Cha naturally made enemies and invited jealousy.
Observing from the doorway, Lu Li could hear everything clearly.
This was one of the reasons he preferred not to get involved in forming factions or joining any.
Human nature was too troublesome; strength was far more tangible.
In that moment, without even casting a glance at the group, Xiao Cha saluted Chen Zhizhong and said with a serious tone,
“Let the Lord know, I have recently made a lucky breakthrough and ascended to the Marrow Cleansing realm!”
…
As these words were spoken, silence fell on the scene, and everyone’s expressions froze.
Xiao Cha’s blood and qi vibrated through her body, creating a faint buzzing sound as if something was rushing through at high speed.
This was the sound of blood flowing rapidly through the veins, something ordinary people could hear by covering their ears, but it was now externally audible with a Marrow Cleansing Martial Artist.
Chen Zhizhong, who had been grimacing, suddenly broke into a smile that was too wide, and he quickly tempered it down by 70%.
“A breakthrough?
Excellent, excellent, the tiger father has no canine daughter!
You haven’t let your father down!”
His words were both sincere and a way to explain Xiao Cha’s rapid progress.
The narrow-faced officer was the first to change his attitude, grinning obsequiously,
“Chief Luo comes from a family of great learning and has extraordinary talent, I have the utmost admiration!”
The others rushed to offer flattery as well,
“Old Chief Luo killed a big Marrow Cleansing thief during his Refining Internal Organs phase; I saw it with my own eyes!
His daughter surely wouldn’t be any less capable!”
“Chief Luo having ascended to the Marrow Cleansing realm so young, your future achievements will be boundless!”
…
Suddenly, flattery was flowing like a tide, and Chen Zhizhong not wanting Xiao Cha to become complacent, promptly called out,
“Enough now, we should be going, let’s not be late.”
The group of patrol officers then hurriedly set off on the road.
~~~~~~~~~~~
At Baiyang Beach, crows were cawing strangely, circling nonstop.
Returning to the crime scene, Xiao Cha had a flush on her face.
But upon seeing a “familiar face,” her excitement immediately extinguished, and her heart jumped to her throat.
This person must be Fan Shouyi, the Vice Emissary of the Divine Heart Association.
This scholar, known for his elegant demeanor, now had a sinister look on his face, his eyes dragging down at the corners, emitting a suffocating cold light…
It was as if he had stepped right out of a wanted poster!
Xiao Cha was quietly astounded, thinking how angry one must be to look like this…
Fan Shouyi believed himself to be a composed and cold individual.
Not to say he was “unmoved with Mount Taishan collapsing before him,” but he could maintain his composure in the face of sudden changes.
But at this moment, he was truly about to explode!
The promotion of Ice Soul Powder had been in preparation since last year.
The initial distributor had been his subordinate, Wang Siqi.
A promising young man with deep connections to the high echelons of Chuyun…
only to die a sudden, violent death;
Then they switched to the Wang family, whose old man was quite savvy and manageable.
Yet, their entire clan ended up dead too;
Having no choice, he considered drawing in Yahang.
But just as he was starting to employ a mix of favors and threats, from the leader to the managers, they were all wiped out here.
It was as though death followed his every move—was he cursed by the heavens?
“Sigh…”
Fan Shouyi took several deep breaths to calm himself down.
The situation had come to this; he could only bear the brunt of the blame for the failure and see if there was any way to remedy it.
But the next second, his just-subdued emotions were stirred once again by a piercing laughter.
“Ha ha ha, those who planted opium, ran the opium dens, and the Yahang, the notable ones are all dead!”
The voice, delightful and crisp, had an undercurrent of seduction.
It was that of the beautiful nun—Xia Weiyun.
By her side was an old man with the appearance of a young boy, the President of the Jinmen Martial Arts Association—Nan Jiping.
“How wonderful it is that they’re dead!” Nan Jiping’s old face beamed with joy:
“With these people gone, the foreign Emperor will have to wait if he wants to promote Ice Soul Powder.”
Promoting a new drug wasn’t something just anyone could do; you needed channels, especially deep ones.
Anyone with that capability was present here; their families would need shovels to collect their remains.
The old and the young were full of joy, and with a flirtatious blink, Xia Weiyun moved swiftly to stand in front of Fan Shouyi.
At that time, Xiao Cha was observing the situation and couldn’t help but jump in fright:
“This sister’s speed is twice that of Ye Zhichao!
She must possess impressive Refining God Cultivation!”
Strength varied amongst individuals; even at the same realm, there could be a world of difference in combat power.
Xia Weiyun was among the very best, smiling sweetly as she said:
“Mr.
Fan seems to have truly bad luck.
Whoever you seize meets death.
Will your Supervisor blame you for incompetence?
Perhaps the Chuyun people will shun you like a plague.”
Each of the nun’s words was like a sharp knife, cutting deep into Fan Shouyi’s heart.
Fan Shouyi’s face darkened as the Peach Wood Sword at his waist began to quiver slightly.
Xia Weiyun’s face held a smile, but her eyes were somber, her body tense, fully prepared for any contingency.
However, Fan Shouyi looked at Nan Jiping nearby and steadied the trembling Flying Sword with his hand.
Although this old man’s physical strength was declining, he was after all a Martial Artist of the Innate level, with his Innate True Qi still intact, not to be underestimated.
“It would be better, Master Hui Xian, to keep a civil tongue in your head.”
Fan Shouyi spoke in a tone that was neither salty nor bland:
“The Governors will soon sign the Reconciliation Treaty with Chuyun, which will allow Chuyun masters to come and go freely.
Your Kill Body Society may soon find itself without a place to be buried.”
Xia Weiyun sneered: “Mr.
Fan needn’t worry about us.
If those Chuyun beasts dare to show up, there are righteous fighters ready to ensure they can’t leave alive!”
The two faced each other with sharp opposition, maintaining a cold stare.
Xiao Cha’s ears perked up, listening intently to their conversation.
Just then, a fleet of cars arrived.
Before the cars had come to a complete stop, an official in a green robe jumped out.
Wearing a fourth-grade cap adorned with azurite, he turned toward a body sitting in a wheelchair, his face full of anger, and he roared:
“What is the Patrol Bureau doing!
Three hundred people dead!
Such a shocking case happening on the outskirts of town— you all should be put in prison to face charges!”
His roar echoed, humiliating the on-site Patrol officers, covering them in proverbial dog’s blood.
Xiao Cha recognized the man as “Prefect Zhang,” who oversaw civil, administrative, and legal affairs in a province, acting as a superior to the Patrol Bureau.
Chen Zhizhong whispered, “That dead man in the wheelchair is Prefect Zhang’s nephew.”
Xiao Cha instantly understood; surely the Prefect’s family owned a lot of land filled with opium.
His nephew came to negotiate and was killed by Lu Li.
“Serves him right.”
Xiao Cha silently sneered, unaware that Xia Weiyun was looking at her with great interest.