Yi Chang awoke with a foggy mind, the unfamiliar sound of machines beeping slowly pulling him from the haze of unconsciousness. His eyes fluttered open, and the sterile white ceiling of a hospital room greeted him. Confusion clouded his thoughts as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. His body felt heavy, though not with pain, but with an odd sensation of restraint. Glancing down, he noticed one of his hands cuffed to the bed.
With his cultivation, breaking free would have been effortless, but he stayed calm, curiosity piqued. His gaze shifted to the bed beside him, where Old Man Feng lay, unconscious but breathing steadily. The room was unnervingly quiet, save for the occasional beeping of the medical equipment, until he noticed movement to his left.
A doctor, standing with two uniformed police officers, was eyeing him with a mixture of awe and uncertainty. The doctor, an older man with glasses perched on his nose, cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"Ah, you're awake," the doctor said, his voice steady but curious. "I'm Dr. Yuan. I have to say, I've never come across a case like yours before." He hesitated, as if unsure whether to continue. "We tried to inject you with pain medication earlier, but the needle broke on contact with your skin. This... isn't normal. I wanted to ask—"
Before he could finish, one of the officers cut him off, stepping forward with an air of authority. "Doctor, excuse us," the officer said, his tone firm.
Dr. Yuan looked between the two police officers and Yi Chang, sensing the tension in the room. Without further protest, he gave a small nod and quickly exited the room, leaving the officers to take over.
The two men, dressed in crisp police uniforms, exchanged a glance before the one who had spoken earlier turned to Yi Chang. "I'm Officer Wang," he introduced himself, his eyes narrowing slightly as he scrutinized Yi Chang. "This is Officer Luo. We're with the Department of Martial Cultivation Oversight (DMCO), Shanghai district."
Officer Luo stepped forward, his expression no less serious. "We have reason to believe you, and your... master," he glanced at Old Man Feng, "have broken several laws regarding martial artists."
Yi Chang remained calm, though inwardly, his mind raced. "Master?" He thought, momentarily amused by the misunderstanding. Old Man Feng wasn't his master, but he let the officers speak without correcting them.
"You were found in your apartment after a disturbance was reported," Officer Wang continued. "Neighbors heard shouts, and when we investigated, we discovered the bodies of several mutated beasts in your garage. The DMCO was immediately called in, as it was clear these were not the actions of ordinary people."
Yi Chang's face remained neutral as the officers laid out the situation. So, they had found the remains of the wolves. He had expected this to some extent but hadn't anticipated the involvement of a department like the DMCO.
"You and your master have been suspected of hunting mutated beasts illegally and disturbing the peace in your community. Martial artists are required to register with the state and are prohibited from engaging in unauthorized activities that could endanger the public," Officer Luo said, his voice measured.
"We need you to explain your involvement," Officer Wang added, crossing his arms. "Why were you hunting beasts, and why are you not registered with the state as martial artists?"
Yi Chang remained silent for a moment, assessing the situation. He had no intention of revealing the truth of his cultivation to these officers, but he also couldn't ignore their accusations. The DMCO, it seemed, was responsible for regulating martial artists in this world, which meant they were likely familiar with individuals who possessed spiritual qi. However, based on their assumptions, they were mistaking him for a martial artist—a category far below his actual level of cultivation.
Still, this could work in his favor.
"I think there's been some misunderstanding," Yi Chang finally said, his voice calm and collected. "Old Man Feng is not my master." He glanced toward the unconscious Old Man Feng. "As for the beasts, they attacked us. We were only defending ourselves. Surely, self-defense is not a crime."
Officer Wang's eyes narrowed. "Defending yourselves from a pack of mutated beasts in the middle of a city? That's not exactly a common occurrence."
Yi Chang offered a small shrug. "I didn't choose for them to come after us. As for the martial artist registration, we don't even know about your department"
Officer Luo raised an eyebrow. "And why is that? All martial artist are to be registered with the state"
Yi Chang sighed inwardly. These officers, while competent, were clearly unaware of the true power they were dealing with. He could easily break free and leave, but that would only draw more attention. For now, he needed to find a way to resolve the situation without escalating things as well understanding this organization further.
