Zhishan stood right beside Chen Dalu. Although a sixth-rank Master of Refinement, even he was caught unprepared by Zhou Wuji's sudden sword strike.
Mainly, it had never occurred to him that Zhou Wuji would stab Chen Dalu with a sword—there was simply no need for it.
Furthermore, Zhou Wuji's thrust had come both abruptly and with blinding speed.
By the time he realized something was amiss, the Seven Stars Sword had already pierced Chen Dalu's chest.
Zhishan's expression darkened. He felt Zhou Wuji was far too fond of killing, daring to execute Chen Dalu in broad daylight.
Yet a sixth-rank Master of Refinement possessed remarkably keen senses. He immediately noticed that something was off—Zhou Wuji's blade had not penetrated deeply and did not appear to have truly damaged Chen Dalu's heart.
Zhou Wuji had no intention of killing Chen Dalu either. The man was far too important; should he kill him in full view of the public, he could not bear the consequences.
This strike aimed straight for Chen Dalu's Gu insect. Zhou Wuji did not know what the creature was called, but under the lock of the Golden Light Incantation, it had been compressed into a ball, coiled tightly against Chen Dalu's heart.
Relying on his exquisitely subtle swordplay, Zhou Wuji guided the blade to strike the Gu insect's body with unerring precision.
Before the insect could react, Zhou Wuji flicked his sword tip and scooped it out.
A five-colored small serpent enveloped in golden light tumbled through the air. Zhou Wuji twisted the Seven Stars Sword in his hand.
The demon-slaying magic power within the Seven Stars Sword was unleashed, and in a flash of brilliant sword light, it ground the Gu insect into dust.
Already suppressed by the Golden Light Incantation and now shattered by the demon-slaying magic power, its life force was extinguished on the spot.
Zhou Wuji glanced at the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment. Another Gu insect had been recorded, convertible into three liang nine qian of Primordial Profound Essence.
There were now four Gu insects recorded in the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment. Among them, the Gu insect from Chen Hao, whom he had just slain, could also be converted into three liang six qian of Primordial Profound Essence.
However, Chen Dalu's mother Gu yielded merely three liang nine qian, which hardly matched his stature as a sixth-rank Gu master!
Zhou Wuji found it peculiar. He glanced at Chen Dalu, whose eyes were filled with ferocity and rage, though his aura was considerably weakened.
Slaying the Gu insect had taken a severe toll on Chen Dalu, but fortunately, it would not cost him his life.
Back then, Chen Dagou had attempted to gouge out his own Gu insect to survive. Zhou Wuji was certain that a Gu master would not die simply from losing their Gu!
Having figured out the relationship between a Gu insect and its master, Zhou Wuji acted without hesitation.
This move not only netted him three liang nine qian of Primordial Profound Essence for free, but also weakened Chen Dalu's strength—killing two birds with one stone!
It was just that the weight of the Gu insect felt off, though he could hardly say anything about it...
The three experts—Zhang Shiheng, Zhiyuan, and Zhishan—could all tell Chen Dalu was in dire straits, but not mortally wounded.
None of them thought deeply of it, merely assuming Zhou Wuji had done it to sap Chen Dalu's combat power.
Zhang Shiheng snorted coldly, while Zhiyuan actually smiled. "Wuji destroying the Gu insect can also be seen as saving the Commander some trouble."
With the Gu insect of a sixth-rank Gu master, outsiders could never predict what sudden changes it might bring.
With Chen Dalu's Gu insect eliminated, all he had left was his raw martial strength.
The Pacification Office specialized in suppressing experts of all factions and possessed vast experience in this regard; there was no way they would let Chen Dalu escape.
Zhang Shiheng was in an exceedingly foul mood. Zhiyuan had hosted the banquet specifically to lure Chen Dalu out, yet Zhang Shiheng had proactively seized the role of host, only to walk straight into Zhiyuan's calculations.
It was as though he had dealt with Chen Dalu with his own hands, pruning away this vital supporter!
He had swallowed far too bitter a loss in silence; the more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt.
Unable to fully contain his displeasure, Zhang Shiheng said with a sullen face, "Abbot, do you have any evidence you can show me now?"
Zhiyuan nodded to Zhishan. Zhishan brought out a jade bead and channeled magic power into it, projecting the image of the altar from the mystic realm into the air.
Everyone on the third floor of Yunjiang Tower saw it with utmost clarity: a crude, rough altar with hundreds of human heads stacked together.
Seeing this, most of the Pacification Office men turned pale with grim expressions.
Holding an office in the Pacification Office was one thing; actually going out into the field to battle and arrest criminals was entirely another.
