Don't Cause Trouble (First Update)

At this moment, an invisible Owl-Class Fighter was still parked atop the checkpoint building connecting Mulan City and the Exotic Beast Forest.

Zong Ruoan sat inside his Owl-Class Fighter, listening to his subordinates report on the past few days' work.

"Reporting to Colonel Zong, according to Lieutenant Xu of the Mulan City Guard, who is in charge of this operation, a total of three thousand people applied to leave Mulan City for the Exotic Beast Forest to the north over the past three days."

"After inspection, 2,800 of them were Humanoid Lowly People. They were detained on the spot, after which a riot reportedly broke out, and they were all executed on the spot by the local guards."

"The remaining two hundred were normal humans from the commoner class. They could not provide valid reasons for going to the Exotic Beast Forest, so they were refused."

"So far, no Humanoid Slaves have been found passing through this checkpoint."

"As for the rumor of a humanoid riot at the plantation, since all humans and humanoids at the plantation are dead, its authenticity cannot be verified for the time being."

"Also, the humanoids sent over from Da Fu Prefecture arrived today. There are both Untouchables and slaves. They were sent by the Disciplinary Department directly under the Governor's Office in Da Fu Prefecture, and are being handed over here."

Zong Ruoan nodded calmly. "I also think this Humanoid Slave riot is rather suspicious."

"But another department is investigating that matter. Tell the men to hold on for two more days. Once the Grand Prince's funeral is over, we'll withdraw."

"Yes, Colonel Zong!"

In the line outside the checkpoint, Xia Chujian's squad followed the orders from below and sat motionless inside their Flying Vehicle, which had already stopped at the spaceport.

Several Mulan City Guard technicians boarded their Flying Vehicle with instruments to check for any prohibited items being smuggled through.

Xia Chujian carried her Gun Box on her back, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Ye Shijie raised an eyebrow as well and said to the Squad Leader who had come aboard to inspect them, "We're a registered squad of the Dark Night Hunter Association in Mulan City. This Flying Vehicle belongs to the Dark Night Hunter Association and was loaned to us for a mission. It isn't our property. Please be careful during the inspection. If you damage it, we won't be able to explain ourselves, so we'll have no choice but to explain you all away."

The Guard technicians had been quite arrogant at first.

But upon hearing that it was property of the Dark Night Hunter Association, they immediately became uneasy.

They exchanged glances. Without saying a word, the Squad Leader sent a message to his direct Superior.

His direct Superior was only a minor leader himself.

After so many years in Mulan City, everyone knew that although the Dark Night Hunter Association was not an official organization, it had countless ties to the authorities. It had cooperated with them on many missions, possessed astonishing influence, and was notoriously protective of its own.

They, mere small fry, could not afford to provoke such a behemoth.

His Superior promptly replied, "Inspect according to regulations. Don't... cause unnecessary trouble."

The Guard Squad Leader immediately understood.

They had been conducting inspections here these past few days, secretly accepting plenty of kickbacks and benefits.

Any Flying Vehicle entering Mulan City through here had to give them a little "benefit."

These people were not someone they could afford to offend today.

Thus, the Squad Leader's attitude became much gentler. He quickly said, "Understood. Don't worry, we're just checking according to regulations. You know how unsettled things have been lately. We can't let all sorts of messy things slip into Mulan City..."

Ye Shijie gave Li Fu a slight nod.

Li Fu understood. With a grin, he stuffed a black storage pouch filled with cash into the Squad Leader's hand. "...You've worked hard. It's freezing out here, so buy the brothers some liquor to warm themselves up!"

The Squad Leader had not expected this group to be so accommodating.

They had started with force, then followed with softness. With both the stick and the carrot in play, the Guard technicians were thoroughly won over.

Those who had originally intended to follow procedures strictly now began laughing and joking.

The Squad Leader casually waved the detector around and said with a smile, "You Hunters are too polite. You're registered members of the Dark Night Hunter Association, and this Flying Vehicle has to be returned to the Association. How could there possibly be a problem? We won't disturb you any further. This saves us some time too!"

Sure enough, once they had taken the fee, they made things easier.

Xia Chujian had long grown used to such things over the past three years.

She still remembered how astonished she had been the first time she saw Li Fu do this, her mouth hanging wide open.

Now, she could remain completely unfazed. She only sighed inwardly that even if she knew this would save time and effort, she would never do it.

Not because she was especially noble, but because she could not bear to spend money on something like this...

With the money used to grease the Guard technicians' palms, she would rather give it to Aunt's caregiver!

After the Guard technicians got off, they stamped their clearance permits.

In truth, they merely pressed the "Pass" button in the checkpoint system.

This meant they could be let through.

But Just then, someone led over a Big Group of humanoids, who lined up not far from them to undergo inspection.

As soon as the humanoids arrived, Electromagnetic Shielding was activated here. Even Flying Vehicles could not Take Off.

They could only wait until this batch of humanoids had been inspected and entered the checkpoint. Only after the Electromagnetic Shielding was lifted could they Take Off.

