Chapter 49: You Owe Me Respect, but I Owe You Nothing

Words : 1398 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

The two brothers climbed the stairs. Before they even reached the door, the thick stench of blood hit them. Stepping inside with heavy hearts, they saw flesh and blood strewn across the floor. At the center of it all lay Tang Hu—split in two. Gao Zhengliang cast them a helpless look. Sure, Tang Hu had been brainless, but Gao didn’t have a particularly bad impression of Wuzang Shengshe as a whole. Especially Tang Bao. Smart, pragmatic, and even helpful to the Public Security Bureau. Aside from their previous minor disagreement, the two of them hadn’t had much conflict. One was the director of Bao Fan District’s Public Security Bureau. The other was the founder of Wuzang Shengshe, the district’s underground powerhouse. One was an ordinary man. The other, a Cultivator of Qi. No real clashes of interest. They might not always see eye to eye, but the world wasn’t all about bitter feuds and irreconcilable grudges. Tang Bao and Tang Long’s gazes fell upon Lu Ding, who sat at the head of the room. The man was simply sitting there, yet he exuded an oppressive aura, like a king upon his throne. It wasn’t something Lu Ding was deliberately projecting— It was something their subconscious minds imposed upon him. Deep down, they were afraid of him. He didn’t play by the usual rules. He followed order, but only the rules of 749 Bureau and his own—never the rules of the outside world. By all logic, a person like that shouldn’t live long. But Lu Ding was different. He was powerful enough to back up his attitude. His growth period was short. His rise was meteoric. If you weren’t paying attention, you’d think he was still behind you. But when you turned around, you’d realize he had already left you in the dust—so far ahead you couldn’t even see his taillights. A man like that—was not someone they could afford to make an enemy of. Tang Bao glanced at Gao Zhengliang, seeking help. All he got in return was an expression of helpless sympathy. He understood. Whatever happened today, he would have to handle it himself. Bang! Before even closing the distance between them, Tang Bao fell to his knees. His kneecaps cracked against the blood-soaked floor. "I'm sorry, Investigator Lu. My Second Brother was reckless and caused you trouble. Punishment, retribution—we accept it all. But please, show some mercy and leave us a path forward." Beside him, Tang Long knelt in silence. Tang Bao’s voice was sincere, and he held up the thorned branches in both hands, raising them high above his head. Lu Ding: … Well, this was tricky. They were all too damn smart. He couldn’t even use this as an excuse to push them further. Forget it. Tang Hu was already dead. Tang Bao and Tang Long had no ulterior motives. Their attitude was sincere. Lu Ding spoke at a steady pace, unhurried. "From the day I took office until now, it's been a long time. I've never sought to make trouble for you. As long as you follow the law, you do your thing, I do mine. We don’t interfere with each other." "You owe me respect—that’s expected. But I owe you nothing—that’s also expected." "I've seen your attitude today, so we'll leave this matter here. Whether you take my words as a warning or a threat, make sure you remember them well." "I don’t want this kind of situation to happen again. As for your dealings with Zhenla Kingdom—file a request, I’ll sign off on it. And don’t forget to pay your taxes." After everything that had happened, Lu Ding had a strong feeling that this year’s Ghost Festival wouldn’t be boring. Bao Fan District was too big for him to cover alone. And incidents during Ghost Festival weren’t a one-time thing. Every year, during Ghost Festival, Qingming, Chongyang, New Year’s Eve—any of those days tied to supernatural occurrences—something always happened. It was the same all across the country. When the time came, 749 Bureau wouldn’t have enough manpower, and Lu Ding couldn’t be everywhere at once. That was why local Cultivators of Qi were allowed to exist in the first place. As for the ritual materials trade… Digging too deeply into that would be pointless. The saying went: No trade, no slaughter. But domestic demand was too high. That demand would inevitably breed crime—whether among ordinary people or Cultivators. So instead, they shifted the trade abroad and collected taxes on it domestically. The money went straight to 749 Bureau’s pockets, and they didn’t even have to provide the materials themselves. A win-win situation. It strengthened their control, increased revenue, and avoided unnecessary trouble. What’s not to like? Hearing Lu Ding’s words, Tang Bao finally let out a long breath. Wuzang Shengshe was safe. The ritual materials issue was resolved. It turned out that Corpse-Shattering Taishui wasn’t as difficult to deal with as the rumors said. At least, not entirely. That was exactly what Lu Ding wanted him to think. This was all about psychology. To give a simple example— If a good person was good their whole life, but one day, under pressure or by accident, did something bad… People would say, So they were just pretending to be good. Their true colors finally showed. But if a bad person spent their whole life doing bad things, and one day, out of disgust or coincidence, did something good… People would say, See? Deep down, they’re not actually bad. They’re just emotional. I think we should give them a chance. And many would agree. That was the power of breaking expectations. When someone’s personality and actions showed contrast, they left a stronger impression. In Tang Bao and Tang Long’s eyes, Lu Ding was exactly like that. His reputation was infamous, but in their direct experience, he wasn’t as terrible as the rumors claimed. Sure, it had cost them a brother’s life. But still, they could think to themselves— Huh. This guy… isn’t that bad. "Thank you, Investigator Lu!!!" Lu Ding stood up. "No need to thank me. We’re just… reaching an understanding." As he walked past Tang Bao, the latter turned his head slightly to watch Lu Ding’s departing figure. There was deep thought in his gaze. He had seen powerful people before. He had seen prodigies before. But someone like Lu Ding… this was a first. Sometimes, a person’s charisma wasn’t just about attraction or admiration—it was about the mix of many strong emotions, intertwining to create something that could only be called… presence. From Lu Ding, Tang Bao finally understood what it meant to have someone stand right in front of you—yet feel completely out of reach. And against the backdrop of all that blood, that oppressive aura… It was violence turned into art. Dinghao Complex’s Yin Domain Overlap. Tang Hu’s brutal death, his body utterly destroyed. Two incidents that could shake all of Bao Fan District— Had happened in a single night. The whole district was in an uproar. Lu Ding rarely showed his face in public, so outsiders didn’t know much about him. But after tonight’s events, curiosity about the Bao Fan District Patrol Investigator only grew. Among those intrigued, Cao Ying was the most interested of all. Unlike the others, he had actually met Lu Ding before. Though they hadn’t talked much—only exchanged nods in passing—Lu Ding had left him with a distinct impression. A sense of being kindred yet different. Their overall paths were similar, but their goals diverged. And now, with these two major incidents… Cao Ying scraped the foam off his tea with the lid of his bowl, took a sip of the top-grade Monkey King Green tea personally picked and processed by Treasure Hunters deep in the mountains, then clicked his tongue in thought. His life had been much like the tea leaves in his cup— Born obscure in the forests, scorched by heat, scalded by boiling water, cut through trials of fire and blade—only to finally develop the richness he had now. But it wasn’t enough. Not even close. He wanted more. Suddenly— Cao Ying’s eyes lit up. "That’s it! Instead of dealing with these local nobodies, why not go straight to Lu Ding? With his strength and rising reputation, as long as I have his backing, who in Caojia Alley would dare to challenge my position!?"

Chapter 49: You Owe Me Respect, but I Owe You Nothing

Comments (0)