Fengtian Division's Bounty Begins, Reversing the Predicament

Inside and outside the main hall, hundreds of constables were silent.

The invisible official authority emanating from Deputy Garrison Commander Xiao Yunting enveloped the entire Fengtian Division like a vast net. The hall was dimly lit, and his figure was hidden in the Grand Tutor's chair in the depths, leaving only a dark silhouette.

Chief Constable Hong and four others stood below the hall, hands clasped respectfully. Their usual imposing demeanor was completely suppressed.

"You may all rise."

A clear voice echoed from the depths of the hall. It wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of everyone in the courtyard with an undeniable command.

Only then did they dare to stand, but no one dared to breathe loudly. They lowered their heads, meek and terrified.

Xiao Yunting's voice rang out again, "I am here today for only one matter."

He paused, and the air in the entire courtyard tensed.

"The 'Green Fish Gang' has occupied the western waterways, extorting merchants and oppressing fishermen, their crimes are numerous. Three days ago, our division dispatched elites to set an ambush in the 'First Heavenly Chasm' canyon and annihilated their main force. The gang leader, 'Flower Arm Flood Dragon', resisted stubbornly and was killed on the spot."

A subtle commotion arose from the crowd at these words. The Green Fish Gang's notorious reputation was well-known throughout Linyuan Prefecture City, and they never expected the Fengtian Division to take them down so quickly.

"However, some remnants escaped." Xiao Yunting's tone was devoid of emotion, as if he were recounting a commonplace official matter. "Today, a bounty order is issued to all members of the Fengtian Division."

As his voice fell, a personal guard emerged from the hall, holding a large yellow hemp cloth poster, which he hung on a corridor pillar in front of the main hall.

On the poster, names and rewards were written in thick ink. The calligraphy was bold and flowing, yet it exuded an aura of killing intent.

"The principal culprit, 'Flatfish', the second-in-command of the Green Fish Gang, with a cultivation of Body Tempering triple-layer completion. Anyone who provides his exact whereabouts and is verified will be rewarded with thirty taels of silver and a minor merit! Those who lead the capture and kill him will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver and a major merit in the neighborhood!"

"One hundred taels!"

From within the crowd, someone gasped involuntarily before quickly covering their mouth.

One hundred taels of silver! For these constables, whose monthly wages were only a few hundred copper coins, this was a sum of money that could change their destiny. Not to mention the "major merit in the neighborhood," which was a ladder to heaven for a temporary, unregistered constable to shed their menial status and be promoted to a formal constable!

In an instant, the breathing of hundreds of people in the courtyard became heavier.

The personal guard's fingers continued to move down.

"The secondary culprit, 'Mottled Fish', the third-in-command of the Green Fish Gang, with a cultivation of Body Tempering double-layer. Anyone who provides his exact whereabouts and is verified will be rewarded with ten taels of silver! Those who lead the capture and kill him will be rewarded with thirty taels of silver and a merit!"

Thirty taels, a merit!

Although this reward was not as astonishing as the previous one, it made the eyes of the vast majority present shine.

Flatfish, at Body Tempering triple-layer completion, was a master at the level of a chief constable. Few of those present dared to entertain the thought. But Mottled Fish, at Body Tempering double-layer, made many formal constables who considered themselves somewhat skilled in martial arts start to consider it.

Below the poster, the names of over a dozen minor leaders and members of the Green Fish Gang were listed, with rewards ranging from one to five taels.

The entire Fengtian Division seemed like a pot of boiling oil, waiting for a single command to explode completely.

Wei Datong stood beside Ye Qingxuan, his eyes fixed on the words "thirty taels." His throat bobbed as he swallowed continuously. He stuck out his tongue and licked his dry lips, looking more eager than if he had seen the most beautiful girl in the city.

Xiong Tiezhu's large hands, like fans, clenched into fists unconsciously, his knuckles cracking.

"Everyone," Xiao Yunting's voice was like a basin of cold water, slightly sobering their excited minds, "During this encirclement, 'Flatfish' had his internal organs injured by Chief Constable Hong's palm strike, and 'Mottled Fish' had his left shoulder pierced by an arrow. The remaining escaped gang members are all injured."

BOOM!

This sentence was like pouring oil on the fire.

The constables, who had been hesitant, had the last string of "reason" in their minds snap.

An injured Body Tempering triple-layer, an injured Body Tempering double-layer!

This was no longer a life-or-death struggle, but a tremendous fortune laid out before them all!

The crowd was excited, everyone was sharpening their fists, wishing they could rush out of the yamen right now and turn the entire Linyuan Prefecture City upside down.

Wei Datong leaned close to Ye Qingxuan's ear, his voice extremely low, but unable to hide his trembling: "Qingxuan! Thirty taels! Thirty taels of silver! Damn it, this Mottled Fish's head is worth more than gold! And he's injured! This is heaven's will, sending us a fortune!"

