......
Feeling like having some seaweed egg drop soup?
Well, no seaweed, no egg, no soup—just purple eggs.
Lu Ding pulled out his phone and dialed Gao Zhengliang’s number.
“Hey, Old Gao.”
“Early in the morning, Investigator Lu—what’s the occasion?”
“Get up. Time to make some arrests.”
Gao Zhengliang took a small sip of his porridge.
Hearing this, he put down his spoon. “Arrests? Who? What charges? Where?”
All eyes turned toward Gao Zhengliang.
They all had the same thought—
This must be a major case!!!
Regular cases never went through Gao Zhengliang.
He was the bureau chief—only big cases and high-priority targets were handled by him.
As Lu Ding sent the 749 Bureau’s intelligence files over to Gao Zhengliang, he said, “Location: Caojia Alley. Targets: Including but not limited to the names on the file I just sent you—Cao family members.”
Gao Zhengliang glanced at his phone.
His head instantly started aching.
Cao Jianshu, Cao Yuan, Cao Yutang…
All these names were from the Cao family.
Cao Jianshu—head of the second branch.
Cao Yuan—young master of the Cao family.
Cao Yutang—head of the first branch, also the head of the entire Caojia Alley, and the father of Cao Ying.
Caojia Alley followed a strict meritocratic system.
Elections for any position were determined through contributions, trials, and assessments.
That’s why they ended up with a first-branch head as the main leader and a second-branch head as the vice leader.
When Lu Ding saw this, he couldn’t help but think—
Keeping up with the times, huh? Damn, you guys are pretty democratic.
“Investigator Lu, you can’t be joking about this. Every single name on your list is a direct descendant of the second branch of the Cao family—most of them are Cultivators of Qi. I can’t just go after them. That’s not within my jurisdiction.”
The Public Security Bureau was responsible for ordinary people.
Cultivators of Qi?
That was 749 Bureau’s job.
“If I say go, you go. They’re trafficking funerary artifacts. That is within your jurisdiction, Old Gao. You need to cooperate with law enforcement.”
“If you’re worried they’ll resist arrest, here’s what you do—”
“Bring out the rocket launchers, the anti-materiel sniper rifles, the grenades and explosives—surround Caojia Alley. Lock it down tight.”
“I’m not asking you to go in and fight them. Just evacuate the ordinary people—I’ll handle the cleanup. Then, you come in to detain them.”
“Lastly, let me use your facilities to hold them until the 749 Bureau sends a vehicle to escort them away.”
“You catch one trafficker? That’s just a single cultural relic smuggler.”
“But you catch a whole group? That’s a massive achievement, Old Gao!!!”
“I’m handing you this case for free, and you’re hesitating?!”
Gao Zhengliang was convinced.
The logic checked out.
The files checked out.
That meant Caojia Alley was definitely involved in shady dealings.
Arresting them?
That was the right thing to do.
If everything lined up, then there was no reason to hesitate.
The only downside—the paperwork.
Gao Zhengliang thought for a moment.
Worst-case scenario?
He’d have to pull an all-nighter, drowning himself in strong tea while writing reports.
“Screw it. Let’s do it.”
“Investigator Lu, I’m trusting you on this. Don’t screw me over.”
“Relax, Old Gao. Would I ever do that?”
Gao Zhengliang hung up the call.
“EMERGENCY ASSEMBLY!!!”
Meanwhile, at Xingteng Capital Headquarters—
Darkness spread across the wreckage.
Bai Hemen stepped out from the shadows, gazing at the devastation before him.
He took two steps forward.
Kneeling, he gently picked up a handful of blackened ash from the ground.
“Handled already? That fast?”
He had never heard of Lu Ding before.
Didn’t know him.
After all, he had been in confinement.
But the 749 Bureau’s records listed his impressive achievements—even Bai Hemen had to acknowledge them.
Though just a brief acknowledgment.
But now, with the vampire count dead, Bai Hemen suddenly realized—
This guy might be even stronger than he had thought.
“So, where did he go next?”
......
Caojia Alley.
Cao Yuan had been tossing and turning in bed all night, unable to sleep.
They say a mother and son share a bond—
Ever since his mother’s call at dawn, he had been restless.
His thoughts spiraled like wild weeds.
Did I offend Lu Ding? Will he retaliate later?
We’re both in Bao Fan District. Will he make trouble for me in the future?
If he starts investigating, and the funerary artifact trade gets exposed, what then?
Why did my mom call in the middle of the night?
And why did she ask about Lu Ding?
Do they have some kind of connection?!
That’s impossible! They shouldn’t have ever met!
He couldn’t take it anymore.
Cao Yuan sat up, grabbed his phone, and called Jia Yuanfang.
He needed answers.
But the call went unanswered.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
No response.
Now, Cao Yuan was getting anxious.
So he messaged his older brother, Cao Zi’ang, telling him about his concerns—
And about their mother’s sudden interest in Lu Ding.
Not long after—
A reply came.
【Little Yuan, listen carefully. Do not act recklessly. Wait for me to return. This matter will be settled by today. I’ll arrive in Yunhai by nightfall. With me here, no matter how bold Lu Ding is, he won’t dare lay a hand on you. At worst, it’ll come down to a contest of strength—and I’ve already identified his weakness. If it comes to a fight, the odds are 8-2 in my favor.】
Seeing this message, Cao Yuan finally felt at ease.
As long as his big brother was around, the sky wouldn’t fall.
Sure, there was the example of Qiu Tianrang’s humiliating defeat—
But Qiu Tianrang was Qiu Tianrang.
Cao Zi’ang was Cao Zi’ang.
The two couldn’t be compared.
He believed in his brother.
He would win.
Definitely.
Inside the Cao Family’s main estate, many of the Cao family disciples had already begun their morning training.
"A day’s plan begins in the morning, a year’s plan begins in spring."
For Cultivators of Qi, early morning was undoubtedly the best time for cultivation.
As the sun rose in the east, the Purple Qi of dawn followed, and inhaling a breath of this fresh morning spiritual energy—cool and refreshing—was nothing short of perfection.
The atmosphere was calm and peaceful.
Cao Yuan wasn’t wrong—
The sky wouldn’t fall.
With or without Cao Zi’ang, the sky would never fall.
But the gates?
The gates could absolutely collapse.
BOOM!!!
With a deafening crash—
Two crimson gates, along with the Cao family guards standing behind them, were sent flying into the courtyard, smashing into the ground.
Every single Cao family disciple turned their heads.
Lu Ding strode forward, his steps fierce and unwavering.
His presence surged through the air like an invisible shockwave, pressing against their chests, making it hard to breathe.
“749 Bureau, here to make arrests! Cao Yuan, get the hell out here!!!”
Dark clouds gathered above.
With each step Lu Ding took forward, the clouds followed, devouring every last bit of light in the sky.
A storm was brewing.
The pressure was overwhelming.
This was Lu Ding’s new spell—
Gale of Blood and Gore.
If the Cao family cooperated, then everything would go smoothly—
They’d take who needed to be taken.
Release who needed to be released.
But if they refused—
Then the sky would darken.
The winds would howl.
The rain would fall.
And with it—
Spirits would be torn from bodies.
Flesh and bones would dissolve into nothingness.