Chapter 8, Famous Detectives, Magical Artifacts (Part 1)

Although I am still sitting in the position of the head, my seat is not very stable

In such circumstances, Tie Jun returned to the county office. Upon arriving at the entrance, he saw Li Hu's elderly mother crying there. His heart trembled, his face flushed, and his legs suddenly felt weak. Remembering his own state at that time, he naturally did not wish to encounter her. Instinctively, he lightened his steps and entered the county office through a side door, his face burning with embarrassment.

Therefore, in this sense, Old Qin can also be considered a lifesaver.

This gentleman did not allow him to bow down, but instead pulled him up with one hand

In that case, there is no time to lose; we should quickly find him! Lei Dong's expression darkened as he gripped the iron ruler in his hand, a fierce aura emanating from him. As the head of the Dongling constabulary, he bore the responsibility for the last loss of men and resources. Only by swiftly dealing with that malevolent cultivator could he resolve this crisis and secure his position as head constable.

It was not only they who were in a difficult position, but also Lei Dong and the group of constables who went to the mass grave site. This time, they had all lost a superior. They originally thought that this evil cultivator would not trouble such insignificant figures as themselves, that it was merely for show. Who would have expected to encounter a madman, nearly falling victim to a massacre? In the face of such a death threat, each person's true nature was laid bare. If they had died at that moment, it would have been one thing, but aside from Li Hu, everyone else survived. Upon returning to the county office, their encounter felt somewhat awkward.

In such a world of high martial arts and high law, a department with such great authority naturally must possess corresponding strength. Those dispatched by the Six Doors to handle affairs undoubtedly possess formidable capabilities. In fact, since the establishment of the Great Tang over 800 years ago, the Six Doors have rarely recorded failures. The evil cultivator encountered this time in Dongling is indeed troublesome at this level, but in the eyes of the Six Doors, it is merely a minor inconvenience.

In the past two days, I have reviewed the official documents of Dongling County to gain an understanding of the situation regarding the mass grave in that area

"Junzi, this is Lord Ming from the Six Doors; it was he who saved your life"

Tie Jun approached Lei Dong, seeking to settle a matter, and stood among a group of constables. Observing their demeanor, it seemed they were waiting for someone. The atmosphere in the front office was rather tense, and he felt it inappropriate to inquire. Fortunately, he did not have to wait long before he saw the county magistrate leading a man in a gray robe, who carried a sword on his back. This man stood about six feet tall and appeared somewhat unkempt, yet he exuded an undeniable aura. He looked clean and refined, and his bright eyes scanned the faces of the crowd, causing a sharp discomfort and an inexplicable sense of heart palpitations.

The atmosphere is certainly not as good as it used to be

The Six Gates is a subordinate law enforcement agency of the Three Officials of the Great Tang, responsible for overseeing the investigation of bandits and thieves throughout the realm

The evil cultivator was injured at the hands of Ming Jian and would certainly seek a place to heal. Ming Jian had fought him before and knew that the energy he cultivated required a large amount of yin energy. For ordinary people, excessive exposure to the yin energy of a mass grave could be extremely harmful to their health, but for him, it would be highly beneficial. Therefore, he would inevitably seek a location rich in yin energy, preferably a yin cave, to cultivate in seclusion, expel the sword energy, and recover from his injuries

"Working together?" Tie Jun raised his head in confusion, while the surrounding constables all displayed expressions that indicated they were already aware of this from the *illustrated* book.

Junzi, you have returned

Do not rush, the area of that mass grave is vast. With just a few people here, how long will it take to find it?

Ming Jian waved his hand to halt Lei Dong's advance, stating, "Moreover, although he is injured, his combat capability remains intact. If we are not adequately prepared, we may suffer further losses"

It is nothing serious, just a bump on the head that caused some dizziness for a few days, but I am fine now

How are you? I hope you are feeling much better. I heard that you were in a coma for a day

It is already done, and there is nothing serious! Tie Jun understood why Old Qin was embarrassed and smiled, "I really have to thank Uncle Qin. If it weren't for your quick action that day, my father might have been the one crying outside today!"

Tie Jun scratched his head and said with a smile, "By the way, Uncle Qin, what is going on with Tiger's mother?"

Seeing that Tie Jun did not seem to care much about his behavior that day, Lao Qin let out a big sigh of relief, took a few steps closer, and displayed a concerned expression.

However, Tie Jun could understand his feelings; he himself, upon hearing Li Hu's cries of agony, did not go to investigate but instead ran off with Old Qin.

A thirty-four-year-old woman knelt at the entrance of the county office, wailing mournfully, her cries filled with sorrow and desolation. Several constables stood nearby, attempting to assist her, but she broke free from their grasp and continued to kneel there, lamenting. Had it been anyone else, these constables would have long since pulled the person away, but this woman was no ordinary individual; she was the mother of the constable Li Hu, who had recently died at the mass grave. Here she was, mourning her son, and none of the constables dared to use force against her. They were all from the same village, and she was the mother of a deceased colleague. Anyone who dared to act forcefully would find it impossible to remain in Dongling thereafter.

Upon entering the yamen, I immediately encountered Old Qin. The moment Old Qin saw Tie Jun, his expression stiffened involuntarily, and he chuckled, "Junzi, what brings you here today? I see you are looking much better!"

