Chapter 3962 — No More Enduring It

Most people feared the Law Enforcement Hall the way they feared a tiger. However overbearing a man might be out in the world, once he stepped in here, a dragon had to coil and a tiger had to crouch; the slightest trace of insolence, and he would find no grave to be buried in.

That Wei Zhao should actually dare to raise a hand—even Ma Jian had not foreseen it. A fool to that degree might turn up once in ten thousand.

And yet this was just as well. Wei Zhao's outburst was practically a confession; there was no need for a Soul-Search Art at all—the man had passed his own death sentence!

Any outsider who dared to strike within the Law Enforcement Hall, whatever his station, was to be slain without mercy—those were Gongyang Jun's own words. Even if they killed Wei Zhao right here and now, they would bear no responsibility whatsoever; they might even be commended for it.

In terms of strength, this Enforcement Envoy and Ma Jian were both mid-Foundation Establishment—no weaklings. Yet before he could so much as touch a hair on Wei Zhao's head, a foot slammed without warning into his belly, and the man was sent flying several zhang, crashing hard against the iron wall forged of adamant steel, where he lay unable to rise for a long while.

"I really am a nobody, true enough. But unrelated parties had best stay out of the way—otherwise, if I happen to strike too hard and kill you by accident, that would be a shame." Wei Zhao shot him a cold glance.

Watching from the side, Ma Jian felt his heart lurch. He had witnessed Wei Zhao's strength with his own eyes back during the new recruits' assessment, but now to see his comrade felled in a single exchange—this was a bit much, even by exaggeration's standards!

"Hmph, big words. You merely caught him off guard with a sneak attack. Do you think we Enforcement Envoys are all easy meat? To dare raise a hand in the Law Enforcement Hall—today you'll see how you die!" Ma Jian put on a show of toughness, but in truth he was fierce in word and cowardly at heart. Even as he spoke, one hand crept stealthily toward the hidden bell beneath the table.

His strength was little better than that of his fallen comrade, and he privately doubted he was any match for Wei Zhao. But it did not matter—this was, after all, the Law Enforcement Hall, where experts were countless. Once the hidden bell rang, Wei Zhao, however capable, would have no choice but to surrender meekly.

Little did he know that this clever little maneuver of his could not escape Wei Zhao's eyes. Before he could even touch the bell, Wei Zhao had flashed to his back and seized his arm in one hand, giving him no chance to succeed.

"Ow, ow, ow! Let go of me, quick—one shout from me and you're a dead man, no question!" Ma Jian was gripped by the immense force radiating from Wei Zhao's hand, the pain cutting through him. Even a mid-Foundation Establishment expert was still human; he feared death, and he feared pain.

Ma Jian's words were not empty, either. Unfortunately, this was a dedicated interrogation room—so long as the door stayed shut, shouting for help was a waste of breath. And besides, if others truly saw this scene—him subdued by a mere newcomer from the Azure Cloud Pavilion—the humiliation would be unbearable!

"All right." Wei Zhao nodded placidly, then obligingly released the man's arm.

But before Ma Jian could draw a breath of relief, the hand Wei Zhao had just released clamped instantly around his throat—like a duck seized by the neck, Ma Jian could not get his breath in, his face flushing crimson as his eyes rolled back.

"Now you shouldn't have the strength left to call for anyone, should you?" A murderous chill blazed in Wei Zhao's eyes; judging by that expression, he truly seemed intent on a bloodbath right here.

Choked breathless, Ma Jian was seized by boundless terror. Even though he had clearly seen that Wei Zhao meant to act, he had clung instinctively to a sliver of hope, believing at heart that Wei Zhao would not be so foolish as to truly start a slaughter here—otherwise, given his strength, even if he proved no match for Wei Zhao, he would not have been subdued so easily.

Watching Ma Jian—a dignified Enforcement Envoy, a dignified mid-Foundation Establishment expert—about to lose his life at Wei Zhao's hands, the other Enforcement Envoy in the room finally struggled to his feet against the iron wall and said with effort, "Hold on, spare him! Killing him would at most vent your anger—it does you no good at all. Why court death for nothing?"

Wei Zhao glanced at him, then suddenly grinned and said slowly, "You want me to spare his life? Fine. Do one thing for me, and I can let this dog live for now."

"What thing?" This Enforcement Envoy was named Niu Qiang. He and Ma Jian had been boon companions since childhood, brothers who shared a single pair of trousers—at a time like this, he could not simply stand by and watch him die.

"Don't be nervous, it's a trifling little errand. It won't put you in a difficult spot." Wei Zhao, unhurried and composed, went on: "Go find someone for me—a newcomer of the Azure Cloud Pavilion like myself, by the name of Xiao Che. Tell him I've run into trouble here, and have him find help. But so I know you actually went, have him write me a note and bring it back!"

"Simple as that?" Niu Qiang frowned, unconvinced. That Wei Zhao wanted help was not hard to understand, but to seek out a mere Azure Cloud Pavilion newcomer—was that not far too childish?

In any case, that Wei Zhao had openly struck a blow in the Law Enforcement Hall was plain fact, impossible to deny.

A crime like that was far graver than killing Meng Jueming. After all, no one who had ever committed such an act had ever walked out of the Law Enforcement Hall alive.

To his mind, Wei Zhao was more or less grasping at the last straw. Under Gongyang Jun, the Law Enforcement Hall had always been a one-voice affair; seeking help from ordinary people was utterly useless. Only a top figure on the order of the Pavilion Master of the Triple-Tiered Pavilion could possibly have any sway—yet for a mere Azure Cloud Pavilion newcomer to know the Master of the Triple-Tiered Pavilion, was that realistic?

"Simple as that." Wei Zhao's face was full of certainty. From the moment he chose to act, he had already settled on this plan in his mind—he was hardly a mindless brute, after all. Without a follow-up move, how could he have dared to strike in a place like this?

As for whether the method would work, only time could tell. Who said that a mere newcomer of the Azure Cloud Pavilion could not possibly summon a top figure to his aid?

"Fine. Then wait here—I hope you keep your word." Seeing Wei Zhao insistent, Niu Qiang was only too glad to wait and watch him fail; so long as Ma Jian was saved, that was all that mattered. To be continued.. R752