Chapter 006: Return My Hard-Earned Money

Not a trace of jest could be discerned on that stubbled square face, and Gao De sharply inhaled. The rollercoaster-like journey of his thoughts dissipated into smoke, as countless ideas flashed through his mind like thunder and lightning, bombarding the last remaining desires he held in this world

"Oh, my pension," he groaned while pressing his forehead, "why is it so difficult to earn a pension?"

What is her name and what is her background? Is that monstrous demon truly an evil being that has escaped from chaos into the mortal realm? What are the Prohibitors and the Harmonizers? Why must healing be done in such a clichéd manner?

"You little rascal, you slept for more than half a day, just like a pig," the leader slumped on the sofa opposite, looking as if he had been moving bricks all day.

Aren't you doing just fine? In our line of work, it's already a blessing to be able to live well. The leader continued to advise him, saying, I don't know what this case is about, nor do I need you to explain it; we have no right to inquire.

Gaode desperately cries out for justice, but of course, it has no effect

The leader laughed even louder, "Blood and sweat money? Pretty boy, which goddess did you sell yourself to?"

The pockets are bulging, and the emptiness in my heart has been filled to a considerable extent; at least the sales have been quite worthwhile

After the reception room was set up, the man with a scruffy beard slumped back onto the sofa, his legs thrown over the coffee table, which, made of aged hardwood, surprisingly emitted a cracking sound.

It is merely incidental, not intentional

It has been taken away

Gao De felt a sense of relief, stood up intending to leave, and the refreshing sensation on his body triggered another thunderclap in his mind

Dare to move recklessly and see what happens; if you die here, no one will know, and we will not notify your family!

The station seems to be built next to a public toilet, and the reception room is in a dilapidated state. The leader can't even afford good cigarettes, and Gao De does not believe that this mysterious department holds a high rank. It might just be a small branch not officially listed in the Jinyiwei, doing some menial and dirty work like errands and miscellaneous tasks

I hope so...

Gao De's mind was buzzing, and he had to exert great effort to suppress his emotions to avoid exploding on the spot

You have already stated the answer

Gao De forgave this fellow for the insult to his character and urgently revealed that there were dark elves below. His master was still unaccounted for, and although it was certain that he had perished, he had to say it this way.

With a thud, a heavy stack of gold notes fell to the ground, leaving both Gao De and the other party momentarily stunned

Of course, Gao De understands that when he and his master encounter peers in a dangerous environment, even if they are acquaintances, they must be searched and inspected.

As soon as he mentioned the feeling of the bulging pocket, it was as if a thunderclap exploded in his mind, and he thought to himself that it was not good, instinctively turning to evade the outstretched hand

Left

The seal can normally suppress chaos, but when the Chaos Demon King takes form, it requires the bloodline of the Zhu family to empower the seal to eliminate the demon king. Therefore, the founding ancestor left a family instruction: only those of the Zhu family bloodline who can wield the Tai'a Sword and firmly sit on the throne of the state are qualified to become the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty

I cannot ... ... breathe ... ...

Returning to watch television and listen to the radio will reveal everything. However, due to health reasons, the old lady voluntarily abdicated the throne in favor of Princess Mo Li, which is just hearsay. The news of the old lady's death has not yet been announced; they will likely say she passed away after some time. I suspect this is the approach they are taking.

Ah ha! I have caught a spy

Drop the gun and lie on the ground with both hands behind your head

To be honest, whether in terms of mental, physical, or material aspects, he has profited immensely, yet he always feels somewhat uneasy

The bearded man stood up and patted Gao De on the shoulder, "That being said, how does this change affect us small fry? As long as the Ming Dynasty still exists, we must continue to do what we need to do. Stop overthinking it and go home. By the way, I should mention, when you go out, you need to wear a hood; this is a confidential area."

This is my hard-earned money, in a moment of urgency, Gao De spoke the truth, "Indeed, it is hard-earned money"

He took out the communicator, but there was still no signal, which made him so angry that he smashed it on the ground. The master was right; the purpose of this thing is merely to vent frustration

The rumors have come true, and Gaode is not particularly surprised. This world has always been quite peculiar, and he is not taken aback by any bizarre or mysterious events, unless they are related to his own interests.

