Tiandu is the capital of Great Ming, home to countless offices and institutions. However, the main institution responsible for the security of Tiandu is not the Two Factories and a Guard, or the Guard Command Department, but a small institution: the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Department.
The Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Department, namely the Central, East, West, South, and North Cities Soldiers and Horses Command Department, is responsible for apprehending thieves in Tiandu, managing the streets and drains, and dealing with prisoners and fire prevention matters.
Although the commander of the Military Equipment Department is just a humble sixth-grade official, because they are in charge of Tiandu's security, they can be said to be high -ranking.
Pei Xuanjing was attacked. The boldness of the confrontation between the few people drew the attention of the patrolling Military Equipment Department at night.
When the commander who was on patrol tonight arrived, it was just when Pei Xuanjing was preparing to pursue the fleeing ax-wielding man in black.
Upon seeing the situation, the Military Equipment Department's commander immediately shouted: "Who are you, daring to kill in Tiandu without permission?
Pei Xuanjing's face went cold, feeling a strong malice from this man.
Given the circumstance, regardless of what had happened, judging from the appearance of both parties, it was clear that he was the victim and had been attacked.
Yet this commander of the Military Equipment Department seemingly turned a blind eye, without asking about the actual situation, accused him of murder.
Pei Xuanjing said coldly, "Someone tried to assassinate me. Two of them were killed in self-defense, and one escaped. I'm going to pursue them now."
With that, Pei Xuanjing tried to leave.
However, the commander still persisted, saying: "Regardless, killing in Tiandu without permission is a violation of the Tiandu prohibitions. You have to come with me to the Military Equipment
Department. As for the person who escaped, our Military Equipment Department will capture him." 'You?" said, Pei Xuanjing sneeringly.
Gazing at the current group of Military Equipment Department officials, aside from the commander's fourth -grade realm, the strongest amongst them was only a sixth-grade Martial Artist. How dare they say they can capture someone?
The man was indeed injured by him, but this ragtag group of fish and shrimp couldn't deal with him.
Upon hearing Pei Xuanjing•s tone of disdain, the expression of the commander became gloomy, and he threatened, "Are you disregarding my Military Equipment Department?"
Pei Xuanjing had just finished fighting, and his imposing aura had yet to dissipate. The boiling blood qi radiated all around, and the commander could clearly sense Pei Xuanjing's strength.
Nevertheless, he maintained his composure without showing any signs of backing down.
Even if Pei Xuanjing is a third-grade grandmaster, given his status, he would not fear him. He didn't believe Pei Xuanjing would dare to attack.
Pei Xuanjing was completely certain that this man was out to get him. Recalling the words of the man in black earlier, he started to suspect that this man was part of their backup plan. Otherwise, the street wouldn't be so miraculously empty.
However, due to lack of evidence, he couldn't assert this.
Still, he was already fed up with dealing with this man, so he coldly told him, "I'll only say this once, Step aside."
Pei Xuanjing was not one to be easily provoked. He did no harm as long as no harm was done to him. But if anyone dared to stand against him, they couldn't expect any mercy from him.
Since he had decided to kill these three assassins, he would never let the last one escape.
Seeing Pei Xuanjing's serious face, the commander of the Military Equipment Department also coldly replied, "What, are you going to revolt?"
He slapped another big crime onto Pei Xuanjing, intending to keep him here.
"Get out of my way!" Pei Xuanjing bellowed. His blood qi surged, creating a wave of energy that radiated in all directions from him. Those from the Military Equipment Department were all scattered.
And the commander of the Military Equipment Department, who had received Pei Xuanjing's special treatment, could only feel a force coming at him head -on. He stumbled back more than a dozen steps, struggling to breathe for a moment under Pei Xuanjing's imposing pressure. He had the feeling that if he tried to speak again, Pei Xuanjing might actually kill him.
However, Pei Xuanjing also maintained some rationale, knowing that he couldn't kill these people, or he would really be considered a rebel.
But a mere commander of the Military Equipment Department also dared to provoke him, so Pei Xuanjing had to teach him a lesson.
He took a lingering look at the commander of the Military Equipment Department, remembering his face. Then he began to pursue the man in black with a giant ax.
"Sir , what should we do?" A clerk approached the commander and asked.
Remembering the way Pei Xuanjing had looked at him as if he was dead, he felt a sense of unease.
This guy seemed hard to deal with; if he had known, he wouldn't have agreed to this job.
No one Imew the real names of these three men anymore. They were known as the Wolf Brothers. From the time they started making a name for themselves, they used aliases. The swordsman was called Cang Lang, the knife bearer was called Qing Lang, and the one who escaped was called Hei Lang.
