Chapter 1 Capture
It is autumn, and the bleak autumn wind blows from the west, whirring up countless yellow leaves on the ground, and a slight coolness envelopes the earth.
Shi County, Liangzhou, on the outskirts of the county seat.
The air of desolation permeates the sky and the earth. Only the clusters of sweet-scented osmanthus blooming by the roadside still show some vitality. The fragrance of the flowers is wafting and refreshing.
Outside a farmyard, there are many figures, walking quietly and cautiously as they go back and forth. At first glance, they look quite sneaky.
Chu Tang hid behind an earthen wall, with a stern look on his young and resolute face, and a cold light in his eyes as he stared at a room at the back of the farmyard.
At this time, he was refining a hundred swords hanging from his waist.
Although the knife was in the sheath, his right hand holding the handle tightly revealed his uneasy mood.
"Old Chu, everything is ready, shall we start?" Xu Jin quickly approached Chu Tang to ask for instructions.
He was about the same age as Chu Tang, both were only twenty years old, but when facing Chu Tang, he treated Chu Tang warmly with respect and did not dare to make any mistakes.
In a nearby corner, there were more than a dozen men in uniform soap-colored clothing looking at Chu Tang from a distance, waiting for his instructions.
Chu Tangchang raised his head and glanced at the sky, his eyes flashing.
It gets dark early, in the evening, and the view is not wide.
After taking a long breath, Chu Tang said calmly: "Old Xu, let the brothers move and take down the thief in one fell swoop! Also, please be careful and act according to the plan. Don't..."
"Don't throw away your life. Your life belongs to the court, but your life belongs to you!" Xu Jin teased and mentioned Chu Tang's usual mantra, "Don't worry, squad leader, under your teachings, the arrests of our county Yading class will be saved." I am most afraid of death!"
Chu Tang looked at the other party and said quietly: "Be careful of sailing the ten thousand year ship!"
"Yes, squad leader!" Although the two of them grew up and have been brothers for nearly twenty years. They have a deep relationship and it is okay to play around. But when it came to business, Xu Jin did not dare to say too much and was immediately ordered to say hello. Other brothers went.
As Shixian county government agents, their duty is to crack down on illegal activities and maintain public order.
Now is the time for them to capture a desperate bandit who has fled to Shi County.
The bandit and his gang members did a lot of illegal business in Linxian County, including killing people and selling goods. After suffering severe attacks in the local area, they fled to Shixian County.
The magistrate of Shixian County ordered the county lieutenant to do his best to investigate and arrest the people to ensure the safety of the people. The county lieutenant summoned Xu Wei, the county police chief, and gave him instructions to follow the clues and arrest people to solve the case.
Xu Wei turned the case to Chu Tang, who was the head of the police squad at that time.
There are more than 80 county police officers, divided into four shifts, A, B, C and D, with about 20 people in each shift.
Chu Tang, who had just taken up the job as the county police chief for less than half a year, naturally did not dare to slack off in his work. After many days of investigation, he finally located the current hiding place of the bandits.
After some arrangements, the arrest will be carried out today.
According to the information obtained from the investigation, the thief's name is Li San. His martial arts is at the second level. He is good at using a short sword. He is ruthless and murderous, making him quite difficult to deal with.
Among the entire Ding squad, only Chu Tang currently possesses the martial arts of the second level. Most of the others are at the lowest level, and some have not even entered the country. If it were not for the large number of people, they would not dare to attack casually. This Li San.
Of course, Chu Tang, who had the highest combat power, did not take the lead in rushing in to arrest people. This was because he had great confidence in the team that he had trained for more than half a year.
Three minutes on stage, ten years of hard work off stage, it's time to test the quality of these guys!
Chu Tang's eyes were bright, and he watched his subordinates divide the work and cooperate in an orderly manner from a distance.
I saw two short-bodied detectives with nimble hands and feet quietly reaching the mud house in the innermost part of the yard. One was under the window and the other was in front of the door.
Then the two of them each took out a small bamboo tube more than three inches long from their arms, gently poked it in from under the door and window, and then blew a few breaths into it through the bamboo tube.
Um?
What's the difference between this behavior and a burglar using drugs?
Chu Tang said there was indeed no difference.
However, who stipulates that the police must break down the door simply and brutally to arrest people? The thief has great martial arts skills, is ruthless, and kills without any calculation. What will happen if I use some poison?
This is an act of love that cannot bear the sacrifice of his subordinates in vain!
Besides, there is no such thing as civilized law enforcement in this world.
Although it is not glorious, it is not shameless either.
