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

Sun Hou Lao Wang has treated him well; he must save them.

His mind raced, and he forced a reply, his voice quickening slightly: "Sir, my two colleagues... have already been sent to seek reinforcements!"

As soon as he said it, he knew there were many loopholes in it, but at this moment he could only hope that this excuse would help him get away with it and avoid punishment.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from the direction of the alley entrance, followed by the light of torches that dispelled some of the darkness.

"The Garrison Command is here! Whoever dares to defy you, submit to execution at once!"

Amidst shouts and cries, reinforcements finally arrived.

Su Bai glanced at Sun Hou and Lao Wang, who were panting heavily in the group—these two were quite clever after hearing the gong and went to the Zhenfu Division for help on their own.

"snort."

Seeing this, Ning Yuechan ignored Su Bai.

Looking at the reinforcements arriving, Ning Yuechan let out a very soft snort, a clear hint of displeasure flashing across her pale face, her jawline tightening slightly.

Soon, Chen, the constable leading the team tonight, pushed through the crowd and caught sight of Ning Yuechan covered in blood. He was terrified and scrambled forward, bowing deeply, his voice trembling:

"This humble servant...this humble servant greets Your Excellency! Our rescue arrived too late; we deserve to die!"

Ning Yuechan didn't say much, only briefly instructing the cleanup of the scene, examination of the corpses, and strengthening of patrols, before leaving, slightly unsteady, with the help of a trusted confidant who had rushed over.

Her injuries were quite severe, and the backlash from the secret technique was beginning to manifest, so she urgently needed to regulate her breathing.

Before leaving, she didn't look at Su Bai again, as if the brief conversation had never happened.

After Ning Yuechan's figure disappeared, Chen Chatou wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, turned around and found Su Bai, pulled him aside to a secluded corner, lowered his voice, and asked him nervously what had happened.

Su Bai naturally told the truth—how he heard the unusual noises, how he cautiously investigated, and how he banged the gong to startle the thieves.

As for the specific details, the origins of the thieves, and how the chief constable fought a fierce battle...

Su Bai denied knowing anything, repeatedly emphasizing that he was too far away to see clearly and that his only role was to ring the life-saving gong.

Chen Cha Tou was skeptical, but seeing Su Bai's "fearful" expression and "earnest" words, he realized that Su Bai's knowledge seemed to be limited. Considering that Su Bai had indirectly helped a lot, Chen Cha Tou did not question him further, but only told him to "watch his mouth" and so on.

For a time, the two sides remained at peace.

As night deepened, the commotion in Tongming Alley finally subsided, leaving only a few constables silently cleaning up the mess left by the fight by the dim firelight. The heavy stench of blood mixed with the dampness of the night dew stubbornly lingered in the alley, refusing to dissipate for a long time.

As Su Bai followed the flow of people changing shifts, he lowered his head and quietly left this place of trouble. The dim yellow lanterns at the alley entrance stretched his lonely shadow, making it appear and disappear.

Back in his simple but personal little house, Su Bai finally breathed a sigh of relief after bolting the door. He leaned against the door, closed his eyes to calm himself, then walked to the table and began to silently ponder by the dim light of the oil lamp.

Last night's events replayed in my mind.

Although the chief constable was seriously injured, his eyes, which seemed to see through everything, and his question, "How come someone at the first level of martial arts is still working as a temporary constable?" still made him feel a chill and fear when he thought about it.

However, I believe my answers did not reveal any major flaws, and I only hope that I can get away with it.

In the end, I did strike that gong last night and disrupted the Wheel of Fortune sect's plans, so I should at least have some credit for it.

But how much real reward can this merit bring? Is it money, pills, or... that coveted official position as a government official?

Su Bai was unsure of himself.

What worries him even more is what will happen next.

The matter with the Fierce Tiger Gang may just be a minor trouble, but offending the Wheel of Reincarnation Sect, a group of powerful "demons" who are prone to killing, has caused them such a great loss. Will they hold a grudge and seek revenge in the future?

This is far more deadly than being harassed by street thugs.

In an instant, a variety of thoughts came to mind, and worries, expectations, and anxieties intertwined, making Su Bai's mind somewhat chaotic.

He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

"No matter what, these are all things of the future, and there's no use in thinking about them now." He muttered to himself, his eyes gradually hardening. "Continuing to diligently cultivate martial arts is never a bad thing."

If you are strong enough, all problems can probably be solved.

With his mind made up, Su Bai no longer hesitated. He blew out the oil lamp and, right there in the small room, got into position and continued his diligent practice.

In the darkness, only his steady breathing and the occasional soft sounds of his fists and feet cutting through the air could be heard.

……

The next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Su Bai arrived at the Zhenfu Division office on time.

Upon entering the courtyard, one immediately sensed that the atmosphere was different from usual.

Today, all the officials arrived at an unusually high number, and no one was late.

The crowd gathered in twos and threes, mostly whispering in hushed tones, their eyes occasionally glancing toward the main hall. A sense of suppressed excitement and restlessness filled the air.

Su Bai's heart stirred, and he quietly found Sun Hou.

Sun Hou pulled him aside, his face still showing the fatigue of the previous night's journey, and whispered:

"Something big has happened, brother! I heard that last night, Deputy Chief Constable Xing was summoned by his superiors and severely reprimanded. They complained that our Zhenfu Division's patrols were ineffective and almost caused trouble for the Chief Constable on our territory."

When Xing Tou returned, his face was pale and he had thrown a huge tantrum in the duty room! Even the three constables, Chen, Li, and Wang, were scolded and looked utterly defeated.

Su Bai nodded silently, it seemed that the events of last night had indeed had a significant impact.

As time passed, with only a quarter of an hour left before the official start of the workday, the courtyard was already packed with people. Every single official who was supposed to be there had arrived.

No one spoke or laughed loudly; everyone stood quietly in their places, waiting for something.

……

"Chief Chen has arrived!"

"Officer Li has arrived!"

"Wang the constable has arrived!"

Three usually dignified policemen entered the courtyard through the side gate and stood in front of the crowd.

However, none of the three looked well today. Officer Chen had a furrowed brow, Officer Li's lips were pressed into a thin line, and Officer Wang's face was ashen, his eyes sweeping over the constables with obvious sternness.

Upon seeing this, the constables held their breath and stood ramrod straight.

The courtyard was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Soon, another figure slowly walked out from the direction of the main hall and stood in front of the three constables.

It was Xing Huai'an, the deputy chief clerk of the Zhenfu Division of Fenjiang County.

Deputy Chief Constable Xing was a burly man with a resolute face, but at this moment he was expressionless, his eyes sharp as knives, as he slowly scanned the crowd below.

Every bailiff whose gaze fell upon him felt a sudden tightness in their chest, and even their breathing became lighter.

Su Bai also felt a strange pressure, so he stood with his hands at his sides, eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought.

However, when Deputy Chief Constable Xing arrived, he didn't say a word, just stood there quietly, as if he was also waiting for something.

This unusual silence aroused suspicion in the minds of many constables, and all sorts of thoughts raced through their minds.

His gaze became even more focused on the direction from which someone was about to walk out.