Chapter 48: The Tide of the Era

"Go on in!"

Zhang Ji was pushed into a single temporary holding cell at the enforcement bureau by an enforcement officer.

"Wait!" The man glanced at the Moonlit Chalice hanging on Zhang Ji's chest, his eyes rolling, and then said, "You can't take this inside!"

With that, he reached out to grab the Moonlit Chalice.

However, his hand was intercepted and caught by Zhang Ji.

With just a slight exertion of force from Zhang Ji, the man let out a direct scream.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!"

Zhang Ji released his grip and tossed him aside.

Enraged, the man drew his pistol, aimed it at Zhang Ji, and barked, "Still acting arrogant even after coming in here? Do you think learning a bit of martial arts makes you something special? Do you know what place this is?"

Zhang Ji narrowed his eyes, disgusted by the other's sheer stupidity.

Just as he was about to demonstrate his martial prowess once again, the captain of the enforcement team, having heard the commotion, walked over.

"What are you drawing your gun for?" The captain strode up quickly, delivered a hard smack to the back of the man's head, and scolded, "I told you to lock someone up, why are you causing so much trouble? Let me tell you, today is different from usual. Put away all your little tricks. If something goes wrong, the lives of your entire family combined won't be enough to pay the price!"

With that, the enforcement captain turned his gaze to Zhang Ji, his tone softening considerably, and said, "Please go inside yourself. We are merely following orders; I must ask you not to make things difficult for us."

Unlike the person who had been squeezed into the position through connections, this enforcement captain was well aware of Zhang Ji's background.

His strength was estimated to be at least professional ninth-grade or above, and he was the current champion of the martial arts tournament.

If they truly pushed this person to the point of anger, people like them wouldn't even be worth a second glance.

Their deaths would be a minor matter; if the plans of those higher up failed to proceed smoothly, that would be the real disaster.

Bothering with a mere flunky was beneath Zhang Ji, so he turned and walked into the holding cell.

The sound of the door locking echoed from behind, but Zhang Ji's expression remained unchanged.

He was not the only one arrested this time; virtually the entire upper echelon of the Five-Shape Sect had been rounded up.

Zhang Ji was unsure whether this was on account of Xiao Ningning's death, though it hardly seemed likely.

If they were truly avenging Xiao Ningning, theoretically, targeting him alone would have sufficed.

When Li Long had done something similar in the past, he had merely been exiled to Shanyi Island.

The current situation felt entirely wrong.

Unfortunately, he had spent this entire period wholly absorbed in martial arts practice, and he was not entirely clear on what had transpired.

Before coming here, however, Li Long had instructed him to remain calm and avoid stirring up trouble, so he decided to bide his time for the moment and observe how things unfolded.

If push came to shove, the walls of this enforcement hall were nothing—he could punch a clean passage right through them with a single strike.

...

On the other side, Li Long and Yan Ruifeng had been placed in the same room.

This had been done at their own request.

Both Yan Ruifeng and Li Long even still held their mobile phones.

The enforcement hall could not refuse—or rather, they were powerless to stop them.

They simply had to afford these two grandmasters this level of respect.

"Master, has he responded?" Li Long asked Yan Ruifeng.

"He said he will arrive by the early hours of the morning at the latest," Yan Ruifeng replied.

To have a council member personally step in, meet with them, and bail them out—that alone spoke volumes about the magnitude of the situation.

Instantly, a deep frown furrowed Li Long's brow.

At first, he had assumed this was fallout from Zhang Ji's actions, but a creeping sense of unease had quickly set in.

The scale of this operation was simply too grand.

It was too colossal to imagine.

It felt as though it were directly targeting the entire Five-Shape Sect.

He found it hard to believe this was reality.

Because an entity as massive as the Five-Shape Sect—if it truly fell, it would be an utterly terrifying ordeal.

Furthermore, Li Long struggled to comprehend why the Five-Shape Sect would be targeted in the first place.

...

Three in the morning.

Liu Hedong's vehicle arrived at the Beixi City enforcement hall.

