"Who wouldâve thought Iâd still be working nine-to-five after transmigrating!"
Strapping on his saber at his waist, Wei Fan headed out, dressed in a blue uniform stamped with a huge "Constable" character across the chest.
Heâd transmigrated into a government officer at the Yun City Government Officeâat least he was eating from the official familyâs rice bowl now.
Locking the door, Wei Fan rubbed his aching head and felt a massive lump of dried blood.
According to his predecessorâs memories, this bump was from a beating during an arrest yesterdayâsomeone smacked him with a stickâand that knock probably sent him over into this new world.
This blood lump had hurt like hell before, but as memories fused, the pain eased a bit.
His eyes were still out of whack, thoughâeverything was blurry and unfocused.
"Demon fiends everywhere, evil spirits running wild?"
Wei Fan muttered under his breath.
From what he remembered, this world wasnât just ancient Chinaâit had demon fiends and evil spirits, but also martial artists who could bend the Dao itself.
His predecessor had been a martial artist, and after joining the government office, had learned the Golden Bell Shield and Blood Evil Saber Technique.
After three months of training, Golden Bell Shield was still uninitiated, but the Blood Evil Saber Technique was finally showing results.
"Lord Wei, what do you want for breakfast today?"
"Gimme three big pork buns!"
Passing the bun shop, Wei Fan bought a few buns, then kept heading to the squad room.
Sure, he was just a bottom-rung grunt at the government officeâbut to regular folks, he was a big shot. They bowed and scraped, terrified to offend him.
Because this government officer gig was only passed down through family, just like tobacco sellers in his old worldâregular people would never get a shot!
Wearing blue all over, he walked down the street; people saw him coming and made way automatically.
"Lord Wei, if not for you yesterday, that animal wouldâve ruined my granddaughter. I came here just to thank you!"
By the road, an old man with a basket and a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl suddenly blocked Wei Fanâs path, gratitude all over their faces.
Wei Fan looked overâhe recognized them.
Yesterday, his predecessor caught someone trying to do something terrible to the girl; he intervened and nabbed the guy, only to get clubbed in the back of the head for his trouble.
The little girl nervously hid behind the old man, peeking out at Wei Fan every so often.
"No need to thank me, Uncle ZhangâI was just doing my job!"
The old man, surnamed Zhang, lived nearby. Wei Fan knew him before yesterdayâs incident.
If memory served, Uncle Zhangâs son and daughter-in-law had been killed by demon fiends...when Wei Fan checked it out, all he saw were torn-up remains.
Wei Fan was in a rush to check in at the government office. After his reply, he tried to walk past, but Old Man Zhang stopped him and pushed his basket forward.
"I donât have much, just a few eggs. Please, Lord Wei, take this small token of thanks."
Wei Fan looked downâthere were five or six boiled eggs in the basket.
That warmed him, just a little.
His predecessor was a guy with a strong sense of justiceâa reliable constable whoâd helped plenty of folks, but it was the first time anyone brought him a thank-you gift.
Wei Fan didnât want to take it, but Old Man Zhang wouldnât let go, and he didnât dare pull too hardâworried heâd knock the old guy straight to the ground.
"Iâll take one, but thatâs allâthe rest, let your granddaughter eat and get her strength back."
Wei Fan took one egg from the basket; Old Man Zhang finally let go.
"Lord Wei is kindâshame there arenât many good constables like you!"
Old Man Zhang stared after Wei Fanâs retreating figure, full of emotion.
"Grandpa, thereâs money here!"
Old Man Zhang glanced down; sure enough, two copper coins were sitting in the basket.
"Lord Wei..."
Instantly, tears welled up. Heâd lived decades, and most government officers would take everything from the peopleâat least this one didnât.
"Remember this, girlâif you ever get the chance, you must repay Lord Wei!"
...
"Man, real free-range eggs just taste better!"
Wei Fan wolfed down the egg in three bites, then regretted not taking more. After a bit, he arrived at the squad room.
After checking in with the Squad Leader, Wei Fan headed out with his partner Zhou Qi to patrol the streets.
