Arresting Japanese Ninja

The Dongsheng Merchant Association was located south of Suzhou City.

It occupied more than ten mu of land, with dozens of buildings and two large warehouses.

Commander Li led more than two hundred Imperial Guards to the entrance of the Dongsheng Merchant Association.

"Surround the entire Dongsheng Merchant Association!"

At Commander Li's command, three Probationary Commanders of a Hundred each led dozens of Imperial Guards to encircle the Dongsheng Merchant Association.

At this moment.

Inside the main hall of the Dongsheng Merchant Association.

More than a dozen core members of the Dongsheng Merchant Association were discussing matters.

"President, we have already planted two samurai and two ninja inside the Prefectural Governor's Residence. When will we make our move?"

A middle-aged man in a black robe asked.

Watanabe sneered. "No rush. Once the time is ripe, we'll seize Prefectural Governor Luo and use his official seal to mobilize troops for our own use..."

As he spoke, a merchant association member came running in, his face pale with terror.

"President, disaster! The Imperial Guard has brought men to surround the association..."

Every Japanese person in the hall was stunned!

"What? Why has the Imperial Guard suddenly surrounded the association?" Watanabe shot to his feet, his expression changing. "Not good. Cao Renqi must have been exposed."

"Bastard! Then kill every last one of these Imperial Guards!"

An Eastern Ocean Samurai in a gray robe drew his long, narrow samurai sword and cursed through gritted teeth.

The other core members of the Dongsheng Merchant Association also revealed vicious expressions, preparing to fight the Imperial Guard to the death.

"Murano-kun, do not act rashly!"

Watanabe raised a hand to stop him. "The Imperial Guard came prepared and has many experts. We may not be able to handle them. We should escape through the secret passage!"

With that, he took the lead out through the side door of the hall and arrived beside a well. They all leaped down into it.

The well was more than ten meters deep.

Watanabe and the others dived to the bottom. He reached out and pressed a brick on the wall, and a two-foot-square opening appeared in the well wall.

Watanabe and the dozen-plus members all crawled through the opening in the wall, then pressed the mechanism, restoring the wall to its original state.

Let alone at the bottom of a well more than ten meters underwater, even on dry land, no one would be able to spot the slightest trace of a secret passage.

By then, Commander Li had already led more than a hundred Imperial Guards into the Dongsheng Merchant Association's compound.

"Arrest everyone!"

Commander Li shouted sternly.

There were still dozens of men dressed as servants in the Dongsheng Merchant Association compound. All of them were Eastern Ocean Samurai.

When they saw the Imperial Guard rushing in to seize them, these Eastern Ocean Samurai disguised as servants all drew the daggers hidden on their persons and began fighting the Imperial Guard.

These Eastern Ocean Samurai were all fairly skilled in martial arts, each at least at the seventh level of the Acquired Realm.

A few had even reached the Innate Realm.

Though they were far inferior to the dozen-plus core members of the Dongsheng Merchant Association who had fled, the Imperial Guard Captains were still no match for them.

Four or five Imperial Guard Captains attacking a single Dongsheng Merchant Association servant still found it difficult to win.

Commander Li wielded his spear like a silver serpent dancing wildly. Wherever the spear passed, Eastern Ocean Samurai fell one after another.

These Acquired Realm martial artists were as helpless as straw men before a Grandmaster-level expert like him.

The other Battalion Commanders and Banner Officers also swiftly killed the Eastern Ocean Samurai.

In less than a moment, all of the dozens of Eastern Ocean Samurai had been dealt with.

Of course, more than a dozen had only been seriously wounded and were kept alive to be taken back for interrogation.

"Search again, thoroughly! See if there are any secret chambers or secret passages!"

Commander Li shouted his order.

He did not believe that the Dongsheng Merchant Association's headquarters was filled entirely with servants, without even half a leader among them.

Either they were hiding, or they had escaped in advance.

Several Battalion Commanders and more than a dozen Banner Officers led over a hundred Imperial Guard Captains in a careful search throughout the compound.

