In the massive crater, the old man with half his body shattered stood in the smoking pit, looking utterly disheveled.
The dust stirred up by the mushroom cloud hadn't yet dissipated.
It actually added a bit of dramatic atmosphere to his appearance.
Was this acceptable?
Lu Ding could not tolerate this.
His grand skill, creating a visual effect for soone else?
Wasn't this just freeloading?
He raised his hand, stirring up a violent gale that swept away the dust, completely clearing the field of view.
Lu Ding examined the old man who was even struggling to stand steadily.
His gaze fell on the sowhat faded, old-style 749 Bureau uniform the man wore.
He shook the shattered flying dagger artifact in his hand, which still had two broken hairs stuck to it.
"The aim was there, but the force was lacking."
He rubbed his fingers together, and the artifact fragnts turned completely to dust.
Lu Ding himself hadn't expected that the [Copper Head thod] he'd just obtained not long ago would co in handy so quickly.
Although, even without the Copper Head thod, the old man's sneak attack couldn't have done much to him.
At most, it would have broken the skin.
But broken skin ant a loss of face.
Now, with this [Copper Head thod] covering his head, it went *clang clang*.
Did it sound good?
If it sounds good, then it's a good head.
The old man's expression turned sowhat grave.
He never could have imagined that his sneak attack with the flying dagger hadn't even broken Lu Ding's defense.
This left him montarily at a loss for how to respond.
It also temporarily suppressed his fighting spirit.
This was one of the reasons Lu Ding found the [Copper Head thod] so useful.
It was just like working out and practicing martial arts in a society governed by law. If you don't work out or practice martial arts, and you get into a conflict with soone bare-handed, you don't fight because you're afraid of paying compensation or ending up in jail.
But if you're muscular from working out, or you have sothing in your hand, others avoid conflict with you because they're afraid they can't win.
The nature is different.
Of course, this premise is about being bare-handed.
The old man cald himself a little, raised his hand to press on acupoints around his wounds.
He spoke to Lu Ding, "Grand Duke Lu, we are both investigators belonging to the Great Han's 749 Bureau. As a special envoy, without conducting any interrogation or investigation, you launched a war without justification, annihilated over ten thousand people of the Path of Dry Bones 749, and killed two bureau chiefs."
"Brutal, murderous, violating rules and laws, how can you be worthy of the special envoy identity the Great Han bestowed upon you!!?"
Lu Ding's gaze remained fixed on the old man's clothes, not even looking at him directly.
Only after the old man finished speaking did he open his mouth.
"I see your uniform is the old style, your age is quite advanced, and I've never heard of a figure like you in the Path of Dry Bones 749. A veteran investigator from before the New City incident?"
It was precisely because of this uniform.
That Lu Ding didn't imdiately finish off this old man with a follow-up strike.
A veteran investigator still deserved so respect.
But it was only respect, giving him so ti to speak, granting him a asure of dignity.
As for living? Impossible.
He launched a sneak attack, how could he be allowed to live.
The old man, seeing that Lu Ding didn't answer his question, wasn't angered. After all, he couldn't win a fight, so he could only follow Lu Ding's line of conversation.
"That's right. This old man is Mu Lianshan, forr Senior Investigator of Path of Dry Bones 749, currently the Director of the Path of Dry Bones 749 Logistics Depot."
As expected.
Retired powerhouses all seem to enjoy overseeing logistics depots, scripture repositories, and the like.
If this were a xuanhuan novel, this would undoubtedly be a suprely powerful senior sect elder.
Hearing he was the Logistics Depot Director, Lu Ding couldn't help but think of Elder Deng, wondering what the old fellow was up to.
He smiled.
This damn old man really had all the buffs stacked.
Reaching out, he took out his phone, logged into the 749 APP, and searched.
Mu Lianshan's profile appeared on the screen.
Fifth Restriction cultivation, skilled with flying daggers like Qian Jin, coming and going without a trace, reputed to never miss a shot. Earned many rits in his early years. After the New City incident, retreated to a secondary role, guarding the logistical foundation of Path of Dry Bones 749.
On the surface, he looked like a veteran ritorious official, no apparent issues, but in reality, there was a major problem.
Not that he was corrupt, but his stance.
"Grand Duke Lu, I must trouble you to answer my question."
Lu Ding lifted his gaze, "What should I answer you?"
"Old thing, the reason I didn't kill you imdiately was out of respect for you being a veteran investigator."
"Are you even qualified to question ?"
"Why shouldn't this old man question you!?"
"Fine, forget that this old man is now severely injured. Even at my peak, with Fifth Restriction cultivation, I might not necessarily be able to defeat you. But dignity cannot be compromised! As an investigator, witnessing injustice!"
"This old man must stand up!!"
"If Grand Duke Lu is dissatisfied, you can casually beat this old man to death. Even in death, I will be an upright investigator, dying at my post, standing my final watch!"
The old man spoke with great fortitude.
His main the was being unafraid of death.
Then he looked at Lu Ding, "But as for you, Lu Ding..."
Now that emotions were running high, he didn't even address him as Grand Duke Lu, calling him by his full na directly, "If you don't want people to know, don't do it. The people of New City rember this day. The people of the Path of Dry Bones rember this day."
"You can kill all the investigators of Path of Dry Bones 749, but you cannot silence the countless mouths of New City!"
Seeing him acting like this tough, unyielding rogue.
Lu Ding knew that killing him like this would actually be giving him what he wanted.
Alright, you want reasoning? I'll reason with you.
"Upright?"
"Your so-called uprightness ans not embezzling, not taking bribes, not abusing authority?"
Mu Lianshan slightly raised his head, a proud expression appearing on his face!
Even though the current New City was a big dye vat, he could guarantee his own spotless purity erging from the mire. This was his confidence.
Lu Ding continued, "And the people of New City? The people of the Path of Dry Bones?"
"You old undying thing, are you even fit to speak of them?"
The old man pointed at Lu Ding, "You..."
"SHUT UP!!!"
Lu Ding roared, the very winds and clouds stirred, and he seized control of the conversation, continuing, "I didn't interrogate or investigate? I launched an unjustified war?"
"From the bureau chiefs down to the investigators in Path of Dry Bones 749, which one wasn't a rotten piece of wood occupying a position? Which one wasn't a beast feeding on official salary? Which one wasn't derelict in their duty? Which one wasn't steeped in evil, filled with cris?"
"In this region of the Path of Dry Bones, collusion between officials and rchants was routine, oppressing the common people was commonplace, plotting for wealth and committing murder was like eating and drinking, seizing by force and plundering was done with practiced ease."
"The old saying about the Path of Dry Bones was: Dry bones pave the road ahead, blessings shelter future generations."
"Now the saying about the Path of Dry Bones is: Behind vermilion gates at and wine go to waste, out on the road lie the bones of those frozen to death."
As Lu Ding spoke, he stepped down from the sky, walking while giving him a thumbs-up, the sarcasm dialed to the maximum.
"You're upright, you're noble, you witness injustice, you stand straight and fear no crooked shadow, you are the most damnable one of all!"
"I originally thought, you wearing that old-style uniform ant you were retired, your passionate blood unwilling to cool. I even wanted to talk properly with you, show you so respect. But it turns out you're the damn Director of the Path of Dry Bones Logistics Depot."
"What did you do when they were oppressing the people? When they were plotting for wealth and committing murder, why didn't we see you stand up and witness injustice?"
The wounds the old man had sealed were now starting to split open from the verbal lashing, blood dripping straight down.
Watching his face gradually turn red.
"That's because..."
"EXCUSES!!!"
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