*This guy is truly pissed off...*
Supporting her rifle, Guan Ya keenly noticed the shift in Ling Jun's expression.
The dandy among the Four Young Masters was known above all for his soft spot for women. In his youth, having read *Dream of the Red Chamber*, he took that scumbag Jia Baoyu as his idol, swearing to become a man just like him.
He had even mimicked the scumbag's mannerisms, constantly quoting Baoyu's pet line: "Girls are made of water, while men are made of mud."
What was more, when he visited the Fu family in his youth alongside his maternal grandfather, an Elder of Baihui, he took one look at the teenage Guan Ya and exclaimed in delight, "My Sister Lin has arrived!"
Whereupon Guan Ya punched out his front tooth.
Realizing she was actually a Granny Rong, Ling Jun reined in at the edge of the cliff and turned toward the light. Then he met the Little Witch and cried out joyfully, "So my Sister Bao was here all along!"
His other front tooth was promptly knocked out too.
Ever since, Ling Jun harbored a lifelong dread and hatred of the Fu family's women.
In short, in the eyes of this modern-day Jia Baoyu, Chi Yue'an's atrocities thoroughly violated his worldview and crossed his bottom line.
While Ling Jun's trio seethed with fury over Chi Yue'an's conduct, in Kou Beiyue's semi-conscious haze, only a single sentence echoed through his mind:
*You are Yuanshi Tianzun?*
He wasn't Yuan Ting. He was Yuanshi Tianzun—the Yuanshi Tianzun who killed Li Xianzong, the meteoric genius of the Songhai Branch...
The official walker Xiao Yuan knew was actually him...
Kou Beiyue was stunned, yet it made sense. Xiao Yuan had impossibly high standards. Mild-mannered, mediocre people could at most earn her goodwill, but it was almost impossible for them to become her friends.
*Wait, how did he brag about Yuanshi Tianzun earlier? No wonder he praised Yuanshi Tianzun to the skies! How could Xiao Yuan be friends with someone so thick-skinned...*
Chaotic, fragmented thoughts flashed through Kou Beiyue's head. Wild speculation was all he could manage right now. Chi Yue'an's punch had damaged his internal organs, and he was likely bleeding profusely.
A Bewitching Demon's physique wouldn't give out easily, but neither did it possess the exaggerated regenerative powers of a Night Wanderer.
Facing the barrage of accusations, Chi Yue'an stood proud, sneering, "Yuanshi Tianzun, you aren't even a Deacon yet. Do you know what crime it is to frame a Deacon? Don't think that earning Class A merit means you can do whatever you want.
"Just because ordinary official walkers cater to you doesn't mean everyone will. In the eyes of people with real background and depth, that bit of merit is nothing."
Zhang Yuanqing spat a mouthful of bloody foam and returned a cold stare. "At least against a soft prick like you, Class A merit works wonders. Ling Jun, that guy over there is the pawn Chi Yue'an propped up. He has evidence of all the officials Chi Yue'an bribed across every level."
He shifted his gaze toward Master Wu, who lay unconscious by the wall.
"Understood!" With a grim nod, Ling Jun stepped toward Master Wu.
Chi Yue'an's pupils shrank slightly. Faint crimson glimmers drifted and churned across the surface of his pristine white suit.
His thin red gloves radiated heat so intense that the air warped around them, flames threatening to erupt at any moment.
Just as a clash between the two seemed inevitable, a flurry of hurried footsteps echoed outside the hall. Ling Jun halted, turning his head to look.
The dark crimson light across Chi Yue'an's body receded, and the scorching heat from his gloves dissipated.
The three members of Team Two looked toward the source of the noise. Through the open entrance of the hall swarmed a squad of uniformed public security officers. Fully equipped with riot shields, firearms, bulletproof vests, and helmets, they entered in battle readiness.
The only middle-aged man without a shield stood encircled by the officers. He was slightly plump, with slightly sagging jowls, yet his burly build made it clear he had been a formidable man in his youth.
"Everyone, hands on your heads and squat down!" the middle-aged man growled.
