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

Chapter 121 Conflict

Su Bai didn't look at it much, but simply sat upright with his gaze level.

After three rounds of tea, Ning Zhiyuan put down his teacup and glanced at Ning Yuechan.

Ning Yuechan then stood up and said, "Second Uncle, I'll go check on the tea and snacks prepared in the back." With that, she left.

The hall was silent for a moment.

Ning Zhiyuan then spoke, his voice unhurried: "Su Bai, I believe you know that you have nothing else. Even this position was only given to you by Miss Ning. Of course, your talent also plays a part, and I value your talent as well."

Su Bai said, "You flatter me, senior."

Ning Zhiyuan waved his hand: "It's no flattery. My Ning family has been operating in Fengshan County for hundreds of years and has seen many people. I've seen many talented young people, but someone like you is truly rare."

He picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then put it down.

"So, I've chosen you for this marriage."

Su Bai looked up at Ning Zhiyuan, waiting for his next words.

Ning Zhiyuan indeed had more to say.

"But I have one condition." His voice remained calm and unhurried, as if he were discussing something ordinary. "After you marry Qingyue, you must become an adopted son-in-law of the Ning family."

Su Bai's brows twitched slightly.

"You are now an orphan, with no ties to you." Ning Zhiyuan looked at him calmly. "Marrying into the Ning family will not be a bad thing for you. The Ning family can provide you with resources and help you with your cultivation; while you are working in the Zhenfu Division, the Ning family can also pave the way for you. Within three years, we will guarantee you a position in the Chief Constable; within five years, you may be able to advance further to the Prefectural Government."

He paused, then said, "Although Qingyue is born out of wedlock, her father is me, and I won't let her suffer any grievances in the clan. If you marry into the Ning family, you will naturally be a member of the Ning family, and if you have children in the future, they will bear the surname Ning—I don't think it makes much difference to you."

After saying that, he stopped talking and simply picked up his teacup and slowly drank it.

The hall fell silent.

Su Bai lowered his eyes, his fingers resting on his knees, motionless.

Ning Qingyue looked up at him, her gaze filled with scrutiny, curiosity, and a hint of anticipation. She wanted to see how this lowly constable would answer.

Su Bai raised his head.

He didn't look at Ning Zhiyuan, but looked at Ning Qingyue.

This was the first time he had looked at her properly since he entered the house.

Ning Qingyue was slightly taken aback by his gaze, then raised her chin slightly, her eyes not daring to look away, displaying the usual reserve of a daughter of the Ning family.

Su Bai glanced at it only once before turning his gaze away and turning to Ning Zhiyuan.

"You flatter me, senior." His voice was flat. "I cannot accept the offer to marry into your family."

Ning Zhiyuan paused slightly in the hand holding the teacup.

A hint of surprise flashed in Ning Qingyue's eyes, then she lowered her gaze, her thoughts unreadable.

Ning Zhiyuan put down his teacup, looked at Su Bai, his gaze deeper than before: "Reason?"

Su Bai said, "I come from a humble background and have no parents or family business to inherit. But my surname is Su, and there is no reason for me to change it."

Ning Zhiyuan remained silent for a moment.

"Have you thought this through?" His voice remained calm, but there was a hint of pressure in his tone. "Without the Ning family's support, you might still be a lowly constable in the Zhenfu Division even after ten years. On the path of cultivation, resources, techniques, opportunities—which of these doesn't require someone to back you up?"

Su Bai stood up, clasped his hands in a respectful bow, and said, "I appreciate your kindness, senior. However, I am truly unworthy of this marriage."

He turned and walked out.

Just as he reached the entrance of the hall, Ning Qingyue's voice came from behind him: "Stop."

Su Bai stopped walking without turning around.

Ning Qingyue's voice came from behind, tinged with a hint of coldness: "You won't even glance at me?"

Su Bai remained silent for a moment.

"I've seen it," he said.

Then lift your foot and step out of the threshold.

Ning Yuechan was talking to her maid in the courtyard when she saw Su Bai come out, and her expression changed slightly.

She went to meet them, lowering her voice: "Why so soon? Did the talks break down?"

Su Bai nodded.

"Because of the matter of marrying into the family?"

Su Bai nodded again.

Ning Yuechan paused for a moment, then sighed, "My second uncle is a good man in every way, except he's stubborn about some things. He has no sons, only one daughter, Qingyue, and he's been wanting to find a husband for a long time."

Su Bai didn't reply, he just kept walking forward.

Ning Yuechan followed beside him, and after a few steps, suddenly asked, "Did you see the moon clearly just now?"

Su Bai paused in his steps.

"I've seen it."

"How do you feel?"

Su Bai thought for a moment and said, "She is indeed quite good-looking."

Ning Yuechan turned her head to look at him, waiting for him to continue.

Su Bai didn't say anything more, but just continued walking forward.