They searched for nearly two hours and turned the entire Dongsheng Merchant Association upside down. They did find two secret chambers, but there was no one inside.

Commander Li left behind one Battalion Commander with dozens of Imperial Guard Captains to guard the association, while he led the others back to the Imperial Guard office to report to Niu Ren.

The Prefectural Governor's Residence.

Prefectural Governor Luo was drinking tea in the main hall when a guard rushed in to report.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, two Battalion Commanders from the Imperial Guard have arrived with more than a hundred Imperial Guards to see you."

Upon hearing this, Prefectural Governor Luo could not help showing surprise.

What were the Imperial Guard doing at the Prefectural Governor's Residence so suddenly?

And two Battalion Commanders had brought more than a hundred Imperial Guards. This formation clearly looked like they had come to arrest someone.

Usually, whenever the Imperial Guard came, nothing good followed.

Whether high-ranking or low-ranking officials at court, whenever they saw the Imperial Guard suddenly arrive with men, they could not help but feel alarmed, fearing that the Imperial Guard would take them away.

After all, how many officials had clean backsides?

However, Prefectural Governor Luo was only briefly startled before quickly calming down.

Having risen to the position of prefectural governor, his mental fortitude was naturally far stronger than that of ordinary officials.

Besides, if the Imperial Guard had come to arrest someone, they would likely not have announced themselves. They would have barged in and seized the person directly.

Prefectural Governor Luo immediately led several guards out of the residence to receive them.

"Greetings, Prefectural Governor!"

When the two Battalion Commanders saw Prefectural Governor Luo emerge, they both cupped their hands and bowed.

Prefectural Governor Luo returned the gesture. "May I ask why you two Battalion Commanders have come to the Prefectural Governor's Residence?"

Battalion Commander Gao said, "By Commander Niu's order, we have come to arrest Japanese pirate spies."

"Japanese pirate spies?" Prefectural Governor Luo asked in astonishment. "Could there be Japanese pirate spies hiding in the Prefectural Governor's Residence?"

Battalion Commander He said, "Your Excellency, was the Prefectural Governor's Residence attacked last night? Afterward, did Cao Renqi arrive with several dozen guards and leave them in the residence?"

Prefectural Governor Luo nodded. "That is correct. Commandant Cao said those several dozen guards would remain at the Prefectural Governor's Residence to protect my safety. Is there a problem?"

Battalion Commander Gao said, "Your Excellency may not know this, but Cao Renqi has colluded with Japanese pirates and is plotting wrongdoing. Commander Niu suspects that Eastern Ocean Samurai have infiltrated the several dozen guards Cao Renqi left behind. If so, Your Excellency may be in danger."

"What? Cao Renqi is actually collaborating with the Japanese? What colossal dog guts he has!"

Prefectural Governor Luo roared, then immediately ordered, "Pass down the command. Gather every guard in the Prefectural Governor's Residence at the martial training ground."

A short while later.

More than a hundred guards had all assembled at the martial training ground.

Prefectural Governor Luo swept his gaze over the hundred-plus guards and said in a deep voice, "All guards brought here by Commandant Cao last night, step forward!"

Rustle—

More than thirty guards stepped forward in unison.

"Arrest them all!"

Battalion Commander Gao waved his hand and shouted.

Several Banner Officers led more than a hundred Imperial Guards as they surged forward.

The thirty-plus guards all wore expressions of terrified confusion.

Then, four figures suddenly sprang from among those thirty-plus guards. They lunged directly at Prefectural Governor Luo, four streaks of blade light shrouding him.

"Impudent!"

Battalion Commander Gao and Battalion Commander He shot forward almost simultaneously, intercepting the four guards.

The two personal experts at Prefectural Governor Luo's side drew their swords and guarded him on either flank.

"Protect the Prefectural Governor!"

At the cry, dozens of guards surrounded the two Eastern Ocean Samurai and two ninja.