Chapter 687 38: Disposition

'Two Fighting Masters...'

Ji Xinmin felt a sudden chill, as if he'd been plunged into an ice cellar. He finally understood why the big shot backing them had given up on them. Anyone would know how to choose in this situation.

The other two men's minds went blank. Thinking of the irreversible consequences, their bodies began to tremble slightly.

They never would have imagined beforehand that this matter would escalate so dramatically. In their experience, something like this was simply impossible.

Jibei Dao Central City was the sphere of influence for the Refinement Sect and the Fusion Faction. Or more accurately, it was the Refinement Sect's domain. They had never needed to think too hard about their actions.

'Hasn't it always been this way for all these years?'

The Pure Sect had long since lost its presence in Jibei Dao and had no figures worth mentioning. Besides, they were acting on that lord's orders this time, so what was there to worry about? A single Investigation Chief could never stand against their backer.

But this situation was completely beyond their comprehension.

Mr. Lin tapped the table with his sunglasses and urged, "I don't have time to waste on you. Sign it. If you won't do it yourselves, I'll help you."

Ji Xinmin reached out a trembling hand and grabbed the pen. He knew it was hopeless. To avoid a direct conflict between the factions, that big shot would have to shirk all responsibility. There was no way he would stick his neck out for them, nor any reason to.

They were disposable pawns.

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he looked up at Mr. Lin. "Will my family be taken care of?"

Mr. Lin's tone softened a little. "I was the one who recruited you, so I can at least handle that much. In the end, you're just small-timers who happened to step onto the stage at the wrong time. Once you're dead, no one will give you a second thought."

Ji Xinmin lowered his head. Whether it was comfort or a lie, he had no choice but to believe it. He struggled to steady his hand and signed his name on the document.

Then, he picked up the pen, placed the tip against the center of his brow, and rested his palm on the other end. He took a deep breath and pressed down hard.

PSSHT! The entire pen vanished, driven deep into his skull. With a heavy THUD, his upper body collapsed onto the table, motionless.

The two men behind him were both breathing heavily. Under Mr. Lin's intense gaze, one of them shakily picked up a pen. After several attempts, he finally managed to sign his name.

He did the same, taking the pen he had just used and aiming it at his own brow. With a sharp TAP from his hand, he drove it in. The force was so great that his entire body jerked back before slumping lifelessly to the floor.

Mr. Lin's gaze shifted to the last man. His face was a mask of despair. He stepped forward, picked up the pen, tapped it on the document a few times, then suddenly snatched up the agreement and ripped it to shreds.

"I won't sign!" he roared, his eyes bloodshot. "Why should I be the one to die! Why?!"

"How pathetic."

Mr. Lin rose from his chair, adjusted his collar, and said, "Then I suppose I'll have to help you."

He shattered the heavy interrogation table with a single kick and strode forward. The man let out a wild roar and threw a punch. But while his actions seemed frenzied, his eyes held a vicious glint; his other hand, clutching the pen, thrust toward Mr. Lin's heart.

Mr. Lin blocked the punch and effortlessly twisted the man's arm behind his back. The hand stabbing upward was caught by the wrist midway. A surge of Power coursed through the man's body, and he froze instantly.

Mr. Lin swiftly changed his grip, seizing the man by the neck and yanking him forward. He snatched the pen from his captive's hand and, with a quick jab, drove it into the man's brow. The man convulsed for a moment, then went completely limp.

Mr. Lin released his grip, letting the body fall to the ground. He had used just the right amount of force—no more, no less. Only the end of the pen was visible in the man's forehead.

He took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands.

The last one looked a bit unnatural, but such a minor flaw wasn't an issue. No one would pursue it. He had the nearby Litigation Master fetch a new document and forge a confession in the man's handwriting.

He glanced at the time on his Realm Token: 11:35.

He immediately contacted a superior. "The men have confessed." He paused, then added, "It's been dealt with. There will be no further trouble."

This news quickly reached the Administrative Affairs Hall and the City Council, and from there was swiftly transmitted to the white Airship. The two sides exchanged a few more messages, and about twenty minutes later, the Airship changed course and departed from Central City.

At that very moment, the time reached precisely twelve o'clock.

Inside his residence in Wuding District, Chen Chuan was watching the time when the Realm Token by his ear suddenly chimed. A message had arrived from the Processing Bureau.

The message stated that Ji Xinmin and the two others had committed suicide out of guilt. Before they died, they had written letters of repentance, admitting to attacking him and using a special item in a sneak attack. They also confessed to slandering him afterward and privately contacting outside parties to harass and attack him and his loved ones.