Ning Yuechan's lips curled up slightly, but she quickly suppressed it.

The two left the manor and walked into the mulberry grove. The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves, scattering dappled light across the ground.

After walking for a while, Ning Yuechan suddenly spoke up: "Actually, the reason my second uncle was willing to propose marrying into the family is because he values ​​you. If he didn't think you were worth it, he wouldn't have even brought it up."

Su Bai hummed in agreement.

"If you just leave like this, it will be difficult to maintain good relations with the Ning family in Fengshan County from now on. After all, my uncle has more say than I do."

Su Bai remained silent.

The mulberry grove was quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps and the rustling of the wind through the mulberry leaves.

After walking for a while, Ning Yuechan asked again, "Do you regret it?"

Su Bai shook his head.

Ning Yuechan looked at him. Sunlight filtered through the mulberry leaves, casting dappled patterns on his shoulders. His profile was sharp, but his eyes were calm, revealing no emotion.

"Why?" she asked.

Su Bai remained silent for a moment before saying, "Some things cannot be tolerated."

Ning Yuechan didn't ask any more questions.

The two continued walking, leaving the mulberry grove and onto the main road.

On both sides of the official road were vast fields of farmland, where people were working, looking like tiny black dots from a distance.

After walking for a while, Ning Yuechan suddenly smiled and said softly, "Actually, this is fine too."

The three months passed quietly with Su Bai's breathing.

The morning sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the window, falling in streaks on the floor tiles in front of the couch, like gilded strings. Su Bai sat cross-legged on the couch, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing long and even. With each breath, he could feel the Azure Yuan True Qi surging through his meridians like a tidal wave, more than twice as powerful as when he first entered the True Qi Realm.

True Qi originates from the Dantian, ascends along the meridians, passes through the three gates, opens all the meridians, and finally returns to the Dantian. This cycle repeats endlessly, like the eastward flow of a river, ever-renewing.

He opened his eyes, a fleeting glint of light flashing within them.

He raised his hand, palm facing up, and with a slight thought, a wisp of true energy emanated from his Laogong acupoint, condensing above his palm without dissipating, like a small, faint wisp of mist. Then he clenched his fist, drawing the true energy into his body. A faint golden light flashed beneath his skin—a sign that he was about to complete the seventh level of the Golden Bell Shield technique.

"Mid-stage True Qi Realm"

He murmured to himself, his voice echoing softly in the empty room.

For the past three months, he has been absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth during the day using the Azure Origin Technique, and tempering his muscles, bones, and skin with the Golden Bell Shield at night. The two methods, one internal and one external, complement each other, and his progress has been so rapid that even he himself is somewhat surprised. Sometimes, when he finishes his practice late at night, he can feel that the true energy in his body is even more abundant than the day before. That feeling of constantly growing stronger is intoxicating.

But what truly caused the cultivation speed to skyrocket was that batch of sacrificial offerings.

Half a month ago, a steward from the Prefectural Treasure Pavilion sent a letter. He unfolded it and read that the three sacrificial offerings he had ordered—the century-old blood ginseng, the golden thread lingzhi, and the jade marrow liquid—had all arrived.

To raise the money, he took action against several local thugs in the northern suburbs of the county.

Those gangs were entrenched in the docks and slums, ostensibly running a transport business, but secretly forcing women into prostitution, setting traps for extortion, and even trafficking children. Su Bai had been watching them for a long time, but he was too busy cultivating to spare a hand.

There was no moon that night; the sky was as dark as spilled ink. He selected three hideouts in one go.

His first hideout was in a shantytown near the docks. When he went in, people were gambling inside. Without saying a word, he started beating them. No one is innocent under his fists; the gang leaders didn't even see who he was before they were knocked unconscious.

The second hideout was even more secluded, in the backyard of a seemingly ordinary restaurant. As he climbed over the wall, he heard a child crying coming from the woodshed in the backyard. He stood at the entrance of the woodshed, looked at the guards, and said only one word: "Get out." The men didn't leave, so he took action.

The third hideout was the largest, serving as the gang's headquarters. When he entered, the people inside had already been alerted, and twenty or thirty men were waiting for him with knives and clubs. He still didn't say a word and went inside.

That night, he washed the blood off his hands, let it dry, and then washed it again.

The next morning, a dozen or so ruffians, bound tightly, appeared at the gate of the Zhenfu Division, along with a stack of confessions filled with charges of their crimes. The confessions were marked with fingerprints; the black ink on the white paper was marred by red fingerprints that looked like specks of blood.

And those ill-gotten gains fell into Su Bai's hands without anyone noticing.

"Use the money of wicked people to buy offerings and sacrifices to help yourself in your spiritual practice."

He looked at the words "Qingyuan Technique - Mastery" and "Golden Bell Shield - Mastery" on the attribute panel and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

This deal is done.

