Chapter 2

The thunderous gunshots and the faint smell of gunpowder on the embankment all dissipated in the howling river wind.

Han Laoye's body had long since drifted away, no one knew where.

The only trace left was a few bullet casings on the embankment.

Gao Qian swept them away with his foot, sending the bullet casings into the river, erasing the last bit of evidence.

As for whether Han Laoye's body would be found downstream, Gao Qian didn't care at all.

The Alliance states were essentially autonomous, with officials at all levels being corrupt, and gangs rampant. As long as no one investigated, no one would care about the life or death of a mere patrol officer.

Gao Qian said to the girl in white, "Ling'er, you can go back, you don't need to keep watching over me."

He was able to travel to this world entirely because of the Taiyi Order. Ling'er was the spirit born from the Taiyi Order.

In the material world, Ling'er was like a ghost, visible only to him.

His ability to withstand bullets and his boundless strength were all due to Ling'er helping him cultivate the *Vajra Divine Power Sutra*.

However, Ling'er was a bit nagging, constantly reminding him to observe the precepts.

Ling'er said with some concern, "Dad, you've already observed the precepts for 999 consecutive days. Just one more day, and you can凝聚道德灵光。爸爸不要冲动啊。"

She had been watching from the side and understood the general course of events. She knew Gao Qian's character; he would definitely seek revenge on Du Tao.

"非礼勿言，非礼勿行。" These two precepts seem simple, but observing them is very difficult.

Especially in violent fights, she was afraid Gao Qian might break the precepts by accident.

"Relax."

Gao Qian pointed to his temple and said, "Dad's mind is very clear..."

He understood Ling'er's concern, but it was unnecessary.

He had been cultivating the *Vajra Divine Power Sutra* for twelve years and knew the importance of observing the precepts.

Breaking the precepts once would cost him a day of cultivation.

Moreover, he had already observed the precepts for 999 consecutive days. Observing them for 1,000 days would grant him moral light and allow him to open the moral sky lotus, which was extremely important to him.

Du Tao, such a despicable person, was not worth breaking the precepts for.

Ling'er was still a bit worried: "The Black Butterfly Bar is likely the Black Tiger Gang's stronghold. Dad, going there alone is still too dangerous."

Gao Qian shook his head: "Speed is of the essence. A surprise attack will give me the upper hand. As long as I deal with Duan Heihu and Du Tao, this small gang will fall apart on its own."

He had been in Linhai for less than a month but already had a basic understanding of the gangs in the area.

The Black Tiger Gang was the most powerful, with the harshest means of making money.

They forced women into prostitution, sold illegal drugs, and smuggled weapons, earning every penny with blood.

Even if the Black Tiger Gang hadn't provoked him, he would have gathered evidence to take them down.

This time, Han Laoye had tricked him, saying he would meet an informant by the river to introduce him.

He never expected it to be a trap set by Du Tao and Duan Heihu.

Since the other side didn't play by the rules, Gao Qian wouldn't either.

"非礼勿言，非礼勿行." The standard of "礼" (propriety) is determined by his inner judgment.

Gao Qian's understanding was simple: propriety is order, rules, etiquette, and fairness.

Like killing Han Laoye, since the other side struck first, he believed his actions were in line with "礼," and thus would not violate the precepts.

Conversely, if he accidentally swore or was impolite in some detail, like spitting randomly, his cultivation for the day would be wasted.

It's easy to imagine how difficult it is to observe the precepts for 1,000 consecutive days.

...

In the office on the fourth floor of the Black Butterfly Bar.

The office was luxuriously decorated, with a large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the room brightly.

A thick, deep red wool carpet covered the floor, and a large solid wood desk was placed in the main position, accompanied by a leather executive chair.

Duan Heihu, with his dark skin, was lounging in the chair, his legs arrogantly propped up on the desk. A black "王" (king) character was tattooed on his forehead, looking extremely conspicuous and arrogant.

A square color TV was placed opposite him, playing an entertainment show.

Several large men were sitting on the sofas on both sides, all armed with knives and guns, looking fierce.

Duan Heihu glanced at his gold watch, a bit impatient, "It's already nine o'clock!"

"Is the person you sent capable?"

"Han Laoye, fat but cunning, with excellent marksmanship. Killing an unsuspecting kid should be a piece of cake."

Du Tao, leaning against the desk, said, "Don't worry, Han Fatty is reliable..."

Before he finished speaking, a large man ran in, "Boss, someone named Gao Qian is looking for Brother Du..."

Du Tao's face immediately changed, and he stood up, "Gao Qian?"

"Yes, wearing a patrol officer's uniform, very handsome, with a slicked-back hairstyle, and a very dignified appearance..."

Hearing the man's description, Du Tao's face darkened even more. It was definitely Gao Qian.

