Xiuxian: Start with the medicine boy

Next!

The old man squatted down, patted his grandson's head, and smiled kindly:
"My dear grandson, remember it clearly."

Our Tingtao Immortal City has strict rules and regulations, and it is indeed strictly forbidden to fly on magical artifacts at will, as this would disturb the tranquility of the Immortal City and cause trouble.

However, there are always exceptions.

He lowered his voice and pointed in the direction where the light had disappeared.
"Look at those seniors in the light of escape, that's the Chief Enforcement Officer of the Cultivator Association."

Only when performing urgent official duties, apprehending wanted criminals, or handling major prohibited incidents...
Only then were the association's law enforcement monks allowed to temporarily waive the ban and travel through the air.

This represents the order and laws of the Immortal City, and even the entire cultivation world!

"Wow!"

The boy's mouth gaped open, and his bright black eyes were filled with admiration.
"How impressive!"
Grandpa, when I grow up and achieve success in my cultivation, I want to join the Cultivator Association, wear those clothes, fly in the sky, and catch bad guys!

"Okay! Okay! Okay!"

The old man laughed heartily, his wrinkles smoothing out, and said repeatedly,
"Grandpa is just waiting for the day when my grandson will make something of himself!"
"Cultivate diligently, and perhaps our family will produce a celestial master who upholds the law!"

"Ok!"

The boy nodded vigorously, his little fists clenched tightly.
It was as if he could already see himself in his law enforcement robes, riding his weapon through the air.

not far away!
A private room on the second floor of a teahouse...
A middle-aged cultivator in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage held a cup of spiritual tea, his gaze following the departing streak of light, his brows furrowed, revealing a thoughtful expression.

With his keen senses, he vaguely detected the solid aura emanating from the leader of those streaks of light, an aura far surpassing that of ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"That's... Director Wang of the Enforcement Division of Tingtao Immortal City?"

He actually led the team himself, and his escape was so urgent…”

The middle-aged monk muttered to himself, his knuckles lightly tapping the table.

"When the Director of the Enforcement Division personally takes action, it usually means that a case has occurred in the city that involves the association or has a significant impact."

Judging by the direction, it seems to be heading towards Dongfu District in the west of the city...

Could it be that some fool has violated the association's strict orders?

Similar whispers and speculations quietly spread throughout the immortal city.

Restaurants and teahouses, street vendors, and the gates of cave dwellings...

Many cultivators noticed this unusual scene and wondered what had happened that would cause the Enforcement Division to mobilize so much.

at the same time,

In the west of the city, there is an area with relatively rich spiritual energy, which is specially opened up for mid- to high-level cultivators to rent or purchase cave dwellings.

Several streaks of light disappeared...
Seven or eight figures appeared and landed steadily outside a cave dwelling that covered a large area and had a small spirit-gathering array operating in front of it.

The leader was none other than the Director of the Enforcement Division of Tingtao Immortal City, a Golden Core cultivator with a dignified face and piercing eyes.

Behind him followed a group of Foundation Establishment stage law enforcement cultivators, all with composed auras and well-trained skills. Each of them wore a standard black robe, and a chilling aura emanated from them.

Director Wang coldly glanced at the tightly closed door of the cave dwelling before him, and then at the protective array that shimmered with a faint, aquamarine light…

He remained expressionless, raised his hand, curled his fingers, and gently touched the array's light screen.

There are no complicated incantations.
Without a period of building momentum,
A brilliantly condensed blade of light, about ten feet long, appeared out of thin air, carrying a sharp intent to cut through everything, and slashed down from the sky!
"break."

He uttered only a single, cold word.

Boom!

It wasn't a deafening roar, but a muffled yet extremely penetrating rumble.

The blade flashed and struck the array's light barrier!
That layer of azure light was powerful enough to withstand the full-force attack of an ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Like glass struck by a boulder, its brilliance flickered rapidly and uncertainly, emitting a crackling sound as it struggled to bear the weight.

It lasted for less than a breath before shattering in a blinding flash of light, turning into countless scattered points of light.

The cave's defensive formation was forcibly broken!
The tightly closed bronze gate behind it was revealed.

"Who dares to attack my cave dwelling?!"

court death!!"

Almost at the same moment the formation shattered...
The cave entrance suddenly burst open from the inside, and a furious shout, filled with shock and rage, rang out like a thunderclap.

Director Wang simply ignored the other party's roar.

He didn't even lift his eyelids, as if the person in front of him was no different from a pebble on the roadside.

He glanced indifferently at the two law enforcement cultivators beside him, whose auras were the most powerful and who had reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, his voice devoid of any emotion:
"You two bring Zeng Guanhai out."

"Yes, sir!"

The two Foundation Establishment Peak Enforcement cultivators bowed and clasped their fists in perfect unison.

As they stood up, they reached behind them and each found a gleaming, precious object in their hand.

All of them are top-grade magical artifacts for restraining and controlling.

