Soon after, Tie Ci saw that Hai Dongqing, wings spread wide, furiously swooping down at the crowd, while above on the rooftop, Dan Ye, who had been sleeping on someone’s roof, sat up somewhat bewildered.
The Hai Dongqing was extremely fierce—its massive wings stirred up fierce winds, sharp beak like a blade, talons like spikes, diving headfirst toward the still-confused constables. The first in line was Shen Mi, leaning back with one hand shielding his face, retreating in panic—
A figure flashed, and a hand shot out like lightning, grabbing him and pulling him aside with force. Shen Mi stumbled back several steps, just avoiding the Hai Dongqing’s vicious strike. Tie Ci flashed forward, raised her arm, took a sliding step, and actually thrust her arm toward the Hai Dongqing’s iron-black talons!
Everyone cried out in alarm, some closing their eyes.
But no screams of agony rang out. Shen Mi, just getting up from the ground and looking up, saw a scene he would never forget in his life.
The giant bird dove down, the youth charged forward, and as that arm extended, the bird paused, then instinctively curled its talons, actually retracting its claws.
It was well-trained and had grown accustomed to this action—when Dan Ye extended his arm, it would retract its claws, grip the arm guard on Dan Ye’s arm, and carry him into flight.
Now when Tie Ci made this motion, it retracted its sharp claws. When it realized this wasn’t its master wanting to fly, it became utterly furious, but it was already too late. Tie Ci’s arm with the guard thrust into its talons, then she grabbed back with her other hand, her five fingers like iron gripping the bird’s talons, and without hesitation swung downward!
The Hai Dongqing let out a wail. The massive, heavy bird weighing several hundred pounds was actually lifted and swung through the air by Tie Ci, tracing an iron-black arc before being slammed to the ground.
A dull thud, the ground shook, and dust flew up several zhang high.
All around was deathly silent.
Almost no one dared believe their eyes.
This tremendous strength, this domineering power, this fierce and violent strike.
From the rooftop came an angry shout as Dan Ye shot down like a cannonball.
Tie Ci shouted: “Stop!”
Dan Ye didn’t dare move.
Because Tie Ci was still gripping the bird’s talons. The Hai Dongqing beat its wings frantically, desperate to fly and carry this detestable person high into the sky before dropping them to their death. But it had encountered a diamond Barbie—that seemingly slender, light figure stood rooted to the earth like a tree, her arm motionless as she held the Hai Dongqing firmly in place. No matter how the Hai Dongqing struggled with feathers and wings flying, the surrounding willows swaying wildly in the gusting wind, Tie Ci didn’t move a single step.
Deputy Li arrived hurriedly with his men. Seeing this scene, he gasped and stepped back.
Someone cried out: “That eagle’s talons!”
Only then did everyone notice the eagle’s claws were stained with blood and hanging with flesh, but obviously not Tie Ci’s.
Tie Ci said: “The corpse’s wounds.”
Those who had seen the corpse suddenly understood.
The bloody mess on the corpse’s back, such a large area—now it was clear this was caused by eagle claws!
That large swath of sweeping marks on the wall—wasn’t that from the eagle carrying the corpse in low flight, its wings scraping the wall?
And the beggar hearing a thud but seeing no one—naturally that was the eagle flying to the alley and releasing its grip, the sound of the corpse falling. The eagle was high up and flew away immediately. The beggar sleeping in the ruined temple, with the temple’s low eaves, couldn’t see the eagle above.
After the eagle dropped the corpse and flew away, it naturally wouldn’t want to continue flying low through the small alley. With the city’s tall buildings and narrow lanes creating obstacles, it would naturally choose open areas to fly away.
Tie Ci had encountered Dan Ye just yesterday. From his tone, he must be in the city recently and not far from her. So this eagle wouldn’t leave him either. The eagle would definitely stay in high places—the city had many trees, quite a few century-old ones. Either in trees or on rooftops.
When she saw the Hai Dongqing last time, Tie Ci also noticed that like the beauty she saw that night, this bird liked to relieve itself anywhere, and being a large bird, its droppings were abundant—incomparable to ordinary small birds.
Deputy Li calmed down somewhat and shouted sternly: “Arrest him!”
Dan Ye chuckled and reached behind his back.
Tie Ci suddenly said: “I wonder what Hai Dongqing meat tastes like?”
Dan Ye stopped his hand.
