Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Encounter
Tan Ailing, female, 22 years old, graduated from the Criminal Law School of the People's Public Security University of China and won the national college free fighting championship for women during her studies. Of course, her outstanding skills were not acquired through the school's physical training classes, but through her family's martial arts.
Yes, Tan Ailing's family is a legendary martial arts family. The Tan family in Cangzhou, Hebei, has been standing in the arena for nearly two hundred years with their ancestral Tan Family Leg Techniques. Tan Ailing is an outstanding figure among the younger generation of the Tan family.
Although the circle of martial arts practitioners known as "win" still exists in modern society, its scale and influence are far less than in ancient times. After all, today's world emphasizes a "legal society," and the top levels of the country will certainly not allow these social instability factors to go unchecked. Faced with the powerful national machinery, even the most powerful and freedom-loving martial artists in the martial arts world have to set aside their pride and conform to the trend, transforming one after another.
Previously, those who belonged to the righteous and chivalrous factions, now could not casually act chivalrously, let alone commit bloody acts of righteousness and evil. Some of them have opened martial arts schools to pass on their skills and expand martial arts. Another part, who loves peace and freedom and does not want to be restrained, either hides in the mountains and forests or lives in the market. Of course, the vast majority choose to attach themselves to the state's violent institutions, either joining the military or the police, using their skills to protect the country and its people.
As for the Green Forest heroes who used to rule the mountains and rebel against the government, under the relentless crackdown of the state, they have almost disappeared, and the remaining remnants either fled abroad or joined the ranks of the underworld. As for the people in the underworld, their livelihood methods have not changed much. The vast majority of them still engage in activities that are not allowed by the country's laws in the form of illegal gangs, while a few have become roaming criminals.
In the martial arts world, there is a part of people who have a deep mass base, have a wide social network, and have a long-lasting influence, always being the objects of appeasement by the state power. These people are the major famous and upright sects as well as wealthy families that have been passed down for hundreds of years, and the Tan family in Cangzhou is naturally one of them.
In Cangzhou, the powerful Tan family naturally would not treat their direct disciples poorly. Tan Ailing was assigned to the Criminal Police Brigade of the Cangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau as a squadron leader as soon as she graduated.
It is unknown whether it was good luck or bad luck, but shortly after Tan Ailing took office, a major case occurred in Cangzhou—a foreign investor who had just invested thirty million US dollars in Cangzhou was robbed and killed in a five-star hotel in the city.
This case not only attracted high attention from the Cangzhou Municipal Party Committee but also alarmed the central government. Even the Tan family, the local snakehead, was extremely angry and felt ashamed. With close cooperation from several parties, the case was quickly solved. The robbers who committed this major crime turned out to be the infamous fugitive robbers wanted by the country on the internet—Thirteen Blades of Doom.
Speaking of which, these Thirteen Blades of Doom were not ordinary characters. They were originally practicing martial arts under the "Gate-Crashing Saber" in Shanxi. One day, one of them had a dispute with others, and the rest of the brothers immediately stood up for him, drawing their swords and killing six of the other party. Because the matter was too big, the Gate-Crashing Saber could not keep them, and they did not want to be caught and sentenced, so these thirteen brothers began their wandering life.
Relying on their decent martial arts skills, these thirteen people would rob when they had no money, and once they were robbed, they would kill all the members of the family. After committing several cases, they were called "Thirteen Blades of Doom" in the martial arts world! They seemed a bit arrogant under their reputation, with an aura of "with a knife in hand, I have the world," daring to run to the territory of the noble families and commit such a major crime. Not only did they provoke the noble families, but they also angered the country.
Under the pursuit of Tan Ailing and other Tan family experts as well as members of the national secret organization, the Thirteen Blades of Doom became thirteen dogs of the bereaved family, restless all day long. Finally, with no way out, they decided to go to Xinjiang, where the land is vast and the situation is complex, to hide for a few years.
After fleeing and chasing, when they entered the Taklimakan Desert, the Thirteen Blades of Doom finally temporarily escaped their pursuers. Tan Ailing and others divided their forces and entered the city of Tarim Basin, which might become a supply point for the Thirteen Blades of Doom, hoping to wait for an opportunity.
