Bureau Director Lei spotted Guan Yuming as he came over. Like the Disposal Bureau, the Esoteric Cult Examination Bureau had relatively few dealings with the surrounding departments.
However, as fellow officials of the municipal administration, they naturally knew each other. He nodded in Guan Yuming's direction and raised a hand, signaling for the Examination Bureau personnel behind him to hold back for a moment—clearly showing respect to the constabulary and Guan Yuming.
Guan Yuming nodded in return. The deputy behind him called out coldly, "Who is in charge here? Someone with authority step forward!"
The Wei family's butler gestured behind his back. Someone who understood the signal immediately slipped off toward the workshop, while the butler walked over to Guan Yuming. Stopping before him, he replied, "I am temporarily in charge here. How may I be of service to you officers?"
The deputy said, "We received reports that a large group of armed individuals is illegally possessing firearms here and intending to harm Wuyi students. Is this true?"
The butler smiled. "How could that be? Someone must be spreading nonsense. Officers, you certainly shouldn't give credence to such rumors."
Their arrangements were meticulous. None of the people outside carried guns; at most, they held crossbows, which was permitted for a security company. As for those bearing firearms inside, some possessed temporary carry permits issued by the Municipal Administration, which was completely aboveboard.
And as for harming Wuyi students, that was absolutely out of the question. It hadn't happened back then, and it wouldn't happen now.
Before the constabulary could press further, the butler turned proactively to Bureau Director Lei and greeted, "Bureau Director Lei, might I ask what brings your esteemed self here as well?"
Director Lei said, "The Examination Bureau received a report that an esoteric cult ritual was being conducted illicitly in this vicinity. Since everyone in our bureau draws a government salary, we must honor our duty. We cannot turn a blind eye."
The butler hastened to say, "Director Lei, it must be a misunderstanding. There are no esoteric cult rituals here."
Those cult diagrams were indeed troublesome. They truly hadn't expected Lei Guangcheng to personally investigate this matter, especially since they had already bribed the relevant channels.
Moreover, the lookouts posted at the major intersections hadn't sent word, which meant Lei Guangcheng had likely bypassed the city from the outside and approached from the west. That explained why he had appeared from a different road; he had clearly come specifically for them. All the butler could do now was stall for time so the people inside could quickly clean up.
Director Lei looked at him, his voice flat and steady. "Whether there are or not, we will know once we inspect the premises."
The butler took a step forward and reminded him, "Director Lei, this is private industrial property..."
Director Lei replied, "By national decree, when apprehending cultists, all individuals and organizations are required to cooperate unconditionally. Uninvolved personnel, step aside. If nothing is found, I will submit myself for disciplinary action from my superiors. Step aside."
Guan Yuming glanced at his deputy, who held up a warrant in his hand and barked, "This is a search warrant from the constabulary. All constables, heed my order: if anyone present resists or obstructs, shoot to kill on sight!"
"Yes, Sir!"
The constables behind him shouted in unison, raising their firearms and leveling the dark muzzles straight ahead.
While they had been talking, most of the constables had already dispersed to their tactical positions, encircling the entire compound. Behind them, men were setting up roadblocks, clearly intending to let no one escape.
The butler said nothing more, retreating quietly to the side. He had done everything he could and was powerless to stop what was coming next. He could only pray the young master would wrap things up swiftly upon receiving word.
Once the security personnel obediently backed away, a large detachment of constables rushed toward the workshop. First, they secured every major entrance and established firing positions before ordering men forward to open the entrance.
Two security guards stepped forward, and the wide rolling shutter door was slowly raised, allowing the morning sun of early summer to stream inside.
The constables immediately surged inward, but when their eyes fell upon the scene within, their footsteps faltered and slowed.
Chen Chuan stood quietly in the very center of the workshop. In one hand he held the Xuejun Saber, already sheathed, resting against the floor beside him. His suit was pristine, completely unstained by dust or gore. The morning sunlight pouring in from outside illuminated his figure, casting long shadows across the floor behind him.
Across the surrounding floor, the steel platforms, the walkways, and the catwalks—as far as the eye could see—lay severed limbs and mangled corpses. Hardly a single intact body remained.
The blood pooling down, not yet fully dried, mingled with the painted diagrams on the floor, coursing along their patterns as though radiating outward from beneath where he stood.
