Chapter 44: Resolved
Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Resolved
The people before him were all smiles, looking even more affectionate than Yang Wenqing’s own parents. But the knives in their hands were no less swift, and their act was a little too deliberate.
Just as Yang Wenqing was about to bring up the manhunt, Li Gui spoke first. "Rest assured, Lady Sun. Captain Yang has already dispatched two combat squads from the Operations Division to pursue the killer. Even if the culprit had wings, he couldn’t escape!"
An ordinary young man would have been completely disoriented by those words, but Yang Wenqing remained calm. Just as he was about to say something, a deafening roar echoed from the east.
At that very moment, a signal came through the Communication Array on Yang Wenqing’s badge. Xiao Liang’s voice echoed in his ear, "We know what’s going on over there. We’ve also caught the killer for you, but it seems someone isn’t happy about it. You should come take a look."
The unease in Yang Wenqing’s heart immediately subsided. He had only been able to stay composed because he was counting on Wang Ren to make a move. He just hadn’t expected Wang Ren to be so decisive; he must have used his private Flying Shuttle.
He then turned to Lady Sun and said, "Captain Zhou sent word that he has apprehended the killer. Shall we go have a look?"
His last question was clearly directed at Li Gui.
Lady Sun nodded. "Good. I want to see who it is. He..."
Her voice was filled with hatred, and she clearly wanted to express more of it, but at the last moment, her immense self-control forced her to swallow the rest of her words.
Hearing Yang Wenqing’s words, the smile on Li Gui’s face froze instantly. A flash of incredulous shock flickered in his eyes, but he quickly forced it down.
Yang Wenqing paid no more mind to Li Gui’s reaction. He needed to take control of the situation immediately. He said quickly to Lady Sun, "Please wait here, my lady. I’ll go check things out first!" Before the words even left his mouth, he channeled the Spiritual Qi in his body. With a light tap of his foot, he leaped as nimbly as a swallow onto the roof of a nearby house.
From his high vantage point, he immediately pinpointed a street to the east with fluctuations of Spiritual Qi. Then, without the slightest hesitation, he cast a ’Light Body Spell’. His figure bounded across the continuous rooftops, moving so fast that he left only a few afterimages in his wake.
Li Gui had already stepped aside and seemed to be using the Communication Array on his badge to contact someone.
Meanwhile, it only took a moment for Yang Wenqing to reach the scene. It was a relatively quiet street where the gate of a courtyard home had been shattered. Flames flickered from within the yard, and thick smoke billowed out. At the entrance, two groups of people were locked in a tense standoff, the air thick with hostility.
On one side were the guards from the East City Public Security Office, led by Xiao Liang. They had formed a simple defensive Array, and Xiao Liang had a firm grip on a disheveled young man whose Spiritual Qi had been completely sealed. This had to be the killer, Liu Sheng.
On the other side was Zhou Yong and the two squads from the Operations Division he was leading, the very ones just ordered to hunt the killer. They had superior numbers and better equipment, and were currently in a semi-encirclement, surrounding Xiao Liang and his men.
Zhou Yong stood at the very front, his face dark, and was sharply questioning Xiao Liang:
"Captain Xiao! What is the meaning of this? This is a wanted criminal under the jurisdiction of my Operations Division! The East City Public Security Office is overstepping its bounds by interfering, and you even injured my men. Are you trying to openly defy a direct order?"
He pointed to a few disheveled members of the Operations Division behind him. They had clearly gotten the short end of the stick in the recent clash.
Facing Zhou Yong’s accusation, Xiao Liang didn’t back down an inch. He held up the arrest warrant in his hand, his voice booming, "Captain Zhou, this man committed a crime under the jurisdiction of my East City Public Security Office a few days ago. I am also acting on orders to apprehend him, so this is all by the book. How is this overstepping? If anything, it’s your Operations Division that interfered with our arrest. What was your intention? Could it be you’re trying to shelter a criminal?"
