Chapter 99: Chief Lin, Why Did You Defile My Innocent Body?
Saintess!?
Lin Fan, however, took a keen interest in this Saintess of the Mingwang Cult.
The experience described by Protector Huang, of being in a strange space amidst a dizzying spin and personally witnessing the majestic Mingwang, lingered in his mind.
He was eager to see if the Saintess would employ such methods against him as well.
He pushed open the heavy temple door and stepped inside.
Inside the hall.
The air was filled with a rich fragrance.
The interior of the grand hall was extremely spacious, the floor paved with black stone bricks polished to a mirror-like smoothness, reflecting a cold, dim gleam under the illumination of the candelabras on both sides.
At the far end of the line of sight was a high, piled stone platform, upon which sat a massive lotus throne.
Upon the throne sat a woman clad in a plain white robe, her face veiled by a thin mask.
She was the Saintess of the Mingwang Cult.
As Lin Fan gazed at the Saintess without any pretense, the Saintess’s cold gaze also pierced through, landing on Lin Fan.
This was their first formal meeting.
In Lin Fan’s opinion, this Saintess gave him the impression of being pretentious and mysterious, making herself appear enigmatic.
And in the Saintess’s eyes.
This Head of the Anzhou Public Security Bureau exuded an extremely overbearing sense of oppression, a presence she had never felt from anyone else.
Danger! Danger! Danger!
This was the clearest feeling for the Saintess.
Lin Fan did not speak, but took steps, walking unhurriedly towards the high platform in the hall.
His steps were steady and powerful, the soles of his shoes making clear tapping sounds on the smooth stone bricks, which echoed particularly somberly in the vast hall, each step conveying an immense sense of pressure.
Just as he reached the base of the platform, wanting to step onto the stairs to close the distance with the Saintess.
The Saintess, seated on the lotus throne, suddenly spoke, her voice clear and cold, with an undeniable authority.
“Stop.”
Lin Fan’s footsteps halted at the sound, and he slightly raised his head.
In the Saintess’s indifferent eyes, he clearly saw a trace of imperceptible anger, a condescending reprimand, and a hint of nervousness and fear.
Lin Fan’s lips curved upward. He ignored her words and, under the Saintess’s suddenly constricted pupils, unhesitatingly lifted his foot and steadily stepped onto the stairs.
One step, two steps, three steps… finally standing before the lotus throne.
The Saintess’s expression changed slightly, clearly not expecting him to disregard her reprimand entirely.
Then, the Saintess’s voice softened, “Head of Bureau Lin, this is the Mingwang Cult, and today is the Mingwang Cult’s birthday celebration. Even if Head of Bureau Lin does not believe in Mingwang, please show respect to the Mingwang Cult.”
“Respect him? Do you know who I am?” Lin Fan asked, raising an eyebrow, his tone carrying a condescending scrutiny.
The Saintess’s voice was ethereal and calm as she replied, “Of course, I know. You are the Head of Bureau Lin of the Anzhou Public Security Bureau, the manager of the public security for the province and its eight counties.”
“Wrong!!! Utterly wrong!” Lin Fan’s voice suddenly rose, booming like a bell, carrying an unquestionable firmness and confidence, “This official is the reincarnation of the Great Celestial Venerable of the Ninth Heaven! That Mingwang you worship would have to immediately kneel and beg for mercy upon seeing me, calling out, ‘Great Celestial Venerable, your divine might is vast, this humble one knows their mistake’!”
As soon as these words were spoken.
The Saintess was utterly bewildered.
She knew that the Head of Bureau Lin before her was extremely difficult to deal with. Only charlatans could understand the prowess of other charlatans; both sides were masters of speaking falsehoods with open eyes.
Before the Saintess could recover her senses.
Lin Fan shouted loudly, “You, as the Saintess of the demonic Mingwang, why do you not kneel before this reincarnation of the Great Celestial Venerable of the Ninth Heaven? Are you trying to defy heavenly might?”
Saintess: …
She felt her brain was not working properly, her mind racing.
This Head of Bureau Lin’s actions were completely outside her script.
Taking a deep breath, the Saintess forcibly steadied her mind and retorted, “Head of Bureau Lin, you claim to be the reincarnation of the Great Celestial Venerable of the Ninth Heaven… do you believe that yourself?”
