Apex of the Aperture-Opening Realm

Apex of the Aperture-Opening Realm

"Niu Er was taken away."

"I heard the Black Armored Army say that the newly appointed Commandant Zhou ordered a crackdown on public security."

"Besides this crackdown, anyone with grievances can report them and seek redress at the Black Armored Army's garrison."

"Is this official going to uphold justice for the people?"

"I think it's just a new official's three days of freshness. That previous Commandant Liu of the Black Armored Army also cracked down on security in the county town, but it was all thunder and little rain. It only lasted half a month, and the ones arrested were just a few petty hooligans."

"Exactly. As for the young heirs of those great families, once they paid some silver, weren't they released without consequence?"

"I reckon this Commandant Zhou is just like Commandant Liu and the previous county magistrates. This crackdown is probably only a smokescreen. In truth, it's just a way to rake in money."

"..."

After Hooligan Niu Er was taken away by the Black Armored Army, the surrounding commoners began discussing it heatedly.

Many of them had long since stopped placing any hope in such things. No matter which official took office, it was usually all thunder and little rain; the ones arrested were always ordinary hooligans.

After ten days or half a month, the banners would be furled and drums silenced. Then the county magistrate would collude with the local families, wallowing in the same mire, and things would remain exactly as they had been.

No matter what the townspeople thought, the Black Armored Army carried out Zhou Shan's orders.

Outside a gambling house.

Four or five burly men were beating up a middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man had already been beaten until his face was bruised and swollen, with blood flowing from several wounds across his body.

The surrounding commoners only dared to glance over from afar. None dared to approach.

"You owe our Xingrong Gambling House money, yet you dare miss the deadline? Today, I'll take one of your hands first. I'll give you three days to gather the money. If you still don't pay up, I'll sell your wife and daughter into a brothel."

After saying that, the burly man immediately drew the saber from his waist, stepped on the middle-aged man's wrist, and hacked his hand clean off.

"Aah!"

As the long saber fell, the middle-aged man immediately screamed in agony.

The scream drew over the nearby Black Armored Army.

"In broad daylight, you commit violence in the streets. You truly have no regard for the law. You even mean to force decent women into prostitution. Arrest them all and take them back for a thorough interrogation. See whether they have committed any other crimes."

The Black Armored Army captain spoke in a deep voice.

"Yes, sir!"

Several Black Armored Guards stepped forward and took away the burly men from Xingrong Gambling House.

Such incidents were common throughout the city.

The people of Luyang County had long since grown accustomed to them.

But that day, everyone fighting in the streets, gangs collecting protection fees, people using violence to collect debts... all of them were arrested and thrown into prison. According to the law, they were all to be detained for ten days, then fined twenty taels of silver.

If they did not pay the fine, they would remain locked in prison indefinitely, without even food to eat.

If the circumstances were more serious—if they had beaten someone into injury or disability—then in addition to the fine, all manner of punishments awaited them. If a life had been lost, it was a capital crime.

In the blink of an eye, ten days passed.

After ten days of crackdowns, the petty ruffians, local bullies, and hooligans on the streets had all vanished. So too had the practices of monopolizing markets, forcing purchases and sales, and collecting protection fees.

The county town's public security improved at once.

Beyond those lowly ruffians, hooligans, and bullies, gang members throughout the city who gathered to brawl or deliberately injured others were all arrested as well.

The county yamen's prison was nearly filled to capacity with criminals.

"Anyone found to have a life on their hands shall be executed immediately!"

An order came from the commandant's residence.

The Black Armored Army immediately beheaded a batch of prisoners held in the jail, easing the pressure considerably.

"Have you heard? A leader of the Iron Wolf Gang went to collect a debt and accidentally beat someone to death. He was arrested by the Black Armored Army, thrown into prison, and sentenced to death. He was executed today."

"I heard. There were nearly a hundred prisoners executed today."

"Three months ago, Landlord Luo forcibly seized five hundred mu of fertile land from Xiaolin Village. Those who refused were beaten to death alive by his guards—more than a dozen lives in all. Now the people of Xiaolin Village have reported the case to the Black Armored Army, and Landlord Luo has been arrested too. His guards even tried to resist and flee, but they were killed on the spot."

"And Third Young Master Liu of the Liu Family in the eastern district—a complete wastrel. Some time ago, he actually dared to commit crimes against the wind, abducting a civilian girl into his residence. After forcibly violating her, he sold her into a brothel and forced a decent woman into prostitution. The Black Armored Army charged straight into the Liu residence and took Third Young Master Liu away right in front of the Liu Family head. That night, the Liu Family head brought ten thousand taels of silver to the commandant's residence, but both he and the silver were thrown out. The Liu Family head was even arrested and thrown into prison on charges of bribery."

"Looks like Commandant Zhou truly means business."

"An upright official! Commandant Zhou is an upright official!"

"..."

Zhou Shan's reputation soared among the people of Luyang County.

All the commoners regarded Zhou Shan as an upright official.

Seeing that Zhou Shan was truly serious, the major powers all restrained their subordinates, warning them not to cause trouble or court disaster during this period of severe crackdowns. Still, they knew such an operation could not continue forever. They would wait until this gust of wind had passed.

The Black Armored Army needed to eat, drink, and cultivate. Their salaries alone were far from enough; they needed additional streams of profit.

Zhou Shan might not want silver, but could he expect those under him to forgo money and drink the northwest wind instead? That was impossible.

Time passed.

Another twenty-five days went by.

"All one hundred and eight apertures have been opened. My Internal Force is full."

Zhou Shan slowly opened his eyes.

Golden Bell Shield (208 years of cultivation)
Traits: Enhanced Poison Resistance, Enhanced Rebounding Force, Enhanced Internal Force Body Protection, Rigid and Soft Harmony, Exhale Like Arrows

Opening the panel, Zhou Shan looked at the Golden Bell Shield data displayed upon it.

The Golden Bell Shield had reached two hundred and eight years of cultivation, the completion of the Aperture-Opening Realm.

Moreover, it had gained another ability trait: Exhale Like Arrows.

Zhou Shan circulated his cultivation, then immediately opened his mouth and took a deep breath. The Internal Force within his body mingled with the air he had inhaled, and he exhaled it toward a set of heavy armor hanging in the room.

Whoosh!

An arrow of Internal Force shot from Zhou Shan's mouth at once, swift as lightning.

Pfft!

The hanging heavy armor shuddered, then a thumb-sized hole appeared in it.

The hole was not only on the front; there was one on the back as well.

The air arrow Zhou Shan had exhaled was so terrifyingly powerful that it had pierced straight through the heavy armor.

"It's time to act."

Zhou Shan left the room and arrived at the case office in the commandant's residence.

"Someone, summon He Yong."

Two quarter-hours later.

Centurion He Yong arrived at the case office of the commandant's residence. He cupped his fists respectfully and said, "Greetings, sir!"

"Take a few trustworthy men and investigate the whereabouts of Xu Haoyu, the Xu Family's Second Young Master," Zhou Shan said in a deep voice. "Remember, this matter must remain confidential. Do not leak even the slightest bit of information."

"Understood!"

He Yong accepted the order and withdrew from the case office.