They walked expressionlessly and strode into the cave!

quickly!

A middle-aged cultivator dressed in brocade robes with a sinister face came into the view of the two law enforcement officers.

His body was filled with surging spiritual pressure.
He clearly possessed the cultivation level of the late Foundation Establishment stage.

Zeng Guanhai's eyes blazed with fury, and he was about to demand to know which fool dared to attack the cave dwelling of an internal member of the Cultivator Association in Tingtao Immortal City, under the jurisdiction of the Cultivator Association.

however,
When he saw who it was...

His anger was instantly extinguished, as if doused with a bucket of ice water, leaving only surprise and uncertainty.

Zeng Guanhai was both shocked and furious to see the two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Enforcement Division attack him directly. He instinctively wanted to resist, but was intimidated by the two cultivators' identities.
The action was a beat too slow.

"You dare!"

What are you doing?
Does he disregard the rules of the Immortal City and the laws of the Association by trespassing into the cave dwelling of a fellow member of the Association?
I'm going to file a complaint against you with the Surveillance Department!

You must give me an explanation!

Zeng Guanhai shouted in a show of bravado but was actually quite cowardly, trying to bolster his courage with the association's rules.

See this.

The two law enforcement monks completely ignored his glare, which was practically spitting fire.

Next!

From deep within the cave came the booming sounds of objects colliding and restrictions being broken.

And Zeng Guanhai's even more furious roars and curses,
Intense fluctuations of spiritual energy emanated from the entrance of the cave.

The nearby cave dwellings had long been sealed off, their spiritual senses withdrawn, and no one dared to peek out at this time, lest they incur the wrath of the Enforcement Department.

Soon,
The noise subsided.

The two Foundation Establishment Peak Enforcement cultivators, one on each side, escorted a middle-aged cultivator with disheveled hair, slightly rumpled clothes, and a look of resentment and panic on his face as he walked out.

This was Zeng Guanhai.

He was completely different now than he had been just moments before.

Clearly, a brief but predictable "persuasion" process took place inside the cave.

Zeng Guanhai was dragged in front of Director Wang. He struggled, but found that the arms restraining him were as hard as iron.
The magical power within his body was also subtly suppressed by a special restriction, making it difficult to circulate smoothly.

He looked up at the expressionless Director Wang, suppressing his panic and trying to make his voice sound calm.
But his slight trembling betrayed him:

"Director Wang... Director Wang!"

What do you mean by this?
I, Zeng Guanhai, am honored to serve as a steward of the Spirit Mine Division of Immortal City. I have always been conscientious in my duties and have never violated any of the rules of the organization!

Today, the Director broke through the formation without asking any questions and detained a junior. There must be an explanation.
Could it be that I, a junior, have unintentionally offended the director or some colleague?

If there is any misunderstanding, please clarify, Director!

Director Wang then slowly turned his gaze to his face, his eyes as cold as ice, without the slightest ripple.

He didn't answer Zeng Guanhai's question, but instead flipped his wrist, revealing a pigeon-egg-sized, dark-colored...

A black jewel that seemed to absorb all the surrounding light.

He made a hand seal with one hand, and a beam of spiritual light entered the precious pearl.

A layer of water-like ripples immediately appeared on the surface of the dark orb, and countless fine runes seemed to flash across its interior.

Then, the pearl gently shimmered towards Zeng Guanhai.

Director Wang glanced at the precious pearl, then compared it to the illusory jade slip that had appeared in his hand at some unknown time (which recorded Zeng Guanhai's image and aura). After confirming that it was correct,

Then, in his signature, flat, indifferent voice, he announced:

"His identity has been verified. He is indeed Zeng Guanhai, the steward of the Spirit Mine Division of Tingtao Immortal City."

Upon hearing this formal, almost rigid, programming language...

Zeng Guanhai's heart sank suddenly, and that ominous premonition instantly reached its peak.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator within the Cultivator Association system, he understood all too well what this process meant—

This is by no means a revenge stemming from personal grudges, but rather a standard, formal law enforcement detention procedure targeting members of the association!

Moreover, such a high-profile and blatant arrest is practically a declaration that "acting according to the law" is written all over their faces.

There wasn't even a sliver of room for private negotiation.

Oh no... what exactly happened?

Was it the batch of mid-grade spirit stones that were secretly intercepted?

Or was it the small-scale abnormal fluctuation of the spiritual vein that you helped cover up for those guys from the Blood Fiend Sect?

Or perhaps... something related to that "spiritual vein protection order" that's been getting a lot of attention lately?

Just as Zeng Guanhai's mind raced and cold sweat beaded on his forehead...

Director Wang's icy voice rang out again, like a verdict, clearly echoing throughout the surrounding area.

This was also clearly heard by some cultivators who were secretly observing from afar using their divine sense:
"Zeng Guanhai, former deacon of the Spirit Mine Division of Tingtao Immortal City, Cultivator Association."

