Azure Scale Guard

"Lord, how should we deal with these people?"

After leaving the City Lord's mansion, He Zhi asked respectfully.

Ye Kang glanced at the despairing Ding Wu and said indifferently, "Didn't I tell you? Torture them until they confess."

At these words, everyone was stunned.

"Lord... using torture is fine, but what are we supposed to ask them?"

"Ask nothing. If they don't confess, just keep torturing them."

Ye Kang grinned, and the coldness in his eyes sent a shiver through Ding Wu, his face turning as pale as paper.

"You can't do this! I'm a martial artist, and this violates the ancestral laws of Great Jin! You dog official!"

Ye Kang completely ignored Ding Wu's angry curses and turned to leave.

He Zhi shook his head. This Lord was truly ruthless.

It was clear he didn't want to ask anything, he just wanted to use torture.

He Zhi smiled and led his men to the government office.

Meanwhile, Ye Kang and Jin Baobei returned to the Wangjiang Tower inn.

As soon as they went upstairs, the private room next door opened, and a nimble young girl poked her head out.

"My Lords, would you do us the honor of having a cup of tea?"

Ye Kang was taken aback. Just as he was about to refuse, a wisp of purple mist suddenly emanated from the girl's eyes.

True Qi manifesting as mist, an Innate expert!

Ye Kang's eyes narrowed, and he raised his hand, saying, "Then we shall impose upon you."

The two entered the private room. Inside, besides the young girl, there was another tall, burly man with bulging muscles, like an iron tower.

Unlike the girl's familiarity, the burly man kept his eyes closed, meditating, and paid no attention to Ye Kang at all.

Ye Kang didn't mind and sat down opposite them. Jin Baobei sat beside him.

Compared to Ye Kang's casual demeanor, Jin Baobei was much more flustered.

These two people in the private room were likely both Innate experts. She didn't know if they were friends or foes. If they suddenly attacked, her own strength would be the first to fall.

As if sensing Jin Baobei's worry, the girl flashed an innocent smile.

"My Lords need not worry, we are of the same kind."

"Oh? May I ask where you are from?" Ye Kang asked, somewhat surprised.

The girl didn't speak. She simply extended her right hand and gently pulled at her sleeve, revealing a bracer embroidered with green fish scales on her wrist.

Seeing this pattern, Jin Baobei's pupils constricted.

Ye Kang blinked, clearly not understanding.

Jin Baobei quickly whispered, "They are from the Azure Scale Guard."

"Azure Scale Guard?"

Ye Kang still didn't understand.

At this, the iron tower-like man also opened his eyes, his gaze filled with both confusion and displeasure.

In this day and age, did the Deputy Commander of the Imperial City Department not even know what the Azure Scale Guard was?

Of course, Ye Kang couldn't be blamed. He had absolutely no memory of it!

The girl also covered her mouth and chuckled, finding it quite amusing.

"Lord Ye is truly an interesting person. To be in the officialdom yet not even distinguish between colleague agencies, how amusing, how amusing."

"This..."

"It's alright, I will explain it to you, Lord Ye."

The girl first poured tea, then looked out the window towards the river.

"When Great Jin conquered the world, they established the Azure Scale Guard to monitor the martial arts world and deter martial arts forces. Later, the late Emperor ruthlessly purged the martial arts world in the north. Many sects either went into seclusion or fled south, leaving no powerful experts in the north. Thus, the Azure Scale Guard's activities shifted to the south."

The girl's voice was not loud but was very pleasant, possessing a unique youthful lightness.

Ye Kang listened and nodded.

Indeed, his missions these past few times had been in the north. Even in Mengzhou, where the martial way was most prosperous, none of the so-called ten great sects had an expert at Innate Third Rank.

The three great sects of Jiangping Prefecture had no Innate experts at all.

Ye Kang had previously thought this was just how the world was. It was only now that he finally understood.

It turned out the late Emperor was too formidable and had crippled the north.

And Jiayang City, situated at the border between north and south, had a City Lord who had reached Third-Rank Innate. The disparity was evident.

The girl continued.

"The Azure Scale Guard is small in number and must guard the south. All minor matters in the north are left to the Imperial City Department to handle. Do you understand now, my Lord?"

The young woman stared fixedly at Ye Kang, her meaning quite clear.

"The south is under the Azure Scale Guard's jurisdiction. Your Imperial City Department shouldn't meddle."

Ye Kang nodded, taking a slow sip of his tea.

"So, it's two Lords. It must be hard work guarding the south. Don't worry, I'll handle the matters in Jiayang City. I guarantee I'll share your burdens."

After Ye Kang spoke, both the young woman and the large man looked at him as if he were an idiot.

A moment later, the young woman couldn't help but throw her head back and laugh heartily.

"Interesting, interesting! Lord Ye, you're truly remarkable. Why not join the Azure Scale Guard? I can introduce you."

"No need. I prefer the Imperial City Department."

Ye Kang refused directly.

He had already reached the top in the Imperial City Department. Jumping ship now would be a waste of all his efforts, wouldn't it?

At this point, the large man finally spoke.

He slowly opened his mouth and said in a deep voice, "I don't want to waste words. The case of the flower thief belongs to the Azure Scale Guard. You are not to interfere."

The large man revealed his aura, and he was also a Third-Rank Innate!

And he was on the stronger side of Third-Rank.

Jin Baobei's face turned pale, but she heard Ye Kang say without any fear, "We are all serving the Emperor. Why must we distinguish between ours and yours?"

"Rules are rules. Once we've claimed a case, no one else can touch it."

"And what if I insist on touching it?"

Ye Kang brought his teacup to his lips, his eyes fixed on the two opposite him, not backing down at all.

The two said no more. They got up and left.

"Lord Ye, feel free to proceed. We just don't want you to have wasted your efforts."

Watching the two leave, Jin Baobei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh my god! That's the legendary Azure Scale Guard! You're really bold!"

"Are they that amazing?"

"Of course. Without them, the martial artists in the south would have already stormed the Imperial City. However, even though they're fighting tirelessly, the situation in the south is still not optimistic."

"If that's the case, then south of the Jiayang River is the real martial world."

Ye Kang looked towards the river, and couldn't help but think of his maternal grandfather.

In his memory, his mother had married from Jiangnan to the Imperial City.

And his maternal grandfather, he seemed to have only met him a few times when he was young.

Ye Kang fell into thought, while Jin Baobei looked helpless.

"By the way, Lord Leng's mission for us was clearly to deal with river bandits..."

Night fell, and there was still no news of the flower thief.

His subordinates, scattered throughout the city, had not gathered any useful information. Instead, He Zhi from the official yamen arrived.

"Lord Ye! You're a genius. You actually dug something up!"

"Huh?"

Ye Kang was completely bewildered. Dug up what?

"That Ding Wu, I subjected him to over a dozen tortures, but he wouldn't say anything. In the end, the brat couldn't take it anymore and spilled everything he knew!"

Ye Kang's expression changed.

"Could there be news of the flower thief?"

"Exactly! That Ding Wu said he saw a guard in the City Lord's mansion peeping at the City Lord's concubine. He used this as leverage to extort a lot of money from that guard! I immediately investigated, and the day that guard entered the City Lord's mansion was the same day as the first flower-stealing case!"