Without encountering any obstruction, he proceeded directly to the holding cell where Yan Ruifeng and Li Long were detained.

Standing outside, Liu Hedong looked through the glass at the two grandmasters within.

His gaze was laden with complexity.

Yan Ruifeng looked at the man before him and asked, "What has happened?"

"Within a year, they intend to clear away all designated resistance. They will no longer permit private armed forces of such scale to exist. People in the martial arts world have only two choices: surrender their authority and swear allegiance to the authorities, or disband on the spot and be absorbed by the state. If they choose to resist, there is only one consequence..." Liu Hedong answered concisely.

To any nation, the very phrase "martial arts world" carried deeply negative connotations.

Martial artists used force to defy prohibitions and disregarded laws and regulations. Whenever discontent arose, rather than expressing grievances through normal rules and channels, they vastly preferred to rely on the law of the jungle—the rule that might makes right, where the strong prey upon the weak—using their personal martial might to seize everything they desired.

Individuals of this sort numbered in the tens of thousands within sects like the Five-Shape Sect.

In the course of growing to the colossal entity it was today, the Five-Shape Sect had utilized its martial strength on countless occasions.

There was no helping it; after all, violence and power were exceptionally effective tools.

It aligned perfectly with the logic of the natural world.

Yet, regrettably, the times had changed.

An ordinary person clad in combat armor could rival a grandmaster.

Even a professional martial artist could not withstand a bullet of larger caliber.

Society demanded stability, and power required centralization.

No ruling class enjoyed watching a group of untamable factions beneath them do as they pleased, treating the established rules as mere suggestions.

"So that's how it is!" Yan Ruifeng felt a sense of release, and he remarked, "Just like the Vajra Sect and the others back then?"

"Yes," Liu Hedong replied. "If you are willing to sign a letter of guarantee, everyone will be allowed to leave."

Behind Liu Hedong, his secretary stepped forward and handed over a guarantee document. The contents were remarkably brief, yet weighed immensely heavy.

"Are you taking a bite of this pie as well?"

Yan Ruifeng looked at Liu Hedong with a trace of sentimental reflection in his eyes.

"You must understand, rather than letting others devour them completely, it is better to hand them over to me. At the very least, a shred of dignity can be preserved," Liu Hedong said. "I will not push things to a bloody annihilation. Leave it to me, and afterward, you will all still be able to live relatively normal lives."

"Leave Golden Hook Mountain to us!" Yan Ruifeng demanded.

"No!" Liu Hedong shook his head. "Even the symbols cannot be retained, let alone Golden Hook Mountain, which involves such a massive tourism industry. The most I can do is, after the Five-Shape Sect is dissolved, leave each of you with a sum of money so you can retire in anonymity among the common folk."

"And if we choose to resist?" Li Long suddenly chimed in.

His eyes burned with anger, and even a hint of murderous intent.

"You should know very well that it would be meaningless. If the Five-Shape Sect is labeled as a terrorist organization, the military will be the ones arriving. Moreover, the use of heavy-payload weaponry cannot be ruled out. A single medium-range missile would be enough to wipe the Five-Shape Sect out of existence, and I am certain they would be quite pleased to see such a spectacle," Liu Hedong said calmly.

Yan Ruifeng caught Li Long by the wrist and said to Liu Hedong, "We agree."

He had lived through that era personally and had witnessed the outcome when the martial arts world attempted to stand against the state. Even that terrestrial immortal of the Northern Dao Sect had ultimately had no choice but to choose seclusion.

One could only say that the times had changed; the ones destined to lead this era would no longer be martial artists.

The tide of the times rolled forward inexorably, and it was time for them to temporarily step off the stage.

As long as they kept their lives, that was all that mattered. With their capabilities, they would return sooner or later.

Li Long's clenched fists finally relaxed, and Yan Ruifeng affixed his signature to the document.

"You have made the correct choice," Liu Hedong said, taking the guarantee back.

...

...

Outside the enforcement hall.

Zhang Ji, Shen Han, and the others walked out into the open air. Waiting for them outside were Yan Ruifeng, Li Long, and two elders.

