Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

Before the shock in the courtyard had completely subsided, a series of rhythmic knocks suddenly came from the direction of the front gate.

"Who?!" The gang member guarding the Moon Gate immediately shouted hoarsely, but his voice was somewhat weak.

"Inspection Bureau, we've heard something unusual happening here and have come to investigate," a young male voice came from outside the door.

Inspection Bureau?!

Lei Laohu's pupils contracted.

The Tianjin Inspection Bureau is nominally under the joint government police department, but those in the know are that its core members are actually the outer tentacles of the Anti-Strange Bureau, specializing in handling bizarre and strange incidents.

They are usually elusive, but when they do appear, it often means that the matter has attracted official attention.

No sooner had a mysterious spirit medium left than the police station knocked on the door?

Besides, isn't the inspection bureau already overwhelmed by the Qinglongtan incident? Why would they have the time to come knocking on our door?

Is it a coincidence, or...?

Lei Laohu's mind raced, and he quickly gave Scarface a wink.

Scarface understood and, with two slightly calmer henchmen, quickly walked to the front yard to open the gate.

He took a deep breath, straightened his somewhat disheveled clothes, handed the ghost-head knife to a trusted aide beside him, signaling him to hide it, and strode out to meet them.

The door opened.

Three people stood outside the door, all dressed in neat black uniforms.

Unlike the uniforms of ordinary police officers, there is a silver-embroidered emblem on the left arm—a crossed sword and shield, with a small character "查" (cha) engraved on the shield.

The leader was a young man who looked to be no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with sharp eyes.

He didn't carry many weapons, only a standard longsword hanging at his waist, with a simple scabbard.

But what is most striking is that he simply stood there, radiating an intense heat, like a human furnace.

There were two people standing behind him, a man and a woman.

The man was older, with a calm expression, and held a book that looked like a leather cover in his hand.

The woman had short, ear-length hair and bright, lively eyes. In addition to a short knife, she also had several small leather pouches hanging at her waist.

"Inspection Bureau, Yue Shan."

The young man's gaze swept over the panic on the person who opened the door and the mess in the courtyard, finally landing on Lei Laohu who came out to greet him, and he showed a black metal token.

"Are you Chief Lei of the Black Tiger Gang? It's late at night, but we've detected an unusual and intense fluctuation of Yin energy here, so we're conducting a routine investigation."

As he spoke, his gaze took in the view of the front yard, and his nose twitched almost imperceptibly.

Lei Laohu felt a chill run down his spine.

Yueshan?

He hadn't heard of the name before, but the intense heat emanating from the other person immediately made him realize the significance of the newcomer.

He is definitely not an ordinary inspector; he must be a true core warrior of the Zhenyi Division!

Only those who cultivate authentic martial arts and possess strong qi and blood can have this subtle aura of yang fire in their body, which makes all evils shun them.

Compared to Mr. Song's effeminate and mysterious manner, Yue Shan brings a different kind of oppressive feeling, as if one is not facing a person, but a furnace about to erupt.

"So it's Commander Yue."

Lei Laohu suppressed his surprise and suspicion, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and gave a smug,江湖-style smile mixed with lingering fear. "Gentlemen, you've come at the right time! I don't know what evil spirits we encountered just now, but the courtyard suddenly became haunted! Several brothers were injured, thank goodness..."

He paused for a moment, quickly weighing the pros and cons. It was not advisable to bring up Mr. Song's matter for the time being, especially when dealing with official forces.

"Thanks to the ancient sword that Lei obtained in his early years, and the brothers' desperate efforts, we barely managed to get through it and things have just calmed down."

"Oh?" Yue Shan remained noncommittal, stepped into the courtyard, his gaze sweeping over the bruised and black wounds of the injured person on the ground, finally settling on the area where the vengeful spirit had last dissipated.

Unlike Mr. Song, he didn't take out any magical artifacts. He just stared at them intently for a moment, then closed his eyes, as if sensing something.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, a look of understanding flashing in them: "The Yin energy is condensing, and the resentment is deep. But it dissipates very quickly, indicating that there are signs of external intervention to purify it."

His gaze shifted to Lei Laohu. "Chief Lei just said that he survived by relying on an ancient sword and his brothers fighting to the death?"

"Forgive my bluntness, but given the concentration of yin energy and the nature of resentment remaining in this place, ordinary weapons and blood energy would be difficult to withstand, let alone be purified so quickly and thoroughly."

Yue Shan spoke calmly, yet every word was sharp and pointed, hitting the nail on the head.

Lei Laohu's heart skipped a beat, knowing he couldn't hide it from such a professional, and he quickly changed his tune: "Commander Yue is very perceptive! Indeed, a passing expert came to our aid and used some methods to completely dispel the ghost. I was still shaken and made a slip of the tongue."

"A master?" Yue Shan pressed, "What does he look like? What methods does he use?"

"This..." Lei Laohu carefully chose his words, "It was a gentleman, wearing a long robe, carrying a green lantern, and ringing a copper bell. As for his methods... Lei doesn't know the specifics. He only said that he saw injustice and then left without leaving his name."

His description was half true and half false, only concealing Mr. Song's identity.

Yue Shan listened quietly, his face expressionless.

The woman behind him whispered to her companion, "Green lanterns, copper bells... these seem to be the methods used for summoning souls and calming spirits. They're commonly used by those who travel between the underworld and transport corpses in the southwest, but it's rare to see such skillful techniques."

Yue Shan nodded slightly and said to Lei Laohu, "Chief Lei, this is no longer an ordinary public security case. Evil magic harms people and endangers the safety of the people; the Investigation Bureau has the right to conduct a thorough investigation. Please tell me in detail whether your gang has recently made enemies with anyone."

Lei Laohu pretended to be deep in thought, then said indignantly, "Commander Yue, our Black Tiger Gang does dockworks business in Tianjin, and it's inevitable that we'll have some friction with others."

"But these are all things of the martial world, where fighting and killing are common. As for using ghosts to harm people... I really can't think of anything! Unless it's some wicked martial arts practitioners, or..." He paused at just the right moment, looking hesitant.

"Or what?" Yue Shan's gaze was stern.

"Or perhaps they are some unknown outsiders?" Lei Laohu lowered his voice. "To be honest, sir, there have indeed been some unfamiliar faces active in Linhe County recently, acting suspiciously. I've heard some rumors, but I haven't investigated further."

Yue Shan gave Lei Laohu a deep look, as if he could see through the man's deepest scheming, but he didn't expose him. "The Investigation Bureau will record today's events. All counties and cities in Tianjin are under the jurisdiction of the United Government. Regardless of grudges among gangsters or disputes among unorthodox sects, everyone must abide by the rules."

"Those who act recklessly relying on some unorthodox techniques or malevolent objects will not be tolerated by the Inspection Bureau and the Suppression of Evil Department. You'd better watch yourself."

After saying that, he turned and left without lingering, taking his two men with him.

Inside the courtyard, silence returned, but the atmosphere was different now.

"Pass down the order," Lei Laohu's voice was hoarse, "all brothers, behave yourselves for now, but the dock business can't be neglected..."