Good Saber, Good Saber!

Chapter 16: What a Saber, What a Saber!

"I'll see you out, sir!"

Ye Youcai once again escorted Bai Yan and his group to the entrance of Night Manor. He watched their figures gradually disappear into the night until they were no longer visible. Only then did he finally unclench his fists and let out a long sigh of relief.

This night had truly been a heart-pounding ordeal.

Although there were twists and turns along the way, thankfully, it all ended without incident. His daughter was safe, and the wicked Flower Thief had finally been brought to justice.

"Master."

The old housekeeper beside him looked in the direction the Imperial Guards had departed and suddenly spoke:

"This Lord Bai seems… different from the Imperial Guards we usually hear about."

Ye Youcai nodded, deeply in agreement:

"He truly is different."

Having been a merchant for many years and traveled extensively, he had encountered all sorts of people and was particularly adept at reading them.

The reputation of the Imperial Guards among the common folk was never good. As the Emperor's personal army, they held high positions and wielded great power, often acting with an air of arrogance. Ordinary people would go out of their way to avoid them.

He had interacted with them a few times before. Those Imperial Guards were either haughty or greedy and harsh. Meeting someone like Bai Yan was a first.

Though they had only spent a short day together, Ye Youcai could sense that Bai Yan lacked that off-putting arrogance.

He was gentle and polite in his dealings with others, and even when facing a merchant family like his, he hadn't shown the slightest hint of disdain.

He was decisive in dealing with the criminal, yet he was also considerate of others' feelings in the details. For example, he had deliberately stood in front of his daughter earlier to shield her from the gruesome scene.

"Not arrogant, not impatient, polite and proper, and so young and accomplished."

Ye Youcai stroked his beard, his eyes full of admiration. "Lord Bai's future achievements are likely limitless."

"This mission was really quite a detour."

On the way back to the Pacification Bureau, Ren Hong couldn't help but sigh.

"Indeed, who wouldn't say so?"

Li Kaiyao echoed, a hint of lingering fear in his tone. "Who would have thought the Flower Thief was actually two people? If it weren't for you, sir, reacting quickly and seeing through their trick in time, this mission might have failed, and we might have even implicated Miss Ye..."

At this point, he changed his tone, cupped his hands towards Bai Yan, and said with a smile, "Sir, you have such sharp wit and keen observation! My admiration for you, sir, is like a surging river, endless and continuous, like the Yellow River in flood, beyond control!"

When Ren Hong heard this, his heart skipped a beat. Damn it, this kid isn't playing fair, stealing his thunder to flatter the superior!

He quickly cupped his hands towards Bai Yan as well, his tone even more earnest than Li Kaiyao's. "Sir is wise and mighty, a divine judge of cases! To find a flaw from such a small clue as the crime frequency and see through the trick of these twin brothers, there's probably no one else in the world like you!"

Bai Yan listened to the two men's back-and-forth flattery, his lips twitching involuntarily.

Do these two subordinates of mine have some kind of serious illness?

Just catching a Flower Thief, and they're already calling me wise and mighty, a divine judge of cases?

Then aren't all the Battalion Commanders and Company Commanders in the Pacification Bureau divine detectives?

Excluding about thirty percent who got in through connections and background, the remaining seventy percent are all promoted based on actual merit.

They've solved far more cases than I have.

"Alright, stop with the excessive flattery," Bai Yan said, waving his hands repeatedly. "Although what you're saying is true, you can't say it so openly. It will have a bad influence if it gets out. Be more low-key next time."

Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao were stunned for a moment, their minds a bit muddled.

They had thought their superior disliked being flattered.

They never expected the twist to come so quickly. Their superior was too cunning; they almost sprained their backs.

Upon returning to the Pacification Bureau, the Imperial Guard Enforcers on duty saw Bai Yan return and immediately bowed respectfully, calling out, "Brigade Leader Bai!"

When they saw the two still-dripping heads, the Enforcer was stunned into silence for a long time.

Originally, they had planned to leave one alive and one dead, but because it involved the Azure Lotus Sect, Bai Yan couldn't be bothered to let the Flower Thief enjoy the slow slicing punishment.

Once he was in prison, his identity as an Azure Lotus Sect disciple would be exposed. If that scoundrel couldn't withstand the torture and spilled everything, Bai Yan's act of taking the jade hairpin might be revealed, bringing unnecessary trouble upon himself.

So, Bai Yan had sent him on his way on the road back, destroying the evidence. All that was needed to report back was the heads.

Then, the Enforcer exclaimed, "Lord Bai, your efficiency is too high!"

"You went out in the morning and caught the Flower Thief by night?"

"Those people from the Ministry of Punishment must be utterly ashamed!"

