Chapter 177: Using a Knife to Kill? Too Petty

It was daytime, so Chu Danqing merely sent people to keep watch on Lianyun's movements.

Zhuque Tower encompassed a range of industries in LinYuan City, including brothels, gambling dens, and brokerage houses.

Most of these businesses engaged in utterly immoral activities—vice in all its forms was thoroughly covered.

Many families had been ruined because of them.

Especially in the vice trade, forced prostitution and abduction of women were constant occurrences.

Some still believed prostitution was as harmless as ladybugs.

In reality, it was deeply tied to human trafficking; most people imagined themselves as the ladybugs, but the real victims were the families—and often the victims themselves.

It wasn't just women; men too, such as boy prostitutes.

Now that the opportunity had arisen, Chu Danqing naturally struck with full force.

Before that, he had to wait until the Moon Orchid Totem Pole's quality was fully upgraded.

He had used the whetstone he obtained on the totem pole.

This item was restricted to weapons, and Chu Danqing had no better weapon—so who else could he choose?

Moreover, the totem pole had not only achieved True Spirit Awakening but also received a +5 enhancement; the investment was far from insignificant.

The upgrade simply required time—the Paradise upgrade notification said ten hours.

Thus, he waited from ten in the morning until eight at night before it was complete.

【Moon Orchid Totem Pole +5】

【Type: Equipment·Totem】

【Quality: Fine】

【Durability: 600/600 (+500 increased)】

【Attack: 50~70 (+15~25 increased)】

【Mana +6000 (+5 enhancement adds 5000)】 (new)

【Fragrant (Passive): Summoned entities recover 50 HP per second (+3 enhancement adds 30)】

【Empty Azure (Passive): Summoned entities recover 20 mana per second (+5 enhancement adds 10)】

【Black Rock (Passive): Hardness +600 (+5 enhancement adds 500)】

【Equipment Requirement: Strength 10, Constitution 10, Spirit 10】

After becoming Fine quality, its stats underwent a dramatic transformation.

The mana boost caused Chu Danqing's mana to surge again.

As for increases in attack, durability, and hardness, Chu Danqing didn't care much—he'd deal with those when he swung it to crush enemies.

What mattered was the recovery of HP and mana rising into double digits—a hundredfold increase that greatly improved summon efficiency.

To achieve this level with a different weapon would likely require heavy investment of Paradise points.

"Still, among Fine-grade equipment, it's probably low to mid-tier," Chu Danqing knew that after reaching Fine quality, equipment often involved percentage-based effects.

Like the Clean Energy and Su Nü Sword he'd previously obtained, both had percentage-based effects in their traits.

The totem pole seemed powerful at first glance, but all its boosts were fixed values.

Still, there was good news—it remained a True Spirit equipment.

That was excellent; Chu Danqing could equip it easily.

Probably because of this, its effects remained fixed values.

"Time's up. Time to go kill someone." Chu Danqing picked up the totem pole, considering whether to summon Wu Ying as well.

Da Bao spoke first: "Xiao Chu, people, surround."

His brief statement meant enemies were closing in from all sides.

Chu Danqing was startled—who had the guts to attack him?

He was in his rented residence, not in Liu's mansion.

Liu Bai, Chen Jiunian, and others weren't home—why would he stay in their house?

As for protecting Ma Yunfeng, that wasn't necessary.

Since yesterday's assassination attempt, his bodyguards had increased in number and vigilance.

After Da Bao spoke, a storm of whistling arrows pierced through the windows.

It was a dense hail of arrows.

Someone had used bows and crossbows inside the city.

The Son of Heaven reacted fastest, instantly raising a golden barrier that effortlessly blocked the rain of arrows.

Guiyuan Mother was no slower—forty-nine Guiyuan Infants crawled swiftly from Chu Danqing's shadow and rushed toward the arrows.

Chu Danqing didn't know what was happening outside, nor did he intend to go see.

He was a summoner—why would he rush to the frontlines?

After the Guiyuan Infants moved, ten Huangjin Lishis also charged out during the lull in the arrow barrage.

Then, sounds of battle erupted outside.

"Soldiers," Da Bao returned and told Chu Danqing.

Hearing this, Chu Danqing narrowed his eyes.

He rose and walked outside.

Outside was chaos—bodies lay scattered everywhere.

The Huangjin Lishis and Guiyuan Infants were no weaklings; these yamen runners and constables stood no chance.

Chu Danqing scanned the scene and spotted surviving enemies—he sensed something wrong.

"This is a case of using a knife to kill."

"Aside from the fraud Blood Eagle, it seems those who chose the A-rank trial all have real skills."

Chu Danqing keenly realized the attacker was Lianyun.

He planned to kill her at night, but Lianyun moved faster.

