Chapter 16: The Sword Bureau

Chapter 16: The Sword Bureau

"He came so fast."

Ji Xinghuo looked up at the sky. It had been less than a minute since he had sounded the alarm.

The falling figure was descending at an incredible speed. From a height of over 600 meters above the ground, he plummeted like a meteor, reaching the ground in just five or six seconds.

Ji Xinghuo felt the powerful downdraft and a sense of oppression akin to a towering mountain!

Just as the figure was about to touch the ground, he suddenly slowed down, transitioning from heaviness to lightness in the blink of an eye. He landed as gently as a falling leaf.

The newcomer maintained a distance of several meters from Ji Xinghuo. He had a sturdy build and stood at just over 1.8 meters tall. His entire body was enveloped in a dazzling golden energy, and behind his head were four light circles arranged in a concentric pattern. The man glittered like he was clad in a suit of golden armor.

He surveyed the scene and then turned his attention to Ji Xinghuo.

"Was it you who raised the alarm?"

The man's golden aura suddenly retracted, revealing his true appearance.

He looked young, probably only a few years older than Ji Xinghuo. He wore a fitted casual training outfit, and while his features were rather ordinary, he exuded a sense of valiance. He wore a single-sided pair of glasses on the left side of his face, with a transparent square lens positioned in front of his left eye, capable of communication, internet access, and scanning functions.

However, the most striking feature was his head—it was gleaming and bald, not a single hair in sight!

"Yes, it was me," Ji Xinghuo replied, nodding. He raised his hands to show that he meant no harm, but his eyes involuntarily drifted to the man's bald head. The light circles, the golden armor, the bald head… all of these traits screamed one thing—Halo Warrior!

This was a unique profession template.

Halo Warriors were known for their formidable strength, well-rounded abilities, and limitless potential. With just four or even as few as three superpowers, this template could take form. They had no weaknesses in terms of offense, defense, speed, or recovery, and their burst damage was downright terrifying. It was one of the most coveted professions for countless people.

Of course, Halo Warriors also had their flaws.

For instance, baldness!

The core superpower of a Halo Warrior was "Light Energy." This super-limit power transformed stellar energy into a unique form of energy known as light energy.

While light energy was incredibly powerful and limitless in its potential, it had one adverse side effect.

It caused the pores of a Halo Warrior to close, creating a sealed circulation system within their body. As a result, not only would they lose all their hair, but every single strand of hair on their body would fall out.

This applied to both men and women alike.

This distinct feature was one of the best ways to identify a Halo Warrior, earning them the nickname "Baldie" among some, although most Halo Warriors despised this moniker.

Baldness was a constant source of pain for them, gradually becoming a taboo topic.

At this moment, Ji Xinghuo noticed that the man not only lacked hair on his head but also had drawn-on eyebrows… He had to stifle a smile, barely managing to maintain his serious expression.

Halo Warriors were formidable, and this one was a Superhuman, but the price he had paid seemed rather unfortunate.

Was this the sacrifice one had to make for power?

Ji Xinghuo quickly averted his gaze, and fortunately, the man didn't seem to notice his fleeting micro-expressions. He was observing the corpse on the ground and then turned his attention back to Ji Xinghuo, his eyes falling on the compound bow in his hand. A look of shock flashed in his eyes.

"You killed him?" the Halo Warrior asked.

"Yes," Ji Xinghuo replied honestly.

There was no point in hiding the fact that he had killed a suspected Class A wanted criminal. It was a justified act of self-defense, and there was no way he could have concealed it anyway.

The streets were littered with surveillance cameras that had undoubtedly captured the entire incident.

Moreover, there were tens of thousands of satellites in the sky, constantly monitoring Chang'an from various orbital heights. Unless the incident occurred indoors or underground, even nighttime activities would be recorded.

"How is that possible!"

The Halo Warrior scrutinized Ji Xinghuo, his face betraying his disbelief. "You're a beginner-level Superhuman, and you've only recently become one, right?"

Ji Xinghuo didn't bother to explain further. A quick check of the surveillance footage would reveal the truth.