Golden Dragon ticket? Speaking of this leader, it seems like he is suffering from hemorrhoids, grimacing and writhing.

As soon as my mind stirred, a sharp pain shot through my neck as if I had a stiff neck, and I realized I was wearing a neck brace, tightly wrapped with some kind of medication that burned intensely.

Gradually, he lost consciousness

The rumors are true; every emperor of our Ming dynasty must possess the ability to suppress chaos, otherwise they cannot pass the test of the throne. It is said that the old master has raised a dark-skinned bean sprout demon, whose power has been drained.

The chief's knees were as hard and heavy as steel, and Gao De suspected that his neck was about to be crushed.

took away

The leader flipped Gao De over, pressed his face into the dirt, and then firmly pinned his neck down with his knee

The leader pinched a cigarette and exhaled a smoke ring; one could tell at a glance it was a low-quality cigarette, the kind that costs a silver coin for a pack. "Your master's remains have been found, but only a small portion; the rest are in the bellies of those black-skinned bean sprouts."

At this moment, he thought of another matter: was the dark elf, which harbored a demon within its body, the same one that the old lady had been nurturing?

He raised both hands high and urged, "Hurry up, perhaps my master still has some breath left..."

Zhongjing is a city with a history of tens of thousands of years, where the architecture of various dynasties has been layered and compressed through historical changes, forming countless underground worlds. The drainage system built by the Ming Dynasty over the past thousand years is the most recent layer. The world beneath the drainage system is so complex that it is nauseating, and it has also become a hiding place for criminal forces and even the Four Great Thieves. Fortunately, the underground world is managed by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice, sparing him from having to dig through the ground every day like the lowly Jinyiwei.

In the Ming Dynasty, there were even women in the government and the Jinyiwei, but they were merely sporadic embellishments. Women's schools had also become widespread, yet they primarily taught skills such as knitting, embroidery, and medical care. The Ming Dynasty had never had a female emperor, and the aristocracy and civil and military officials found it difficult to accept this, fearing that there would be turmoil for a while. Considering the worst-case scenario, will pensions still be attainable?

The hall was in disarray, and the pile of decayed bodies resembling black-skinned bean sprouts had been dealt with by the white-haired girl, leaving not a trace behind. Gao De stumbled out of the hall, his legs weak, and staggered along the upward path. The bulging pockets of his clothing constantly reminded him of the indescribable experience he had just gone through, stirring up his feelings of guilt, especially since his master had not yet been cold in death

The man with a scruffy beard rubbed his chin, appearing quite indifferent, "You are too polite. Some even say that our place is dirtier than the public toilets at the train station. It's quite accurate; we rarely entertain repeat customers."

Oh no, the pension is in danger

After winding through a passage resembling a mountain path for quite some time, I arrived at a spacious cave. A faint, foul odor could be detected, reminiscent of a decade-old pile of decomposing household waste. Gao De was overjoyed, as he was not far from the drainage channel.

"It seems you are harboring some doubts; apparently, you are also unaware of the details," said the bearded man as he pressed the cigarette into the ashtray and twisted it a few times, crossing his arms and propping up one leg. "The place where you and your master encountered trouble is one we dealt with. I have many questions as well. However, the truth is of no significance; what matters is the outcome and what to do moving forward"

His hard-earned money

The bearded man chuckled and said, "You truly do not know, do you"

"Don't misunderstand, let me explain," Gao De struggled to push the air out of his chest, but was scorched by several plasma-like gazes. "I said this is what I earned by selling myself, do you believe it?" This sentence ultimately remained unspoken.

What would the Ming Dynasty, ruled by Her Majesty the Empress, become like

Clap, another stack...

The injury on the neck can only be met with an apology; it was difficult to gauge the situation at that time. Our medicine is very effective, and it will be completely healed shortly.

It is truly ... ... a misunderstanding ... ...

The new emperor is in power

The Jinyiwei should conduct their affairs with integrity, for we possess a license to kill

After being pushed several times, he woke up, staring at the stained ceiling, Gao De was momentarily dazed, reconstructing his sense of reality

In the dimly lit hall, Gao De broke free from the void of the thought "What is the meaning of life in these two lifetimes?" and felt as if he were in a dream.

