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

As soon as this news came out, the atmosphere in the previously quiet public housing suddenly became heated.

The constables present all had shining eyes, their breathing became heavier, they exchanged excited glances, and some even rubbed their hands together excitedly.

Xiao Gong is nothing.

It takes about ten small merits to barely equal one big merit.

Great achievements are very precious!

Do you know what a great achievement means?

This means that for these temporary errand runners who are used to running errands and having to be subservient to others, a tremendous opportunity is right in front of them.

One might not be able to directly become a formal constable after making a great contribution.

But if we think of another way, it's not impossible.

If one can achieve three major merits, then one can directly become a formal constable!

Of course, it's obvious at a glance that this great achievement isn't easy to obtain.

Temporary constables are all ordinary people who haven't even reached the first level of martial arts.

Obtaining these great achievements is extremely dangerous.

However, not a single temporary officer backed down.

For regular constables, a major merit is quite good, but not everyone wants it.

If it's three major achievements, then it's worth the risk.

However, it is also extremely dangerous.

As soon as the meeting ended, the group quickly gathered in small groups based on their usual relationships, whispering among themselves.

"Brother Su, did you hear that? This time, we brothers are at least going to get three minor merits!"

Sun Hou excitedly slapped Su Bai on the shoulder, grinning and his eyes were full of eager anticipation.

Old Wang stood to the side, his usually somewhat cloudy eyes now gleaming with an unusual light. He licked his chapped lips and murmured:

"We'd better keep our eyes peeled and our legs moving faster these days... If our ancestors are on our side and we really manage to run into that Black Tyrant, heh..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the blush rising on his wrinkled face betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

He was a long-time temporary worker in the county government, having toiled away for over a decade. He had accumulated some small merits over the years.

If we can take this opportunity to make some more money and spend some more money to grease palms,

Getting a permanent position... seems like there's a slight possibility.

"Oh, right, we should also ask Chief Li if he's coming with us," Sun Hou suggested, remembering something.

The three nodded to each other and walked up to Li, the constable, who was picking his teeth against the wall.

Upon hearing their purpose, Constable Li didn't even raise his eyelids, lazily waving his hand:

"You guys go ahead, I'm not getting involved in this mess. Do a good job, maybe it'll work out."

After saying that, he straightened up, patted off non-existent dust from his buttocks, and turned to stroll out of the public housing building.

This matter held little appeal for him, a seasoned veteran who had long since lost all ambition.

Looking for clues? Arresting someone?

That's real, dangerous work; you might even get bloodied.

Even if he were lucky enough to receive the reward, he would still need to be alive to claim it; he wasn't going to take that risk.

For Su Bai, this bounty is equally important.

His original plan was to directly "reveal his hand" and demonstrate that he had reached the Skin Refining Realm.

According to the rules, this would qualify them to become official servants.

But now, he has changed his mind and plans to wait and see if he can take advantage of this opportunity to claim the reward.

He had his own plans in mind.

The main problem is...

His father once had someone examine him and concluded that he had poor physique and weak body, and was not suited for martial arts.

Chief Constable Xiang Quan was aware of this matter.

It has only been a month since then, and he suddenly "successfully developed his skin," which is too abrupt and illogical.

His original plan was to directly reveal his strength, and if Constable Xiang became suspicious, he could just make up some excuse. After all, his father was gone and there was no way to verify anything, so he could say whatever he wanted.

But this is ultimately a flaw.

Su Bai always sought stability in his actions.

Now that he has the opportunity to make a contribution, he plans to try another path.

Based on their merits, plus spending some money, if that's still not enough, they would "inadvertently" show that they have been "studying hard" and "making considerable progress" recently, and have already touched the threshold of skin training.

By employing these multiple approaches, we can see if we can circumvent the concerns raised by investors and successfully gain official recognition.

If it goes well, once I officially don the uniform, the Zhenfu Division will issue better internal energy cultivation methods and a standardized sword technique.

At that point, it will be natural for him to gradually "accelerate" and reveal his "talent".

However, he didn't want to wait indefinitely.

Having the status of a formal constable meant more pay, more "tribute," a more secure backing, and the possibility of escaping the shadow of the Fierce Tiger Gang—all of which were extremely important.

He drew a line in his mind.

……

On the first day after the bounty was issued, Su Bai, Sun Hou, and Lao Wang patrolled the streets with extra vigor.

Instead of lingering along the usual route, the group actively expanded their search area.

They even wander through those quiet alleys and deserted riverbanks.

Sun Hou stared wide-eyed, not missing a single corner.

Old Wang, relying on his years of experience, carefully observed everyone.

Even the usual pastime of drinking peanuts with alcohol has been skipped.

However, at the end of the day, apart from sore and numb legs, nothing was accomplished.

The next day, the morning meeting proceeded as usual, and the three men, with bloodshot eyes, plunged into the streets and alleys once again.

No fruit.

The third day was the same.

By the evening of the fourth day, Su Bai dragged his tired body back to his residence. The fervor that had been ignited by the bounty had been largely extinguished by the days of fruitless efforts.

He lay in bed, silently pondering as the last rays of sunlight streamed through the window.

If things remain the same in two more days, then I will give up.

What bounty, what great achievement? It's all too vague and unrealistic.

The right thing to do is to become a formal government official as soon as possible, receive tangible benefits, and get rid of the current predicament.

As night deepened, all was quiet.

Su Bai lay on the bed, preparing to blow out the oil lamp and rest.

Sudden--

"despair."

A very faint sound came from outside the window.

It was as light as a withered leaf falling, or as light as a night owl tiptoeing over a roof tile.

If Su Bai hadn't already entered the Skin Refining Realm, possessing far superior hearing and vision compared to ordinary people, it would have been extremely difficult for him to detect it.

Inside the room, Su Bai's expression suddenly changed, and all sleepiness vanished.

He sprang up silently like a cat, his muscles tensing instantly, and reached under his pillow to pull out the foot-long steel dagger he had bought for himself.

The official waist knife must be returned after the mission; this dagger is his true means of self-defense.

At that moment, the faint footsteps outside sounded again, extremely light and slow. Judging from the direction...

They were heading towards the kitchen in the corner of his yard.

"A petty thief? Here to steal food?" The thought flashed through Su Bai's mind.

There was nothing in the kitchen except for half a bowl of leftover rice.

He dared not be careless.

Hold your breath, step lightly on the cool ground, bend over, press your ear close to the wall, and listen carefully.

A barely audible rustling sound came from the kitchen, as if a cabinet was being opened very carefully.

"We have to go check it out. How dare they steal from your Uncle Su..."

A cold glint flashed in Su Bai's eyes. He silently pushed open his bedroom door, slipped out to the side, and moved step by step toward the kitchen, his body pressed against the shadow of the wall.