Chapter 139: Dao Foundation

Bang!

The sound of things being smashed came from the Provincial Military Commander's office, followed by the sound of shattering glass.

"This guy is a fucking lunatic!"

Gu Zhenhui roared in a rage.

The secretary standing to the side was trembling, not daring to speak.

Having followed Gu Zhenhui for so many years, this was the first time he had seen his superior in such a towering rage.

His superior had always maintained an image of being in total control; even when suffering losses in the struggle against the Tiger Blade Gang, he remained confident and composed, never becoming anxious or agitated over temporary gains or losses.

Only this time, Gu Zhenhui had uncharacteristically lost his composure.

"My lord, please calm your anger."

The secretary used a new cup to pour fresh tea and handed it to Gu Zhenhui.

"How is the situation over there now?"

Gu Zhenhui calmed his mood and asked.

"Just received news, a large crowd has gathered at the market entrance, their emotions running high; they have forcibly blocked the road, refusing to let the Inspection Court take the heads away."

The secretary said cautiously.

Gu Zhenhui rubbed his forehead: "Tell Wu Yihua to quell this matter as soon as possible. Do not use force; use softer methods, do not incite public resentment."

"Also, notify the people of every court, we will have an emergency meeting in half an hour. I want a city-wide search for Green-Faced Ghost!"

"Yes."

The secretary nodded in acknowledgment, then turned and left.

Gu Zhenhui let out a heavy breath, his rage still difficult to suppress.

The chess game he had meticulously planned had been shattered by a brute using such extremely crude methods; how could he not be angry?

The authority of the Judicial Court was extremely important; it was a place both he and the Tiger Blade Gang were striving to control. Now that two officials from his own faction had suddenly died, it was a heavy blow to his influence in the Judicial Court. Fortunately, more people from the Tiger Blade Gang had died, which made him feel slightly better.

But he was, after all, the Provincial Military Commander of Xingcheng. Under his governance, such a thing had actually happened—seven second-rank subordinate officials had died at once, and so much dirty laundry had been exposed. This might even affect his official career!

"Green, Faced, Ghost!"

Gu Zhenhui enunciated the name word by word, his gaze grim.

He had thought he could manipulate the other party at will on the chessboard, but now he realized this was not a chess piece, but a blade.

A blade that could make people bleed!

"Green-Faced Ghost."

At the same time, in the cells of the Inspection Court, someone else was also reciting this name.

Although it was a cell, it was actually fully furnished, with maids to serve and a physician on duty at all times; it didn't look like a prison at all.

This was naturally where Zhang Mingze was staying.

This Private Secretary was still lying on the bed recovering from his injuries, with a maid massaging his legs, while a subordinate from the Tiger Blade Gang stood to the side reporting what had happened at the market entrance that morning.

Losing one smoke den would reduce the Tiger Blade Gang's monthly income, but that was only a minor matter.

The deaths of those few officials were what truly made Zhang Mingze's heart ache.

With fewer presiding judges, if there were any cases involving the Tiger Blade Gang in the future, there would be no one to help bend the law for personal gain.

With one less warden, if anyone from the Tiger Blade Gang were thrown into prison in the future, it would be very difficult to get them swapped out.

Overnight, the Tiger Blade Gang's influence in the Judicial Court had suffered a severe blow!

And that was not the most critical point; the most critical point was that the Tiger Blade Gang's prestige had been affected, which would cause other officials standing on the Tiger Blade Gang's side to begin to waver.

Once they lost their support in the officialdom, the Tiger Blade Gang would be like a tiger without claws, completely unable to fight the Provincial Military Commander!

Therefore, the death of a few officials made Zhang Mingze feel even more heartache than the death of a few martial masters.

The only benefit was that he had originally prepared a series of measures to deal with Gu Zhenhui's killing move, but now those measures were no longer needed. After such a commotion, the fake Green-Faced Ghost arranged by Gu Zhenhui could easily be proven false, and he would be able to get out very soon.

"This Green-Faced Ghost must die!"

