A person sacrifices himself to become a saint in a chaotic world of martial arts.

"I wonder what position you are referring to, sir...?" Su Bai asked, bowing slightly forward, maintaining just the right amount of respect. His voice was neither loud nor soft, perfectly steady without a ripple, like a still pond.

My gaze fell on the blue bricks on the ground. The edges of those bricks were rounded from the wear of time, and fine moss grew in the gaps between them.

The morning light slanted across his profile from the east. The bloodstains left from last night had been washed away, but there was still a hint of weariness between his brows. His eye sockets were slightly sunken, there was a faint bluish-black ring under his eyelids, and there were fine blood vessels at the corners of his eyes, distributed like a spider web. His lips were a little dry and cracked, with several thin cracks that were faintly white.

Ning Yuechan sat by the stone table, her fingers gently tapping the surface, one tap after another.

The knocking sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet courtyard, tap, tap, tap, the rhythm neither too fast nor too slow, like a water clock. She looked up at Su Bai, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment before she slowly spoke: "You should know that in Fenjiang County, there are only a few truly important positions, and the one I want you to go to is the county jail."

She paused, her fingertips ceasing their tapping, pressing them against the table. The bluish veins on the back of her hand were faintly visible, like rivers meandering on a map.

"Of course, for now, you're only temporarily serving as the jailer. You're very useful to me, understand?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority; each word seemed to be nailed into the air, creating invisible craters.

Sunlight filtered through the sycamore leaves, casting dappled shadows on her face. The light spots danced between her eyebrows and eyes, their brightness shifting and making her expression appear somewhat unpredictable, with her brows sometimes falling into shadow and her eyes being illuminated at other times.

She looked at Su Bai with a complex expression in her eyes—a kind of scrutiny, an expectation, and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on. There seemed to be something hidden deep in her pupils, like an undercurrent in the depths of a well.

Initially, she intended for Su Bai to remain in this position until old age.

A prison warden is neither a big nor a small position; he provides enough security and longevity.

This can be seen as the Ning family gaining another power base in Fenjiang County, or to be more precise, it means Ning Yuechan has gained another good subordinate, a capable, obedient, and troublesome subordinate, a pawn she can use at will without fear of betrayal.

But now she realizes that Su Bai's abilities are simply too strong.

He was so strong that it surprised her, so strong that she had to re-evaluate him. The prison warden position she had chosen for him, which she initially thought was a favor, now seemed completely insufficient for him to showcase his abilities.

That space was too small to fit the person; it was like a cage trying to hold an eagle.

"I understand, I will certainly do my job well!" Su Bai said, his voice sincere and firm. He raised his head to meet Ning Yuechan's gaze, but their eyes met for only a moment before he quickly looked down, like a startled bird.

The clenched fist was slightly clenched, the knuckles turned white, the joints were clearly defined, and the edges of the nails were bluish, which were traces of blood stagnation caused by excessive force.

"Well, you can go back first and wait for the transfer order." Ning Yuechan nodded, waved her hand, her movements casual yet carrying a hint of the composure of a superior. Her sleeve drew an arc in the air, stirring up a gentle breeze.

Her gaze lingered on Su Bai for a moment, then shifted away, landing somewhere in the distance, her eyes somewhat unfocused, like a kite with a broken string.

"Yes, sir!" Su Bai bowed, took two steps back, and then turned to leave.

His footsteps faded into the distance on the bluestone slabs, the soles of his boots making a soft rustling sound as they rubbed against the stones, each step lighter than the last, like the fading beat of a drum.

The courtyard gate opened and closed with a soft creak, the sound of the hinges turning was particularly clear in the quiet, followed by the dull and firm click of the bolt falling.

Watching Su Bai leave and disappear outside the courtyard gate, Ning Yuechan pondered for a moment.

The courtyard was quiet, with only the rustling of the wind through the sycamore leaves and the occasional faint voices from the distant streets and alleys, intermittent and indistinct, as if separated by a layer of water.

She sat on the stone bench, her elbows resting on the stone table, her chin propped up, her hands clenched into fists, her cheeks pressed against her knuckles.

His gaze was unfocused as he stared blankly in the direction of the courtyard gate, his eyes somewhat unfocused, the outline of the gate reflected in his pupils. The two wooden doors were tightly closed, their paint peeling and faded.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell on her, the dappled light moving slowly across her blue dress, like the footsteps of time, inch by inch.

