Offending the Powerful Was No Big Deal

After seeing off the imperial city envoy, Commander Feng patted Su Fei on the shoulder and said with feeling.

"Good lad, you've soared to the heavens in a single step. From Hundred Households Officer to Vice Thousand Households Commander—and a Vice Thousand Households Commander of the Southern Commandery Investigation Department at that. How many people toil their entire lives without ever finding such an opportunity?"

"It's just a pity you can't take over my post."

Su Fei looked at the Imperial Decree in his hand.

The Southern Commandery Investigation Department in the imperial city was the core of Great Xuan's Imperial Guard.

There were no telling how many more cases there were there than at the Qingzhou Thousand Households Office.

Once he got there, his system would truly have room to shine.

"Su Fei, go without worry."

Commander Feng waved a hand.

"Once you reach the imperial city, be careful in all things."

"Handling cases in the imperial city is nothing like Qingzhou. That place is no good ground. Though Commander Lei is an iron-fisted man, he may not be able to protect you in every matter. In a place like the imperial city, if you run into troublesome cases, you must keep your eyes open and understand when to yield and when to advance."

Faced with Commander Feng's well-intentioned words, Su Fei understood. He was warning him not to offend the powerful too deeply while solving cases.

It was not that he wanted to offend people, but if a mission required it, then so be it—the powerful would be offended.

There was still plenty of time before the one-month deadline.

Over the next few days, they celebrated Su Fei's promotion and saw him off.

Off they went to the pleasure quarters to listen to music, the only difference being that they had brought along Commander Feng, a true big shot.

White Lotus Sect headquarters.

It lay within a hidden valley deep amid a sprawling mountain range.

Inside the main hall, layer upon layer of lotus patterns were carved into the four walls. Beneath the candlelight, those lotuses seemed to come alive.

On the seat of honor sat a figure wearing a lotus mask that concealed their entire face.

A gray-robed sect member knelt on the floor.

"Reporting to the Sect Master, the Qingzhou base has been completely destroyed."

"Explain clearly."

The Sect Master's voice came through the mask with a strange echo. No joy or anger could be heard in it, yet the temperature in the hall seemed to drop by several degrees.

The sect member swallowed hard and spoke with difficulty.

"The White Lotus Envoy died in battle, the true disciple was captured, the Lijia Village base was completely wiped out, more than thirty brothers were executed at the Qingzhou execution grounds, and even the officials under Li Dingfan were beheaded. Qingzhou's foundation... is all gone."

"Useless!"

A furious roar suddenly exploded, and the desk before the Sect Master instantly turned to dust.

A vast, overpowering aura burst from him. The candles throughout the hall were snuffed out at once, leaving only the lotus carvings on the walls glowing with a dim blue light as they withstood the pressure.

"Useless! All of you are useless! In a mere Qingzhou, I lost an envoy, lost disciples, and couldn't even hold a single base."

The Sect Master's voice carried suppressed fury. The floor tiles beneath the Lotus Platform were shaken into fine cracks by his aura.

The sect member was so terrified that he repeatedly kowtowed.

"Sect Master, quell your anger! Sect Master, please quell your anger!"

The Sect Master's fury abated somewhat.

"Who did it?"

"A Hundred Households Officer of the Qingzhou Imperial Guard named Su Fei. He was responsible."

The sect member hurriedly replied, his voice distorted by fear.

"I heard that despite his young age, he is already a Grandmaster Realm martial artist. Envoy Qin was killed by him, and he captured the true disciple as well. He was even rewarded for it and promoted to Vice Thousand Households Commander of the Southern Commandery Investigation Department. He will soon depart for the imperial city to assume his post."

The hall fell into dead silence.

After a long while, the Sect Master suddenly chuckled.

"Su Fei. Southern Commandery Investigation Department of the Imperial Guard. You want to climb the ranks by stepping on our White Lotus Sect? It won't be so easy."

