"Those people are hoarding supplies, price-gouging, and inciting riots. Hang every last one of them from the utility poles."
Inside the Lungmen Guard Department, a calm voice came through the telephone line, delivering a murderously sharp order to the arrest scene.
"As for the goods they stockpiled, follow procedure and release them for sale at fair prices as soon as possible. The non-primary offenders are to be sent to the development zone for labor reform first, then tried and sentenced one by one. That's all for now. Report back if anything else comes up."
The moment Chen Huijie hung up, he heard hurried footsteps approaching his office.
"Hey, Brother Jie, you in there?"
"How many times have I told you? While we're on duty, use my title."
Chen Huijie glanced at the clock, then looked at the officer who had pushed open the door.
"Xiao Wu, if this is about a meeting, I'm not going."
Because there were only two minutes left before the end of the workday.
"It's not a meeting, Brother Jie. I want to take a day off tomorrow."
"What for… hm?"
Seeing the officer suddenly turn awkward and bashful, Chen Huijie immediately realized what was going on. A smile spread across his face.
"You and that girl are finally making it official?"
"Yeah. Tomorrow I'm taking Xiaohua out to pick out wedding stuff."
"Then I'm giving you three days. Go keep the young lady company and help her shop properly. Don't worry about work. Those newly recruited probationary officers are still pretty idle anyway—let them get familiar with the job. If any of them perform well, you can pick two to add to your team."
Chen Huijie pulled out a leave slip, wrote it up, stamped it with his Superintendent's seal in one grand motion, and handed it over with a grin.
"In the blink of an eye, you've already been with us three years. Back then you were that street-racing biker punk, and now you're getting married."
"Aw, Brother Jie, don't bring up my dark history…" Xiao Wu scratched his head, then suddenly seemed to remember something. He looked up at Chen Huijie with bright expectation in his eyes. "Brother Jie, look—I'm getting married. Shouldn't you maybe… well, you know? Actually, my little sister's pretty cute too. We could each call each other whatever we want. I call you brother, you call me brother—"
"Xiao Wu." Chen Huijie draped an arm over the officer's shoulder and smiled kindly. "Itching for a beating?"
"Brother Jie, just give my sister a chance."
"All right, all right. Go do your job. I'm heading home too."
Waving him off, Chen Huijie shooed Xiao Wu out of the office. Then, a little sentimental, he started packing up his things while glancing at the desk calendar.
Time really did fly.
Come to think of it, it had already been quite a long while since he had transmigrated here.
His feelings about that whole business were… complicated.
Who would have thought that, in his previous life, while staying up late studying for exams under the lamp, his vision would go black—and then he would directly reincarnate into another world? Granted, he had been alone in that last life too, with nothing much to tie him down—
But my computer hard drive wasn't wiped yet!
Of course, coming here hadn't been a bad thing. This time he had been born into a good family. His parents were still gone, yes, but his uncle's family had treated him extremely well. If he decided he didn't want to struggle anymore, he could lie down and coast through life on the spot.
But "lying flat" was impossible.
Because his uncle could slash sword energy.
Slash sword energy! How cool was that?
Chen Huijie's wandering swordsman dream quivered on the spot and shot upright.
Even a world full of beast-eared girls couldn't compare to the appeal of flinging out sword qi. If he didn't master that, then roam the land righting wrongs and upholding justice, Chen Huijie felt he'd be wasting this second life.
Only… later, a great many things had happened. In the end, he had no choice but to cut short his travels and return to his hometown, doing what he could to help his uncle deal with the mess there.
No point thinking about all that now. Time to get off work. Things would get better.
Smiling faintly, Chen Huijie left his office. Thanks to everyone's combined efforts, Lungmen had largely recovered from the chaos, and there were fewer and fewer places that still needed him. Maybe before long, the wandering hero known as Yuanyan would once again depart from Lungmen and roam the world in pursuit of justice.
Tonight, though, he decided to walk home.
Looking at the threatening skies, Chen Huijie grabbed a raincoat from the gate guard and stepped out of the Guard Department. Although the department had spent the last while cracking down hard on underground criminal forces, some organizations had not been fully wiped out. There was always the possibility of embers reigniting.
