Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

Funeral Street is a two-story building facing the street, about 200 meters away from Du'e Zhai.

The windows are covered with specially made one-way glass, so from the outside it is just a dark place, but from the inside you can clearly observe most of the street scene, especially the activity at the front and back gates of Du'e Zhai.

Zhou Ling and the composed man who had previously kept records for the Black Tiger Gang, named Zhao Tie, were quietly guarding behind the window.

Zhao Tie held a palm-sized brass compass in his hand, the pointer trembling slightly, pointing in the direction of Du'e Zhai.

Zhou Ling, holding a telescope-like mirror, observed the situation at Du'e Zhai.

"Brother Zhao, this kid looks really fake." Zhou Ling put down the mirror and rubbed her sore eyes. "The amount of Yin energy in his body is even more outrageous than those people I've seen who were possessed by vengeful ghosts before."

"If this person had such abilities, how could he have been tormented like this by the Yin Sha? Besides, when the Black Tiger Gang was in trouble, his physical condition was so poor that he probably couldn't even kill a chicken."

"This man's yin energy is condensed and lingers, penetrating to his very bones; it's certainly a sign of his impending doom. However, Captain Yue has his reasons for having us keep an eye on him." Zhao Tie paused, lowering his voice, "The Black Tiger Gang's affairs are far too suspicious."

"The vengeful spirits attacked first, followed by the precise annihilation of entire families; the methods were ruthless and efficient, unlike ordinary江湖 (jianghu) feuds."

"Captain Yue is under immense pressure right now; he can't let any suspicious clue slip by."

Zhao Tie finally shifted his gaze from the compass to Zhou Ling, saying, "This boy may have other secrets hidden within him."

"The loss of so many brothers at Qinglongtan had a huge impact, and the news of the Black Tiger Gang's annihilation also reached the ears of the Tianjin leadership."

He sighed, a hint of weariness in his eyes.

Upon hearing "Azure Dragon Beach," Zhou Ling's expression turned serious, a hint of pain flashing in her eyes: "Azure Dragon Beach? What exactly is hidden in that treacherous place?"

"I heard that seven of our best officers from the Inspection Bureau were injured, and three from the Zhenyi Division were also wounded. Deputy Captain Li, he..." Her voice choked with emotion.

Zhao Tie paused for a moment, then patted her shoulder, his voice even deeper: "It's eight. I just got the news; Old Li didn't make it through last night either."

"That thing is probably no ordinary water ghost or river demon. For our Investigation Bureau and the Suppression Division to suffer such a great loss together, it must be at least a ferocious demon, and may even be on the verge of disaster."

He paused, seemingly wanting to change the subject and also to explain to Zhou Ling some aspects she might not fully understand, "Our Zhenyi Division and the Inspection Bureau mainly follow the orthodox path of martial arts and qi and blood."

"From the basic abundance of Qi and blood, to Qi and blood as rich as mercury and skin as tough as copper and bones as strong as iron, then to the higher level of indestructible golden body, and finally to the furnace of Qi and blood, one step at a time, masculine and upright, suppressing evil spirits."

"Captain Yue is young, but his blood and energy are already at their peak. He has reached the threshold of being as tough as copper and as strong as iron. He is a top-notch player in the entire Tianjin area."

"As for the unorthodox techniques that the kid on the other side might be involved in, and the things the Black Tiger Gang might provoke, the paths are all mixed up."

Zhao Tie continued, "The distinction between the lowest of the low and unorthodox sects is very blurred. Some judge by the depth of one's power, some by the number and strength of the evil objects one controls, and some by the strangeness of one's secret techniques."

"But generally speaking, those who can independently use magic to harm people and command evil spirits are considered to be of the middle class."

"Anyone capable of launching a vengeful spirit attack and precisely wiping out an entire family like last night must be at least a master of the highest level, or even a master of the subtlest techniques."

