The medicinal bath materials for the Essence Refining Realm were extremely precious.
Even Commander Han could not take more than five medicinal baths a month in the Heavenly Supervision Department.
"A medicinal bath is ultimately only an aid."
Lin Yan thought to himself, My own cultivation is the true and proper path.
He exhaled and sensed the power within his body.
If not for the Devour Fiend Qi Divine Ability, which allowed his cultivation to keep rising,
then even with his excellent aptitude, the road of cultivation would still have been rugged and arduous.
It was precisely because cultivation was so difficult that throughout Gao Liu City, and even the entirety of Qifeng Prefecture, the number of Essence Refining Realm experts was limited.
Lin Yan was filled with emotion. He slowly rose, wiped himself clean, and changed his clothes.
"Little Piggy, Little Piggy, you've been washing forever... You're going to scrub your skin off..."
The little girl had been playing with her younger brother in the courtyard. When she saw Lin Yan come out, she immediately pushed her brother to the ground, then scampered over.
The little boy immediately burst into loud sobs and crawled toward Lin Yan.
"Yue'er, why did you make Little Nian cry again?"
Second Brother set down the firewood in his hands and walked over. Then he saw Lin Yan, and his face could not help but grow complicated.
What young man took a bath from morning until afternoon?
After leaving Second Brother's house,
Second Brother's earnest advice still echoed in Lin Yan's ears.
"Too much of anything is harmful. Don't ruin your health."
"..."
Lin Yan sighed and thought, I still have to live inside the Lin Jiang Department. Later, I'll have Clerk Yang clear out two lodgings.
One for Banner Bearer Impermanence.
The other for Junior Banner Lin Yan.
To outsiders, Lin Yan was merely serving Banner Bearer Impermanence.
He thought about it, then mused, But playing two roles alone still leaves me stretched too thin. I'll have to find another way to solve this.
Feeling somewhat helpless, he went to the Lin Jiang Department in Lin Yan's identity.
According to the rules, Lin Yan had to report to the Lin Jiang Department and collect the things belonging to a Junior Banner from the storeroom.
In reality, as a Banner Bearer, he could take them directly and hand them over to his subordinate.
But since Lin Yan intended to remain a member of the Lin Jiang Department for the long term, he had to show his face before the people there sooner or later.
Moreover, although a "Junior Banner" was not an official member of the Heavenly Supervision Department, the position fell under the Lin Jiang Department. Clerk Yang still had to register him, report his name to the Outer Southern Department, and arrange his salary.
When Lin Yan entered the Lin Jiang Department in his new identity, he met Clerk Yang.
Clerk Yang had not noticed anything amiss and was quite amiable.
"Since you were personally chosen by the Banner Bearer, some of the more tedious procedures can be skipped."
"For routine patrols, monitoring the various sides, and other matters, someone else will be assigned to handle them. Your duty is simply to obey the Banner Bearer's orders."
"I imagine you've already learned all this from the Banner Bearer."
As he spoke, Clerk Yang handed over the Junior Banner token.
Lin Yan accepted it, nodded, and replied, "Yes, Impermanence Banner Bearer already told me all of this."
"The Lin Jiang Department's saber for Junior Banners is still being forged. It won't be ready for another two days."
Clerk Yang continued, "As for the uniform, it will be ready tomorrow. Come and collect it then."
Because "Junior Banners" were not official members of the Heavenly Supervision Department, the higher authorities did not bestow upon them sabers, uniforms, or other corresponding items.
These were handled by the local branch of the Heavenly Supervision Department.
Thus, the sabers, uniforms, and other items were all prepared by the Lin Jiang Department itself.
Previously, Liang Hu had acted as the head of Lin Jiang Ward, but he had not been the Banner Bearer of the Lin Jiang Department.
Therefore, the uniforms and sabers of the Twelve Junior Banners had all come from Liang Hu, rather than being produced by the Lin Jiang Department.
Now that Liang Hu and his subordinates had been driven away by Lin Yan,
the newly recruited Junior Banners of the Lin Jiang Department all needed newly forged sabers and uniforms.
Only these Twelve Junior Banners had been made by the Heavenly Supervision Department of the Inner City, serving as a mark of identity.
"Also, the rear courtyard is the Banner Bearer's residence. I've already had people tidy it up."
Clerk Yang said, "The Banner Bearer ordered us to reserve a residence for you beside his house."
