By My Rules

Wei Fan took a deep breath.

Hu Qingyun was right. With the Tiger King's family dead, new demons had set their sights on the eastern district.

From Zhou Qi's words, it was clear that demons stood behind the E Shen Gang. Otherwise, they would not have been so brazen as to threaten yamen runners, saying they would feed them to demons.

"They moved fast!"

The Fierce Tiger Gang had only been wiped out two or three days ago, yet demons had already found new agents to stir up trouble in the eastern district.

At that moment, everyone was watching Wei Fan.

The rules he had set before were ironclad. Now that another Fierce Tiger Gang had appeared, how would he deal with it?

"Does anyone know where the E Shen Gang is based?"

Wei Fan swept his gaze around.

There were not only his own men in the courtyard, but yamen runners under other constables as well. The E Shen Gang's activities likely had not appeared solely on his turf; they had probably surfaced in the territories of other constables too.

"They're in the old Fierce Tiger Gang courtyard!"

Wei Fan looked up and saw that Hu Qing had returned.

"They showed up yesterday. They've already collected money from many shops. If anyone refused to pay, they smashed up their shop..."

Wei Fan glanced back at Luo Wen, who had remained seated inside and had not come out.

The Fierce Tiger Gang's courtyard had been sealed on the day they destroyed the gang. Without informing the yamen, ordinary people would not dare occupy the courtyard the Fierce Tiger Gang had left behind.

"It's good that they have a den. I was afraid they'd be hard to find!"

Wei Fan strapped on his saber and said to Zhou Qi and the other beaten yamen runner, "If you can still walk, come with me and see how I'll stand up for you."

When he had laid down his rules, he had said it clearly: go ahead and act. If anything happened, he would cover for them.

"Of course we can!"

Hearing Wei Fan's words, Zhou Qi and the other yamen runner immediately perked up.

"Those willing to come with me and wipe out this E Shen Gang, follow me!" Wei Fan shouted.

Aside from his own subordinates, only four or five yamen runners moved. There were far fewer responders than when they had wiped out the Fierce Tiger Gang.

"Wei Fan, that's enough. The prison is already packed full with the people arrested from the Fierce Tiger Gang last time. The Registrar does not want so much trouble in the eastern district, nor does he want more people dead."

Luo Wen came out and called after Wei Fan.

This had always been Cloud City's policy. No matter how many people died in the shadows, the most important thing was to maintain peace on the surface.

In the Fierce Tiger Gang incident, dozens had died at once. The yamen had spent tremendous effort burning all the corpses.

When large numbers of people died too often, it could easily attract unclean things—demons without flesh and blood. Those fleshless demons were the truly terrifying ones.

Many policies existed for a reason.

Wei Fan turned back. "What they do elsewhere is their business. I can't control it.

"But on my turf, everything follows my rules. Unless I am no longer a constable, no one will cause trouble on my turf without paying the price."

He gave Luo Wen no face. If his men were beaten for the first time and he simply let it go, he would become a laughingstock in the yamen from then on.

With his original seven subordinates and the four or five who followed along, Wei Fan led more than a dozen men to the E Shen Gang.

"You..."

Watching Wei Fan leave, Luo Wen's face twisted with anger. "You don't know what's good for you. When you get yourself into trouble, don't blame me for not warning you."

He could understand the matter with the Fierce Tiger Gang, since the Fierce Tiger Gang had wanted to kill Wei Fan first. But the E Shen Gang had merely beaten two of Wei Fan's men, and Wei Fan would not even listen to him over such a trivial matter.

After leaving the yamen, Hu Qing stepped forward and whispered in Wei Fan's ear, "Have you thought this through? The E Shen Gang's leader is Lu Mingjie of the Lu Family in the inner city. The Registrar's wife is Lu Mingjie's aunt."

So that was why. They had the Registrar's backing—no wonder they could take over the Fierce Tiger Gang's courtyard, and no wonder Luo Wen had come to stop him.

