Late at night, 11:30 PM.

Two mysterious figures appeared at the entrance of a residential area in Shako District.

"This residential area looks run-down. Are you sure Kong Liangping lives here? He's the captain of the public security brigade. Would he live in a place like this?" Kou Beiyue peered into the residential area and asked. "You're too young!" Zhang Yuanqing sneered, "Look at this residential area. It may look old on the surface, but the security is tight. Officials like to live in places like this. Luxury apartments and high-end residential areas are where the rich people like to live." Shako District is a bit far from Kangyang District. After meeting up, the two of them had a bowl of noodles and then took a taxi here, spending a total of an hour and a half.

Zhang Yuanqing paid for the noodles and the taxi fare.

It turns out that Kou Beiyue only had a few hundred yuan in his pocket, which he used for accommodation.

So, under the premise of not being able to steal or rob, people who can't earn money, even if they become Spirit Realm Walkers, still can't make money."Let's climb over the wall." Kou Beiyue looked at the perimeter wall equipped with a high-voltage pulse net.

"Climb over the wall? No, that's too inelegant." Zhang Yuanqing walked straight to the guard booth and said, "Follow me." Kou Beiyue watched as he quickly walked away and had no choice but to follow.

Zhang Yuanqing went to the window of the guard booth and knocked. The old man sitting inside playing with his phone looked up and saw the young man at the window. The next second, his pupils lost focus, and he sat there in a daze. Zhang Yuanqing gestured to Kou Beiyue behind him to follow him and took the lead into the residential area.

His bewitching techniques were becoming more and more skillful.

The two of them entered the residential area, found the building where Kong Liangping lived, and then climbed up to the second floor and entered the building. In front of Room 202, Zhang Yuanqing knocked on the anti-theft door.

Bang, bang.

After knocking for a while, footsteps came from inside, approaching the anti-theft door.

"Who is it?" A middle-aged woman's voice came out, and her figure stopped at the door, looking at the two people outside through the peephole. "Property management!"

"What's the matter?"

"Well, your car parked downstairs was scratched, and the owner is waiting downstairs. You should go down and take a look." Zhang Yuanqing lied. "What?"

As soon as she heard that her car had been scratched, the middle-aged woman's already low guard immediately disappeared, and she quickly opened the door, ready to go downstairs to claim compensation. But as soon as she opened the door, she froze in place, stuck in the never-ending hallway.

Stuck in a dead end.

Zhang Yuanqing stepped over the woman and entered the room, and Kou Beiyue immediately followed.

The first thing they saw was a very luxurious living room. From the furniture to the appliances, it exuded high-end and luxury. It was hard to imagine that someone would spend such a high cost to decorate in this old residential area. It would be more suitable for a high-end residential area, a villa, or a large flat.

Passing through the living room, there was a bedroom and a bathroom on the left side of the hallway, and the master bedroom was on the right.

The door to the master bedroom was half open, and the light was shining through. A middle-aged man with a high hairline was lying on his side. When he heard the footsteps, he opened his eyes and asked, "Who is it? Who are you to come knocking on my door in the middle of the night?!"

Seeing two strangers coming in, he suddenly sat up, his eyes alert and wary, instinctively looking at the hands and waists of the two "thugs" to see if they were carrying weapons. Zhang Yuanqing ignored him and turned to look, only to see Kou Beiyue with a dark complexion, breathing heavily, and his eyes filled with hatred and resentment.

The silence of the two "thugs" seemed to give Kong Liangping confidence. He threw off the covers and got out of bed, scolding, "Two little thieves, do you know who I am? How dare you break into the home of the captain of the public security brigade? Do you want to eat prison food for the rest of your life? Who are you hanging out with?"

He was very imposing, his face was red, and he didn't seem to be as fearful and weak as an ordinary person. He grabbed his phone and, from the built-in balcony of the bedroom, took out a baton and swung it at Zhang Yuanqing's head. Zhang Yuanqing raised his foot and kicked him in the stomach.

Kong Liangping, who weighed close to two hundred pounds, flew backward, and the baton fell to the ground. After landing, he rolled around, clutching his stomach, in pain, but unable to scream. "I'm going to kill him."

Kou Beiyue summoned a military dagger, his face turning pale, and he stepped forward.

Zhang Yuanqing pushed him away with a slap, stepped forward, grabbed Kong Liangping's thinning hair, and slapped him twice, causing his chubby cheeks to swell up. Kong Liangping finally caught his breath and screamed loudly.

"Shut up!" Zhang Yuanqing frowned.

Kong Liangping continued to scream, as if he wanted to attract the attention of the neighbors. As the captain of the public security brigade, he was not someone an ordinary person could compare to.

Zhang Yuanqing grabbed his hair and pressed down, and with a muffled sound, the screaming stopped abruptly, and blood spurted from Kong Liangping's nose, and his mouth was full of blood. His nasal bone was broken, and his front teeth fell out. Zhang Yuanqing sneered, "Try screaming again!"

