Chapter 14: Heart of the Machine

Chapter 14: Mechanical Heart

"As of this moment, this official suspects Zhao Dou of hiring assassins to commit murder. I am taking him back to the Shouwei Bureau for interrogation. You intend to stop me?"

Luo Zhen wanted to take Zhao Dou away because this man still held value!

Although he had lost this round today, as long as Zhao Dou remained in his grasp, the moment Zhao Ding died, he could immediately use the pretext of investigating the case to stretch his hand into Nine Dragons Street once more.

"An official's word is law; you may say whatever you please, but that does not grant you license to speak recklessly." Zhao Ding's face was a mask of indifference, his words stripped of all courtesy.

"You wish to apprehend the murderer; that is the law. I have given you face, but the dog you raised simply proved useless. Just now, Zhao Dou gambled his life; therefore, he must leave his life here in Nine Dragons Street. That is human sentiment and reason. Does Inspector Luo refuse to grant the Bagua Society this face?"

"Human sentiment and reason do not supersede the law!" Luo Zhen shouted in a clear voice, raising a hand to point at the gathering disciples of the Muddy Water Bagua Society surrounding them. "This official is taking Zhao Dou away right now. Let us see who dares to stop me!"

"What magnificent official authority! A pity, I am old now; I can no longer control my subordinates."

Zhao Ding let out a long sigh. Withered, branch-like fingers extended from his greatcoat, tapping rhythmically on the armrest of his chair.

Li Jun and Kuang Qingyun exchanged a glance, rising almost simultaneously, lunging toward Zhao Dou hiding amidst the crowd of the Sacrificial Saber Society.

[Consumed 88 Proficiency Points, Eight Trigrams Swimming Body Step upgraded to (Ninth Grade Mid-Stage 0/100)]

[Consumed 52 Proficiency Points, Azure Emperor Technique upgraded to (Eighth Grade Mid-Stage 56/100)]

The Proficiency Points he had just acquired were spent cleanly by Li Jun in one go, but the effects were equally immediate. The speed he erupted with was nearly double what it had been moments prior.

Bao Ying, a top-tier expert ranked among the 'Ten Nobles' of the Sacrificial Saber Society, couldn't even react before a vicious knee strike slammed into his face.

*Crack!*

Bao Ying's head folded backward a hundred and eighty degrees, the back of his skull nearly pressing against his own spine. Shattered vertebrae pierced his trachea; arterial blood sprayed half a meter into the air.

*Whoosh!*

A sharp wind attacked from the flank. Li Jun neither dodged nor evaded, lashing out with a whip kick. At the cost of a chunk of flesh sliced from his calf, he swept the other Sacrificial Saber executive, blade in hand, flying.

The man crashed into the crowd, instantly hacked into pulp by the waiting, battle-ready Muddy Water Bagua disciples.

Simultaneously, Ju Shou, ranked second among the 'Ten Nobles' within the Sacrificial Saber Society, second only to Lang Ren, tossed aside a corpse with a snapped neck, revealing a bloodthirsty grin at Li Jun.

"A heavily injured Martial Dao Sequence Nine... hehehehe, kill you and I can immediately ascend to the next Sequence..."

Ju Shou's fantasy hadn't ended when the purple hair falling over his forehead was suddenly blown upward by a gale. His vision plunged into darkness, followed immediately by an unbearable, bone-deep agony in his eye sockets.

"Ahhhhh!!"

Li Jun plucked two blood-soaked fingers from Ju Shou's eye sockets, flicking off the sticky tissue and shattered implant components, turning his head toward Kuang Qingyun's direction.

At the other end of the battlefield, this Muddy Water Bagua elder dressed as a scholar displayed a terrifying violence utterly at odds with his appearance. He charged through the crowd like a humanoid Tyrannosaurus.

Every Sacrificial Saber executive blocking his path had their body shattered by a single punch; exploding flesh and blood quickly dyed his cyan robes a thorough crimson.

Watching his 'Ten Nobles' wiped out to the last man, Hu Zhong's face showed not a shred of heartache. From start to finish, he stood by Luo Zhen's side, like a loyal hound guarding its master.

"Bury the entire Sacrificial Saber Society for your ambition, Hu Zhong. What exactly did Luo Zhen promise you to drive you to such heartless madness?"

On the sedan chair, Zhao Ding gazed at the numb-faced Hu Zhong, unable to suppress a frown.

*Slap!*

A foot stepped into the viscous pool of blood. Liquid sprayed wildly under the violent force, revealing spiderweb-like cracks across the ground.

