I'm already invincible, and you're telling me I just logged in?

Xu Yun originally thought that Xu Yan had changed his allegiance because he had forgotten his roots.

It wasn't until today, after inquiring with Xu Sanqi, that I confirmed that things were indeed as Xu Yan had said.

It was a misunderstanding by the father that drove him to this point.

Xu Yun has traveled all over the country for many years and has met many people with similar backgrounds to Xu Yan.

Among them were also some chivalrous individuals.

Now that he knows the whole story, Xu Yun no longer intends to get involved.

Besides, I'm about to embark on a mission, so I don't have time to worry about other things.

He remained silent for a long while, then sighed softly: "You should leave Qing Shi Town as soon as possible."

As Xu Jiao's son, Xu Yun was well aware of how obsessive his father was.

The best way out for Xu Yan is to leave Qing Shi Town and make sure his father can't find him.

He left behind a word of advice and then turned and left.

Xu Yan stood there, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

Today, Chen Xuan informed him that he had been officially included in the yamen's roster.

Xu Yan, who was once considered a lowly person, is now officially registered as a yamen runner, thanks to the official seal of the government.

This means that if the Xu family dares to forcibly arrest people again, the government will not sit idly by.

If the Xu family truly had an affair with Prince Rui as stated in the secret document, they would certainly not dare to cause trouble for the authorities at this time.

"As expected, to succeed in this world, you need not only talent but also connections!"

Xu Yan couldn't help but sigh.

When I got home, Xiaoqi had already finished school and prepared dinner in advance.

After finishing his meal and digesting his food, Xu Yan began practicing martial arts in the courtyard.

The effects of the Bright Heart Pill are still present, and every moment after the dose cannot be wasted.

......

The next day, Xu Yan went to the yamen to take his shift and saw Zhou Tong from afar.

He stood under the eaves with a beaming smile, clutching a stack of red papers in his hand.

Zhou Tong's wife gave birth to a big, healthy baby boy. He arrived early in the morning, not to be on duty, but to deliver invitations to his colleagues' baby's one-month celebration.

"Xu Yan, remember to come in a month!"

He shoved the invitation into Xu Yan's hand, exchanged few pleasantries, and hurried off to the next destination.

After finishing his shift, Xu Yan didn't rush home; instead, he went to see Chen Xuan first.

Although the yamen runners were also like oxen and horses, at least they could get two days off each month.

He planned to take advantage of this trip to Blackwater City to see if he could get the title of "Unparalleled in the World".

Chen Xuan didn't ask any further questions after listening.

Xu Yan is now a formal yamen runner. If the Xu family dares to cause trouble again, the situation will be different.

After leaving the yamen, Xu Yan went to an inn to find Bao Ting.

Yesterday, Su Miaoyun brought up her brother's matter again. Before leaving, he wanted to ask again if there had been any new developments in the news recently.

But when he arrived at the inn, Bao Ting was not there.

Xu Yan went back home, ate dinner, practiced martial arts for a while, and when he figured it was about time, he set off for the night market.

The night market was at its liveliest, and Bao Ting was indeed there, holding a wooden tray in one hand and calling out his wares of pastries.

Upon seeing Xu Yan arrive, he knew the other's purpose and sighed, "Lord Xu, the person you are looking for... is probably no longer here."

Xu Yan's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Bao Ting glanced around, moved closer to him, and lowered his voice to speak.

He told Xu Yan that Su Mu had indeed spent time in the military camp.

However, that was ten years ago.

Bao Ting also discovered that Su Mu had assassinated the son of the Chen family in Qingshi Town ten years ago after he retired from the army.

The reason is that Su Miaoyun was taken as a concubine by the young master of the Chen family twenty years ago.

The man had a chronic illness, which he then passed on to her.

After Su Miaoyun fell ill, the Chen family abandoned her.

Su Mu's family was poor, with neither money nor medicine to cure his sister, so he had no choice but to join the army to find a way to survive.

But when he returned, Su Miaoyun was already dead.

Enraged, Su Mu attempted to assassinate Young Master Chen, but failed.

He never appeared again after that, as if he had completely vanished from the world.