Lin Fan puffed out his chest, his gaze intense, his tone decisive, “I believe it, why wouldn’t I?”
At this moment, the Saintess slowly stood up from the lotus throne.
Her movements were extremely gentle and elegant, as if devoid of any earthly dust.
The hem of her plain white robe swayed slightly, revealing a pair of fair and delicate jade feet. The small silver bells tied to her ankles tinkled crisply with her movements, exceptionally clear in the silent hall.
Seeing this, Lin Fan’s brow furrowed immediately. He took a step back, raised his hand to cover his nose, and fanned the air in front of him with his other hand, his face displaying undisguised disgust.
“Head of Bureau Lin, what do you mean by this?” The Saintess was bewildered by Lin Fan’s actions, completely unable to comprehend his thoughts, always leaving her with a sense of inexplicable confusion.
“You have athlete’s foot, the smell is unpleasant. Can’t you smell it yourself?” Lin Fan said with a face full of disgust.
“You…!” The Saintess’s face, hidden by her veil, instantly turned ashen. Although she was a Saintess, she was, after all, a woman. To be so directly humiliated by a man, how could she endure it?
But she did not outwardly rage; instead, she retorted sarcastically, “Is that so? Then it seems Head of Bureau Lin’s feet are quite fragrant.”
“Hey, you’re right, my feet are indeed fragrant. If you don’t believe me, smell them.” Lin Fan stood on one leg, decisively took off his shoes and white socks. They were somewhat grayish-black, not from dirt, but from merit, indicating his role as Head of Bureau in the public security, always being at the forefront.
These were accomplishments earned step by step.
At this moment, he playfully extended his foot towards the Saintess and wiggled it a few times.
The Saintess leaned back slightly, as if to dodge.
Swish!
A sharp whistling sound suddenly pierced the air!
With a bang.
A sharp crossbow bolt was firmly embedded in the ground not far from Lin Fan’s feet, its shaft deep within the stone bricks, its fletching trembling continuously due to the immense impact, emitting a buzzing sound.
Lin Fan’s gaze flickered, and he had already spotted a hidden follower on a beam on one side of the hall, holding a crossbow. The cold crosshairs of the bolt were locked onto him.
The threat was clear: if you dare to move again, the next bolt will pierce your body.
Seeing this, Lin Fan couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“I thought your Mingwang Cult’s methods involved the divine power bestowed by Mingwang. In the end, it’s still human methods.” Lin Fan showed no fear of the threat. With his back to the Saintess, he sat on the edge of the lotus platform and put on his shoes.
As he finished putting on his shoes and turned around, he saw the Saintess suddenly press herself close to him. Her eyes fixed on him, and suddenly, an indescribable wave swept out from her eyes.
Huh!?
Lin Fan was slightly startled, his heart churning like a stormy sea. He felt this invisible wave, which could not be seen with the naked eye, and it seemed to be trying to invade his mind.
At this moment, the Saintess wanted the impudent man before her to see Mingwang.
She wanted him to kneel and prostrate himself the moment he saw Mingwang, to let him know that Mingwang truly existed, and that she, as the Saintess, was the envoy of Mingwang walking in the mortal world.
The Saintess possessed an ability that allowed her to look directly into someone’s eyes and induce illusions.
This ability was not present from birth; she acquired it by chance when she was ten years old.
Back then, she was one of the refugees in a chaotic world. The Jinyang Campaign had caused people to become displaced. As she traveled south, starving and desperate, she tried to beg for food but was refused. Just as she thought she was going to die, a man eating a bun walked past. She, not knowing where her courage came from, looked directly at him and roared, “Give me the bun!”
Who would have thought that the commoner seemed to have lost his soul.
He obediently handed the bun to her.
The Saintess spoke softly, “Mingwang, Mingwang, the sacred and majestic Mingwang, you are the sin…”
Smack—!
A crisp sound.
“Sin your mother’s sin!” Lin Fan slapped her, “Are you sick? I just turned around, why did you get so close? You scared me.”
The Saintess was knocked to the ground by the slap, her veil falling off. Half of her face instantly turned red and swollen.
She looked at Lin Fan before her with extreme terror.