In the end, Tan Ailing discovered traces of the Thirteen Blades of Doom on the Ma Zha Tagri Mountain in the middle of the Taklamakan Desert. After a fierce battle, two Tan family disciples and five local police officers from Ma Zha Tagri were killed on the spot, and only six of the Thirteen Blades of Doom remained.
After another round of breakout and pursuit, Tan Ailing blocked the remaining six blades on the Ma Zha Tagri Mountain in the northwest of Ma Zha Tagri City.
After a fierce fight for their lives, both sides stopped for a short rest without prior arrangement.
"Officer Tan, we are all martial artists, why do you have to push us so hard?" Taking advantage of this opportunity, the leader of the Thirteen Blades of Doom said earnestly.
Tan Ailing snorted coldly and said angrily, "Do you, a bunch of indiscriminate killers and social scum, deserve to be called martial artists? I must bring you to justice!"
The remaining six blades all looked angry, but the leader still patiently said, "Officer Tan, I can assure you that the six of us left will hide our names and disappear. Moreover, my seven deceased brothers should be enough for you to report to your superiors. Please let us go!"
"You're dreaming!" Tan Ailing coldly and firmly rejected the leader's proposal.
The leader's eyes narrowed, and he threatened, "Isn't Officer Tan afraid that we will fight to the death?"
"Just you?" Tan Ailing calmly stated the fact she had determined: "Not even close!"
"Leader, why bother talking so much nonsense with this bitch?" The seventh member of the Thirteen Blades of Doom said impatiently, "With our strength, we can defeat her here. By then, not only can we avenge our second brother, but we can also have some fun. It's been several months since I've tasted the flavor of a woman!" After speaking, he licked his chapped lips in a lewd manner.
Despite this remark, Tan Ailing, with her firm determination, did not become angry. She just silently adjusted her breath, trying to recover her strength as much as possible to deal with the life-and-death battle to come. However, Tan Ailing's indifference to the seventh member's words did not mean that others did not care.
Although Eric didn't understand what the seventh member meant, his disgusting expression annoyed Eric. So, he casually used the "Unified Mind Technique" on him.
Those affected by the Unified Mind Technique typically become vegetative, so after being hit, the seventh member silently collapsed to the ground.
His five brothers were shocked. The leader immediately jumped to his side, helping him up while loudly calling out, "Seventh Brother, what's wrong with you? Seventh Brother! Seventh Brother..." While he checked on the seventh member, the other four sealed off Tan Ailing's attack route, guarding carefully.
Tan Ailing was happy to have more time to recover her spent internal energy and stamina, so she did not make a move at this time.
After a while, with no response and no sign of illness, the leader raised his head, glared at Tan Ailing, and asked, "Officer Tan, what's wrong with my seventh brother?"
Tan Ailing glanced at the seemingly lifeless seventh member and, displaying her sense of humor, replied, "If he's sick, he should see a doctor. What use is asking me?"
However, her humor was not appreciated by the leader and the others. After a few angry shouts, the six of them were fighting again. With one less enemy, Tan Ailing gained a slight advantage. But Eric was still afraid she might have an accident, so he helped her again in secret.
Using up all his magical power, the intermediate wind magic "Wind Binding Technique" exhausted Eric. He could no longer sustain the "Invisibility Technique" and "Levitation Technique." Fortunately, he had prepared and landed in the nearby woods ahead of time.
Without any magical defense, the five bound by the "Wind Binding Technique" found their movements immediately slowed. Tan Ailing, regardless of whether it was a trap or not, followed up with the "Chain Kicks" from the Tan Family Leg Techniques.
"Plop, plop, plop," a series of sounds, and the five collapsed to the ground, blood spraying from their chests.
Tan Ailing, somewhat incredulous at the outcome, hesitated for a moment. Then, she focused and listened intently, finding the unshielded Eric ten meters away.
With a graceful motion, Tan Ailing performed an ancient ritual and spoke with a clear and pleasant voice from her red lips, "Tan Ailing of Cangzhou thanks the gentleman for his assistance. May I request the honor of meeting the gentleman?"
Eric, who was already prepared to seize the opportunity to meet her, walked out of the hiding bushes without hesitation, speaking in Mandarin he had recently learned, "Eric has met Miss Tan Ailing."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone