Chapter Fifty-Nine: Is the Punishment Division Supposed to Provide Meals?
Su Jian secretly thought to himself, “If Longhu doesn’t possess the power of the Nascent Soul stage, then everything will be much easier to handle.”
...
“It seems this disaster is fated for me; there’s no escaping it this time,” Longhu sighed deeply. The thought of deceiving his master flickered briefly through his mind, but he dared not entertain it further.
His master’s abilities were vast and profound… There was little chance he could fool him, and if he tried, death would be certain!
Perhaps, by confessing now, he might still have a sliver of hope.
He promptly took out his communication jade and spoke in a weary tone, “Master… Shen Jingya has been captured, but…”
The young woman’s brow furrowed slightly, signaling him to continue.
“But she’s dead… she killed herself.” Longhu dared not mention the Holy Lord, lest he cement his reputation as a fool.
“The body is unharmed, I hope?” she asked.
“The body is completely intact!” Longhu replied.
The young woman let out a sigh of relief; at least it was still useful.
...
Meanwhile, Su Jian used another Morphing Pill to change his appearance once more. Activating a Concealment Talisman, he vaulted over the wall and left Yonghe Street behind.
He didn’t know if Longhu had been alerted, but he had no better plan now—he could only do his best to avoid trouble.
As the saying goes, revenge should never be delayed overnight, or the grievance will eat away at you.
It wasn’t long before Su Jian’s figure appeared before the Punishment Bureau’s office.
He was, after all, a law-abiding citizen. Now that he had suffered unlawful harm, it was only natural to report it to the Punishment Bureau.
He would need to adjust his story, of course… otherwise, the result might turn out counterproductive.
Truth be told, the Punishment Bureau was quite useful—at least more effective than the so-called Righteous Alliance, who seemed to do little more than hold meetings like a nest of parasites.
Su Jian glanced around and soon locked his gaze on the stone drum to the left—something akin to the grievance drum found in secular magistrates’ courts.
But this stone drum was different; only cultivators could strike it. In fact, it was a low-grade spiritual artifact. He remembered reading in a book that even if struck from a thousand miles away, the sound would resonate in both places.
The Punishment Bureau was certainly well-funded—even over a few hundred steps, they could afford such a setup.
The Bureau cared not for worldly matters, only intervening in cases of cultivator disturbances or demonic mischief.
The procedure was straightforward.
Strike the drum…
Someone would come…
And then take him away.
But Su Jian was not taken to the main hall at all; he was received only by a minor figure named Captain Zheng—a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage.
Captain Zheng spoke with a slightly lazy tone, “What brings you here at this hour?”
Su Jian saw no need for small talk and got straight to the point: “I wish to report a demonic spy. He possesses late-stage Soul Formation power and is currently lurking in Yingdu City. Several lives have already been lost to his hands. As a righteous cultivator, I cannot abide the presence of such fiends. Even if it puts me in danger of silencing, I am resolved to restore clarity and peace to our great Jin Dynasty.”
He would have liked to meet the head of the Bureau, but with his current status, that seemed unlikely.
In the end, his cultivation was too low for them to pay much heed.
Captain Zheng was taken aback. “This is a grave matter, young man. Tell me everything. If what you say is true, you will have rendered a great service!”
Su Jian blurted out, “Is there a bounty?”
Captain Zheng’s expression stiffened. “...Let’s focus on the matter at hand, young man.”
Su Jian waved his hand dismissively, appearing carefree. “Just asking. The man’s name is Longhu. I once met him during my travels in the Qian Kingdom. But just a few days ago, I saw him again on Yonghe Street, disguised as a beggar…”
Captain Zheng’s voice grew tense, “Did you say late-stage Soul Formation?”
“Absolutely,” Su Jian confirmed.
Captain Zheng did not dare delay. In an instant, he vanished from Su Jian’s sight, presumably to report to his superiors.
Su Jian, meanwhile, was already thinking of leaving; he had no desire to linger in the Bureau.
Still, their handling of the case was rather careless… They left him hanging without further instructions.
Su Jian grumbled inwardly—perhaps he hadn’t even followed the proper procedure this time.
Yet, as he was about to leave, he couldn’t help but ask a nearby clerk, “So there’s really no bounty?”
Could it be that Captain Zheng planned to embezzle his reward?
“That… should be the case. Court-issued bounties are only for those already wanted. The person you reported doesn’t fall into that category.”
Su Jian nodded, not particularly disappointed; he’d only asked in passing.
Without further hesitation, he rose to leave.
The clerk hesitated. “Are you leaving just like that?”
Su Jian replied cheerfully, “Does the Punishment Bureau offer dinner, then?”
“Captain Zheng has gone to report. They may need to ask you some details later.”
Su Jian waved his hand, “That’s all I know.”
And with that, he left.
Such a simple matter—what more could they ask? All it took was to send a late-stage Soul Formation or Nascent Soul cultivator to Yonghe Street and apprehend the man—direct, efficient, and brutal.
As he passed the stone drum, Su Jian decided to convert it into spiritual energy.
Even a mosquito is still meat—he certainly wouldn’t mind.
[Spiritual energy conversion successful. Current energy: 3,350.]
Su Jian smiled with satisfaction. Now it was perfect; otherwise, something would have felt missing.
With that, he vanished into the night.
...
Upon learning of Longhu, the commander of the Punishment Bureau dared not be negligent and immediately dispatched three captains and several lieutenants to apprehend him.
Such a show of force was no small matter.
It was clear how seriously the Bureau regarded this incident.
As for Su Jian’s early departure, they paid it little mind, assuming he was simply fearful of getting embroiled.
The Punishment Bureau arrived at Yonghe Street at once.
Longhu, for his part, sensed their arrival immediately and frowned.
He wanted to believe they had come for Yuan Chidao, but a Nascent Soul cultivator alone would hardly merit such a response.
Still, Longhu dared not make any rash moves, lest he confirm their suspicions and draw their attention.
But as he pondered, the Punishment Bureau closed in on him, surrounding him in an instant with no way out.
A captain, face stern, declared, “Your deeds have been exposed. Come with us.”
Longhu’s lips twitched. Exposed? What deeds?
Could it be about Shen Jingya?
The Holy Lord’s face flashed through Longhu’s mind.
That damned wretch!
At that very moment, Su Jian was secretly observing everything.
“This old fox probably hasn’t realized I’m involved, or he wouldn’t be ignoring me entirely.”
Longhu, eyeing the overwhelming force of the Bureau, began to feel uneasy. Clearly, they had come prepared—and among them was someone of equal cultivation.
But surrendering without a fight was out of the question.
At this point, the Bureau had no interest in questioning him or hearing his side. Either he came quietly, or they would resort to force.