[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lawful-tyrant":3,"chapter-lawful-tyrant-lawful-tyrant-chapter-94":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Lawful Tyrant",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2284978,4469,"Chapter 94: Confidence","lawful-tyrant-chapter-94",94,"\u003Cp>“That’s the basic situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the circular conference table, Gong Ming rubbed his beard and said in a low voice: “For the past two months, the Super-Class Patrol Satellite A07 has been monitoring the entire Lancheng City from low Earth orbit, but the intelligent surveillance system has detected no anomalies whatsoever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This means Xu Qiu’s disappearance must have occurred indoors or in a location obstructed from satellite view.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“However, after searching based on Xu Qiu’s communicator location and movement trajectory, Lancheng City patrol officers confirmed she visited many places—almost every corner of the city before vanishing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She vanished suddenly at an unrelated location, leaving only her destroyed communicator behind,” Gong Ming said grimly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The conference room fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing’s mind stirred—he suddenly had a suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xu Qiu visited many places?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The martial fanatic Hu Xianan, clearly unskilled in analysis, frowned: “Xu Qiu was just a district patrol officer, right? Her patrol zone was limited to this upper district. Why would she suddenly travel all over Lancheng?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing paused, then said: “More accurately, it was Xu Qiu’s communicator that traveled the entire city.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s correct. Lin Patrol Chief is right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ming gave Lin Qing an approving glance and said softly: “The expert panel and strategic team’s inference is—Xu Qiu’s disappearance likely happened earlier. The enemy probably took her communicator and deliberately walked it all over Lancheng to mislead us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xianan blinked, his frown deepening: “The enemy would dare be so brazen? Even if surveillance has gaps, how could they possibly avoid every single camera in the entire city? And the satellite’s still watching from above!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hu Patrol Chief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ming shook his head slightly: “Though you’ve never trained the Zizai Body martial arts, haven’t you heard? Once fully cultivated to the instinctive level, Zizai Body techniques allow one to alter one’s appearance and physique.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean the enemy disguised themselves as Xu Qiu and walked around Lancheng on purpose?” Hu Xianan suddenly realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Highly likely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ming said: “So Xu Qiu’s disappearance likely occurred earlier—possibly around 3 p.m. yesterday. That was her last iris scan. After that, no further iris scans were recorded.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing narrowed his eyes slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faking someone’s iris would require an iris transplant—removing one’s own first. Hard to accomplish quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fingerprints and facial recognition are easier to handle. Even though modern systems often require ‘live fingerprint’ verification, that’s not hard to bypass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He himself could easily impersonate Xu Qiu and pass standard fingerprint and facial scans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lin Patrol Chief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ming suddenly turned to Lin Qing: “Xu Qiu told you, didn’t she, that the mysterious person she encountered on April 21th defeated her effortlessly using Zizai Body and Shenbian martial arts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing nodded slightly: “Yes. The mysterious person used the instinctive intimidation of the Shenbian series—triggering her primal fear in an instant, then striking her down in one move.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then the person impersonating Xu Qiu might be that same mysterious figure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ming nodded slightly: “He’s suspected to be the No. 1 leader of Yuanhong Society. But he didn’t kill Xu Qiu—perhaps out of caution, or for some other reason.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How strong is this guy?” Hu Xianan frowned. “I heard he’s comparable to a Senior Patrol Chief?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s just Xu Qiu’s misjudgment. It’s impossible,” Gong Ming shook his head. “He’s merely a leader of Yuanhong Society. If he truly had Senior Patrol Chief-level strength, Chu Tianyao wouldn’t have died.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he knew deep down this was a lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know why the higher-ups ordered him to say it, but he knew there was a plan—so he followed orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That makes sense,” Hu Xianan relaxed, exhaling with relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At least he’s cultivated his Zizai Body techniques to the instinctive level,” Gong Ming murmured. “And since he’s from the Original Research Institute, he might possess some genetic ability—don’t underestimate him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not bad,” Hu Xianan nodded slightly, but his wariness had clearly lessened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, this man clearly understands patrol search procedures. He might be from within the patrol system itself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ming’s gaze swept the room: “Anyone in the Jiangnan region who has trained Zizai Body techniques is suspect—especially locals from Lancheng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing’s expression remained calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he pretended to have killed Xiao Peidong, he was now the cleanest person in this room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Because he had been fighting Chu Tianyao at the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next to him, Yuan Anping sat with equal composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ming said grimly: “Martial arts progress can be hidden. If you don’t reveal it, no one can tell. Guangming Association and the Original Research Institute can also teach Zizai Body techniques. So official records proving innocence mean nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused. “According to our investigation, the only ones we can currently rule out are Lin Patrol Chief and Lancheng City’s Chief Patrol Officer Yuan Anping.