Chapter 34: The Bureau of Ancient Martial Arts Administration

“Take both of them away.” With a wave of her hand, Lu Xuelan signaled the officers behind her, who immediately stepped forward and hauled away the disheveled Li Shiming.

Chu Tian required no escort; his status was unique, and none of the officers dared lay a hand on him. Instead, he strode at the front, while the officers trailed behind. To an unknowing observer, it might have seemed as though Chu Tian was the captain leading a team to make an arrest.

“Xuelan, this has nothing to do with Chu Tian. It was Li Shiming who provoked him first—everyone in the dining hall can attest to that.” Qin Shiya, visibly anxious, hurriedly grabbed Lu Xuelan’s arm, hoping to clarify the situation.

Liu Qingxue and Lu Xuelan were close friends, and Qin Shiya, as their junior, knew Lu Xuelan as well.

“Shiya, don’t worry too much. If Chu Tian isn’t involved, we won’t make things difficult for him,” Lu Xuelan reassured, patting Qin Shiya’s hand. “But you’ll also need to come with us to give a statement.”

“No problem,” Qin Shiya replied, nodding in agreement.

Half an hour later, at the Bureau of Ancient Martial Affairs.

“Go in.” Lu Xuelan urged.

“This isn’t a police station. Where are you taking me?” Chu Tian glanced around, curiosity evident in his eyes.

“Enough questions. Get in.” Lu Xuelan gave him a gentle push between the shoulders.

Chu Tian didn’t press further and walked into the bureau.

Ten minutes later, Lu Xuelan led him into an interrogation room and even confiscated his phone.

“In just eight days, you’ve been involved in three incidents. Do you think the police station is your home?” Lu Xuelan slapped the table, her voice filled with anger.

“Fourth Sister must have explained it clearly: that man insulted her first. The fact that I didn’t kill him on the spot already shows remarkable restraint,” Chu Tian replied calmly, seated at ease.

Lu Xuelan fell silent at this. Compared to the miserable fates of Xu Jiao and Cheng Xiangdong, Li Shiming had merely been humiliated. Indeed, Chu Tian had held back.

But that still didn’t justify his reckless behavior.

“This place doesn’t look like a police station. Where exactly have you brought me?” Chu Tian looked around, taking in his surroundings.

“And you’re still trying to hide your identity at this point?” Lu Xuelan pressed.

“Hide? What do you mean?” Chu Tian asked in return, genuinely puzzled.

“You’re not a normal person at all—you’re a practitioner of ancient martial arts,” Lu Xuelan accused, leaning over the table, her tone sharp and unyielding.

Chu Tian was taken aback. He was, in fact, a cultivator, yet she had mistaken him for a martial artist. There was an insurmountable gulf between the two.

Nonetheless, Chu Tian had no intention of clarifying. Since Lu Xuelan had misunderstood, he would let her continue to do so.

“And what does that have to do with you bringing me here?” he asked indifferently. Whether in his past life or this one, this was his first time inside the Bureau of Ancient Martial Affairs.

To put it simply, martial artists, though possessing power beyond ordinary men, were still human. Cultivators, on the other hand, belonged to another realm entirely. The difference between the two was vast.

Yet, with his previous cultivation gone, Chu Tian was starting anew. Against truly formidable martial artists, he could still be threatened, and so he dared not let his guard down.

“This is the Bureau of Ancient Martial Affairs. When martial artists like you break the law, you’re no longer under the police’s jurisdiction but are handed directly to us,” Lu Xuelan explained, her tone softening. It made her task much easier.

“So, does that mean you won’t be staying to keep me company?” Chu Tian asked.

“Why would I stay?” Lu Xuelan shot him a glare. “My job is simply to deliver you to the bureau. What happens to you next is out of my hands.”

“What about my Fourth Sister?” Chu Tian’s brow furrowed.

“Don’t worry. Shiya has nothing to do with this. Once she finishes her statement at the police station, she’s free to go. We won’t trouble her,” Lu Xuelan replied.

Relieved, Chu Tian relaxed.

Before he could say more, Lu Xuelan opened the door to the interrogation room.

“Come with me.”

Chu Tian rose and followed her out, winding through the bureau’s corridors until they reached an elevator tucked away in a corner. Lu Xuelan led him inside and pressed the button for the basement level.

Chu Tian’s brow furrowed at this—there was a basement?

Before he could ponder further, the elevator began its descent. When the doors slid open at the basement level, it revealed an underground prison.

Two guards stood at the elevator entrance, exuding an imposing aura that rivaled Wei Yuansheng’s. It was no wonder the Wei family’s power in Tianmen City rested entirely on Wei Yuansheng’s martial prowess. Yet here, the two elevator guards alone possessed such formidable inner strength.

Clearly, this was a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers—far from as simple as it appeared.

A few minutes later, Lu Xuelan and Chu Tian reached a cell.

This wasn’t a solitary cell; three inmates were already inside.

“You’ll be held here for now. Once a decision comes down from above, I’ll return,” Lu Xuelan said, opening the door and pushing Chu Tian inside before closing it firmly behind him.

Bang!

The heavy clang of the door echoed, heralding a period of darkness and confinement for Chu Tian.

“How long do you plan to keep me here?” Chu Tian gripped the cold iron bars, realizing they were made of a special alloy—no ordinary metal. Even a master of internal strength would struggle to break free.

“I don’t know. It all depends on the bureau’s decision,” Lu Xuelan answered coldly.

“Very well. Remember to let my eldest sister know I’m safe, and tell my other senior sisters not to worry,” Chu Tian sighed. He knew that as Liu Qingxue’s friend, Lu Xuelan wouldn’t refuse to pass on a message.

“I will,” Lu Xuelan nodded, turning and heading back to the elevator.

Even after her figure disappeared, Chu Tian remained at the cell door, deliberately lingering to learn more about this mysterious bureau.

“Hey, new guy! Get down and kowtow to us!” A rough, unceremonious voice called out behind him.

Chu Tian turned to find the other three inmates eyeing him. Each exuded a strong aura, all of them martial artists with mastery over internal force.