Her face was filled with disbelief.
“How is this possible!!!”
The Saintess was shocked, clearly not expecting her always-effective method to be completely useless against this Head of Bureau Lin. This was unacceptable to her.
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
The moment he slapped the Saintess to the ground, the crossbow-wielding followers hidden on the hall beams immediately aimed at Lin Fan and pulled the triggers. Bang, bang, bang, the crossbow strings exerted force, and bolts, carrying terrifying impact, shot towards him.
“Seeking death.”
Lin Fan was enraged. His reaction speed was extremely fast. He dodged to the side, then extended his arms, catching the incoming crossbow bolts with his bare hands, swung his arms, and threw them back.
The force with which he threw the bolts was even more terrifying than when they were shot.
*Puff*! *Puff*! *Puff*!
The followers on the hall beams looked down in horror at their chests pierced by the crossbow bolts. They fell to the ground like dumplings, making thudding sounds.
“How dare you assassinate an imperial official! I think you have the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard, not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth, seeking death!”
Lin Fan rebuked angrily.
But he was becoming increasingly surprised by the Saintess’s situation.
If he had to say, this Saintess truly possessed a special ability.
Mental power?
Creating illusions?
She had just pressed close to his face, trying to pull him into an illusion. But due to his strong will, she was unable to invade, hence her astonished expression.
When he looked towards the lotus platform, the Saintess was nowhere to be seen. He looked towards the entrance and couldn’t help but laugh. The Saintess, barefoot, was fleeing in terror.
Upon reaching the temple door, the Saintess gritted her teeth, a glint of fierceness and desperation flashing in her eyes. She tore open a few slits in her plain white robe at the sleeves and neckline, messed up her hair, and then forcefully pushed open the temple door, screaming with a tearful voice filled with humiliation and terror.
“Help! Help! Head of Bureau Lin, you… why did you defile my purity!!!”
The Saintess pushed the door open and ran out in a disheveled state.
“Heh heh, somewhat interesting.”
Lin Fan’s expression was very calm. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation, being framed. Of course, he was quite fond of being falsely accused.
When he walked out of the hall.
Numerous eyes outside looked at him. The common people’s gazes were slightly bewildered, while the Saintess was being protected by the higher-ups of the Mingwang Cult.
How could Dengzun not know that the Saintess had likely failed and was helpless against this Head of Bureau Lin? With the matter having come to this, all they could do was desperately cast blame onto the other party.
He took a deep breath and was about to step forward, to sternly rebuke Lin Fan’s beastly behavior and seize the moral high ground.
Suddenly, he heard Lin Fan let out a roar even louder, angrier, and more righteous than his own.
“You wicked woman! As expected of a follower of the demonic Mingwang! How insidious and vile are your thoughts!”
“Inside the hall just now, seeing this Heavenly Venerable’s majestic and righteous presence, you actually attempted to defile this official’s pure immortal body with your filthy body, seeking to commit impropriety and blaspheme against the divine, thus disrupting this Heavenly Venerable’s cultivation!”
“Now that your scheme has been exposed, you dare to turn the tables and slander this official, accusing me of defiling you?!”
“You truly have immense audacity! Your intentions are punishable! Your actions deserve to be destroyed!”
This barrage of accusations, like a string of firecrackers, each word sharp and each sentence striking to the core, intensely impacted the minds of everyone present, leaving them all stunned.
The Saintess’s mouth hung open, her entire body stiffened, her mind a blank slate.
She absolutely did not expect that instead of being angered and embarrassed, he would claim she wanted to defile him. The words he used were clearly her own. What was she supposed to say now?
Dengzun angrily said, “Head of Bureau Lin, do not speak nonsense and distort black and white here. Our Mingwang Cult’s Saintess is the symbol of Mingwang walking the mortal world, pure and inviolable. You, with your immense audacity, attempted to defile the Saintess. Mingwang is enraged and will surely descend a heavenly punishment, leaving you no chance for reincarnation!”
Having spoken, he looked at the commoners and believers present.
“Devout followers of Mingwang, you have all witnessed it with your own eyes. The Saintess was almost violated. Are you just going to stand by and watch this blasphemous villain act so arrogantly here?”
