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

Chapter 127 Ning Yuechan Appears

This time it's not an audit, it's a "severe crackdown on corruption."

Su Bai stood at the entrance of the council hall, watching yet another group of unfamiliar faces come and go. They wore county government badges around their waists, walked with a brisk pace, and their gazes were like knives, sweeping across the faces of every prison guard.

Su Bai then realized that the first round of audits was just an appetizer.

The inspection team doesn't check the ledgers; they check the people.

They plunged headlong into the depths of prison, directly confronting the most hidden corners.

The corner of the passageway was dark and damp, with moss growing at the base of the walls, and the air was thick with the smells of mildew and urine. They squatted there for half a day at a time, their eyes fixed on every passing guard, on every outstretched hand, on every item handed over.

At the edge of the exercise yard, in a place where the sun doesn't reach, they hid in the shadows, watching the guards and prisoners talk, and watching the prisoners' families secretly slip things into the guards' hands.

Through the visiting area window, separated by a fence, they recorded every visit, every package, and every conversation.

I squatted there for seven days in a row and memorized seventy or eighty names.

From temporary prison guards to registered prison guards, from senior prison guards to police officers—none of them escaped.

Those with serious offenses were directly imprisoned in the dungeon of the prefectural garrison, their shackles clanking, their faces pale, their legs weak, as they were dragged onto the prison cart. Those with lighter offenses were also flogged on the spot, pressed onto benches, the boards striking with resounding cracks, their screams echoing far and wide. After the beating, they were dismissed from their posts on the spot, without even a chance to plead for mercy.

Su Bai's merits were completely wiped out.

He was fined another six months' salary.

An official document arrived from the prefectural government, its wording stern, implying that "if you cannot correct yourself, how can you correct others?" This meant he risked being dismissed from his post.

Su Bai stood in front of the notice board, looking at the newly posted results of the investigation.

The sunlight shone on his face, making him squint. He stood there motionless, like a stone statue. People walked past behind him, their footsteps hurried, not daring to linger.

He had assumed the Ning family would exert influence and control the scope of the investigation. After all, this matter was far-reaching, and if it were thoroughly investigated, the entire Nancheng prison would be paralyzed.

However, the investigation is becoming increasingly in-depth and involves a wider range of people.

The Ning family seemed to stand idly by.

The patrol team lingered. Panic gripped the prison; the guards, after their shift, dared not linger, heads bowed, hurrying away without even a greeting. Their footsteps echoed as they disappeared into the depths of the alley.

Su Bai continued to live a secluded life, diligently practicing his martial arts.

Li Sanshan is the head of the patrol team.

The senior deputy officer of the Prefectural Garrison Command was of the same rank as Su Bai. However, being from the Prefectural Government, he was naturally half a rank higher, and his speech and actions always carried a hint of condescension.

He was of medium height, with fair skin and a neatly trimmed mustache. He always squinted when he spoke, and his lips curled into a half-smile that made people uncomfortable.

At first, Su Bai gave him face and treated him politely.

He answered whatever Li Sanshan asked; he cooperated in investigating whatever Li Sanshan wanted to investigate. Tea was served, and a seat was offered, maintaining appearances.

But Li Sanshan seemed unsatisfied with this.

On one occasion, during an investigation, he suddenly slammed his hand on the table, splashing tea with a loud "crack." Pointing at Su Bai's nose, his finger almost poking Su Bai's eyelids, he demanded, "Deputy Inspector Su! You dare say you were unaware of these accounting discrepancies?!"

Su Bai frowned, leaning back slightly to avoid the finger. "I've already explained these accounts—" Explain?" Li Sanshan sneered, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Of course you have to explain! In my opinion, you're the biggest cover-up! You eat the government's rice, take their salary, and secretly collude with those parasites!"

That's an unpleasant thing to say.

Su Bai's face darkened, a chill settling in his eyes. He didn't react, but simply said calmly, "If Deputy Inspector Li has evidence, then present it. If not, please be careful what you say."

"Watch your words?" Li Sanshan stepped forward, closing in on him, staring intently into his eyes, his gaze piercing. "What do I need to watch my words for? I've seen plenty of people like you! You put on a respectable act all day, but behind the scenes you're all thieves and prostitutes! I'm asking you, where do you live? How many people are in your family? How much is your monthly salary? Do you have any extra income?"

They actually treated Su Bai like a criminal and interrogated him.

Finally, he asked about the elders in his family, which was quite disrespectful.

Su Bai suddenly stood up.

The chair tipped backward with him, crashing to the ground with a loud bang, shaking the floor. He stared at Li Sanshan, his gaze as cold as an ice-cold knife, chilling to the bone.

