321: cult

Walking out of the electronics mall carrying the latest, high-spec, and expensive game console box, Wei Ziqing felt a sense of solid satisfaction.

The salary and allowances provided by the authorities were indeed generous, and with room and board fully covered, he had almost no expenses. Using this "fortune" to fulfill a past wish felt truly good.

He weighed the heavy box in his hand, debating whether to go to that well-reputed handmade pizza shop first or head back to his place to drop off his things.

Just as he walked toward the intersection, about to decide on a direction, the corner of his eye caught a scene in front of a convenience store across the street that seemed ordinary at first glance but was actually deeply unsettling upon closer inspection.

A middle-aged man in ordinary clothes, looking slightly nervous, was holding a small infant wrapped in a light blue swaddle, walking quickly with his head down out of a narrow alley beside the convenience store. This in itself might have been explained away as a father in a hurry.

But the problem was that following right behind this man with the baby, filing out of the alley almost simultaneously, were five or six burly men with cold expressions and eyes constantly scanning the surroundings! They seemed to scatter casually around the man with the baby, forming a loose perimeter, moving in unison toward a waiting gray van with dark-tinted windows parked by the roadside.

An ordinary man holding a baby? Needing the "escort" of five or six burly men who clearly weren't good news?

Wei Ziqing's footsteps stopped immediately. A Martial Artist's keen observation skills and the vigilance developed from handling various cases at GUPA instantly set off alarm bells in his head.

This setup was too bizarre. What normal family or group of friends traveled like this? If they were bodyguards, the formation was overly large and the style too abrupt; if they were relatives or friends helping with the child, the atmosphere would never be so stiff and guarded, nor would they be crowding toward a vehicle that clearly didn't intend to stay long.

The people around were in a hurry, and no one seemed to notice this jarring scene, perhaps misled by the inconspicuous swaddle and the seemingly normal walking posture.

'Human traffickers!' This realization pierced Wei Ziqing's mind like an icicle. And judging by the clear division of labor and the vehicle waiting for them, it was likely an organized gang operating in broad daylight!

Without a moment's hesitation, Wei Ziqing's gaze sharpened, and the relaxed contentment from his shopping trip vanished instantly. He quickly stuffed the game console box into a storage locker in front of a nearby shop, his eyes locked onto the group that had already begun boarding the vehicle.

The gray van's door was closing, and the engine had already started.

Wei Ziqing took a deep breath and swiftly and quietly followed the direction the van was about to drive off.

Sure enough, the gray van specifically chose secluded backroads, soon turning onto the edge of an old neighborhood slated for demolition. Pedestrians were scarce here, and surveillance was sparse, making it an "ideal" spot for a handoff or transfer. The vehicle slowed down, seemingly looking for a specific address.

Just as the vehicle was about to come to a stop—

"Clang—!!!"

A heavy metal trash can, rolled out from some unknown corner, flew out from behind a low wall in front of the side as if precisely calculated. It struck the van's front hood dead on! The loud crash was accompanied by the sound of twisting metal and shattering glass; the vehicle jolted violently and stalled.

The people inside were dazed by the impact. The driver started cursing loudly, and the others, both shocked and enraged, pushed open the doors to see which blind fool had thrown the trash.

However, just as they poked their heads out, a figure as swift as the wind suddenly lunged from the vehicle's blind spot!

Wei Ziqing didn't choose to transform, but his physical fitness—subtly enhanced by the power of the armor even in his normal state—combined with the solid foundation of his years of hard training, allowed him to explode with speed and power far beyond ordinary human comprehension!

The first burly man to step out felt a piercing pain in his leg. Before he could even see where the attack came from, a clear cracking sound echoed from his knee joint. He collapsed with a scream, his left leg bent at an unnatural angle.

Without pausing, Wei Ziqing used the momentum of the kick to spin, his right leg sweeping out like a steel whip. His heel accurately struck the neck of the second man, who had just stepped out and hadn't yet found his footing, slamming him hard against a rough brick wall. With a muffled groan, the man slid down limply, unconscious.

The third man reacted slightly faster, roaring as he threw a punch. Wei Ziqing didn't dodge; his left hand clamped onto the man's wrist like an iron pincer, pulling him down. His right elbow struck upward heavily into the nerve cluster under the man's armpit while his foot tripped the man's supporting leg—the crisp sound of a dislocation and a dull thud rang out almost simultaneously. The man collapsed, clutching his shoulder, cold sweat instantly drenching his back.