Dan Shuang said: “Glazed with honey on a roasting rack, should be worth trying.”
Dan Ye turned to stare at her. Dan Shuang’s expression didn’t change, and she even reached out to feel the Hai Dongqing’s fat and lean meat.
The Hai Dongqing, suffering this ultimate humiliation, looked like it very much wanted to ram its head against Dan Shuang and die, but Dan Shuang gave it no such opportunity. After feeling it, she even commented: “Might be a bit tough, I’ll do my best.”
Dan Ye: “…”
Deputy Li again: “Arrest him!”
Dan Ye took a breath and this time didn’t move, letting the constables come forward and bind him securely. The constables were about to put shackles on him when Tie Ci frowned: “Don’t—we’re just asking him back to assist with questioning. He’s not…”
Before she could finish, suddenly a constable came running frantically, shouting: “Trouble! Trouble! Cangsheng Tower suddenly closed, people are rioting, someone’s been trampled to death!”
Tie Ci felt she definitely hadn’t checked the almanac before leaving home today.
Unable to worry about Dan Ye’s situation, maintaining city order was also the Patrol Bureau’s responsibility—she had to go to Cangsheng Tower first. On the way to Cangsheng Tower, she heard from the constable who came to report that Cangsheng Tower had been quiet at first today, but didn’t open at the scheduled time. Only after more and more people gathered outside the door did someone hurriedly post a notice. The notice said that due to the patrol inspector’s reminder, they discovered the tower’s stairs weren’t sturdy enough and needed temporary repairs, so Cangsheng Tower was temporarily closed today.
Everyone was greatly disappointed. Many had even entered the city early the night before just to burn incense and pray today, so they weren’t willing to leave just like that. They proposed not going up the tower but burning incense and lighting lamps to pray in the open space outside the tower. For some reason, the monks refused this proposal. Those people then started making trouble—with so many people, they actually pushed down the temple gates and swarmed in. In the crowding process, some were trampled. The few constables there couldn’t handle this large-scale group incident and hurried to request reinforcements.
When Tie Ci arrived, she could hear the din of voices from far away. Just as she was about to go forward, Chi Xue suddenly grabbed her sleeve.
“Master, it’s dangerous for you to go now!”
Tie Ci understood her meaning—Cangsheng Tower’s closure was in response to her request, and the angry people might very well blame her. But if she didn’t go now, would she just watch a minor trampling incident become a major casualty event?
She broke free of Chi Xue’s hand. The crowd ahead was like an ocean—this time even Chi Xue screaming at the top of her lungs couldn’t alarm the already noisy crowd. Tie Ci reached out and pressed her hand on the back of the person in front of her. That person’s body immediately swayed aside, revealing a gap. Tie Ci slipped in and placed her hand on the next person’s back—that person also swayed aside.
Repeating this process, from above it looked like Tie Ci was continuously reaching out like parting waves, and the sea of people naturally opened a path, automatically dividing into two groups. On the other side, Dan Shuang did the same, splitting the crowd still squeezed outside Cangsheng Tower in half. When Tie Ci squeezed inside the gate and closed the door, more than half the people were immediately shut out.
Tie Ci shouted loudly: “Dan Shuang, Chi Xue! I’m giving you half a quarter-hour to disperse everyone outside!”
The door couldn’t stay closed long—the people inside still needed to be evacuated.
“Yes, ma’am!”
Tie Ci looked up and took a breath.
Inside were still countless people. The clamoring voices mixed with the scent of incense ash and turbid human breath filled the considerable space below Cangsheng Tower. Actually, everyone had just wanted to come in and burn incense at first, but with so many people entering and unable to find their way, they became irritable over time. So you bumped me and I stepped on you, leading to disputes. In crowded places, the negative emotions from disputes spread—more and more people began arguing and fighting. Some fell, some screamed. Looking around, Tie Ci saw nothing but people, people, people.
Just as she was about to separate the crowd again, suddenly someone shrieked: “The patrol inspector is here! It’s the patrol inspector who ordered Cangsheng Tower closed!”
Someone jumped up pointing in her direction, someone else shouted: “Cangsheng Tower doesn’t need repairs at all! This new patrol inspector wanted to use this to collect fees, and when the temple masters refused, he used the pretext of age and disrepair to force the masters to close the tower for renovation!”
With a thunderous roar, countless heads turned toward Tie Ci in unison. Before Tie Ci could react, that sea of heads surged toward her with a whoosh.
…