The Investigator knew this was hard to accept. In fact, when he saw Zhuang Xiao leap off the hovercar, rush in first swinging her stick, and wipe out all the Demons as easily as chopping vegetables, he’d been stunned too, but at the same time... a faint, almost imperceptible tremor stirred in his heart.

This was what a real boss was supposed to look like.

He started to understand why those hawkish Judges had defected to Zhuang Xiao—once you witnessed all that, it was very hard not to want to throw yourself under the command of such a super-invincible boss.

It might sound a bit disrespectful, but Zhuang Xiao gave him a sense of reassurance much like the Lord of the Holy City did. The difference was, the Lord of the Holy City used calculation to let them see the threads of fate, so they could be thoroughly prepared for every step of the future; whereas Zhuang Xiao used that stick of hers to declare to every member of the tribe that they didn’t need to overthink anything. If a Demon dared to mess with them, their boss would make every intruder regret ever being born into this world.

The Investigator couldn’t help glancing around.

Just look at this place, steeped in despair; even the Chief Prosecutor himself had lost his faith.

Meanwhile, on the other side, he believed Zhuang Xiao was probably throwing a welcome party for the tribe’s new members. Everything there was thriving; everyone was immersed in hope for the future.

"This is outrageous!"

The Chief Prosecutor once again tasted the feeling of being abandoned. The Judges’ choice was nothing less than a complete rejection of him. "This is against the rules, it utterly violates the statutes of the Legal Department. Once this term is over, when the Lord of the Holy City returns to us, I’m going to see whether they’ll regret today’s decision!"

And when that time came, he would ruthlessly refuse any requests from those traitors to return to work in the Legal Department. Let them rot and fester in that backward, barbaric tribe!

Of course, this was just his way of trying to regain some psychological balance.

But this became the last straw that broke the Investigator’s back. He looked at the Chief Prosecutor with a faint sadness. Once upon a time, they had all regarded the Chief Prosecutor as a role model. He was wise and decisive, could navigate the High-tier Council with ease, yet always held fast to his principles as Chief Prosecutor. He was the exemplar of the Legal Department.

But now he was lost, full of anger, on the verge of being completely crushed by negative emotions.

Under the leadership of the current Chief Prosecutor, the Investigator seriously doubted whether they’d ever live to see a First Special District free of Demons.

"Please allow me to formally submit my resignation."

The Investigator had made his decision.

Rather than being crushed together by this suffocating atmosphere of despair, he chose to defect to that tribe which looked livelier and more cheerful.

The Lord of the Holy City might truly be gone, but the tribe was rising.

It would become another new power that even the Demons could not ignore.

The Chief Prosecutor didn’t stop him. He couldn’t find any words to make him stay; he could only clench his fists and stare as yet another trusted subordinate walked out of the Legal Department building, off to join that tribal Warlord who had appeared out of nowhere. He could see that the other Judges were also wavering, though they had yet to make their final decision.

Maybe before long, once they saw that "boss" with their own eyes, they would betray the Legal Department without a second thought.

Face dark, the Chief Prosecutor returned to his office, and almost immediately noticed his own reflection in the mirror—with red eyes.

"We should renegotiate the tax issue."

The red eyes stated their purpose. "I’ve decided to waive your daily tax of fifteen souls."

Two days of abnormal phenomena in a row had drawn Red Eyes’ attention to this rapidly rising tribe. Normally, Demons lacked cohesion; only when some Prince hosted a "feast" would they briefly gather in one place. The rest of the time they were each immersed in their own pleasures.

But this time, so many Demons had vanished at once that it couldn’t ignore the changes unfolding in this city.

When it realized someone was swinging a stick and beating its kind to the point their souls were scattered to the winds, Red Eyes felt a long-lost sense of oppression and dread.

This was a power it could not comprehend, not something wrought by mortal hands, but very likely another existence similar to their master.

"I know there may have been some misunderstandings between us, but right now I think you’re facing a bigger problem than me."

Red Eyes went on, "You must have realized it: that ’boss’ is the biggest threat of all."

"But I also know she’s your nemesis."

The Chief Prosecutor stared coldly at the red eyes in the mirror, silently weighing the situation.

Red Eyes had suddenly lifted their taxes, which meant that even the Demon Princes no longer had the heart to indulge themselves. The tribe’s emergence had put tremendous pressure on the Demons as well.

"Exactly." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Red Eyes did not deny it. "In thousands of years, this is the first time I’ve seen a group that can use sticks to deal us lethal blows."

It deliberately used the word "group" to describe this rising tribe. "Although they look the same as you on the outside, I can assure you she is absolutely something else—something beyond the reach of your understanding. That includes those subordinates who betrayed you. They’ve been affected by that power and have undergone conversion."

The Chief Prosecutor did not answer immediately, but in his heart he weighed every word Red Eyes had said.

The Judges who had survived all came back... wrong.