Zhang Mingze's gaze was grim.

The Tiger Blade Gang and Gu Zhenhui had fought for so many years; although both sides wished they could tear the other to pieces, they had always tried their best to control the scale, never resorting to the simplest and crudest way of killing all of the other side's people.

Because if you can kill, the other side can also kill. Once that happens, the situation will spiral completely out of control, and might even attract people from higher up to intervene. In the end, no one would be able to eat the cake that is Xingcheng, which is something neither side wants to see.

So now that Green-Faced Ghost has struck, killing seven subordinate officials overnight, it makes everyone understand that this person absolutely does not belong to any side. This is a blade that is extremely sharp and impossible to control!

"What is the Provincial Military Commander's reaction?"

Zhang Mingze asked.

Subordinate: "Summoning people from all courts for an emergency meeting."

"Hmm, it seems he is preparing for a city-wide search."

Zhang Mingze fell into deep thought.

The previous joint operation of the three courts was only a very elementary search, and they wouldn't enter many places to search.

But now it is different. Seven subordinate officials died at once; Gu Zhenhui will definitely demand a city-wide search, and the most thorough kind at that!

The Tiger Blade Gang also wants Green-Faced Ghost to die. With both sides rarely having the same goal, this search will be the first time the black and white worlds of Xingcheng join forces with all their might.

"I have seen many interesting people in my life, but this is the first time I have seen a lunatic like Green-Faced Ghost."

Zhang Mingze sighed.

Just then, footsteps were heard, and Inspection Chief Wu Yihua appeared outside the cell.

"You all step out first."

Zhang Mingze ordered.

Soon, only he and Wu Yihua were left in the cell.

"Bedridden, please forgive me, Lord Wu."

Zhang Mingze said.

Wu Yihua stepped forward and sat on the edge of the bed, shaking his head:

"Private Secretary Zhang, no need for formalities. You should already know about the matter at the market entrance, right?"

"I have heard."

"What do you think?"

"What is it that Lord Wu wants to ask?"

Wu Yihua stared at him: "It can now be confirmed that this Green-Faced Ghost absolutely does not belong to either side. Such a person, where does Private Secretary Zhang think he comes from? Could he really just be a wandering martial hero who suddenly popped up?"

Zhang Mingze's eyes shifted: "Does Lord Wu have any guesses?"

Wu Yihua narrowed his eyes: "Since he doesn't belong to our side, and doesn't belong to the Provincial Military Commander's side, I think there is one place most likely to have secretly cultivated a martial master, and which possesses the motive to strike at both sides simultaneously."

"Oh?"

Zhang Mingze was startled, "Lord Wu is saying, the Green Origin Fist Stronghold?"

Wu Yihua nodded: "This Green-Faced Ghost offended both sides at the same time; what good does it do him? Even those wandering martial heroes who act for justice don't act this crazily, so I think it is possible this person was sent by the Green Origin Fist Stronghold to disrupt the situation."

Zhang Mingze fell into deep thought.

Green-Faced Ghost first appeared at the Green Origin Fist Stronghold, and later attacked him inside the Fist Stronghold, breaking the Fist Stronghold's rules, yet the Green Origin Fist Stronghold had no reaction at all.

"Does Lord Wu think this Green-Faced Ghost is hiding in the Fist Stronghold?"

Zhang Mingze asked.

If Green-Faced Ghost really is a person from the Green Origin Fist Stronghold, then he could naturally only be hiding in the Fist Stronghold.

This place was not entered or searched during the previous joint search by the three courts.

Wu Yihua's eyes held murderous intent:

"This is a good opportunity. It is rare for both sides to join forces once. Regardless of whether this Green-Faced Ghost is a person from the Green Origin Fist Stronghold, we can take the opportunity to eradicate this force and divide up this piece of fat meat!"

"But the Great Leader of the Green Origin Fist Stronghold is a Dao Foundation realm powerhouse."

Zhang Mingze frowned.

