86: Chapter 86 Wow, what a powerful official you are! Five Tigers Gate

"Captain Shen, you certainly put on quite an air of authority."

A slightly shrill and caustic voice drifted in from outside the hall. The tone wasn't loud, but it possessed immense piercing power.

Lin Ye followed the sound and saw a purple-robed old man walking with his hands behind his back. His pace was neither fast nor slow, but the Aura he radiated was not much weaker than Old Man Shen's.

The old man had a thin build and few wrinkles on his face, appearing to be in his fifties or sixties.

However, the most eye-catching feature was the pattern embroidered on his robes.

Five tigers of different colors—red, white, black, green, and purple—formed a circle, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws in a lifelike display.

The old man's gaze swept across the hall before finally settling on Old Man Shen in the seat of honor.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Lei Hu's face immediately lit up with joy, and his back, which had been bent under Old Man Shen's Aura, instantly straightened.

"Third Uncle, why are you here?"

The old man shot him a glance and gave a cold snort. "Hmph, if I hadn't come, you would have been eaten alive until not even your bones remained."

Lei Hu gave a sheepish smile, clearly fearing the old man before him.

Old Man Shen frowned upon seeing the newcomer. "Lei Zhen? What, does the Five Tigers Sect have a hand in colluding with Demons too?"

Hearing this, Lei Zhen's expression flickered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Captain Shen must be joking. Although my Five Tigers Sect is a small School, our rules are strict; we would never allow any Disciple to have any dealings with an Demon.

Besides, Wei Chongshan was merely the Third Elder of the Black Stone Gang. Whatever he did has nothing to do with my Five Tigers Sect."

Good heavens, Lei Zhen didn't dare take the blame for such a massive accusation; otherwise, the Sect Leader would beat him to death upon his return.

"I have come today merely in the capacity of an Elder to say a few words on behalf of a Junior.

The Black Stone Gang is at fault and should be punished and pay compensation; I will not shield them.

But everything must have a limit. If you cross it, that would be inappropriate."

He had come this time just to back Lei Hu up, to let Old Man Shen know that there were people behind the Black Stone Gang and that he shouldn't push his luck too far!

Old Man Shen picked up his teacup and took a slow sip.

"Then according to Elder Lei's meaning, what limit would be appropriate?"

Lei Zhen held up three fingers. "Thirty thousand taels of silver.

Additionally, the Black Stone Gang can provide the funds and labor to build a station for the Demon Suppression Division, but the specifications cannot follow those of a government office."

Old Man Shen didn't answer immediately. He first looked at Lei Zhen, then at Lei Hu, and suddenly laughed.

"Thirty thousand taels? Is Elder Lei trying to dismiss a beggar?

Wei Chongshan colluded with Demons and intended to murder a Demon Suppression Guard. Are either of these two crimes not capital offenses that warrant the seizure of property and the extermination of one's clan?

Do you really think the Black Stone Gang can remain uninvolved?"

Lei Zhen's expression didn't change in the slightest. "Wei Chongshan is already dead, and I have no interest in the details.

However, since Captain Shen says he colluded with Demons, then he colluded with Demons.

But that was his personal conduct and has nothing to do with the Black Stone Gang, much less my Five Tigers Sect!

If Captain Shen insists on collective punishment, our Five Tigers Sect Leader might have to personally seek out the Lord Magistrate to demand justice!"

Lei Zhen's meaning was simple: I acknowledge the matter with Wei Chongshan, but you can't just dump any filth on us; we also have people backing us.

As things had developed to this point, it was clearly no longer just a matter of colluding with Demons, but a power struggle between the backgrounds of both parties.

Granted, the Demon Suppression Division behind Old Man Shen was far beyond what a third-rate sect in a small county could compare to.

But as the saying goes, a distant official is not as effective as a local one, and the Demon Suppression Division's authority mainly lay in suppressing Demons.

If a local chief official were to step in to mediate, the Demon Suppression Division couldn't actually send troops to raze the Five Tigers Sect.

At this moment, the main hall fell into a silence as everyone waited for Old Man Shen's decision.