Chi Yue'an was momentarily taken aback to see fully armed officers. He had assumed his own subordinate team of Spirit Realm walkers had arrived.
After receiving word, he had sent messages to his captains before rushing over to provide backup. By his estimate, those men should have arrived by now.
He had not expected his colleagues from the Shakou District Public Security Bureau to arrive first.
"Director Lu, what brings you here?" Chi Yue'an asked in a steady voice.
*Director Lu? The deputy director who ordered Kong Liangping to fabricate evidence and shield Chi Yue'an?* Zhang Yuanqing's brow twitched.
Lying heavily injured on the ground, Kou Beiyue's breathing suddenly quickened.
"I received a civilian report stating that lawless thugs broke into a private residence with malicious intent to murder," said Deputy Director Lu solemnly, wearing a bulletproof vest and ballistic helmet.
Chi Yue'an gave a slight nod and pointed toward Ling Jun and the others.
"That's them!
"These people are of unknown origin and have committed murder. They are extremely dangerous. You must be careful, Director Lu."
Catching the hint, Deputy Director Lu maintained his imposing demeanor and shouted, "You four, hands on your heads and squat down! First warning!"
Then, with virtually no pause and giving them no way out, he blurted, "Second warning! Third warning! Fire!"
The surrounding officers turned a blind eye to their superior's blatant breach of protocol, obeying unconditionally. They immediately raised their barrels, and over a dozen officers fired at once, unleashing a hail of bullets toward the four.
Zhang Yuanqing's heart tightened. Such a dense volley posed an immediate threat even to him.
Worst of all, Chi Yue'an and the Shakou District Public Security Bureau's leadership were in cahoots, clearly intending to use these ordinary officers to create trouble and corner them.
Killing officers of the law would cross a line, not to mention cost them Morality Points.
*Crack!* The floor tiles beneath Ling Jun's feet shattered. A leafy vine burst through the ground, coiling tightly into a three-meter-wide circular shield.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
The bullets slammed into the dense wooden shield, either ricocheting away or embedding themselves deep into the wood.
Ling Jun snapped his fingers. With that sharp snap, the floor tiles beneath the officers split apart, and thick, dragon-like vines erupted from the earth, growing at a frenzied pace.
The fully armed officers were thrown off balance, tumbling in disarray.
Arm-thick vines whipped and cracked relentlessly. Within moments, the flurry of strikes knocked all dozen or so officers to the ground with muffled groans.
Deputy Director Lu retreated in panic, only to feel a sharp pain in his back. He looked down in horror to see a bloodstained vine jutting out through his abdomen.
He let out an agonizing shriek.
The other officers fared no better, their bones shattered and tendons torn by the lashing vines, leaving them in too much agony to even scream.
"You dare harm a bureau director? You dare harm public security officers?"
Watching coldly from the sidelines, Chi Yue'an raised an eyebrow and sneered. "Young man, rashness comes with a price."
"Officers or director, it makes no difference. When I'm unhappy, anyone who squawks gets slaughtered." The smile vanished from Ling Jun's face, replaced by a chilling gloom. He strolled toward Chi Yue'an, his tone detached:
"Chi Yue'an, I've met plenty of people far more cruel and vicious than you. But there aren't many who can truly make me angry."
As he spoke, Ling Jun's frame expanded abruptly. His loose short-sleeved shirt ripped apart, and dense yellow-and-black striped fur sprouted across his exposed arms and cheeks. His palms widened and thickened, extending sharp, pitch-black claws.
His flip-flops tore apart as his feet transformed into tiger paws.
His nose broadened, and his brown pupils contracted into a pair of savage amber eyes. The black fur on his forehead converged into the character for "King."
In just a few strides, he transformed into a bipedal, two-meter-tall giant tiger.
The humanoid tiger dropped onto all fours, front limbs touching the ground. A deep, imposing roar rumbled in its throat before it lunged toward Chi Yue'an.
*A Beast King?*
Chi Yue'an remained calm. Both of them were Saints; the gap between them couldn't be insurmountable. Flames erupted from his thin red gloves, condensing into a bright yellow whip.
*Crack!* Chi Yue'an snapped his arm, whipping toward the charging tiger.