If one uses official promotion to metaphorically describe the martial path, breaking through from the Body-Breaking realm to the Qi-Transformation realm, changing from a martial practitioner to a martial master, is equivalent to being promoted from a first-rank clerk to a second-rank subordinate official, leaping over the first Dragon Gate, and already having one's own foundation, no longer being an insignificant figure.

Next, breaking through from the Qi-Transformation realm to the Dao Foundation realm is equivalent to being promoted from a second-rank subordinate official to a third-rank appointed official, leaping over the second Dragon Gate!

The simple four words "Imperial Appointed Official" are an honorific that the vast majority of officials will never receive in their lifetime.

Every "Appointed Official's" name is registered in the Cabinet's central hub, appointed after review by the Empire's highest power institution, and possesses an appointment plaque and gold seal issued by the imperial court.

This time, Green-Faced Ghost killed seven subordinate officials overnight, enough to shake the entire Xingcheng.

But if he killed an Appointed Official, it would not just alarm the Xingcheng government; Datong Prefecture would send people down to inquire!

This is the weight of an Appointed Official.

By analogy, a martial powerhouse at the Dao Foundation realm has the same pivotal weight.

Even in this era where martial arts are prevalent and power is respected, the status of a Dao Foundation realm powerhouse is even higher than that of the vast majority of Appointed Officials!

In the entire black and white world of Xingcheng, and the martial arts underworld, there are only two Dao Foundation realm powerhouses on the surface:

One is the Head of the Stop-Conflict Court, and the other is the Great Leader of the Green Origin Fist Stronghold.

This is why she, a mere woman, can single-handedly control such a large "Cornucopia," making all forces wary and forcing them to abide by the rules she set.

An expert is just that capable of covering things!

"As long as Head Yan is willing to strike, plus the joint effort of the three courts—the Inspection Court, the Stop-Conflict Court, and the Judicial Court—a mere Green Origin Fist Stronghold should be no problem, right?"

Wu Yihua asked.

Zhang Mingze smiled upon hearing this; he finally understood that the other party coming to find him this time was not just to offer suggestions, but also to probe.

Why was the Tiger Blade Gang able to leap from a small gang to the number one gang in Xingcheng in just over a decade, befriending a crowd of powerful figures, planting people everywhere, and even being able to stand on equal footing with the Provincial Military Commander, while even faintly holding the upper hand?

Besides the remarkable methods of Yu Hu and Zhang Mingze, it was also because the Tiger Blade Gang had made contact with the Stop-Conflict Court and gained the support of that Head Yan!

Many people, including Wu Yihua, initially thought the Tiger Blade Gang was merely a vicious dog kept by that Head Venerable Yan to earn some money and handle matters inconvenient for him to deal with personally.

But later, the Tiger Blade Gang's influence grew stronger and stronger, while Head Venerable Yan spent his years in seclusion within the Stop-Conflict Institute, barely managing even the affairs of the institute itself; it really did not look like he was secretly manipulating the Tiger Blade Gang to do his bidding.

Eventually, after Wu Yihua got on the Tiger Blade Gang's boat, he felt more and more that the Tiger Blade Gang was clearly being run by Yu Hu alone, and it did not look like it was being controlled by anyone at all.

But Yu Hu is just a Force-Refining Martial Master, with at most a cultivation base at the peak of the Qi Transformation stage; what right does he have to hold any sway in front of Head Venerable Yan?

Therefore, Wu Yihua was very curious about what kind of relationship existed between the Tiger Blade Gang and that Head Venerable of the Stop-Conflict Institute, and whether Yu Hu could actually order that Head Venerable around.

"Lord Wu is still thinking of this matter too simply."

Zhang Mingze spoke up.

"Oh? I would like to hear the details."

Wu Yihua's expression shifted.

Zhang Mingze looked at him:

"If there were only one Dao Foundation stage powerhouse, Gang Leader Yu and I would have long since found a way to make a move on the Green Origin Fist Stronghold; after all, who wouldn't covet such a big piece of fat meat?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yihua was shocked: "You mean to say that the Green Origin Fist Stronghold has more than one Dao Foundation stage powerhouse?!"