Suddenly, Old Man Shen smiled and waved his hand toward the door. "Bring the things in."

Two bailiffs entered at the command, carrying a large basket into the main hall.

The two bailiffs placed the basket on the ground and withdrew.

Old Man Shen walked over to the basket and whipped off the black cloth covering it.

The basket was piled high with arrows, packed so densely there were at least a hundred of them.

"You can claim ignorance regarding the collusion with Demons, but I wonder if your Black Stone Gang can escape involvement in the illegal manufacturing of armor-piercing arrows?"

After Old Man Shen finished speaking, he looked at Lei Hu with a faint, knowing smile.

Originally, he had planned to let Lin Ye take these to the Black Stone Gang to demand some benefits, but since they had refused the easy way out, he naturally wouldn't show any mercy.

Our Demon Suppression Division might not have jurisdiction over you, but are you afraid of the military?

Upon seeing those armor-piercing arrows, Lei Hu's face turned pale as a sheet, and in his heart, he cursed Wei Chongshan's ancestors back eight generations.

Lei Zhen's brow also furrowed. He stepped forward, picked up an arrow from the basket, and examined it.

He turned to look at Lei Hu, his eyes filled with the frustration of seeing someone fail to live up to expectations.

The look clearly said: If you're going to cause trouble, then cause trouble, but how could you dare to openly use these weapons of mass destruction?

Our Five Tigers Sect is only a third-rate School, not one of those Great Clans that can ignore the laws of the Imperial Court!

Lei Hu shrank his neck under the gaze, his lips trembling, but he couldn't say a word.

Old Man Shen returned to his chair and sat down, crossing his legs. His tone was light. "Sect Leader Lei, your Black Stone Gang has illegally manufactured military-grade armor-piercing arrows, numbering in the hundreds. According to the laws of Great Han, what crime is this?

Should I report this to the Qingzhou Army and have them send people to investigate?"

Hearing this, Lei Hu's expression changed drastically, and he looked toward his Third Uncle with a pleading gaze.

Lei Zhen's face also completely darkened.

He naturally knew what the illegal manufacturing of armor-piercing arrows meant.

Some matters are light until they are weighed; once they are, they can be heavier than a thousand catties.

The matter of the Demon could be brushed off with 'ignorance,' but armor-piercing arrows were different.

A hundred armor-piercing arrows was not a small number.

Without enough manpower, it would be impossible to manufacture them.

Once this matter reached the military, it wouldn't be something that could be settled just with money.

After a moment of silence, Lei Zhen gritted his teeth and spoke. "Fifty thousand taels, and the station will be built according to the scale of a government office. This is the absolute limit I can offer."

"Not enough," Old Man Shen said flatly.

"Then what does Lord Shen want?"

Lei Zhen also changed his previously forceful attitude.

There was no other way. Although the Demon Suppression Division held high status, its personnel were few, and in terms of scope of authority, they didn't have jurisdiction over Jianghu Schools.

But the military was different; they were responsible for local stability.

Once they learned of this, they would never let the matter rest.

After all, the reason the military could keep all the various sects suppressed was precisely because of their various military-grade weapons of mass destruction.

If every sect could also equip such weapons on a large scale, what advantage would the military have left?

Therefore, the military's attitude toward the illegal manufacturing of armaments had always been zero tolerance—ranging from the seizure of property to the extermination of the sect, primarily to make an example of them!

"One hundred thousand taels, not a single cent less!"

Old Man Shen's tone brooked no refusal.

Lei Zhen took a deep breath. "Fine! I'll agree on behalf of the Black Stone Gang. We'll go back and prepare immediately!"

Beside him, Lei Hu wanted to say something but was silenced by a glare from Lei Zhen.

"Wait! I haven't finished yet."

Lei Zhen's movement to turn away halted.

"What else does Lord Shen have?"

As if he hadn't seen Lei Zhen's teeth-gritting expression, Old Man Shen leisurely picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and then turned his head to look at Lin Ye, who had been sitting in the corner without speaking. A meaningful smile curled at the corners of his mouth.