"You, surnamed Li," he said, enunciating each word slowly but surely, each syllable like ice striking the air, "who do you think you are?"

Li Sanshan froze, his mouth agape, the mockery on his face frozen in place.

Su Bai took a step forward. Li Sanshan instinctively took half a step back, his knee slamming into the chair behind him, making a "..." sound.

With a loud "bang".

"You, a mere deputy constable from the prefecture, dare to cause trouble in my county jail? I let you audit the accounts, I let you question me, I've given you plenty of face. You really think you're something special?" Su Bai's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, echoing in the silent council hall. "Without evidence, you're making baseless accusations. After all these days of investigation, what concrete evidence have you found? You can't find anything, so you take it out on me? What kind of constable are you?"

Li Sanshan's face turned pale and bluish, his lips moved but he couldn't utter a word.

"Let me tell you," Su Bai pointed at him, her fingertip almost touching his chest, "if you dare to smear my family with those filthy rumors again, I'll go to the Prefectural Garrison and ask your superiors if this is your patrol procedure?"

After saying that, he turned and left.

A gust of wind stirred his clothes, and the light from the doorway cast a long shadow behind him.

Li Sanshan stood there, his face alternating between pale and flushed. His hands, hidden in his sleeves, clenched and unclenched repeatedly. His knuckles turned white from the clenching, and when he finally released them, deep nail marks were left on his palms.

After that, he dared not confront Su Bai openly, but secretly continued to make underhanded moves. Today he would stall a document, tomorrow he would delay an approval, and the day after he would make sarcastic remarks during meetings. It was clear that he wanted to remove Su Bai from his position as prison warden.

That day, Su Bai left his post early. As soon as he stepped out of the prison gate, he bumped into Li Sanshan walking towards him from the opposite direction.

It was dusk, and the setting sun cast long shadows. Li Sanshan walked over with his hands behind his back, and a smile appeared on his face when he saw Su Bai.

That smile was forced and insincere; it was just a twitch of the corners of the mouth, with no hint of amusement in the eyes.

"Oh, Deputy Inspector Su, you're off duty early." He drawled, "Well, there's not much to do these days, is there? Sooner or later—"

Su Bai didn't even glance at him, and walked straight past him without stopping.

As the two passed each other, Su Bai kept his eyes straight ahead, not even sparing him a glance.

Li Sanshan's words caught in his throat, his smile freezing on his face like a mask. He whirled around, staring at Su Bai's retreating figure. The setting sun cast Su Bai's long shadow, stretching from his feet into the distance. He gritted his teeth, his cheeks bulging out in sharp lines.

"Su Bai," he lowered his voice, as if speaking to himself, yet also as if cursing, "if I don't rip this skin off you, I'll take your surname!"

Su Bai walked away.

A few withered leaves were swept up by the autumn wind, swirling past him and drifting into the distance. He walked steadily, each step firm and solid, without even turning his head.

He's just a clown jumping around.

Su Bai walked quickly.

He walked through two streets and alleys, his steps quickening. The light in the alleys was gradually dimming, casting shadows on the walls on both sides, with only a sliver of sky overhead. He moved like the wind, his clothes fluttering, startling a stray cat at the foot of a wall, which meowed and darted up the wall.

Things are different now; he doesn't have time to waste on people like Li Sanshan.

His own courtyard was deep in the alley. He pushed open the half-closed wooden door, the hinges creaking as he stepped inside and then snapped the latch shut.

On the stone table in the courtyard lay a small package, wrapped in blue cloth and tied with a red rope. The red rope was tied with a special knot, a unique way of tying the offerings required by Zhu Yunying.

All done.

I am about to master this technique.

Su Bai stood in the courtyard and looked up at the sky. The autumn sky was high and the clouds were light, with a few wisps of thin clouds drifting slowly by, tinged with a pale orange-red by the sunset. The last few birds flew across the horizon and disappeared behind the eaves of the houses not far away.

He recalled Li Sanshan's twisted face, his underhanded tricks, and his clenched curses.

Suddenly I found it a little funny.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

When the day comes that you don't like it anymore, you can simply wipe it away with a wave of your hand.

He withdrew his gaze, walked to the stone table, and reached out to untie the red rope binding the bundle. The rope loosened, the bundle unwrapped, revealing its contents.

Right now, nothing is more important than martial arts.

Three more days passed.

Su Bai had just been released from prison and was preparing to go back.

As dusk settled, a hazy twilight enveloped the streets and alleys. He walked along the base of the wall, his shadow stretching long beneath his feet, the soles of his boots crunching softly over the fallen leaves on the flagstones.

As soon as he arrived at his doorstep, two constables were waiting there.

Su Bai paused in his steps.