Many Pacification Office officials lived lives of pampered luxury, usually using their positions to extort bribes and freeload; when had they ever witnessed such a gruesome, bloody scene?
By comparison, the numerous corpses lying strewn across the floor here suddenly seemed trivial.
Though still seething with rage, Zhang Shiheng calmed down at this moment.
The Daoist Water Mirror Technique was widely renowned. Of course, what the Water Mirror Technique displayed could also be some kind of illusion.
Yet he believed Zhiyuan was not so foolish; what he saw had to be real.
When Zhiyuan spoke of a blood sacrifice of hundreds of people, hearing the words was one thing, but seeing the actual scene projected before him shook Zhang Shiheng deeply as well.
Zhang Shiheng cast a cold glance at Chen Dalu. This fellow had truly brought ruin upon himself—there was no saving him!
Chen Dalu remained fully conscious. Upon seeing the projection of the Water Mirror Technique, his face instantly turned the color of ash.
Losing to Zhiyuan would not kill him, and having his Five Dragons mother Gu gouged out would not kill him, but now that the blood sacrifice was exposed, he was dead without a doubt!
Matters having reached this point, Zhang Shiheng had nothing left to say. He could only lead his subordinates away, taking Chen Dalu into custody.
As for the Five Dragons Gang experts who had perished, though Zhou Wuji had been ruthless in his slaughter, no charges could be pressed against him for it.
After all, these scoundrels were guilty of monstrous atrocities; striking them down on the spot was a thoroughly gratifying deed!
Even if the matter were reported upward, the authorities might even commend Zhou Wuji.
Zhang Shiheng said, "I must trouble Master to come to the Pacification Office yamen to draft the case dossier."
When an incident of such magnitude occurred, witness testimony had to be documented, and the full context and sequence of events needed to be compiled into a dedicated dossier with meticulous records.
Zhiyuan nodded. This was standard procedure; even if Zhang Shiheng had not brought it up, he would still prepare the dossier to submit to the Celestial Master Mansion.
Only after the Pacification Office contingent had departed did Zhiyuan speak to Zhou Wuji: "Although these people were heinous criminals, you should not have taken such personal risks. There would have been others to deal with them."
Knowing the abbot spoke with good intentions, Zhou Wuji obediently nodded and accepted the instruction.
Seeing Zhou Wuji's well-mannered and compliant demeanor, Zhiyuan actually sighed inwardly. This lad had both brains and talent, yet his methods were simply too brutal.
While the Daoist path did not forbid taking life, striking to kill every time one drew a sword, as Zhou Wuji did, would inevitably draw criticism.
Though he wished to wield Zhou Wuji as a sharp blade, he did not want Zhou Wuji to drown in slaughter either.
Zhiyuan offered a few more words of admonition before calling Daoist Yiding over, instructing him to lead men in clearing away the numerous corpses.
Capturing Chen Dalu resolved a major problem.
However, the Five Dragons Gang still commanded thousands of boatmen, intricately tied to the livelihoods of countless people.
Settling this matter properly would be no easy feat.
If the Five Dragons Gang were pushed to gather in protest or even incite an open rebellion, Zhang Shiheng would certainly bear heavy responsibility, but Zhiyuan would not escape blame either.
Zhiyuan said to Daoist Yiping and Zhou Wuji, "In a moment, the two of you will accompany me to the Pacification Office yamen."
Zhishan spoke up from the side: "You performed admirably in this assessment. I shall submit my report to the Celestial Master Mansion. Once the Celestial Master Mansion verifies and approves it, you will receive your ordination certificate in about two months."
Zhou Wuji bowed and made a Daoist salute, expressing his gratitude to Abbot Zhiyuan and Zhishan.
The Pacification Office yamen was located in the western quarter of the city. The stone archway at the entrance was grand and imposing, bearing three large characters: Pacification Office.
On the left and right sides were inscribed respectively: "Impartial and Stern" and "Perceiving the Finest Detail."
Beyond the archway lay an interconnected series of spacious courtyards; in addition to the administrative halls, there appeared to be expansive residential quarters.
One could hardly spot any idlers here. Everyone coming and going was neatly attired, whether officials or merchants, with not a single destitute person in sight.
Zhou Wuji glanced around, committing the layout of the surrounding architecture to memory as best he could.
The Zhang family was overbearing and aggressive. He might very well have business to handle here in the future, so familiarizing himself with the terrain beforehand was always wise.
His divine sense was growing increasingly potent, and having a basic understanding of architectural layout, he gained a solid grasp of the surroundings simply by riding past.
The people of the Pacification Office treated Zhou Wuji with great courtesy. An agent was specially assigned to accompany him, guiding him on formatting requirements and other details for drafting the dossier.