Hu Qing continued, "The Lu Family mainly does business. Under the Registrar's protection, their business has grown larger and larger. I heard they are no longer content with being merchants. They want to develop into a Martial Arts Family, and cooperating with demons is undoubtedly the fastest route.

"This matter may have the Registrar's support.

"If you touch the E Shen Gang, you may not be able to remain a constable."

Even she, who had always possessed a sense of justice and aimed to join the Demon Suppressing Division, was urging Wei Fan to be cautious this time.

Killing demons was one thing.

But this matter involved the Third Registrar, making it entirely different.

Wei Fan's face remained expressionless. "I said it before: on my turf, even if the Registrar's son commits a crime, I'll arrest him. What the hell is the Registrar's wife's nephew?

"If you're afraid, turn around and go back."

Hu Qing pouted. "I'm worried about you. My father is the Head Instructor—what do I have to fear?"

Her admiration for Wei Fan surged again. If Wei Fan could be persuaded to back down, then he would not be the Wei Fan she knew.

He had not feared the Fierce Tiger Gang. Why would he fear this newly emerged E Shen Gang?

Wei Fan said quietly, "Let me tell you something. The Demon Suppressing Division will soon take notice of Cloud City. If you want to become one of them, perform well lately."

Hu Qing had treated him well, so after some thought, Wei Fan told her.

"Really?"

Hu Qing let out a soft cry, her face full of excitement. If the Demon Suppressing Division took notice of Cloud City, then let alone the Registrar, even the City Lord would not amount to much. "Then I need to kill a few more people later."

When they arrived at the Fierce Tiger Gang's courtyard again, it was still much the same.

The difference was that the words Fierce Tiger Gang over the gates had been changed to E Shen Gang, and two saber-wielding men stood guard outside.

Seeing Wei Fan and his group of yamen runners approach, the two guards showed no fear. Instead, they shouted, "This is the E Shen Gang. Unrelated people, get lost if you have no business here."

Wei Fan's expression did not change. "The yamen is here to arrest criminals. Put down your weapons and surrender, or be killed without mercy."

He did not stop walking, continuing toward the gates.

"How dare you!"

Seeing this, the two guards drew their sabers and slashed at Wei Fan.

They had received word that yamen men would come to the E Shen Gang, and they were not to show mercy.

No one knew when Wei Fan's saber had left its sheath. A flash of steel, and two heads flew into the air.

"The gatekeeper brothers have been killed! Brothers, grab your weapons!"

A shout rose from inside the courtyard.

Killed Zhang San. Obtained 3 months of cultivation!
Killed Li Daniu. Obtained 2 months of cultivation!

Trash!

He had no interest at all in killing such minor fodder.

"Stay close to me. Don't get separated!"

Wei Fan shouted low and strode into the E Shen Gang.

Among these yamen runners, only Hu Qing had reached the fifth level of True Qi. The rest were at the first or second level of True Qi, and three had not even cultivated True Qi.

"The yamen is here to arrest criminals. Put down your weapons and surrender, or be killed without mercy."

After entering the courtyard, Wei Fan repeated his earlier words as usual.

This was yamen procedure. Killing without saying it first meant he was breaking the rules. But once he had said it and the criminals still attacked, he could chop them down as he pleased.

"Fuck you!"

"You lowly yamen runner, you dare come to the E Shen Gang to arrest people? Do you know whose turf this is?"

"Stop talking nonsense! The boss said as long as no one dies, it's fine!"

More than a dozen members of the E Shen Gang rushed out at once. In such a short time, they had already gathered quite a number of people. Wei Fan swept his gaze over them and found that nearly half were martial artists, though most were only at the first or second level of True Qi.

"Criminals resist arrest with weapons. Kill!"

Hu Qing shouted low and struck first, darting past Wei Fan.

Ever since hearing that the Demon Suppressing Division would take notice of Cloud City, she had been fired up and could barely wait.

At the same time, aside from the bruised and battered Zhou Qi and the other yamen runner, the rest of the yamen runners drew their sabers as well.