The constables were stunned. Though the vast majority were military veterans who had seen the bloodiest carnage the battlefield had to offer, a sight like this was genuinely unprecedented for them. Involuntarily, they raised their weapons and aimed them at Chen Chuan.
Some of the constables recognized Chen Chuan. Upon spotting him, they pushed down their comrades' gun barrels at once and whispered a few hurried words.
Upon hearing this, the constables lowered their muzzles one after another. Then, acting as if they hadn't seen him, they fanned out around the area to secure the scene.
The deputy walked into the workshop right behind them. Spotting Chen Chuan unharmed, a smile immediately broke across his face. But when he took in the severed bodies littering the ground, he froze in shock, almost thinking he had walked into a slaughterhouse. Reacting swiftly, his expression hardened, and he turned around to instruct, "Tell the boys to haul the corpses out as quickly as possible. No photographs allowed."
The constable beside him saluted and acknowledged the order at once.
The constabulary coroner waiting outside received the call and walked in carrying his toolkit. Sweeping his gaze around, he murmured to himself, "Haven't seen a spectacle like this in a long time."
Pulling on his gloves, he noticed Wei Jun propped against a steel pillar—mainly because this was the only relatively intact corpse in the entire area.
Wei Jun's hands were clamped in a death grip around the steel pillar, his mouth agape, eyes rolled back, his body locked in a backward arch. His dying expression remained frozen on his face, as though he had witnessed the most horrifying terror imaginable.
In the end, he had already lost consciousness; ordinarily, one could not choke oneself to death. Yet even after falling unconscious, the mutated tissues in his body, driven by some unknown power, had continued to exert force until life was completely snuffed out.
The coroner saw at a glance that he had died of suffocation, but this manner of death... hm, seemed vaguely familiar, as if he had encountered it somewhere before. After studying it for a few moments, he led his apprentices to inspect the mangled corpses strewn across the floor.
Having finished searching inside and out, the constables came over and saluted the deputy. "Reporting, Sir. We have recovered a large number of firearms, but ownership cannot be verified at this time."
The deputy nodded understandingly. Given the situation here, identifying who was who was indeed extraordinarily difficult.
After waiting half an hour, the coroner returned following a preliminary examination and reported to the deputy:
"Except for one student, not a single person in the entire workshop survived. Most died of blade wounds, and based on the force and angles, they were killed by the same individual. A small minority died from attacks by an unidentified combat creature. In addition, the remains of two wrecked combat creatures were found on the scene..."
As the deputy listened to the report, he couldn't help glancing toward Chen Chuan, his eyes brimming with shock. Before arriving, he had never imagined encountering such a scene.
After consulting with the constabulary, the personnel from the Esoteric Cult Examination Bureau brought out packets of powder and scattered them around. Soon, the occult patterns on the floor grew distinct and vivid, as though they had just been freshly painted.
They began photographing the patterns one by one, while designated personnel used scrapers to peel away the paint, sealing the samples into prepared evidence bags.
Guan Yuming had been waiting outside all along. Once the deputy had sorted out the situation, he came out and reported the findings to him. Listening impassively, Guan Yuming pondered for a moment, then took the initiative to walk into the workshop.
He walked straight up to Chen Chuan, looked him over, and said in a low voice, "Student Chen, come back with us. You are the sole survivor here; we need you to provide a clear account of what happened."
Chen Chuan nodded. "Director Guan, I will cooperate."
Guan Yuming raised a hand and patted his shoulder. It was enough that Chen Chuan understood his meaning.
None of the dead were of trivial background, and this matter would not be easily wrapped up. Fortunately, he had cordoned off the scene, so word had not leaked out yet. Once they reached the constabulary, they could place Chen Chuan under protection first; everything else could be dealt with later.
Truth be told, before arriving today, he had never expected such an outcome. He could not help marveling inwardly: it seemed the sky was about to fall over Yangzhi City.
The butler was waiting outside in agony. The constabulary officers blocked him from entering, leaving him entirely in the dark about what had transpired inside. When he saw severed, mangled bodies being carried out one after another, all color drained from his face. In sheer panic, he rushed forward, crying, "Young Master! Young Master, where are you?!"
The members of the Fenxin Society had also been kept outside, deeply worried about the situation within. Now, they too watched corpse after corpse being carried out.