Zhou Wuji knew full well that this was out of respect for Zhiyuan. Were he here alone, the Pacification Office would never treat him with such polite consideration.
Zhiyuan was thoroughly experienced; he reviewed Zhou Wuji's written statement and had him revise a few improper points to prevent leaving any leverage for others to exploit.
Only after confirming there were no issues did Zhiyuan allow Zhou Wuji to sign and press his thumbprint.
Zhiyuan had no desire to linger at the Pacification Office, immediately leading Zhou Wuji back to the lower abbey once business was concluded.
Zhiyuan instructed Zhou Wuji, "The Pacification Office will handle what follows. Stay in the lower abbey these days and do not go outside, lest trouble arise."
Zhou Wuji nodded in compliance.
In truth, he was quite eager to go see Old Dragon Island.
Those scoundrels of the Five Dragons Gang all deserved death, and with how swift his sword was, he was uniquely suited for the task.
Not that he was coveting the rewards from the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment...
Having operated for decades, who knew how much family wealth the Five Dragons Gang had accumulated!
What a pity, what a pity—this windfall would inevitably fall into the hands of the Pacification Office...
Still feeling uneasy, Zhiyuan said with heartfelt earnestness, "You stole all the spotlight today. To say nothing of others, even Zhang Shiheng looks upon you with displeasure."
He already knew Zhou Wuji's swordplay was extraordinary, but witnessing Zhou Wuji cut down the Five Dragons Gang's experts with his own eyes and even pierce Chen Dalu's mother Gu right before Zhang Shiheng's face had left him deeply shaken.
Such decisive, slaughtering methods were far too sharp and ruthless.
He feared even Zhang Shiheng had developed a sense of wary apprehension toward Wuji, to say nothing of the other Pacification Office officials present.
The methods of the Pacification Office were anything but ordinary; one had to remain vigilant against them.
Furthermore, this Five Dragons Gang affair involved countless conflicting interests. If Zhou Wuji recklessly involved himself without understanding the waters, he might not even know how he died.
Knowing Zhiyuan harbored good intentions, Zhou Wuji said earnestly, "I will stay right in Feixuan Hall and go nowhere. I will certainly not invite trouble upon myself."
Zhiyuan smiled. "It is good that you understand the reasoning. Now that you have passed the assessment, rest easy and wait for your ordination certificate."
Seeing that Zhiyuan was in high spirits, Zhou Wuji could not resist asking, "Abbot, I have heard that the sword arts of the Yuheng lineage are wondrous and profound. Do I have any chance of learning them?"
Zhiyuan pondered for a moment before sighing softly. "The secret arts of each lineage are never taught outside. To learn the secret arts of another lineage, one must either become a true disciple of the sect master or render great meritorious service to the sect..."
Zhiyuan detested the infighting among the seven lineages; it was practically the root cause of the Arctic Sect's decline.
Human talents came in varied forms: some excelled in the sword, some in alchemy, and others in crafting talismans.
The Arctic Sect's seven lineages each possessed their own legacy of secret arts, which originally could have been taught according to individual aptitude.
Yet the internal strife forced everyone to choose the secret arts of only one lineage. By the time disciples discovered where their true talents lay, they could no longer cultivate the arts of the other branches.
In the early days when talent flourished, these issues had seemed negligible.
With the passage of time, the drawbacks of this flaw grew ever more severe, ultimately leading to the sect's talent withering away.
However, the grievances among the seven lineages ran deep with a long history, not something a few individuals could ever change.
Zhiyuan had clear self-awareness; as a fifth-rank Scripture Master, he held little sway even in the upper abbey.
How could the problems of the seven lineages' infighting be his place to manage? The internal intricacies were complicated, impossible to explain in a few words, and even less appropriate to discuss with a junior like Wuji.
Zhiyuan spoke vaguely for a few moments before quickly taking his leave.
When Zhou Wuji returned to Feixuan Hall, Shangxing and Yang Tieying rushed out to meet him. Shangxing was quick-tongued and sweet, heaping flattery upon him the moment he stepped forward: "I heard Martial Uncle routed the Five Dragons Gang experts at Yunjiang Tower, scaring the Pacification Office crowd so bad they nearly pissed their pants!
"With this battle, Martial Uncle has greatly raised the prestige of our lower abbey, letting the world know that Martial Uncle's divine sword is without equal..."
Zhou Wuji chuckled aloud. Though the boy's flattery was blunt, it was genuinely satisfying to hear.
Yang Tieying wanted to offer a few words of praise for his master as well, but being clumsy with words and somewhat embarrassed, he flushed red and only managed to squeeze out: "Master is a badass!"
Zhou Wuji burst into even louder laughter...
Chapter 103