Hong Tianbao's Unbridled Arrogance

The gunman, as it turned out, was highly professional.

He had cut off all the surveillance cameras in the vicinity.

After confirming this fact, Zhang Fusheng quietly left the villa complex but didn't immediately return to the Martial Arts Academy.

"I can let the rest go, but the fact that my Spring Thunder Technique is at minor perfection is something only Master and the others know."

He opened the gunman's phone and repeatedly watched the video within.

The video showed a dilapidated room. The gunman's parents, wife, and daughter were all tied up and thrown in a corner.

The window beside them was half-open. Due to the camera's violent shaking, the scene outside was unclear.

Turning the volume to maximum, besides crying and pleas for help, there was the sound of car horns and vendors hawking their wares.

Zhang Fusheng listened carefully.

"There are two stalls selling flatbread, one selling candied chestnuts, and a woman's voice soliciting customers."

He raised an eyebrow. Prostitution was illegal in Jiangzhou City. Those who openly solicited customers could only be found in the Lower-Level District.

He listened to the audio several more times.

"Hmm? Why is there someone selling medicine?"

Zhang Fusheng pressed his ear against the speaker, certain he could hear a faint 'selling medicine' shout that sounded somewhat familiar.

It was like what he'd heard outside Ankang Tumor Hospital.

After recalling the scene outside Ankang Hospital and reconfirming the audio, he narrowed his eyes slightly.

"It's outside Ankang Hospital."

Should he go investigate?

He definitely had to. If he didn't find the mastermind, today it was a sniper rifle, what would it be tomorrow? The day after?

An open attack is easy to dodge, but a hidden arrow is hard to guard against.

He needed to investigate, but not alone.

After pacing back and forth for a moment, Zhang Fusheng made a call.

"Master, it's me. I was assassinated."

On the other end of the line, the usually jovial, plump old man suddenly became solemn, and the teacup in his hand cracked.

The old man asked:

"Do you know who it was?"

"I'm not sure. The assassin took a public mission at Bar No. 19. The employer gave him my detailed information, including my First Refinement cultivation, my perfected meditation technique, and..."

"My Spring Thunder Technique at the minor perfection level."

As the words fell, silence descended on the other end of the line.

After a long while.

Hong Tianbao spoke softly:

"Where are you?"

"Outside the Eastern Villa Complex, on a pedestrian street. There are many security officers in the villa complex, and they've set up a cordon."

Zhang Fusheng asked:

"Should I come back now?"

"No rush, wait for me there."

His Master said so.

After hanging up, he looked towards the distant villa complex. Security officers, riot police, and even two helicopters circled in the sky.

Zhang Fusheng shrugged. This efficiency. If it were the Lower-Level District, a few gunshots and explosions would happen, and it would be a miracle if even one police officer showed up.

He waited silently.

A few minutes later, he felt a blur before his eyes, and the plump old man had already appeared before him.

"Did you run here?" Zhang Fusheng asked in astonishment.

"It's not far. Taking a car would be too slow."

The plump old man's expression was stern. He asked:

"Have you offended anyone recently?"

"Besides Zhou Quan, I can't think of anyone. But he has no reason to know about the Spring Thunder Technique."

"Hmm."

Hong Tianbao pondered for a moment.

"I've asked your three senior brothers and sisters, and not a single one has leaked any information about you outside, let alone about the Spring Thunder Technique. What about you?"

"No."

Zhang Fusheng shook his head, thought for a moment, and added:

"But there's one person. I've used the Spring Thunder Technique to fight him, and he might know."

"Who?" Hong Tianbao asked coldly.

"Uh, he seems to know Master you quite well too. His name is Huang Qiuxian."

"Who?!"

The coldness on Hong Tianbao's face instantly vanished. He paused, then after a moment of silence, shook his head:

"It can't be him."

He didn't ask Zhang Fusheng how he met Huang Qiuxian or how they fought.

Zhang Fusheng still briefly explained, then said:

"I met him again this afternoon. He put a technique into my body and asked me to pass it on to you. He said it was a token of apology and called it the Five Thunders Art."

Hong Tianbao's expression shifted. He sighed softly:

"We'll talk about this later. Are you sure the mission came from Bar No. 19?"

"That's what the gunman said. He poisoned himself to death." Zhang Fusheng handed over the phone and briefly recounted his findings.

"Ankang Hospital?"

Hong Tianbao frowned and asked abruptly:

"You haven't been there, have you?"

Zhang Fusheng was taken aback:

"I've passed by occasionally. Is there something wrong with that hospital?"

"Yes, a big something, but we don't know the specifics yet."

The stout old man pondered for a moment:

"Let's go to the bar first."

"Yes, Master."

A plump, seemingly naive old man and a refined, gentle young man walked side-by-side towards the long cordon of the villa district.

"Gentlemen."

A security officer hurried forward to stop them.

"There's been a sudden situation here. You'll need to wait a while before entering."

His attitude and tone were very polite, showing no disrespect despite the old man and the young man's simple attire.

This was the Upper-Level District.

Zhang Fusheng sighed inwardly. The security officers' attitudes changed just by changing locations. If this were the Lower-Level District, hehe...

First, you'd get three baton strikes, and if you weren't cooperative, they'd empty their clips and you'd be enjoying some "vacation" time.

The Federation was a Federation with distinct class divisions.

"Have your person in charge come over," the stout old man said calmly. "And make it quick."