Zhang Mingze nodded: "This matter is quite secretive, so I ask Lord Wu not to spread it."

Wu Yihua said solemnly: "Please speak, Private Secretary."

"We discovered that the Great Dragon Head of the Green Origin Fist Stronghold has a senior martial brother who is also a Dao Foundation stage powerhouse!"

Zhang Mingze said slowly.

"She has a senior martial brother? Who is this person? Where is he?"

Wu Yihua was somewhat agitated.

After all, the addition of one Dao Foundation stage powerhouse would affect the entire landscape of Xingcheng!

"This person is named Hao Yi, and he is currently a special-grade lecturer at the Xingcheng Martial Arts Hall."

Zhang Mingze did not beat around the bush and gave the answer directly.

"Hao Yi?"

Wu Yihua's brows furrowed into a 'chuan' shape.

He knew this name; back when Li Lei took men to raid one of the Tiger Blade Gang's venues, he had severely reprimanded Li Lei, but afterward, Huang Weiguang had stepped out to firmly support Li Lei.

He had found it suspicious at the time and specifically investigated, discovering that the son of Li Lei who had been attacked had a special-grade teacher at the Martial Arts Hall named Hao Yi.

He had suspected at the time that Huang Weiguang standing up for Li Lei was likely related to Hao Yi.

Now it seemed his initial guess had been correct.

"No wonder Huang Weiguang had that reaction back then; it seems he had long been clear on Hao Yi's identity. What an old fox!"

Wu Yihua said.

Then he looked at Zhang Mingze in confusion: "But how could a Dao Foundation stage powerhouse go to the Martial Arts Hall to be a lecturer? He could have easily gone to a university to be a lecturer."

Zhang Mingze shook his head:

"This Hao Yi's background is very mysterious. He only arrived in Xingcheng seven years ago, and his life before that is almost a blank slate; it's impossible to investigate. The Tiger Blade Gang has been investigating for all these years, and only recently found some clues and learned a bit of fragmented information."

"This..."

Many guesses immediately surfaced in Wu Yihua's mind, and his expression flickered.

"Fortunately, judging by his actions over these years, as long as we don't take the initiative to provoke him, he won't have the mind to specifically deal with anyone."

Zhang Mingze said.

Wu Yihua frowned: "How can you be sure? Didn't his junior martial sister create the Green Origin Fist Stronghold, and possibly even a Green-Faced Ghost?"

Zhang Mingze smiled: "A few years ago, he took in a student at the Martial Arts Hall. At the time, we didn't know his true strength, so we didn't give way to his student, eventually forcing that student to fall into the evil path and collude with the Peace-Mind Sect."

Wu Yihua was startled: "And then?"

"Later, Hao Yi personally took action to capture his student and sent him to the Inspection Institute to be executed."

"He didn't take revenge on the Tiger Blade Gang?"

"No, because we didn't do anything out of line to his student on the surface."

"This person is truly..."

Wu Yihua didn't know how to evaluate him for a moment.

"A gentleman can be deceived by what is right; his student walked onto the evil path himself back then, so he didn't take revenge on anyone. But if we were to forcefully move against his junior martial sister without evidence, I fear he would not sit idly by."

Zhang Mingze said.

"It seems this matter requires long-term deliberation."

Wu Yihua sighed.

"Indeed."

Zhang Mingze nodded.

Martial Arts Hall.

Li Fei walked into the practice room as usual.

In last night's slaughter, he hadn't just killed people from the Tiger Blade Gang; he had also killed people from the Chief's faction.

Besides the fact that these people deserved to die, he had his own schemes involved.

Smashing the chessboard was not the goal; what Li Fei wanted was to re-enter the game as a chess player!

But to become a 'chess player', relying on himself alone was far from enough.

Therefore, Li Fei had to thoroughly stir up the situation first, and then seek out variables for himself:

"Private Secretary Zhang, Chief Gu, I hope you won't let me down..."

Li Fei looked out the window, his gaze deep.

(End of chapter)