"Now that my cultivation technique is fully mastered, I'm making rapid progress in my True Qi Realm cultivation. I estimate that I'll be able to try breaking through to the late True Qi Realm in a few months at most, and then it will be the next realm," Su Bai pondered.

True Qi Realm.

Su Bai looked out the window.

My gaze passed over the low eaves of the county town, over the gray tiles and the rising smoke, and seemed to see further away—there were higher mountains, wider rivers, and stronger adversaries.

Above true qi is true qi.

Upon reaching that level, the true energy within the body will condense into a powerful force. When released externally, it can slay enemies from ten steps away; when contained internally, it makes the muscles and bones as strong as iron, impervious to swords and spears.

Once combined with his Golden Bell Shield, he will only become stronger.

By then, being able to fight against a thousand will no longer be a myth.

Such methods are beyond the ordinary.

That is why True Qi Realm warriors are the true foundation of a family.

The reason why those powerful families in the prefecture have been able to remain in power for centuries is because of the several True Qi Realm ancestors in their families.

"Once I break through to the True Qi Realm, my status in the outer city of Wei River will be completely different."

Su Bai withdrew his gaze, his expression calm as still water.

By then, there won't be many people he can be wary of.

But he did not become arrogant because of this.

He knew better than anyone that his progress today was due to the shortcut of offering sacrifices—a method that no one else could replicate.

Without this support, he would probably be dreaming of cultivating himself.

"The path of cultivation is like rowing against the current. A temporary lead means nothing; the one who laughs last is the winner. I must go even higher."

He took a deep breath, suppressed the restlessness in his heart, and continued to immerse himself in cultivation.

Based on his current progress, he should be able to attempt to break through to the True Qi Realm in at most three months.

The next day, Su Bai went to work as usual.

Time always seems to pass slowly in prison.

Sunlight filters through the skylight, moving from east to west, marking the passage of a day.

Su Bai sat in the duty room, flipping through the files, with the sound of the guards' footsteps on patrol and the occasional shouts and curses of prisoners in the distance.

Around noon, a commotion came from the direction of the main gate.

The sound grew louder and louder, mixed with human voices, footsteps, and the muffled clatter of clashing sword sheaths.

Su Bai put down the dossier, got up and walked out of the duty room, through the dark corridor, and arrived at the main gate of the prison.

At this moment, Wu Yangjue and his group were gathered outside the main gate of the prison.

These men were all burly and had swords at their waists. Although they wore ordinary clothes, their fierce aura made them look like bodyguards and thugs raised by a powerful family.

The sunlight shone on their faces, revealing expressionless faces and pairs of indifferent eyes.

The leader was a middle-aged man in his thirties with prominent temples, clearly a martial artist at the True Qi Realm who had cultivated internal energy.

He stood at the front, his hands behind his back, his gaze passing over the guards at the door and fixed on the depths of the prison.

"Get out of the way."

He spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable sense of pressure.

Four constables stood at the door, sweat beading on their foreheads, their hands trembling slightly as they gripped the hilts of their swords.

They glanced at each other, neither daring to speak or move.

Behind them, a side door to the prison opened, and a person walked out.

It was Su Bai.

He was dressed in black today, with the iron ruler that had been with him for many years hanging at his waist, and his face was as calm as still water.

The sunlight fell on him, illuminating his entire body clearly—his features were handsome, but his eyes were as cold as well water in winter.

He glanced at the group of people at the door, then at the middle-aged man, and slowly asked, "What happened?"

The middle-aged man recognized Su Bai and clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, his attitude still quite polite: "Lord Su, my young master is young and impetuous, and his actions are somewhat reckless. But in any case, he is the eldest son of the Li family and should not be locked up in a place like this. Please do us the favor of letting us in to see him."

"Head jailer Su, a son of the Li family killed someone in the street in the county town. The chief jailer has ordered him to be taken to jail." Sun Hou appeared behind Su Bai at some point and said in a low voice.

"Oh? I understand." Su Bai nodded.

He said, "Why is this happening so suddenly? And who dares to arrest the Li family?"

So it turns out it was Wei Zhiyao.

Or perhaps it's Ning Yuechan.

He snapped out of his thoughts and his gaze returned to the middle-aged man's face.

"Meet?" He gave a slight, cold smile. "Your young master whipped a commoner to death in the street—that's a capital offense. Do you think it's a joke?"

The middle-aged man's expression changed slightly, and his gaze turned cold.

"Lord Su, my master said that as long as you are willing to make an exception, the Li family will reward you handsomely. If you insist on doing so, you should also consider whether Fenjiang County, this small place, can withstand the Li family's wrath."

As soon as he finished speaking, the dozens of guards stepped forward in unison, their hands on the hilts of their swords.

The scabbard collided with the belt, producing a dull thud.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.