The street in front of the Lin Jiang Department.
The townspeople had all witnessed this scene with their own eyes.
The merchant forces from all over beyond Gao Liu City.
As well as every trade, gang, and faction within Lin Jiang Ward—they had all seen what happened.
The attitude of the Lin Jiang Department's new Banner Bearer!
Neither the higher-ups of the Outer Southern Prefecture Office nor his colleagues in the Heaven Supervision Department could stop his determination to uphold justice!
Even if he carried the bloodline of the Liu family of the Inner City, anyone who committed murder here could not escape the law.
This blade had been swung for Commander Zhao to see, and for the Outer Southern Prefecture Office to see.
This blade had likewise been swung for the townspeople to see—and, even more so, for all the forces within and beyond the city to see.
Lin Yan slowly returned his blade to its sheath.
He did not even look at the Deputy Commander, who was splattered with blood and whose eyes were filled with rage.
He slowly turned around and looked at the crowds on both sides of the street. His tone was calm, and his voice carried across the area.
"My name is Impermanence. I currently serve in the Heaven Supervision Department's Lin Jiang Ward branch as a Banner Bearer!"
"The Heaven Supervision Department's duty is to supervise the execution of all laws within the city and prevent injustice."
"Within Lin Jiang Ward, any person in power who uses authority for personal gain, bullies others through influence, embezzles and violates the law, bends the rules for personal considerations, or treats human lives as weeds—any such injustice may be reported to the Heaven Supervision Department."
"Once verified, it will be punished severely!"
"If it is a capital offense, the offender will be executed without mercy!"
Lin Yan's voice was cold as his gaze swept across the various factions.
He turned around again, looking past Commander Zhao at the District Chief of Lin Jiang Ward.
"You hold the highest authority over affairs in the ward."
"Every trade and profession falls under your governance. The Heaven Supervision Department has no authority to interfere."
"But remember this: the Heaven Supervision Department has the authority to keep an eye on you."
"If any injustice is reported to the Heaven Supervision Department, I will personally come and verify it with you!"
"If your crimes accumulate to the point that you deserve death, I will act according to the law, sever your head, and hang it at the highest point in Lin Jiang Ward!"
"If you think you have a backer who can preserve your life, I suggest you have a long talk with Young Master Liu and exchange some insights."
Lin Yan said coldly, "Beneath my blade, take a guess—will the backer behind you also say, 'He deserves death for his crimes'?"
In an instant, Commander Zhao's face turned as dark as water.
Today's affair should have been an humiliation of this new Banner Bearer!
If the other party released Young Master Liu, he would lose all face and prestige.
If the other party insisted on refusing to release Young Master Liu, then he could be charged with disregarding the law and knowingly breaking it.
Who could have imagined that the other party would be such a reckless brute, drawing his blade on the spot and shattering all their schemes?
And now, he was pressing the attack with every step, leaving not the slightest room to retreat—in effect, declaring war!
--
At that very moment, at the tallest restaurant in Lin Jiang Ward.
Although the restaurant stood on another street, looking down from there still offered a clear view of everything taking place in the distance.
Two figures stood with their hands behind their backs, silently gazing ahead.
Both looked to be middle-aged, but one wore a blue robe while the other wore a white one.
"Last night, the Lin Jiang Department sent a letter ordering the Outer Southern Prefecture Office to deal with the matter of 'devouring a household without male heirs,' and there was a hint of threat in it."
"Commander Zhao was deeply dissatisfied. He had originally planned to suppress this new Banner Bearer's arrogance today, but as things stand, he was the one who lost face and saw his authority scattered to the winds."
"That blood has thoroughly stained the face of the dignified Deputy Commander."
The blue-robed man could not help laughing. "No one expected this new Banner Bearer to truly act without regard for convention. With a single long blade, he overturned the rules and set it against Zhao Yuan's head."
"Just a reckless brute. He has nothing but hot blood, relying solely on the blade in his hand. He does not understand the bigger picture or the rules, cannot compromise, and will never travel far down this road."
The white-robed man spoke with eyes utterly cold.
The blue-robed man, however, slowly shook his head. "He is no ordinary reckless brute."
"We have seen far too many such brutes. When driven into a desperate corner, they abandon all rules and suddenly erupt, thinking that brute force alone can overturn the situation and contend with the rules."
"But without exception, they all died."
"For example, that 'Fifth Master' just now. He suddenly struck with a blade. If he had failed to cleave Liang Hu down, then the one lying on the ground headless at this moment would certainly have been him!"
"When a martial artist who disregards the rules possesses the overwhelming strength to overturn them and split open the situation, then treating him as a mere reckless brute is a grave mistake."
As the blue-robed man spoke, the white-robed man's expression gradually darkened as well.
That earlier blade had cleaved Liang Hu down, and with him, shattered the confidence of Commander Zhao and the martial artists under his command.
Then the blade that killed Young Master Liu had completely crushed the rules that had long governed Lin Jiang Ward.
"Without powerful ability, even if one holds a blade, one only invites ridicule. In your eyes and mine, such a person is still nothing but an ant."
The blue-robed man sighed. "But the cultivation this Banner Bearer revealed today is at least at the peak of the Inner Tempering realm."
He paused, then said solemnly, "Moreover, this Banner Bearer is far too young. His potential is limitless."
Without the ability to overturn the chessboard, anyone who dreamed of challenging the rules with a blade could only become a laughingstock.
But this Banner Bearer had clearly already gained the qualifications to overturn the chessboard.
That was the true reason Commander Zhao, despite gnashing his teeth in hatred, had still chosen to tolerate and retreat—even allowing the other party to flaunt his might!
"I take back what I said just now."
The white-robed man's expression grew grave.
His hand pressed against the railing, all five fingers clenched tightly until the backs of them gradually turned pale.
He drew a deep breath, then said, "After today, this Banner Bearer—'unafraid of the powerful, impartial in enforcing the law, and fiercely hostile to evil'—will surely possess the greatest prestige of any Banner Bearer in the Lin Jiang Department's history!"
"His blade is too sharp. Since it cannot be suppressed today, it will inevitably suppress the whole of Lin Jiang Ward."
"With a blade hanging over their heads, the various forces of the ward will tremble with fear from now on, treading on thin ice as they act and following the established rules and laws in everything."
"But if business in the ward is conducted too strictly by the rules, how can anyone make big money?"
The two men spoke thus, then exchanged a glance and reached a consensus.
The white-robed man slowly said, "Then he has to die."
The blue-robed man said darkly, "An object that is too rigid is bound to break. This blade of his will snap sooner or later."
"But so long as this blade remains unbroken for even one day, our path to wealth will be cut off for one day."
The white-robed man stood with his hands behind his back. "Lin Jiang Ward cannot tolerate someone so selfless and impartial. Think of a way to break him as soon as possible."
The blue-robed man pondered for a while before speaking in a low voice.
"The Liu family has lost a man. They surely will not let the matter rest."
"But this boy had Commander Zhao, the Deputy Commander, personally preside over the case. He merely acted as the executioner."
"At present, justice is on his side, and behind him stands Commander Han of the Outer Southern Department. The Liu family likely has no grounds for revenge."
"But the Liu family will surely hate this boy to the bone. All they lack is a 'reason'!"
The blue-robed man chuckled softly. "Why not think of a way to give the Liu family a reason?"
Before you continue