Chapter 86 Associating with Evil

Chapter 87 Associating with Evil

"That's incredible! He killed the Silver Fish Envoy with a single sword strike—oh, and there were two Silver-Clad Captains as well. How many years has it been since the Thieves' Bureau suffered such a loss?"

""

"Even disciples from the two temples and three monasteries wouldn't dare act so arrogantly—can the White Deer Academy protect him?"

Since its establishment, the Thieves Catcher's Office has dealt with martial artists who have broken the rules of the martial arts world.

In the eyes of lower-level martial artists, their deterrent power might be even greater than that of top-tier sects.

You bully the weak, and the two temples and their three views cannot see that.

But once your notoriety spreads, the police might actually come and arrest you.

But there are only four Divine Constables and about a hundred Silver Fish Envoys, distributed across seventeen prefectures. Even if each of them had eight legs, they still couldn't manage them all.

More often than not, it serves as a deterrent.

Therefore, prestige is very important.

When martial artists no longer find the "Bandit Enforcement Bureau" signboard intimidating, the Silver-Robed Captains will face significantly increased difficulty in enforcing the law.

The fact that the Martial Arts Academy made this matter public meant that the Thieves' Bureau was bound to take action.

Let the world see the consequences of killing officials from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and even the strongest among the top experts will not be exempt.

"Wow, are we going to witness a dramatic scene where someone just made it onto the list of heroes is immediately arrested and falls from grace?"

The bald, idle man was shouting excitedly.

"What a joke! Although martial arts at Bailu Academy have declined in recent years, it still has a thousand-year history. Several of its members are at the Refinement of Spirit level, and the Confucian School's four academies are currently in power in the officialdom. How could we allow the Bureau of Thieves to capture our most outstanding disciple?"

Someone immediately countered that unless the Privy Council spoke up, the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics certainly couldn't use its official power to force Bailu Academy to submit.

"But Lu Li will definitely not be able to roam the world freely in the future. Without experience and lack of combat experience with his peers, he will be left behind very quickly."

What the bald idler said was true. Even if the true lineage of the two temples and the three views has the most outstanding inheritance and the most complete guidance, one still needs to leave the mountain gate to broaden one's horizons and temper one's character.

Working in isolation is no match for those who travel and explore the world.

"That's true. Let's see how long this person can stay—he's young and impetuous. Even if he only seriously injures someone, he won't kill them."

A middle-aged man was shaking his head, looking mature and composed.

After a long sigh, nothing much happened after the twenty-fourth person; it was all rather unremarkable.

Only a few people lamented the lack of promising young talents in Danyang County, as not a single person made it onto the list.

In the past, there were also fellow sufferers from the neighboring Yuzhang County, who huddled together for warmth.

As a result, Bailu Academy produced a killer star. Regardless of the future prospects, at least for now, it has far surpassed Danyang County.

A few words of criticism were uttered about how the sects within the prefecture were stuck in their ways, and how senior masters were confined by sectarianism and unwilling to mentor the younger generation.

If this continues, their performance will likely be even worse than that of the tributary states.

The crowd gathered around the archway gradually dispersed, leaving only a few people quickly copying it down with brushes.

Some were published as tabloids and distributed to rural towns and villages.

Some can compile a martial arts evaluation booklet based on the rankings, especially this issue which features newcomers who have joined the list, making it quite interesting.

As long as the content is substantial and the writing is sharp, it will sell extremely well in the marketplace.

With increased fame, one could even see people debating martial arts opinions in restaurants and teahouses, debating whether the top talents on the list were strong or weak.

"Xiao Fengzi, is this the mysterious master you mentioned who did something great and gave the martial arts school masters a headache?"

Fang Qing clicked his tongue in amazement and said.

"With this skill and this courage, I'd accept him even if he were ranked in the top twenty, let alone twenty-fourth!"

"Lord Yuan is extremely protective of his own. Do you think he might storm into Bailu Academy and arrest them?"

Xiong Shengnan frowned. These eyebrows would be praised as heroic on a man, but they looked a bit too thick on a woman.

She analyzed Fang Qing's words and found that they were indeed quite possible: "Lord Yuan came from humble origins and had a volatile temper. Dean Jiang of Bailu Academy had the cultivation level of the late stage of the Refining Spirit Realm and had even been listed on the Earth Ranking, but he was seriously injured in a fierce battle with the pirates at sea five years ago."

"It is said that his injuries have not yet healed and he has long since fallen off the list of top scholars—if Lord Yuan acts quickly enough, no one in the academy should be able to stop him."

Mo Shuyan's voice was childlike, like a nightingale's: "The rankings look good. Let's go back to the inn to wash up first. We're covered in dust from the journey these past few days—Brother Qin, why are you standing there in a daze?"

Only then did the others realize that Qin Feng was in a daze, as if he had been frightened, and his body was trembling like a sieve.

"Qin Feng, wake up! What did you discover?"

Xiong Shengnan leaned closer and shouted, using a slightly intimidating vocal technique, like the sound of a bell.

"Pengcheng, Bailu Academy —"

Qin Feng stretched out his finger and pointed at the list of people, his words mumbled indistinctly.

"Xiao Fengzi, what exactly are you trying to say?!"

Fang Qing panicked and pulled him away.

"You told everyone about this ranking change before, and you still looked shocked."

"Pengcheng Luli, he is Pengcheng Luli!"

Qin Feng looked around and found that the figure that had been following behind them earlier was gone, and a feeling of relief or disappointment welled up inside him.

He grabbed a few companions and started walking, not stopping, saying, "The young swordsman we met in the carriage is named Lu Li! Lu Li, ranked twenty-fourth on the Human Ranking!"

"Could it be someone with the same name? What a coincidence!"

