Chapter 246 - 240: Siege

Chapter 246: Chapter 240: Siege

Fu Juemin gently wiped the mud from its surface with his fingertip, revealing a luster beneath that was almost as good as new.

This was an exquisite gold ring with Western-style enamel. Its fashionable design was clearly a recent woman’s style. There was no engraving on the inside of the band, only a few faint scratches from wear.

"Where was this ring found?"

He asked Xu Hengjiang.

Xu Hengjiang glanced at it and replied, "It must have belonged to the female corpse that was blown apart. It was swept in with the rest of the debris during the cleanup."

A glint appeared in Fu Juemin’s eyes.

He had never looked deeply into the "bride’s" origins before, simply assuming she was an ancient corpse that had sunk to the riverbed years ago and had a deep connection to the demon.

But now, he discovered the truth seemed to be the exact opposite. This female corpse might have died only recently. In life, she was likely a young lady from a wealthy family who might have even received a Western-style education.

’This is the kind of ring only a woman who has been to the Western World would appreciate... How on earth did she become the water monkey’s bride?’

The thought flashed through Fu Juemin’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it.

The woman’s body was already dust. Investigating the matter further was pointless.

Fu Juemin casually tossed the ring back onto the tray of debris. He pointed at the charred and twisted limbs and fragments before him and ordered in a flat tone, "Wash them, have Gu Shouyu preserve them in a jar of formalin, and send them to Ink Garden."

’This fight with the water monkey can’t have been for nothing. There must be some spoils of war.’

’An arm and half a leg, turned into a specimen for my room. It’ll be a nice souvenir—at the very least, it will remind me that the creature still owes me the other half.’

"Keep tracking it."

Fu Juemin then ordered Xu Hengjiang, "Send more men to coordinate with Shen Yijun’s Demon Hunting Team and search along the river. Since it’s so heavily injured, it must have a hiding place somewhere."

The dismembered Old Turtle Spirit had been sent in its entirety to Shen Yijun.

The value of this Old Turtle far exceeded any of Fu Juemin and Shen Yijun’s previous trades. As for what to ask for in return... Fu Juemin hadn’t decided yet.

In any case, a "Human Pill" was out of the question. He may have created his own Demon Martial Arts, but he would never resort to "cultivating by eating people"!

After lingering on Du Mountain for several days through a series of commotions, even Fu Juemin felt somewhat fatigued.

Upon returning to Ink Garden, he immediately went into seclusion. Only by quickly regenerating the drop of Innate Primordial Liquid he had lost could he regain his sense of security.

.....

「Shenghai, Sixteen Wharves Pier.」

Even in the first month of the new year, Sixteen Wharves Pier was still bustling with activity.

Although large-scale overseas trade had been suspended, the sampans and cargo ships plying the inland rivers and coastal routes were still a constant stream of traffic, keeping the boatmen and laborers busy.

The sounds of work shanties, hawkers’ cries, and the hiss of steam mixed with the damp, fishy air. In many places, remnants of couplets and red lanterns from New Year’s Eve still hung.

"BANG—!"

Suddenly, a gunshot shattered the peace on the pier.

Before cries of alarm could erupt, a large detachment of police officers in black uniforms had already flooded the pier like a tide.

Their uniforms were immaculate and they were well-equipped, a stark contrast to the typically lax appearance of the Patrol Office. Every one of them moved with the cold, hard discipline of a well-trained soldier.

The officers had a clear objective, making a beeline for the passenger ferry waiting area. At almost the same instant, seven or eight passengers in different outfits burst from the crowd, drew their guns, and opened fire!

Soon, the pier was filled with the sound of frequent gunfire, gasps of shock, cries of pain, and the frantic patter of running feet... It was utter chaos.

Not far from the chaos, a group of people stood quietly, watching the gunfight and chase with cold detachment.

The man in the lead was impeccably dressed, with fair skin and meticulously combed hair.

Someone recognized him. It was the director of the Southern Country Special Operations Bureau, who had been appearing frequently in the papers recently, as well as the new chief of the Shenghai Hua Realm Public Security Bureau—Nan Xiangcheng.

Rumor had it that the former chief, He Renli, had died at his hands.

With such a ruthless man at work, the onlookers dared not say a word. They all backed away, only daring to cast fearful glances from a distance.

Whether in numbers, equipment, or individual skill, the pursued were no match for the officers in black. Within moments, all seven or eight of them had been shot down and killed on the spot.

Only one man was left alive—a young man in a Zhongshan suit, his head covered in blood. He was dragged before Nan Xiangcheng, clearly having been spared for interrogation.