Old Qin was unwilling to say much about this matter, and naturally, Tie Jun would not press him. He cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and then proceeded to the front office

The local magistrate's office is also a subordinate institution of the Six Doors. The constables nominally fall under the jurisdiction of the Six Doors and usually take orders from the local authorities. However, when they encounter matters that cannot be handled locally, such as the recent incident in Dongling where a malevolent practitioner stole the Zihe vehicle to cultivate evil techniques, and the constables in the Dongling county office lack the strength to confront it, they will report to the Ministry of Justice. Upon receiving the information, the Six Doors will naturally dispatch personnel to address the situation. In such cases, the local constables must fully submit to the leadership of the Six Doors.

Upon hearing this, Tie Jun naturally did not dare to be negligent and quickly stepped forward to express his gratitude with a deep bow

Ming Jian is a renowned detective of the Six Doors, possessing ample experience in the pursuit of bandits. He is far beyond the capabilities of Lei Dong, the newly appointed head of the department. Thus, he laid out his arrangements in full.

Thus, they are in a difficult position

Upon hearing the term "loss," the group of constables immediately hesitated. Everyone wanted to achieve merit, but the prerequisite was to stay alive while doing so. If one were to lose their life in the pursuit of merit, it would be a case of incurring losses rather than gains.

Sir, can you really be sure that that guy hasn't left yet

There is no need for such formality, this is one of my responsibilities

Sigh, what else could it be? Huzi is gone, and it's heartbreaking. Moreover, the way the old master handled this situation had some issues, which led to Huzi's mother causing a scene outside. Sigh, truly... When mentioning Huzi's mother, a look of compassion appeared on Old Qin's face, albeit somewhat unnatural. It was their group that first heard Huzi's tragic cries that day, and he was the one who took the lead in running away. Fortunately, this guy took the lead; otherwise, just relying on the few of them would not have been enough to fill the Daoist's teeth.

However, upon reflection, I do feel somewhat sorry for Li Huzi

Under the autumn breeze, the Dongling County Yamen appears somewhat desolate. The clear wind stirs up a few fallen leaves, which drift at the entrance of the yamen. Coupled with a few piercing cries, this further elevates the sense of desolation and sorrow to its peak

Of course, otherwise I wouldn't be here!" In response to Lei Dong's doubts, Ming Jian slightly furrowed his brows, seemingly a bit displeased, but he did not show it on his face. With confidence, he said, "His cultivation is inferior to mine; it is not an easy task for him to expel my Lingyun Sword Qi. Once the sword qi invades his internal organs, he will be finished. Therefore, he will definitely not leave that chaotic graveyard, as he needs the yin energy from the graveyard to suppress my sword qi"

"Then what does the esteemed one mean?" Lei Dong's expression stiffened, and he forcefully restrained his momentum

In just ten short words, the power of these six doors has been expanded to an extreme limit

The Prime Minister's investigation into the matters of banditry and theft across the land

Except for two unfortunate individuals who suffered worse injuries than Tie Jun, most of the constables were already stationed at the front office. These constables were still led by Lei Dong, but their expressions were not good. Upon seeing Tie Jun approach, Lei Dong merely greeted him with a faint acknowledgment. This time, he had truly lost face. Although everyone knew that he could not be entirely blamed for the incident, it was still under his leadership that such a significant issue arose, and he needed to take responsibility. If it were not for the fact that they had searched all over Dongling and could not find a suitable person to replace him as the head constable, he would likely have already been dismissed.

Upon hearing this, Lao Qin felt a slight sense of relief. On the day he fled, he had pulled Tie Jun along, but after Tie Jun fell, he only cared about saving himself and did not look back at Tie Jun. Therefore, he was somewhat afraid to face Tie Jun now. After all, he and Tie Dan had been old friends for many years, and Tie Jun could be considered his junior. When danger struck, he had run away faster than a rabbit, leaving Tie Jun behind. No matter how one looked at it, that was inexcusable.

Everyone's circumstances are like this; it is unreasonable for Tie Jun to demand that others treat him in a certain way. At the critical moment, it is already commendable that Old Qin can lend a helping hand.

In Tie Jun's eyes, this Six Doors is equivalent to a comprehensive entity of the police and prosecution departments of the heavenly dynasty he dreams of, and it even encompasses some functions of the courts, representing a thorough state apparatus of violence

In the days to come, we will be working together, so there is no need for such formalities

Ming Jian is one of the renowned captains of the Six Doors. This time, he was dispatched to deal with the matter of the evil cultivator in Dongling. According to his original plan, he could have directly eliminated the evil cultivator in the mass grave. However, due to his need to save someone, the evil cultivator managed to escape, which infuriated him greatly. Nevertheless, the evil cultivator was injured by his flying sword; not only was the magical artifact damaged, but the cultivator himself also suffered a wound. He was extremely confident in that strike. Although the evil cultivator escaped, his sword energy remained within the cultivator's body. If the cultivator did not expel this sword energy quickly, he would face significant trouble. Therefore, he could conclude that the evil cultivator would not leave the mass grave before expelling the sword energy from his body, as he needed to utilize the yin energy present there. According to Ming Jian's calculations, this would take at least half a month.

Haha, not at all, I was a bit flustered that day as well