54: Chapter 53 Disaster Arises from Within 54: Chapter 53 Disaster Arises from Within Two hours later, the mission could be considered reluctantly completed—it could go on depending on one’s mood.
Old Liao licked his lips, still craving more.
His subordinates felt the sa; since they wanted to show off in front of Hou Niao to avoid causing trouble, they took twenty to thirty percent less than usual from each Tianxiang house.
Hou Niao’s mood improved, of course, but it also ant their tangible benefits were reduced by the sa percentage.
It wasn’t easy to co out like this, and returning with so little left them resentful.
They were experienced in dealing with such situations, though.
If they took less from each place, they could make it up by demanding from a few more; the Governnt Office had set rules about the proportion of such random checks, which could never be completely accurate.
Still, covering one or two extra places was not a problem.
Policeman Da Long approached him with a bad idea, “Boss, I saw that Tianxiang Building has plenty of guests today; we just need to hint a little…”
Tianxiang Building held a unique position on the wide street: part-folksy, part-elegant.
While the venue was popular and engaging in normal business, it also hosted upscale receptions where ladies would dance and sing rely to enhance the ambiance.
The establishnt was big in transactions and had significant backing, so generally, during random checks, the policen would not dare to “poking the tiger’s butt” at this place—it was an unspoken rule.
But today was different as Da Long smiled with shifty eyes, “Boss, I just checked, and many of the carriages outside are not from around here; they belong to so wealthy visitors hosting a grand banquet.
It seems doable, doesn’t it?”
Old Liao was also tempted.
Striking at Tianxiang Building could be more lucrative than collecting a basketful of spoiled peaches.
Da Long continued to instigate, “We won’t make a big scene going in.
I’ll take a few brothers to check the situation first and give them a little hint.
Considering the scale of their business, they shouldn’t be short on discretion.
We haven’t troubled them this year, so showing up now would hardly be an imposition, right?”
Seeing that Old Liao was still hesitant, he added fuel to the fire, “Boss, I heard from Team Bing’s Liu that the next ti he leads, he plans to test Tianxiang Building’s ttle…”
This statent was more effective than anything else.
Among the policen under Inspector Huang, he and Team Bing’s Liu were fierce rivals, frequently competing.
A place like Tianxiang Building didn’t deserve to be a feather in Liu’s cap first; getting there before Liu would an that if Liu tried anything later, he might well fail.
Compared to the potential gains from Tianxiang Building, causing Liu embarrassnt was even more significant.
At last, Old Liao nodded, “Alright.
You take three brothers and change your attire.
Make sure you don’t look recognizable at first glance.
Once inside, remain discreet about your presence and simply clarify your intentions with the manager of Tianxiang Building.
If he fails to cooperate…”
Old Liao’s eyes flashed fiercely, intimated, “…then you exit and report back to .
Do not act rashly under any circumstances!”
With his leader’s approval, Da Long imdiately changed into rchant attire along with a few astute policen.
They were well-prepared and adept at this ga; in a mont, four well-dressed policen were ready and strutted toward Tianxiang Building.
Hou Niao watched coldly from the sidelines.
Honestly, he wasn’t familiar with Tianxiang Building.
Old Liao managed tasks reliably; his dealings along their route were regular, and he hadn’t demanded too much.
Since Old Liao thought it was worth a check, he let him proceed.
The group waited outside, expecting an effortless task, but a stir arose from nowhere.
A disheveled policeman ran out, “Da Long and the others are detained inside, and they’ve been beaten…”
Old Liao’s inner fragility surfaced, and he imdiately felt bewildered.
He was well aware of who set the rules in Jin City—it wasn’t them, the re Prefecture Office Patrol!
Seeking help, his eyes turned towards Hou Niao, who sighed, still unable to avoid trouble.
“Let’s go and see!”
This ti, clad in patrol uniforms and performing public duties, Old Liao followed behind, his heart pounding and filled with regret, fearing a massive blunder would cost him his job—or worse.
Hou Niao walked at the forefront, and when a guard extended his strong arm, Hou Niao swiftly slapped him nearly ten feet away.
This slap was energizing, but it made Old Liao even more panicked.
Dragon was a troublemaker, and Hou Niao showed the true nature of a hothead—were these people ones you could just hit?
Their boldness was as a mountain; you step closer, I push farther.
With the patrol confident, the guards at Tianxiang Building were dazed; they too feared getting caught in disputes between cultivators.
When immortals fight, the lesser beings suffer.
Leading the way, the group strode into the main hall of Tianxiang Building, their heads held high, instantly struck by the lavishness inside; the hall was vast, spanning tens of ters, and the décor clearly expensive, boasting many items whose nas were unrecognizable.
Enclosed private rooms bordered the main hall on the second and third floors with pearl curtains that obscured the view inside; one needed not imagine to know they were occupied by Jin City’s elite.
In the center, a stage held young girls singing and dancing gracefully, surrounded by nurous guests, swarms of attendants, exotic delicacies, and flowing fine wine.
Amidst the singing and dancing, the voice of the singer was sohow familiar?
Such overwhelming grandeur imdiately turned the group of patrol soldiers into weaklings; probably anyone pulled from the crowd would be too much for them to handle, yet here they were, having blundered their way in…
No panicked yelling or scattering guests occurred because everyone here was a distinguished figure, and, most fatally, it seed all were cultivators?
With composure, they watched the unfolding events, far more interesting than the performance on the stage.
As soon as Hou Niao stepped into the hall, he imdiately sensed sothing amiss—he shouldn’t have co!
But since he had already entered, he couldn’t just leave without making a sound.
Glancing around, most seated were high-level cultivators, each surpassing his own realm; it seed only a few cultivators of Energy Induction were left standing?
At one table, he even spotted acquaintances from the Dugu Family, two female mbers and their kinsfolk, who were smiling brightly at him…and Daoist Wang was there too.
There were also many cultivators in strange and luxurious attire, their eyes sharp, heads wrapped in blood-red cloths—clearly not mbers of the Quanzhen Sect, but visitors from so other sect?
In that mont, he felt like kicking Old Liao to death, but what would that accomplish now?
He had already led everyone inside!
Dragon lay slumped by a table near the entrance, not seriously injured but a bit bruised and swollen.
The remaining two patrol soldiers stood anxiously to one side, unsure of what to do.
Hou Niao, having no choice, steeled himself and approached Dragon, “What happened?
Who hit you?”
Dragon’s speech was slurred due to his loose teeth, but soone else answered for him,
“I did!
For brazenly intruding into private property and attempting extortion, shouldn’t I have struck?”
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