Bored, Xia Chujian watched the scene outside the Flying Vehicle.

Those lining up over there were said to be Humanoid Lowly People who had migrated from Da Fu Prefecture. Most appeared to be adults, and most were parents with children.

The children wore shabby old coats. Their little faces were filled with terror and unease as they clutched their parents' hands tightly, their small bodies trembling.

They were humanoid children, and among the more normal kind of humanoids. As members of the Untouchable class, they were allowed to live in Mulan City's South District, which was why they could line up here to prepare to enter the checkpoint.

Those Humanoid Slaves who could not maintain human form were inspected only at the outer checkpoint, then transported directly by large cargo aircraft to the plantations south of Mulan City. They never passed through Mulan City's Upper Space, much less went through entry procedures here.

Near Xia Chujian's Flying Vehicle was a humanoid family dressed relatively neatly. Though their clothes had many patches, they were kept very clean.

Their little girl was fair and clean. Among the filthy and strange-looking humanoid children, she stood out like a crane among chickens.

But that difference seemed to bring her not good fortune, but disaster.

A man in a khaki standard-issue overcoat was lifting the little girl's chin with one hand. After chuckling twice, he moved to drag her away from her parents.

Naturally, the little girl was unwilling, and so were her parents.

She struggled desperately and cried shrilly. The whole family clung to the little girl's arm.

The man in the khaki coat darkened his face, pulled out a whip, and with a sharp crack, lashed the little girl's father.

A deep Bloodstain instantly appeared on the male humanoid's face. Then, before everyone's eyes, his head turned into that of a sheep.

The humanoid could not control his emotions and partially transformed.

"You want to rebel?! It's your blessing that I want your little ewe of a daughter! Don't be so shameless!"

The man wielding the whip was even angrier than the sheep-headed humanoid. He lashed out again and again, whipping the humanoid until he fell to the ground. After rolling a few times, he made no more sound.

"Serves you right! Carry him away—fucking bad luck!" The man in the khaki uniform cursed as he threw down the whip and waved someone over to carry away the humanoid, who was no longer moving.

The little humanoid girl was so frightened that her eyes went blank. Her whole body shook like a sieve, and she did not even dare scream anymore. She clutched tightly at her mother's sleeve.

Her mother wept bitterly, yet did not dare say a word. She only desperately shielded her two children.

"...Did he beat him to death?" someone whispered.

Yet everyone could clearly see that the sheep-headed humanoid was still breathing, his chest rising and falling faintly. He was not dead, only unconscious.

But they took the sheep-headed humanoid away in a Corpse Bag.

Even if he was not dead, he was counted as dead.

This man in the khaki formal uniform coat seemed to hold a very high position. After taking action, he even loudly berated a Mulan City Guard Garrison soldier, who lowered his head without uttering a word.

Xia Chujian narrowed her eyes, one hand even instinctively reaching for her Gun Box.

Ye Shijie grabbed her arm and shot her a wary glare.

"Don't cause trouble!" he forced out through clenched teeth.

Li Fu, Song Mingqian, and Ping Qiong all looked at her and shook their heads together.

"Little Chujian, we're about to enter the city. There's also an extremely precious Blood Kirin in the Flying Vehicle. We really can't draw the attention of either side." Li Fu patiently explained to Xia Chujian.

Xia Chujian silently lowered her head. "...I understand."

She was not an impulsive person either.

That had merely been an instinctive reaction.

Once she actually picked up her Gun, Xia Chujian knew she most likely still would not fire.

It was just that, at this moment, only a Gun could give her a sense of security.

Outside the Flying Vehicle, the man in the khaki uniform seemed unable to swallow his anger.

With a cold face, he ordered the Company Commander of the Mulan City Guard Garrison, "Separate all humanoid Little Cubs under thirteen! Mulan City doesn't feed these Little Cubs who can't work!"

The Company Commander of the Mulan City Guard Garrison shuddered, but he did not dare disobey.

He turned to relay the order to his subordinates.

Soon, an uproar erupted among the line of humanoids.

Those humanoid parents with children naturally could not bear to have their children taken away.

Just then, one humanoid in the line blocked the Mulan City Guard rushing over to seize his child and shouted, "Don't even think about taking my child!"

As he spoke, the humanoid suddenly transformed. Two wings sprouted from his back, making him look like an owl.

Holding his child, he swiftly Ascended. But before he had flown more than a few meters, a Mulan City Guard sniper atop a nearby building expressionlessly pulled the trigger and fired at the transformed humanoid.

Bang! The shot rang out, and the humanoid who had just taken flight was blasted into a cloud of blood mist that scattered down from midair.

The child in his arms was terrified senseless. He did not even transform wings in midair and simply fell from the sky.

Fortunately, just before reaching the ground, someone unknown suddenly acted, allowing him to land gently.

The Humanoid Lowly People waiting in line watched this unfold with their own eyes. Their nerves, taut for days, finally snapped.

"Run! We'll die either way! Stop enduring it! Run for your lives!"

Second Update at one in the afternoon.