Chapter 108: Setting the Rules

"Jiang Qin, what are you doing? Let Brother Tao go right now!"

"Brother Tao only wanted to spar with you—don't slander him! How could he possibly want to kill you? Murder within Dijing Shi is against the law, and the Jiang Family rules say the same: anyone who kills a clansman without justification will have their meridians crippled and be expelled from the family!"

"If you don't release Brother Tao, we'll have to use force!"

"Even if you are the Young Clan Leader, treating your own people like this will bring punishment!"

Seeing their boss taken down in a single move, Jiang Tao's underlings could no longer sit still. They were all in the same camp as Jiang Tao—if something happened to him, their lives within the clan would not be easy afterward.

By comparison.

Jiang Qin, this Young Clan Leader with no foundation whatsoever within the clan, was not enough to make them fear him.

Yet at this moment, Jiang Qin's gaze turned toward a certain direction outside the gate.

A group of figures several hundred meters away noticed the situation.

They stopped hiding their forms and appeared in the front courtyard of the Jiang Family residence.

Five people in total, none of them weak. They all wore uniforms of the Spirit Suppression Bureau, their eyes concealing a sharp edge and the calm of those who had weathered many events, proving their rich experience.

Their appearance made those Jiang Family youths dare not make any further moves.

This was Dijing, where the Spirit Suppression Bureau Headquarters was located.

It was nothing like the other base cities.

Dare to cause trouble in public, and even if you had a major power backing you, you would still be heavily punished!

"People from the Spirit Suppression Bureau—why would they show up here?"

"No idea. Let's just watch for now. We didn't do anything anyway, they can't do anything to us."

They were conversing in low voices.

The square-faced man at their head bowed slightly toward Jiang Qin.

"Commander Jiang, my name is Fang Hong."

"We received orders from Director Cao. From today onward, we will follow by your side as your direct subordinates."

A General Commander always needed some personnel to dispatch, but Cao Hai knew Jiang Qin didn't like having too many people around him, so he carefully selected five—every one of them an elite veteran of the headquarters.

Whether it was combat or logistics, these five were all highly proficient.

Originally, Fang Hong and the other four were not supposed to officially take up their posts until tomorrow.

But they simply couldn't contain their curiosity, so they secretly followed Jiang Qin, wanting to know what kind of person their future superior was. Their self-assuredly flawless concealment of their aura had long since been seen through, though they didn't know it.

Jiang Qin looked at the five, and while keeping one hand clamped on Jiang Tao, asked aloud:

"I've just arrived in Dijing and I'm not too familiar with headquarters' rules yet."

"If I kill this guy right now, does that count as breaking regulations?"

Jiang Tao's heart lurched at those words, and he hastily spoke: "Jiang Qin! I only wanted to spar with you—on what grounds would you kill me? Aren't you afraid the Tribal Elder Council will make things difficult for you!"

Fang Hong, however, answered without the slightest hesitation:

"Although you have not formally assumed your post, your rank has long been that of General Commander."

"According to regulations, the General Commander bears the important responsibility of safeguarding the city's security and controlling Martial Artists. Anyone you judge to be a threat to the city or to have violated regulations may be punished directly, without the need to submit evidence."

Those words were like a death knell.

By the time Fang Hong finished speaking, Jiang Qin's hand tightened in a grip.

Violent thunderforce surged along Jiang Tao's arm and into his body. High-intensity lightning wantonly ravaged his organs and flesh, the pain making Jiang Tao's eyes go wide, blood vessels densely filling his eye sockets.

Countless streams of fresh blood seeped from his pores.

He didn't even manage to scream before losing consciousness.

When Jiang Qin released his grip, a corpse drenched in blood crashed to the ground, with not the slightest trace of life left in it—dead beyond any doubt.

This scene terrified the Jiang Family youths nearby.

They hadn't expected Jiang Qin to be so ruthlessly vicious—just a single provocation, and he had killed Jiang Tao without the slightest mercy.

This was a talent whose天赋 was still considered quite decent within the Jiang Family.

Dead just like that, so easily…

Jiang Qin casually wiped his hand on his clothes, his expression as calm as if he had just casually crushed an insect. His gaze then looked toward the depths of the residence, and he said:

"Those hiding in the shadows watching the show, stop concealing yourselves. All of you, come out."

His voice carried far, and combined with the corpse at his feet, his entire presence was extremely intimidating.

The Jiang Family youths who had been watching from the shadows stopped hiding and stepped out one after another.

The Jiang Family had no division between main branch and branch families.

The entire family's members numbered only around five hundred in total—seeming like a lot, but compared to other family forces of the same level, that number was pitifully small.

Because of this, the fewer people meant more resources divided among them, resulting in Jiang Family members being stronger than those of other families.

One figure after another landed in a dense crowd.

Those holding positions within the clan also announced their positions.

"Representative of the Second Branch to the Tribal Elder Council, Jiang Chengze, greets the Young Clan Leader."

"Representative of the Third Branch to the Tribal Elder Council, Jiang Dongjun, greets the Young Clan Leader."

"Representative of the Third Branch to the Tribal Elder Council, Jiang Yue, greets the Young Clan Leader…"

"Jiang Family Judgment Hall…"

"Jiang Family Hundred Treasures Hall…"

Most of the Jiang Family had shown up. The majority of their strength was at the Spirit Sea Realm, with a few at the Divine Image Realm Realm.

The heads of each hall were all at the peak of the Divine Image Realm.

Even though most of their combat power had been taken away to the Frontier, the strength displayed by those present alone was enough to annihilate any second-rate martial force in Dijing.

And this didn't even count the foreign Martial Artists.

Jiang Qin stood in place, his gaze fixed straight on those present.

Those whose eyes met his instinctively lowered their heads, for the radiance of the young man before them was too dazzling. The strength Jiang Qin had displayed moments ago—defeating Jiang Tao without the slightest effort—was more than enough to win over everyone present.

No matter where one is, strength alone can win the submission of ninety-nine percent of the people in this world.

Jiang Qin looked at them and said, "To be honest, I don't feel much belonging toward the Jiang Family. Just as I said earlier, I don't really care about the position of Young Clan Leader. Three years ago I once lost my home. If possible, I hope I can treat this place as home and find even a shred of belonging."

"But I'm a person who goes my own way, and I especially loathe evil."

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

If the Jiang Family was clean, Jiang Qin was willing to take the initiative and make some attempts.

But if the Jiang Family was no different from those martial-arts families he had purged in the past, then he wanted… he might do something utterly inhuman. Even if they shared the same blood, as long as he judged them guilty, he would strike them down without the slightest hesitation.

The Jiang Family members exchanged glances with one another. They were no fools and naturally understood the meaning behind his words.

Finally, the representatives of the Tribal Elder Council—perhaps having long since received word and prepared themselves mentally—knelt on one knee together, looking up at the young man whose brilliance was almost blinding.

"We obey the Young Clan Leader's command!"

Seeing this, the other Jiang Family disciples hurriedly dropped to one knee as well.

"We obey the Young Clan Leader's command!!!"

Their shouts shook the heavens, and imperceptibly something coalesced, linking them together.

Among them were certainly those who had relied on the clan's power to bully others.

But at this moment, they had drawn a new bottom line.

And that was Jiang Qin's rules!