The remaining two in the car and the man holding the baby finally realized what was happening in horror, but the cramped space and their fallen comrades hindered their movements. Wei Ziqing had already lunged into the narrow space of the van like a cheetah!

Fists, elbows, knees, feet... every strike was concise, precise, and fierce, targeting joints, ribs, and other vital points, accompanied by the gut-wrenching sounds of bones dislocating or breaking. A series of short, shrill wails echoed inside the van.

In less than ten seconds, the fight was over.

All six men, including the driver and the man with the baby, lay inside and outside the van in various contorted positions. Each had at least one limb bent unnaturally, completely losing their ability to resist, leaving only groans of pain.

Wei Ziqing's breathing was slightly ragged, but his gaze remained sharp. He quickly and carefully took the infant—who seemed frightened and had begun to cry softly—from the arms of the ashen-faced man and gently rocked the baby to soothe them.

After confirming the baby was fine except for being startled, he took out his phone and dialed the police, concisely explaining the location, the nature of the incident, the casualties, and the presence of the rescued infant.

Less than ten minutes after the call, the piercing sound of sirens approached from afar. Officers from the nearby Police Station arrived first, followed by Lu Jianchuan, who hurried over after receiving an internal GUPA report—he happened to be in the area handling some paperwork.

The scene was... a bit more gruesome than expected.

Except for the man with the baby—whom Wei Ziqing had deliberately spared, only dislocating his arm joints and tying him up securely—the other five burly men lay scattered inside and outside the van, their groans rising and falling. A preliminary check showed that almost everyone was injured, mostly with dislocated joints, cracked bones, or even full fractures. While not fatal, they had absolutely lost all mobility for the time being.

After finishing the preliminary statement, Wei Ziqing was taken aside to rest. Lu Jianchuan, dressed in plain clothes, walked over with a slight frown. His gaze swept over the suspects being loaded onto ambulances and then settled on the calm Wei Ziqing.

"I heard you ended up at the station, so I came to take a look." Lu Jianchuan sat down on a plastic stool next to Wei Ziqing and handed him a bottle of water,

"It's good that you're okay. But..." He jerked his chin toward the ambulances. "These guys seem to be in pretty bad shape. There's hardly a whole part on any of them; it's all broken arms and legs."

Wei Ziqing unscrewed the cap, took a sip, and said flatly, "They got what they deserved."

Lu Jianchuan fell silent for a moment, his gaze turning complex. "Is that so? Maybe I'm just too 'merciful.' Regardless, human traffickers are indeed loathsome, but..." He paused, choosing his words. "Breaking one or two would be one thing, but they seem almost entirely crippled. Isn't that a bit much? To put it bluntly, it's understandable if you accidentally went too hard on one or two, but for all of them... isn't that a bit excessive?"

Wei Ziqing lowered his eyelids, looking at the water bottle in his hand, his tone devoid of emotion. "Oh, then maybe I didn't control my strength well. I'll be sure to pay attention next time."

Lu Jianchuan was momentarily speechless by this blunt yet somewhat perfunctory admission. Ultimately, he could only shake his head helplessly. "Fine." He changed the subject. "How's the child? The one you rescued."

"The parents have already been found. Their identities were just confirmed, and the baby was sent back," Lu Jianchuan replied, his tone then turning solemn. "But regarding these traffickers, the preliminary interrogation suggests the situation is a bit special. They don't seem like an ordinary criminal gang, but rather peripheral members of some Cult."

"A Cult?" Wei Ziqing looked up, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Yeah. During the interrogation, they kept muttering nonsense about 'the Lord's will,' 'sacrifice,' 'rebirth,' and the like." Lu Jianchuan gave a cold laugh,

"You know how the world is now. Domestically, control is strict and reactions are fast, but abroad... especially in some places, it's like—snap—all sorts of monsters and demons, people calling themselves divine messengers or prophets, have all popped up.

Hmph, there are always people who are either confused or have ulterior motives who fall for that. This Cult probably took advantage of this toxic trend to infiltrate."

He stood up, brushed the dust off his pants, and his gaze became firm and cold. "I'm going to ferret out this Cult and uproot it entirely. Do you want to come along?"

Without any hesitation, Wei Ziqing stood up with him, the sharp edge of battle reigniting in his eyes. "Of course, I'm going with you."