Five more people descended from the aerospacecraft.

There were three men and two women, ranging in age from 25 to 50 years old. Each of them wore black combat light armor, and on their shoulders was a distinctive emblem—four swords of different colors, gray, white, red, and gold, with their points facing upward, fanned out in an arc. It was a striking symbol.

Ji Xinghuo's heart skipped a beat when he saw this mark.

"The Sword Bureau!"

These people weren't from the Ministry of Public Security's Special Superhuman Guard, but instead, they were swordsmen from the infamous Sword Bureau.

The Sword Bureau was a colloquial name; its official title was the "National Security Intelligence Agency." Their primary responsibilities included counter-espionage and intelligence investigations related to national security. The bureau director reported directly to the leader of the Asian Commonwealth, placing them at the same level as the Ministry of Public Security in terms of rank. However, their reputation far exceeded that of the ministry, and they were a formidable and renowned agency worldwide.

How could a wanted criminal attract the attention of the Sword Bureau?

Ji Xinghuo looked at the five swordsmen and realized that each of them was a powerful advanced Superhuman, with distinct profession templates that complemented each other. Together, they had encircled him and the corpse.

"Captain," one of the swordsmen called out.

The Halo Warrior was about to speak when over a dozen maglev police cars roared into view. A large group of Superhumans clad in combat police uniforms poured out of the vehicles, brandishing various weapons and shields. They swiftly sealed off the entire street and the scene.

These were the true members of the Special Superhuman Guard.

Leading them was a woman who stood at a towering height of over 1.9 meters. Her short hair was cut just above her shoulders, and she exuded a valiant and crisp aura. Her skin had a faint silvery-gray sheen, and her shoulder insignia depicted a steel shield. As she strode forward, she resembled a massive, heavy statue in motion.

Iron Guard!

Ji Xinghuo thought to himself, recognizing the woman's profession. And she was a rare female Iron Guard, at that.

"Ming Chongwu, what's the situation here?" The female Iron Guard clearly knew the Halo Warrior and addressed him by name.

"Song Fei," Ming Chongwu shook his head. "We're too late."

He pointed to the corpse on the ground.

"Dead?"

Song Fei glanced at the body and then noticed Ji Xinghuo standing nearby. She quickly surmised what had transpired, but her reaction mirrored that of Ming Chongwu. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she asked in a low voice, "You killed Ji Zongbang?"

"What's your name?" Song Fei asked.

"Ji Xinghuo."

As Song Fei asked the question, she waved to someone behind her, signaling for one of the officers to pull up Ji Xinghuo's identification records. Upon hearing his name, her hand paused in mid-air.

Not just her, but everyone present displayed a slight change in their expressions.

"The 'Ji' as in the season?" Song Fei's imposing demeanor softened considerably, and she even seemed a little cautious.

Ji Xinghuo nodded.

He knew why people would react this way, as he had encountered such situations countless times before.

It was because of his surname, "Ji."

It was not a common surname, but it was deeply ingrained in the minds of everyone on Earth. When this surname was mentioned, everyone would think of one person.

The founder of the Asia-Pacific Community, the head of state, the spiritual leader of all the people in the Asia-Pacific region and even billions of people worldwide, the strongest mental hacker in history, one of the greatest humans of this age, "Head of State" Ji Daosheng!

Even if one only shared the same surname with the Head of State and had no substantial relationship, it was still an honor.

This showed just how highly regarded the Head of State was by the people!

"I randomly got this surname."

Ji Xinghuo offered an explanation, a phrase he had said countless times since he was young.

Public children were given a naming system where several names were randomly generated, and the foster parents during the infant's early years would choose the one with the best implication.

Everyone immediately understood.

"You're so lucky." Ming Chongwu couldn't help but murmur enviously. He, too, was a public child, but he hadn't been so lucky.

As he saw Song Fei about to approach the body, he flashed and stood in front of her. "Song Fei, the Sword Bureau has taken over Ji Zongbang's case."

Song Fei's face turned grim. "It was my people who first received the report. The investigation into him was my doing, and three people sacrificed their lives in the process."

