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

As the Tiger and Leopard Strength is mastered, the blood and qi in the body surge, and the muscles and bones become stronger day by day.

Su Bai set his next goal as the "Great Completion" realm.

However, when he looked at the offerings needed later, his heart sank – a full ounce of ginseng root from a thirty-year-old mountain and a whole tiger penis.

These two items alone, roughly estimated, would be worth at least thirty taels of snowflake silver.

Yesterday, even five taels of silver were difficult to ask for.

Where did this huge sum of thirty taels of silver come from?

In the stillness of the night, a solitary lamp illuminates the humble room.

Su Bai stared silently at the cultivation manual on the simple bed board for a long time, his brows furrowed with an unyielding melancholy.

Completely at a loss, he could only exhale a heavy breath, blow out the oil lamp, and lie down fully clothed.

For several days in a row, Su Bai's life became almost mechanical.

Every day, he would go to the Zhenfu Division to report for duty, and then patrol the streets along the designated route with Sun Hou and Lao Wang.

After finishing his shift, he would immediately go home and seclude himself to practice the Tiger and Leopard Strength until he was completely exhausted.

As for the thirty taels of silver, it was like a boulder blocking the way, completely immovable, with no hope of being moved.

On this day, it was their shift's turn to patrol the area around Wenchang Palace.

This place is bustling with worshippers, merchants, and people from all walks of life, making it the most densely populated area in Fenjiang County and naturally the most prone to trouble.

Besides Su Bai and his group of temporary constables, five other groups of people were also assigned here, including two official constables.

However, the two of them disappeared shortly after they arrived, vanishing without a trace into some teahouse or tavern.

Perhaps some people knew the truth, but Su Bai was new to the place and naturally had no way of knowing.

Pickpockets and thieves were everywhere, and there were also many spies planted by various gangs and henchmen who collected protection money.

Su Bai even caught a glimpse of several men with tiger head tattoos on their necks or arms—they were members of the Fierce Tiger Gang.

They clearly recognized Su Bai as well, but did not approach him.

They were just staring at him from afar through the crowd with cold eyes, as if they were sizing up prey that had come into their sight.

Su Bai kept his eyes straight ahead, but his palms were slightly sweaty as he gripped the sword at his waist.

Fortunately, it was broad daylight and in the middle of a busy street, so the other party ultimately dared not openly provoke them.

A day of patrol duty passed peacefully in a subtle tension.

A few days later, the patrol area was changed to "Yangtianjing".

This place is filled with gambling dens of all sizes, cheap eateries, and all sorts of stalls, bustling and noisy.

It was a place where the lower and middle classes of the city sought pleasure, a place where all sorts of people mingled and the atmosphere was chaotic.

"Yang Tianjing? Brother Sun, you're saying this is the territory that the Fierce Tiger Gang usually occupies?" Su Bai felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing Sun Hou's introduction.

"That's right, this place is a mess, full of illicit activities. The Fierce Tiger Gang has considerable influence here," Sun Hou said in a low voice.

Sure enough, not far from the entrance of Yangtianjing Street, a series of shouts and wails rang out.

Four or five thugs, their chests exposed and faces full of roguishness, were punching and kicking a man who was rolling on the ground screaming in pain.

The man, his face bruised and swollen, begged for mercy, "Please stop hitting me, sir! I was wrong! I'll definitely pay you back today!"

"Damn it, Little Six, you deserve a beating! You won't learn your lesson until you're beaten!" The leader, a burly man with a face full of scars and a fierce look in his eyes, spat and added another kick while cursing.

"Tiger, I was wrong, I'm sorry, I'll pay you back right away... I... I'll pawn my wife to you!"

"Pah! How many coppers is your haggard wife worth? Use your dilapidated house to pay off the debt!" The thugs laughed, but kicked even harder.

"Stop!" Upon seeing this, Sun Hou frowned and was the first to rush forward to stop them.

Old Wang squinted, following behind at a leisurely pace, his hand resting on the hilt of his knife, looking like he was waiting to see what would happen.

Fearing that Sun Hou would be at a disadvantage due to having fewer men, Su Bai immediately drew his sword and followed.

"Hmm?" Upon hearing the voice, the burly man known as "Tiger Lord" frowned, turned around with an impatient expression, and looked fierce.

But upon seeing the black robes worn by the three men, the fat on his face immediately squeezed out an exaggerated smile, instantly changing his expression to one of fawning flattery.

"Oh my! Who do we have here? It's you, esteemed officers from the Garrison Command! Our apologies for not recognizing you!"

He cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, then pointed to the man curled up on the ground, feigning innocence as he complained.

"Officers, you gentlemen, please be the judges. This kid borrowed twenty taels of silver from our Fierce Tiger Gang to gamble, and lost it all."

Twenty taels! That's no small sum! If he doesn't pay me back, even if I take it to the police station, I'll still be in the right, won't I?"

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Su Bai, and he deliberately raised his voice, his tone exaggerated:

"Oh! Isn't this Officer Su? Look at you, in that black robe, you look truly majestic! Congratulations!"

That smile, however, clearly concealed undisguised mockery and malice.

"Brother Su, do you know this person?" Sun Hou asked in a low voice, turning his head.

Su Bai remained calm, shook his head, and said clearly, "Brother Sun, I'm not familiar with the Fierce Tiger Gang. It's just that a few days ago, they 'invited' me, wanting to borrow my body to do them a favor."

Sun Hou's eyes darted around, and he immediately understood. It seemed that Su Bai had made enemies with the Fierce Tiger Gang.

His face darkened, and with a "whoosh," he drew half of the sword from his waist, its gleaming blade pointing directly at the men opposite him. He said sharply:

"Enough with the nonsense! Get out of here right now! If you dare cause trouble in the street again, don't blame me for wielding this knife without mercy!"

Su Bai was slightly shaken as he looked at Sun Hou's decisive and brave demeanor.

In their daily interactions, Sun Hou struck him as slick and slippery.

At this moment, they drew their swords and faced each other with imposing presence; truly, appearances can be deceiving.

Upon seeing the glint of the blade, the "Tiger Lord's" face twitched, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes. He quickly waved his hand and retreated.

"Yes, yes, sir, please calm down, we'll leave right away!" He turned back and glared fiercely at the man on the ground, then threatened in a low voice:

"Hey kid, if I don't see the money by tomorrow, I'll skin you alive! Brothers, let's get out of here!"

The thugs turned around, cursing, and walked back in the direction Su Bai and his group had come from.

As he passed Su Bai, "Tiger Lord" paused almost imperceptibly, leaning slightly towards Su Bai, and whispered quickly in a chilling voice that could only be heard by the two of them:

"Lord Su, our Fierce Tiger Gang has been keeping an eye on you. Either you obediently pay us a hundred taels of silver, and the brothers might consider showing leniency. Otherwise... hey, trouble could fall from the sky any day now."

Su Bai suddenly looked up, his gaze sharp as lightning, piercing the other person's eyes, which were filled with mockery and malice.

His face was expressionless, but he responded in the same deep, yet incredibly clear voice:

"In a while."

"I will personally go to your Tiger Gang."

Upon hearing this, "Tiger Lord" showed a clear look of surprise on his face and looked at Su Bai again, seemingly not expecting him to respond in this way.

Is this an admission of weakness or a provocation?

He was a little confused for a moment.

He grinned, revealing yellowed teeth, and replied with a forced smile:

"Alright, then... we'll be waiting for Officer Su's arrival."

Having said that, he led his men, swaggering, and quickly disappeared into the depths of the noisy crowd.