Judging from Su Bai's current situation, he will definitely be able to break through to the True Qi Realm.

She was almost certain of that.

From physical training to flexibility and strength, leaping across three realms in just a few months—such speed and such talent are by no means accidental.

There are even more difficult challenges ahead, such as divine power and true qi, but for someone like Su Bai, those are just a matter of time, like a river inevitably flowing into the sea.

Moreover, he is a genius-level True Qi Realm cultivator. Even the Ning family would have to spend some resources to win him over.

This is no longer something that Ning Yuechan could simply resolve by giving her some cultivation techniques or bestowing some favors.

Those small favors are nothing to someone who might become a genius in the True Qi Realm; they're like giving a beggar a copper coin.

She needs the support of her family, real resources, and something substantial to firmly bind this person to the Ning family and make him completely devoted to her.

She decided to write to her family, requesting that Su Bai be given special attention and training.

However, to my surprise, it was only three days later.

The family replied.

The letter arrived in the afternoon. A servant of the Ning family rode up on a fast horse, covered in dust. The sound of the horse's hooves stopped abruptly outside the courtyard, and the neighing startled the sparrows on the eaves.

The servant, drenched in sweat with his hair plastered to his forehead and panting heavily, handed over an envelope sealed with wax. The envelope bore the Ning family crest, a lotus flower pattern, and was tightly sealed with wax, the edges of which were clearly embossed.

Ning Yuechan took the letter, dismissed the servants, and sat by the window to open it.

The light from outside streamed in through the window, casting long, slanted shadows on the floor, one after another, with distinct light and shadow, like prison bars.

She unfolded the letter, which was made of fine Xuan paper, delicate and supple, with a faint scent of ink and a subtle hint of sandalwood.

She read line by line, her gaze moving from left to right, from top to bottom. Her face gradually changed, first turning slightly pale, then losing its color, then developing an unnatural flush, like a fiery sunset, and finally fading to a pale white, as white as paper, even whiter than the letter in her hand.

They agreed to win over and cultivate Su Bai, but the resources they provided were minimal—a few bottles of pills, a few cultivation manuals, and some silver coins. These were all ordinary items, not particularly rare on the market, and any independent cultivator with a bit of wealth could offer something much better.

Those pills were ordinary Qi and Blood Pills, costing ten taels of silver a bottle on the market; those cultivation techniques were common boxing manuals, sold in any bookstore; and the silver was meager, a mere hundred taels.

Giving such resources to a young genius with unlimited potential is an insult, like giving alms to a beggar.

"Why give so few resources? Giving too little is worse than giving nothing at all, otherwise it will only create enmity. When did the family become so short-sighted? Just because Third Brother is exceptionally talented, are we concentrating all resources on him?"

Ning Yuechan frowned as she looked at the reply she had received. Her brows furrowed tightly, and a deep vertical line appeared between them, as if carved by a knife.

Her fingers gripped the letter, her knuckles white and her bones distinct, as if she wanted to crush the paper. The paper trembled slightly, making a soft rustling sound, like autumn leaves shaking in the wind, or like the mournful cry of a wounded animal.

She bit her lower lip, which turned pale, and her teeth dug into her lip flesh, leaving a shallow mark with faint traces of blood seeping out. A hint of resentment and helplessness flashed in her eyes, and dark currents surged deep in her pupils, like the sea before a storm.

Her third brother, Ning Tianyi, is the most talented among the young people of their generation.

In fact, her third brother was only a little older than her, but he was much more talented than her.

She grew up watching her third brother's back as he practiced martial arts, every palm strike and punch, every move and stance. She watched him break through, level by level, year after year, and watched him being praised by the family elders. She had never experienced the smiles, the kind eyes, and the endless praise from those elders.

She was always the one standing on the periphery, always the one clapping, always the one playing a supporting role.

Now, Third Brother has reached the mid-stage of True Qi and has mastered several martial arts techniques. He is quite famous in the whole of Zhangzhou. Wherever he goes, people respectfully call him "Young Master Ning the Third". He is surrounded by followers and enjoys great prestige.

Once he breaks through to the late stage of True Qi, he will definitely be able to achieve a good ranking on the Hidden Dragon List.

The Hidden Dragon List is a list of the young generation in the entire Great Qian Dynasty. Those who can make it onto the list are extremely rare individuals, each one a prodigy, a dragon among men, whose names are known throughout the world.