Mid-sprint, the tiger bounded to the left. The whip struck empty air, gouging a deep crevice into the floor.
*Crack! Crack! Crack!* Chi Yue'an swung his arm furiously, unleashing one vicious lash after another.
Yet the striped tiger darted left and right, deftly evading every strike, closing the distance before making a ferocious pounce.
*Thud, thud, thud...* Chi Yue'an was forced back several steps. He recalled the whip, reforming it into a straight sword.
Immediately after, waves of heat exploded across Chi Yue'an's body, his aura surging in tiers. Activating Rager, he dug his heels in, halting his retreat. The muscles in his legs swelled, launching his body forward like an artillery shell to meet the pouncing tiger head-on.
He knew the opponent was a Beast King endowed with immense recovery capabilities, but Chi Yue'an wasn't afraid of trading mutual destruction.
When it came to healing, his Timely Rain Inner Armor was equal to a Beast King's, while the burning attribute of his Red Flame Divine Weapon could suppress a Beast King's regeneration.
Trading blow for blow was a bargain he could afford.
Suddenly, the striped tiger before him twisted with boneless fluidity like a fish, elongating rapidly.
In the next instant, the striped tiger transformed into a giant, barrel-thick serpent clad in black scales.
*Sizzle...* The straight sword, meant to pierce the tiger's heart, merely grazed the serpent's scales, leaving a blackened, scorched scar.
The giant serpent's head snapped forward, fangs bared, sinking directly into Chi Yue'an's neck.
*Dammit...* Chi Yue'an had never seen a Beast King shift forms so swiftly. Caught entirely off guard, he prepared to self-detonate to force the serpent off.
Yet a wave of overwhelming fatigue washed over him. The hands that could rip apart tigers and leopards lost all strength, and his knees buckled, sending him slumping to the floor.
*Poisoned.*
The giant serpent's fangs carried a terrifying neurotoxin that had surged through his bloodstream with the bite, paralyzing his body.
"Urgh... urgh..." Chi Yue'an's eyes widened, a defiant, unwilling growl catching in his throat.
The serpent released its grip and rose upright. Its scales retracted into its flesh, legs and feet sprouted, and it reverted to human form, his private areas concealed beneath a thick coat of long fur.
"Between one Saint and another, the difference can be astronomical."
Ling Jun looked down with a mocking remark, then turned back to Li Dongze. "Take this damned bastard and go secure the evidence."
Li Dongze nodded and hoisted the unconscious Master Wu.
Ling Jun then looked at Zhang Yuanqing, narrowing his eyes. "I've stuck my neck out for you on this case, but you'd better start thinking about how to explain to the Elders why you've been fraternizing with an evil profession."
*This slacker is terrifyingly strong...* Zhang Yuanqing remained in a state of shock.
A Level 4 Saint at maximum experience had looked utterly pathetic before him.
What was more, it was obvious Ling Jun hadn't even gone all out.
Right then, hurried footsteps sounded once more. Seven or eight Spirit Realm walkers, armed with firearms, swarmed into the hall.
Confronted by the utter devastation and Chi Yue'an sprawled limp on the ground, these official walkers froze in their tracks, exchanging glances of disbelief.
Chi Yue'an struggled to lift his head. When no one was paying attention to him, his lips moved toward his approaching subordinates, mouthing silent words:
*Save me. Otherwise, I'll spill everything you bastards have ever done.*
***
Dawn, at the pet shop.
The curly-haired poodle leaped onto the wooden desk. A potted plant on the desk extended tender green tendrils, voluntarily opening the laptop, powering it on, typing in the password, and logging into the voice conference software.
The poodle waited silently for over ten minutes until the meeting began.
In the virtual room, four avatars came online one after another.
Elder Gou cleared his throat with a composed cough to open the floor. "You've all seen the video evidence. Old Fire, Chi Yue'an is your subordinate. You decide how to deal with him."
The Elder whose avatar was a flame deity replied in a muffled, booming voice, "According to gang rules and Alliance regulations, he must die. My opinion is immediate execution. If it's inconvenient for you to carry it out, hand him back to me, and I'll handle him personally."
