I bear witness to immortality in the human world.

Chapter 118 Harm
After drinking the Blood Essence Pearl Soup, Wu Ming waved for Xiao Mei to leave.

He returned to his bedroom and sat quietly. After the medicine was fully absorbed by his body, he clenched his fist, felt the blood surging within him, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

In the Blood Coagulation Martial Arts, after breaking through the Blood Coagulation stage, the body will naturally transform. Once the transformation is complete, unless one reaches the next realm, further refining the blood energy during this process will not increase the body's strength. This is common knowledge in martial arts cultivation, and it is something Wu Ming knew when he first entered the martial arts path.

However, while condensing blood energy will not further strengthen the physique, starting from the third stage of blood condensation, the blood energy itself can circulate through the meridians, achieving the combination of qi and strength, and integrating power into various moves. Therefore, the strengthening of blood energy also has a certain effect on the power of moves. This change is not obvious at the third stage of blood condensation, but the difference will become more significant as the realm increases.

After absorbing the power of the Blood Essence Pearl and resting for a while, Wu Ming planned to continue his cultivation of the Divine Firmament Thunder Technique.

A month and a half has passed since he condensed the second thunder talisman. During this time, he has been refining the second thunder talisman day and night, and it is gradually approaching perfection. Once the second thunder talisman is perfected, he can continue to cultivate the third thunder talisman. Wu Ming feels that once he has mastered the third thunder talisman, his primordial spirit will not be far from breaking through to the fourth level of refinement.

but,

Just as Wu Ming closed his eyes, about to begin refining the thunder technique, a sound suddenly came from outside the door.

"Young master, someone has come to visit you outside the manor."

"Oh?"

Wu Ming paused slightly upon hearing Xiao Mei's words, then got up, stepped back from the house, and walked to the outer courtyard.

He thought it was Chen Guiyi or some other acquaintance, but it turned out to be a shy girl of about fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in a decent light yellow silk dress. As soon as she saw Wu Ming come out, she knelt down directly in front of him.

"Lord Wu, please save my family."

The girl's voice was pleading as she kowtowed directly to Wu Ming.

"Are you Shi Lian?"

Wu Ming stopped the girl and helped her up. He was slightly surprised to see her familiar face and said, "Don't rush. Tell me what happened slowly."

Shi Lian is Shi Zhenbang's daughter. When Wu Minggang first joined the Shenxing Division and moved into Anning Lane, he was a neighbor of Shi Zhenbang's family and had met Shi Zhenbang's two children. At that time, Shi Lian was only a little over twelve years old and was still a girl who had not yet grown up. Now she is approaching the age of 'coming of age'. Although her eyebrows and eyes are still slightly immature, she already has a lot of girlish spirit.

"My brother was framed and is being held captive. They say they want our family to hand over all our assets..."

Shi Lian, weeping, recounted the events in fits and starts.

After hearing what Shi Lian said, Wu Ming's expression immediately turned slightly cold.

He knew that Shi Zhenbang had died in the battle against the beast tide outside the city, and he had even offered sacrifices to him when he was outside the city.

Shi Zhenbang had only one son and one daughter. His eldest son, Shi Ying, was twenty years old and of mediocre talent. Even though Shi Zhenbang tried his best to cultivate him, he was unable to master the art of blood coagulation. Before his death, Shi Zhenbang always wanted Shi Ying to become a martial artist and then, through his connections, to be placed in a department under the Shenxing Division, so that he would have a place to settle down. However, he never managed to do so.

Now that Shi Zhenbang is dead, he has left behind a pair of powerless and weak children who are guarding the money that Shi Zhenbang earned over half a lifetime. Naturally, this has quickly attracted some covetous eyes.

Shi Ying was tricked this time. According to Shi Lian, he accidentally broke a glass lamp in a shop. The shopkeeper claimed that the glass lamp was worth a thousand gold pieces and demanded that the Shi family lose all their wealth. He then detained Shi Ying in the shop.

"How dare a tiny pawnshop act like this?"

Wu Ming said slowly.

Shi Zhenbang was once a patrolman of the Censorate. Even if he had passed away, there was still some respect left over from his life. However, it seems that Fu Jingsong and others were stationed outside the city with Zhou Huai'an, so Shi Lian could not find them and could only find him in the end.

Hearing Wu Ming's words, Shi Lian lowered her head and said timidly in a low voice, "Lord Wu, I... I heard that the Zhang family pawnshop is backed by the Chang Le Gang, and the Chang Le Gang seems to work for the Wang family in the inner city..."

"I see."

Wu Ming immediately understood.

It's not surprising that the matter involves the Wang family. The Chang Le Gang may have had a grudge against Shi Zhenbang. They didn't dare to act recklessly while Shi Zhenbang was alive, but after his death, they began to seek revenge and wanted to swallow up the Shi family's business.