Kong Liangping dared not scream, his voice trembling, "You, you want money, right? Take whatever you want from the house."

"We don't want money, we just want to ask you some questions."

"W-what questions?" The blood from his nose had already flowed into his mouth, but Kong Liangping dared not wipe it away.

"Do you still remember Kou Yusi? The case you handled two years ago," Zhang Yuanqing asked. Kong Liangping was first stunned, and after two or three seconds, he finally remembered this person and said,"Who are you? This case is under my jurisdiction. That girl is pitiful, being treated like an animal by her own brother," he hadn't finished speaking when Kou Beiyue roared like a little lion, "Shut your mouth. You're the animals here."

Zhang Yuanqing reached out to stop him, saying, "This guy is a pro, don't argue with him. Stick to the plan."

Kou Beiyue took a deep breath, suppressing the anger surging in his heart. He squatted down, pinching Kong Liangping's neck, his eyes showing a crimson symbol. The enchantment skill at the Transcendent stage required a considerable amount of time to fully control a person.

We are "pawread.com", find us on google.

The fastest method would be to use violence to force a confession out of Kong Liangping, but even though Zhang Yuanqing had killed before, he couldn't bring himself to torture someone. He had psychological barriers.

In the gap while Kou Beiyue was enchanting Kong Liangping, Zhang Yuanqing walked out of the bedroom, brought the middle-aged woman standing at the door back to the living room, then lurked in the dark corridor, listening for any signs of the neighbors noticing something was wrong and preparing to call the police.

Fortunately, Kong Liangping's house had good soundproofing, and the commotion they caused wasn't loud or prolonged. The neighbors on the same floor didn't notice anything unusual. Zhang Yuanqing silently returned to the living room, closed the security door, and opened the attribute panel, cursing under his breath.

Two points of morality deducted.

What a loss. Tomorrow, he would donate some money to a charity through Guan Ya to earn back the two points of morality. He sat on the sofa in the living room, waiting. After about half an hour, Kou Beiyue's voice came from inside, "It's done."

Zhang Yuanqing immediately got up and went to the bedroom, only to see Kong Liangping, dressed in pajamas, sitting on the edge of the bed with a tissue stuffed in his nose, looking uneasy and apprehensive, like a primary school student who had done something wrong.

"I enchanted him. Confession brings leniency, resistance brings severity," Kou Beiyue lowered his voice, "He's being very honest now. He'll say whatever you ask, and the effect will last for 12 hours."

Does confession and resistance also require enchantment? Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, then looked at the anxious Kong Liangping and asked, "During your time as the captain, what illegal and disciplinary actions did you take?"

Kong Liangping confessed to his wrongdoings with a regretful expression, including taking bribes, extorting the families of detainees, engaging in inappropriate relationships with female subordinates, and soliciting prostitutes. Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, this guy is in for it. If the King of Demons finds out, he'll skin you alive.

"What's the deal with Kong Yusi's case?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.

"That was Chief Lu's order, the deputy chief of our Public Security Bureau. He asked me to help handle this matter, fabricate evidence, and frame Kong Yusi's brother. It was all at his instruction. Chief Lu promised to promote me to captain as long as I helped with this case."

"Do you know who killed Kong Yusi?"

"It should be someone from the special department," Kong Liangping said.

The security officers of the Public Security Bureau were aware of the existence of the special department, but most people didn't know that the employees of the special department had supernatural abilities. Even if they did know, they would have to sign a confidentiality agreement. While it couldn't completely stop the spread of rumors, it greatly limited their circulation.

Of course, the higher-ups of the Public Security Bureau definitely knew about the practitioners of the Ling Realm, such as the captains and chiefs.

Some wealthy businessmen and high-ranking officials were very superstitious about feng shui and fortune-telling, and held "otherworldly experts" in high regard. This was where it all started. Zhang Yuanqing glanced at Kou Beiyue and asked, "Why did the people from the special department kill Kong Yusi?"

Kong Liangping looked hesitant, as if it was a secret that couldn't be revealed. After about ten seconds, his personal will was suppressed by the power of enchantment, and he truthfully said, "Because that woman was a bird raised in the Bronze Sparrow Tower."

What does that mean? Zhang Yuanqing and Kou Beiyue looked puzzled.

The former's confusion stemmed from not understanding what the Bronze Sparrow Tower referred to, while the latter simply hadn't heard of the Bronze Sparrow Tower and was completely baffled. Kong Liangping explained, "The Bronze Sparrow Tower is what we call it in our circle. I only found out about it after becoming the captain. It's actually an independent residential area with only two buildings, located at 38 New Yuan Road in the remote Sha Kou district." The mastermind behind it is called Master Wu, whose real name is Wu Xingye. He has many companies in Songhai and is said to have assets worth hundreds of billions. Master Wu used to be a thug, making a living by selling drugs and running underground gambling dens.

"Later, he got into pyramid schemes. In addition to helping him swindle money, the pyramid scheme team specifically targeted some pretty girls from out of town, sending them to the Bronze Sparrow Tower for training, turning them into playthings that dare not resist, to entertain some dignitaries." Chief Lu and the leader of the special department are frequent visitors to the Bronze Sparrow Tower, and there are many others like them."

