In the dim light of dawn, Ye Qingxuan gently pulled the courtyard gate shut behind him, and the latch fell with a crisp click.
His steps were neither hurried nor slow. Every footfall on the bluestone path carried an unprecedented sense of solidity. The new strength within him had not erupted like a mountain torrent, recklessly surging in all directions. Instead, it had become a deep river, flowing quietly through every limb and bone. Hidden beneath his clothes were the sinews and bones tempered by the successful refinement of flesh at the second level of Body Tempering, as well as the Indestructible Vajra Body at the Perfection Realm.
Because he had comprehended this realm for the first time today, he had spent a little extra time on it, leaving home a stick of incense later than usual.
He exerted force through his feet, and his figure became like a fallen leaf caught up by the wind, passing soundlessly through the alleys of the Southern District. In no more than the time it took to drink a few cups of tea, the two imposing stone lions of the Fengtian Division had already come into view.
As he neared the yamen entrance, he slowed his steps and straightened his clothes before walking inside.
Who could have guessed that the moment he crossed the threshold, a booming voice would come crashing down upon him.
"Why are you rushing about like that? Where are your manners?"
Ye Qingxuan raised his eyes and saw that the Chief Constable on duty was none other than Zhang Lingxiao's uncle, Chief Constable Zhang. He was not seated in the hall today. Instead, with his hands behind his back, he stood at the entrance to the side courtyard where the roll call was held, berating several miscellaneous servants sweeping the grounds.
Ye Qingxuan's arrival had happened to run straight into the muzzle of his gun.
Several familiar constables nearby cast sympathetic looks his way. Everyone knew that Chief Constable Zhang had been walking on air these past few days because his nephew had entered the martial path, but he also valued rules and decorum more than anything.
Ye Qingxuan lowered his head and clasped his hands, his body unmoving as he replied, "Yes, Chief Constable."
His voice was neither loud nor soft. It held no trace of panic, nor the slightest hint of resistance—only a pure acknowledgment.
Chief Constable Zhang had intended to reprimand him a few more times, but seeing him like this was like gathering a punch only to strike cotton. The feeling was indescribably frustrating. He looked Ye Qingxuan up and down, then raised a brow.
"Which squad are you from? You look unfamiliar."
"Reporting to the Chief Constable, this humble one is Ye Qingxuan, a temporary constable under Chief Constable Hong."
"Ye Qingxuan?" Chief Constable Zhang muttered, seemingly searching his memory. "Which Ye Family?"
"My father was Ye Tian'an."
At those three words, Chief Constable Zhang's gaze shifted. Some of his official might faded, replaced by a complicated scrutiny. He paced forward and circled Ye Qingxuan once.
"So you're from Old Ye's family. Your father was quite a man back then. What a pity." His tone changed, and he once again adopted the manner of someone lecturing others. "Since you're his son, you should understand the rules of the Fengtian Division even better! Don't pick up the habits of those street hooligans and disgrace your father!"
"The Chief Constable's lesson is well taken." Ye Qingxuan maintained the same posture, lowering his head a little further.
Chief Constable Zhang gave a snort. Apparently feeling that he had already delivered the necessary warning and had lost interest, he flung his sleeve and turned toward the main hall, muttering as he went, "No proper bearing."
Only after his back disappeared behind the moon gate did Wei Datong come over and jab Ye Qingxuan with his elbow.
"Well done. Chief Constable Zhang, the Yama himself, scolded you to your face, and you didn't even gasp."
Ye Qingxuan straightened and dusted nonexistent dirt from his sleeve. "What else could I do? Argue with him?"
Wei Datong chuckled and lowered his voice. "I saw your calf cramping for you just now. But seriously, something's off today."
Ye Qingxuan's gaze shifted slightly toward the moon gate.
Something was indeed off.
On ordinary days, there was at most one Chief Constable presiding over the roll call at the yamen entrance. Yet when Chief Constable Zhang had turned to leave, Ye Qingxuan had caught sight of several figures beneath the corridor in front of the main hall.
Chief Constable Hong's slightly plump figure, Chief Constable Yan's three long whiskers, and two other Chief Constables who usually appeared and vanished like dragons—they had all gathered in one place.
All five Chief Constables of the Fengtian Division had assembled today.