"You’re spouting nonsense!"
Zhou Yong’s face turned ashen with rage. The Spiritual Qi around him surged, and he looked ready to attack at the slightest provocation.
Just then, Yang Wenqing landed as silently as a falling leaf between the two groups. His gaze swept over the scene, finally settling on Zhou Yong. Then he looked at the captive and asked, "Is that Liu Sheng?"
Xiao Liang grinned. "That’s right. Identity confirmed!"
Yang Wenqing’s hearing was excellent, and he had overheard the entire exchange between Xiao Liang and Zhou Yong. He turned to Zhou Yong and said, "Since we’re after the same target and the culprit has been caught, let’s just interrogate him together. No need to damage our rapport over something so minor."
As he spoke, he stepped forward and placed a hand on the restrained suspect. With his other hand, he formed a Spell and used a ’Tracking Technique’ to read the man’s bloodline aura. Then he said coldly, "The suspect is now in the custody of the Major Case Team. All personnel on site, including everyone from the Operations Division, will immediately assist in maintaining order and securing the scene. Await further instructions!"
His sudden appearance and clear declaration instantly broke the stalemate.
Zhou Yong’s expression was ugly, but now that Yang Wenqing had clearly asserted jurisdiction over the case, the situation would be completely different if they tried to interfere again.
Yang Wenqing ignored Zhou Yong and turned to Xiao Liang, giving him a slight nod. Xiao Liang understood and released his grip. Yang Wenqing seized Liu Sheng by his pulse gate, feeling the completely sealed Spiritual Qi within his body. The final weight in his heart was lifted.
The killer was in custody. The immediate crisis was, for the moment, resolved.
Just then, the urgent whine of Flying Shuttle engines came from the other end of the street. Several private Flying Shuttles sped over and came to a sudden, steady stop nearby. Their doors opened, and more than a dozen well-dressed people strode out. The man in the lead was middle-aged and bore a slight resemblance to Liu Sheng.
Yang Wenqing immediately sensed the bloodline aura connecting this man to the suspect and instantly deduced his identity. This settled his nerves even more.
At that moment, Xiao Liang whispered in his ear, "That’s Liu Sheng’s father, Liu Hong."
The moment Liu Hong stepped out of the shuttle, his eyes locked onto his son, who was still in Yang Wenqing’s grasp. He didn’t have the courage to step forward and ask anything. And just then, a Flying Shuttle bearing the insignia of the Civil Affairs Bureau landed quietly at the corner of the street.
The Flying Shuttle’s door opened, and supported by two attendants, Lady Sun stepped out, her eyes filled with bone-deep grief.
Liu Hong clearly recognized Lady Sun and the shuttle that signified her status. When he saw her hate-filled gaze fixed on his son, he realized the situation was hopeless.
Finally, he gritted his teeth, cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute toward Yang Wenqing, and forced out a single sentence: "Captain Yang, I entrust my son to you to be dealt with according to the law."
After speaking, he didn’t linger. He gave a look to the family members behind him, and the group quickly retreated to their Flying Shuttles. With a roar of engines, they departed as quickly as they had arrived, disappearing down the street in the blink of an eye.
Liu Sheng, still in Yang Wenqing’s grip, watched his father leave just like that. His eyes filled with despair and disbelief. He began to struggle more violently, guttural sounds escaping his throat. But with his Cultivation sealed, he couldn’t even form a complete sentence.
Yang Wenqing applied a bit more force with his hand, and Liu Sheng went completely still.
Lady Sun walked up quickly. Her eyes had been locked on Liu Sheng the entire time, her gaze like a razor’s edge, as if wanting to slice him into a thousand pieces. But as she drew near, she took a deep breath and said to Yang Wenqing, "Captain Yang, I expect the City Defense Bureau to deliver justice for my son!"
"Of course."
Yang Wenqing gave a solemn nod. Just as he finished speaking, Li Gui’s Flying Shuttle also descended at the mouth of the street.