"The road from Qingzhou to the imperial city is so long. It will not be such a smooth journey."

"Shadow."

A black shadow silently emerged from behind the hall and dropped to one knee.

"Unable to find the book by searching its title? Try searching for the author instead—it may simply have been renamed!"

"This subordinate is here."

"Take fifty thousand taels of silver, then send Su Fei's portrait to the Shadow Kill Tower. Tell them that fifty thousand taels is already more than enough to kill one Grandmaster Realm martial artist. Have them handle this properly for me."

"I want this man to die on the road to the imperial city, and I want him to die miserably. Tell them to send more men."

"This subordinate obeys!"

The black shadow accepted the order and silently withdrew once more.

Seeing this, the sect member who had delivered the report cautiously asked.

"Sect Master, should we send some experts from within the sect to act alongside them?"

"No need."

The Sect Master cut him off.

"The assassins of the Shadow Kill Tower should have no trouble killing a Grandmaster from a barren place like Qingzhou. Our sect's experts all have greater uses; they cannot be wasted on such a trivial matter."

"Yes, Sect Master is wise."

The hall returned to silence. Seated upon the place of honor, the Sect Master gazed through the mask toward the darkness outside.

"Su Fei, a mere Hundred Households Officer of the Imperial Guard. Since you dared touch someone from my White Lotus Sect, you must be prepared to die."

These past few days, Su Fei had done nothing but visit the pleasure quarters to listen to music and sell his belongings.

He exchanged his land, gold, and silver for easily carried Silver Notes.

The house contained his father's memorial tablet, so it could not be sold. Thus, he kept the residence.

That morning, Su Fei bade farewell to everyone at the Qingzhou Thousand Households Office.

He declined Wang Meng and the other Strongmen's kind offer to escort him.

Even if they saw him off for several stretches of the road, would he not still have to walk the rest by himself?

He mounted the thousand-li steed Commander Feng had given him. Dressed in a long blue robe with a saber at his waist, he set out looking like a young nobleman on an excursion.

Once outside Qingzhou City, Su Fei looked back at its gates.

Ding! Mission triggered: Arrive at the Southern Commandery Investigation Department.

Mission requirement: The host must avoid danger along the way and successfully arrive at the Southern Commandery Investigation Department in the Great Xuan Imperial City.

Mission reward: Iron Cloth Shirt, one hundred and twenty years of cultivation.

Huh, this mission requirement was rather interesting. It wanted him to avoid danger along the way; reaching the Southern Commandery Investigation Department would count as completing the mission.

It even said that he would encounter danger on this journey.

Which faction would it be?

But did he need to avoid danger? Even if danger came, he could simply cut it down with a single slash.

Having figured that out.

Su Fei urged his horse into a gallop.

More than half a day passed, yet he encountered no bandits, mountain brigands, or anything of the sort.

By evening, his horse was getting hungry.

After passing a fork in the road, he happened upon a tea stall by the roadside.

A brand-new yellow banner stood there, bearing the words Chen Family Tea Stall.

There was a cooking counter, seven or eight tables, and a trough for feeding horses. The proprietors were an elderly couple: the old man cooked while the old woman chopped vegetables.

Su Fei dismounted and called out to the owner.

"Boss, take good care of my mount. Feed it some quality soybeans. Silver is not an issue."

As he spoke, he took a small piece of broken silver from his waist and handed it over.

The old man accepted the silver, weighed it in his hand, and broke into a smile. "Rest assured, guest. I guarantee your horse will be fed until it is full."

He turned and called toward the stove.

"Old woman, clear a clean table for this guest."

Su Fei swept his eyes over the tea stall. Only two tables were occupied.

At one sat several jianghu men, each with his robe thrown open and sabers or swords at his waist. They sat around a wine jar, playing finger-guessing games. Their booming voices carried far, and the scent of alcohol could be smelled from a great distance.

At the other table sat a handsome young nobleman in white, holding a folding fan, with a green-clad servant standing beside him.