Though "carried" was hardly the right word—most of the bodies were incomplete, and there was no way to piece them together on site. They were simply piled onto stretchers and borne away. Once outside, remains that seemed to belong together were bagged into the same body bag, to be transported to the constabulary for processing.
As stretcher after stretcher was carried past, they craned their necks in tense scrutiny. Mutual Aid Society... Mutual Aid Society... another from the Mutual Aid Society!
Anyone could tell that an exceptionally brutal battle had taken place inside the workshop. Just what in the world had happened?
Standing beside Shu Han, Shen Shao suddenly thought of a possibility. Hesitating, he said, "Look... could it be Chen Chuan who... huh? Could it be?"
"Could it... could it be...?"
The same possibility dawned upon the other members of the Fenxin Society. Some began trembling with excitement, yet the notion seemed far too surreal, far too inconceivable. For the moment, they dared not believe it.
Just then, a shout rang out from the distance: "That corpse is our young master! You can't take him away!"
The man moving the body was an Examination Bureau officer. He replied, "My apologies. As this corpse is suspected of having died in an esoteric cult ritual, bureau regulations require us to take it in for investigation."
The butler yelled, "Do you have any idea who he is?! He is the heir to the Wei Consortium!"
The Examination Bureau officer sneered, "Shouting that loud, I thought he was the heir to Molan Company." He raised a hand. "Take him away!"
The butler tried to step forward and stop them, but the Examination Bureau personnel unceremoniously landed two heavy punches on him, knocking him to the ground. Pointing at him, the officer warned, "First warning. Obstruct official business again and you will be treated as a cultist." With that, they departed with the body.
Watching this unfold, a member of the Fenxin Society murmured, "That was Wei Jun..."
"Wei Jun is dead too?"
The Fenxin Society members felt as if they were dreaming. Wei Jun had been one of the primary culprits behind the murder of Shen Zheng years ago. They had hated him with every fiber of their being, yet they had been utterly powerless against him. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined he would die here today.
"Good riddance!" one member spat in righteous fury.
"Yes! Serves him right!"
The surrounding Fenxin Society members nodded vigorously, pumping their clenched fists. It felt as though a pent-up resentment they had harbored deep in their chests for years had finally been vented.
Just then, a sharp-eyed member noticed something and pointed excitedly toward the workshop. "Look! It's Chen Chuan! Chen Chuan is coming out! He's fine!"
Everyone hurried to look.
Chen Chuan held the Xuejun Saber in one hand and the case in the other. Flanked by an escort of constables, he walked out alongside Guan Yuming.
With the sun climbing higher, the morning daylight grew increasingly brilliant, bestowing a gentle warmth upon anyone it touched. The trees flanking the road, which had loomed dark and menacing the night before, now rustled softly in the breeze, displaying a canopy of verdant green.
Standing beneath the morning light, Chen Chuan took a deep breath of fresh air. Though he hadn't slept a wink all night, his eyes remained exceedingly bright and clear.
He noticed the Fenxin Society members standing behind the cordon, watching him with fervor. He realized at once that they must have rushed here upon hearing news of his situation.
Though they had had their differences in the past, their willingness to show up when he faced potential danger proved their intentions to help were genuine.
He gave the Fenxin Society members a nod, then strode forward and got straight into Guan Yuming's private car. As the car door clicked shut and the vehicle started up, an escort of armed patrol cruisers fell in behind, heading off toward the Quanzhou District constabulary headquarters.
The Fenxin Society students watched his departure with bated breath, but their excitement soon gave way to worry for Chen Chuan.
The deaths of the Mutual Aid Society members were clearly linked to him—would he be held liable? Backing these students was a colossal web of power and influence; merely dwelling on it was enough to make one shudder.
Someone immediately suggested, "Let's go find the academy instructors! We need them to intervene! We absolutely cannot let the powers behind the Mutual Aid Society twist the facts however they please!"
"Right!"
"Exactly!"
"Let's head back first!"
Having reached an agreement, the Fenxin Society members dispersed to their cars and drove away from the scene.
In the open lot before the workshop, the Wei family butler scrambled shakily to his feet. Clutching a security guard who helped him up, he wheezed feebly, "The radio... hurry, get the radio out! Send a message to the master... tell him... the young master... and his classmates... something terrible has happened to all of them..."
Chapter 186