Ye Qingxuan did not reply. His gaze calmly swept over the bounty poster, imprinting every word into his mind.

"Flatfish, Body Tempering triple-layer completion, internal organs injured."

"Mottled Fish, Body Tempering double-layer, arrow wound to the left shoulder."

His heart was not as fervent as others, but rather calm like a deep pool.

The opportunity was indeed a great one. But this opportunity was like honey on a cliff, reaching for it meant risking utter destruction.

He was currently at Body Tempering double-layer, the stage of muscle refinement, and possessed the perfected Indestructible Vajra Body. If he were to face a full-strength Mottled Fish, the outcome would be fifty-fifty. However, the opponent's left shoulder was injured, which meant his left arm's power would be hindered, and his qi and blood circulation would be sluggish.

With this disadvantage, his winning chance could reach seventy percent!

If... if he could push his Body Tempering double-layer realm to completion within these few days, then this winning chance would increase by another twenty percent!

Ninety percent certainty!

This thought, like a flash of lightning, cut through all the chaos in his mind.

"Qingxuan, say something!" Wei Datong was anxious seeing him silent for so long.

Ye Qingxuan withdrew his gaze and turned to him, asking only: "What kind of martial arts does that Mottled Fish practice?"

Wei Datong was stunned and scratched his head: "This... how would I know. But I heard that the Green Fish Gang members all use water-based martial arts, very insidious."

"Old, so old, useless."

A voice filled with a trace of vicissitude and open-mindedness sounded from behind them.

Ye Qingxuan turned his head and saw Hong Qingshan, nearly sixty years old, standing with his hands behind his back, looking at the wanted poster and shaking his head gently. His graying hair stirred slightly in the morning breeze, and the wrinkles on his face held a calm born from having weathered life's storms.

The excitement of the young constables around him contrasted sharply with his current composure.

A familiar junior stepped forward and teased, "Captain Qin, with your skills, even a flatfish would have to shed its skin. Why say you're getting old?"

Hong Qingshan smiled, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth. "You young ones have plenty of strength to fight and scramble. My old bones just want to serve peacefully for a few more years, collect my pay and provisions, and that'll be enough. This immense fortune is best left to you."

After speaking, he ambled over to a corner of the courtyard, found a stone stool, took out his pipe from his embrace, and began to smoke by himself.

Ye Qingxuan watched his retreating figure and understood. Hong Qingshan wasn't incapable of fighting; he simply no longer wished to. At his age, he had long seen through the essence of this turbulent world. So-called wealth often came with immense danger. He might have been hot-blooded in his youth, daring to fight and kill, but the years had smoothed his edges, teaching him contentment and self-preservation.

But Ye Qingxuan could not retreat.

Behind him were his young sister, his precarious family, and the suffocating debts from the Fierce Tiger Hall. He had no right to a peaceful life.

This path was one he had to take.

"Disperse."

From the hall, Xiao Yunting's voice echoed again. "Each team will discuss amongst yourselves. If you find any clues, report them immediately. Remember, I only want results."

With that, he stood up, his figure vanishing into the back hall.

With the mountain that had weighed on everyone gone, the outer courtyard of the Fengtian Division erupted.

"Old Li, you and I should team up and check the waterway by the south gate?"

"Brother Wang, you're well-informed. Do you know what the Mottled Fish usually likes?"

"Thirty taels! If we pull this off, I'm staying at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion for a month!"

All the constables, in groups of three to five, spontaneously gathered, discussing how to seize this windfall. The entire yamen was filled with an atmosphere mixed with greed and excitement.

Zhang Lingxiao was surrounded by people. He was now at Body Tempering first level and was the Chief Constable's nephew, naturally giving him an advantage others couldn't match in this hunt. He was surrounded by the crowd, his face unable to hide his arrogance and smugness, as if the thirty taels of silver were already in his pocket.

"Qingxuan, Tiezhu, the three of us, are we in?" Wei Datong rubbed his hands, his eyes bloodshot.

Xiong Tiezhu grunted, "In!"

Ye Qingxuan withdrew his gaze from the noisy crowd.

"In," he said, his voice decisive.

"However, we shouldn't rush," he added. "The Green Fish Gang are desperate men. Even if injured, they're like rabid dogs. We need to find a foolproof plan first."

Wei Datong nodded repeatedly. "Right, right, you've got a good head on your shoulders. Tell us what to do, and we'll listen!"

Ye Qingxuan's gaze fell upon his opened palm. The skin there was calloused from years of training, his palm lines deep.

Body Tempering second level, perfect.

This was his foolproof plan.

The rules of the Fierce Tiger Hall were suffocating him.

This bounty from the Fengtian Division was the hammer he would use to shatter those rules!

He would use this hammer to smash open a path to the heavens in this turbulent world, for himself and for his sister!