Chapter 32: Black Wind Stronghold

Early in the morning, Wei Fan went out the door.

With his current identity as an Arrest Officer, he doesn’t actually need to go to the Government Office on time anymore, but years of working nine-nine-six have already made him accustomed to going to work on time.

"A bowl of Yangchun noodles, plus two eggs!"

Today he didn’t go for the big meat buns again; no matter how delicious something is, you’ll get tired of it if you have too much.

"Lord Wei gracing us with your presence, makes my stall radiant with glory. Please sit, your food will be ready shortly."

The street vendor recognizes Wei Fan.

There aren’t many anymore who don’t recognize him on this path he takes to "work" regularly.

After finishing the noodles, the vendor didn’t ask for money, but Wei still insisted on paying.

"Not taking a few more days off?"

Stepping into the office, he saw Zhou Qi who had just returned. After he was beaten by the E Shen Bang, Wei Fan approved him a few days off.

"Just superficial injuries, mostly healed!"

"Then go do patrol later!"

Wei Fan nodded, quickly arriving at Luo Wen’s office, found a chair and sat down heavily: "My sabre is broken, get me a new one."

Luo Wen nodded, looking rather distressed.

"What’s wrong? Bad mood, that bastard Wei Qingyuan troubling you?" Wei Fan raised his eyebrows.

His mention made Luo Wen feel even worse: "It’s all because of you, I took Huang Daxian’s corpse to ask for a reward for you, no reward received, and he gave me this instead. Go see for yourself."

As he spoke, he tossed a document over.

Wei Fan opened the document and read it softly: "Order Squad Leader Luo Wen of the East District to collaborate with Arrest Officer Wei Fan and take down Black Wind Stronghold within seven days, or be dismissed and investigated for failure to comply.

You’re worried about just this? This is Wei Qingyuan’s tactic?"

Luo Wen’s eyes widened: "Isn’t it something to worry about? Black Wind Stronghold has dominated Yun City for years, with numerous outlaws residing, even the Demon Fiends don’t dare provoke them.

Three years ago Yun City deployed a thousand soldiers, several Acupoint Realm Captains led the team but couldn’t take down Black Wind Stronghold, with heavy casualties.

Now our East District Government Office, barely seventy or eighty constables, how are we supposed to take down Black Wind Stronghold.

Wei Qingyuan is utterly shameless, handing over something military force couldn’t achieve to us mere governmental officers."

Luo Wen sighed deeply, this kind of anti-bandit operation usually falls under the jurisdiction of the constables, but it also depends on the scale.

With just seventy or eighty people, they wouldn’t even fill the gaps in Black Wind Stronghold’s defenses, let alone that it’s impossible to take everyone along for action, Wei Qingyuan is clearly abusing his power for personal vendetta, giving them an impossible task, then dismissing them.

Wei Fan naturally knows the situation with Black Wind Stronghold, but he doesn’t react much; as long as Wei Qingyuan follows the rules, he’ll keep playing, waiting to defeat Black Wind Stronghold and then demand his due from Wei Qingyuan.

If he can’t present the proper rewards then, settling accounts will come after: "This is part of my duty, I’m aware, you gather information on Black Wind Stronghold for me in the next few days."

Seeing Wei Fan’s nonchalant reaction, Luo Wen felt somewhat reassured: "Are you confident? As long as you’re confident, I’ll gather more information on Black Wind Stronghold for you.

That bastard says if we can take down Black Wind Stronghold, the reward for killing Huang Daxian will be brought out as well, failure means we pack up and go home."

Killing Huang Daxian along with annihilating Black Wind Stronghold, I wonder what he’ll use for rewards, bet giving up his Clerk position wouldn’t be enough."

He also realized that Wei Fan brought Huang Daxian’s body back, purposefully giving Wei Qingyuan trouble by making him ask for merits from him.

Others might not know him, but he understands Wei Fan too well, this guy wants nothing more than annihilate his enemies completely.

Getting into a tiff with Wei Qingyuan, it wouldn’t be surprising if he devises a way to put Wei Qingyuan down.

"You focus on gathering the intel, I’m off to patrol the streets!"

Having picked up a new sabre from the storeroom, Wei Fan headed out to patrol the streets with Hu Qing.

"I have something important to tell you, something big happened in the Inner City yesterday."

Something big?

Wei Fan looked at Hu Qing: "Demon Fiends appeared?"

Only the appearance of Demon Fiends could qualify as something significant.

Hu Qing nodded: "This is still a secret my father told me, he said if anyone gets reassigned to the Inner City soon, never go regardless."

Speaking of which, Hu Qing lowered her voice: "Here’s some uncirculated news; one of the Four Great Captains died last night, without even knowing what the Demon Fiend looked like."

"How did he die?"

Wei Fan’s expression shifted slightly. In Yun City, the Four Great Captains, the weakest was Song Jingsong, just True Qi Ninth Layer.

While the other three held their positions for years, long having ascended to Acupoint Masters, to have such masters die, could it be retribution for killing Huang Daxian, other Demon Fiends seeking vengeance?

Not right either, if they’re seeking vengeance they wouldn’t kill others without targeting him.

"Exactly, no one knows how he died, rumors say at first it’s the City Lord’s Mansion that had deaths, City Lord sent Captains to investigate but nothing found, Mansion kept seeing deaths.

Last night, City Lord had them hide in the courtyard secretly, but early this morning the Captain was found dead in his hiding spot, no trace of fighting at all.

My father suspects what appeared might be a fleshless Demon Fiend."

Wei Fan’s gaze sharpened; he had slaughtered many Demon Fiends, but never encountered a fleshless one.

Rumor has it such Demon Fiends are terrifying in the extreme, best avoid any bodily contact with them, otherwise cultivation would be completely incapacitated.

"Now with Captains dead, they’re likely to approach for your assistance, don’t go, not a single person in the City Lord’s Mansion is worth anything, best if they all die, even better if the City Lord dies too, replacing them with a new one.

Once the City Lord is dead, the Demon Suppression Bureau naturally would send experts to handle this matter."

This was the true purpose of Hu Qing telling Wei Fan all this.

Wei Fan nodded slightly, he had no interest in getting involved; if ordinary civilians or within his jurisdiction suffered, he’d step up without hesitation.

Yet the victims are from the City Lord’s Mansion, what did that have to do with Wei Fan?

Having achieved so much, how could the Cloud City Lord not be aware, never once gave him any favor.

Even the Arrest Officer position was fought for by Luo Wen on his behalf; life and death for the City Lord is irrelevant to him.

Although interested in the Demon Fiends within the City Lord’s Mansion, he could wait until they’re all dead before acting.

Even Hu Qing wished for this idle City Lord to perish swiftly, naturally Wei Fan isn’t one to possess a bleeding heart either.

"Chief Wei, Squad Leader says stop patrol now and return immediately for official duties."

Turns out Hu Qing was right, not long after walking, a governmental officer came seeking Wei Fan’s return to the office.

Back in the office, Wei Fan met the Order Officer from the City Lord’s Mansion, summoning him to drop everything and assist in investigating a case.

"No time!"

Wei Fan sipped his tea, spat out two cold words at the Order Officer in response.