The two men, who had been chatting idly by the doorframe, hurriedly straightened up and bowed in unison when they saw him arrive. The man in the lead put on a smile, his wrinkles crinkling at the corners of his eyes: "Lord Su, Lord Ning requests your presence."

Su Bai glanced at them, didn't ask what was wrong, and just nodded.

Ning Yuechan has finally appeared, and that's enough.

The two men led the way, their attitude even more respectful than usual. Su Bai lagged half a step behind, his gaze sweeping over their hunched backs and slightly turned figures, even his footsteps were deliberately light, landing almost silently. He recognized this posture; it was the manner of petty officials in the yamen when meeting their superiors.

interesting.

He is merely a person awaiting punishment, "to be kept in reserve for future observation," so why have these two come to this?

unless--

Su Bai lowered his eyes and subtly slowed his breathing.

At a roadside tea stall, two constables taking a break were huddled together, their heads almost touching, their voices huddled in hushed tones, yet none of them escaped his ears.

"Have you heard? The patrol team from the prefectural garrison went to the prison a few days ago."

"Who doesn't know that? I heard they turned everything upside down, even bringing out old case files from years ago. The commotion was so great that even the prisoners who had been locked up for half a month were shocked."

"Tsk, can this prison in Fenjiang County withstand scrutiny?"

"We have to endure it, even if we can't. I heard from the jailer that the inspector looked really grim and arrested a lot of people on the spot. Seven or eight jailers and clerks were taken away in a row."

"That jailer Su—"

"He was lucky; he wasn't on duty that day. But he already had a 'duty' assigned to him, and now this is just adding insult to injury."

The Ning family seems to be quiet again; it's hard to say whether they can ultimately protect him.

"The Ning family? Heh, I heard that the second young master of the Li family has already returned. This power struggle is probably—"

The voice went even lower, so low it was like a mosquito's hum. Su Bai didn't listen anymore.

His expression remained unchanged, only the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, forming a faint, almost imperceptible curve.

This is really exciting now; the news has spread everywhere.

The two men led him through two streets and stopped in front of the side gate of the Ning residence. Someone from the gatehouse was already waiting and led him to a quiet and elegant side hall.

"Please have a seat, Lord Su. Your master will be here shortly."

Su Bai nodded, his gaze sweeping over the furnishings in the hall. They were exactly the same as when he last came: rosewood tables and chairs, and the landscape painting hanging on the wall was still the same. Only in the corner was there a pot of blooming white orchids, their petals snow-white, gleaming faintly in the twilight.

He casually sat down, his fingertips resting on the armrest of the chair, and tapped twice slowly. The tapping sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet hall.

Shortly after, footsteps were heard.

Ning Yuechan emerged from the back hall, followed by the maid named Xiaoli. Today, she wore a moon-white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with a blue silk sash tied around her waist. As she walked, the hem of her skirt swayed gently, like ripples spreading across water.

"Su Bai." She smiled, her steps quickening slightly as she approached. She nodded slightly, her eyelashes drooping for a moment before lifting again. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Su Bai rose to return the greeting, bowing just the right angle: "Lord Ning, you're too kind."

"Sit." Ning Yuechan waved her hand and sat down in the main seat. Her sleeve slipped down, revealing a section of her fair wrist. "Xiao Li, serve tea."

The maidservant acknowledged and withdrew. Su Bai looked up at her; it was still the same face, still the same gentle and composed demeanor, but he felt that something was amiss.

The brilliance in his eyes was brighter than usual, like a dusty bead that had been carefully polished, revealing its inner luster.

Is it just my imagination?

"I'm sorry you've suffered these past few days," Ning Yuechan said frankly, leaning forward slightly. "I know about the Li family's affair. It's really gone too far."

Su Bai didn't reply, but just looked at her quietly, his gaze fixed on her brows, neither avoiding nor yielding.

Ning Yuechan didn't seem to mind and continued speaking: "I was in seclusion a few days ago and only came out yesterday. I hope you will forgive me for not being able to help you in time."

Seclusion?

Su Bai's eyebrows twitched slightly, the movement was extremely light and quick, like a dragonfly skimming the water.

"I successfully broke through to the mid-stage of the True Qi Realm yesterday."

When Ning Yuechan said this, her tone was as calm as if she were talking about the weather, but her gaze was fixed on Su Bai's face, as if she were trying to catch something.

The micro-sized holes in the Su Baituan.

it is true.

Her demeanor and aura were indeed different from usual. She sat there upright, her aura calm and serene, yet there was a subtle, restrained sense of pressure, like an undercurrent hidden beneath a deep pool.

To reach the middle stage of the True Qi Realm is considered a true mastery in Fengshan County.

Especially considering how young Ning Yuechan is.

Pity.

If she weren't a woman, the Ning family would probably value her much more.