Among the common people, those who were devout followers showed looks of anger.
Although they feared Lin Fan.
Now that the Saintess, who was closest to Mingwang, was almost violated on Mingwang’s birthday, how could they tolerate it? How could they stand by?
Just as they were about to erupt in angry roars.
“Bold!!!”
He took a step forward, as if invisible waves of energy were rolling around him. His gaze was like lightning, sweeping across the entire scene, carrying a majesty that looked down upon all beings.
“This official is the reincarnation of the Great Celestial Venerable of the Ninth Heaven, residing at the pinnacle of the cosmos, commanding all gods, the father of all gods, the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao.”
“Now I descend to the mortal world, solely to purify the universe and sweep away demons.”
“You common mortals, misled by this wicked woman and the demonic Mingwang, actually dare to oppose this Heavenly Venerable?”
“Are you truly not afraid of heavenly might descending, causing your own eternal damnation, your ancestors for eighteen generations sinking into the eighteen levels of hell, never to be reincarnated, and your descendants, generation after generation, suffering the punishment of lightning strikes and scorching flames?”
It’s just bragging, isn’t it?
As if no one else could do it.
And this series of relentless moves by him left everyone present dizzy and dazzled. Even the experienced Dengzun was left feeling groggy and disoriented.
He had many things he wanted to say.
But for a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
At this moment.
The common people on Lin Fan’s side shouted.
“Silver Rod Great Celestial Venerable Master Lin is the true reincarnation of a Celestial Venerable. He has descended to save the suffering and uphold justice for us common people.”
“Fellow villagers, we must not be blind. The true god is right before us. Do we still want to worship those evil and false gods who hide filth and corruption?”
The commoner speaking was very astute.
While everyone was bewildered, he was the first to react and cheer for Lin Fan. If this were in the past, he would have received a larger reward in silver.
Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, the Saintess of the Mingwang Cult immediately put on a sorrowful and wronged expression, her voice choked with sobs, tears welling up in her eyes. She cried out:
“It’s not like that! Don’t listen to his nonsense, everyone. Mingwang has just sent me a divine oracle, telling me that he is the true demon, here to bring chaos to the mortal world.”
“Believers, common people, wake up! Do not be deceived by this demon’s disguise.”
“Silence!!!”
Lin Fan roared. He suddenly saw a large Mingwang statue, four to five meters tall, in front of him. He strode forward, reached the statue, and under the astonished gazes of everyone.
He clasped the statue with both hands and roared. With a boom, the statue, weighing several thousand jin, was uprooted. Such a shocking sight left everyone present dumbfounded.
Even the people from the Mingwang Cult were no exception.
“This official is the reincarnation of a Celestial Venerable, possessing the divine power of a Celestial Venerable. How dare this evil idol be presumptuous before this Heavenly Venerable.”
As soon as his voice fell.
Lin Fan suddenly threw the statue into the air. He stood on the spot, not even looking, and the statue, thrown into the air, stopped rising and began to fall. The shadow of the statue enveloped him, growing larger and larger.
Just as the statue was about to crush him.
He still did not dodge. Instead, he stepped back half a step with his right leg, twisted his waist and hips, and his right fist shot out like a cannonball, from bottom to top, meeting the descending behemoth and swinging out ferociously.
Boom!!!
A deafening roar, as if mountains and the earth were cracking, erupted!
Fist met statue with a fierce collision!
Under everyone’s disbelieving eyes, the hard statue instantly became covered in spiderweb-like cracks.
*Crash*!
The entire statue disintegrated in mid-air, shattering into countless pieces of stone of varying sizes, scattering like a stone rain, falling to the ground with a clattering sound.
What was unexpected, however…
As the statue shattered, countless gold and silver treasures poured out from its broken interior, clinking and clanking as they hit the ground, reflecting alluring and dazzling light under the sun.
Everyone present stared blankly.
No one had expected there to be silver.
Lin Fan pointed at the gold and silver jewelry on the ground and said, “Look, everyone, look. What is this? This is the silver you received after being fooled and deceived, it is the hard-earned blood and sweat of your entire lives.”
“You were reluctant to use it, reluctant to eat it, reluctant to wear it, and now it has all gone into the belly of this evil god.”
