Eight-Faced Buddha

The bronze doors of the Imperial Prison boomed shut behind them as Li Chen Zhou threw Chen Chen and the madam into the damp, shadowy passageway. Wall lamps cast mottled blood-red shadows over the guards' iron armor, while the scrape of torture instruments sounded like evil ghosts whispering.

"Within three days, I want you to squeeze every last lie from their throats." Li Chen Zhou's saber dragged across the stone tiles, scattering sparks.

The Imperial Prison's executioner revealed a twisted smile. "No problem."

Afterward, several more men came out and dragged the two of them into the Imperial Prison.

"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the mission to apprehend criminals and redress the grievances of the Qingkou songstress. Reward: 2 years of internal cultivation."

Host: Li Chen Zhou

Martial realm: Early sixth rank (32/50)

Cultivation methods: Thirteen Guardian Golden Bell Shield (Mastery), Three Abyssal Slashes (Mastery), Thousand Faces (Mastery), Soaring Illusionary Steps (Mastery), Hell Soul Exchange Scripture (Mastery)

Internal cultivation: 32 years (calculated based on an ordinary person cultivating a basic method for one year)

Lifespan: 29 years

Weapon: Blood Demon Blade

As the system's golden light flowed into his meridians, Li Chen Zhou closed his eyes and felt the surging internal energy.

"Ding... Follow-up mission triggered: Human trafficking. Investigate the human-trafficking chain and bring the criminals to justice. Reward: ten years of internal cultivation."

"Now, all that remained was to wait for the procuress and Chen Chen's confessions."

As for Zhao Yun Chuan, Li Chen Zhou had no intention of making a move against him yet. He was still planning to extort a sum from Prince Rong.

"White Cat." He suddenly opened his eyes, the ghostly flames of the Imperial Prison swaying in their reflection. "Any trace of Eight-Faced Buddha?"

"Yes. The intelligence department received word that Eight-Faced Buddha is dining at Emerald Cloud Tower." White Cat's voice came wrapped in the howling north wind. "But that place is a den where the high officials of the Six Ministries burn money for pleasure."

"Then let's go." Li Chen Zhou turned and headed straight for Emerald Cloud Tower.

The streets teemed with people as they walked all the way to Emerald Cloud Tower's entrance.

When Li Chen Zhou's cloak swept across Vermilion Bird Avenue, the bronze bells beneath the eaves trembled wildly. Beneath Emerald Cloud Tower's gilded signboard, the welcoming waiter's smile froze the instant he saw the Flying Fish Uniform.

Seeing the four of them dressed as Brocade Guard, the manager signaled to the waiter. The waiter hurried forward to greet them. "What would the gentlemen like to eat, officers?"

"Not eating. Looking for someone." At the words "looking for someone," the waiter's face showed difficulty.

"Officers, everyone who comes here is a guest of clean background. None of the people you seek are here." Li Chen Zhou, who had been glancing around, fixed his gaze on the waiter.

There was something very wrong with this waiter.

"Where is Eight-Faced Buddha?" Li Chen Zhou looked at the waiter and revealed a dangerous smile.

"Officer, you must be joking..." Beads of sweat the size of soybeans seeped from the waiter's neck, while his fingers unconsciously rubbed at the grease stains along the edge of his rag. "Our Emerald Cloud Tower runs an honest business. Forget Eight-Faced Buddha—even a Four-Faced Bodhisattva..."

Before he could finish, the flat of a blade slapped him across the face. Two bloody molars flew out alongside his pained Capital City wail of "Aiyo!"

"Not very honest, but that was fine. If you were too honest, it wouldn't be fun." Li Chen Zhou looked at the waiter sprawled amid shattered wood, the Blood Demon Blade spinning afterimages in his palm. "Keep an eye on him. Take him back with us later."

The disturbance was enormous, startling all the diners in Emerald Cloud Tower.

Those timid and afraid of trouble hurriedly backed away, but there were no shortage of people around who enjoyed watching a spectacle.

When Emerald Cloud Tower's manager saw the waiter being beaten, he waved a hand. More than a dozen burly men immediately ran out.