"So what?" Ming Chongwu didn't budge. "Ji Zongbang is a spy from an enemy country, involving national security. It's not something the Ministry of Public Security should meddle with." His tone softened. "Those who sacrificed under your command will naturally receive the appropriate consolation and accolades."

Song Fei glared at Ming Chongwu, silent. The atmosphere became tense.

Ji Xinghuo picked up on some crucial information from their conversation and was overjoyed.

"This wanted criminal is actually a spy!"

If it were just an ordinary wanted criminal, even if he had killed him in self-defense, there might still be some trouble. For example, there could be unsolved cases related to the criminal, or he could be an important witness in a larger case, and so on.

But if he had killed a spy, then there wouldn't be any problems at all.

Moreover, there would be additional benefits!

A spy from an enemy country—that was a significant contribution. No wonder these two groups were vying for it.

Ji Xinghuo stood by and watched the drama unfold.

The Special Superhuman Guard of the Ministry of Public Security had a wide range of responsibilities and was a specially formed armed force responsible for safeguarding citizen safety, counter-terrorism, and apprehending criminal superhumans—tasks that ordinary police officers were ill-equipped to handle.

Because of the emblem of a steel shield that they bore, they were colloquially known as the "Shield Guards."

One was a swordsman, and the other was a shield guard.

Just from their titles, one could discern the conflict between the two groups.

Although one focused on external affairs while the other focused on internal affairs, there was still some overlap in their jurisdictions. At times, they were teammates fighting side by side, and at other times, they were rivals.

"There are huge implications behind Ji Zongbang," Ming Chongwu said in a low voice. "Your Ministry of Public Security won't be able to contain it. Even if you take away the body and the witnesses and evidence now, you'll still have to hand them over to the Sword Bureau in the end. Who knows, your division might even end up getting disciplined because of this."

Song Fei's eyes flickered, but she still seemed reluctant.

"Consider it a favor I owe you this time," Ming Chongwu suddenly relented. "For the sake of our many years of friendship."

Song Fei stared at him for a few seconds before finally stepping back.

"Let's go."

With a wave of her hand, she led most of the Superhuman Guards back into their vehicles and left, leaving only a handful of people to keep an eye on the scene and continue the blockade.

Ming Chongwu relaxed and gave his orders. "Collect the on-site evidence and data, keep a record, and take the body with us."

Several swordsmen sprang into action.

Ming Chongwu turned his bald head to look at Ji Xinghuo and suddenly said, "Mr. Ji, I know you picked up something. Hand it over."

He reached out his hand.

Ji Xinghuo hesitated for a moment but still handed over the exotic species to the other party.

In fact, ever since Ji Xinghuo found out that this exotic species was "Rotating Magnetic Field," he had been thinking of ways to keep it.

Usually, this would be almost impossible. The entire scene had undoubtedly been captured on camera, and there was no way his act of picking up the exotic species would have been missed.

Since the exotic species came from the wanted criminal's body, it was considered evidence, and there was no way he could keep it for himself.

However, things were different now that the wanted criminal was a spy!

"Rotating Magnetic Field!"

Ming Chongwu recognized it as soon as he held the exotic species and examined it for a few seconds. His eyes widened in surprise, and he subconsciously scratched his head, only to feel the smooth surface of his bald scalp.

The swordsmen beside him were drawn to his exclamation, their eyes gleaming as they looked at the exotic species crystal. It was the super-limit ability "Rotating Magnetic Field," and it was arguably the most powerful, rarest, and most valuable super-limit ability there was!

At this moment, Ji Xinghuo asked solemnly, "Sir, does the 'spoils of war' principle also apply to the killing of a spy from an enemy country?"

The faces of the surrounding swordsmen changed.

Ming Chongwu was also taken aback but eventually nodded. "Of course it applies."

He understood what Ji Xinghuo meant, and a look of schadenfreude appeared on his face as he laughed. "You've hit the jackpot this time, but some people have lost out big time. Mr. Ji, from now on, be careful with your words and actions. That's all I have to say."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end