Chapter 46: The Objective
Chapter 46: The Objective
The City Guard General Office.
Xu Hongyu, clad in a white Flying Fish Robe, led a group of several dozen people out of the General Office, disappearing into the alleys of the Southern City District amidst the light drizzle.
On the third floor of the General Office, He Mingxuan stood at the window, watching Xu Hongyu's departure with a cold expression, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Sir, should we not get involved with the Black Crow Sect?" a man in a dark green Enforcer's robe, standing by his side, asked in a low voice as he watched Xu Hongyu's figure disappear.
He Mingxuan looked down upon the Southern City District in the light rain, and said indifferently, "Let her do as she wishes. I have some understanding of the Black Crow Sect's objectives, and I can guess their purpose to some extent. This has already caused dissatisfaction among some higher-ups. Interfering in this matter will bring us no benefits."
"Moreover, the Black Crow Sect has been entrenched for many years, and their headquarters are located underground, making it not so easy to deal with."
Although destroying the Black Crow Sect would undoubtedly bring some benefits, as they had been a long-standing power, He Mingxuan decided not to get involved after learning of their troublesome nature.
It was a matter that might require great effort with little reward, and there was no need to compete for it. Currently, Xu Hongyu had dispatched mostly her own men. If the Black Crow Sect proved to be cunning and treacherous, she might suffer heavy losses, which would further weaken her influence within the City Guard. Suppressing He Mingxuan, the Deputy Commander, would become even more difficult.
...
In the light drizzle, the City Guard's large force moved solemnly, exuding a chilling aura. In an instant, almost every household panicked and closed their doors. Wherever they went, the alleys became empty, devoid of any human presence.
But this large-scale operation was not a search for bandits or a tax collection mission; instead, they were heading straight for the Black Crow Sect's base. The numerous patrol officers led by Min Baoyi from the Nine Streets rushed towards the Black Crow Sect's base without hesitation.
Soon, Min Baoyi and the patrol officers from the Nine Streets arrived at the Black Crow Sect's location.
In the alleys, there were still many people, some with a dazed look on their faces. Despite the drizzle, they held incense threads in their bosoms and were on their way to the Black Crow Sect's temple to pay their respects. When they saw the large number of patrol officers, they remained dazed and unreactive for a moment.
"Charge!"
Min Baoyi drew his patrol saber with a clang and pointed it towards the Black Crow Sect's base, his voice heavy with authority. "The Black Crow Sect deceives and exploits the common folk, extorting silver and engaging in human trafficking. They are guilty of ten abominations... By the Commander-in-Chief's order, arrest all members of the Black Crow Sect!"
At Min Baoyi's command, the five senior patrol officers, including Chen Mu, had already led their squads to surround the Black Crow Sect's base. They swiftly stormed inside, swiftly concluding the battle without Chen Mu even needing to draw his sword. The patrol officers by his side, including Liu Song and Li Tie, quickly finished off the resistance.
In just a moment, the Black Crow Sect's base, with its hundred or so members, was either dead or captured. Even some poor civilians who had been deceived by the Black Crow Sect were temporarily detained in a courtyard guarded by Qin Bei.
Min Baoyi, along with Chen Mu, Wang Gong, and others, arrived at the courtyard that Chen Mu had previously scouted—the secret passage leading to the Black Crow Sect's underground headquarters. They ordered the patrol officers to conduct a thorough search.
The courtyard was soon turned upside down.
In one of the inner rooms, they discovered a hidden cavity in the wall, but the mechanism could not be found.
"Stand back, everyone," Min Baoyi ordered, examining the cavity carefully. He then drew his patrol saber and, with two swift slashes, cut into the sturdy wall, revealing a dark, slanted passage behind it.
"This must be the place," Min Baoyi said, narrowing his eyes as he peered into the depths of the passage. The passage seemed to stretch endlessly, its end unseen.
"This place is full of unknown dangers," Wang Gong said gravely. "We should interrogate the captured Black Crow Sect members first to see if we can extract any useful information before proceeding further."
Min Baoyi sheathed his saber and nodded slightly, agreeing, "That makes sense."
Chen Mu also gazed at the passage, deep in thought. They had encountered almost no resistance along the way, and the captured Black Crow Sect members were mostly ordinary members, not even including a single gang leader.
The more this was the case, the more it emphasized the importance of this underground passage. The Black Crow Sect's higher-ups had undoubtedly retreated through this passage, abandoning the ground level entirely.
"Chen Mu, you and Wang Gong stay here and guard this place. Liu Song, you take a team to search the surrounding areas for any other clues. I'll go to Qin Bei and see if we can extract any information through interrogation."
