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

Almost everyone believed that once Xing Huai'an left, Su Bai would take over as the Chief of the Southern Garrison.

Starting the day after the news spread, people began breaking down Su Bai's door.

At dawn, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, a long queue had already formed outside the door.

"Lord Su, I am Liu Sandao, the leader of the Green Bamboo Gang. I have come to pay my respects!" A middle-aged man bowed in the courtyard, his face full of smiles.

Su Bai sat in the hall, merely nodding slightly, without even offering him tea.

Liu Sandao didn't mind, left the gift, thanked him profusely, and left.

Another one followed.

Another one.

People from countless gangs—the Green Bamboo Gang, the Iron Knife Society, the Sea Sand Sect, and more than a dozen large and small—carried various gift boxes and waited with smiling faces.

Gentry and wealthy merchants flocked to the area, some in sedan chairs and others in horse-drawn carriages, arriving from all corners of the county town.

Not only in the southern district, but all the powerful and influential people in Fenjiang County flocked to his door, just to become familiar with him.

Inside the gatehouse, Sun Hou was so busy that his feet barely touched the ground, registering the guests while instructing his servants to collect the gifts.

The courtyard was piled high with gifts—silk fabrics, gold and silver utensils, seasonal fruits, precious medicinal herbs, and even a pure white horse.

In the end, Su Bai forcibly returned the horse.

Then the other party sent him a three-courtyard house.

……

In fact, Su Bai didn't say anything or ask for anything.

But these people came on their own, and one by one they didn't leave.

Many gangs began to openly and secretly send him gifts every month.

The first time, Su Bai had the gift returned.

The next day, the gang leader himself came to the door, knelt down in the courtyard with a thud, and kowtowed repeatedly, his voice trembling with sobs.

"Lord Su! If you don't accept this gift, how am I supposed to face people in Fenjiang County? Please, Lord Su, accept my gift! I beg you!"

Su Bai stared at the burly man kneeling and kowtowing in the courtyard, remaining silent for a long time.

Finally, he sighed and waved.

"Take it."

Since then, people have been even more enthusiastic about giving gifts.

……

Recently, Xing Huai'an has become increasingly less involved in affairs.

In the office, he would often just sit for a while, flip through the files, and then get up and leave. When something happened, he no longer personally intervened as before, but instead often delegated it to Su Bai to handle.

"Lord Su." That afternoon, Xing Huai'an placed a stack of official documents on Su Bai's desk, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "You can handle these. I have an appointment for tea, so I'll be leaving now."

After saying that, he put his hands behind his back and leisurely walked out the door.

Su Bai watched his retreating figure, then glanced at the stack of official documents on the table, and remained silent for a moment.

Everyone in the Southern Garrison Command saw this and understood perfectly well—this was a handover.

For a time, Su Bai was both in the limelight and enjoying immense popularity.

Walking down the street, everyone turned their heads; entering the government office, everyone treated him with respect.

Even the two constables had to bow and greet him as "Lord Su".

But only Su Bai himself knew—

He can't be promoted to deputy chief inspector.

In the dead of night, he sat alone in his study, looking at the mountain of gift lists on his desk, a bitter smile appearing on his lips.

Ning Yuechan's words still echoed in my ears: "Perhaps it won't be long before a position that is very suitable for you comes along."

That position is probably not the Chief of the Southern Garrison Command.

Otherwise, there would be no need to say that.

"Keep training! Strength is the only thing that matters!"

Su Bai muttered to himself, his gaze gradually hardening.

He knows better than anyone that he owes everything he has today to his own strength.

In the blink of an eye, half a month has passed.

For the past two weeks, he has been handling official business during the day and staying indoors at night.

Late at night, the moon and stars are rare.

Su Bai stood alone in the backyard, having removed his outer robe, leaving him in only a single garment. He took a deep breath and slowly circulated his qi and blood.

He circulated his Blazing Sun Energy, and a warm sensation rose from his dantian, spreading throughout his body along his meridians. He assumed a stance and began to practice each punch and movement, the wind from his fists stirring and his clothes fluttering in the wind.

The moonlight shone on him, casting a long, slender shadow.

He is gradually approaching the fourth realm.

In the past few days, he has vaguely touched that barrier—right beneath his flesh and blood, between his bones and muscles. That is the fourth realm of martial arts: the Inner Strength Realm.

The so-called "internal strengthening" refers to the process of permeating the five internal organs with the power of qi and blood from the outside in. Ordinary people practice martial arts to strengthen their muscles and bones and forge their skin and flesh. But when one reaches the realm of internal strengthening, one begins to temper the internal organs, making the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys as strong as iron. Only when one reaches this stage can one be considered to have truly entered the inner sanctum.

Su Bai stopped his stance and took a deep breath.

He could feel the surge of vital energy within his body, reaching a critical point. The tempering of his skin, flesh, tendons, and bones was nearing completion; the next step was to channel this power into his internal organs.

"Tonight."

He muttered to himself, his gaze resolute.

Su Bai sat cross-legged, his hands forming a mudra in front of his dantian. He closed his eyes and began to slowly guide his qi and blood inward, following the methods of the Blazing Sun Realm.

There were no abnormalities at first.

Qi and blood flow like water, gently tracing the meridians and cleansing the internal organs again and again. The heart, lungs, liver, spleen... every part feels slightly warm under the nourishment of qi and blood.

But soon, resistance appeared.

The internal organs are not like the skin, flesh, muscles, and bones; they are delicate and sensitive. The moment the blood and qi rush in, a sharp, intense pain suddenly strikes—like countless fine needles piercing the internal organs at the same time, or like a raging fire burning inside the body.

Su Bai's brows furrowed suddenly, and large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

But he didn't stop.

He knew this was an inevitable path. The cultivation of the Inner Strength Realm was essentially a process of using one's Qi and blood to repeatedly impact and temper those organs that had never been forged before. Each impact was like walking on the edge of a knife.

Sweat slid down his cheeks, dripping onto his clothes and spreading a dark patch.

Time passes little by little.

The moonlight gradually slanted westward, and the shadows of the trees in the courtyard grew longer and longer. Su Bai sat there, like a statue, only his slightly trembling body indicating what he was going through.

His face flushed and paled at times. His lips were bitten until they turned white, his jaw was clenched, and two ridges bulged on his cheeks.

suddenly--

A more intense, sharp pain struck, and Su Bai's body jolted violently, nearly causing him to fall to the ground. He forced himself to steady himself, letting out a low groan.

But he still didn't open his eyes, nor did he stop.

Because he could sense that the barrier was loosening.

Come again!

He gritted his teeth, mobilized his qi and blood once more, and launched another attack. This time, he mobilized almost all the qi and blood in his body, like a surging tide, crashing fiercely against that invisible barrier.

boom--

It felt like something inside my body had shattered.

In an instant, a warm sensation surged from his dantian, instantly enveloping his entire body. Wherever that sensation passed, every internal organ felt as if it had been washed by warm water, leaving a warm and incredibly comfortable feeling. The previous stinging sensation receded like a tide, replaced by an unprecedented sense of ease.

Su Bai slowly opened his eyes.

A glint of light seemed to flash in his pupils.

He looked down at his hands—beneath the skin, he could faintly see the veins pulsating, but more steadily and powerfully than before. He took a deep breath and could clearly feel his entire chest cavity expanding slightly as the breath entered his lungs; the feeling was incredibly real and clear.

The inner realm has been strengthened.