Women

The commotion roused everyone living in the northern part of Mingxiang Village. Windows kept opening one after another.

Many people leaned out to look at Zhao Baolong, who lay groaning on the ground, and the half-collapsed courtyard wall. Their faces showed everything from delight to shock to fear.

"Whoa. What happened over there?"

"Come quick, old man! There's a fight in the village!"

"It's the City Patrol. They caught another outsider hiding in our village."

When Chen Shaojie saw Zhao Baolong gradually stop struggling, the fear inside him ebbed like a receding tide. His strength soon returned, and he pushed himself up off the ground.

He Chunping did the same. She did not dare complain about how roughly Chen Yiming had shoved her aside and got to her feet on her own.

"Cousin, you haven't knocked that woman down yet..."

Chen Shaojie dusted himself off, glanced at Dong Fen standing nearby, and could not help warning him in a low voice.

At his words, He Chunping instinctively edged closer to Chen Yiming, away from Dong Fen, afraid the woman might suddenly attack.

"What are you panicking for? Can't you see she's stopped resisting?"

Chen Yiming gave him a look.

At some point, the dagger in Dong Fen's hand had fallen to the ground. She was unarmed now.

"What do we do? Should I go over and cuff her?"

Chen Shaojie stood rooted to the spot, looking troubled. He seemed to have more to say but held back.

"She's undergone a second bodily transformation. Are you sure handcuffs will work?"

Chen Yiming blurted out the question without thinking.

He was still picturing the ordinary iron handcuffs police had used in his previous life. He doubted they could restrain someone who had undergone a second bodily transformation.

"Of course they will. I brought special handcuffs. Once they're on, there's no breaking free."

Chen Shaojie came to his senses and patted his chest in assurance.

The special handcuffs were made with ore from the Otherworld that increased their hardness. They were designed to restrain criminals with some fighting ability and make them work without causing trouble.

"Then hurry up and give them to me. Or do you dare go over and cuff her yourself?"

Chen Yiming held out his hand, urging on Chen Shaojie, who was still standing there in a daze.

Only then did Chen Shaojie snap out of it. He cursed himself inwardly for being scared witless. How had he become so slow?

He pulled two sets of black handcuffs from his right trouser pocket, handed them to Chen Yiming, and briefly explained how to use them.

The special handcuffs were noticeably thicker than ordinary ones, with a glossy black finish.

Chen Yiming weighed them in his hand. They had to be over ten pounds. As expected of specialized equipment, they were much heavier than ordinary handcuffs.

He reached Dong Fen in a few steps.

Up close, Chen Yiming took a good look at the female robber who had been hiding in the urban village.

She had changed out of her plain clothes and into a dark red armored skirt. It was somewhat torn, revealing glimpses beneath.

A pair of long legs extended below the skirt armor, their muscles sharply defined and full of wild strength.

As expected of a woman who could survive in the wilderness, she had none of the delicate frailty people associated with women.

"Sir, if you let my husband and me go, you can have everything we own. That includes me. What do you say?"

Dong Fen regained her composure when she saw him approach and spoke up.

Her voice was crisp and clear, like a bell ringing beside his ear. It drew him in before he realized it.

Chen Yiming said nothing and made no move to cuff her. He considered the matter privately.

Robbers who had spent years in the wilderness undoubtedly had valuables far beyond anything the thugs in the city carried. The problem was getting them to hand those valuables over. They already knew he did not intend to kill them; he only wanted to turn them in for the reward.

What was the best way to handle this? And what lines should he avoid crossing?

Chen Yiming turned and signaled Chen Shaojie to come deal with it.

"Cousin, quite a few people saw what happened. If we let them go, someone might report us. From what I've heard, the team usually searches them in cases like this and takes whatever turns up."

Chen Shaojie stepped forward and spoke quietly so the people watching from the shadows could not hear.

The moment he finished, he met a murderous glare.

Dong Fen had not held out much hope, but Chen Yiming's hesitation had been like a spring in the desert, giving her a glimpse of possibility.

Chen Shaojie's words had snuffed it out. At this distance, she wanted nothing more than to kill him with one palm strike.

But with Zhao Baolong still groaning nearby, she suppressed the urge. She fixed her eyes on Chen Shaojie and seared his face into her memory.

"Cousin, the Chen family plans to settle in East Lake City for the long term. It's best not to cross that line."

Frightened by her glare, Chen Shaojie hurried to keep persuading him.

He also realized he had made himself her enemy. That was all the more reason not to let her go.

"Advisor Chen, I think..."

He Chunping joined in. She did not want to be dragged into something like this for no reason, especially when she was only a team member and stood to gain little.

"When did I say I was letting them go? Chen Shaojie, search the man. He Chunping, take the woman to the corner of the courtyard and search her. Dong Fen, don't try anything."

Chen Yiming seized Dong Fen's hands and cuffed them, then gave his orders.

"Cousin, what state is that man in? Can I handle him?"

Chen Shaojie still did not move. He pointed at Zhao Baolong on the ground and asked the question.

The fear Zhao Baolong had struck into him lingered. Keeping his distance was one thing, but searching him meant getting close. What if the man could still fight back?

"Don't worry. That looked like one punch, but I actually struck more than ten times in an instant. My punches damaged the muscles throughout his body. He won't be able to fight for days."

Chen Yiming explained.

He had adapted the way certain moves in Mantis Snake Swordsmanship generated force for use with his fists, striking at high frequency to injure Zhao Baolong without crippling him.

"I see."

The last trace of fear vanished from Chen Shaojie's eyes, replaced by a hint of excitement. He took the handcuffs from Chen Yiming and walked toward Zhao Baolong.

As the group entered the courtyard one after another, the villagers watching from the shadows dispersed.

"That young man was brutal. The man on the ground might be dead for all I know. He hasn't gotten up once."

"Yeah, but those two followers of his were nowhere near his level. They just watched the whole time and didn't do a thing."

"They've already caught them, so why take them into the courtyard? Think something unspeakable might happen?"

"Are you stupid? What's going through your head? They're obviously searching those two for valuables where no one can see."

With the courtyard wall in the way, no one could see what was happening inside. But few dared go closer for a better look. Ordinary people had an instinctive fear of the authorities.