Kuang Qingyun, his cyan robe turned blood-red, launched himself like a cannonball. His spine bowed to an exaggerated extreme, his right fist, coiled with the power of his entire body, rocketed from his waist straight for Hu Zhong's skull!

Facing the sky-reaching momentum of Kuang Qingyun, Hu Zhong showed no fear, meeting him with a fist of his own!

In the next instant, the fist arena abruptly erupted with blinding arcs of electricity, as if a massive flashbang had detonated. Countless Muddy Water Bagua disciples screamed, clutching their eyes.

When their vision recovered, they were shocked to discover Kuang Qingyun's fist caught in Hu Zhong's single hand. Countless bolts of lightning leaped from between Hu Zhong's fingers, gnawing at Kuang Qingyun.

The skin on Kuang Qingyun's arm melted like wax, continuously dissolving and peeling away, revealing the silver-white prosthetic limb hidden beneath the synthetic skin.

"Thunder Division Celestial Soldier Core?!"

Kuang Qingyun grinned, revealing a mouthful of gleaming white teeth, as if he weren't the one being struck by lightning. He clicked his tongue. "No wonder the mighty Sacrificial Saber Society Leader plays lapdog to the Tianfu Shouwei. Luo Zhen is truly fucking generous!"

"Is your Strength Witch Core not a gift from Zhao Ding?" Hu Zhong's tone was mocking. "You are just another house dog."

At those words, Kuang Qingyun's face instantly darkened. Coldly, he said, "Hand over Zhao Dou. Otherwise, I'll rip out that heart of yours, sever your Sequence path, and leave you with nothing but a bamboo basket trying to carry water—all for nothing!"

Hu Zhong sneered. "Big words. How much strength does that Mechanical Heart of yours have left to pump?"

The crimson light in the depths of Kuang Qingyun's pupils flared brighter with each passing second. The fist gripped in Hu Zhong's palm trembled incessantly. "Enough to crush you, this electric rat!"

Hu Zhong snorted coldly. More electric arcs exploded between his five fingers, crawling up Kuang Qingyun's arm, attempting to destroy the chip inside his skull in one fell swoop.

Right then, Li Jun's figure appeared at Hu Zhong's flank. His leg shadows moved like sabers, directly whipping the pervasive lightning into dust.

*Bang!*

Hu Zhong's figure violently retreated. Electric arcs danced around his legs, driving into the ground to dissipate the force. Only after carving a shattered stone trench several meters long did he finally halt.

"To think he still possesses such power... This Li Jun's genes are truly that formidable?!"

Hu Zhong lowered his crossed arms, revealing a pair of uncertain eyes. A distinct depression was visible at his wrist.

He looked up at Li Jun and Kuang Qingyun standing shoulder to shoulder, a trace of gravity appearing on his face.

Though Hu Zhong was a veteran Soldier Path Sequence Nine, facing two Sequencers alone still gave him no certainty of victory.

But things had reached this point; he had bet everything. Even with low odds, he had to go all in. Unless...

"Hu Zhong, that is enough."

Luo Zhen, who had remained silent since the conflict erupted, finally spoke.

At this moment, the many Muddy Water Bagua disciples who thought victory was victory was in hand broke out in a cold sweat. To become a District Inspector, Luo Zhen was also a Sequencer!

And one with zero injuries, maintaining peak combat power at that.

But they overlooked one thing: from beginning to end, neither Li Jun nor Kuang Qingyun had shown any intention of attacking Luo Zhen. Luo Zhen's hands had also remained clasped behind his back the entire time.

Both sides seemed to tacitly observe a bottom line, neither daring to cross it.

"Lord Luo..."

Hu Zhong looked at Luo Zhen, hesitating to speak.

Luo Zhen ignored him entirely, instead fixing his gaze on the old man atop the sedan chair, his voice deep. "From today onward, the Tianfu Shouwei Bureau will take good care of Nine Dragons Street's business, and communicate frequently with the brothers of the Bagua Society to foster our relationship."

Zhao Ding laughed heartily, not taking Luo Zhen's threat to heart in the slightest. "On behalf of all the brothers of the Bagua Society, many thanks, Inspector Luo!"

Luo Zhen's face was gloomy. He turned and walked out of the arena, Hu Zhong following silently behind him.

This time, no one moved to stop them.

Once the arena was clear of outsiders, every pair of eyes turned toward that pile of pulp collapsed on the ground.

"Bring him over."