Yuanpin Pearl!

"Awakening Time has ended."

When the system prompt sounded, Shen Zhui's movements froze. That trace of harmonious intent vanished without a trace, and the notes of momentum became chaotic once more.

The weeds and dust were no longer orderly, but flew about everywhere.

"Cough... cough, cough." Shen Zhui covered his nose and coughed, covered in dust and grime.

"This Awakening Time is truly miraculous." Shen Zhui couldn't help but marvel. The moment Enlightenment Time ended, it was as if he had been thrown back into the sea.

He was now panting heavily, sweat pouring like a torrent, his spirit utterly exhausted, as if he had fought a fierce battle against a great enemy.

No matter how he trained afterward, he couldn't easily reach the state of Unity of Heaven and Man.

But Shen Zhui knew this was normal. Having found the direction and successfully entered Unity of Heaven and Man, with more practice, regaining mastery wouldn't be difficult.

Once there was a first time, there would be a second and countless more. What remained to be done was nothing more than diligent practice.

Just as Shen Zhui was lost in thought, a sudden shout rang out:

"You, what are you doing?!"

Shen Zhui looked up. Torchlight revealed a terrified, twisted face. A constable with a scarred face was pointing a long blade and torch at him.

Startled by the shout, Shen Zhui quickly waved his hands.

"You're—"

"Ah!" Scarface, seeing the other raise his hand, had his already taut nerves triggered and raised his blade to strike.

"What the hell are you doing?" Shen Zhui was speechless. He had been sitting quietly in his cell, and now this guy bursts in with a furious expression to chop at him?

Fortunately, the other was only at the Seventh Stage Houtian. Though the blade came down, Shen Zhui easily sidestepped it, then struck the opponent's wrist with a palm, snatched the long blade, and clamped his other hand around the man's neck.

The entire motion was fluid and natural. In one exchange, the opponent was subdued.

"Scarface, what are you doing barging into my cell? Have you lost your mind..."

As he said this, Shen Zhui froze.

Wait, where's the door?

Only then did he notice that the iron door had already collapsed, and the hardwood bars were broken into a dozen pieces, as if they had been cut through.

And he himself was disheveled, with his clothes in disarray.

Realizing something, Shen Zhui's face turned awkward, and he quickly released Scarface.

Scarface stumbled back in shock. Shen Zhui helplessly brought the torch closer to himself and brushed his hair aside.

"Shen, Shen Zhui?" Scarface asked, uncertain.

"It's me." Shen Zhui smiled, trying to appear as friendly as possible to avoid further misunderstanding.

But his smile, in Scarface's eyes, seemed somewhat eerie.

"Are you man or ghost!"

"..." Shen Zhui was at a loss for words.

After a moment, Scarface realized he had asked a stupid question and awkwardly said, "Brother Shen, what happened to this door..."

"Just now—"

Shen Zhui was about to answer when two figures appeared outside.

Wang Long, radiating a faint white light, said to Scarface, "He Jiu, step back. Your business here is done. Go calm the prisoners."

"County Governor, Captain Wang. Yes, this subordinate takes his leave." Scarface left, full of doubts.

Just as he was about to withdraw, the County Governor, shrouded in green light, suddenly spoke: "He Jiu, there was a small issue with the prison formation today. Do you understand?"

"Yes, this subordinate understands." Scarface listened obediently. He knew in his heart that things weren't that simple and were definitely related to Shen Zhui. But having made it to the position of jail warden, he knew what to say and what not to say.

Since the County Governor had set the tone, even if there were hidden circumstances, it could only be a problem with the prison formation.

"Shen Zhui greets the County Governor and Captain Wang." Shen Zhui quickly bowed.

Wang Long nodded, glanced at Shen Zhui, and said, "Ninth Stage of Acquired Realm. Not bad."

The green light dissipated, revealing Wei Wenhe's true appearance. Shen Zhui was slightly surprised.

This was his first time seeing the County Governor's real face, and he hadn't expected him to be so young, with the look of a scholar.

Wei Wenhe looked at the scattered straw and sticks on the ground, thinking to himself, Just as I suspected.

"Shen Zhui, you were sentenced to ten strokes of the cane and one month of imprisonment. Do you have any complaints?" Wei Wenhe didn't ask what had happened but instead brought up Shen Zhui's conflict with Yang Wu.

Shen Zhui quickly shook his head. "Although Yang Wu bullied my Adoptive Father first, I was a bit excessive in seriously injuring several people on the street. Your Honor enforced the law impartially, and I have no complaints. But there is one thing I don't understand, if I may speak."

"Speak."

"Yang Wu has ulterior motives and is deeply connected to the Li Family. The ambush we faced outside the city earlier was likely tied to him. I wonder why Your Honor keeps him around?"

This was a knot in Shen Zhui's mind. The Martial Arts Department's criminal constables often had to leave the city for cases, and their movements were hard to predict.