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing had known this already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Anping had left Lancheng that day—but that itself was suspicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew Yuan Anping was hiding his strength, so he’d once suspected Yuan might be the No. 1 leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But on the day of the incident, Yuan Anping had left Lancheng in a patrol vehicle. Except for a one- or two-minute stop at a service area to use the restroom, he was continuously visible on the vehicle’s surveillance cameras—even after arriving at his destination, footage confirmed his presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even brief disappearances were nowhere near enough for a round trip to the crime scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Lin Qing could still think of several ways to fabricate such an alibi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could think of them, how could the expert panel and strategic team miss them? So Yuan Anping was only temporarily cleared—his suspicion was merely far lower than others’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are many suspects. Here’s a list. Take a look.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Gong Ming spoke, the tabletop projector instantly displayed brief profiles of each suspect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This list is only a reference. Please remain vigilant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ming said solemnly: “The key to this operation is locating Xu Qiu. Every place she went after 3 p.m. yesterday must be thoroughly searched.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be aware—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the life detector beside him: “The enemy may have ways to evade life detectors. There may be underground activity spaces beneath Lancheng deeper than fifty meters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing understood his meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previous scans found nothing—but that didn’t mean nothing existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, current underground detection technology only reaches fifty meters deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Based on the strength distribution of the twenty-nine patrol officers, three patrol chiefs, and one senior patrol chief present, this is the most optimal grouping the patrol system’s AI has constructed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ming tapped his finger—a list appeared instantly. “Please review.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing studied it closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chief Commander Lian Zexu operated alone, granted top-priority transportation for immediate support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing, Yuan Anping, and Hu Xianan—each of the three patrol chiefs—led a group of patrol officers, maintaining distance from Chief Commander Lian Zexu during the search.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing glanced at the patrol officer assignments and realized the AI had ranked him as the weakest of the three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the ten officers assigned to him were among the strongest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Anping’s ten officers were slightly weaker than his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xianan received only nine officers—and they were the weakest of all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This assignment is the patrol system’s AI recommendation, based on your past performance,” Gong Ming said. “If any of you feel your strength is over- or under-assessed, speak up—we’ll reassign accordingly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing knew the AI had calculated his strength based on his performance when he killed Chu Tianyao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at that time, he’d only used about half his true power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, two months later, he was far stronger than then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both he and Yuan Anping were hiding their strength, yet both received the heaviest protection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such an unbalanced distribution was clearly detrimental to the search.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing hesitated, then spoke: “Hu Patrol Chief’s group has only weak officers. Let me transfer a few stronger ones to you. Actually, I’ve recently—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t need them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Lin Qing finished, Hu Xianan cut him off, shaking his head: “With your strength, Lin Patrol Chief, don’t be modest. Just give me three officers as assistants—assign the other six to you two.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Anping chuckled: “Hu Patrol Chief, you’re underestimating us a bit, aren’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xianan frowned: “How about a fight? You two take me on together. If you can last ten seconds against me, I’ll accept this assignment as-is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had absolute confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even among the outer hall students of Chaoyang Martial Arts Hall, he was considered a martial genius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d already cultivated all eight animal forms of the Hundred Beasts series to the instinctive level—two more than the patrol system’s version, accessible only to Chaoyang students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, his gene awakening probability was too low. Despite Chaoyang’s bloodline evolution techniques, his progress was slow—he barely unlocked one weak genetic ability, which led to his expulsion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, he might have entered the inner hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, with instinctive-level Hundred Beasts techniques and his genetic ability, he could defeat ordinary patrol chiefs in mere seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if both of you teamed up, it wouldn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for these weak patrol officers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More of them wouldn’t help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So confident?