It had already been a month. The stragglers who slipped through the net ought to be getting restless by now.
Let's see who gets lucky enough tonight to run into me, a Superintendent from the Guard Department who just happens to love reasoning with people.
As he walked, Chen Huijie worked through the messages on his phone. He frowned slightly, shifting his shoulder. The area near his left shoulder blade was aching badly.
Still, it wasn't enough pain to matter. He ignored it. After dealing with the messages, he casually opened his notes app and typed down four cryptic characters:
Heart, back, delight.
His summary of the day.
He had not gone far when thunder split the sky with a shriek, and rain crashed down in sheets, swallowing his figure inside the curtain of water and washing away every trace he had left behind.
Speaking of which, had Jaye reopened his fish-ball stall yet? I should check tomorrow morning. If not, maybe there's something I can help with.
Crack—!!
A bolt of lightning exploded overhead. The world turned bone-white for an instant.
Chen Huijie jumped in fright, then slowly stopped, clutching at his chest as his expression twisted.
Back when he had first returned to Lungmen, he had fought one truly vicious battle. He saved his aunt, took all the assassins down… and damaged the vessels around his heart in the process. The doctor had said that with a few medicinal soups and proper rest, it wouldn't be a major issue.
But that time had never been a time for rest.
And so even now, his chest still throbbed from time to time.
After standing there for quite a while, Chen Huijie finally lowered his hand. This time the pain had been especially sharp and especially long-lasting—like he might suddenly keel over dead.
Dead…
What an irritating sensation.
Home, home. Turn off the alarm tonight and get a proper sleep. The great hero Yuanyan hasn't returned to the jianghu yet—how can I die halfway through the story?
And yet, as he prepared to keep moving, he failed to notice the same deathly white light flickering across the screen of the phone in his coat pocket…
Hm?
Chen Huijie stopped and stared at the garbage bin blocking his path.
Was that there just now?
It shouldn't have been.
I can't be so out of it that I can't even see the road, can I?
Cautiously, he gripped the sword hilt at his waist, drew in his breath, and focused, keeping watch for any possible ambush.
He waited.
Nothing happened.
After a moment, Chen Huijie let go of the hilt in silence.
Too jumpy. It's just a trash can. I'm getting suspicious of everything…
He shook his head with a self-deprecating smile and continued along his usual patrol route through the rain-soaked night.
But in weather like this, even criminals didn't want to go outside and commit crimes. So all the way until he reached the building where he rented his room, Chen Huijie found no chance to step in anywhere.
His apartment, however, was lit.
Oh? The young hero's here?
The "young hero" he was referring to was his uncle's son—a good kid, though he and his father didn't get along. Every time he ran away from home, he came over to squeeze into Chen Huijie's room instead, so Chen Huijie had simply given him a key.
What's it this time, my good brother? Did he get scolded for poor homework, or was it because Uncle criticized his sword training again?
Thinking this, Chen Huijie opened the door with practiced ease.
He was about to call out a greeting when he heard the loud rush of water from inside the shower room.
Taking a shower, huh? Makes sense. In weather like this, I could go for a hot shower too.
Realizing something, the corners of Chen Huijie's mouth curled up. He quietly closed the door behind him. The sound of the water was so loud that his brother probably hadn't noticed him coming in. Once the shower stopped and the door opened, he could jump out and scare him.
With that in mind, Chen Huijie put away his raincoat and sat quietly on the chair by the door. Looking at the dry raincoat and the bone-dry hems of his pants, he nodded in satisfaction.
The raincoat was just decoration. The thing truly keeping the rain off him was the true qi diffused around his body, parting the violent storm into a clean, dustless space.
Back when his uncle had demonstrated that move, Chen Huijie had nearly died of envy.
And now, at last, he could do it too.
"Achoo!"
Oh?
Hearing the sound from the shower room, Chen Huijie almost burst out laughing.
What a dainty sneeze. Too bad I didn't record that—otherwise, heh heh heh…
The water stopped.