After the officers finished their explanation, the room remained tense. Old Man Feng, who had been unconscious up until now, stirred. His eyes fluttered open, and confusion flashed across his face as he took in the unfamiliar surroundings. He sat up quickly, only to freeze when the officers, noticing his movement, immediately drew their weapons and pointed them at him.
"Don't move!" Officer Wang barked. "These guns are designed to take down martial artists, so don't test us."
Old Man Feng, still groggy, blinked at the officers in bewilderment. "What... what's going on?" he asked, his voice weak but steady. His eyes darted to Yi Chang, noticing the cuff on his wrist. The sight seemed to ignite something in him, and with a sudden surge of energy, Old Man Feng broke his own cuff in one swift motion.
The officers reacted instantly, their weapons raised higher, fingers on the trigger. "I said don't move!" Officer Wang repeated, his voice sharper now, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. "We know what you're capable of. Any sudden moves and we won't hesitate."
Old Man Feng, realizing the gravity of the situation, stopped in his tracks. His body tensed, but he kept his hands where the officers could see them. His mind was racing. What had he gotten himself into? He had no idea what these officers were talking about, but the mention of "martial artists" sent a chill down his spine.
"Who... who are you people?" Old Man Feng asked cautiously.
"We already introduced ourselves," Officer Luo said coldly, though the tension in his voice was unmistakable. "We're with the Department of Martial Cultivation Oversight. DMCO. Shanghai district. And you two have a lot of explaining to do."
Old Man Feng's eyes widened in shock. The DMCO? He had heard whispers of such an organization, but they were spoken of in hushed tones, as if they were part of a legend. Many believed the DMCO to be a myth, a force that supposedly monitored martial arts cultivators. But to see them here, in front of him, was something entirely different.
"DMCO...?" Old Man Feng muttered under his breath. "I thought that was just a rumor."
"It's no rumor," Officer Wang said sternly. "We deal with people like you every day. So, unless you want to make this situation worse, we suggest you start cooperating."
As the situation escalated, the door to the hospital room suddenly burst open. Liang Huiyan rushed in with a commanding presence. His eyes immediately fell on the two officers, and his face twisted into an expression of anger and disbelief.
"What is the meaning of this?" Liang demanded, his voice booming as he crossed the room to stand between the officers and the beds. "Why are my recruited martial artists being harassed like this?"
The officers hesitated, taken aback by Liang's sudden appearance and the authority he exuded.
"Young master Liang Huiyan…." Officer Luo asked, lowering his gun slightly.
he said sharply. "These two men work for me. I hired them to help me acquire some mutated animals for a project. I wanted to carve a special gift for my grandfather's birthday. And now I hear that they've been arrested?"
Officer Wang's eyes narrowed. "This doesn't explain why there were dead mutated beasts in their apartment, or why they didn't report their activities to the proper authorities."
Liang huffed, clearly unimpressed with the officers' line of questioning. "There's no law against acquiring materials for a private gift. I've done nothing illegal, and neither have they. If you have a problem with the animals, you can talk to me. But unless you have solid proof that they've broken any martial laws, I suggest you release them immediately. As for them not being registered with the DMCO, I am at fault and will get them registered soon"
The room fell silent as the officers exchanged uncertain glances. Liang Family carried weight, and they knew that pushing this issue without proper evidence could lead to trouble. Still, Officer Wang wasn't ready to back down entirely.
"We'll be expecting to have their information registered as soon as possible," Officer Wang said, his voice losing some of its edge. "But if we find that either of them were involved in illegal martial arts activities, we'll be back."
Liang smiled thinly. "I'm sure you will," he said, his voice laced with mock politeness. "But until then, I suggest you let my workers rest. They've had a rough few days."
After a tense pause, Officer Wang finally lowered his weapon. "We'll be keeping an eye on you," he warned before nodding to Officer Luo. The two of them left the room, casting wary glances back at Yi Chang and Old Man Feng as they exited.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Liang turned to Yi Chang and Old Man Feng, his expression softening. "Are you two alright?" he asked, concern creeping into his voice. "I got here as soon as I heard about what happened."
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There was previously a mistake between Chapter 14 to 17, so you could go back a bit and reread from Chapter 14