Upon its discovery by the Gray Shell Affairs Hall, this unjust and disgraceful incident was immediately and appropriately rectified. Following a thorough interrogation and reprimand, the three men were overcome with remorse, saw the error of their ways, and willingly committed suicide to atone for their sins.

In their letters of repentance, they expressed their final wishes: all accusations against him were to be withdrawn, and they were willing to surrender all their assets as compensation for the harm done to Chen Chuan and his loved ones.

Furthermore, the Gray Shell Affairs Hall would also offer a sizable sum in compensation to express its apologies.

Over the next few minutes, his Realm Token chimed with one message after another.

First was a message from Lu Fang. The notice to expropriate the Fighting Hall had been a mistake. Furthermore, an inspection confirmed they had paid their taxes in full every year. As a result of this error, and as a reward for their integrity, the department was granting them a ten-year tax exemption.

Next was a message from Wu Han. The client company was extremely apologetic about the situation. They were not only willing to pay the original fee in full and cover all losses from the operation, but would also provide compensation amounting to five times the commission.

Then, a message arrived from Gao Ming. He mentioned that certain Litigation Masters who served the City Council and the administrative departments had contacted him through his firm. They wanted to inquire if Chen Chuan had any remaining dissatisfaction with how the matter was resolved.

After seeing all this, Chen Chuan knew the matter was settled.

He didn't know how the Pure Sect had done it, but he had received a message earlier about a massive white Airship appearing in the skies over Central City.

Clearly, the incident was related to this Airship. The Pure Sect had sent someone.

'A single Airship alone couldn't have had this much impact,' he thought. 'It must have been something the Airship was carrying, or simply the people on board.'

But regardless of the specifics, the only thing that could create such a deterrent was, in the end, military power.

He looked up toward the sky. 'So that's how it is. All the rules in this world are built on this one principle: whoever holds the power makes the rules.'

He stood there for a moment before his Realm Token chimed again. He glanced at it and accepted the call. "Counselor Pei?"

"I'm almost at your residence. I'll be there in about two minutes. There's a matter from the Defense Department I need to discuss with you."

Chen Chuan said, "Alright, see you soon."

Five minutes later, Chen Chuan was sitting in Counselor Pei's car. After the car started moving, Counselor Pei exchanged a few pleasantries with him before saying, "I have some good news and some bad news."

"The good news is that we're close to sealing the World Ring. If there are no further interruptions, it should be repaired by the end of the year."

Chen Chuan's thoughts churned. 'In that case, Pure Essence will stop leaking out by then.'

"The bad news is that during the containment process, we discovered another entity from the other side has landed here. The An Shield detected it for a moment, but then it vanished."

Chen Chuan asked, "Is it still in Central City?"

"It should be. This is the most suitable place for them, and it has what they desire most. If it were to leave, it would have to cross the detection Domain, which would create a significant fluctuation we would surely notice."

Counselor Pei handed over a data file. "The higher-ups have issued an order to find this thing. The Secret Department is already on it, and we hope you'll be on the lookout too. We'll notify you if we need your operational support. And yes, the Defense Department has already cleared it with the Bureau; this operation takes precedence."

Chen Chuan browsed the file and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. The Defense Department suspected the entity might be hiding inside a high-ranking official.

He said, "Are there any suspects?"

Counselor Pei replied, "We're still investigating." His expression turned grim. "If the entity has just taken over a person's body, that would actually be the best-case scenario. We're afraid someone might be cooperating with it willingly. That would be disastrous."

Chen Chuan thought for a moment and nodded. After some consideration, he asked, "It seems these entities pay particular attention to active Consciousness Bodies, correct?"

"Some of them do, but others don't," said Counselor Pei. "Some have different objectives, so we can't jump to conclusions. The latter case is far more complicated, but we must remain vigilant. During this final push to seal the World Ring, we can't afford any more mishaps. Once the breach is sealed, we can put an end to these incidents. But of course, finding it beforehand would be ideal."

Chen Chuan said, "This could involve high-ranking officials. If I discover something but can't act immediately because of the target's identity, and I don't have time to report it, the delay could lead to severe consequences. For that reason, I'd like to request a certain level of advanced authorization."

Counselor Pei said, "Your point is valid. Alright, when I get back, I'll figure out a way to get you that authorization."

Hearing this, Chen Chuan looked at Counselor Pei, who was also looking at him. He nodded and said, "Then thank you, Counselor Pei."

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