Having studied for a hundred years, why do you call me the Martial Saint?

"Who? Who is this Divine Halberd Hero?"

"Tell me quickly, which gang are you from?"

"Is it a dragon crossing the river from the south, or a tiger descending the mountain from the north?"

Everyone hurriedly asked.

The constable, drenched in sweat, caught his breath, his eyes shining, and looked at Pei Shi'an, saying:

"The Divine Halberd Hero is a character from a book!"

Another silence followed.

"Pfft!" Someone burst out laughing first.

The room erupted in laughter, filling the police station with a joyful atmosphere.

"Old Ma, have you been kicked in the head by a donkey?"

"You idiot, are you planning to send the boss to drag people out of the book?"

"Go away, don't cause trouble, the boss is busy!"

The constables all burst into laughter.

Old Ma clenched his fists, his face flushed red, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth:

"I'm telling the truth, the Divine Halberd Hero is a character from a book called 'The Legend of the Halberd-Shooting Heroes'!"

The crowd wanted to continue laughing, but Pei Shi'an raised his hand to stop them.

The Legend of the Halberd Slayer!

Upon hearing these words, Pei Shi'an's memories were suddenly jolted back!

I see! I see!

No wonder I felt so familiar with this person but didn't know who they were!

This is not a real master at all!

It's the characters in the book!

No, now there are already people using this name to make their moves...

What is the purpose of this murderer, or rather this group of people, deliberately using the name of a character from a book?

What kind of conspiracy is hidden behind this?

Pei Shi'an frowned, unable to figure it out no matter how hard he tried.

After all, he had only heard about the book but had never actually read it, so he didn't understand its intricacies at all.

However, Pei Shi'an thought of someone, the one from whom he had learned about the book, and perhaps this person would know something about it.

"Prepare the horses," Pei Shi'an said in a deep voice.

"I'm going to the Liu residence."

……

East of Wancheng.

A large house with blue bricks and gray tiles, with two huge stone lions standing in front of the gate, and copper nails the size of bowls inlaid on the vermilion gate, with a gold-lacquered horizontal plaque hanging above the door.

The Liu residence!

The mansion of Liu Wantong, a wealthy man in Wancheng!

Liu Wantong was a legendary figure, a model of self-made success.

Starting as a peddler who roamed the streets and alleys, he built his fortune on the cloth business and accumulated a vast wealth in just thirty years.

Today, his businesses are spread across seven counties and three prefectures surrounding Wancheng, and he owns countless fields and shops. It is no exaggeration to say that he is extremely wealthy.

However, this seemingly glamorous Mr. Liu actually harbored a dark cloud in his heart.

Six months ago, Liu Wantong's first wife went to offer incense outside the city and was robbed by a group of bandits. In the battle between the bandits and the guards, Lady Liu was killed by a stray arrow.

Given Liu Wantong's financial resources, this feud could have been easily resolved.

With a little money, we can hire some martial arts masters to wipe out the bandits and avenge our grievances.

Unfortunately, it was a pity.

The Tian Shun Army uprising was ordered to be quelled by imperial decree, and the city lord of Wancheng recruited soldiers on a large scale.

The bandit leader accepted the imperial pardon and transformed himself into a heavily armed general, someone Liu Wantong dared not offend.

The people do not fight with the officials.

Even though Liu Wantong is very rich, his foundation is too shallow, far inferior to those aristocratic families.

Liu Wantong endured it all, unable to explain the reasons to anyone, not even his only son, leading to a estrangement between father and son.

As for why Pei Shi'an knew so much?

As a renowned constable, he was entrusted by Liu Wantong to investigate this matter.

Pei Shi'an thus developed some acquaintance with this wealthy man.

At this moment, Pei Shi'an sat on the grand chair in the main hall of the Liu residence, holding a cup of Longjing tea served by a maid, and took a sip.

"Brother Pei, what brings you here?"

Liu Wantong walked out of the inner hall with a smile, looking quite energetic.