"Director."

The leader of the black-clad officers, a sinister-looking middle-aged man, reported to Nan Xiangcheng in a cold tone, "We made a mistake. It’s not the real Fang Wenqi."

"They deliberately leaked their movements to lure us here."

After hearing the report, Nan Xiangcheng calmly bent down. He looked at the young man struggling on his knees before him, his tone almost gentle. "Tell me, where is your Ming Society’s representative from Yue Province, Fang Wenqi, now? Which route did he take to leave Shenghai?

You’re still young, in the prime of your life, with a bright future ahead of you.

Don’t throw your life away for nothing over some vain and unrealistic ideals..."

The young man struggled to lift his head. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before his lips moved, and he spoke in a weak voice, "You... come closer. I’ll only tell you."

"Alright."

Nan Xiangcheng leaned in with a smile, but a savage look suddenly contorted the blood-covered young man’s face as he lunged forward with all his might!

"BANG!"

The officers at his sides reacted in a flash, slamming him back down to the ground.

Unable to break free, he could only strain to lift his head and spit a mouthful of thick blood right in Nan Xiangcheng’s face!

"Hahaha..."

The young man lay on the ground and roared with laughter, his voice hoarse but filled with savage glee. "Tell you? I’ll tell you where to stick it!

Representative Fang has probably left the city by now! You dumb pigs can just stay here and waste your time!"

His taunts turned into a curse spat through gritted teeth. "Nan, you bastard, just wait! When I become a Fierce Ghost, I’ll come for you! I’ll eat your heart, drink your blood, and chew on your flesh..."

Nan Xiangcheng, his face spattered with blood, showed no anger. He simply stood up slowly and gave a casual wave of his hand.

"BANG!"

With a single, clean gunshot, the cursing stopped abruptly. The acrid smell of blood filled the air.

Nan Xiangcheng took a snow-white handkerchief from his coat pocket, removed his glasses, and began to wipe them slowly.

Just then, several young men and women dressed as students stepped out from the crowd of onlookers, their faces full of outrage as they shouted, "What crime did he commit? How dare you murder someone in the street!"

"Mr. Mingyi is in Shenghai right now, yet you’re rounding up and killing members of the Ming Society! The Xin Republic’s Government is ungrateful and utterly shameless!"

"We protest! We protest!"

Nan Xiangcheng didn’t even glance at them. He simply put his clean glasses back on and gave a casual order. "Take all these protesting troublemakers away. Treat them all as members of a seditious party."

"Yes, sir."

Amid the clamor of arrests and the students’ angry shouts, Nan Xiangcheng strolled away from the crowd.

A confidant at his side reported in a low voice, "We’ve sealed every station and pier in Shenghai. The only one capable of sneaking Representative Fang past us would be Wen Zhiqiu..."

"It doesn’t matter."

A cold smile touched Nan Xiangcheng’s lips. "The Ming Society representatives from the few Southeast provinces are just small-timers. If he ran, he ran.

Just keep a close eye on Li Mingyi. If Wen Zhiqiu is so capable, let’s see him sneak Li Mingyi out, too...

The secret order from Central has already come down. The Ming Society has been officially designated a seditious party, and Li Mingyi is public enemy number one.

Capturing him before this order is made public will be a first-class meritorious achievement!"

The man beside him nodded. His gaze swept over the incensed crowd, and he said with a hint of worry, "Director, arresting a few representatives from the Southeast has already stirred up this much public anger. If we really make a move on Li Mingyi... I’m afraid the aftermath won’t be easy to handle."

"Of course we can’t do it openly. We can’t let the world know it was our Xin Republic’s people who did it."

Nan Xiangcheng pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose, his eyes glinting coldly behind the lenses. "Didn’t I already tell you to release the news about that ’Demon Elephant’? There’s been no shortage of people from the martial arts world flooding into Shenghai lately, has there?

On the day Li Mingyi tries to leave the city, send assassins. Wen Zhiqiu is sure to dispatch guards. Ding Moshan’s so-called ’Demon Elephant’ will certainly be there.

Have the three from the ’Black Tower’ go, and take those from the martial arts world who want to kill the Demon Elephant for revenge with them.

They want to go cause trouble for that damned Demon Elephant. Along the way, they can help us kill Li Mingyi, too..."

Nan Xiangcheng smiled and said softly, "Li Mingyi cannot die by the guns of the Xin Republic.

But what if he were to be accidentally caught up in a martial arts feud and meet an untimely death?

Well then... you couldn’t blame anyone for that, could you?"