Word had spread throughout the Pacification Bureau that Bai Yan had led the team to capture the Flower Thief.

After all, the Emperor himself had been alerted to this matter, and whoever caught the Flower Thief would earn great merit.

This was a huge prize, and countless Company Commanders had wanted a piece of it.

But no one expected this prize to end up in the hands of Bai Yan, a mere Brigade Leader.

Consequently, many people secretly waited to see Bai Yan make a fool of himself, hoping he would fail the mission.

However, Bai Yan's swift action surprised everyone. He captured the Flower Thief in just one day, and not just one, but two.

Bai Yan smiled at an Enforcer.

"This Flower Thief was weak yet arrogant. If people like him don't die, who should?"

"Now that they've been caught, it just goes to show that heaven's justice is swift and retribution is sure."

The Enforcer quickly cupped his fists and bowed, a wide smile on his face.

"Brigade Leader Bai is absolutely right! Your subordinate congratulates you on this new achievement. Your future is bound to be brilliant!"

"Thank you for your kind words."

Bai Yan waved his hand with a smile and said no more, leading Ren Hong and the others through the gates of the Pacification Bureau.

Even though it was close to midnight, the Pacification Bureau was still brightly lit.

Watching Bai Yan and his group walk away, the Enforcers' eyes were filled with deep envy.

"This Brigade Leader Bai is probably going to get promoted."

One Enforcer couldn't help but whisper, his tone full of emotion.

Everyone knew that the Flower Thief case had alarmed the Emperor. Not only had Bai Yan solved the case, but he had also uncovered the identities of the twin brothers, bringing this cold case to a complete end. With this merit reported, a promotion to Company Commander was a sure thing.

"To be promoted from Brigade Leader to Company Commander after only a month in the Imperial Guard..."

Another Enforcer clicked his tongue, his face full of wistfulness.

"We've been toiling here for five or six years and are still just Enforcers. The difference is just too great."

His companion sighed, his voice tinged with a hint of dejection.

"Stop looking. Some people are just destined to be beyond our reach."

"You can say that again."

Another Enforcer shook his head, his tone helpless yet honest.

"Without the ability, even if an opportunity falls into your lap, you can't catch it."

Although Bai Yan was young and lacked seniority, the merits he had earned were undeniable.

Enforcers at the bottom were the most respectful of strength. For someone like Bai Yan, who had broken through to the Innate realm at such a young age and possessed outstanding ability, no one could object to his rapid promotion, no matter how fast it was.

Such a person was destined for greatness!

After handing over the Flower Thief's head, Bai Yan went straight home.

As soon as he got home, Bai Yan eagerly opened the system.

"System, claim reward!"

[Ding! Detected that the host has completed the mission of capturing the Flower Thief. Received the Snow Drinking Saber.]

[Reward is being issued...]

[Issuance complete.]

With a flash of light, a sheathed long saber fell into Bai Yan's hand.

Clang—

He drew the saber, revealing a blade three feet and seven inches long. It was chillingly cold, exuding an invisible aura of frost.

As the Snow Drinking Saber was unsheathed, the temperature in the room plummeted.

This Snow Drinking Saber was forged from "White Dew," one of the four divine stones used by Nuwa to mend the heavens, making it the coldest object in the world.

The saber also had a saying:

"The saber's draw always brings snow, killing without drawing blood, for the blood freezes before it can even splash!"

"What a fine saber!"

Holding the saber, Bai Yan leaped into the courtyard and immediately practiced a set of saber techniques.

The saber techniques were ordinary, nothing more than the common Eight Gates Golden Lock Saber found everywhere in the martial world, followed by the Three Gang Saber Art.

Yet, these two ordinary saber techniques became incredibly powerful in Bai Yan's hands.

Saber light crisscrossed the air, shifting and changing unpredictably.

The blade sliced through the sky, whistling back and forth, majestic and imposing, like a long spear or halberd across a vast expanse of desert.

At this moment, Bai Yan had not yet activated his True Essence, so the saber techniques were imposing but restrained, revealed but not unleashed.

Once the True Essence was activated, each swing of the saber could unleash several yards of saber energy.

Splitting stones and shattering tablets were mere trifles; even reducing the adjoining room behind him to ruins with a single strike would be effortless!

Swish, swish, swish!

Clang—!

With a complete set of saber techniques performed, Bai Yan sheathed his blade.

The moment the Snow Drinking Saber was sheathed, the pervasive cold air around them significantly dissipated.

"Hahaha!"

"Truly worthy of being one of the Ten Divine Weapons of Fengyun, indeed peerless in this world!"

"What a good saber! What a good saber!"

Bai Yan gripped the Snow Drinking Saber, unable to put down the blade.

No martial arts expert could resist the allure of such a divine weapon, and Bai Yan was no exception.