“Today, this Heavenly Venerable, with just one punch, will make this evil god spit out your blood and sweat silver.”
Lin Fan deeply detested evil cults.
They were extremely harmful.
They often caused people to lose everything.
At this moment.
The high-ranking members of the Mingwang Cult were stunned by what they saw. They hadn’t expected things to turn out this way.
This one punch shattered a statue carved from stone.
Was this something a human could do?
No, let alone shattering it, the act of lifting the statue alone was already earth-shattering.
This Head of Bureau Lin was definitely not human.
Dengzun forced himself to remain calm and stepped forward, attempting to salvage the situation, “Head of Bureau Lin, this…”
“Silence!” Lin Fan gave him no chance to speak, harshly reprimanding, “Who permitted you to address this official as Head of Bureau? You should respectfully call me—Great Celestial Venerable!”
Dengzun took a deep breath. He finally understood that this fellow was truly difficult to deal with. From the current situation, it was impossible to bring him down.
“Good… Great Celestial Venerable of the Ninth Heaven! This gold and silver are incense money voluntarily offered by the believers to Mingwang. Placing it inside the Mingwang statue is to allow Mingwang to feel the sincerity of the believers. This… this is reasonable and justified!”
“Reasonable, your mother,” Lin Fan cursed.
The berated Dengzun was at a loss for words for a moment.
Arrogant, truly unbelievably arrogant.
Lin Fan walked towards the Saintess, who was being protected. The Saintess trembled upon seeing Lin Fan approaching. She had witnessed everything that had happened in the hall.
His methods were domineering and fierce, his actions ruthless.
With crossbow support, who could have avoided it? Yet he not only dodged but also caught the crossbow bolts with his bare hands and, with a counter-attack, killed the followers who had been protecting her.
The Saintess trembled.
Pushed forward by Dengzun, who endured his fear, he looked around. “Believers, what are you still waiting for? The Saintess is in danger now. As Mingwang’s most devout followers, should you not come out to protect the Saintess?”
As these words were spoken.
The devout believers, who had been severely brainwashed, acted as if their minds were controlled, and they stepped forward one after another, blocking Dengzun.
They joined hands, straightened their backs, and moved step by step towards Lin Fan.
As they approached, they chanted loudly.
“Those who enter the seat of my Mingwang are all brothers and sisters. Abandon…”
They recited the doctrines one by one.
Invisibly, they amplified their momentum.
Dengzun sneered in his heart. He wanted to see what Lin Fan, the Head of Bureau, would do. These were all common people. He truly wanted to know if Lin Fan, who championed the people, would take action against them.
Lin Fan shook his head and looked at the surrounding common people.
“Fellow villagers, take a good look. This is the result of being brainwashed by an evil cult. They can no longer be considered human. Kinship, family, friendship have all been abandoned. If the demon gives an order, they can kill their own relatives, and they will even think that the demon is helping them to transcend.”
What he said were all heartfelt words.
The common people who had come to watch the spectacle nodded in agreement. Among the onlookers, there was a friend who was a devout follower of the Mingwang Cult. In his opinion, since he joined the Mingwang Cult, his friend had become a stranger.
He always felt his friend was very abnormal.
“Master Lin is right.”
“Thinking about it now, it’s really like that. I have a friend who believes in the Mingwang Cult. He used to be so family-oriented, but now he’s always muttering to himself and neglecting his family.”
As someone recounted their situation.
More and more common people chimed in.
However, even as the surroundings buzzed with discussion, the devout believers forming the human wall remained expressionless, their steps unwavering, chanting repeatedly.
“All suffering is practice, all offerings are for the Pure Land…”
Listening to them chant the doctrines.
Lin Fan could only think, “Good heavens, these people are thoroughly brainwashed and utterly devoted.”
He looked at the constables. “Xu Ming, what are you waiting for? Beat them! Beat their minds awake! They’ve all been brainwashed by the evil cult but don’t realize it. I think beating them is unavoidable.”
“Yes, Sir!”
Xu Ming had long been impatient. Upon hearing the order, he didn’t hesitate, waving his hand.
“Brothers, let’s move.”
He led the charge, rushing towards the human wall like a tiger descending from the mountain, and kicked out.
