Zhen walked with heavy steps, dragging the broken cultivator behind him.
The sound of Ru Hong's body scraping against the rough dirt street followed every step, a slow, grinding thump, thump, thump that echoed unnaturally loud in the uneasy silence of the market.
The handcuffs glowed faintly, binding the man's remaining arm and his ankles together. Because his other arm had already been blasted into ruin, his limbs folded awkwardly, his body forced into an unnatural shape, like a crooked stick being dragged across the ground.
The cultivator's pride had been shattered along with his bones, but his mouth… his mouth had lost none of its venom.
Zhen's jaw clenched. His thoughts raced.
Where am I even going to put this bastard?
He didn't have a prison, didn't have a single cell to throw a man like this into.
He could hardly drag him back to the Yuan estate—that would only cause problems.
Should I just kick him out of town and let him rot in the wilderness? Would that even solve anything?
Behind him, the voice of Ru Hong rose suddenly, hoarse yet still carrying arrogance, as if humiliation only fueled his need to bark.
"Do you think… do you think these toys can restrain me?!" His words spat through blood and broken teeth, his face twisted into a snarl. "Chains? Shackles? They're nothing before a cultivator's will! You may think you've beaten me, but I'll break free. I'll show you! You can't cage me. You can't bind me. You'll regret it, brat! You'll regret ever laying a hand on me!"
His words grew louder, more unhinged, his voice booming across the square.
Some of the townsfolk still lingering nearby flinched, their brief hope turning again to fear. Mothers pulled their children closer.
Old men muttered about curses.
The arrogance of Ru Hong was like a poison in the air, refusing to die even when his body was broken.
Zhen glanced over his shoulder, his patience thinning with each word. "Shut your mouth already. You've lost. Accept it."
But Ru Hong only roared louder. "Lost? Me? You fool! Do you even know who I serve?! Do you have any idea whose shadow you just stepped into? My Master—my Master already descended upon this miserable town, and he devour this town, he will not stop at you.
"He will burn every house, slaughter every dog, every pig, every last mortal who dares breathe here! He will build an army on your bones, and this world—this entire pitiful world—will kneel before him! The first immortal empire in history will rise, and it will rise here, over your ashes!"
The crowd gasped.
Some began to cry quietly.
His threats were too much.
Zhen, however, felt his temper snap.
Without a word, he spun, his fist flashing out.
Bang!
His knuckles cracked against Ru Hong's jaw, the sound like a melon splitting.
Blood sprayed, teeth flew into the dust, and the arrogant cultivator's mouth swelled grotesquely in an instant.
"Shut up!" Zhen's voice boomed like thunder. "You've got one arm left, and you're still yapping like a dog? Spouting nonsense about empires? You're pathetic!"
Ru Hong gagged, blood bubbling from his lips, but the madness in his eyes only deepened. He coughed, choked, then screamed through his broken mouth.
"You think you can silence me? I will escape! I will escape, and when I do, you'll beg me to kill you quickly! My Master will free me! I am his right hand, his shadow! I do what he cannot dirty his hands with!
"I am the one who delivers his will, the one who builds his empire! Without me, his plans are delayed, so he will come! He will tear you apart, brick by brick, bone by bone!"
His voice cracked into hysterical laughter, broken teeth rattling against his tongue. "You can't kill me! If you kill me, his wrath will burn this town to the ground! If you don't kill me, I will live to spit in your face again! Either way, you lose!"
The townspeople shuddered. His voice was like a curse that wrapped around their hearts, dragging them back into despair.
Zhen's hands tightened into fists. His chest heaved as anger roared in him.
He truly didn't know what to do with this lunatic.
Killing him would silence him forever, but what would that say to the people? Would they see him as a protector—or just another cultivator who killed at a whim? Keeping him alive meant more shouting, more threats, more poison leaking into the hearts of the weak.
And besides… he already knew who Ru Hong served. Yuan Fangzhou. His younger brother.
Zhen's eyes narrowed. He didn't need this worm to tell him anything. He didn't need his cries about "Master" or "Empire." He already understood the shape of the threat.
Fangzhou's ambitions were already in his head. Nothing Ru Hong screamed could change what Zhen already knew.
But then—
Ding!
A clear chime rang in his head. His vision flickered with light, words unfolding before him in golden characters.
Congratulations!
You are recognized as the very first Officer Cadet Yuan Zhenzhou of the Immortal Police in this world.
You have delivered justice today, and for that, you are honored.
We thank you, first ever Immortal Police. Spread justice. Bring order. Protect the weak.
Reward Granted: Immortal Police Department.
Zhen froze, staring at the glowing text. His lips parted, his heart pounding. An… Immortal Police Department? A department?
Another message appeared instantly, cheerful and unyielding.
Please choose a place where to place the Immortal Police Department building.
For the first time that day, a grin spread across Zhen's face. His eyes gleamed, and he looked down at Ru Hong, whose swollen face twisted in confusion at his sudden change of expression.
"I see," Zhen said slowly, his voice carrying both weight and satisfaction. "Now I know where to put you."
…
Back at the Yuan family residence, far away from the market square, the air smelled of incense and ambition.
Yuan Fangzhou sat in his private hall, fingers drumming the armrest of his carved blackwood chair.
The flickering light of lanterns cast his sharp features into shadow, his expression grim and thoughtful.
He leaned forward, staring at the map spread before him. His plans had grown bolder, more tangled with each passing week.
The town was the first step, the foundation stone.
From here, he would spread influence, gather resources, and draw desperate men to his side. He pictured them, ragged and hungry, kneeling before him as he promised them strength, power, a place in the world they could never have as mortals.
An army born of desperation, molded by his will, baptized in blood.
His thoughts burned with certainty. This town will fall to me. Slowly, piece by piece, until the Yuan family is mine alone. With the town under my grip, with men willing to die at my command, I will build the root of something far greater. Sect leaders will sneer at first, but they will bow in time. Even the clans will come crawling. And when the dust settles, I will not just rule a sect or a clan. I will rule an empire.
A cruel smile spread across his lips as he whispered to himself. "The world's first immortal empire. And it will bear my desire."
He waved his hand, summoning a servant. "Call Ru Hong. It is time he reports. I'll give him his first task."
The servant bowed deeply, scurrying from the hall.
Moments later, the doors creaked open again—not with Ru Hong, but with his companion, pale-faced and trembling.
Fangzhou's eyes narrowed. "Where is Ru Hong?"
The man fell to his knees, his forehead pressing against the polished floor. His voice cracked with terror. "S-sir… forgive me… but something happened to Ru Hong."
Fangzhou's brow twitched, his voice dropping into a dangerous growl. "What?"
The man swallowed, trembling so hard his shoulders shook. He lifted his head only slightly, eyes wide with dread. "Ru Hong… was captured."
The hall went silent.
Fangzhou's fingers stopped drumming.
The air itself seemed to freeze as his gaze turned sharp as a blade.