He emphasized the word "original".

"Upon investigation, it was found that Zeng Guanhai was suspected of abusing his position to illegally provide information on the distribution and mining of spirit mines to the outside world for a long period of time, and of protecting, condoning, and even participating in acts that violated the relevant prohibitions of the Spirit Vein Protection Order. The evidence is conclusive."

Based on Articles 37 and 92 of the "Disciplinary Regulations of the Cultivator Association" and Article 8 of the "Implementation Rules of the Spiritual Vein Protection Order," it has been decided that, effective immediately, Zeng Guanhai is stripped of all positions and status within the Cultivator Association and is immediately detained for further investigation and interrogation by the Enforcement Division!

"Remove...remove one's identity?"
Violating the "Spiritual Vein Protection Order"?

Zeng Guanhai was struck dumb, his face turned deathly pale in an instant, and his legs went weak. If he hadn't been supported by two law enforcement cultivators, he would have collapsed to the ground.

He knew all too well the weight of those two charges.
The latter, in particular, is a capital offense that is now being strictly investigated by the association's top leadership, and it is a crime with no chance of survival!
Director Wang glanced coldly at Zeng Guanhai, whose face was ashen and who was trembling all over, without the slightest pity in his eyes.

It was as if they were just looking at an item waiting to be processed.

He waved his hand dismissively, his voice remaining calm yet carrying an undeniable resolve:
"Take him away and escort him back to the Enforcement Division for thorough investigation."

"Yes!"

The two law enforcement monks responded in unison, then, supporting Zeng Guanhai, who was already disoriented and too weak to even argue, they turned and left.

Director Wang didn't glance at the scene again. He turned around, put his hands behind his back, and transformed into a streak of light, soaring into the sky.

The remaining law enforcement cultivators followed closely behind, escorting Zeng Guanhai. The group moved in a grand procession, under the watchful eyes of countless gazes, both overt and covert...

They sped off towards the Law Enforcement Division in the center of the Immortal City.

All that remained was a scene of devastation in front of the cave, and a deathly silence all around.

After the cultivators from the Listening Waves Immortal City Enforcement Division had left this cave area...
The cave dwellings, whose doors had been tightly shut, soon saw figures emerging one after another.

They stood on the stone steps in front of the door or strolled slowly to the corridor, their eyes all fixed on the direction where the Enforcement Division had disappeared into the clouds, and they began to talk in hushed tones.

These cultivators all possess at least the Foundation Establishment realm cultivation level.

Those who can rent cave dwellings in Tingtao Immortal City are not ordinary cultivators.

It should be noted that even in a medium-sized immortal city, the rent for a cave dwelling is not insignificant, and places where spiritual energy gathers are extremely valuable.

Most of the Qi Refining stage cultivators could only squeeze into the large courtyards in the west of the city;
Those with a bit more money might be able to rent a small, secluded courtyard house.
But compared to this cave dwelling, which is filled with spiritual energy and protected by array formations, it is ultimately worlds apart.

"What mistake has Fellow Daoist Zeng made that Director Wang of the Labor Enforcement Department has personally intervened?"

A mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, dressed in an indigo robe and with a refined appearance, spoke first, his tone revealing his confusion.

His companion beside him shook his head slightly, his sleeves fluttering gently in the morning breeze.
"Not sure.

But judging from the scene just now—

Eight of the twelve enforcers from the Enforcement Division have arrived, and even Director Wang has personally come; this is probably no small matter.

Another elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator, with gray hair and beard and leaning on a cane, slowly approached and whispered:

"Since the establishment of the Cultivator Association, we have never seen Director Wang in person..."

It seems that Fellow Daoist Zeng may not be able to return this time.

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

This time!

The blue-robed cultivator stroked his long beard and said:
"Forget it, there's no point in speculating."

"Why don't we take a stroll around the vicinity of the Enforcement Division?"

In my opinion, within half a day, some well-informed fellow Daoist will surely find out the inside story.

"Exactly." The old man with the cane nodded.
"It just so happens that a new batch of Beihai Ice Flame Wine arrived at 'Drunken Immortal Pavilion' the other day. Would you all like to come along?"

This can be considered... a farewell to Fellow Daoist Zeng.

"Hey, let's go."

More than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators then transformed into various colored streaks of light and sped toward the center of the Immortal City.

At this moment, the main street of Tingtao Immortal City, "Qingyun Road," was already bustling with activity.

The enforcement team was escorting a person slowly forward.

The man was disheveled—it was Zeng Guanhai.

Despite his disheveled appearance, the onlookers could still recognize him from his silhouette as a former Foundation Establishment senior from the Cultivator Association who was quite active in the past.

"Isn't that Senior Zeng?"

A young monk gasped in shock.

His companion quickly tugged at his sleeve:

“Shh!

Do not offer advice... But it's strange, Senior Zeng has always been kind to others, how could he..."

"···"

...(End of this chapter)