He directly kicked the leading believer to the ground, and then, without mercy, rode on him, raised his large, fan-like hand, and slapped him repeatedly on both cheeks.
“Slap! Slap! Slap!”
The crisp sound of slaps was incessant.
The other constables also rushed forward, each choosing a target.
“Don’t fight me for this guy. He’s shouting the loudest, clearly the most poisoned. I’ll use my fists to bring him back to the right path.”
“Do you believe it or not? Do you still believe it or not?”
In an instant, the scene descended into chaos, but the constables understood that Brother Lin had other matters to attend to, so they each dragged their chosen devout believers aside and beat them, clearing a path for their lord.
“Stimulating!!!”
Ning Yu watched with her blood boiling, already itching to join the fray and participate in this mind-awakening exercise.
She rushed into the fray with great momentum, wanting to join this mind-awakening exercise.
But when she looked closely, good heavens, the devout believers who were still standing had already been divided up by the wolf-like constables.
They were pulled aside and beaten.
Suddenly.
Her gaze fell on the Saintess’s face. Her earlier disappointment at not finding an opponent instantly vanished, and she proactively volunteered.
“Master, can you leave the Saintess to me? I’ll beat her.”
“You may.”
Lin Fan nodded, just about to signal that he would pull out the Saintess for her to beat after he was done.
Who would have thought that Ning Yu, without a word, drew her sword and charged towards Dengzun, shouting angrily as she ran, “Get out of the way! All of you, get out of my way!”
The gleaming sword blade emitted a cold, sharp glint under the sunlight.
It looked as if she would truly kill them if they didn’t move aside.
The Dengzuns had never seen such a display and were intimidated by her aura. They instinctively parted like a wave, revealing the pale-faced Saintess in the middle.
Before the Saintess could react.
Ning Yu lunged forward, her five fingers like hooks, and grabbed the Saintess by her hair, pulling her down sharply.
The Saintess’s scalp throbbed with pain, and she let out a piercing scream involuntarily, stumbling forward.
Before she could regain her balance, Ning Yu’s foot landed squarely on her buttocks with great force, sending her directly forward and crashing to the ground.
Her clothes were disheveled, her hair messy, nowhere near the appearance of a Saintess.
She was as pathetic as she could be.
She was as miserable as she could be.
As the Saintess turned to get up, Ning Yu strode forward, stepped over her, sat directly on top of the Saintess, threw away her sword, and began raining blows on both sides of her face.
*Slap*! *Slap*!
“Wicked woman! How dare you pretend to be a Saintess in front of my Master? And you said my Master defiled you. Look at your pathetic state, do you even qualify?”
Ning Yu beat her, scolding angrily, her fists and palms raining down like a storm.
The Saintess cried out in pain, tears streaming down her face. She endured the piercing pain, her eyes fixing venomously on Ning Yu. A strange light seemed to flicker in the depths of her pupils, clearly intending to activate her illusion ability again.
Lin Fan, noticing this, was about to step forward and kick the Saintess unconscious.
However, he saw Ning Yu’s body tremble slightly, a brief look of confusion and struggle flashed across her face, and then her eyes immediately cleared, muttering to herself in disbelief.
“Huh? I was spacing out while hitting someone?”
Having said that.
Her fists, palms, and fingernails continued to rain down on the Saintess.
There was no pity between women.
There was only a frantic assault.
Lin Fan looked puzzled. The Saintess had definitely used her illusion ability on Ning Yu just now, but Ning Yu had only been stunned briefly before recovering.
Could it be that the Saintess’s ability had significant limitations?
It was only effective on those with weak wills?
From the beginning until now, he had analyzed that the Saintess had no real strength, like an ordinary woman. Her only means was the ability to create illusions.
The surrounding common people shouted.
“Good, well beaten.”
“Heroine Ning is beautiful! Heroine Ning’s move is powerful! As expected of the top disciple of our Silver Rod Great Celestial Venerable Master Lin, she has learned the essence!”
Praised so by the common people, Ning Yu, who was vigorously beating, even took the time to cup her fists and bow to the surroundings, a proud expression on her face.
As if to say… it’s nothing.
Dengzun and the other high-ranking members of the cult watched their Saintess being beaten so miserably.
They could no longer bear to watch.
