He doesn't take it, you don't take it, how can I take it?

The night was dark and the wind was high; common folk say this is a night for murder.

Street.

"Are you feeling unwell? Why are you trembling so much?" Lin Fan noticed Yang Ming shaking all over. He had been like this since they left the restaurant. Could he be poisoned?

"I'm not unwell, I'm just trembling with excitement. I find it so thrilling."

Ever since he became a constable, he and his master had only caught petty thieves. But recently, the difficulty had skyrocketed. They had caught murderers, faced a group of swordsmen, and now they were tailing a Hall Master from the Loyalty Hall.

This guy was a big shot.

Something he had never even imagined.

He knew this drastic change was all thanks to Brother Lin, who had led him onto this thrilling path.

Song Qing lowered his voice, "Are we really going to make a move on He Sen?"

"Yes, He Sen is about to harm innocent families. A fourteen-year-old girl... how can we tolerate such beastly behavior? If we don't apprehend him tonight, I won't be able to sleep," Lin Fan said.

Song Qing hadn't known for sure, but just now, Qin Si, who seemed drunk, had said something that was both unintentional and intentional, pointing to He Sen.

"He's truly worse than a beast."

Yang Ming clenched his fists. Although he was nervous, he was ready to show off his skills.

Lin Fan asked, "Captain, if we take down He Sen, would that count as a merit?"

Hearing this.

Song Qing fell silent.

A merit?

It would count, but he knew that once He Sen was apprehended, a subsequent storm would arrive. And the primary target of this storm would be Lin Fan.

Seeing that the Captain remained silent, Lin Fan knew he was worried.

"Captain, I've loved standing up for the weak since I was young. I can't stand seeing the extremely wicked and evil, those who do evil and act tyrannically. Therefore, my goal and aspiration is to join the Security Bureau, become a constable, and sweep away the demons and monsters of this world."

His words were full of righteous indignation.

Not a single word mentioned his desire for advancement.

Yet, every sentence revolved around the core idea of wanting merit.

"Brother Lin, well said! I feel the same way," Yang Ming nodded in agreement.

"I can see that."

Of course, you can see that.

Yang Ming came from a wealthy family. Although he rarely mentioned it, everyone knew he was incredibly rich. He had a comfortable life, yet he chose to join the Security Bureau as a constable. Without lofty ideals, a normal person wouldn't do this.

Captain Song looked at the two of them putting on a show and sighed inwardly.

"If we take down He Sen, are you truly prepared to face the storm?" Song Qing asked.

Lin Fan chuckled, "If I were afraid, I would have gone home by now."

Song Qing looked at Lin Fan beside him, and his normally calm blood seemed to start pumping. "Alright, if that's the case, I'll gamble with you."

If Lin Fan were like his other disciples, full of ideals but lacking strength, he would absolutely try to stop him. How would you capture him? How would you withstand the subsequent storm?

But now, he saw three fearless, shining qualities in Lin Fan.

1. Terrifying strength. 2. Terrifying strength. 3. Terrifying strength.

All indispensable.

"One silver note for each of you."

Yang Ming refused. He had money at home and didn't lack it. Song Qing also refused, scoffing at silver notes stained with the blood of innocent people.

"Captain, if he doesn't take it, and you don't take it, how am I supposed to? Honesty is good; it can resist various temptations, but being rigid is not. To deal with these guys, if you're not a bit more cunning than them, how can you handle them?"

"Take it, and we'll be on the same boat from now on."

As he said before.

He never enjoyed the fruits of his labor alone.

"Brother Lin, I'll take it. I want to get on the boat." Yang Ming felt that what Brother Lin said made a lot of sense. Although he wasn't short on money, this wasn't just money; it was a ticket onto the boat.

"You don't need to take it; you're already on the boat."

"Oh."

Lin Fan put the silver notes into his pocket, leaving just one to offer to Song Qing.

Song Qing looked at the silver note before him with a complex expression, remaining motionless for a moment. Yang Ming urged him, "Master, take it and get on the boat. Brother Lin's boat has already set sail, and there's no turning back."

Looking at Lin Fan's expectant gaze and the disciples' urging expressions.

Song Qing took the bank notes and put them in his embrace. For some reason, he suddenly felt his chest become warm and steady. He had never had so much silver on him in his entire life.

Lin Fan smiled, fully satisfied.

Yang Ming had casually mentioned Song Qing's situation to him. Although he was a captain in the Security Bureau, his life wasn't much better. He didn't take bribes, and he was targeted everywhere.

He had two children at home, and three elders, plus his wife. Every day when he opened his eyes, six mouths were waiting to be fed.

The pressure was unusually immense.

Shantytown.

A simple fence, a simple house.

Inside.

A dim tallow lamp was placed on the table. The wick had been trimmed again and again, yet it only emitted a halo the size of a soybean, barely illuminating a small area around the worn wooden table.

In front of the wooden table, a family of three sat around it.

A dark-skinned middle-aged man sat on a low stool, his back slightly hunched. His rough, calloused hands held a bowl, and he was eating porridge.

A graceful young girl ate while looking at a handwritten book placed beside her bowl.

An ordinary woman was mending an old garment under the lamp. The needle and thread shuttled through her fingers. Seeing her daughter engrossed in reading, she pushed the oil lamp closer.

"Daughter, when I get my wages tomorrow, I'll buy you books. You won't have to beg others to borrow books to copy anymore." The man smiled, thinking of something happy. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes crinkled together, but they couldn't hide his joy.

What normal family would spend extra money to buy books for their daughter to read?

After all, it was useless to read them, and she couldn't participate in the imperial examinations.

"Dad, it's okay. Copying books is good enough, and it helps practice my calligraphy," the girl said, feeling sorry for her father's hard work and not wanting him to spend extra money.

"It's fine. My wages this month are fifty wen more than usual. All of this is thanks to Master Lin's consideration for us."

The man was a porter at Jili Pier.

Although he worked hard every day, life truly had hope.

The foreman who managed them said that Master Lin saw how hard they worked and suggested to Hall Master Wang to increase their wages. To him, that was an incredible thing.

Although Hall Master Wang made the final decision, all of them, the porters, were grateful to Master Lin.

"Dad, Master Lin is truly a good person." The girl always heard her father mention Master Lin's deeds and felt curious, always wanting to meet this Master Lin, who was like a hero.

Or rather, what girl doesn't have romantic fantasies and imagine her own heroic idol?

"Of course. Who at Jili Pier doesn't give Master Lin a thumbs-up? I also heard that Master Lin joined the Security Bureau, became a constable, and arrested a group of thugs and hooligans."

The man put down his bowl, speaking excitedly, proudly.

The woman stopped her needlework and chimed in, "I also heard about what happened during the day. The people in the market all said Master Lin is an upright official. Now that we have a constable like Master Lin who is truly willing to do practical work, our common folk..."

BANG!

Before she could finish speaking.

The wooden door, which was already patched up, was violently kicked open from the outside.

The warm atmosphere inside the house instantly froze.

Three pairs of eyes looked towards the door in terror.

Under the dark night sky, a tall figure blocked the doorway. His body was hidden in the darkness outside the door, and only his head poked in. The light from the oil lamp illuminated half of his face, and the corners of his mouth were stretched upwards in an exaggerated, twisted, and ferocious grin.

He Sen's gaze greedily swept over the girl. Seeing her tremble slightly from fear, his eyes burst with wolf-like green light, filled with undisguised possessiveness and lust.

"She really is tender..."

"I like what I see."

"It makes my heart... pound with excitement."