The security officer's expression changed. That tone, that demeanor – a big shot had arrived.

While bowing and scraping, he urgently called into his walkie-talkie. In less than half a minute, a middle-aged man hurried over.

Zhang Fusheng glanced at him. He wore two silver stars on his shoulder – an Intermediate Inspector, one rank below the Deputy Director from that night.

In the Federation's security system, from the most ordinary police officer, to Detective, Inspector, Superintendent, and Director General, an Intermediate Inspector already held a significant position, likely equivalent to the head of a district branch in the city.

"Elder Hong!"

Even though they had never met or interacted, the Inspector recognized Hong Tianbao at a glance.

Recognizing people and remembering photos were their most crucial basic skills, even more important than criminal investigation abilities.

"Explain the situation," Hong Tianbao said, glancing at his watch. "You have one minute."

The Inspector spoke without hesitation, in the manner of reporting to a superior:

"Preliminary assessment indicates an assassination attempt. The deceased is the attacker, identified as a senior painter from District Three. He was carrying a Type I conventional sniper rifle and a Type II sniper rifle for martial artists. Cause of death was poisoning, with a venom sac found in his gum. The specific poison is still pending analysis."

He continued fluently:

"The target of the attack has not yet been identified. Nearby surveillance was completely cut off. We are currently searching for biological traces left at the scene, and the fissures on the ground are awaiting expert identification."

"Within two hours, we can analyze the attacker's strength level, complete the model construction, and replay the process. If you deem it necessary, I can also apply for Jiangzhou's satellite Sky Eye system to play back the footage."

Hong Tianbao raised his hand, interrupting him:

"Destroy all traces. You have half an hour."

The Inspector responded without hesitation:

"I will immediately notify the nearest construction and cleaning companies to repair and clean the road surface. No effective information will be left behind."

"And the satellite?" Hong Tianbao asked lightly. "Will you perform a reboot and cleanup, or should I shoot it down for you?"

What is this?

What did you shoot down?

Zhang Fusheng jolted.

"I'll immediately notify the Sky Eye department to clean up the data. I'll submit the system logs to you later, ensuring no one accessed them privately or retained them," the inspector said respectfully as before.

"Mm, go do your work."

"Yes, Elder Hong." He didn't look sideways and jogged away. The surrounding security officers also consciously pushed away, leaving an open space.

Zhang Fusheng swallowed.

"Master, you can shoot down satellites?"

He wondered if he needed to reset his understanding of 'Martial Arts Master'.

"Ultra-low altitude satellite."

Hong Tianbao pointed to a spot in the sky and said calmly, "Low-altitude satellites are only a hundred kilometers from the ground. Within my sight, I can shoot one down with an arrow."

Zhang Fusheng's lips trembled.

Shooting an arrow into the sky a hundred kilometers away to shoot down a satellite?

Are you Hou Yi?

Is the gap between a Martial Artist and a Martial Arts Master really that big?

Or, perhaps, Master is more than just a Martial Arts Master.

Lost in thought, Zhang Fusheng suddenly felt a jolt.

Someone was watching him.

No, spying.

The spiritual sense from the Minor Perfection level meditation technique was extremely powerful, already close to the realm of "the cicada senses the wind before it blows."

He almost instantly pinpointed the source of the surveillance but forced himself not to look there.

Because his Master had already turned his head to look.

He, with 'only' the Greater Perfection meditation technique, shouldn't have been able to detect it.

"Master, what's wrong?"

He asked casually, following his Master's gaze, and saw a white van parked quietly on the roadside in the distance.

"Target One, Chen Nuanyu, has left Bar No. 19. Captain, there's been some commotion on the west side of the villa district, with explosions and gunfire. The security agency has arrived. Should we follow and observe?"

Listening to the report, the rugged man waved his hand and said casually, "West side? Have car three observe, but no need to interfere."

"Yes, synchronizing surveillance footage from car three." The girl nodded and brought the footage up on the secondary screen.

She suddenly froze.

"Captain, Hong Tianbao has been identified."

"Hong Tianbao?"

The rugged man paused, looked at the screen, and the surveillance image zoomed in. A fat old man and the young man named Zhang Fusheng were standing within the cordon.

After a moment's pause, his voice became urgent, "Immediately notify car three to stop observing and return. Tell them to—"

Before he could finish, on the surveillance screen, the fat old man a kilometer away had already turned around, his gaze fixed on the camera in the car.

It was as if he was looking directly at them through the screen.

The next second.

In the image, The chubby, round little old man scooped up the delicate young man with one hand, bent his knees slightly, and shot out like a cannonball, suddenly breaking the sound barrier.

The shockwave he created even flipped over the closer police cars and security officers!

One second.

Less than a second.

The chubby old man stopped in front of the white van, put down the young man, extended his hands, and tore.

With the sound of twisting metal shattering, the van was torn in half like a soft slice of toast, and the personnel and equipment inside were thrown to the ground.

"Damn it!"

The rugged man cursed, took off his headphones, and threw them away. He opened the car door, leaped up, and shot into the sky dozens of meters high, then landed as lightly as a feather.

"Old instructor, long time no see," he said cautiously.

"You are... from the Investigation Bureau Vanguard Team? Little Liu?"

The fat old man raised an eyebrow, his expression softening slightly, but then suddenly became solemn:

"You've all come. Are there cultists carrying out large-scale activities in Jiangzhou City?"