At this, Clerk Yang smiled and said, "It seems the Banner Bearer truly intends to cultivate you. You must not disappoint him."
"Yes. I will certainly live up to the Banner Bearer's guidance!"
Lin Yan's expression turned solemn, but he thought, I'm cultivating myself, of course I have to be sincere about it.
Just as he was thinking this, a sudden commotion came from outside.
He had heard some noise earlier, but it seemed to be growing increasingly intense.
Even the courtyard walls of the Lin Jiang Department could not block out the uproar.
Only now did Clerk Yang hear it clearly. He shouted, "What's happening outside?"
He hurriedly got to his feet and walked out.
A servant from the Lin Jiang Department rushed over from outside.
"Reporting to Clerk Yang, someone rode a horse through the street and trampled a person to death."
"Go take a look."
Clerk Yang said this and was about to call for Lin Yan, the Junior Banner, when he turned his head and found that Lin Yan had already disappeared.
Before he could think further, the sounds ahead grew even more chaotic.
In the street ahead,
a tall, magnificent warhorse stood proudly with its head raised.
The young man sitting atop it was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Dressed in brocade robes with a jade belt around his waist, he looked imposing and spirited.
Before the man and horse lay an old man with graying hair. His clothes were plain, his body convulsing, blood spilling from his mouth and nose, and his pupils gradually glazing over. Clearly, he would not survive.
"Grandfather... Grandfather..."
A girl threw herself over the old man and wept continuously, her cries shrill and heartrending. Her entire body trembled as though she were freezing.
The people on both sides of the street seethed with fury, nearly surging forward to seize the man who had ridden his horse down someone.
But then someone in the crowd said,
"That's a young master from the Fourth Branch of the Liu family in the Inner City."
"..."
The surrounding uproar fell silent in an instant. Not even a pin could be heard dropping.
Young Master Liu remained seated on his horse, his expression cold as his gaze slowly swept across the surroundings.
The people along the street lowered their heads one after another, not even daring to meet his eyes.
"Get lost!"
Young Master Liu looked down from his horse, impatience flashing in his eyes.
Seeing the girl still crying over the corpse, he immediately raised his whip and viciously lashed it down!
The whip was not aimed at the girl's back, but at her neck!
This was not meant to tear her skin open as a warning. It was meant to break her neck and finish her off, eliminating all the trouble that would follow!
The whip cracked through the air!
A sharp snap rang out!
Among the commoners on both sides, some hurriedly turned their faces away, unable to bear watching.
But in the next moment, the atmosphere abruptly fell silent.
Only then did Clerk Yang emerge from the Lin Jiang Department and see what was happening in the street.
In full view of everyone, a person stood before the girl and reached out to seize the long whip.
"Bastard!"
The brocade-robed young master atop the fine horse saw someone daring to meddle in his affairs, and an indescribable fury immediately surged within him.
"..."
Lin Yan, now transformed into Banner Bearer Impermanence, slowly turned back and glanced behind him.
The image of Zhou Ji, who had died defending the city, surfaced in his mind.
That corpse, its internal organs and intestines eaten away, still held unwillingness and regret in its empty eyes.
The killing intent Lin Yan had barely managed to suppress surged even more violently at this moment.
"Do you know that this young master is..."
The brocade-robed young master's furious voice had not yet faded.
A flash of saber light passed, and the horse's head flew ten paces away.
Blood sprayed across the ground.
The horse collapsed.
The brocade-robed young master immediately tumbled from its back and crashed to the ground in a sorry state.
Seeing the fine horse with its head severed, his eyes nearly split with rage as he shouted furiously,
"You actually dared to kill my horse?"
Lin Yan did not respond. He took one step forward.
His eyes were icy. He clenched his left hand into a fist and punched.
"Stop!"
An angry shout came from the street in the distance.
Lin Yan ignored it, and his punch grew even more forceful.
The brocade-robed young master suddenly saw darkness before his eyes. Agony surged through him, nearly knocking him unconscious.
The punch smashed his nose flat and shattered his teeth.
Amid the utterly shocked and silent gazes around him, Lin Yan took one step forward and planted his foot on the brocade-robed young master's neck.
His expressionless face revealed nothing as he slowly applied pressure with his foot.
Then he slowly turned his head and looked toward the person who had arrived.
Before you continue