Zhang Yuanqing's temples throbbed.

Kou Beiyue's chest heaved, the veins on the back of his hand gripping the dagger bulging. He squeezed out a few words through his teeth, "My sister resigned and went into business with a fellow villager. It's my fault for not stopping her. She's always worried about my future and has developed anxiety about making money. She spent a month in there, and I can't bear to think about what she went through."

Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath, "How long has it been? I mean, how long has the Bronze Sparrow Tower been around?"

Kong Liangping thought for a moment and said, "About a decade."

Has no one ever investigated it? Zhang Yuanqing asked."Girls do occasionally escape and report to the Public Security Bureau, but their complaints are quickly suppressed, and the escapees are sent back. After a few days of torment, they become obedient. It's all about beating them—beat them until they hurt, beat them until they're scared, and then they'll fall in line. The other women inside see that escaping is futile and rarely dare to resist. They quietly serve Master Wu's guests, never lacking food or clothing, which is better than losing their lives, I suppose."

A place of indulgence, a place that satisfies the private desires of the powerful—it's no wonder Chi Yue'an would kill to silence them. This matter isn't just about simple imprisonment and abuse; it could implicate a whole string of prominent figures.

Zhang Yuanqing suppressed the rage in his heart: "Do you know where Master Wu lives?"

Kong Liangping replied, "I don't. But most of the time, he's at the Bronze Sparrow Tower. He's there about three or four days a week. Since many high-status guests visit daily for entertainment, he has to accompany them in gambling, losing money, and then selecting young and beautiful girls to serve them."

"Do you have a photo of him?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.

Kong Liangping shook his head: "He keeps a low profile and doesn't take photos. I can describe his appearance though: about 1.8 meters tall, in his forties, with a beard and a mole on his right cheek." Zhang Yuanqing silently took note and turned to Kou Beiyue: "Knock him out. We're going to make a trip to the Bronze Sparrow Tower."

"I want to kill him," Kou Beiyue said.

Zhang Yuanqing spoke sternly: "No, he's an important witness."

Kou Beiyue enunciated each word: "I don't need a witness. I want blood for blood." After speaking, he turned to Zhang Yuanqing: "You, step outside for a moment."

The young man's eyes were filled with anger, pain, and a hint of pleading. Zhang Yuanqing opened his mouth but said nothing more, exiting the bedroom and closing the door behind him.

The night was deep, and it was precisely midnight. Zhang Yuanqing bought a pack of cigarettes from a 24-hour convenience store. Two people who didn't smoke puffed and exhaled as they walked along the deserted, silent streets. Rarely did Zhang Yuanqing feel the urge to smoke like he did now.

"If you kill him, by dawn, we won't be able to keep this quiet, and we won't have much time left," Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a breath of smoke that hadn't touched his lungs. Kou Beiyue, with his fighting spirit high and no longer looking gloomy, said:

"Then let's go to the Bronze Sparrow Tower now, kill that Master Wu, and rescue the women inside." "Foolish!" Zhang Yuanqing snorted coldly:

"Killing him would make Chi Yue'an bow in gratitude. What we need to do is to bring down an official. Sigh, if it were only him involved, it would be easier, but this is a serious matter, involving too many people. We don't know if there are other officials or official practitioners involved besides Chi Yue'an. This is going to be troublesome to handle."

Kou Beiyue thought for a moment, then said: "What about reporting it?" "Reporting?" Zhang Yuanqing pondered and replied:

"If we go through official channels, we need evidence. The Five Elements Alliance controls some of the evidence, and the elders will only take notice if it's substantial.

"As for others, don't forget, some wealthy and powerful figures are also involved, and they're not under the jurisdiction of the Five Elements Alliance, which only governs practitioners of the Spirit Realm. You don't know, but the higher-ups are actually very wary of the Five Elements Alliance overstepping and meddling in 'mundane' affairs.

"Moreover, such incidents require real-name reporting. Anonymous reports are mostly suppressed due to the many people involved. But real-name reporting would expose us, which is very disadvantageous for us."

Kou Beiyue didn't care: "We'll go to the Bronze Sparrow Tower now to find evidence. What's there to fear? A man's life is like a bird in the sky; I've been risking my life in the instances, and I've long been ready to die." He then belatedly realized something and glanced at Zhang Yuanqing: "Then you shouldn't get involved. I'm already disgraced, my parents disown me, and Xiao Yuan doesn't want me anymore. If I die, all will be settled."

Zhang Yuanqing also looked at him: "If it were two months ago, I probably would have chickened out, thinking it's better to be safe than sorry. But now, I'm a lawful professional, and even you, an evil professional, know to eradicate evil and promote good. If I were to chicken out, how could I justify my salary of fifty thousand a month?"

"Besides," he revealed a wildly arrogant smile:

"Now that I have supernatural powers, why should I tolerate all this crap and these beastly people?"