"But is there some major case that requires our chamber of commerce's cooperation?"

"Brother Liu, it's been a long time." Pei Shi'an stood up and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Is your son at home? I've come looking for him."

Liu Wantong's smile froze.

"Mingyuan? What... what trouble has he gotten into?"

"No, no," Pei Shi'an quickly waved his hand.

"There's just one case that needs his help."

Liu Wantong breathed a sigh of relief: "What help can a mere teenager like him possibly be?"

However, despite saying that, he still summoned a servant and gave him a few instructions.

The servant responded and left.

Not long after, a series of light footsteps came from outside the hall.

"Uncle Pei!"

A boy of fourteen or fifteen years old stepped across the threshold, dressed in a moon-white long robe, with a resemblance to Liu Wantong in his features.

Liu Mingyuan first bowed respectfully to Pei Shi'an, then his gaze fell on Liu Wantong in the main seat, and his expression turned cold.

Liu Wantong paused, holding his teacup, but said nothing.

Pei Shi'an saw this and sighed inwardly, but pretended not to care and greeted Liu Mingyuan with a smile.

"Mingyuan, Uncle Pei came today to ask you about someone."

"Asking about someone? Uncle Pei, you're the head constable, why do you need to ask me about someone?" Liu Mingyuan asked curiously.

"Have you heard of the Divine Halberd Hero?"

Liu Mingyuan's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly:

"Uncle Pei, so you also read *The Legend of the Archer*! Which character do you like the most? Who do you think has the strongest martial arts in the book? Which scene is the most unforgettable for you...?"

"Mingyuan," Liu Wantong couldn't help but shout, warning him that such incessant talking was really impolite.

But Liu Mingyuan ignored him and continued, "Uncle Pei, do you know that the Divine Halberd Hero is clear about his likes and dislikes, repaying kindness with kindness and revenge with revenge. He would never be like some people who cower in fear, incompetent and useless!"

"Liu Mingyuan!" Liu Wantong slammed his fist on the table.

Liu Mingyuan gave his father a cold glance and continued, "Even the Divine Halberd Hero would never be bullied at home after being wronged outside..."

Liu Wantong's face was ashen, and his lips moved, but he ultimately did not lash out.

He stood up, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Pei Shi'an, and said:

"Brother Pei, I still have some accounts to settle, please excuse me."

After saying that, he walked out without looking back.

Liu Mingyuan watched the figure disappear through the door, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Household chores are not easy to manage.

Pei Shi'an cleared his throat and decided to get straight to the point:

"Mingyuan, Uncle Pei came today because someone impersonated the Divine Halberd Hero and killed two people in the city."

Pei Shi'an briefly recounted the circumstances of finding the body in the alley that day, concealing Yan Zhenjiang's involvement and describing it merely as an ordinary gang fight.

As Liu Mingyuan listened, he suddenly slapped his thigh excitedly.

"This is the very first battle for the inexperienced Divine Halberd Hero!"

"What?" Pei Shi'an was stunned.

Liu Mingyuan paced back and forth in the hall, gesturing wildly as he explained:

"It's from the book, Uncle Pei! The Divine Halberd Hero's first kill! It was against two gang thugs!"

"...That gang colluded with the constables, wreaking havoc in the area, and no one was doing anything about it! Disillusioned with the local government, the Divine Halberd Hero decided to use his halberd to uphold the chivalry in his heart!"

"So he killed those two thugs, dumped them on that gang's territory, and left behind the message, 'The killer is none other than the Divine Halberd Hero!' to provoke the gang..."

"Hey, but the book uses halberds to kill people, so why is this imitator using his fists...?"

Liu Mingyuan was somewhat dissatisfied with the imitator, as he felt the imitation was not perfect.

But Pei Shi'an was shocked when he heard this.

Colluding with the police, wreaking havoc in the area... dumped on gang territory... leaving a provocative note...

hiss……

Could it be that they're really after his godfather, Yan Zhenjiang?