He quickly turned his head. Steam billowed inside the shower room. Beads of water gathered on the glass door, sliding down in winding trails, vaguely outlining a growing silhouette behind it.
Is my brother really this thin?
The thought passed through his mind without warning.
He must've worn himself out lately. I need to feed him something good.
Thinking that, Chen Huijie crouched down and prepared to spring his little prank. Hidden beside the doorway, he stilled his breathing and concealed his presence like a dragon lurking in the abyss, ready to burst forth in one magnificent strike.
Now!
"RAAAH!"
Chen Huijie leapt out with a roar, already grinning in triumph—
Then the grin froze.
Long hair hung loosely down her back, a few droplets still sliding from the ends, disappearing between the curves of her chest. Pale skin glowed with a rosy sheen. Her lovely face was faintly flushed as well. Smooth, jade-like arms and flawless bare feet were left uncovered, and beneath the bath towel, her full thighs appeared and disappeared in tantalizing glimpses.
But—
Who the hell are you?! And where's my brother?!
…
After a full day of work, Chen Huijie returned home, peeled off her damp clothes, and stepped into the shower. Tilting her head back, she let the hot water stream over her face, easing the exhaustion in both body and mind.
Lungmen was still far too chaotic.
Even after a year of hard effort, the crime rate and casualty rate in Lungmen had only dropped by so much. It was nowhere near enough. Order in Lungmen was not supposed to look like this.
…Someone came in?
Suddenly sensing something, Chen Huijie's hand darted instinctively to the standard-issue Guard Department saber she had left on top of her clothes, and her gaze snapped toward the apartment door.
But she quickly relaxed.
Anyone entering this room the wrong way would trigger the alarm.
Ever since joining the Guard Department, she had made no shortage of enemies. While it was unlikely any of them would dare act openly against her, she still believed in taking precautions. That was why she had set up several security measures around her residence. Since the intruder had come in using the proper custom key, it was most likely one of the few people she knew.
If they came without giving notice first, then it was probably urgent.
Thinking that, Chen Huijie dried herself off with a quick wipe, tossed her damp clothes into the washer, wrapped herself in a towel, picked up her weapon, and stepped out of the shower room—
And before she could even take two steps, she saw a strange man spring out from the side in a spread-eagle pose, howling like an idiot. His face, for some reason, seemed vaguely familiar. It was also wearing a smile of such pure, crystal-clear stupidity that the instant he saw her, it shattered into astonishment—and then froze there.
For one moment—
All sound died.
The world fell silent.
They stared at each other.
Face darkening, Chen Huijie gripped her sword.
Chi Xiao—Quickdraw!
-------
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (400 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (172 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (261 Chapter) (Ending)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (200 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (180 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (190 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (130 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (200 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (89 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (140 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (90 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (150 Chapter)
Genshin: My Stats Are Irresistible (70 Chapter)
Naruto: Master of Dream Fulfillment! (70 Chapter)
Why Are All My Chat Group Friends Spin-Off Characters? (130 Chapter)
Arknights : Batman System (30 Chapter)
Chat Group: Swapping Bodies with the Bad-Ending Herta from the Start (80 Chapter)
DanMachi: Why Did My Dungeon Turn Into a Soulslike Game? (130 Chapter)
