Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 236: The Forbidden Martial Arts Division Investigates

The Forbidden Martial Arts Department?
No wonder it's such a big deal. They want to take advantage of the gathering of gangsters to catch all the criminals who come running.

Chen Xuan looked around carefully and estimated that there were only about five or six hundred people in and outside the town who were not affected by the drug, and most of them were definitely their people.

Apart from those who are not affected, not all of them are completely comatose. Some people can barely stay awake thanks to their internal strength and physical condition, but their ability to move is greatly restricted.

There are only more than 200 indigenous households in Tuoling Town, with a population of just over 1,000, but at least 3,000 people have gathered here. They planned and deployed surveillance in advance, used drugs to clear the way, and would rather kill the wrong people than let them go, so as to minimize the impact and threat. Four or five hundred people are enough.

Otherwise, it has to be the imperial court, which can easily mobilize a bunch of people to do anything.

The drug they used was colorless and odorless, and took effect very quickly. Chen Xuan didn't know the details, and he was not omnipotent, but he was not affected. Not to mention that he had to be on guard all the time when going out. Even if he was hit by the drug, he could withstand it with his strong physique, and he could expel it from his body by circulating his internal energy.

"This kind of drug is very effective for people below the Xiantian level, but it is not effective for people below the Xiantian level," Chen Xuan gave a fair evaluation.

Of course, the Forbidden Martial Arts Department must have various means targeting the Innate Realm, but using them on such a large scale would not be worth the cost. Things of that level are so precious that there is no need to waste them on some small people.

Chen Xuan certainly knew that the Forbidden Martial Arts Division was a violent agency under the Ministry of Justice, mainly responsible for matters in the underworld, and was the so-called lackey of the court.

They do not conduct investigations, but only arrest and hunt people according to orders. It is their turn to deal with the bandits and fierce men that the normal government offices cannot handle. If there is resistance during the process, they can kill people directly. This is a special permission granted by the imperial power, but under normal circumstances they will try their best to capture them alive.

Because living people are more valuable than dead people.

Yes, it's valuable. Although they are an imperial agency, they are also doing life-threatening work. Of course, they try to make extra money when they go on missions. Otherwise, how much is their salary? Moreover, there is a bonus for every person captured alive. Many people are wanted and have a bounty on them, so they can earn extra money by capturing them. They also get a share of the valuable items on the prisoners. In short, there are still many ways to make money.

Holding the barbecue, Chen Xuan watched people fall down in groups, some even carried them into the fire. He wondered if he should join in the fun.
After thinking about it, he decided to give up. He was not a criminal. Although the Military Prohibition Bureau was a violent organization, as long as he did not go against them, in most cases they would not harm innocent people.

As for the so-called minority cases, it depends on their mood.

"I'm sorry, everyone. The Martial Arts Prohibition Department is arresting wanted criminals. According to investigation, Tuoling Town is hiding forty-three extremely evil people. I'm acting according to orders, and for safety's sake I have no choice but to resort to this last resort. The drug will wear off in half an hour and won't have any effect on you. I apologize."

The innate master standing on the hill with the widest view glanced at the whole audience and spoke loudly. He didn't care whether the people who were unconscious or were in a coma could hear him clearly.

And he was already giving face by saying sorry, otherwise what else could be done to him? Why would he go against the court? Moreover, as citizens of Jing State, they all have the obligation to cooperate with the government in handling cases.

The man was in his forties or fifties, thin, with a fierce and hawk-like gaze, and he looked like a ruthless character.

He was wearing a black robe with an exquisite flying eagle pattern embroidered on the chest, a sword hanging from his waist, and a cloak. As he spoke, he slowly took off his hood to reveal his true face.

"It's you, Zuo Kaichou, you're a running dog of the imperial court, you will not die a good death!" Someone who was drugged glared at him and cursed, but still couldn't control himself and fell to the ground.

The person who spoke probably understood that what he had done made him their target, and he had no way to resist and escape, so he just cursed to vent his anger in advance.

No one who is targeted by the Forbidden Martial Arts Bureau will have a good end. If they are not caught, it's fine. If they die during the capture, it's also okay. But if they fall into their hands, it will be worse than death. The Forbidden Martial Arts Bureau's prison is a terrifying place that countless people in the martial arts world are afraid of.

"Despicable! What kind of skill is that to use such means? If you have the guts, fight Grandpa for three hundred rounds!"

"I can't accept this. I've been free and unrestrained for so many years, but now I've been caught in this kind of situation. It's a shame!"

"I admit defeat. You lackeys of the imperial court, just wait. I still have disciples and brothers who will avenge me. You better watch out for your wives and children, hahahaha..."

Zuo Kaichou didn't care about the curses and threats, and his eyes didn't even change. If he was worried about these things, he wouldn't have done this dangerous job.

However, almost all those who spoke out knew they were doomed to die, and those who were implicated could only consider themselves unlucky and remain silent, provided that they could still remain sober. Not to mention them, even a big sect like the Hanshan Sword Sect did not dare to openly go against the court, not to mention that they were still doing the right thing.

He stood facing the wind, his hand on the hilt of his sword. His robe fluttered as he waved his hand and said coldly, "Attack! Open your eyes, everyone! The drug isn't a panacea. Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"

"Yes, sir!" With Zuo Kaichou's order, people from the Forbidden Martial Arts Department inside and outside the town took action.