"Officer, if you come to Emerald Cloud Tower to eat, we would sweep the floor to welcome you. But if you came to cause trouble, hmph hmph, Emerald Cloud Tower is not so easily provoked."

At the same time, in a private room upstairs.

"I'll go out and slaughter those dogs." Eight-Faced Buddha wanted to go out and confront Li Chen Zhou head-on, but someone grabbed him.

"This is the Capital City. If you dare to go out and kill someone, you definitely won't get away."

"The Skinner killed a Xiaoqi and still escaped. Do you think I'm inferior to him?"

"What status does The Skinner have? You know better than I do. Do you know how great a price those above paid to protect him?"

Only then did Eight-Faced Buddha calm down somewhat.

"Go back. Leave it to my people." After pushing Eight-Faced Buddha back into the private room, that person cracked open the window and looked down at the situation below.

At this moment, Li Chen Zhou, blocked by the manager, watched the corners of the man's mouth curl upward. "It seemed you knew quite a lot as well."

Emerald Cloud Tower's manager was not intimidated. Instead, he calmly began listing names. "The current Vice Minister of Rites, the Vice Minister of Works, and the current Minister of Revenue are all friends of our master. Even if my lord disregards everything else, for their sake, should you not show some restraint?"

"Not bad. The three government departments with the most oil and fat all have people involved. Bookworm, did you write it all down? An unexpected harvest." Li Chen Zhou stroked the bloody blade in his hand.

"Yes. Not a single word missing." Bookworm adjusted the wolf-hair brush in his hand.

"You knew quite a lot. You can stay behind." Li Chen Zhou flashed before the manager and punched him in the abdomen. The enormous pain instantly doubled the man over.

Then Li Chen Zhou struck with a hand chop, and the manager collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

The sixteen guards had only just drawn their weapons when they saw blood-red blade light weave into a net.

Where the blade aura passed, sixteen bodies froze in their sword-swinging postures, their foreheads shattering like glazed glass hitting the ground into hundreds and thousands of chunks of flesh.

By the time the last head rolled to the counter, the pool of blood had already flooded over the hibiscus patterns of the Persian carpet.

The sight made everyone who had been eating just moments ago vomit.

The person upstairs who had watched Li Chen Zhou make his move quickly turned to Eight-Faced Buddha and shouted in a low voice, "He's no ordinary man. Run!"

The shout from upstairs alerted Li Chen Zhou, who had just killed someone.

Li Chen Zhou swept up to the third floor like a kite flipping through the air.

The lattice window of the private room creaked softly. The fair-faced scholar had just poked his head out when Li Chen Zhou knocked him unconscious with a hand chop.

Just then, he caught sight of Eight-Faced Buddha's dark cloak about to vanish beyond the window lattice.

Li Chen Zhou sneered. "Trying to run?"

A blade aura slashed toward him, and Eight-Faced Buddha hurriedly leaped down.

Just as Li Chen Zhou was about to continue the pursuit, he suddenly remembered something and turned back toward the fair-faced scholar.

He shouted downstairs, "Take this one back too."

Then he turned and resumed his pursuit of Eight-Faced Buddha.

Li Chen Zhou flipped onto the rooftop.

Gazing in Eight-Faced Buddha's direction, he unleashed the mastery-level Soaring Illusionary Steps, leaving afterimages behind. Under the sunlight, Li Chen Zhou ran as though he were riding the wind.

Eight-Faced Buddha ran on the ground, while Li Chen Zhou flew over the rooftops.

He chased Eight-Faced Buddha all the way until he cornered him in a deserted place.

"Dog official!" Eight-Faced Buddha turned in the narrow alley, his iron hook tearing through the night mist. "Do you really think this Buddha fears you?"

"Eight-Faced Buddha, a precept-breaking monk—you violated young girls, then murdered their entire families afterward. In Jinling City alone, you boiled and ate thirty-seven infants. The others who died by your hand numbered no fewer than a hundred. If I let you escape today, I would be letting down those wronged souls who died such miserable deaths." As Li Chen Zhou spoke, his killing intent could no longer be contained.