Wu Ming was unsure whether the Wang family had tacitly approved of the matter, but Shi Zhenbang had given him a lot of guidance during his lifetime and they had a close relationship. Now that Shi Zhenbang was dead and left behind a pair of children, he naturally wouldn't sit idly by in the face of such a situation.

"I'll take care of this matter. You can stay in my residence and rest for now."

Wu Ming helped Shi Lian up.

"Thank you, sir... thank you, sir..."

Upon hearing Wu Ming's words, a glimmer of light finally appeared in Shi Lian's gloomy eyes.

Before coming to find Wu Ming, she first went to other connections left by Shi Zhenbang before his death, including a patrolman from the Shenxing Division. However, as soon as the other party heard that the matter involved the Chang Le Gang, he immediately started to make excuses. She contacted several people in succession, but they all did the same thing. Finally, having no other choice, she finally found Wu Ming.

Compared to the veteran patrol officers who had worked with Shi Zhenbang for many years, Wu Ming had only been in the Censorate for a short time and had only known Shi Zhenbang for a short time, yet he had risen through the ranks to become a well-known figure in the Censorate.

Before coming to the Wu residence, Shi Lian was even prepared to be turned away, but she never expected that Wu Ming would not only open the door to see her, but also agree to the matter without hesitation after listening to her reasons and hearing about the Chang Le Gang.

……

outer city.

A wide and bustling street somewhere.

Zhang's Pawnshop is located on a corner of the street. The shop is decorated very elegantly and displays all kinds of jade, antiques, and precious glassware.

Zhang Jiu'an, the pawnshop owner, was leisurely reclining in a deck chair, slowly puffing out smoke from a pipe.

"Shopkeeper, we haven't heard from that girl from the Shi family for a long time. It seems she went to look for someone. Could she be in trouble?"

A manager standing nearby asked in a low voice.

Zhang Jiu'an took a drag of his cigarette and said slowly, "Let her look for it. That Inspector Shi is already dead. People forget about him now. How many people will stand up for her family? Even if he can find the Censorate... hey, our boss isn't someone to be trifled with. Besides, we have all the evidence. It's only right and proper to pay for the damages. Even if we take it to the Censorate, it'll be the same."

This pawnshop was actually one of the Wang family's businesses. Every year, 70% of the pawnshop's profits were handed over to the Wang family, 20% to the Chang Le Gang, and only 10% was kept by Zhang Jiu'an himself. With the Wang family as his backing, Zhang Jiu'an naturally had no fear.

"That's true."

The steward beside him smiled upon hearing this. With the Wang family as their backers, the Censorate and the back garden were practically the same place. This time, they were in the right, so of course they feared nothing and were determined to take a piece of the Shi family's flesh. However…

Just then, a figure stepped into the pawnshop.

The newcomer was Wu Ming, dressed in a long silk robe, his steps steady, his gaze sweeping across the entire shop.

"Hey sir, please come in!"

The steward who was serving tea and water to Zhang Jiu'an saw Wu Ming enter, glanced at Wu Ming's silk robe, and immediately put on a smile and took the initiative to greet him.

Wu Ming said calmly, "Where is your manager?"

Zhang Jiu'an, who was sitting inside, heard Wu Ming's words, which seemed to be spoken in an unfriendly tone. He immediately came out, pipe in hand, to greet him. He carefully sized up Wu Ming and bowed, saying, "I am Zhang Jiu'an, the manager of this pawnshop. May I ask who this distinguished guest is..."

"Did you retain the quartz? Did you also orchestrate the scheme to harm the Shi family?"

Wu Ming didn't waste any words and asked directly.

Zhang Jiu'an raised an eyebrow upon hearing Wu Ming's words, and then looked Wu Ming over more closely. Seeing that Wu Ming looked young, a hint of contempt appeared in his eyes. He said, "So it was the girl from the Shi family who brought in reinforcements... Young man, I reckon you're from the Censorate? I advise you not to get involved in this mess. Be careful not to end up losing your official position and your life."

Snapped!Snapped!
Wu Ming didn't bother with any words, raised his hand and slapped Zhang Jiu'an twice across the face, making Zhang Jiu'an see stars and fall backward.

"Stop talking nonsense and release them!"

In the past, he might have tried to distinguish right from wrong in such a situation, uncover the process of Zhang's pawnshop's scheme to swindle him, clear Shi Ying's name, and then take him away. But now, he is a disciple of Liu Muyuan and a seventh-rank patrol officer of the Shenxing Division. Even the Wang family takes the initiative to pay him respects in order to resolve their grievances. It would be undignified for him to argue with a mere shopkeeper.

"Shopkeeper! Shopkeeper! How dare you hit someone... Help! Help!"

The steward next to him was startled by Wu Ming's sudden action and hurriedly ran to help Zhang Jiu'an up, shouting all the while.

Crash.

