NOVPUB
Chapter 432: Chapter 428 Thunder Operation
Compared to the Wan Family who were treating the situation as a great emergency and being extremely cautious, the Fang Family didn’t take it seriously at all when they first learned that the newly appointed District Chief was targeting them.
After all, wasn’t the relationship between Fang Butong, the Fang Family Patriarch, and Fang Yan Martial Saint well known in Wind and Rain City?
It wasn’t just District Master Gu Jinlai as a Deputy District Chief; even Fang Jianfei, the District Chief who rarely involved himself in affairs, had to give face to their Fang Family.
Fang Butong was only thinking about finding an opportunity to invite Gu Jinlai for a meal; as long as they could save face, that would be good enough.
With this mentality, Fang Butong continued with his routine of eating and drinking, without a hint of the vigilance he ought to have had.
Until...
"Brother, it’s terrible, something very bad has happened."
A middle-aged man ran in with a panicked expression: "We just received news that an hour ago, the new head of the Law Enforcement Court, Manor Master Gu, stormed into the Wan Family home, slaughtering all the senior members, and even Wan Tianlie from the Inner City Wan Family fell by his hand... He... He really did it."
Fang Butong was stunned and then suddenly stood up, "Are you telling the truth!? He destroyed the Wan Family, killed Wan Tianlie? I know Wan Tianlie; his combat strength is no less than that of a High-level Martial King. Even I am slightly inferior to him. Gu Jinlai is said to possess masterful swordsmanship, but even with excellent swordsmanship, at best he would only have High-level Martial King strength. How could he possibly kill Wan Tianlie?"
"Absolutely true, and moreover, according to our informants in the Law Enforcement Court, after destroying the Wan Family, he headed straight for our Fang Family, to settle an old score with the Wang Family," the middle-aged man said.
"Damn it!" Fang Butong cursed: "Does he not know about our connection with Fang Martial Saint?"
"This..." The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment and then said: "We could immediately contact Fang Martial Saint. If Fang Martial Saint is willing to intervene, Gu Jinlai wouldn’t dare harm you even if he had a hundred times the courage."
Fang Butong was somewhat hesitant.
After all, they had less and less of the Fang Yan Martial Saint’s goodwill to spend.
But thinking about the formidable strength of Gu Jinlai, who had even killed Wan Tianlie, Fang Butong feared he wouldn’t be spared if Gu Jinlai truly decided to strike without further ado.
"I will go to find Fang Martial Saint right now," Fang Butong decided on the spot.
However, as he turned to leave Fang’s Manor, a powerful presence rapidly approached, appearing over the Fang Family’s estate in an instant.
"How could he be so fast!?" Fang Butong’s face changed drastically.
"Fang Butong."
Gu Jinlai’s gaze locked onto Fang Butong immediately.
He had been lurking in the Southeast Outer City District for about ten days, specifically to investigate the mighty and powerful that had taken root in this Outer City District.
The Fang Family was one of them.
And he was not surprised to find that the karma on Fang Butong was in no way inferior to that of Wan Tianlie.
"Gu Jinlai, I am a man of Fang Martial Saint..."
Upon seeing Gu Jinlai, Fang Butong’s first instinct was to invoke his powerful background.
But before he could finish his sentence, he was met with Gu Jinlai’s booming and resounding shout, "Silence! How dare you, who so blatantly disregard the law, presume to claim a connection with Fang Martial Saint? Fang Martial Saint defends Wind and Rain City, diligently and earnestly, having slain countless Devils. If he knew that a person so full of evil deeds as yourself was acting under his name, he wouldn’t need me to act; he would personally come and strike you dead himself!"
Amid the roar, his Top-grade Spiritual Artifact level Cheng Ying Sword spun rapidly in his hand, and without any hesitation, it whistled out with a thunderous sound.
"You..." Fang Butong’s face changed drastically as a Supreme Grade Spiritual Artifact sword he wore flashed out of its scabbard and thrust forward with a crash.
Sword clashing against sword generated sparks.