They had obviously made careful arrangements beforehand, and each of them already had a target in mind. They immediately bared their claws like hungry wolves. Most of their targets had no power to resist, so they were captured directly.

Around Chen Xuan, people from the Forbidden Martial Arts Department headed straight for their target in groups of three.

One of the groups quickly came to a fire, where a middle-aged man was lying unconscious with one arm still on the fire. His body was twitching instinctively due to the burn.

Even though the man had fallen unconscious, the members of the Forbidden Martial Arts Division remained vigilant. Two of them stood guard while one stepped forward to investigate, sneering, "Iron Fist Wang Meng, you've committed thirteen crimes. You enjoy breaking bones in people, regardless of gender, age, or status. You truly enjoy torturing them. The most serious incident involved you murdering eight people in a family, having evil intentions towards their daughter. You're worse than pigs and dogs. You've been apprehended today. We'll give you a good beating in prison."

As he spoke, the man from the Forbidden Martial Arts Department formed his five fingers into claws and quickly swung across his limbs and shoulders. With a crackling sound, he broke his limbs and scapula, and the unconscious man twitched instinctively in the process.

That's not all. After crippling his limbs and scapula, the people from the Martial Arts Forbidden Department tied his hands and feet with tendons, forced his mouth open and fed him a pill, then removed his jaw before throwing him aside and moving on to the next place.

The whole process took only four or five breaths, and was very smooth and efficient.

Such scenes were being played out everywhere in an orderly manner, while Zuo Kaichou looked down at the entire scene.

But there were also accidents.

For example, a few dozen feet to the left and in front of Chen Xuan, an unconscious young man suddenly jumped up when a group of people from the Forbidden Martial Arts Division approached him. He knocked one of them away with a palm, then immediately jumped up and used Qinggong to run away, laughing loudly, "A mere drug can't do anything to me. You want to catch me? Dream on. Just wait, I'll come to your door one by one... Puff puff puff"

His voice stopped abruptly before he could finish his words. Several crossbow arrows flew out from the darkness and shot him into a sieve. He fell to the sand without a sound.

Do you really think the Forbidden Weapons Department is joking with you? How could they let you escape if you dare to resist and be killed without mercy? You have good lightness skills. You are in the air. Where can you hide from the crossfire of powerful crossbows?
"The criminal Zhehuajun has robbed women 32 times in the past few years and has been brought to justice," the people from the Forbidden Martial Arts Department said after they stepped forward to investigate and chopped off his head.

Someone then went to check on the Forbidden Weapons Division companion who had been sent flying and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "It wasn't some vicious palm strike. He only had two broken ribs. He'll be fine after a while of recuperation. Be more careful next time. These lawless criminals are very cunning..."

Chen Xuan witnessed the entire process. In just a short time, most of the criminals in and outside the town had been captured. The efficiency was amazing.

Occasionally, unexpected situations occurred, but no major problems arose, as they were all suppressed by the Forbidden Martial Arts Department.

Someone then went to report to Zuo Kaichou, saying, "Sir, there were forty-three prisoners in total. We arrested thirty-two, killed eight on the spot, and three are missing. Six of our brothers were injured, one seriously, and the rest were slightly injured. Please give us your instructions, sir."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Kaichou frowned slightly and said, "What a bunch of good-for-nothings! Even such a meticulous plan can go awry. What are they all doing here? They're supposed to be keeping watch, but they can still lose track of someone. Who are they? The people in charge of keeping watch will receive their punishment according to the rules when they return."

"My Lord, the ones we've lost are Young Master Du, who's skilled at poisoning. The three brothers who were tasked with keeping an eye on him have been killed. There's also Bloodline Knife, who, seeing the situation wasn't right, injured the brothers who were watching him and is now hiding. Our men are hunting them down. The last and most troublesome one is Granny Wuxin. She's evaded our brothers' eyes and is nowhere to be found, but she's definitely still in town!"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Kaichou paused for a moment and made his plans: "Search for them. Dig deep to find them. These three are very capable and should not have been drugged. Tell the people below to be careful and try not to harm the people, otherwise I will hold you responsible. Finally, that heartless old woman, after discovering her whereabouts, send a signal. I will personally take action. She is quite powerful, and if you take action, there will likely be heavy casualties."

"obey"

After receiving the order, the Forbidden Martial Arts Department took action again. The difference was that before they were arresting people, and next they were looking for people.

The members of the Forbidden Martial Arts Department rushed around like a pack of wolves, carefully screening those who had fallen into a coma to prevent any mistakes. The process was quite rough, and some people who were not completely unconscious dared not speak out.

However, the area they mainly searched was still the town, where the environment was complex and easy to hide, and most of the people from the Forbidden Martial Arts Bureau went there.

Chen Xuan was of course one of their targets. Almost everyone was drugged, and it was hard for him not to be noticed while eating barbecue. Even Zuo Kaichou noticed him.

Several waves of people came forward to examine him, but Chen Xuan faced them calmly. Fortunately, they did not attack him. Seeing that he was honest and not a target for arrest, they naturally did not make things difficult for him...

(End of this chapter)