Starting with the titmouse, seventy-two transformations

Chapter 50 The Foundation of the Imperial Court (Please read on, and vote with your monthly tickets)
"Since the appearance of various demons in the world, there have been many changes in the court."

All sorts of bizarre and outlandish methods emerged one after another.

Among them, the Suspended Mirror Bureau and the Demon Suppression Bureau were the most egregious.

Old Man He licked his lips, his single eye filled with bitterness:
"Do you know why the Xu family only injured me, not killed me, when they sent people to retaliate against me?"

Liu Sheng frowned upon hearing this, which was also what puzzled him.

Given his nature, once he takes action, he will absolutely eliminate any potential threats and prevent any future problems.

None of the four Xu brothers are good people, so why do they act so indecisively?
"Because it can all be found out."

Old Man He looked down at his shattered left wrist and said quietly:

"Some of the monsters tamed by the imperial court possess all sorts of strange powers and magical arts, which are beyond comprehension. As long as they leave traces, they can definitely be found."

so smart?

Does that mean I'll transform into a giant, striped tiger and kill Lu the constable...?

It can be detected?

Liu Sheng's brow furrowed as he recalled the five strange snakes Old Xu had kept, which had eventually followed their scent to his home!

Monsters possess all sorts of strange and unusual abilities; you never know, they might actually be...

They will have the ability to find their true identity!

He licked his lips and chuckled softly:

"So, does that mean there are no unsolved cases in the world?"

"Theoretically... that's true."

Old Man He nodded, then said with a wry smile:
"But such monsters are extremely rare, while there are hundreds of millions of people in the world, and theft, murder, rape and plunder occur countless times every day. It is simply impossible to investigate them all thoroughly."

To put it simply, it means overload.

For example, those rare monsters can help solve ten cases a day, but every day a thousand or ten thousand cases pile up...

Various disputes, fights, lost property, rape, theft, assault, murder, and arson are all mixed together.

The highest priority, of course, is major cases such as "murder and arson".

If someone is injured in a fight and doesn't die on the spot, unless the impact is particularly egregious, and the case is specifically designated for investigation by higher authorities, it will inevitably be handled according to the procedures for "injury" cases.

The effort invested is far less than that invested in "murder and arson".

Of course, the resources invested in murder cases involving civilians and those involving officials are inevitably two completely different dimensions.

After all, people are born into different classes...

Some people's lives are precious; even a sneeze from one can send shivers down the spine of the entire nation.

Some people are of lowly value; even if hundreds or thousands die, it's all just a matter of a single word, "wait," in the official gazette.

This may be the unspoken rule tacitly accepted by the government.

No wonder the Xu brothers were so extravagant, yet they still resorted to scheming and intrigue, even their revenge had to be roundabout and based on some pretext, making them seem incredibly foolish.

That's what happened.

At this moment, Old Man He suddenly lowered his voice:

"I heard Captain Huang say that the yamen specially raises demon dogs with a keen sense of smell, which can track the scent left over from one or two months ago, even from hundreds of miles away."

There are also some powerful beings who can use divination and fortune-telling to trace back to the past, and with a simple calculation, they can know your origins and whether a certain matter is related to you…”

hiss!
Can divination and fortune telling allow one to trace back to the past with a simple calculation?

This has probably transcended the realm of martial arts and belongs to the realm of immortal techniques...

Liu Sheng's breath hitched, and the agitation in his heart completely subsided.

It seems that I can't act like I do in the countryside anymore when I'm in the city...

They've become completely unscrupulous.

Seeing that Liu Sheng had taken his words to heart, Old Man He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and earnestly advised him:
"Therefore, when faced with difficulties, be patient; taking a step back can open up a whole new world. Don't think about killing people at the drop of a hat..."

He spoke softer and softer, recalling his own ordeal, looking down at his crippled hands, and fell silent.

Taking a step back might open up new possibilities, but more likely it will lead to…

A bottomless abyss!

Liu Sheng's eyes flickered as he thought of his master, Wu Song.

He killed officials and rebelled back then, was granted amnesty and then rebelled again, but he's always been alive and kicking. When he's unhappy, he goes to the city and kills a few officials to vent his anger...

Now the imperial court has dispatched 300,000 troops to lay a trap.

He then dispatched eight great demon-subduing generals to lead troops in a search of the mountains and seas…

We are determined to capture him and bring him to justice.

Who knows how many demons, monsters, and immortal techniques they will use!

I wonder if Master will be able to escape with his life this time?

Hey……

Liu Sheng pursed his lips and sighed inwardly.

The two were lost in their own thoughts and remained silent for a moment.