In a burst of fiercely exploding Gang Qi, the Spirit Sword that Gu Jinlai had thrown, imbued with the Ten Directions Annihilation, was actually shattered by Fang Butong, who leveraged the advantage of his weapon.
This scene brought a flash of joy to Fang Butong’s eyes.
Perhaps Gu Jinlai was not as terrifying as imagined?
But just as a glimmer of delight surfaced on his face, Gu Jinlai’s figure had already pounced in front of him.
The next moment, driven by electricity.
His entire frame seemed to be fully activated, and his furious, wild Fist Force, thunderous and torrential, bombarded Fang Butong.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom!"
The Fist Force Breaking the sky.
Even though Fang Butong immediately put up his sword in defense, he was still stunned by the unbelievably fast Fist Force.
After blocking a total of one hundred and sixty-four punches, he was no longer able to counter. His defense was completely shattered.
Then, the remaining hundred or so punches, like cannonballs fired from heavy artillery, rained down crazily upon Fang Butong’s body, and the ferocious power instantaneously turned his Top-grade Spiritual Artifact level armor and his well-tempered body into a mist of blood.
From the start of the fight to the end, the entire process lasted only a few seconds.
And at this time, Tang Zhengxiao and others from the Law Enforcement Court who had come with him had just barely arrived.
Seeing Fang Butong torn apart by Gu Jinlai’s Fist Force, even with the object lesson of Wan Tianlie before their eyes, those from the Law Enforcement Court were still deeply shocked.
At this moment, they fully realized how prompt and decisively ferocious the actions of this Deputy District Chief, this head of the Law Enforcement Court, were.
Several of those from the Law Enforcement Court who had secretly informed the Wan Family and Fang Family felt a surge of fear.
This Manor Master’s actions being so cruel and tyrannical, if he found out what they had done...
What fate awaited them?
Anxiety suddenly engulfed them completely.
Self-preservation.
They had to think of a way to save themselves.
...
"Right on time, seize the Fang Family’s assets."
Gu Jinlai ordered, leaped directly into Fang’s Manor.
Since Fang Butong, the Martial King, had been killed in one encounter with Gu Jinlai, the remaining members of the Fang Family dared not resist as those in the Wan Family had.
Except for a few deeply culpable individuals who knew they were certain to die if captured by Gu Jinlai and chose to attempt a desperate breakout, all others surrendered without a fight.
And those who took a risk in an attempt to break out...
The outcome was no different.
They were caught up to by Gu Jinlai and executed one by one.
When he returned to Fang’s Manor, Tang Zhengxiao and others had already gathered all of the Fang Family members in the main courtyard.
All were silent as cicadas in winter, faces filled with terror.
"Take them away."
Gu Jinlai waved his hand, "Next..."
His gaze shifted toward another direction.
Tang Zhengxiao’s pupils contracted.
That was the direction of the Bai Family.
"If the Bai Family callously kills in the name of out-of-control, they can’t blame me for treating all the culprits as out-of-control and bringing them to justice,"
Gu Jinlai sneered, "Don’t forget, I am not only the District Chief of the Southeast Outer City District and the Dean of the Law Enforcement Court, but also a Sweeper. It is only right for a Sweeper to apprehend the out-of-control."
"District Chief, should we... slow down a bit?"
Tang Zhengxiao hastily advised.
An Yu, who stood beside him, also said, "District Chief, although the Bai Family only has one Martial King, there is a Deva working in the Demon Slayer Academy."
His tone paused slightly, filled with gravity, "Moreover, it is said that this Deva possesses Divine Skills and is a high-level Deva with combat strength on par with a Peak Martial King."
"I just want to see for myself how much a high-level Deva weighs,"
Gu Jinlai said calmly.
Having caused such a stir, annihilating the Wan Family, then exterminating the Fang Family, would inevitably spark some dissatisfaction.
And quelling such dissatisfaction is simple.
Display enough power.
The high-level Deva from the Bai Family would serve as the best demonstration.
High-level Devas are equivalent to Peak Martial Kings.
