This Martial Saint's Health Bar is Too Thick!

Chapter 148: Chapter 118: Why Punish the Innocent, With a Clear Conscience

October 19.

Two days ago, the bandits who had attacked Luo’s Town struck again at Tushan Town, which is another town near Xing City.

Naturally, these towns did not have the City Guard Army; they only had an Inspection Office with more than thirty inspectors.

Such defense forces could only ensure basic public security, but were powerless against large-scale bandit attacks.

Thus, following Luo’s Town, Tushan Town also sent out a distress signal to Xing City.

Governance Hall, Chief’s office in Xing City.

...

“So many scouts were dispatched, and not a single one returned?”

Gu Zhenhui looked at Cheng Bi somewhat angrily and questioned him.

Cheng Bi lowered his head, “Yes, the opponents might have a master among them.”

After the bandits struck, Gu Zhenhui took the matter very seriously. He immediately instructed the Inspection Bureau to send scouts to gather intelligence, hoping to gauge the strength of these bandits, and to locate their base so that troops could be dispatched to annihilate them.

In the past few days, however, the dozens of scouts that had been sent out did not return alive, all disappearing without a trace.

“Acting so brazenly, could it really be the work of the Tiger Saber Gang?”

Gu Zhenhui’s expression darkened.

While he was suppressing the Tiger Saber Gang, sudden bandit raids naturally made him suspect that these bandits were orchestrated by the Tiger Saber Gang, aiming to lure out the City Guard Army.

The City Guard Army was Gu Zhenhui’s most relied upon armed force. If the City Guard Army encountered problems, he would be like a general without troops in Xing City and could no longer suppress the Tiger Saber Gang.

Therefore, Gu Zhenhui naturally would not dispatch troops hastily; he wanted to clear up the situation first.

But not a single scout returned.

This, on the contrary, dispelled Gu Zhenhui’s doubts, almost confirming that the bandits were backed by the Tiger Saber Gang!

“Could it be that Yu Hu had already laid out plans several years in advance and raised a band of bandits in the Qiuping Mountain Range?”

Gu Zhenhui furrowed his brows in thought.

The bandits in the Qiuping Mountain Range had been around for five years. If the bandits causing trouble in Xing City were from the Qiuping Mountain Range, it would mean that the Tiger Saber Gang had started their arrangements five years ago.

“My lord, I have thoroughly investigated; there are about two hundred bandits in the Qiuping Mountain Range, with over a hundred trained horses, several dozens of powerful crossbows, and some firearms. Sustaining so many people and horses as well as providing weapons and ammunition would not have gone completely unnoticed, but over the years, the Inspection Bureau has found no links between the Tiger Saber Gang and the Qiuping Mountain Range.”

Cheng Bi hurriedly spoke up.

He could not believe that the Tiger Saber Gang could completely conceal such a large operation from the Inspection Bureau; if that were the case, he and his colleagues at the Inspection Bureau might as well resign for incompetence!

“Mm, the Tiger Saber Gang has no contact with the Qiuping Mountain Range, but that does not mean others do not.”

Gu Zhenhui believed in Cheng Bi’s judgement and in the capability of the Inspection Bureau, yet he still felt that the bandits in the Qiuping Mountain Range were linked to the Tiger Saber Gang:

“How goes the investigation into ‘Cold River Snow’?”

Now that it was known that the Tao Foundation constructed by Yu Hu was ‘Cold River Snow,’ as long as they could find out which powers had the method to cultivate this Tao Foundation and might share it with others, it would be possible to infer which power might be supporting the Tiger Saber Gang.

“I am incompetent, my lord. I have already checked all the powers within Datong Prefecture that possess methods for cultivating Tao Foundations, but I have not found any that have the method for ‘Cold River Snow.’ Please forgive me.”

Cheng Bi knelt on one knee and pleaded guilty to Gu Zhenhui.

“None?”

Gu Zhenhui stood up somewhat agitatedly and paced back and forth in his office.

He rarely showed his emotions like this, as he disliked the feeling of the situation being out of his control.

If bandits outside the city continued to harass the towns around Xing City, and Gu Zhenhui still could not pinpoint the bandits’ whereabouts, he would have to station the City Guard Army in these towns to fend off the bandit attacks.

However, by doing so, he would offer the enemy chances to strike individually.

And if he did nothing, it would reflect poorly on Gu Zhenhui as the Chief, unable to ensure the safety of the people within his command. By then, Yu Hu would just need to stir up public opinion and have his officials escalate the issue to Datong Prefecture.

At that time, even if Gu Zhenhui were not directly dismissed, he would certainly face dire consequences.

So, whether he deployed troops or not, Gu Zhenhui would fall into the trap.

This was a blatant scheme!

“Yu Hu, without Zhang Mingze, could you still pull off such a feat?”

Gu Zhenhui walked to the window and looked in the direction of Yu’s residence:

“Or is it that, this move was actually arranged by Zhang Mingze before his death?”

…

Martial Arts Hall.

In the training room of the training building, Hao Yi was sparring with Li Fei.

Li Fei was still blindfolded and had his ears plugged, relying solely on his danger perception ability to spar with Hao Yi.

Both moved rapidly, their steel knives clashing to create sparks, sweeping out traces of afterimages!

Under Hao Yi’s training, today’s Li Fei had become completely familiar with engaging in combat relying solely on his perception ability; it was as though he had ‘Heart Eye’ activated, clear ‘seeing’ everything around him even without sight and hearing, and accurately capturing every move of Hao Yi.

Moreover, the biggest benefit brought about by his extraordinary perception ability was—foresight!

Before Hao Yi made each strike, Li Fei would have a profound feeling in his heart, allowing him to predict Hao Yi’s next move.

Initially, Hao Yi had instructed Li Fei to build his combat system around the ‘Extraordinary Ability’ of danger perception, and now Li Fei was reaping the benefits, finding this extraordinary ability truly desirable.