"Are all of you alright?" Yan Ruifeng stepped forward to ask.

"We're fine," Shen Han shook his head.

Zhang Ji and Gu Shuangshuang also shook their heads, indicating they were unharmed.

"As long as everyone is safe, let's head back," Yan Ruifeng said, forcing a smile.

With that, the group boarded the vehicles to make the return journey.

The atmosphere hung somewhat heavily. Shen Han broke the silence, asking, "Master, why on earth did they want to bring us in for questioning?"

"There were some irregularities within the sect previously. Nothing major," Yan Ruifeng replied after a brief silence.

Li Long kept his gaze fixed out the window of the car. He felt a lingering sense of unwillingness, yet the pent-up frustration stagnated in his chest, finding no outlet for release.

"So that was it." Shen Han had no reason to suspect otherwise, merely complaining, "An investigation is an investigation—couldn't they have just picked any random core disciple? Why summon so many of us over? These officials really love making a fuss over nothing!"

He had been sheltered too well, practicing martial arts in the mountains since childhood, and coupled with his youth, he had yet to perceive the anomaly in the atmosphere.

Zhang Ji, however, had already picked up on certain undertones.

It was simply not the right time to question it; he would have to wait until they returned to the Five-Shape Sect and then inquire privately with Li Long.

If this turmoil truly stemmed from him implicating the Five-Shape Sect, then he would need to carefully consider how to conduct himself moving forward.

Perhaps he really ought to restrain himself somewhat and avoid being so reckless and trigger-happy at every turn.

The vehicles traveled at a brisk pace, and they soon arrived back at the Five-Shape Sect.

After Yan Ruifeng instructed everyone to return to their respective quarters, Zhang Ji walked back to his courtyard.

Yet, after waiting for half an hour, he made his way over to Li Long's courtyard.

Standing outside the courtyard gates, he intended to knock, but his acute perception picked up another voice speaking from within.

"The Five-Shape Sect is going to be dissolved," Li Long said.

"What?" Gu Shuangshuang gasped in disbelief, asking, "Why?"

"When a pig is fattened up, it is inevitably bound for slaughter," Li Long replied calmly. "Unless that pig manages to take flight to the heavens and transform into a true dragon! Only then can that dragon tower above the nine firmaments, leaving mortals to worship it and pray for its grace!"

Gu Shuangshuang fell into a contemplative silence before saying, "Senior Brother, no matter what happens, I will follow you and Master."

"Mm, go get some rest. Everything will pass in time," Li Long said softly.

Gu Shuangshuang turned and stepped outside, pushing open the gate only to see Zhang Ji standing on the path. They exchanged nods in greeting, then passed each other and hurried away.

Zhang Ji stepped into the courtyard. Li Long was seated at the stone table in the yard, pouring himself a cup of tea.

"You've come as well. Sit," Li Long invited Zhang Ji.

Zhang Ji walked up and sat down, and Li Long poured him a cup of tea.

Picking up the cup, Zhang Ji drained it in a single gulp and asked, "When are we leaving?"

"Likely in about half a month," Li Long said, looking at Zhang Ji. "Conditions might be a bit more arduous in the future. Many of the medicinal pills we relied on before will probably be hard to come by."

"I never had those things in the past, and I could practice martial arts just fine," Zhang Ji replied.

"That's good to hear," Li Long smiled.

Zhang Ji's response deeply satisfied him.

At a juncture like this, at least everyone remained of one mind and had not completely fallen apart—that was a blessing.

As long as the people remained, the wealth and resources would return eventually.

"Then I'll go back to my training. If there's ever anything you need me for, just say the word," Zhang Ji said.

"I will," Li Long nodded.

Zhang Ji stood up, cupped his fists in a salute, and turned to leave.

His purpose in coming had simply been to ascertain whether the trouble was of his own making. Now that he knew it wasn't, there was nothing more to discuss.

He might as well return to his training and strive to step into the B-rank realm as soon as possible!

By then, perhaps he would be free from all these tedious worldly vexations.