Fang Qing was startled. He had been traveling with the thief for several days without realizing that a great expert was sitting next to him, and one who dared to openly kill the Silver Fish Envoy of the Thieves' Envoy.

Along this journey, we have almost brushed with death.

"The name, age, and place of origin all match up—at that time, the list of successful candidates had not yet been published, so no one would have thought of impersonating someone else."

Qin Feng regained his composure and began speaking very quickly.

"He knows Bailu Academy inside and out; it's not just that he pays attention to local sects, he's actually a member of one!"

"From a timeline perspective, the two match up—after killing the constable of the thieves' office, they fled all the way back to Yuzhang!"

It took Fang Qing a while to finally manage to utter, "That was fucking exciting!"

"Alright, don't be so alarmed. Killing someone from the burglary bureau doesn't necessarily mean he's a vicious and ruthless killer who indiscriminately slaughters innocent people. If I'm not mistaken, the master and servant pair who tricked us on the train must have been scared away by him, otherwise they wouldn't have let us go so easily."

Xiong Shengnan's mind flashed back to that handsome face as he calmly analyzed the situation.

"Let's check into the hotel first, and then visit the martial arts schools in the county town as planned tomorrow."

Fang Qing's eyes lit up, and she came up with a bold idea: "Sister Nan, what do you think about us going to Yuzhang as our next stop?"

The aftermath of the thief-catching operation, and the challenges from martial artists who aspire to overnight fame —

"And what about those geniuses on the Human Ranking who were suppressed by Lu Li? Won't they feel resentful and come to challenge him? Going to Yuzhang now might just be the perfect opportunity to witness a spectacular show!"

After seeing his ranking and evaluation, Lu Li turned and left.

He didn't care much about his exact rank as long as he made it onto the list.

Anyway, the academy only said that the first disciple to be listed on the Human Ranking would be rewarded with a magical artifact, but there was no different reward for different rankings.

To break into the top 20, or even the top 10, you just need to beat a few more formidable opponents in the future.

Unexpectedly, the martial arts room did not change a single word and recreated the scene from that day, repeatedly slapping the face of the thief-catching room.

I don't know if the burglary police station protested. They could have easily written it vaguely to avoid making it seem too embarrassing to outsiders.

"A warrant for arrest that came with the wanted list!"

Not far away, Lu Li saw several yamen runners in red robes and black hats carrying several sheets of yellow paper, which they pasted on the wall on the other side of the yamen.

The fact that they neither shouted loudly nor sent anyone to guard and constantly proclaim their presence indicates that it was not a high-level sea arrest warrant.

He glanced at it; the first one described a desperate bandit who had fled to three prefectures.

Wherever this person goes, he commits a massacre of an entire family, using cruel methods without any apparent motive.

He has more than thirty lives on his hands and is currently on the run in the Danyang County area.

He had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment cultivation, but his arm had been severed, greatly diminishing his strength.

The second picture shows a traitor from the Lushan Sword Alliance who is said to have secretly killed his master while he was practicing his internal energy, stealing three volumes of sword manuals and a precious weapon.

He must have fled towards Guiyang County; he was at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

The third arrest warrant clearly bore Lu Li's name.

Lu Li, a disciple of Bailu Academy from Pengcheng, Yuzhang, is on the run after killing a constable from the Bureau of Arrest and Robbery.

In the early stages of Foundation Establishment, his swordsmanship is extraordinary and should not be underestimated. Upon discovering any trace of him, he should immediately report it to the local government.

There was no portrait, only a few words briefly describing his appearance.

He was tall and upright with well-defined muscles.

His eyes were as black as lacquer, his nose was straight and his mouth was upright, his sideburns were neatly tied, and he had a handsome and dashing appearance.

"What the hell? Putting me in the same category as these villains, who are either inhuman genocide-mongers or despicable scoundrels who cheat their masters and steal treasures—fortunately, the description of his appearance is fair enough, and he's not entirely without merit."

There was no reward, no time limit for arrest; it was merely a notification to all prefectures and counties that someone had committed such a crime.

This means that there won't be a large number of meddlesome martial arts heroes coming to intercept them, and the thief-catching office hasn't yet mobilized its elite troops for a roundup.

Judging from the contents of the first arrest warrant, such a villain did not even qualify for inclusion on the Privy Council's wanted list, which shows just how short-staffed the Bureau of Arrest and Capture is.

If we can send a goldfish envoy to assist a large number of local officers, we can bring this person to justice within a month at most.

"Such a villain deserves to be beheaded with a single sword stroke. He should be taken back and executed. It's a disgrace to be on the same list of wanted persons as such a person."

Lu Li glanced at it again; it seemed his plan to find a merchant brothel to hitch a ride back would have to be changed.

Once their identities are exposed, the timid businessman might report them directly to the authorities, adding another layer of trouble.

In order to prevent the invasion of the Northern Dynasty's cavalry, the cities in Yuzhang County that are close to the border all have city lords set up in the style of military camps, and these lords are all experts in the Refinement of Spirit Realm.

The prefect and magistrate of Danyang County would not have such a grand display. Once you leave the county seat, the probability of encountering an official spiritual practice is not high.

As for those sects and aristocratic families, taking the initiative to help the thief-catching department deal with them is a violation of the public order and good customs of the martial arts world, and they will be despised by their fellow practitioners.

He boldly arrived at the trading market, intending to buy a fine horse with good stamina and speed, and ride it all the way back to Yuzhang.

After asking the two horse merchants about the price, a group of burly men approached from the opposite direction. They were all strong and exuded a sense of bravery.

They wore short jackets with front openings and loose trousers; some were barefoot, while others wore round-toed cloth shoes.

People in the market quickly made way, some whispering, "They're from the Grand Canal gang!"