The Arrest Order and Execution Token Dao Plaque both had the effect of concealing fate. Unless the Li Family went to great lengths to tail him—which was clearly impossible—this had to be an internal leak of information.

Keeping a traitor like Yang Wu in the ranks to tip off the two great families—wasn't that asking for trouble?

"In Qingzhou, there was a farmer," Wei Wenhe said, not answering Shen Zhui's question, but instead launching into a story.

"After sowing seeds and seeing sprouts in his wheat field, he found them mixed with many castor grass plants. He wanted to eliminate them but feared harming the wheat seedlings. While he was torn, a neighbor advised him, 'Wait a while longer, until the castor grass grows big enough to remove alone, then you won't have to worry about hurting the wheat.'"

Shen Zhui listened to the story and fell into silent contemplation.

"Do you understand the meaning?" Wei Wenhe asked, smiling at Shen Zhui.

"Your subordinate understands," Shen Zhui nodded.

The County Magistrate had only been in office for three years. Three years ago, Heyuan County was a complete mess.

From the County Magistrate down to the constables, almost everyone was connected to the major families in the city.

Some were guilty of heinous crimes, colluding with the clan magnates to oppress the common people.

Others had lesser faults, at most turning a blind eye and failing to get things done.

These people weren't wholeheartedly serving the two families; it was just that the environment back then forced everyone to be manipulated by them, drifting with the current.

If the standard were set too high and everyone below it were beaten to death, then when Wei Wenhe took office, he would have had no one to use.

Additionally, Shen Zhui guessed that the County Magistrate kept Yang Wu in the county office's ranks, possibly with the intention of feeding false information to mislead the enemy.

As for deeper intentions, Shen Zhui couldn't guess.

"The ambush you faced outside the city earlier wasn't tipped off by Yang Wu," Wei Wenhe said thoughtfully.

Shen Zhui's expression remained calm, and he didn't ask further.

Now he knew his superior wasn't an ignorant fool but someone with his own schemes, and that was enough.

As for the rest, if his superior didn't speak, he shouldn't pry.

Shen Zhui understood his place well.

Seeing that Shen Zhui could stay composed, Wei Wenhe showed a hint of admiration.

Courage without strategy is mere brute force! Only those with both wisdom and courage were worth his heavy investment in training!

Moreover, Shen Zhui had joined the Martial Arts Department in the same year as him. After three years of observation, Wei Wenhe knew Shen Zhui's past and who he associated with inside out—he was definitely not a plant from the two families!

"The Martial Arts Department promotes based on strength and merit. Now that you've broken through to the Ninth Stage of Acquired Realm, you can advance further. But you're already at a ninth-rank treatment; going higher would mean becoming a Xiantian Martial Artist, which might invite criticism."

Wei Wenhe pondered for a moment, then flipped his hand to produce an object. He opened his palm, revealing a crystal-clear, full white bead.

"This is called a Yuanpin Pearl. Carry it with you, and it can help refine your cultivation technique. Once the period is over, you can go to the Personnel Office to choose a Xiantian technique. The Blood Burning Art still has its limitations."

Shen Zhui noticed that when the County Magistrate took out this bead, the usually calm Wang Long beside him showed a distinct change in expression. He immediately understood that this reward was no ordinary thing. Without asking further, he quickly bowed and accepted it.

The egg-sized bead was warm to the touch, and a steady stream of heat flowed into his body. In just a few breaths, Shen Zhui felt his internal energy become more active. He said solemnly, "Your subordinate thanks you, sir."

With a nod, Wei Wenhe and Wang Long left.

Once out of the prison, Wang Long couldn't help asking, "Junior Brother, the Yuanpin Pearl is no ordinary item—even for us, it's a rare treasure. You just gave it to Shen Zhui like that?"

Wei Wenhe chuckled lightly. "The Yuanpin Pearl is just a dead object. No matter how valuable, it changes nothing in the current situation. On the contrary, if Shen Zhui can use it to take another step forward, I'll gain another Xiantian Master. Why not?"

"But he's only just entered the Ninth Stage of Acquired Realm. He's still far from being a Xiantian Martial Artist."

Wei Wenhe said calmly, "I only said I'd gain a Xiantian Master. I never said Shen Zhui would become one."

Wang Long smiled helplessly. "Junior Brother, you're playing riddles with me again."

After the County Magistrate and Wang Long left, Shen Zhui sat cross-legged on the bed.

Wei Wenhe had come because of what happened in the prison, yet he didn't ask a single question about it. Shen Zhui figured that at the very least, the County Magistrate knew he had achieved 'Unity of Heaven and Man.'

"I was right—the more potential I show, the more resources I get. But if the informant from the Li Family ambush wasn't Yang Wu, then who was it?"

Shen Zhui increasingly felt that the situation in Heyuan County was unpredictable. But with so little information, he couldn't make sense of it no matter how much he thought, so he set the question aside for now.

"The Yuanpin Pearl—even Captain Wang envied it. Let's test its effects."

Shen Zhui adjusted his breathing and began to circulate the 'Blood Burning Art.'