"Not a single word from them?"

Xu Yan frowned and asked another question.

Bao Ting shook his head.

He also felt that things were a bit strange.

After that case occurred ten years ago, the Chen family immediately reported it to the authorities, and Su Mu was placed on a wanted list.

Strangely, after he fled, it was as if he had vanished into thin air.

They never appeared again.

There isn't even a single record.

Bao Ting estimated that Su Mu's injuries from the assassination attempt were too severe, and he had most likely died in the wild.

Xu Yan, however, felt that things might not be so simple.

Otherwise, Su Miaoyun wouldn't have any side quests.

Because the clues were hard to find, he gave Bao Ting some more silver as a bribe.

Before leaving, Xu Yan added, "Oh, and could you also help me find out about someone named Zhang Zhengze?"

Xu Yan gave him another sum of money, which Bao Ting accepted without saying anything more.

The next morning, just as Xiao Qi was getting ready to go to school, Xu Yan stopped him, saying that he had to go out for a while and would be back in a day or two.

If he hasn't returned by the deadline, he should tell Dongfang Canghai to come to the Xu family to "drink" with him.

This was a backup plan that Xu Yan had prepared in advance to prevent the Xu family from making any further moves.

Although it's unclear whether Dongfang Canghai is willing to pay attention, it's better than having no preparations at all.

Xiao Qi was a little nervous, but when Xu Yan said that her father was the most powerful person in Qing Shi Town, she nodded seriously.

Xu Yan did not linger in the town. After leaving the city gate, he headed straight for Blackwater City.

The two places are not far apart; he could walk there around noon, so he did not hire a carriage.

The road was not lively, with only a few oxcarts passing by occasionally.

As noon approached, the outline of Blackwater City came into view.

A few scattered lines of people stood at the city gate. Xu Yan stepped forward and handed over his travel pass. The guards glanced at it, saw that he was a government official, and did not make things difficult for him. They simply nodded and let him pass.

After entering the city, Blackwater City was much safer than Xu Yan had imagined.

The streets were bustling with traffic, mostly with merchants and travelers on their way, giving it a lively, down-to-earth atmosphere.

He first went to a restaurant for a meal, and after filling his stomach, he followed the guidance of the golden finger to the registration area for the "Battle of the Gods and Men".

The gates of Blackwater City stand majestically, the stone walls gleaming with the rough texture of weathered sand under the sunlight.

Xu Yan arrived at the foot of the city wall.

Whether or not to participate in the "War between Heaven and Man"

Upon seeing the system notification pop up, he did not hesitate.

The next moment, time seemed to stand still, and all the sounds around us were sucked away.

When his vision cleared again, Xu Yan found himself standing in the wilderness outside Blackwater City.

The piles of bones and broken weapons were like hills, as if a battlefield had been prepared for him in advance.

Xu Yan looked up at the huge light screen above his head.

Waiting time: 05:00

【04: 59】

【….】

Time passed by, second by second.

The countdown quickly reached zero.

The light curtain changed.

No challengers

[Victory!]

Xu Yan was stunned for a moment: "That's it?"

He was then teleported back to the city gate.

[The Celestial Ranking]

【NO.1 Xu Yan】

【...】

Seeing that he was the only person on the leaderboard, Xu Yan finally realized the answer.

However, his cheat ability is quite special; there are no other "players" in this world.

Having achieved his goal, he didn't linger any longer. He turned and walked back the way he came, intending to distribute the titles after nightfall.

When we returned to Qingshi Town, it wasn't completely dark yet.

Xu Yan practiced his boxing for a while, and Xiao Qi happened to come back from school.

Seeing that Xu Yan returned earlier than expected, he didn't ask any questions, put down his things, and went to the kitchen to get busy.

After dinner, Xu Yan thought the night market was lively, so he took Xiao Qi out for a walk to help digest her food.

But as soon as he reached the street leading to the night market, he sensed that something was amiss.

Zhou Tong and another constable stood on the street, holding torches, knocking on doors and questioning people.

His tone and expression were much more tense than usual.

Xu Yan quickly stepped forward: "Brother Zhou, what happened?"