"Pei Xuanjing, I swear I will not forget the enmity of today. One day, I will tear you to pieces and offer your corpse as a sacrifice to the spirits of my elder and younger brothers in heaven," Hei Lang, the one wielding an ax, gritted his teeth and declared.
The three brothers had been through thick and thin for decades, but today two of them were killed by Pei Xuanjing, leaving only Hei Lang to escape in disgrace. How could he not hate Pei Xuanjing to the bone, wishing to grind his bones into powder and scatter his ashes?
"Really?" came a mild voice.
"Of course." Halfway through his sentence, Hei Lang suddenly looked up to see Pei Xuanjing less than a dozen feet behind him, looking at him with a smile.
Since Pei Xuanjing had caught up with him here, it was clear what happened to Qing Lang.
"Pei Xuanjing," Hei Lang growled, glaring at Pei Xuanjing with murderous intent in his eyes.
Pei Xuanjing just stood there with a slight smile on his face, "There's no need to hate me so much. Who told you to bring doom upon yourselves?"
Bring doom upon themselves!
Upon hearing Pei Xuanjing's words, there was a fleeting look of sadness in Hei Lang's ruthless eyes, but it disappeared instantly.
He didn't say a word, just kept staring at Pei Xuanjing's every move.
Pei Xuanjing wasn't in a hurry to make a move, and said calmly, "Tell me who is behind you, and I'll leave your body intact."
Hei Lang looked at Pei Xuanjing as if he were an idiot and scoffed, "Do you think I'll tell you?"
Pei Xuanjing countered, "Don't you want the puppet masters to pay the price too? Or, if the person behind you is very powerful, you should let me take revenge, right? That will result in taking your life too, right?"
There is no denying that Pei Xuanjing is not a great negotiator; Hei Lang was not moved in the slightest.
"What I want the most, is to kill you myself! "
Just like Qing Lang, Hei Lang took an elixir from his pocket and swallowed it. His blood qi began to surge as he wielded his giant ax and attacked Pei Xuanjing..
Like a tiger descending from the mountain, Hei Wolf roared to the sky:
"Ahhhhh… Pei Xuanjing, I want you dead!" Boom!
His angry roar reverberated like a raging waterfall.
Visibly, his Blood Qi was boiling. His terrifying energy burst outward from him, pouring out in all directions, and the giant axe he wielded stirred up a fierce gale. He swung it towards Pei Xuanjing with all his might.
With a soft sigh, Pei Xuanjing seemed regretful about his failed attempt to persuade his foe.
Again, he drew the sword at his waist.
Clang!
The clear ringing of the sword was so crisp that even Hei Wolf's furious howling couldn't drown it out. His sharp air sword effortlessly pierced the gale.
Within the blink of an eye, Pei Xuanjing had already launched over a dozen sword strikes.
Thrust, lift, chop, hack, and cut; a variety of sword techniques flourished with ease. They overwhelmed the sound of the gale, leaving only the song of the sword between heaven and earth.
In a mere instant, he'd covered the dozen or so yards between them and his flurry of strikes rained down on Hei Wolf.
"What a flashy show! It'S just a stunt!"
Hei Wolf, his eyes burning red, unleashed a furious counterattack.
Clang, clang, clang…
Sword against axe, the clash resonated with the sound of steel striking steel.
During their fight, Pei Xuanjing repeatedly tried to uncover the identity of the mastermind behind his adversary, but to no avail.
Unruffled, Hei Wolf drowned out his words with a barrage of deadly axe swings, seeking to trap Pei Xuanjing in a deadly embrace.
A few rounds later, sensing others approaching, Pei Xuanjing ceased his inquiries.
"So be it, then. Time to die!"
Pei Xuanjing changed his sword technique.
Dharma Sword Skill!
After just a few moves, the other party was covered in fresh wounds, his clothes soaked in blood.
"Ah…" Even injured, Hei Wolf seemed to feel nothing. Fueled by madness, he acted recklessly, completely ignoring his own state.
With a leap, Pei Xuanjing rose into the air, the sword in his hand combined with his form to become one. The sword light shone as bright the rainbow.
His strike was pure, as blemishless as the azure sky and the white clouds. Striking from above, his sword descended with dazzling speed and a chilling aura, carrying a terrifying sharpness that was impossible to resist!
A flash of sword light hllrtled toward them at an angle. like a holt of lightning in the ski,'
Sky-bound Immortal!
Whoosh!
With one thrust, his sword pierced Hei Wolf's heart. The massive axe fell from his grip, and his eyes filled with regret, rage, and remorse.