After a while, there was only a bang in the earthen house, which made the two drugged detectives take a look inside, confirm the situation and then turned back to make a resolution gesture.
Chu Tang smiled when he saw this. It seemed that the situation was going well.
He held the hilt of the knife and strode into the courtyard, his hand still making greeting movements.
The other agents gathered around, and with a few clanging sounds, they all unsheathed their swords and moved forward according to the training formation.
Six people were in front holding knives, four people were walking in the middle holding small crossbows, and eight people were lying in ambush in various corners of the yard to cut off the retreat, to guard against accidents.
Including the two police officers who had administered the drug previously, and including Chu Tang himself, all twenty-one police officers from Ding Squad in Shi County were in place!
It has to be said that these people cooperated perfectly, moved skillfully, and were very organized. They obviously went through long-term training.
Chu Tang was extremely satisfied with this. In order to lead this small team of twenty people with unequal combat power, he racked his brains in every possible way and almost exhausted all his knowledge points.
boom!
The dilapidated wooden door of the earthen house was kicked down by a policeman. The policeman holding a crossbow took a step forward and fired a few arrows into the room. After rushing in, there was no abnormality before inviting Chu Tang to enter.
If Xu Wei, Shixian's head catcher, had been at the scene and saw his men being so cautious, he would have cursed, "Damn, you guys are so cowardly!"
There is no one else but Chu Tang who cherishes his life and is afraid of death.
Everyone rushed into the earthen house and started to take people.
A fierce-looking middle-aged man fell to the ground!
After all, he is a second-level warrior who has developed inner energy. He can handle some intoxicating drugs, but it is too strong. Others are still conscious, but their bodies are weak and their limbs are limp. They are quickly arrested and tied up.
It was the ruthless gangster Li San. He couldn't believe it and was unwilling to curse: "You... are so shameless! As a member of the imperial court, you even use such trivial means as ecstasy and anesthetic. Do you still have shame?"
Xu Jin stepped forward and kicked him, and said with a smile: "When dealing with a thief like you, do you still need to follow any rules and morals? You are not afraid of making others laugh!"
Li San asked weakly: "I have a second level of cultivation. What kind of drug did you use to make me unable to gather Qi?"
Xu Jin boasted: "This is the credit of our squad leader. The squad leader specially asked people to research a colorless and odorless medicinal powder that can be dispersed in the air or dissolved in water. It is absolutely necessary for killing people when traveling at home. Good medicine!”
"That's enough! Stop talking!" Chu Tang interrupted Xu Jin's show off.
They talk so much, as if they are villains!
Xu Jin laughed endlessly: "Yes, yes! What's there to talk about with a dead man?"
"You... don't respect martial ethics! You will die a good death!" Li San was unwilling and struggling.
Not to mention that he was drugged at this time, even if he was in a normal state, he would not be able to break free from the thief-binding rope specially refined by the court.
The thieves-binding rope is made of special animal sinews and is specially refined by the imperial court to bind strong men in the world. People with cultivation levels below the fourth realm can only accept their fate when tied by this rope.
Hearing that Li San still dared to be stubborn, Xu Jin went up and gave him another big mouth: "I hate double standards like you the most! What are you looking at? Oh, you don't understand what double standards mean? Our class leader I’ve said it before, you gangsters and thieves who kill people and steal goods without any limits, and at the same time shout about loyalty and virtue, are double-standard dogs. I’m going to beat you up!”
"Boy, I'm going to kill you! I'm going to cut your throat and pierce your intestines!" Li San roared.
"You still dare to be tough?" Xu Jin sneered, "You have no chance in this life, just wait for Qiu Hou to ask for help."
Li San laughed loudly, as if he was crazy: "My elder brother will avenge me! Just wait for me!"
"I'll wait!" Xu Jin responded with a smile.
Chu Tang sensed something was wrong, and took a closer look at Li San, who seemed to be relying on him. He couldn't help but feel a move in his heart, and secretly observed the scene in the room.
The layout of the house is very simple. There is a shabby wooden bed in the corner. Although the mosquito net is hung up, many holes and patches can be seen. The bed has been laid flat for life, and is dirty and shabby. It is just an ordinary farmhouse furniture.
In the middle is a square wooden table with many holes and pits on it, making it very old.
Four benches surround the table, two to the side and two farther away.
"Huh?" Chu Tang concentrated slightly and quickly glanced back at the table.
There were only teapots and teacups on the table, nothing else.
A teapot, five or six teacups...