That was no ordinary display.
"Could there be some major case?" Xiong Tiezhu came over as well and guessed in his deep, rumbling voice.
Wei Datong shook his head and pointed at the sky. "A major case wouldn't require this much commotion. My guess is that some important person is coming."
As they spoke, the bell for roll call rang.
The crowd stopped chatting and streamed into the side courtyard, taking their places in their respective formations.
Sure enough, today's roll-call process was astonishingly swift. Chief Constable Yan, who was in charge, merely read out a few inconsequential documents before ordering everyone to stand by where they were and forbidding anyone from leaving without permission.
The entire Fengtian Division was steeped in the oppressive tension of a storm about to break.
The constables whispered among themselves, all guessing which important figure was arriving. The prefect, or the commandery commandant?
Ye Qingxuan stood at the rear of the formation, quietly observing.
The five Chief Constables had all taken their positions beneath the steps before the main hall, arranged on either side. Their expressions were solemn, not a trace of their usual laxness remaining.
This was no longer the sort of reception given to a prefect or a commandery commandant.
The answer was practically shouting itself.
In the entire city of Linyuan Prefecture, only one person could make all the prominent figures beneath the Garrison Commander of the Fengtian Division wait with such gravity.
The Fengtian Division's Deputy Commander, Xiao Yunting.
Sure enough, about the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the hubbub of the long street outside the yamen suddenly fell silent.
It was an eerie silence, as though an invisible hand had clamped around the throat of the entire marketplace.
Then a steady, rhythmic sound of footsteps traveled from afar, drawing nearer until it entered the courtyard of the Fengtian Division.
The footsteps came one after another, neither light nor heavy, yet each seemed to land upon everyone's heart.
Every constable in the courtyard, even people like Wei Datong who loved to wag their tongues, held their breath and unconsciously straightened their backs.
A figure appeared at the yamen's main entrance.
The newcomer wore a black silk robe embroidered with intricate cloud patterns and bixie designs in silver thread. A belt of dark jade, a finger's breadth wide, was fastened around his waist. He appeared to be around forty, with a lean, refined face and slightly graying temples. His eyes were narrow and long; when they opened and closed, their sharp radiance remained restrained, yet carried a piercing edge that seemed able to see straight through the human heart.
He merely stood there without saying a word, yet an invisible might already enveloped the entire Fengtian Division. This was not the murderous aura of a martial expert, but the official might that had naturally settled into someone who had occupied a high position for many years and held the power of life and death in his hands.
Before this might, the cultivation of the Body Tempering Realm and the ferocity of any gang all became laughable trifles.
Chief Constable Zhang, Chief Constable Hong, and the other three stepped forward together, bent at the waist to ninety degrees, and shouted with voices like thunder.
"Welcome, Deputy Commander!"
The several hundred formal constables and temporary constables within the courtyard all dropped to one knee in unison, burying their heads deeply.
"We pay our respects to the Deputy Commander!"
The deafening cries of greeting reverberated through the courtyard of the Fengtian Division.
Ye Qingxuan knelt among the crowd, his eyes lowered and his mind composed. He could sense that sharp gaze slowly sweeping across the tops of everyone's heads. Wherever it passed, the air itself seemed to solidify.
This was power made manifest.
In this filthy, turbulent world, it was more awe-inspiring than any martial art or wealth.
Xiao Yunting did not speak. He merely walked up the steps, passed between the five Chief Constables, and proceeded straight into the main hall.
Only after his figure disappeared into the depths of the hall did the weight pressing upon everyone's hearts ease slightly.
"Everyone, rise."
Chief Constable Hong straightened, turned around, and waved toward the people in the courtyard.
Only then did the crowd dare to rise, but no one still dared breathe loudly. Each kept their eyes lowered and behaved as meekly as a mouse before a cat.
With the Deputy Commander himself visiting, there was bound to be something important to announce.
What sort of turn would this major matter bring to the fate of these ants struggling at the bottom of this filthy, turbulent world? Would it be a blessing, or a calamity?
Ye Qingxuan stood among the crowd, his heart clear as a mirror. He knew that opportunities were often hidden within changes such as these. The "Green Fish Gang" bounty hanging high above them might well be settled today.
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