Minister Min Baoyi quickly gave out orders, and the group responded, springing into action.
Chen Mu, having once infiltrated the Black Crow Sect's base at night, was relatively familiar with the area. He led Liu Song and the others to search each room, but their efforts yielded nothing.
When they returned to the courtyard, they saw Minister Min Baoyi approaching with a grim expression. It was clear that the interrogation had also been fruitless; the captured Black Crow Sect members knew nothing about the underground headquarters or the secret passageway, just like the two random members Chen Mu had grabbed that night.
"Wang Gong, arrange for some men to go down and investigate," Minister Min Baoyi said gravely.
Since they couldn't find any clues or extract information through interrogation, they had no choice but to send people down to explore. Fortunately, there were still many Black Crow Sect members to drive ahead, allowing them to gradually advance and eventually uncover the underground secrets.
Wang Gong's face darkened as he nodded in agreement. He, too, disliked the idea of exploring underground without any knowledge, but there was no other option. He quickly rounded up several Black Crow Sect members and ordered them to be driven forward to explore, sending them down in batches.
After a while, the first group returned, their bodies covered in bloodstains. Among the four patrol officers, one was severely injured, and another had minor injuries, having been attacked by trap arrows in the secret passageway. As for the Black Crow Sect members who were driven ahead, they had all been killed.
After learning the details, Wang Gong waved his hand, indicating for the injured officers to go and rest. He then sent another group, driving more Black Crow Sect members ahead to continue the exploration.
This process was repeated.
After half a day, over ten patrol officers were injured, and more than thirty Black Crow Sect members had lost their lives. The general layout of the underground passageway was gradually revealed, but they had yet to reach the end.
Based on the clues, the passageway seemed to extend far beyond their current location, likely leading towards the Second Lane, Nine Streets, and Paulownia Lane.
According to the map, it was more accurate to say that the passageway led to the center of the three areas: Second Lane, Nine Streets, and Paulownia Lane.
"It seems their headquarters is indeed located in the center of the three areas," Minister Min Baoyi said gravely.
Just as he was about to send word to the various parties, footsteps sounded from outside.
"How's the situation?" a cool voice asked, one that Chen Mu was very familiar with.
Turning around, he saw a woman in a white Flying Fish Robe and a hooded hat striding into the courtyard in the fine rain, accompanied by ten patrol officers. It was none other than the long-unseen District Prefect of the Southern City District, Xu Hongyu.
The fine rain seemed like a veil, adding a layer of mystique to the cold beauty beneath the hood.
"Pay respects to the District Prefect," the group in the courtyard said respectfully, bowing in unison.
Minister Min Baoyi also bowed and quickly briefed Xu Hongyu on the current situation.
Xu Hongyu nodded slightly after listening. "I'll redeploy some men to guard this area. Meanwhile, halt the search in the other two areas. We'll create a breach from here and then launch an attack."
Since there were passages in all three areas, each with traps and mechanisms, it was unnecessary to waste manpower by advancing on all three fronts. Breaking through from the Nine Streets side and attacking their headquarters would be sufficient.
Just then, a figure in a raincoat hurried over. It was Xiao He, Xu Hongyu's personal attendant whom Chen Mu had seen several times before. With a serious expression, she quickly approached Xu Hongyu and whispered something in her ear.
"Is it true?" Xu Hongyu's face changed slightly.
"It's most likely true," Xiao He affirmed gravely.
Xu Hongyu's expression turned somber. "No need to search further. Gather everyone and follow me into the attack!"
The nearby Minister Min Baoyi and the others also heard Xiao He's report, and their faces changed as well.
Chen Mu, who had also overheard the report, felt his eyes turn cold.
Xiao He's intelligence was... The Black Crow Sect was using a secret art to cultivate and control a type of gray-furred demon rat, which they called the 'Guardian Deity'. While the rat itself wasn't particularly strong, a single bite could cause severe consequences. A minor bite could induce epilepsy, while a severe bite could drive the victim into madness, causing them to bite others, much like the source of a plague.
Currently, the gray-furred demon rats were not yet fully cultivated, and only their offspring roamed the city. Once they were fully mature, they could rapidly spread throughout the entire city. At that time, the lives of the million residents in the Outer City would be in their hands, and with a single thought, they could bring about utter destruction. Even the great clans of the Inner City would have to fear retribution, and the Black Crow Sect would become a force to be reckoned with, capable of negotiating with the major clans of the Inner City for power.
(End of Chapter)
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