Soon, the guards responsible for watching the pawnshop rushed over from behind. They were three burly men, their bodies surging with blood energy; they were all martial artists who had achieved the Blood Condensation Realm. The leader, before even entering the shop, shouted in advance:
"Who dares to cause trouble in this shop? Don't they know this shop is protected by the Chang Le Gang?!"

however,
Just as the three men rushed into the shop and saw Wu Ming, they stopped in their tracks after just one glance, and even their shouts stopped abruptly, as if a pause button had been pressed.

Three pairs of eyes stared at Wu Ming, all revealing a hint of shock.

Zhang Jiu'an and the steward were not skilled in martial arts and could not discern Wu Ming's true strength. However, they were all martial artists who had achieved the Blood Condensation Realm, and since Wu Ming had not deliberately concealed his blood energy, they could clearly sense it at a glance. The young man in front of them was so incredibly young that his blood energy was as vigorous as a furnace. Anyone who had practiced martial arts for many years could tell with just a thought that such vigorous blood energy must have reached the third stage of Blood Condensation Realm!

Do you know where quartz is?

Wu Ming's gaze was indifferent as he looked directly at one of them.

The man's eyes were filled with horror. When Wu Ming looked at him coldly, he felt his back be soaked with cold sweat. Hearing Wu Ming's words, he didn't even dare to make a sound, and only stiffly moved his chin.

"Go and release him, and bring him here."

Wu Ming spoke in a cold voice.

Upon hearing Wu Ming's words, the man froze, initially hesitant, but then he saw a cold glint in Wu Ming's eyes and was immediately terrified, hurriedly saying, "Yes...yes..."

Zhang Jiu'an was slapped twice by Wu Ming. Although Wu Ming did not use force, he almost lost half his life. He felt dizzy and his head was buzzing. It took him a long time to recover. Looking at the situation in the room, he did not dare to say a word.

He wasn't a complete fool to be able to open such a shop and become its manager. Initially, he looked down on Wu Ming because of his youthful appearance, assuming he was just an ordinary minor official in the Censorate. But when he saw the guards cower before Wu Ming without even lifting a finger, he realized something was wrong. After a turmoil of emotions, he finally forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace and said with difficulty, "You...you could you be...?"

Wu Ming glanced at him indifferently.

Although he didn't speak, Zhang Jiu'an understood from just one look. He hurriedly knelt on the ground and said, "Sir, Sir...it was my rudeness and offense, please forgive me...I really didn't know it was you..."

Just by standing here, he could frighten the guards into being like quails, being ordered around. They could only think of him as a martial arts master who had achieved the third stage of blood coagulation. And such a young master who had achieved the third stage of blood coagulation immediately pointed to the matter of Shi Ying. Clearly, he was a reinforcement invited by Shi Lian and someone from the Shenxing Division. Combining all this information, there was only one person who fit the description.

Wu Ming, the newly appointed Inspector of the Censorate!

It wasn't that Zhang Jiu'an lacked discernment; it was simply that all the patrol officers he had ever met were always surrounded by a large entourage, with a large number of people clearing the way when they traveled. None of them were like Wu Ming, who suddenly came to his door all alone. Moreover, he never expected that Wu Ming, a dignified figure who was already a patrol officer, would personally step forward for such a trivial matter concerning the Shi family.

If Zhang Jiu'an had known earlier that Shi Lian could invite Wu Ming, he wouldn't have dared to attack the Shi family even if he had a thousand times more courage. Although his shop was owned by the Wang family and had the Chang Le Gang behind it, these backgrounds were meaningless when facing a big shot like Wu Ming. Even if Wu Ming slapped him to death, he would only be classified by the Shen Xing Si as 'offending the patrol officer and deserving punishment'.

No matter what, the Wang family would never risk a falling out with a newly promoted patrol officer like Wu Ming for the sake of a mere shopkeeper, a nobody who came from a humble background as a servant of the Wang family.

If the Wang family were to actually do that, it would not only fail to demonstrate their authority, but would also only invite ridicule.

soon.

Quartz was then brought to the shop.

He recognized Wu Ming, and was initially surprised upon seeing him, but quickly realized what was happening and hurriedly knelt down to greet him, saying, "Lord Wu."

Wu Ming stopped Shi Ying's actions and said, "No need for formalities. Your father and I are old friends. I heard you had some trouble, so I came over. Your sister Xiao Lian is still in my residence. You may come with me."

Say it.

He then led Quartz directly outside.

Everyone in the shop, including Zhang Jiu'an, was prostrate on the ground, meek and submissive, and no one dared to step forward to stop them.

As he was leaving the shop, Wu Ming gave Zhang Jiu'an a cold look and said, "Inspector Shi and I were old friends. The Shi family's affairs are my affairs. If what happened today happens again, your head can be taken away."

"Yes Yes……"

Zhang Jiu'an responded, his voice trembling.

Only after Wu Ming and Shi Ying disappeared did Zhang Jiu'an sway his body, fall to the ground, and tremble as he took out a handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. He then touched his neck, feeling as if he had just walked through the gates of hell.

(End of this chapter)