In fact, it is said that her third brother, Ning Tianyi, is already capable of winning a place on the Hidden Dragon List, but he has not yet gone to compete for it.

The family's idea is to wait until he breaks through to the late stage of True Qi before going, so that he can get a good ranking, bring honor to the Ning family, and shut up those who look down on the Ning family and those who say that the Ning family has no successor.

Therefore, all resources were poured into the Indian brother.

Pills, box after box; cultivation techniques, scroll after scroll; guidance from renowned masters, one after another—everything best belonged to Third Brother.

The person she recommended, the genius she valued, was nothing more than an insignificant outsider in the family's eyes. They couldn't even remember his name, and they were given scraps to get rid of him. They weren't even willing to give him a second glance, as if her words, her vision, and her judgment were worthless.

"Well, in that case, we can only try to find another way to try and make it work."

Ning Yuechan sighed, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, like a wisp of smoke dissipating into the air, vanishing without a trace.

She loosened her fingers, and the letter slipped from between them, floating gently onto the table. She flipped it a couple of times, covering the teacup, leaving only a corner of the lid showing, the white porcelain gleaming warmly in the sunlight.

She leaned back in her chair, looked up at the beams, her gaze blank, the shadows of the beams reflected in her pupils, crisscrossing like a net.

The light from the window shone on her face, illuminating the dark circles under her eyes, which looked like ink wash, and the faint bitterness at the corner of her mouth, a bitterness that seemed to be etched on her lips, impossible to erase, like a natural line.

She couldn't make that decision; after all, she was just a young woman.

Whether it was her own abilities, her recommendations, or anything else, in the family's eyes, she was ultimately inferior. Her opinions, her requests, her vision were all no match for a single word from her third brother, or even a cough from one of the elders.

After all, she'll get married sooner or later.

These words, like a thorn, have been stuck in her heart for many years. Every time she thinks of them, she feels a dull ache. The pain is not intense, but it is lingering, like a dull knife cutting into her flesh.

She looked up at the window. The sycamore leaves in the courtyard were turning yellow, falling one by one, swirling as they landed on the ground. Some landed on the bluestone slabs, some in the grass, and some on the stone table.

The wind rose, blowing up a few fallen leaves that twirled in the courtyard, sometimes high, sometimes low, chasing each other until they drifted away and disappeared into the shadows of the courtyard wall, never to be seen again.

Suddenly I felt like those fallen leaves, seemingly swaying on the branches, enjoying boundless beauty, but in reality, they had no control over their own destiny. They went wherever the wind blew, and rotted wherever they landed.

......

"Lord Su."

"Greetings, Lord Su."

Upon returning from the General Garrison Command, Su Bai was greeted with a smile by a constable as soon as he entered the gate of the Southern Garrison Command.

His smile was wide and full, with fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, like two open fans, and the flesh on his cheeks was bulging out, glistening with oil.

His waist was slightly hunched, almost bent at a ninety-degree angle, his back arched like a shrimp, and his attitude was much more respectful than before.

Several bailiffs who were sweeping in the courtyard also stopped what they were doing, their hands holding brooms hanging in mid-air, the few dry grasses on the broom heads still swaying gently.

They looked up, their gazes all falling on Su Bai, their eyes filled with undisguised envy and flattery, as if they wanted to stick their eyes to him.

Some people even had their mouths slightly open, forgetting to close them for a moment, with a glistening drool hanging from the corner of their mouths.

"Um."

Su Bai nodded slightly, the movement so small it was almost imperceptible, and continued walking, which served as his response.

His face was calm and composed, revealing neither joy nor anger. His pace was slightly faster than usual, the soles of his boots making a steady sound on the bluestone slabs, one after another, unhurried and clear in the quiet courtyard, like drumbeats striking the hearts of everyone.

The morning light shone from behind him, the golden rays outlining his silhouette and casting a long shadow in front of him. The shadow slid slowly across the bluestone slab as he moved, like a silent river.

An Wuyu's affair made him the absolute focus of the Southern Garrison Command.

All the constables knew that Su Bai was really going to make a fortune this time.

Even if a True Qi Realm expert is severely injured, they are not someone an ordinary person can defeat. To be able to cut off An Wuyu's head in a one-on-one fight—this strength and this achievement are enough to make anyone look at them with new respect.

They looked at Su Bai's retreating figure with an almost reverent gaze, as if they were looking at a rising mountain.