Xuanqing Guard

When they set out, Chen Tianwen had already been warned to be extra cautious and ready to adapt, but no one could have imagined Zhou Qing would dare take things this far—defying orders was one thing, but he actually dared attack them!?

Realizing things were going south, Chen Tianwen immediately reached into his robe for his Summoning Talisman.

But before Chen Tianwen could grab it, his vision blurred—an enormous shadow loomed over him, his hand felt like it had been caught in an iron vice, impossible to move. At the same time, his neck tightened, and to his shock he was hoisted off the ground.

It was Zhou Qing! In the blink of an eye, Zhou Qing was right in front of Chen Tianwen, one hand clamped around his neck, the other gripping Chen Tianwen’s right hand as he reached for his chest.

"Trying to call for help? Hmph, too late! All of you, get down!"

Zhou Qing barked a thunderous order, his aura erupting like a volcano, blasting out a sudden, immense force. Caught off guard, every Black Banner Battalion and Inspector cultivator with lower cultivation was struck dizzy, their True Qi thrown into chaos, breath unstable. It felt like a giant hand crashed down from above, pinning them all to the ground, making it nearly impossible to move. At the same time, Zhou Qing’s action snapped the other Xuanqing Guard soldiers—who’d also been reaching for Summoning Talismans—right out of their motions.

"Tie them up... Who are you?"

Just when everyone thought the situation was under control, they noticed a middle-aged man in a Black Banner Battalion uniform still standing in the corner. Unlike his companions, he wasn’t flattened by Zhou Qing’s explosive shout; hell, he didn’t even look like he was reaching for a talisman, just lingered there watching Zhou Qing with a faint, inscrutable smile, saying nothing.

"Who the hell are you?" Zhou Qing’s heart skipped a few beats. In his senses, this man was just an ordinary soldier—no trace of True Qi at all. But an ordinary soldier couldn’t possibly remain standing in the face of his display just now.

There’s something off about this guy!

Of course there’s something off! Normally, only someone at least five minor realms above him could mask their True Qi so completely from his senses. Which meant, the only person left standing here in a Black Banner Battalion uniform was actually a Primordial Pill Realm cultivator! More likely, mid-stage Primordial Core Realm!

"Men! Take him!"

Zhou Qing waved his hand, signaling the surrounding soldiers to pounce, while he simultaneously drew a war axe from his Storage Bag, gripping it in both hands as he prepared to leap and cleave the man himself. He had nowhere left to retreat.

"Tch."

The Black Banner Battalion soldier twitched his lips in apparent disdain, then his figure blurred—and in a flash, he was right in front of Zhou Qing, less than three feet away.

This... was Escape Skill?! Could Escape Skill even be this fast?!

Zhou Qing’s heart lurched. He tried to swing his war axe across to block, but it was already too late—he watched as the Black Banner Battalion soldier raised a palm, slow yet lightning fast, and pressed it against his chest. There was no grand, explosive force, just a casual, almost indifferent slap—yet Zhou Qing froze in place, locked mid-swing, unable to budge. Only blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth and his nostrils.

The surrounding soldiers recoiled in shock, surrounding but not daring to approach. Their commanding officer had been subdued—if this stranger killed him, things would get ugly in a hurry.

"Command from the Xuanqing Guard’s Commander, with additional authority from the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, and you still dare defy orders? If you all step down now, I’ll overlook this for your sakes, but if you insist on courting death, don’t blame me for what happens—to you or your families."

This speech left the surrounding soldiers anxious. Some of the people they’d surrounded were familiar Inspectors, so the other side’s identity was surely genuine. Now that their commanding officer was captured, they didn’t know whether to advance or retreat.

In that short moment, Chen Tianwen recovered, visible delight on his face. He never would’ve guessed that the "little grunt" who’d just temporarily joined their team right before departure would prove so formidable—turning the tide at the critical moment. Otherwise, things would have totally spiraled out of control.

"Brothers, don’t worry. We’re carrying out an assignment. We’re only taking Assistant General Zhou back for questioning, all per orders from above..."

Soothing them was easier said than done. But with Zhou Qing taken down, the soldiers lost their swagger and hastily ran off to report to the Garrison Commander.

Chen Tianwen didn’t linger. With someone this strong backing him, he felt all the more confident, and immediately had Zhou Qing’s True Qi sealed with a talisman, then locked him up—double shackles, no less. He also forced a Qi Dispersal medicine pill down Zhou Qing’s throat.

This bastard’s cultivation was no joke, and specialized in Body Techniques to boot—Chen Tianwen was taking no chances, throwing every method he had at the guy.

Then, without further ado, he marched Zhou Qing away, heading back to the Inspector’s stronghold.

Upon arriving, Chen Tianwen threw Zhou Qing straight into the Interrogation Chamber, and instantly used a Thousand-Mile Sound talisman to relay the report back. Afterwards, he sent in a detailed copper rod message on the latest developments.

But the matter was far from over. Nabbing Xie Kai might’ve caused little stir, but Zhou Qing wasn’t just any random; he was an Assistant General—a fifth-rank officer, a significant figure in Beach Stone Fortress. Now that the Xuanqing Guard had seized him, it was sure to set off a storm.

Just barely after five a.m., before the sun had even cleared the horizon, crowds showed up outside the Inspector’s stronghold, all from the Garrison—demanding to know why the Inspector arrested their people, and why they hadn’t been informed in advance.

Some outright shouted threats to release their men immediately.

But Zhang Ye, standing at the front, didn’t yield an inch. Having witnessed Assistant General Zhou get dragged back before dawn, he’d instantly realized this was big trouble. He steeled his resolve and held his ground; now was not the time to lose his nerve. Like Chen Tianwen had warned him earlier—mess up now, and he’d be dead meat for sure.

Zhang Ye made himself the scapegoat, flashing the Vice Minister’s official letter and the order from the Commander’s Office. With these in hand, no one dared flagrantly defy orders in public—at worst, they could only grumble and shout abuse, which was surprisingly restrained, all things considered.

"I told you already—Assistant General Zhou and Captain Xie are both inside for questioning. Once things are clear, they’ll be released. What’s the use of you all gathering here? Disperse already!"

Zhang Ye sounded resolute, but even he didn’t believe a word he’d just said.

The Black Banner Battalion people really know how to play the game, Zhang Ye couldn’t help but think. The battalion wasn’t established that long, but they’d pulled off plenty of big events, and this time there’d be an even greater storm. His mind flashed to the Interrogation Chamber scene in the courtyard—they called it "questioning" for outsiders, but those two were probably getting a real taste of heavy-duty tactics, weren’t they?

In Zhang Ye’s experience, that Captain Xie Kai was definitely no hard case. Guys who look slick on the surface never are. After a few hours in there, Xie Kai’s mouth had probably leaked like a sieve—who knows what dirt the Black Banner Battalion would dig up from him.

As for Zhou Qing... Zhang Ye really wasn’t sure whether the Black Banner Battalion had what it took to pry open this one’s mouth.