There were dozens of video recordings containing rape, gang rape, torture, and more. Even setting aside the other criminal evidence, these alone were enough to warrant the death penalty for Chi Yue'an.
"Just the death penalty and that's it?" The female Elder whose avatar was a river scoffed coldly.
"I reviewed Chi Yue'an's grand health check records. He exhibited extreme misogyny and violent tendencies. How could you turn a blind eye to such a psychological assessment? He should have been investigated long ago. As an Elder, you bear responsibility as well."
"Are you telling me how to run my business?" the Scarlet Fire Gang Elder snapped angrily.
For a Fire Master, misogyny and violent tendencies were par for the course. So long as one's mentality hadn't completely warped, there was no need for focused observation...
"Perhaps I can teach you some basic decency while I'm at it," the female Elder of Water God Palace replied darkly.
The Central Court Elder stepped in to smooth things over. "The video evidence must be submitted to the capital. I wonder how the involved officials in Shakou District will be handled."
The Scarlet Fire Gang Elder sneered. "Those without backing get smashed to death by the Great Sage's iron rod, while those with backing are merely reeled back in as mounts by their masters. Government politics aren't our concern. Let's focus on the Tongque Tower case."
Elder Gou said, "First item: Chi Yue'an backed organized crime syndicates, amassing over two billion in illicit wealth over the years, yet we haven't traced where the laundered funds went."
"You mean Chi Yue'an has someone behind him?" the White Tiger Battalion Elder asked after some deliberation.
"Just a suspicion," Elder Gou chuckled. "He was formerly a matrilocal son-in-law of the Zhu family."
"Just kill him and use spirit questioning," the Scarlet Fire Gang Elder said bluntly.
"Foolish. Executing a Deacon requires headquarters' approval. Headquarters' review and investigation take time," the Water God Palace Elder mocked.
Water and fire never mixed; the two Elders argued whenever they met for a conference and came to blows whenever they met in person.
Elder Gou continued, "Second item: several walker teams in Shakou District and Chi Yue'an have accused Yuanshi Tianzun of colluding with an evil profession and harming colleagues. Ling Jun and Kangyang District's Team Two have admitted that a Bewitching Demon was present at the scene."
The Scarlet Fire Gang Elder's voice deepened. "I checked the surveillance footage of Tongque Tower. The claim is true. What is his explanation?"
Elder Gou said, "The explanation Yuanshi Tianzun gave was: 'Punishing evil and promoting good.'"
"Punishing evil and promoting good..." the Water God Palace Elder murmured softly.
The Scarlet Fire Gang Elder snorted coldly. "An evasion! Regardless of the motive, associating with a bloodthirsty Bewitching Demon is an indelible stain on his record. According to Alliance regulations, private contact with an evil profession warrants expulsion from the Five Elements Alliance at best, and imprisonment or execution at worst.
"Considering he exposed Chi Yue'an's crimes, performed meritorious service, and holds Class A merit, my verdict is a major demerit and six months of imprisonment."
The White Tiger Battalion Elder immediately objected: "I oppose!"
A major demerit would derail Yuanshi Tianzun's promotions. Since Yuanshi Tianzun belonged to the White Tiger Battalion, he would never agree to it.
Elder Gou spoke up: "Allow me to clarify. That Bewitching Demon's older sister was one of the victims at Tongque Tower, murdered by Chi Yue'an two years ago. That was why he became a Bewitching Demon. Fu Qingyang has already taken him into custody and interrogated him; he has never killed an ordinary mortal."
Hearing this, the previously hesitant Water God Palace Elder made her stance known: "I oppose as well."
The Scarlet Fire Gang Elder and the Central Court Elder remained silent, refusing to yield.
The Five Elements Alliance had always shown zero tolerance toward members who colluded with outsiders, eliminating hidden Dark Night Rose operatives on sight.
A major demerit and six months of imprisonment was already quite lenient.
At that moment, the White Tiger Battalion Elder spoke: "Fu Qingyang has contacted me. He wishes to join our call."
A brief silence fell over the conference room before Elder Gou said, "Let him in."