Although Peak Martial Kings differ from one another, like Pan Dali who has already condensed his Martial Arts Will, weighing heaviest as a Martial Saint Seed, but...
To kill a Peak Martial King usually requires a Peak Deva or even mightier experts to take action personally.
Even top Devas, who may not defeat a Peak Martial King, could still possibly escape with their lives.
And such individuals, within Wind and Rain City, number only about thirty to forty at most.
"High-level Deva..."
Tang Zhengxiao, An Yu, and Fu Youguang looked at each other.
If their own Manor Master could indeed demonstrate the power to contend with a high-level Deva...
Definitely, no one else would step forward to seek justice for the Fang Family and the Wan Family.
He would essentially be standing firm within the Southeast Outer City District.
And moreover...
With his combat strength at the level of a Peak Martial King, once Deputy District Chief Fang Jianfei completes his gilding, the future position of District Chief would belong to none other than himself.
Zhen Chuanzong simply had no qualification to compete with him.
"Complete the confiscation as soon as possible."
Gu Jinlai ordered, "The seized goods, if the victims are still there, should be returned to them, and the rest should be turned into the Law Enforcement Court."
"Yes."
Tang Zhengxiao and the others complied, and soon got busy. 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝑐𝘰𝑚
Meanwhile, Gu Jinlai approached Fang Butong’s corpse, picking up the Supreme Grade Spirit Artifact in his hand.
"You destroyed my Cheng Ying Sword, so I’ll take your sabre as compensation,"
Gu Jinlai swung the sword. Though not particularly handy, it was better than nothing.
After all, he is a Peak Martial King, and a top-grade Spirit Sword...
Even an Ordinary Martial King would find it lacking.
Only a Supreme Grade Spirit Artifact would be fitting of his Martial King status.
Even more so, some Peak Martial Kings with status and backing typically wield sabres at the Quasi-Dao Artifact Level.
Like Jin Yuhai, Dong Yuji, and Pan Dali, for instance.
...
Half an hour later, Tang Zhengxiao came to Gu Jinlai’s side and reported, "My lord, the unclaimed goods confiscated from the Wan Family are valued close to two hundred million, and the Fang Family’s side is much higher, over three hundred million... This does not include some assets that cannot be liquidated in a short period, and the number would climb a lot if they were counted."
"Five hundred million in assets,"
Gu Jinlai said.
There’s no denying that this rate of making money was incredibly fast.
Commit murder and arson for a gold belt, there’s nothing quite like it.
To think, just a few days ago, he was fretting over a few hundred million.
And now...
Five hundred million was directly in hand.
Of course, the faster it comes, the more tremendous the hidden dangers are.
Whether there are higher-up connections within the Wan Family, Gu Jinlai could not guarantee, but on the Fang Family’s side, they backed by Martial Saint-level power.
Therefore...
"Let’s go to the Bai Family now."
Gu Jinlai said.
"Yes."
Tang Zhengxiao, feeling solemn, gathered a squad of men again, and headed straight for the Bai Family’s mansion.
Compared to the Wan Family and the Fang Family, the Bai Family, having produced a Deva, had truly stepped onto a new level; the luxury of their manor was far beyond the reach of the other two families.
It’s as if they built another small city outside Wind and Rain City, one that housed tens of thousands of people, among whom over ninety percent served the core group of over a thousand Bai Family members.
However, when Gu Jinlai arrived outside the Bai Mansion, his brow furrowed.
"It seems... there are no traces of Primordial Spirit Monarchs or Martial Sects and above?"
Tang Zhengxiao said.
At that moment, an elderly man from the Bai Mansion also stepped forward, neither overbearing nor servile, "Is this the respected District Master Gu in person? Our master has prepared a banquet in the Tianyun Building in the Inner City, inviting the District Master for a discussion."
"Inviting me to the Yuntian Building?"
Gu Jinlai glanced at the elder, "It seems to me that they are simply afraid of being accused and have fled."
Without any hesitation, he waved his hand, "Convey my order, the Bai Family has fled out of guilt! Confiscate the Bai Family’s assets!"