After glancing at the teacup, Chu Tang's pupils shrank, but he remained calm, turned around slowly, and told the other detectives: "Since the thief has been arrested, take it back to the county office as soon as possible and report it to the arrester Xu, so that the arrester can arrest him." Report to the County Lieutenant. Tie me up tightly and don’t let the thief get away!"
The detective who tied up Li San enthusiastically agreed, patting his chest and saying that he would be careful and successfully bring the thief back to claim credit and receive the reward.
Chu Tang didn't waste any time and waved everyone to exit the house, while he dragged behind and watched everyone leave. Finally, he took a crossbow from a policeman's hand and held it in his hand.
After all the detectives had gone away, Chu Tang turned around and shot three arrows under the wooden bed in the room with a crossbow without saying a word.
Whoosh whoosh!
This is a continuous-fire crossbow. Although it is only small and its lethality is not as good as the normal type, it is faster and easier to operate.
I saw three small arrows quickly sinking into the bottom of the bed, first with a pop, and then with two clangs.
The first sound was soft, as if something had been hit, while the second two were hard-hitting sounds.
Suddenly, there was a bang, the wooden bed jumped up from the bottom, and the wooden boards flew.
A figure flew up from below. Before it landed, his body twisted in mid-air, turned around, and headed straight for Chu Tang.
Amidst the sound of breaking through the air, there was a flash of silver light, and a sharp breath shot directly at the door in front of Chu Tang.
Keng!
Chu Tang seemed to have expected it. He threw away the crossbow at the moment when the figure flew up. He drew the sword out of its sheath with his right hand. With a breath, he raised the energy in his whole body and concentrated it on the blade of the sword. He slashed forward wildly.
Uh-huh!
The sword is dazzling and unparalleled!
Suddenly, the sword light collided with the silver light that broke through the air, making an ear-splitting sound.
Chu Tang felt a huge force pass from the blade to his hand, causing pain in the tiger's mouth and numbness in his arms. He took his body and took a few steps back.
Looking again, the figure in the sky also fell to the ground, allowing people to see their true face.
This man was dressed in gray clothes, with messy hair. He was middle-aged and had an ordinary appearance, but his eyes were quite sharp and had an intimidating aura.
He held a dagger in his right hand, and a small bow and arrow stuck in the upper arm of his left hand. The blood flowing from it stained his clothes.
"Is this person at the third realm?" Chu Tang was shocked. He could almost knock his Hundred Refined Sword away with a small dagger. He was obviously much more powerful than him.
And he is a second-level cultivation, so his strength is not small.
The difference between warriors below the third realm is more reflected in their strength. If a warrior in the first realm has the strength of one ox, then in the second realm he has the strength of two oxen, and in the third realm he is definitely above the three oxen.
The difference between these realms is overwhelming in terms of strength alone.
"Who is your Excellency? Why are you hiding here so secretly?" Chu Tang forced himself to calm down and asked.
But the man in gray looked quite angry and said coldly: "Boy, I didn't expect you to be so smart. After you noticed me hiding under the bed, you came up and stabbed someone with a crossbow. But what I didn't expect was that you were such a woman. It’s so benevolent that people don’t rely on the crowd to rush forward, but instead send all their men away. You are kind enough to save them, but who will save you in the end?”
He immediately stated the intention of Chu Tang's previous actions.
Chu Tang said expressionlessly: "Who are you, Your Excellency?"
The man in gray sneered: "When I insert the dagger into your heart, I will tell you who I am and make you understand. What I am more curious about now is, how did you find me under the bed? I have been holding my breath just now, asking myself that I have not leaked any clues, and I have not left this room for three days, and I have never shown my face, so it is impossible for your investigation to find out!"
Chu Tang pointed to the table in the middle of the room and said: "I can also make you understand. You see, the other cups are upside down in the middle, but there are two used cups placed next to each other. It is obvious that they are Two people had tea in the room."
"You just judged that someone else was using the two used cups, and they were still hidden under the bed? Can't they be used by the same person?" The man in gray didn't believe it, and he wasn't convinced either.
Chu Tang said: "I guessed, so I just took a gamble. In the end, I was right, wasn't I?"
The man in gray sneered: "Is your bet right? I think you're just looking for death. Didn't you feel good about that moment just now? I tried it out. You are only at the second level of cultivation. I can crush you to death at any time!"
Chu Tang also laughed: "You didn't feel good about my arrow, did you? Do you think I've been talking nonsense with you for so long, because I really have too much time to talk?"
The man in gray changed his face when he heard this: "What do you mean?"
Chu Tang said leisurely: "You can hold your breath and not be affected by the smoke, but can you stop the drug from entering the bloodstream? Do you feel a little dizzy now, like you have drunk too much wine?"
