Everyone present was immediately filled with anger.
"Outrageous!" Tan Zhenwei stepped forward and said, "Today is the memorial service for Chief Su. How can her family be taken away?"
"Oh, it's City Leader Tan," Zhen Jiahui replied arrogantly, pretending to have just noticed him. "We suspect that the extermination of the Ye family is connected to Chief Su's death. Therefore, we need her family to assist in the investigation. Is there a problem with that?"
Tan Zhenwei responded sternly, "This investigation does not need to be rushed."
"Completely wrong," Zhen Jiahui said with a cold smile. "A criminal investigation must prioritize every second. What if the evil-doers use a delay as an opportunity to escape?"
"That’s absurd!" Tan Zhenwei’s anger flared. "The extermination of the Ye family is naturally an investigation for this city's Police Department. There's no need for your interference."
A mocking expression crossed Zhen Jiahui’s face. "Perhaps you’re unaware, City Leader Tan, but Inspector Wu has already submitted an official request to the Northwest Region's Star Council headquarters. Given the gravity of this case, it has been handed over to the Star Council's supervisory team."
Tan Zhenwei’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.
What is Wu Fohai up to? Is he trying to seize power?
Li Zhoumin had never meddled in the city’s affairs when he represented the Star Council in Liuhe Base City. As a result, Liuhe Base City had grown accustomed to the Star Council’s laid-back approach.
Now, Zhen Jiahui’s domineering and aggressive stance was understandably rather unsettling for many. The Star Council, as the highest authority in the world, held a uniquely powerful position. As such, many officials and strong figures would naturally feel overshadowed when dealing with the Star Council staff.
"No matter what, you absolutely cannot take anyone today," Tan Zhenwei asserted firmly. "The martyr's body has not yet been laid to rest, and the memorial is still ongoing. I will not allow you to take her family for interrogation."
Zhen Jiahui chuckled coldly, "City Leader Tan, you are merely the administrative head of this small base city. I suggest you don’t interfere with Star Council matters, or else you’ll find yourself in a situation you can't handle... What if I insist on taking them today? What can you do about it?"
Tan Zhenwei’s anger flared within him. The people around them glared furiously as well, their faces filled with indignation.
"If you insist on taking them today, you will die right now." A sharp and domineering voice echoed from outside the mourning hall.
“Who dares?” Zhen Jiahui shouted harshly, turning around.
A tall, imposing young man dressed in black strode in, carrying a square box. Li Xiaofei had finally arrived.
“What did you just say?” Zhen Jiahui glared at Li Xiaofei. “Go ahead, say it again if you dare.”
Li Xiaofei ignored him. He walked up to Su Yuke’s coffin, placed the box on the table, and opened it. A faint, bloody smell wafted out. Li Xiaofei lay a severed human head directly on the offering table. The crowd gasped in shock.
When they looked closer, they saw that the severed head belonged to none other than Shangguan Tianyu, the master of Tianyu Palace. He was one of the chief conspirators responsible for framing Su Yuke. No one had expected that Li Xiaofei would bring the head of the once strongest figure in the criminal underworld as an offering.
Many of Su Yuke’s colleagues immediately looked gratified. They had gone through the case files and had a good idea of the truth behind the conspiracy. Shangguan Tianyu deserved his fate.
Li Xiaofei stood before the offering table, his face solemn and filled with grief. He poured tea, poured wine, lit incense, and bowed. All the rites were performed in one smooth, respectful motion.
"I’m asking you, what did you just say?" Zhen Jiahui demanded angrily, his voice sharp.
Li Xiaofei slowly turned and replied, "I said, if you insist on taking anyone today, you will die."
Zhen Jiahui couldn’t believe what he was hearing and asked, "Are you threatening me?"
Li Xiaofei, unfazed, asked in return, "Do you dare to try me?"
Zhen Jiahui’s fury boiled over, but when he met Li Xiaofei’s eyes, his heart suddenly clenched.
What kind of eyes are those? They seem like a bottomless abyss.
The black pupils shimmered with a faint crimson glow, as if a reaper would emerge and devour everything in this world at any moment. Zhen Jiahui’s heart felt as if it had been tightly gripped by that gaze.
This young man... He isn’t joking. He truly is ready to kill me. And he undeniably has the strength to do it.
In that moment, Zhen Jiahui finally felt fear. He had come from a declining bureaucratic family in Lanfu Base City. He had schemed and sweated to secure his minor position in the Star Council. This time, he had come to Liuhe Base City, a so-called backwater, with the intention of throwing his weight around and making a hefty profit.
He thought he could disregard anyone, even someone as influential as Tan Zhenwei, with the Star Council backing him. But now, facing Li Xiaofei, the man who had single-handedly confronted the Bull Demon outside the city and wiped out the criminal overlords of Tianyu Palace, he felt a sudden chill of fear.
He realized that Li Xiaofei was the type of person who had nothing to lose, the kind of man who feared nothing. Zhen Jiahui took a deep breath.
Suddenly, he turned toward Tan Zhenwei and said, "Fine, today I'll give City Leader Tan some respect. I won’t take anyone now, but the Star Council’s investigation will continue."
He gestured for his subordinates to leave.
As Zhen Jiahui walked away, Li Xiaofei looked at his retreating figure and sneered, “Idiot.”
It was loud enough for everyone to hear clearly.
Zhen Jiahui’s steps faltered, his chest heaving with anger. Yet, he didn’t dare say anything. In his heart, however, he silently swore to find a way to drag Li Xiaofei into the Star Council’s prison, where he could exact his revenge and vent his frustration.
At that moment, a delivery worker walked in. He handed over two sealed metal boxes, collected his proof of delivery, and left. He clearly had no idea what was in the boxes.
Li Xiaofei stepped forward and opened the metal boxes. A familiar scent of blood filled the air once again. Inside were two more severed heads. Ye Guanzhen and Ye Changlin. There was also a note included.
Ghost Slayer Zhong Kui, honoring the people’s hero.
A wave of gasps swept through the crowd. No one could have anticipated such an event during the memorial service.
The mysterious figure, Ghost Slayer Zhong Kui, who had exploded in popularity across the light-network, had sent a tribute to Su Yuke. And not just any tribute, he had delivered the heads of Ye Guanzhen and Ye Changlin.
These two men had been the undisputed tyrants of Liuhe Base City. But the Ye family had been wiped out and the heads of these two local despots now lay before Su Yuke’s coffin.
Zhen Jiahui felt a chill run through his entire body.
How could something happen? Is the infamous Ghost Slayer Zhong Kui nearby?