Free Web NovelChapter 81: Chapter 81: Turbulence
BOOM!!!
A violent shockwave erupted, sending the tables and chairs in the hall flying.
A massive figure was sent flying backward, slamming hard into one of the hall’s supporting wooden pillars.
BANG!
The massive pillar couldn’t withstand such a violent impact and snapped in two.
The hall’s roof instantly caved in, showering down a cloud of dust.
The members of the Evil Bear Gang stared.
They saw that Li Qiu’s entire shoulder had been obliterated, exposing his ribs. His internal organs were reduced to a bloody pulp, and his body twitched violently as he continuously spat out blood.
Given his condition, no one thought Li Qiu could possibly survive.
In truth, with Li Qiu’s strength, he should have been able to last a few rounds against Han Yuan without issue.
Unfortunately, the fool chose to meet force with force.
It was like an egg hitting a stone.
The combination of the Black Whale Sea-Covering Qi and the Giant Spirit Monument-Opening Hand was simply terrifying.
Han Yuan then turned to the remaining survivors in the hall and grinned.
BANG! BANG! BANG!~~~
Amidst a series of dull thuds.
A dozen or so breaths later, Han Yuan was the only one left standing in the entire hall.
He didn’t leave. Instead, he began to search the bodies of Li Qiu and the others.
The Evil Bear Gang was indeed wealthy. From Li Qiu’s body alone, Han Yuan found eighteen thousand taels of silver.
Searching the other gang members yielded another several thousand taels of silver.
As he left, he naturally set the Evil Bear Gang’s stronghold ablaze.
...
When Han Yuan returned to the Observatory’s courtyard, he felt a sense of clarity and satisfaction.
’Perhaps this is the true meaning of practicing martial arts.’
’Only by becoming stronger can I do as I please.’
’If something displeases me, I’ll just kill them all!’
Han Yuan muttered to himself.
Of course, Han Yuan knew his current strength was still insufficient.
He had long been displeased with the Bai Family.
He just lacked the strength; otherwise, he would have stormed their residence and slaughtered them, just as he had done tonight.
’Still not strong enough!’
’Cultivation!!! I must continue my cultivation!!!’
Han Yuan cast aside all distracting thoughts and resumed his cultivation.
...
「Early the next morning.」
The Evil Bear Gang’s headquarters had long since been burned to a blackened ruin.
Charred bodies were carried out one by one.
The common folk gathered nearby to watch, their voices buzzing.
"Someone finally took care of the Evil Bear Gang!"
"Exactly... Those scoundrels were rotten to the core. They should have died long ago!" ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
"I wonder which great hero delivered justice for the heavens!"
"I just hope the Government Office’s henchmen don’t find them!"
The Evil Bear Gang’s reputation was utterly foul. The nearby residents had suffered greatly at their hands and were miserable.
Now that the Evil Bear Gang had been reduced to ashes overnight, everyone was clapping and cheering.
A group of Government Officials maintained order, preventing the crowd from getting any closer.
Just then, a figure pushed through the crowd and came into view.
The moment he appeared, the clamoring crowd fell silent. They all lowered their heads, not daring to look at him directly.
Even the Government Officials showed expressions of reverence and fear.
It was a middle-aged man wearing a Black Tiger Constable Uniform. He had deep-set features and a hooked nose, giving him a profound and gloomy air.
It was none other than the Government Office’s Chief Constable, Zhao Junshan!
This Zhao Junshan was a ruthless man.
Nearly everyone in Cangshui County Town knew his story.
He was merely the illegitimate son of a middle-class Noble Family in Cangshui County Town, and he had suffered all kinds of bullying within the family since childhood.
Zhao Junshan endured it all, hiding his astonishing talent from a young age and secretly cultivating his martial arts.
Then, at the age of thirty-five, he broke through to the True Qi Realm.
No one in the Zhao Family was his match anymore.
Overnight, he slaughtered all his half-brothers—the very ones who had bullied him—leaving no one alive.
The people of the Zhao Family were scared out of their wits by his massacre, and from then on, his word became law.
Later, relying on his own methods after joining the Government Office, Zhao Junshan rose rapidly through the ranks, soon becoming the Chief Constable.
This was why the common folk feared him like a tiger.
The man’s past was truly terrifying.
"Chief Constable Zhao."
"All the bodies we could find are here. They were all beaten to death by a ferocious and terrifying Fist Technique."
A constable reported, cupping his fist.
"Where is Li Qiu’s body?" fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
Zhao Junshan asked softly.
"Over here."
The constable pointed to a charred corpse in the corner.
Zhao Junshan walked over to inspect it.
’What astonishing power... I’ve never seen a Fist Technique like this before.’
’Who on earth did the Li Family provoke...?’
Zhao Junshan was slightly surprised when he saw the injuries on Li Qiu’s body.
The shoulder and ribs were shattered, and the internal organs were pulverized by the impact.
Even an Inner Breath Martial Artist couldn’t produce this kind of power.
Only a Martial Artist empowered by True Qi could do it.
But in all of Cangshui County Town, there were only a handful of True Qi Martial Artists, and none of them seemed to use such a ferocious Fist Technique.
Besides, this Li Qiu was not without backing.
Zhao Junshan knew in his heart.
On the surface, Li Qiu was the Gang Leader of the Evil Bear Gang, but in reality, he had intricate ties to the Li Family, one of the five great families.
His surname alone was a clue.
After all, there was dirty work that a Noble Family couldn’t do themselves, so they had to secretly cultivate a gang to do it for them.
"Did anyone survive?"
Zhao Junshan asked.
"No... Last night, Li Qiu happened to be holding a celebration banquet at the headquarters."
"All the higher-ups of the Evil Bear Gang attended. Not a single one survived."
The constable said, shaking his head.
’No eyewitnesses... an unknown True Qi expert... ’
Zhao Junshan smiled. "Then let’s list it as a cold case. We probably won’t find anything even if we investigate."
He felt that he was getting in over his head.
There were no heroes delivering justice these days; this was most likely aimed at the Li Family.
And it was highly likely that a True Qi expert was involved.
Zhao Junshan felt there was no need to investigate further. The best course of action was to withdraw.
"But the Li Family..." the constable hesitated.
"What does the Li Family have to do with the Evil Bear Gang?"
Zhao Junshan said dismissively.
The constable jolted, realizing his mistake, and quickly said, "Chief Constable, I’ll go arrange it right away."
Soon, the charred bodies from the Evil Bear Gang were taken away by the Government Office’s men and dumped in a mass grave.
The case was filed as a cold case, and no one pursued it.
Since the dead were members of the Evil Bear Gang, the common folk had long wished for them to die sooner, so no one cared whether the Government Office investigated or not.
「The Li Family Estate.」
The Patriarch, Li Hongwen, had a handsome face and a long, graying beard, giving him the air of a cultured scholar.
He sat in the main seat, his expression fluctuating between light and shadow.
"Father, everyone in Cangshui County knows that Li Qiu was our man."
"This was clearly aimed at us."
A man with a rather heroic appearance said.
He was Li Hongwen’s eldest son, Li Sheng.
Li Hongwen snorted coldly. "You think I don’t know that? But that venomous snake Zhao Junshan has made it clear he won’t investigate, so we can only rely on ourselves."
Li Sheng cupped his fist and said, "Father, let me investigate this matter."
Li Hongwen thought for a moment. There was indeed no better candidate than Li Sheng.
He instructed, "Be careful. A True Qi Martial Artist may be involved in this."
"Don’t worry, Father." Li Sheng cupped his fist and departed.
Li Hongwen remained alone in the hall, muttering to himself, "Whose handiwork was this, I wonder?"