Losing Money on Uma Musume...What Do You Mean You Actually Won? (120 Chapter)
I'm Gotou Hitori—Who Are You? (40 Chapter)
Were You Ever Even a Uma Musume? Stop Making Things Up! (78 Chapter)
Moon Project: A Full-Time Love Adventure for the Lobotomy Corporation (75 Chapter)
The Leisurely Days of the Hyuga Main House (65 Chapter)
Arknights : A Draco Surviving in a Matriarchal Terra (189 Chapter)
Arknights: What if My Luck Is Too Good? (135 Chapter)
Honkai: The Romance System Only Shows Up After I Marry Mei (55 Chapter)
Arknights: Who Are You Calling Repressed, X?! (145 Chapter)
The Chat Group Only Arrived After I'd Cleared the Game (102 Chapter)
Gojo Satoru Flat-Out Refuses to Admit He's a Supporting Character (40 Chapter)
Chat Group Isn't Supposed to Be Like This! (30 Chapter)
If You're Moriarty...then Who Am I? (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: Since I "Can't See," They Take Turns Stealing My Underwear (50 Chapter)
Arknights: Why Are All My "Brothers" Girls? (54 Chapter)
Danmachi: Start Training Haki (59 Chapter)
Emiya Shirou's Rebirth (30 Chapter)
I Can Get Stronger Just by AFK'ing—So I Joined a Chat Group (50 Chapter)
Endfield: I Can Always Pull Out One Yuan (65 Chapter)
Limbus Company : I Started a Company in Project Moon (50 Chapter)
Lobotomy: Do Cooks of Alley 23 Dream of Bloodfiend Knights? (50 Chapter)
DanMachi: Freya Familia's "One-Blade Shura" (60 Chapter)
DanMachi: Emiya, the Great Hero Becomes the Protagonist (90 Chapter)
TYPE-MOON: One Special Instance Every Week (40 Chapter)
From Danmachi: The Abundance Apothecary (70 Chapter)
Lord Shadow Descends on DanMachi (90 Chapter)
Fuse with Me, Exusiai! (41 Chapter)
Honkai: Star Rail — After I Die, I Forge Their Madness (60 Chapter)
DanMachi: The Last Zeus Familia (95 Chapter)
Endfield: Arknights Heroic Spirit Summoning (75 Chapter)
Toyokawa Family Finances (105 Chapter)
Starting From DanMachi to Become Stronger (90 Chapter)
DanMachi: My Familia Is Made Up Entirely of Heroines from Every World! (75 Chapter)
Arknights: My Intel Refreshes Daily (110 Chapter)
Digimon : I Never Meant to Do Evil, Even Though I Wasn't Chosen (40 Chapter)
Miss Holmes Could Never Be the Losing Heroine! (40 Chapter)
Takayama Gamu at Tracen Academy (40 Chapter)
Legendary Trainer Takes on MYGO (40 Chapter)
Arknights : Yandere Game: The Operators Have Come Knocking (100 Chapter)
Arknights: This Dating Sim Is Seriously Wrong! (120 Chapter)
Arknights : Ch'en Hui-chieh, I'm Done Being the Good Guy! (50 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Wasn't This Supposed to Be a Family Simulator? Why Am I the Family Heirloom? (40 Chapter)
Honkai: Star Rail : The Trailblazer Only Wants a Peaceful Life (45 Chapter)
Arknights: The Unlucky Dad? But I've Got the Chronicle of Time! (55 Chapter)
The Wheelchair War God Is Speedrunning Hogwarts (50 Chapter)
DanMachi: The Elemental Blaster of Orario (45 Chapter)
Playing Honkai in Star Rail (30 Chapter)
As an Alien, I'm Solo Leveling in Warhammer 40K (30 Chapter)
Arknights: A Symbiote's Survival Guide (70 Chapter)
My Yu-Gi-Oh! Deck Is Built Entirely from Stuff I Picked Up (30 Chapter)
I Can Hear the Thoughts of Uma Mutsume (30 Chapter)
Dead-Men Chat Group: Winning the Resurrection Bracket (40 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero: Saving the World While Falling in Love! (40 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: My Breathing Techniques Can Be Leveled Up (50 Chapter)
Type-Moon Age of Gods: Starting with a Simulation as Heracles (40 Chapter)
Terra Love Trap: They All Want Me to Themselves (40 Chapter)
Dimensional Ranking: Top Ten Saviors (40 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen: Naoya Zen'in Wants to Stay Alive! (40 Chapter)
Bleach: This Everyday Multiverse Is Seriously Falling Apart! (60 Chapter)
Honkai: Star Rail, What Do You Mean My IF Routes Became Real? (30 Chapter)
Honkai impact 3: This Is Definitely Not the Simulation Outcome I Wanted (30 Chapter)
Succubus Chen Sir Reborn in Terra, with the Ability to See Affection Levels? (30 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it