“Stop! Stop it!” Dengzun shouted hoarsely.
Knowing that this would surely lead to trouble if it continued, he knew that the only person present who could make her stop was Lin Fan.
“Head of Bureau Lin… no, Silver Rod Great Celestial Venerable, our Mingwang Cult is supported by the Grand Tutor, one of the Three Dukes. Do you truly intend to oppose the Grand Tutor?”
This was Dengzun’s only resort now.
He hoped that by bringing up the Grand Tutor, he could intimidate the other party.
“Grand Tutor?” Lin Fan sneered, a hint of undisguised disdain curling up at the corner of his mouth. “The Grand Tutor is nothing.”
He didn’t take this powerful figure of the Three Dukes seriously at all.
No matter how strong the other party’s background was, at this point, with the atmosphere heated up to this extent, could it be stopped just because you said so?
Even if I, Lin Fan, agreed, the group of brothers behind me, who were already blood-red-eyed from fighting, would absolutely not agree.
“You, you…” Dengzun’s chest heaved violently. He didn’t expect the surname Lin to be so audacious.
A moment later.
“Everyone stop.” Lin Fan commanded.
The devout believers being beaten by the constables were all bruised and swollen. Originally, they had been chanting doctrines while being beaten, but after a while, only pained cries remained.
Clearly, Mingwang’s spirit could not immunize them from pain.
On the other hand, the Saintess’s situation was even more tragic.
Ning Yu shook her slightly sore arm and casually wiped the fine sweat beads on her forehead with her sleeve.
As she stood up, she seemed to feel it wasn’t enough to vent her anger and gave the Saintess’s slightly heaving chest two more kicks.
The kicks made the Saintess let out intermittent screams.
The Saintess’s face was swollen like a pig’s head.
There were bloodstains all over her body and face.
She was incredibly pathetic.
Truly a sight beyond description.
“Xu Ming, take your men and escort everyone from the Mingwang Cult back to prison.” Lin Fan said.
“Yes, Sir.”
Xu Ming cupped his fist and received the order, his voice booming.
“Yang Ming, you will register the family addresses and names of these common people poisoned by the Mingwang Cult. Each brother will be responsible for a few. Before coming to the public security bureau each day, you must personally check on them. If they dare to chant the doctrines of the Mingwang Cult again, beat them severely. Beat away their devout hearts.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Wu Yong, Qian Tao, you will collect the gold and silver from the ground and find out the account books. Once these poisoned common people awaken, then return this gold and silver to them.”
“We obey.”
Lin Fan issued his orders one by one. As the Head of Bureau, he naturally did not need to do everything himself. With so many brothers under him, he had to train them well.
When he makes further progress and leaves in the future.
These brothers would be able to stand on their own and manage the public security of Anzhou well for him.
……
The thunderous [Truncated: Max tokens]
…
The Mingwang’s birthday celebration’s lightning operation concluded amidst a clamor.
The common people who had left returned on their way, still unfulfilled, their mouths full of saliva as they discussed the matter fervently.
Someone was excitedly gesturing how mighty the Silver Rod Great Celestial Venerable Master Lin was.
Someone vividly described the Saintess’s tragic state after being beaten into a pig’s head, and at the height of their excitement, they slapped their thighs, repeatedly exclaiming, “Stimulation!”
When they returned to the city.
Many common people who hadn’t participated saw the Public Security Bureau Constables escorting a large group of Mingwang Cult members back and were very curious, wondering what had happened.
Until they heard about what happened at the Mingwang Cult’s main altar.
They all beat their chests and stomped their feet, filled with regret.
Damn!
Why didn’t I go?
I actually missed out on such a good thing.
…
Prefect’s Mansion.
“Master… Master, something big has happened,” the Butler ran over in a hurry.
Prefect Zhao, who was irritable and couldn’t sit down due to his injured backside, was staring blankly at the garden. He used to enjoy tending to the plants, but now he had no leisure time at all.
“Oh, what is it?” Prefect Zhao was very calm, his emotions no longer fluctuating.
He was going to leave Anzhou.
Anzhou was a place without friendship or loyalty.
The Butler said, “Lin Fan has captured everyone from the Mingwang Cult, from the Saintess down to the believers, all of them.”