What left the deepest impression on people about Gao Qian was his handsome and neat appearance. No matter when, he always looked as if he had just taken a shower, styled his hair, and changed into new clothes, always radiating a fresh and bright aura.

"Damn it," Du Tao cursed. Since Gao Qian had come, it meant Han Fatty had failed.

Duan Heihu grinned and took out a sharp dagger from the drawer, "This kid delivered himself, saving us the trouble. I'll rip out his heart and liver with my own hands..."

As soon as Gao Qian entered the office, everyone's eyes were on him.

The large men's gazes were extremely fierce, like a pack of hungry beasts.

They were in the business of murder and arson, with countless lives on their hands.

The killing aura they exuded was not fake.

To everyone's surprise, Gao Qian remained calm, seemingly unaffected by the fierce gazes.

Gao Qian was indeed handsome and dignified, standing tall and straight, especially his bright and piercing eyes, which shone brilliantly.

Gao Qian greeted Du Tao warmly, "Captain Du, I'm sorry to disturb you so late."

He paused and then asked naturally, "Captain Du, I have a question. Did you ask Brother Han to kill me?"

The question left Du Tao a bit stunned. He had done many bad things, but no one had ever asked him this directly.

He wasn't afraid of Gao Qian, but he felt a bit guilty and was embarrassed to admit it.

Gao Qian noticed Du Tao's subtle expression and smiled, "Captain Du, did Brother Han make it up, or did you do it and dare not admit it?"

Du Tao felt a bit ashamed and angry. He lacked quick thinking, and Gao Qian's unconventional approach left him at a loss for how to respond.

Duan Heihu, disapproving of Du Tao's weakness, said bluntly, "Kid, I'll let you die with your eyes open. You took my goods, so you deserve to die! Understand?"

"Interfering with someone's livelihood is like killing their parents."

Gao Qian said sincerely, "I understand that."

Duan Heihu didn't care about Gao Qian's politeness. He grinned and stood up with the knife, "You delivered yourself, so I'll send you on your way!"

The large men understood and surrounded Gao Qian. Two of them grabbed his arms, and another one locked his neck from behind.

"Idiot, you talk too much!"

Duan Heihu's eyes glinted with malice. He despised Gao Qian's demeanor, which seemed polite but lacked sufficient respect.

To him, this was a serious offense.

Seeing Duan Heihu approach, Gao Qian patiently tried to reason, "Mr. Duan, calm down. If you get too angry, I'll have to defend myself."

Duan Heihu didn't want to waste time. He tightly pursed his lips and raised the gleaming dagger.

He wanted to see if this kid's mouth would still chatter after his belly was sliced open and his organs were pulled out!

Gao Qian wasn't talkative; he was just following the principle of "非礼勿行" (do not act improperly).

"礼" (propriety) is order, rules, and etiquette. He needed a sufficient reason to act.

Waiting for the other side to make the first move or show strong malice was the safest strategy. Even if he killed them, he couldn't say anything offensive!

Seeing Duan Heihu getting closer, Gao Qian suddenly exerted his strength.

The two large men, despite holding his arms with both hands, were no match for his strength.

Gao Qian's arm muscles tensed, and he easily broke free from their grip. Before they could react, he grabbed their collars and slammed them together.

They didn't even know what happened. Their vision blurred, and they flew through the air, colliding in front of Gao Qian.

The two large men crashed into each other, their heads exploding in a spray of blood.

The large man who had locked Gao Qian's neck realized the danger and tried to strangle him.

Gao Qian threw the two dead men aside and turned to strike with his elbow.

His elbow hit the large man's ribs, shattering at least four of them. The force continued inward, striking the liver.

The powerful blow shattered the large man's liver, and the intense pain instantly rendered him unconscious.

Though he wasn't dead, he was almost incapacitated.

Du Tao's eyes widened in disbelief at the immense strength hidden in Gao Qian's slender body!

His ferocity was a stark contrast to his usual polite demeanor.

Duan Heihu was much calmer than Du Tao. Without hesitation, he turned and ran to the desk.

A loaded Black Star pistol was in the drawer, with an 11-round magazine, semi-automatic, 5.5mm caliber, capable of penetrating a 1cm thick steel plate within 20 meters.

Duan Heihu reached the desk, opened the drawer, and took out the Black Star pistol.

Gao Qian had already rushed over, and they were separated only by the desk.

No matter how strong the other side was, the desk kept him out of reach.

Duan Heihu's ugly face showed a cold smile. Within seven steps, a gun is fast; within seven steps, a gun is both fast and accurate.

Just as Duan Heihu was about to raise the gun, his vision suddenly went dark.

Before he could react, the heavy solid wood desk, weighing 300 pounds, flipped and crashed down.

The beautiful redwood desk landed with a loud thud, completely covering Duan Heihu.

The deafening sound of the desk landing, along with the overturned chair, shook the floor.

Du Tao was startled.

(During the new book period, I'll update twice a day for now. Please support me!)