Chapter Forty-Six: The Arrest

A tiger's head, but a snake's tail—the action ended in disappointment. This operation utterly disgraced the Demon Suppression Bureau. Yet such is life; nothing ever goes entirely as one wishes. Still, the destruction of Fairness Town sent shockwaves throughout the region.

In Dongbin City, Magistrate Wang Yan’s face was dark as thunder.
“The Demon Suppression Bureau grows more brazen by the day. I must impeach Governor Gongyang for her negligence,” Wang bellowed.

“Your Excellency, Gongyang Yan is of the influential Gongyang clan. To move against her may well harm your career,” the city’s assistant magistrate counselled.

The destruction of Fairness Town was no small matter; it was the most vital township under Dongbin’s administration. Its tax revenue accounted for a substantial portion of the city’s income. The deaths of tens of thousands were so shocking that every level of government, from the prefectural office to the county seat, was shaken to its core.

In theory, the city magistrate held both military and civil authority over this region. But the Demon Suppression Bureau operated independently, answering to no civil official. In the aftermath, it was Wang who would be held responsible.

“Does her lineage matter? Gongyang Yan flatly refused to act, allowing a city to be devoured by demons. For such a grave crime, the Bureau owes me an explanation,” Wang replied, voice steely with resolve.

“Magistrate Wang, you are certainly bold,” came a cold voice, chilling the air before its speaker even entered.

“Gongyang Yan!” Wang clenched his teeth, resisting the pressure.

“Just as well. I, too, will submit a report—Fairness Town openly harbored opium dens and trafficked narcotics,” Gongyang Yan retorted, ignoring the armed guards who had raised their muskets at her. Firearms were deadly to most, but not to her; with a single move, she could slaughter these foot soldiers without effort.

“Slander! You slander me!” Wang’s beard bristled with rage.

The assistant magistrate lowered his head in silence.

“It seems, Magistrate, there are things even you do not know. Lord Yang Jinsong, perhaps you should explain. Do not attempt to lie; the Demon Suppression Bureau is skilled in interrogation. In fact, we have a succubus imprisoned beneath our headquarters—Lord Yang, would you care to try your luck with her?” Gongyang Yan’s words made Yang Jinsong blanch and turn ashen.

Wang stared at Yang in disbelief and growing fury. The assistant magistrate was in charge of transport and shipping. Could it be...?

“Traitors to the state fall under the jurisdiction of the Demon Suppression Bureau for arrest and trial. Lord Yang, you will accompany me to explain the matter of Zhang Fu, the shipping guild master, who commanded demons to murder. You will also answer for the vampiric bat demon, and for the existence of the Underworld Society in Dali Town, which has persisted for so long.”

The list of charges mounted. Furious as he was, Wang could not help but realize the gravity of the situation.

Once implicated, it was no longer a matter of losing one’s position—it was a capital crime, one that could see his clan exterminated.

“Innocent, Magistrate! This woman is framing me. She only wants to draw attention away from herself!” Yang Jinsong wept and wailed.

Gongyang Yan merely smiled, her gaze mocking: “It seems you have misunderstood both our Bureau and myself, Lord Yang.”

“Guards, take him away.”

Bai Li Feihong and Ding Bo entered from outside, moving to seize Yang Jinsong.

“How dare you! Will you all just stand by and let them arrest me? Today it’s me, tomorrow it’ll be you!” Yang shouted at the guards.

Dozens of muskets aimed at Ding Bo and Bai Li Feihong, yet none dared point their weapons at the Bureau’s governor.

Ding Bo hesitated. Bai Li Feihong’s lips curled into a savage grin. In a single stride, he crossed thirty feet, appearing behind Yang Jinsong and kicking him hard in the knee, shattering the bone on the spot. With one massive hand, he grabbed Yang by the head, crushing his official’s cap, and dragged him up by the hair.

“Lord Yang, tens of thousands in Fairness Town were devoured by the great demon. Had the governor not been forced to retreat, all Dongbin City would now be in peril. And in our Bureau, the dead leave behind all evidence intact.”

At six feet three, Bai Li Feihong hefted the assistant magistrate like a child. Yang Jinsong, wracked with pain, begged for mercy.

Ding Bo frowned slightly. He had hesitated in front of Gongyang Yan!

“Go ahead, shoot. I’d like to see who in this office dares,” Bai Li Feihong sneered, dragging Yang like a beaten dog behind Gongyang Yan.

“Ding Bo.”

“Here, Governor.”

“Go, take men and seal the Shipping Guild.”

“No!” Wang abruptly looked up. “If you touch the Shipping Guild, Dongbin’s prosperity will be ruined. Governor, investigate as you will, but you must not interfere with our shipping and maritime trade.”

“Very well,” Gongyang Yan relented. “Ding Bo, take control of all operations of the Shipping Guild in Dongbin City. Detain all senior personnel.”

“Yes, Governor.” Ding Bo’s scalp went numb at the order.

Behind the Shipping Guild stood the Grand Princess. During the investigation into the Night Demon affair, Ding Bo had uncovered this crucial piece of information. Otherwise, he would have already seized control of the entire guild. Assigning him this task was like pushing him into a volcano. Yet he had no choice but to obey.

Bai Li Feihong, meanwhile, was full of regret. If only he could handle the Shipping Guild himself! As for the powerful figure behind it, he cared little. So long as his own patron remained untouchable, he was safe.

No one fired. None dared.

Wang Yan’s face was filled with dejection. He knew his career had come to an end. Simply leaving with his life would be a blessing.

Dragged out of the office by Bai Li Feihong, Yang Jinsong was tossed to the ground like a dead animal.

“Take him to the Bureau. Lock him in the cells.”

Though the two Bureau apprentices were reluctant, they had no choice but to comply.

“Governor, what now?” Bai Li Feihong asked in a low voice.

Gongyang Yan found herself growing more appreciative of Bai Li Feihong. This man possessed a certain edge—a ruthless drive. Faced with dozens of guns, Ding Bo hesitated, but Bai Li Feihong chose the harshest means to humiliate the assistant magistrate.

“What do you think we should do?”

“The emergence of the ancient Ice Maiden is a major event—we can use it to our advantage,” Bai Li Feihong murmured.

“How?”

“A being from ten thousand years past has awakened. Though her body has changed, she has found another path to immortality. If we leak this news, would the Underworld Society still have the energy to undermine us from the shadows?”

Bai Li Feihong understood that Dali Mountain now posed a grave threat to Dongbin City.

“The reemergence of the ancient sects is hardly a boon for us.”

“Every coin has two sides. For the demons, for the Underworld Society, and for Han Su, the Ice Maiden, it is most certainly bad news,” Bai Li Feihong replied, his views extreme. “If my enemies suffer, I am satisfied.”

“The sects may not wish us well, but they dare not oppose us openly. The Underworld Society is different—a wicked organization plotting to destroy Dongbin. Worst of all, we cannot find a trace of them. They are hidden too deeply. But if the sects dare to plot against us, His Majesty will not hesitate to unleash the army on the martial world, making an example of them.”

Bai Li Feihong spoke at length.

“He who borrows a knife to kill may one day be cut by it,” Gongyang Yan remarked coolly. Only she truly understood the power wielded by the ancient sects. Still, Bai Li Feihong was right—if the sects stirred up trouble, they would not escape unscathed. As for the Underworld Society, it was a malignant tumor that had to be excised quickly, or it would prove disastrous for her.

The sects would not dare harm him, but the Underworld Society would not hesitate to kill her.