She had already bewitched and controlled the yamen runners and constables of LinYuan City to strike first.

These constables were weak—barely fit as cannon fodder.

Yet the attacker never intended to kill Chu Danqing—he wanted Chu Danqing to kill these constables.

Killing government officials would force Ma Yunfeng, no matter how protective he was of Chu Danqing, to intervene to preserve the Great Shuo's dignity.

This would sow discord between Chu Danqing and Ma Yunfeng, then manipulate them into turning against each other.

"But the method is crude," Chu Danqing chuckled. "You really think rules are above all?"

Never mind other things—Ma Yunfeng feared Chu Danqing's Flying Bear Iron Cavalry; he'd never dare target him.

"Can you restore their original selves?" Chu Danqing asked the Son of Heaven.

But the Son of Heaven denied it—the constables had suffered irreversible soul damage; even if revived, they'd be vegetative.

He'd assumed it was temporary bewitchment, but it was permanent puppetry.

Still, such a skill required extremely high judgment—it only worked on ordinary people. It would fail against Chen Jiunian, Liu Bai, and others.

Otherwise, why wouldn't Lianyun just control them directly? Why go through all this trouble?

"Then restore them," Chu Danqing replied.

Being vegetative was fine—he'd avoid killing them. As for their grim fate afterward?

These people came to kill him; not killing them was already Chu Danqing's mercy.

He was clear on grudges—he'd help those without enmity.

Once there was enmity, he'd be mad to forgive.

If excuses justified killing him unconditionally, that would be absurd.

The Son of Heaven forcibly removed the bewitchment from the remaining surviving constables.

After removal, each collapsed like limp noodles.

"Take this note to Ma Yunfeng—tell him to clean up," Chu Danqing wrote a quick note, stamped it with the Yunfeng White Jade Seal, and handed it to a Guiyuan Infant.

Lianyun's scheme could have succeeded.

That is, if Chu Danqing had killed all the constables and then pretended nothing happened, erasing all traces.

Ma Yunfeng wasn't a fool—he wouldn't be tricked twice by the same tactic.

Not even a day apart.

You just manipulated his old classmate to assassinate him, and now you're using a knife to kill—anyone could see the pattern.

The Guiyuan Infant took the note and vanished into the night.

"Poor at combat, but skilled in conspiracy."

"As a bewitchment-type Adept, she has natural advantages here."

"Tomorrow morning, guiding public opinion would indeed be effective."

"But it's too petty," Chu Danqing didn't care about public opinion or slander.

In the last trial world, when he suppressed bandits, he endured rumors and defamation to crush so-called righteous outlaws.

With sufficient strength as his foundation, only those with weak mental fortitude were affected.

Chu Danqing didn't care at all.

He didn't slaughter innocents—but only if they were truly innocent.

When an avalanche comes, no snowflake is innocent.

If you blindly aid the wicked and target him, Chu Danqing will remove you from the category of innocence.

Chu Danqing is ultimately a human, not a saintess; he has his own preferences and values, and won't make bottomless concessions.

"Let's go to Zhuque Tower." Chu Danqing stepped directly onto the war chariot.

Whether Lianyun was at Zhuque Tower or not didn't matter—he would destroy Zhuque Tower first, then find Hong Chengyue.

Since Hong Chengyue joined the Iron Armor Guard faction, he is a key figure of that faction in Lin Yuan City.

Chu Danqing's decision not to join any faction this time did cost him dearly, but it also meant he had no weaknesses.

Ma Yunfeng? His death would affect Weixin GeLi, but Chu Danqing's assessment mission was unaffected.

But Hong Chengyue directly impacted Lianyun's factional interests.

Night curfew was in effect; the streets held no pedestrians, so the war chariot could race without restraint.

Before long, they arrived at Zhuque Tower.

Unlike the Qinglong Society and Baihu Hall, which Chu Danqing had annihilated, Zhuque Tower was not a base but a luxury complex combining taverns, brothels, inns, and other establishments—a golden sink.

It belonged to the service industry.

In the past, when Ma Yunfeng wasn't around, it was lit up all night, with guests streaming in continuously.

Now that its patrons were gone, no one dared open it.

Before, it could ignore the curfew because it had powerful backers.

Now that its patrons were under house arrest at the Ma residence recovering from injuries, it had to lie low.

Thus, the once magnificent Zhuque Tower now appeared dim and lifeless.

"Sir, the tower is closed tonight. Please come back another day," a gate guard shouted from afar.

But Chu Danqing said nothing—he activated the Thousand Faces Martial Shadow Stone.

A shadow slipped into his totem pole; soon, a new figure struggled out from within.

When it landed, its form solidified, appearing towering and imposing under the moonlight.

(End of Chapter)