The other three Elders raised no objections.
Ten-odd seconds later, Fu Qingyang's avatar appeared in the room. Unlike the Elders, whose avatars were elements related to their professions, Fu Qingyang used a photo of himself on every communication app.
"Elders, Yuanshi Tianzun is my man. Regarding his punishment, I have something to say."
Fu Qingyang's voice was neither servile nor overbearing, his pronunciation crisp and measured.
"Are you here to plead for him?" the Central Court Elder asked.
"I do not plead for anyone. I only state the facts," Fu Qingyang said calmly.
The young master of the Fu family had always paid mere lip service when respecting the Elders. After all, even the female Grand Marshal was trash in his eyes; everyone present was undoubtedly trash as well.
"First, I must report Yuanshi Tianzun's psychological evaluation: an idealist. At this stage, he should not be appointed to overly critical positions.
"Once you understand the man, you can find a logical thread running through his actions. That Bewitching Demon is named Kou Beiyue. Two years ago, his sister went missing without cause and was later murdered, which led him to become a Spirit Realm walker.
"His moral character is reasonably sound. He hasn't slaughtered the innocent, and he is far more orderly than many in orthodox professions. That is why an idealistic Yuanshi Tianzun crossed paths with him. And that is why Yuanshi Tianzun stepped in to help, leading to tonight's Tongque Tower incident.
"By the law, he was wrong. But in terms of reason and human sentiment, I do not believe he was at fault."
The Central Court Elder sighed. "For an enforcer of the law, idealism is not a good thing."
Fu Qingyang said blandly, "Good or bad aside, he is at least a good person. The Elders wouldn't disagree with that, would you?"
The five Elders said nothing, which served as tacit agreement.
Fu Qingyang continued eloquently:
"Yuanshi Tianzun's background and alignment are clean. Next, let us discuss how to handle this matter. Things have blown up to this scale; attempting to cover it up is impossible. We must issue a public notice to explain the situation to the various branches and headquarters.
"Chi Yue'an's actions have damaged the Five Elements Alliance's image both internally and externally. Therefore, we must downplay the negative, highlight the positive, and establish an exemplar. Respected Elders, none of you wish to be held accountable by headquarters, do you?"
The Water God Palace Elder chuckled. "Go on."
Fu Qingyang continued, "We can designate Chi Yue'an as a member of the Dark Night Rose who infiltrated the Five Elements Alliance to commit atrocities and extort wealth. All of this is the fault of the Dark Night Rose. What does it have to do with our Songhai Branch? We are victims too.
"The grand health check only just concluded. The Five Elements Alliance is well aware of the Dark Night Rose's infiltration and will readily accept this explanation. However, if we leave it at that, it still won't convince everyone, and accusations of negligence will be unavoidable.
"Therefore, we need to guide public opinion."
Elder Gou pondered for a moment. "Guiding public opinion is a sound idea. Share your thoughts."
"Following the grand health check, the Songhai Branch launched a decisive strike, dispatching Yuanshi Tianzun to investigate the Deacons. As expected, he rooted out a Dark Night Rose operative. Braving mortal danger alone to gather evidence, Yuanshi Tianzun survived numerous life-or-death crises before coordinating with Kangyang District's squad to destroy the den of thieves and capture the traitor."
Fu Qingyang laid it all out in one breath, concluding with utter seriousness:
"A scandal becomes a triumph. What do the Elders think?"
As for punishing Yuanshi Tianzun? Penalizing a hero would be slapping their own faces.
The conference room fell into immediate silence.
A moment later, Elder Gou gave a slight shake of his head. "Inappropriate!"
Fu Qingyang raised an eyebrow. "Where is the flaw?"
Elder Gou: "The headline is too long."
The other Elders maintained their silence.
Catching on at once, Fu Qingyang said, "I will have someone draft a new headline immediately. As soon as dawn breaks, it will be posted on the forum."
***
At eight in the morning.
The Songhai Branch published a post on the forum:
*#Dark Night Rose Pushes Too Far; Yuanshi Tianzun Single-Handedly Destroys Traitor Den#*
Chapter 162