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

Having experienced the Tiger and Leopard Force that he had instantly mastered, a new and explosive heat surged within his body. Su Bai suppressed his ecstatic joy and excitement, and once again sank his mind into the depths of his consciousness, looking at the ancient and mysterious scales.

With his mind focused, he quietly set his next goal on the tray on the right side of the scale:

[Tiger and Leopard Strength, Minor Mastery]

As the target was set, the tray on the right suddenly shone brightly. The light was not dazzling, but it carried a mysterious rhythm.

A clear message emerged from the light, illuminating his consciousness:

[Offerings: One ounce of five-year-old wild ginseng, one sheep penis]

Su Bai couldn't help but widen his eyes in his mind.

These two items will cost at least four or five taels of silver.

He was short of money at the moment, with only a little over one tael of silver.

Even daily expenses need to be carefully budgeted, so where would they find the money to come up with all at once?

Su Bai sighed helplessly. The reality was that he couldn't raise the money in a short time.

Tomorrow I will have to officially start my duties at the Zhenfu Division, so my performance on the first day will be crucial.

Su Bai suppressed his urgent desire to improve his strength and decided to put the matter aside for the time being, first resting his mind to deal with the new task tomorrow.

As for the money to buy ginseng, we can only wait until tomorrow to figure that out.

……

Nothing eventful happened that night; I spent it in a mix of anticipation and some economic pressure.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Su Bai got up.

He drank a bowl of thin porridge from a street vendor, which was so thin you could see your reflection in it, and bought two small steamed buns with not much meat filling to fill his stomach. Then he hurried toward the Zhenfusi Yamen (a government office in charge of pacification).

This was his first day on the job, and no matter what, he had to follow the rules and not lose face.

Although in many government offices and departments, the clerks inevitably become seasoned veterans after a long time.

Being on time is considered diligent, arriving right on time is the norm, and there are plenty of people who are half a day late or lazy and slack off.

When Su Bai arrived at the assembly point in front of the Zhenfusi Yamen, it was still early and the morning mist had not completely dissipated.

On the vast training ground, less than half of the constables had arrived.

Most of those who arrived early looked like they hadn't woken up yet, yawning constantly with their eyelids drooping.

Many people were holding breakfast items like sesame seed cakes and steamed buns, casually munching on them while chatting quietly with acquaintances.

Su Bai ignored this, found a quiet spot on the side but not inconspicuous, stood up straight, looked straight ahead, and waited quietly.

"Hey buddy, you look unfamiliar. New constable? What's your name? Are you temporary?"

A voice sounded from the side.

Su Bai turned his head and saw a thin young man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face approaching. His face showed a bit of street smarts and curiosity, and his constable's uniform was a little loose.

"Hello, my name is Su Bai, and I did just arrive." Su Bai nodded, then asked with a hint of doubt, "How did you know I was a temporary worker at a glance?"

"Hey, isn't that easy?" Sun Hou said with a grin, lowering his voice.

"Look at the way you're standing here, you've got the energy of a chicken arriving earlier than the chickens! Any seasoned veteran, or even someone who's only been here for a year or two, would be nowhere to be seen at this hour, or at the very least, they'd be showing up at the last minute. Look at all these people who've arrived now,"

He gestured with his lip, indicating to his undisciplined colleagues around him.

"The earliest batch are those who have been here for about a year and still want to make a name for themselves. Stay longer? Heh, it'll be at least half an hour before we see them arrive! By the way, my name is Sun Hou, and I've been here for just three months, so I guess I'm a semi-newcomer."

"Hello, Brother Sun." Su Bai greeted him readily, then casually inquired, "Are we just going to wait here like this? What should we do next?"

"Of course, we wait for the on-duty messenger to come and assign tasks!" Sun Hou explained with considerable experience.

"I reckon it'll be another hour or so before the officer on duty arrives. Once he gets here, he'll take attendance, and then assign today's patrols, guard duties, or other miscellaneous tasks according to the area or situation. We just need to do what he says. As long as we don't cause any trouble, this job is pretty easy."

Su Bai nodded, but was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected that the seemingly imposing Zhenfu Division would have such a relaxed daily routine.

However, he was more concerned about another issue at the moment.

How can I get money as quickly as possible?

Four or five taels isn't much. He used to earn twenty or thirty copper coins a day fishing, so he could earn four or five taels in half a month.

For temporary service, the amount of money is about the same.

But what happens next?

Mastering the Tiger and Leopard Strength requires money, as does further cultivation, and his daily life also requires money.

If he only relies on making a little money, who knows when he'll finally become a truly successful person.

Just as Su Bai was secretly pondering ways to make money,

Time slips away quietly.

More and more constables arrived at the drill ground, and the number of them gradually increased. The noise in the field also increased slightly, but overall it was still a lazy and leisurely atmosphere.

Suddenly, a middle-aged man dressed in dark police uniform and wearing a standard iron ruler at his waist walked out from the direction of the inner office with steady steps.

This man has a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. He has a serious expression and exudes an aura of authority without being angry.

His appearance was like an invisible command.

The constables, who had been chatting and eating breakfast in twos and threes, suddenly fell silent. The next second, like startled rabbits, they hurriedly gathered in the center of the training ground and began to line up urgently. Their previously loose postures subconsciously straightened up a bit.

"Quick, Brother Su, stop daydreaming, Officer Wang is here!"

Sun Hou reacted extremely quickly. He let out a low shout, tugged at Su Bai's sleeve, and nimbly darted towards the forming queue.

Su Bai dared not delay and quickly followed Sun Hou, finding a place to stand in the group.

The constable approached the front of the line, his gaze sweeping over everyone like lightning.

The constables whose gaze swept over them all unconsciously straightened their chests again.

"Good morning, Officer Wang!"

The constables, lined up in unison, greeted each other. Although their voices weren't particularly loud or resounding, they were quite orderly in the early morning drill ground, indicating that this procedure had become second nature to them.

Wang Chatou's expression remained unchanged; he merely nodded slightly in response.

He did not immediately begin giving instructions or assigning tasks, but instead turned his gaze toward the gate of the Zhenfu Division, as if waiting for something.

At the same time, two more people arrived one after another at the entrance of the Zhenfu Division.

The man in the lead was lean and sharp-eyed; the man behind him was slightly plump, and always seemed to have a faint smile on his face.

Both of them were dressed in police uniforms.

As the two entered the training ground, a series of greetings, though uneven, rang out once again from the ranks:

"Hello, Officer Li!"

"Hello, Officer Chen!"

The two newcomers simply nodded in acknowledgment and then quickly walked over to Officer Wang.

The three taxi drivers met up, nodded to each other, and then huddled together to talk in hushed tones, their expressions seemingly serious.

"Huh? Something's not right today," Sun Hou, standing next to Su Bai, couldn't help but turn his head slightly and mutter in a very low voice, "Normally there's only one bailiff on duty to check in and assign tasks, but why are all three here today? This is quite rare."

"Brother Sun, you don't know? How would I, a newcomer, know?" Su Bai replied in a low voice, but his gaze lingered for a moment longer on the three taxi drivers who were whispering among themselves.

"That's strange, really strange..." Sun Hou scratched his head, clearly also finding the situation unusual.

"Could it be that some major case has occurred in the city? Or is there some urgent dispatch from above?"

He naturally knew he wouldn't get anything out of Su Bai, so he couldn't help but look around, exchanging puzzled glances with the familiar constables beside him, and whispering among themselves.

The atmosphere on the training ground became somewhat subtle and tense as the three constables appeared and discussed things privately.