"The Empress is upon us," the bearded man exhaled a smoke ring, "while you were sound asleep, Princess Mo Li ascended the throne and became the first Empress in the history of the Ming Dynasty."

Gao De sat up from the sofa with a stiff neck, realizing that this was a reception room, devoid of windows, likely located underground. The ventilation fan on the wall was spinning feebly, not only failing to improve the smoke-filled air but also introducing another unpleasant odor, somewhat familiar yet momentarily elusive in its source.

The white-haired girl completely treated him as a charger, unplugging the cord and leaving, leaving Gao De with a heart full of melancholy and countless questions

With hands smelling of soap, she meticulously explored his body, leaving no part untouched, including the spaces between his toes and his nostrils

Gao De expressed his dissatisfaction, saying, "Your temple may not be large, but the structure is quite grand."

If there is not a single drop left, how can one not sleep soundly

What should one know

A thud, yet another stack

He spoke as if reciting lines, his tone devoid of any fluctuation. "The case is closed; just pretend it never happened. If you feel fine, I will arrange a car to take you home. Do not ask me who I am or where this is; you should understand."

Tall and robust, like a leader, he shone a flashlight on his face for a while, then picked up a pistol and a communicator to examine them, clicking his tongue in admiration. "Almost mistook him for a woman, such a handsome young man, is he specifically patrolling the Green Sleeve area"

In his childhood, Gao De heard his father recount that a thousand years ago, chaos ravaged the continent of Zhen Dan. With the aid of the Sacred Mountain, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty used the Tai'a sword to sweep away the chaos, yet he was unable to completely eradicate it. Thus, he built the Altar of the State in the Heavenly Temple to seal it away.

The little patrol officer had not yet fully developed facial hair, yet he was carrying several tens of thousands of gold dragon coins, which were freshly withdrawn sequentially numbered gold dragon tickets from Jinshenghui. The leader sneered, "This just happens to be related to the case we are working on, a misunderstanding?"

It was as if the air had solidified, and everyone lost their breath

Indeed, it is fortunate that I was not reassigned to the Ice House in the Northern Snowfield after getting involved in a case overseen by high-ranking officials in the upper echelons. I should also express my gratitude for the ascension of the Crown Prince, which has led to a general amnesty across the realm. Gao De completed his mental preparation and, with a self-deprecating gesture, clasped his hands in prayer, saying: "May the new emperor reign above, and may the world be blessed."

The familiar chant of the guards caused Gao De's heart, which had been lifted high, to sink once more. He skillfully tossed aside his weapon, knelt down, and held his head, simultaneously shouting: "I am also a member of the Jinyiwei! From the patrol city division!"

The sigh of the bearded man is also the voice of Gao De. Although this great Ming dynasty boasts advanced technology, it remains a feudal monarchy, where the deeply entrenched belief is that a woman's lack of talent equates to virtue

The bearded man flaunted insider information, "The old prince ascended to the throne and then died, dying a miserable death. None of the princes or relatives present had the courage to take over, so Princess Mo Li had no choice but to take the seat herself"

The faint sound of footsteps emerged, and just as he raised his gun, he was enveloped by several dazzling beams of white light, blinding him.

The bulging pockets need not concern themselves with the details. A person like him, lacking any protagonist aura, exists in a different world from someone of her stature. The more one knows about hidden matters, the quicker one becomes anxious. It is better to be a contented and happy wage thief.

Recalling the difficult years spent evading wealthy widows and the madams of duck shops, Gao De let out a deep sigh, ultimately selling himself after all

"We came here for this," said a leader with a full beard. "You must be from the Jinyiwei, no doubt, but we need to go through the necessary procedures, you understand."

"Stop dreaming," the leader said, "Don't think you can stay; even we can't hold on. Our commander personally made a phone call to inquire, and the commander of the Imperial Guard brought a large contingent to take away that sum of ill-gotten gains. That is material evidence, do you understand? Look at you, still looking indignant, thinking that what you picked up from the black-skinned bean sprouts belongs to you?"

After experiencing the relentless hardships imposed by society throughout this lifetime, Gao De took a moment to catch his breath and gradually calmed down. Indeed, it is already a blessing to be alive, and when one reflects on it, one has still gained something. Moreover, with the master's remains still warm, to only think of one's own gains is too selfish.