142 Internal strife within the police force
"Thank you, Patriarch Chai! Thank you, Patriarch Chai! This is too much! A little silver would be fine!" Xiao Xingzi was overjoyed. He had risked so much to come here, all for a small reward.
"Of course, those who have made contributions must be rewarded, otherwise who will inform our Chai family next time?" the Chai family head said with a smile.
Soon, a large box, more than three feet long, wide, and tall, was carried in by two servants in dark clothes. They gently placed it on the ground, and upon receiving a signal from the head of the household, they quietly opened the box.
The moment it was opened, a dazzling golden light filled the air; inside were indeed gold bars. The group's eyes lit up. Xiao Xingzi kept saying "No, no," but his gaze was fixed intently on the chest overflowing with gold.
He was instantly stunned, then suddenly saw gold flying towards him, as if it were throwing itself into his arms. A box of gold smashed down on his head in an instant, with incredible speed and force.
A scream of agony escaped, followed by silence. Gold instantly buried Xiao Xingzi.
At this moment, the head of the Chai family stood beside the yellow box and said, "Merit must be rewarded, and wrongdoing must be punished. This gold has already been awarded to you. Men, drag him to the back courtyard."
The two servants, somewhat frightened, quickly carried away Xiao Xingzi, whose face was so badly damaged that he was unrecognizable.
At this moment, the Chai family head's eyes cleared. He quickly recovered and became even calmer. He ordered the head steward, "Bring all the archers and crossbowmen. Quickly, immediately!"
Then he added, "Immediately inform the third brother. He told him to bring all the men from the yamen and also to send someone to fetch Commander Wu, saying that thieves are trying to kill my son. He hopes the commander can send troops to rescue him, and I will reward him handsomely afterward."
"Yes, Master, I'll arrange it immediately." Then he asked, "What about the Demon Slayer Division? Do we need them?"
The head of the Chai family decisively refused, saying, "Only inform our own people; don't mess with anyone else." He then looked up at the sky. Black figures pressed down on the cauldron, utterly dark. What a fine day!
On the streets, the vengeful spirits lurking within the city suddenly emerged, all seemingly out of nowhere. They converged rapidly towards Dexing Tower, as if something there was drawing them in.
Inside the police station, Chief Chai Chuanteng was filled with murderous intent. His twenty-man squad had been wiped out. These men were all at the second or third tier, and the leader was his nephew, who was about to break through, yet he had died inside.
With a sharp "clang," a blade appeared in his hand, its cold light gleaming, sending chills down the spines of his subordinates. The blade seemed to emanate the roar of dragons and tigers, its aura radiating three feet, causing the very air to tremble as it cut. With a single stroke, the fine sandalwood chair beside him was cleanly cleaved in two!
He spoke in a sinister tone, "Take the oil, the cold iron bow and arrows, and set off immediately." He strode forward, followed by a well-organized group of over two hundred men.
At this moment, a man approached quickly. He was wearing the official uniform of the police station, though the clothes looked somewhat worn. He carried a three-foot-long sword, the standard issue for the police station, and rushed over with a hurried expression.
Upon seeing Chief of Police Chai Chuan Teng, he casually bowed and asked, "Sir, where are you headed?"
You ignored Chai Chuanteng. "Mi Zhanguo, do I still need to report to you about what I do? Get out of my way, I don't have time to argue with you today."
The newcomer, named Mi Zhanguo, refused to back down, saying, "Many evil spirits have appeared in the city, and I must lead them to kill them. Please grant me this favor, sir."
Chai Chuan Teng replied dismissively and without any politeness, "Ghosts? There are City God Temple officials. Where would there be so many? Don't talk nonsense. Besides, it's normal for a few to appear occasionally."
"Just find a demon slayer to handle it. We, the patrol officers, don't do these things. Get out of my way, I don't have time to argue with you right now." He then turned to leave.
Mi Zhanguo, however, remained unyielding this time, his gaze scrutinizing as he said, 'These evil spirits are rampant. If we don't eliminate them quickly, countless innocent people will die. We must deal with them today.'
Shiba Inu's eyes instantly hardened. He asked sharply, "You want to commit insubordination?" The knife in his hand was slowly drawn. Its blade gleamed in the sunlight, its cold light flashing, as if he were about to strike at the slightest provocation. He sensed the resentment in Shiba Inu's heart.
At this moment, Mi Zhanguo also drew his longsword, and a terrifying sword aura erupted from it. The sharpness tore through the air. Drawing the sword signified resolve. Drawing the sword signified a break. Drawing the sword signified displaying the decision in his heart.
Mi Zhanguo's eyes narrowed, and the moment he drew his sword, he felt an unparalleled sense of exhilaration. A feeling of utter satisfaction welled up from within, and he instantly felt incredibly liberated! "I laugh as I brandish my sword towards the heavens, yet I fear I might startle the clouds."
Chai Chuan Teng's eyes were cold; he truly dared not kill him outright. Firstly, their strengths were roughly equal, and a direct fight would be difficult to predict. Secondly, they were both members of the police force, and he didn't want to be branded as someone who would kill each other. At least not in front of so many of his subordinates.
So he conceded a step, saying, 'If any of them are willing to go with you, you can take them with you. If not...' He snorted coldly, expressing his thoughts.
Mi Zhanguo had no intention of holding a grudge; this outcome was already quite good. He looked over and said, "Anyone willing to come with me to slay the Yin Ghosts? Come with me."
Among the crowd, some hesitated, some wavered, and some were resolute. A dozen or so people resolutely followed Mi Zhanguo away. The others reacted with a mix of mockery, envy, flushed red, and deep resentment.
Chai Chuan Teng carefully examined the group, shouting, "Those who stay will be rewarded with ten taels of silver."
"Thank you, sir. We swear to follow you to the death!" A cheer erupted from below, some people blushing as if they were extremely grateful to have stayed.
Those who hadn't gone too far paused slightly, then quickly followed suit and left.
Mi Zhanguo heard it too. However, the Chai family was careless and large, far beyond his reach. But he had his own principles and pretended not to hear. He quickly left with those willing to follow him, thinking to himself where he could find some benefits for his followers.
He shouted, 'Stay close to me! Keep formation! Don't go anywhere alone. All the credit for this kill is yours alone!'
"Yes, thank you, sir." A dozen subordinates said in unison. The knife was gripped tightly in their hands, dispelling the chill of the night.
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