"Since we've agreed to let you brothers reunite, I will not go back on my word."
Looking at the dead assassin, Pei Xuanjing's face was full of cold indifference.
This was all brought upon themselves. He would not show mercy nor should he to his enemies.
Swoosh!
Pei Xuanjing pulled out the Flowing Flame Sword, twisting his wrist slightly to flick off the blood. The blade once again became clean, though it appeared even more crimson now.
He didn't sheathe his sword, simply holding it as he turned his gaze to the distance.
A man of about thirty years old was approaching from far away, dressed in gray clothes, with a Goose Feather Blade hanging from his waist.
"Fu Changge of Six Gates greets Editor Pei." Fu Changge greeted him with a fist in palm salute.
The Six Gates originally referred to the collective term for the Ministry of Criminal Affairs, the Ducal Palace, and the court of the Three Judicial Departments. Later, they specifically established an institution called Six Gates, led by the chief of the Six Gates, who had jurisdiction over all the capturers within the Great Ming territory under the three departments.
And because he often dealt with the people in the pugilist world, even though he was a government official, Fu Changge had become accustomed to their way of greeting.
With a light expression, Pei Xuanjing said, "So it's the impartial and upright God Catcher Fu. I've heard much about you."
Apart from the chief capturer, the Six Gates is divided into Gold Badge, Silver Badge, Copper Badge, and Ordinary Capturer. The level of a capturer isn't solely dependent on one's strength but also their merit.
In addition to this, within the Six Gates, there are four renowned capturers—each known as the Four Great God Catchers.
The four titles were 'Impartial Supreme', 'Unbiased Justice', 'Immutable as a Mountain', and 'Iron-Faced Ruthless'. The man before him, Fu Changge, was the new holder of the title 'Impartial Supreme'.
The Four Great God Catchers could be of any badge level, but they had a unique privilege: they could bypass the chief capturer and report cases directly to the Three Judicial Departments.
"Editor Pei is polite; it's just a nominal title," Fu Changge laughed.
Seeing that Pei Xuanjing still seemed slightly defensive, he pointed to Hei Wolf's corpse and explained, "Editor Pei, I have come for these men."
The MO Bei trio, namely the Cang Wolf, Qing Wolf, and Hei Wolf brothers, were infamous for their acts of extreme brutality, committing innumerable atrocities, and had long been subject to bounty hunting by the Six Gates.
They originally resided far in MO Bei, and as long as they didn't enter the Great Ming territory, the Six Gates turned a blind eye.
However, three months ago, the trio suddenly invaded the Great Ming territory, heading straight for Tiandu. Fu Changge received the news and had been tracking them since.
What he didn't expect was that they came to assassinate Pei Xuanjing and were killed by him in return.
"I see." Pei Xuanjing nodded, then sheathed his sword, "I hope God Catcher Fu can understand."
He originally hoped to investigate the mastermind behind these three men through their invested identities, but after hearing about the identities of these men from Fu Changge, he knew this lead would be hard to track.
The mastermind behind the scenes had gone to great lengths to summon these three men from MO Bei; they were definitely part of a meticulous plan. Any clues left behind had likely been thoroughly cleared, and finding any further leads would not be easy.
Fu Changge shook his head, "Editor Pei is just being cautious after experiencing such a situation, it's only human nature. No need for apology."
He pointed to Hei Wolf's corpse and said, "Editor Pei's slaying of these men has greatly aided me, sparing me much effort."
Pei Xuanjing said, "It seems that God Catcher Fu already knows about what just happened…"
Fu Changge, having arrived from where Pei Xuanjing had slain the other two men, had some understanding of the situation and knew what Pei Xuanjing was asking. "The Military Equipment Department has handed this case over to Six Gates, and that young man has been sent back to the Martial Academy by my men."
Pei Xuanjing nodded his head, listening as Fu Changge continued, "This time you killed these three, we'll need your cooperation in detailing this situation. But as it'S getting late today, I'll personally bring people to visit you tomorrow. As for the reward for these three men, after the case is closed, I will urge my men to send these things to the Martial Academy."
Pei Xuanjing nodded and then crouched down to search the body of Hei Wolf, finding his Cultivation Techniques, Martial Studies secrets, and some silver banknotes.
Earlier, he had collected similar items from the other two men, so he deduced that Hei Wolf would also carry the same.
After all, for these criminals, carrying these important items themselves would be the safest method.
Without checking them, he stuffed the newfound techniques into his pocket along with the others he had collected.
"In that case, I will await your visit, God Catcher Fu, at the Martial Academy."
With that, Pei Xuanjing turned and left..