"Going further up, those that can control powerful demons and evil spirits, set up formidable formations, and even undergo bizarre changes themselves are even more troublesome. We usually deal with them by comparing them to the copper skin and iron bones of martial arts or even higher realms."

Zhou Ling pondered, "Brother Zhao, do you mean that if the Black Tiger Gang's actions were indeed done by unorthodox individuals, then the person who did it might be of a high level of skill? At least not something this kid on the other side could accomplish based on his current performance?"

"That's right." Zhao Tie nodded. "But Captain Yue's suspicion isn't that he's capable now, but that he might have been capable in the past, or that he knows who is capable."

"Don't forget, he's the only son of Chen the Paper-Making Master. Chen the Paper-Making Master was quite a figure in the funeral district. It's said that his family's paper-making skills were quite sophisticated, but they declined later."

"Chen Mo has been exposed to these things since he was a child. Even if he didn't learn any advanced techniques, could he know some secrets? The deadly Yin energy he possesses is of strange origin. The Black Tiger Gang has been pressuring his family's shop and secret techniques, so the other party is highly suspicious."

Zhou Ling suddenly realized: "Captain Yue suspects that Chen Mo might be the murderer, or someone who knows the truth? Or perhaps his illness is some kind of cover-up or a consequence?"

"That's possible." Zhao Tie looked at the compass again; the needle was still pointing steadily at Du'e Zhai. "That's why Captain Yue had us keep an eye on it."

"On the one hand, we need to see if he is really just a patient waiting to die. On the other hand, with the Black Tiger Gang destroyed, as someone directly involved, will anyone come looking for him? Whether it's to silence him or to gather information."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ling raised her spirited eyebrows, looking somewhat puzzled. "Brother Zhao, since Captain Yue suspects that Chen Mo might know something, why don't we just invite him back to the station and question him carefully? It would save us from wasting time here."

"The Black Tiger Gang's massacre has had a terrible impact, and we have every reason to bring him back to assist in the investigation."

Zhao Tie glanced at Zhou Ling and shook his head. This child was still too young. "Little Zhou, you're thinking too simply. In the past, or under a different pretext, taking her back for questioning would have been no problem. But the timing isn't right now, and we can't break the rules."

His tone was somewhat grave. "We suffered heavy losses in the battle of Qinglongtan. We are now short-handed and our combat strength has been severely depleted."

"Secondly," Zhao Tie pointed out the window towards the funeral street, "you think it's just the Black Tiger Gang's business lately? The situation is much more complicated behind the scenes."

"According to intelligence and our own reconnaissance, a number of scum suspected to be members of the Moon Worship Cult have recently infiltrated the area. They are acting suspiciously and their motives are unclear. These lunatics worship the Red Moon and are ruthless in their actions, making them even more difficult to deal with than ordinary heretical sorcerers."

Zhou Ling's expression changed slightly: "The Moon Worship Cult? Those lunatics are here too?"

Zhao Tie nodded: "So now, not only Linhe County, but the entire Tianjin is beset by internal and external troubles. We are not strong enough, so we can no longer use the old black-and-white approach to some things."

"Captain Yue has been communicating with his superiors these past few days. The Inspection Bureau and the Zhenyi Division may consider recruiting some relatively clean individuals from unorthodox backgrounds, or descendants of Yinba craftsmen like the Chen family across the street, if necessary."

"Recruit them?" Zhou Ling asked, somewhat surprised. "Are these people reliable?"

"Of course it's unreliable," Zhao Tie said bluntly, "but sometimes, you have to use extraordinary measures."

He looked at Du'e Zhai and said, "For these Yin Ba craftsmen and unorthodox families who have a lineage but do not obviously commit crimes, the government and the inspection bureau generally adopt a strategy of monitoring rather than taking any action."

"As long as they do not openly cause trouble, harm the people, or cross the bottom line, we should give them some space to live."

"Pushing them too hard could easily push them to the opposite side, or discourage other unorthodox individuals, which would make things even more complicated."