At this moment, Old Man He seemed to have thought of something, and a strange look appeared on his face:
"In the early years, there were rumors that the fourth brother, Xu Qidong, coveted his sisters-in-law and even spied on them while they were bathing."

However, the rumor was too outlandish, and the Xu family didn't take it seriously, so it faded away as it spread.

Huh? There's such a thing...

Generally speaking, the greater the power, the stronger the possessiveness.

Even a normal man can't stand being cuckolded, let alone the Xu brothers. Liu Sheng looked down at the "Snake Desire Bewitching Powder" in his hand and fell into deep thought.

Since indiscriminate killing is prohibited in the city, let's create chaos within the Xu family first, for example...

Let's give Xu Laosi a hand and let him taste the dumplings?
Well, you can be ruthless in your actions, but you have to have a bottom line.

Do something, don't do something.

There's no need for men to use women as pawns in their schemes, plots, and brawls.

but--

I'm not targeting any of you personally, but the entire Xu family. If any of you women fall victim to this...

That means this calamity was destined to befall them, and they deserved it.

...

Yongningfang.

The kitchen of the Xu family mansion.

Several cooks are preparing dinner.

The four Xu brothers had a close relationship. Even after they got married, they still lived together and did not separate from the family.

Every evening at dinner, barring any special circumstances, the four brothers would gather together to discuss official business and other matters.

This has been a long-standing practice.

However, the atmosphere at home is somewhat tense because the Fourth Master was recently seriously injured by villains.

Fortunately, no one was paying attention in the kitchen, and the cooks chatted and laughed as they worked.

Someone started the conversation, and it quickly turned to the four Xu brothers—

"Have you noticed that the four masters of the Xu family—the eldest, second, and third—all look very alike, except for the fourth master…"

"Yes, they were all born of the same mother, so why doesn't Fourth Master look like the other three masters?"

"Those born from the same mother's womb may not necessarily have the same father..."

"Pah! What nonsense are you spouting, you vixen! If the master hears you, he'll throw you into the well!"

"Okay, okay, I'll shut up and not say anything more."

……

"Where there are many women, there is bound to be trouble!"

Liu Sheng listened outside the kitchen for a while and couldn't help but roll his eyes.

He is now a bluebird with a knife tail, standing by the water vat, with "Snake Desire Bewitching Powder" in his mouth.

Through his conversation with Old Man He, he gained a better understanding of the imperial court.

Since he couldn't easily "play Candy Crush," he could only secretly sabotage the Xu brothers, diverting their attention and preventing them from thinking about him.

For example, add some ingredients to their dinner.

An eye for an eye.

A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye.

He has always been highly regarded by Liu Sheng.

He hopped around a few times, flapped his wings, pushed open the lid of the jar, and poured the entire bottle of "Snake Desire Bewitching Powder" into the drinking water.

Finally, he deliberately threw the empty bottle into the nearby bushes, flapped his wings, and walked away.

The Xu family is going to have a lively time tonight!
But with Liu...

Irrelevant!

……

After a while.

Back home, he hissed softly a few times, summoning the treasure-hunting snake, Little Yellow.

He has a lot to do tonight; he needs to find that thief.

I got my 1,452 taels of silver back!

You dare to steal my money? You're asking for trouble.

After dinner, Lao He handed Liu Sheng a piece of black clothing, his expression grave.
"The man was less than six feet tall, wielded a fast knife, possessed immense strength, and was a martial arts master specializing in musculoskeletal techniques..."

Tsk, Old He does have some skill.

Even with one hand crippled, he could still tear a piece of clothing from a martial arts master.

In one's youth, one must at least be a martial arts master.

Liu Sheng understood and summoned the treasure-hunting snake, letting it crawl on the corner of his clothes for a while.

"hiss~"

The treasure-hunting snake flicked its tongue a few times, then leaped to the ground and swam away from the house without looking back.

Liu Sheng's lips curled up slightly, and he immediately followed.

You scoundrel, here comes your loot!
These past few days, some fellow Daoists have criticized the protagonist for becoming cowardly after entering the city. Not at all! I believe that a unified dynasty, in an era of spiritual energy revival, inevitably possesses power far greater than that of an individual. The city is not the countryside; the protagonist, with his calculating nature, will definitely investigate his opponents before taking action. He not only intends to kill, but also to kill them and escape unscathed, leaving no future trouble.

In the countryside, it's a simple contest of strength, while in the city, the difficulty increases, requiring a confrontation with rules and systems.

Fellow Daoists, I hope to create a cunning and decisive old fox, ruthless yet cunning.

Feel free to leave a comment below. I will read and comment on them regularly.

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(End of this chapter)