“Oh!”
Prefect Zhao responded faintly, “What’s the big deal? Isn’t this normal? I want to ask you, who is there that he dares not arrest now?”
“Master, the situation is not like that. At the scene, the Mingwang Cult’s Dengzun, driven to desperation, actually said that the Mingwang Cult is supported by one of the Three Dukes, the Grand Tutor, and Lin Fan even said on the spot, ‘The Grand Tutor is nothing.'”
The Butler naturally knew about his master’s recent predicament, which was the biggest difficulty he had encountered in his decades of official career.
As the saying goes, when one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer.
As the butler, how could he stand by and watch his master be completely defeated and lose his fighting spirit?
He had to whip him, to spur him on, to make him cheer up and strive hard.
“Oh! Wait… you said who?”
Prefect Zhao’s spirits suddenly rose, and he turned back to ask in astonishment.
“The Grand Tutor, one of the Three Dukes,” the Butler said.
Prefect Zhao’s previously calm gaze suddenly showed a ripple, “You said the Mingwang Cult is supported by the Grand Tutor, and Lin Fan also said the Grand Tutor is nothing?”
“Yes,” the Butler nodded.
“Hahaha…” Prefect Zhao burst into laughter as if he had lost his mind, “Good, good! This Lin fellow has finally kicked an iron plate. I don’t know if Lin Fan dares to confront the Grand Tutor, but I know very well what kind of person the Grand Tutor is. Before, when an official impeached the Grand Tutor, do you know what the outcome was?”
The Butler shook his head.
Prefect Zhao said excitedly, “The outcome was that his family was confiscated, the impeaching official was imprisoned, his dependents were exiled, and the women were sent to the imperial kilns. Do you think that’s tragic?”
“It is tragic,” the Butler nodded.
Prefect Zhao excitedly paced to the pavilion, his suppressed mood completely gone, “Good! I, this Prefect, might not have to leave Anzhou after all. This doggone fellow publicly disrespected the Grand Tutor. I see that it won’t be long before an imperial edict of guilt is issued, and then we’ll see if he dies or not.”
“No, I, this Prefect, must send a secret letter to the Grand Tutor to inform him of what happened here. It won’t do if it’s not conveyed.”
The more Prefect Zhao thought about it, the more excited he became. He didn’t even think about his injured backside and sat down directly. In an instant, he jumped up with a piercing pain, making him cry out.
The Butler quickly helped him up, “Master, there’s one more thing, and that is Lin Fan moved the statue of the Mingwang God at the Mingwang Cult’s place. This…”
“Enough, stop talking. I don’t care what he moved. He’s just shooting himself in the foot now. I want to witness his path to ruin with my own eyes.”
Prefect Zhao didn’t care at all about what Lin Fan moved.
He only cared if Lin Fan would be killed by the Grand Tutor.
Being an official is not that easy.
One mountain is always higher than another.
For a First Rank Grand Tutor to deal with an Anzhou Prefecture General Class official would be as easy as pie.
As if anticipating a beautiful future.
Prefect Zhao couldn’t help but laugh. The more he laughed, the happier and more excited he became.
…
Public Security Bureau, Office.
The Saintess sat on a chair, weeping uncontrollably.
Lin Fan walked over, holding a teacup, like a heartwarming neighbor brother, placing the teacup in front of the Saintess and lifting her chin gently with his finger.
“Tsk tsk…” Lin Fan shook his head and sighed, “How did you get beaten up like this? Why did you have to provoke my disciple? Now you can’t even be recognized as a person.”
“Sigh…”
Lin Fan sighed, feeling sympathetic to the Saintess’s plight.
The Saintess looked at Lin Fan, who was pretending to be a good person.
Her lips parted, as if she had many things to say, but her swollen, sausage-like lips made it difficult for her to speak for a moment.
Lin Fan pulled out paper and a pen from the side and placed them in front of the Saintess.
“I ask, you write. Let’s be honest and cooperate. Can you give me, the Great Celestial Venerable of the Ninth Heaven, some face?”
“When you look at others with your eyes, how can you make them hallucinate?”
This was what he most wanted to know.
It was related to his exploration of the truth of the world.
There was no Martial Way.
In other words, there was another cultivation system?