Theyâd barely left the government office when Zhou Qi said, "I heard Yang Jun got released last night."
Yang Jun was the guy Wei Fan grabbed yesterday.
The bastard tried to abduct the Zhang Family Girl in broad daylight. Wei Fan went to stop himâYang Jun fought back and hit Wei Fan. Only when Wei Fan drew his saber did Yang Jun finally back off.
Wei Fanâs gaze hardened. "Who let him go?"
Abducting people in broad daylight, attacking a constableâand he gets released?
Zhou Qi said, "Rumor is Captain Li did it. See, Yang Junâs brother-in-law is the Fierce Tiger Gangâs Incense Master. I already told you, messing with them is pointlessâeven if you grab someone, they walk free.
I heard Yang Jun was talking big as he leftâsaid youâd better watch your back!
In this line of work, how many guys do you see taking things as seriously as you? The ones who do...theyâre all gone now.
Sigh...be careful from now on, huh? The Fierce Tiger Gang isnât something we can afford to mess withâyou know exactly how they got their name."
No âfrom now onâ for me.
His predecessor was already beaten to death by that stick.
"Fierce Tiger Gang..."
Wei Fan thought back; memories quickly dredged up the truthâsupposedly, this gang was connected to the Tiger Demon.
The gangâs whole purpose? Collecting treasure, beauties, and feeding people to Tiger Demons. Piss them off and you disappear for good.
Forget street-patrolling constablesâeven the arrest officers didnât dare cross the Fierce Tiger Gang.
"Hey, is your head okay?"
"Iâm fine."
Wei Fan shook his head.
Human life meant nothing here. A gang openly feeding people to Tiger Demons, and nobody lifts a finger.
"Someoneâs been killed!"
Suddenly, a shout broke out.
Wei Fan and Zhou Qi shot each other a look and hurried toward the source of the noise.
"Move aside! Weâre with the government office!"
Wei Fan pushed past the crowdâa pool of blood spread on the ground. Smashed eggs and two copper coins floated in the red.
The same Old Man Zhang whoâd just thanked him, his neck hacked almost all the way through, lay dead with eyes wide openâhand reaching for something, refusing to give up even in death.
"Which way did the killer run?"
Wei Fan grabbed a random onlooker by the collar.
"They carried off a little girlâran that way!" said the guy, pointing down an alley.
Wei Fan tossed the man aside and raced into the alley, the image of Old Man Zhangâs lifeless body burned into his mind.
"Wei Fan, donât goâtheyâre trying to lure you in!"
Zhou Qi shouted from behind, but Wei Fan vanished into the alley before he could finish.
"Ha! Wei Fan, I knew youâd have the guts to chase after me!"
In the alley, Yang Jun stood holding a blood-stained saber. Two thugs gripped the Zhang Family Girl, who was crying her heart out: "Brother Wei, they killed Grandpaâtheyâre monsters, wuwu..."
The Zhang Family Girl struggled desperately, but she was just a young teenâthere was no way she could break free from those brutes.
"Yang Jun, let her go! Whatever your beef, bring it to me!"
Wei Fan walked forward, saber at the ready. Zhou Qi hesitated, then followed him into the alley.
"Let her go? Yesterday she played dumb and made me sleep in the squad room for the first time in my life!
And youâyou dared disrespect me, so Iâll make damn sure you regret it. Step by step, Iâll make you suffer, then deliver you to Lord Hu as tiger chow."
As he spoke, Yang Jun backhanded the crying Zhang Family Girl, nearly knocking her out. Her pale face swelled up instantly.
"Didnât you want to be a hero? Come onâlet me hit you instead, and Iâll leave her alone!"
"Yang Jun, donât push me!"
Wei Fan met Yang Junâs cocky stareâand suddenly, the haze heâd felt since transmigrating cleared in a flash:
[Martial Arts:]
[Golden Bell Shield (Uninitiated)]
[Blood Evil Saber Technique (Expertise)]
[Current Power Level: None]
[Power can be added to Martial Arts, boosting their progress]
[Slay demon fiends or evil spirits to gain corresponding power]