"You also put medicine on the arrows?" The man in gray was furious.
Huh? Why do you have to say another word?
Chu Tang ignored his grief and indignation and chuckled, "I'm just waiting for the medicine to take effect after talking so much nonsense to you."
The man in gray turned black and shouted angrily: "I'll kill you first!"
As he spoke, he sped up and swung the dagger straight into Chu Tang's chest and abdomen.
Chu Tang didn't hesitate. He held the horizontal sword in his hand and used the thirty-six moves of the soul-breaking sword that he had practiced for many years.
"Strike the Western Mountains", "Dominate the Mountains", "White Tiger Leaping over the Stream"!
The sword movements are coherent, flowing, the sword light is compelling, and the momentum is extraordinary.
Dangdangdang, Chu Tang used his sword well and blocked the attack of the man in gray. Although he was knocked back several steps, he was still not defeated.
"Boy, the "Soul-Destroying Sword Technique" passed down by your imperial court is as bad as the street. Who doesn't know these tricks of yours? How many times do you think you can stop me?" In a few seconds, the man in gray and Chu Tang changed positions. direction.
When Chu Tang saw that the other party had turned to the door, he did not run away immediately. Instead, he turned around and blocked the policeman in the room.
"You weren't drugged?" Chu Tang wanted to understand this immediately.
The man in gray chuckled: "Boy, when walking in the world, don't underestimate others, otherwise you will die without knowing it."
Chu Tang felt a chill in his heart. Sure enough, now, the roles of hunter and prey have been reversed!
The man in gray continued: "As I said just now, your biggest problem is your kindness to women. You sent your subordinates away, which seemed to protect them, but in fact you put yourself to death. If you coaxed them from the beginning On the other hand, with your crossbows and drugs, I am going to run away."
"How are you sure I didn't ask them to ambush you outside?"
"Do you think I am deaf and blind? They have already withdrawn from the courtyard. Even if they ambush outside the courtyard, the water far away cannot save the fire nearby. It is enough for me to kill you several times."
"Then what are you waiting for? Let's take action." Chu Tang made a defensive movement with his sword.
"If you want to die, then I will make it happen for you! Look at my Lingshen stabbing!" The man in gray was angry and stopped talking nonsense. He slashed the dagger continuously and flashed his body, directly attacking Chu Tang's vital parts.
Chu Tang blocked the left and right branches, surrounded by dangers, and fell into a decline. Every time he blocked his steps, he staggered, and the hand holding the knife trembled.
Seeing that the opponent was defeated, the man in gray was overjoyed. He turned his dagger and became even faster and weirder, heading straight at Chu Tang: "Go to hell!"
It has to be said that not many people in the world use daggers, and even fewer use them well.
The man in gray's dagger skills were obviously extremely advanced and powerful.
He used a unique move, just to kill his opponent with one move!
Seeing that Chu Tang was about to be stabbed, when the man in gray showed a proud look in his eyes, Chu Tang's staggering steps suddenly became light and agile. He was clearly still on the left, but he turned to the right in the blink of an eye.
"This movement..." The man in gray was shocked, "It's not good!"
He struck back to defend himself, but suddenly found that the light from the sword below had strangely changed its direction, suddenly flashing upward from below!
puff!
The man in gray felt a pain in his neck, his vision went dark, and he lost all strength.
He covered his neck, which was mostly cut off and was bleeding, in disbelief.
He was actually killed by someone who was a level below him!
The man in gray whined: "You...this is not the Soul-Destroying Sword Technique!"
Chu Tang put the knife away in his hand and said, "It's indeed not the case."
He has been acting for so long just to use his trump card at this moment.
As the man in gray said, the "Soul-Destroying Knife Technique" that is standard in the imperial court is as rotten as cabbage on the street, and people with a little care in the world have figured out its rules.
If you want to defeat the enemy with this sword technique, unless your cultivation level is much higher than that of the opponent, or you have outstanding talent in sword art, otherwise it will be impossible.
The man in gray suddenly fell to the ground and asked with all his strength: "What is the name of your... body skills... sword skills?"
Chu Tang was silent.
The man in gray smiled weakly: "I can't... be a sensible person?"
Seeing that he only had one breath left and that he was indeed not going to survive, Chu Tang first wiped the blood on the spatula with his sleeve and said softly before the other party died completely: "The body makes the spirit move in a variety of ways, and the sword uses the blood knife technique. "
"Divine Movements... Blood Knife Technique? No... never heard of it." The man in gray gradually lost his sight, and finally fell silent.