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

Perhaps knowing that Officer Chen had arrived ahead of schedule, an invisible tension spread among the constables.

Many of the servants who were originally slowly tidying their clothes and eating their breakfast,

They all unconsciously quickened their pace, and the footsteps in the courtyard became dense and slightly chaotic.

Before long, most of the constables had arrived, except for a few who were genuinely late.

They lined up in roughly the same queue as usual, whispering amongst themselves as they speculated about what important matter might be on their minds that day.

Immediately afterwards, two steady yet distinct footsteps echoed from the passageway leading from the front yard to the back hall.

Everyone instinctively held their breath and looked over, only to see Officer Wang and Officer Li walking out one after the other.

Wang Chatou's expression remained as serious as ever, his gaze sweeping across the entire room like that of a hawk.

Li Chatou still had that somewhat indifferent look, as if he wasn't very interested in anything, with his eyelids drooping.

The three men met up and stood on the stone steps under the eaves, exchanging a few words in hushed tones.

Wang, the constable, seemed to furrow his brow slightly; Chen, the constable, wore his usual enigmatic smile; and Li, the constable, merely nodded occasionally.

A moment later, Li Chatou took a step forward and cleared his throat.

All the noise in the courtyard seemed to be cut off with a single stroke, and instantly everyone fell silent, all eyes focused on him.

"Fellow colleagues," Chief Li's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, "I've gathered you all here today to announce some good news. Last night, some of my officers from the Garrison Command discovered the trail of Mao Buli, the leader of the Black Fiend Gang, and successfully killed him!"

"boom--!"

These words were like cold water poured into boiling oil, instantly causing an uproar among the constables!

"What?! Mao Buli? That ruthless bandit leader? Dead??"

"Who did this? My God! What incredible luck!"

"Which brother is so fierce? He single-handedly took down Mao Duli? Impossible!"

"Could it be that one of the taxi drivers personally intervened? I didn't hear about any large-scale mobilization last night..."

"This achievement...is truly remarkable!"

Shock, envy, curiosity, and disbelief erupted in a cacophony of voices.

Everyone's face was filled with excitement and curiosity, looking around curiously.

He tried to find traces of the "lucky one" on his colleagues' faces.

Su Bai was slightly startled, and then a surge of heat rushed up his body.

They announced it so quickly?

Has Uncle Xiang already reported it?

That's incredibly efficient!

He looked around, searching for Xiang Quan, only to realize that, at some point...

Uncle Xiang had already quietly stood to the side of the first row of the queue, his figure half-hidden in the shadow of the pillars.

Once this matter is settled, I must thank Uncle Xiang properly!

Su Bai was certain of his decision.

"Damn it! Brother Su, did you hear that? Mao Buli! He actually got killed! Why wasn't it me who ran into him!" Sun Hou, standing to the side, pounded his chest and stamped his feet, looking as if he had lost his parents, as if he had missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, his features all scrunched up.

"Brother Sun, it's okay, don't be discouraged," Su Bai tried his best to suppress the joy that was almost overflowing and comforted him, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips. "Maybe one day, an opportunity will come knocking on your head."

"Alas! I hope so! Such a good thing is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Sun Hou sighed to the sky, his face full of despair.

Su Bai could only nod in agreement, his mind already wandering to the upcoming commendation.

"Alright, everyone quiet down," Officer Li said again.

The room quickly fell silent, everyone craning their necks, waiting to hear what would happen next.

"Mao Buli's execution is a great achievement, and according to custom, those who have made contributions should be rewarded." Chief Li unfolded a book in his hand, his gaze falling, "Now, those whose names I call, step forward."

Su Bai's spirits lifted, his eyes instantly brightened like morning stars, and his body involuntarily straightened up.

"Su Bai..."

coming!

His heart was pounding like a drum, and he stepped forward to walk up.

"Xiang Quan, Chen Dongquan, Chen Changping..."

Li Chatou continued to read out the three names in a steady voice.

Su Bai's smile suddenly froze.

His pupils contracted sharply and then dilated instantly.

He almost thought he had misheard; his ears were ringing.

What?

How... can there be so many people?

Xiang Quan? Chen Dongquan? Chen Changping?

"Su Bai... provided valuable clues and assisted in the battle... Temporary constable Chen Dongquan accidentally stabbed Mao Buli in the chest during the battle, making a great contribution to the assassination..."

Every word Li Chatou uttered was like a thunderclap, exploding in Su Bai's chaotic mind, yet echoing with unparalleled clarity.

In an instant, all the anticipation, joy, and longing for the future came to an abrupt end.

Instead, a chilling, bone-chilling anger surged from the soles of my feet to the top of my head!

The anger was so intense that it almost overwhelmed his reason, making his blood seem to flow backward and his fingertips feel icy cold.

"Su Bai? Su Bai! Hurry up and get up there! We're just waiting for you! What are you standing there for? Get up here!" Sun Hou's urgent voice came from the side, urging him on with joy, and he pushed his arm hard.

Su Bai suddenly snapped back to reality.

He then realized that everyone's eyes were now on him.

There was curiosity, scrutiny, and perhaps even a hint of subtle amusement.

Ahead, Xiang Quan, Chen Dongquan, and Chen Changping were already standing beside Officer Li.

Xiang Quan lowered his eyes and stared at the tip of his shoe, as if there was a flower on it.

Chen Dongquan and Chen Changping stood side by side, their faces bearing just the right amount of slightly humble smiles. When their gazes swept over Su Bai, their smiles seemed to deepen, carrying a tacit understanding.

Su Bai felt as if his chest was about to burst open from that rage.

He clenched his back teeth so hard that his gums almost bled.

Under the watchful eyes of countless people, he slowly walked forward step by step.

His face was pale, with only two cold flames burning in his eyes.

Su Bai walked to the three people and stood next to them, with a body length between him and Chen Dongquan.

He didn't look at Li Chatou, nor at the sea of ​​colleagues below the stage.

His gaze first shot towards Xiang Quan like a knife.

Xiang Quan lowered his head even further, his shoulders twitched almost imperceptibly, and he never dared to meet his gaze.

Then, he slowly turned to Chen Dongquan and Chen Changping.

The two men felt his icy gaze, their smiles faltered slightly, but they then looked back at him with even greater "composure."

Chen Dongquan even raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, his eyes seeming to say:

"What? You're not convinced?"

Su Bai's fists, hidden beneath the wide sleeves of his robe, were already clenched tightly.

His knuckles were white and swollen from excessive force, and they were trembling slightly.

Okay, okay...

He was just too naive.

I thought I was being careful enough, but I still got tricked.