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing studied Hu Xianan—the so-called martial fanatic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could such a standout among Chaoyang’s outer hall students truly be exceptional?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing didn’t want to expose his strength over something trivial. He shook his head: “Since Hu Patrol Chief is confident, we’ll keep the current assignment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve never been ambitious or perceptive,” Yuan Anping chuckled. “Didn’t realize Hu Patrol Chief had this kind of strength? Thank you very much, Hu Patrol Chief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xianan nodded slightly: “I only need three assistants to run errands. The rest are yours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright then,” Yuan Anping smiled. “Can’t let Hu Patrol Chief’s kindness go to waste. Just don’t regret it later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Regret?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xianan caught the sarcasm in Yuan’s tone. His face turned cold: “Just don’t beg me to save you when you’re in danger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Anping smiled indifferently. “That’s hard to say, Inspector Hu. You’ll have to help me out when the time comes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing shook his head slightly and said nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it weren’t for the sake of making the search operation smoother, he wouldn’t have bothered to persuade at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s leave it at that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xianan turned to Gong Ming and said calmly, “Officer Gong, which search zone is the most dangerous? I’ll take it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bang!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xianan frantically raised his arms to block the incoming punch, feeling a torrent of astonishing invisible force surging wildly through his body, leaving him numb and powerless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The floor tiles beneath his feet cracked into a web of fissures, shattered by the force seeping into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xianan stared in disbelief at the mysterious man cloaked in black, his heart trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he really drawn this luck on his very first night of searching in Lin’an City?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, beneath the pale mask of a smiling face, those eyes radiated a terrifying life-based intimidation, causing his limbs to weaken with instinctive fear, forcing him to wield only a fraction of his strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could mere instinctive intimidation from a Divine Transformation cultivator have this effect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was clearly the power of a Senior Patrol Chief! “Hah—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, the mysterious man let out a shrill, distorted laugh, his figure flickering and vanishing from Hu Xianan’s sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xianan felt darkness engulf his vision, then collapsed completely, falling face-first onto the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three surrounding patrol officers froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could anyone fight someone this strong? Just then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoosh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A piercing wind noise echoed as a blindingly fast phantom suddenly appeared hundreds of meters away, streaking across the long street at terrifying speed toward this location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Incredibly fast.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the pale smiling mask, the mysterious man’s eyes glinted with a hint of amusement, then vanished soundlessly at the same terrifying speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoosh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blurred phantom rushing from afar swept like a whirlwind of dust, covering the hundred-plus meters from the street corner to the scene in barely a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure snapped to a halt, the phantom solidifying into the unmistakable form of Commander Lian Zexu, who had received the distress signal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where is he?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lian Zexu’s face darkened as he pulled out his communicator. “Officer Gong, where is he?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ming’s low voice came through the communicator: “Trouble. The enemy is far stronger than we thought. And he’s carrying a portable device that masks his life field—no wonder the life detectors couldn’t find him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lian Zexu glanced at the unconscious Hu Xianan and shook his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His limbs have all been shattered by hidden force,” Lian Zexu said grimly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Immediate backup!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ming’s voice suddenly turned frantic over the communicator: “He’s going after Lin Qing again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2133,"2026-06-20T02:41:34.488Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8c864d115b784c3bf70cfaf7e4c5d254d04e55cd7a6bbc2612cd214cf2d33518","lawful-tyrant-chapter-95","lawful-tyrant-chapter-93",442,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flawful-tyrant-cover.jpg"]