Chapter 111: The Great Purge

Family matters are best known by family members.

Although Tang Mubai’s physique was at the Grandmaster level, and his aura equally so, after mastering the “Flying Sky Dance Technique,” he could stride through the void as if walking on solid ground. Yet without at least ten thousand units of vital energy and blood, one could never truly be a Grandmaster.

By relying on the “Blood King Pearl” to boost his energy above ten thousand units, he could fool others for an hour, but not for ten. Given enough time, his disguised status as a Grandmaster would inevitably be exposed.

Not a true Grandmaster, yet able to unleash terrifying sword energy to slay half-beast men of near-King rank...

Tsk tsk! Even with his feet on the ground, anyone could tell Tang Mubai harbored a great secret.

Perhaps Liu Tianxiu might not covet Tang Mubai’s secret, but what about the others?

Grandmasters were not gods; they had desires and greed like everyone else.

If Tang Mubai were alone, it wouldn’t matter much—if defeated, he could simply leave Red Leaf City. But he had his young cousin to care for, as well as Xu Dalu, Fang Shuixian, the Miracle Tavern, the mercenary group’s base, and the staff and assets his father had left behind.

All these people and responsibilities meant he could not afford any mishaps.

Before truly becoming a Grandmaster, he must keep a low profile, maintain utmost discretion.

That was why Tang Mubai had created an alias for himself!

...

Cradling the silver stone that stood half a person’s height, he returned to the base, stowing it away in a corner of the warehouse to study when time allowed.

He circulated his energy to restore his hair to its normal state, then removed the human skin mask.

Only then did he step out of the warehouse and pass by the mess hall, where he saw everyone inside tense and fearful.

Without hesitation, he pushed the door open and strode inside.

“Captain Tang is back!”

“Captain, what happened outside? Did a ferocious beast attack the city?”

“Or was it a swarm of giant insects bursting from underground?”

“There was such a huge explosion just now—did the whole city get affected?”

“Captain, should we flee to a safer place?”

...

A crowd of people saw Tang Mubai and nervously began questioning him.

“Brother, where did you run off to?” His little cousin squeezed through the crowd and hugged him tightly, her petite frame trembling slightly—clearly shaken by the earlier commotion.

Fang Shuixian, Xu Dalu, and Zhou Yun quickly gathered around, their faces equally alarmed.

“Xiaobai, it was so dangerous outside—how could you run off like that?” Fang Shuixian’s voice trembled.

“It’s good you’re back, it’s good you’re back.” Xu Dalu’s hands shook as he exhaled, the lingering shock on his face betraying his fear.

“Sorry to have worried everyone,” Tang Mubai said with a smile, reassuring them as he held his cousin, “Rest assured, it wasn’t a beast tide attack or a giant insect outbreak. It was just a group of lawless elements attempting to sow chaos through terror activities. The Governor’s Office, the Martial Security Bureau, and the Martial Association have jointly suppressed them!”

“That’s a relief, that’s a relief.”

“You really scared me—I thought it was a beast tide!”

“I’ve been saying all along it couldn’t be a beast tide or insect plague. If it were, it wouldn’t have ended so quickly.”

“Shut up, everyone’s an armchair strategist!”

...

Though some doubts lingered, the tension visibly eased and laughter and teasing resumed.

After all, the noise outside had ceased, only sporadic sounds faintly audible from a distance.

As the crowd of elders and children dispersed,

“It’s nothing serious, I’ll get back to work,” Yang Kai, with his messy hair, scratched his head preparing to leave.

“Open the door! Open the door quickly!”

Suddenly, a shout came from the gate, breaking the brief calm.

Everyone’s faces turned pale with fear once more.

“Don’t panic. I’ll go check it out,” Tang Mubai soothed.

“I want to go too,” his little cousin clung to his leg, unwilling to let go.

“Alright,” he said, not stopping her, taking her hand and stepping out of the mess hall.

Xu Dalu, Fang Shuixian, Zhou Yun, and Yang Kai followed behind.

At the gate, they opened the iron door.

A dozen or so Martial Security Bureau officers in uniform immediately entered.

Leading them was a lean young man holding a search warrant stamped with an official seal. He spoke solemnly, “Apologies for the disturbance. Tonight, lawless elements appeared in the city, attempting to create chaos. Thanks to the joint suppression by the Governor’s Office, Martial Security Bureau, and Martial Association, most have been eliminated, with only a few fugitives hiding. We are here to conduct a search. Please present your identification and martial artist permits for verification.”

Such swift action!

Tang Mubai silently gave a mental thumbs-up to Liu Tianxiu and the others.

He had barely returned when the three factions launched this large-scale search.

Previously, when half-beast men appeared in the city, they had held back, fearing unrest.

But now, there was no need for caution.

With the commotion so intense tonight, chaos had already broken loose.

No doubt the military had also entered the city, cooperating with the Governor’s Office, Martial Security Bureau, and Martial Association to hunt the remaining half-beast men and apprehend remnants of the Red Lake Group.

From Tang Mubai’s perception, among the Martial Security Bureau officers was definitely a Master-level martial artist.

Besides that Master, each carried a light machine gun, a radio on their shoulder, plus electric batons and other weapons.

They were well-prepared to conduct door-to-door searches!

...

“Alright, please wait a moment,” Tang Mubai nodded quickly, cooperating earnestly. “Please wait here while I gather everyone’s identification.”

“Thank you,” the lean young man’s tone softened.

“No trouble at all—it’s our duty,” Tang Mubai smiled and sent Xu Dalu to notify the others in the mess hall, then took his little cousin back to their room.

Once everyone had retrieved their IDs and come downstairs to line up,

The lean young man gestured for a man and a woman to come forward. The woman gently explained the process, while the man opened a device case, placing each ID card on the scanner for verification.

Information and photos appeared on the screen each time, requiring comparison with the person.

Children under ten were exempt, but older kids were also questioned.

Tang Mubai watched with great interest.

Such a rapid organization of a thorough search, even with advanced equipment.

The speed and efficiency were remarkable.

The Miracle Mercenary Group’s thirty-plus members took half an hour to complete the process.

The outcome was naturally joyful—no issues found.

Before leaving, the lean officer warned Tang Mubai not to go out tonight and to call immediately if strangers tried to enter.

Tang Mubai agreed.

Those remaining half-beast men were now no more than startled birds, too frightened to move about.

What surprised Tang Mubai was this:

There were no half-beast men, but members of the Red Lake Group had actually broken in!