Petty Skills

In Nanzhou Prefecture during the twelfth lunar month, it was colder than in previous years, with deep snow accumulating on eaves and roads.

The number of pedestrians on the streets was also significantly less than usual.

Jiang Yun, dressed in a constable's uniform with a saber at his waist, was patrolling the north city with Qian Bochou.

"Achoo."

Qian Bochou rubbed his nose, clasped his hands across his chest, and said, "It's freezing cold, and the Prefect insisted I patrol the streets myself."

"It's a shame to drag you along to suffer too."

Seven people had gone missing in the north city consecutively. If Jiang Yun hadn't been with him, Qian Bochou would never have dared to patrol the north city.

Jiang Yun's gaze shifted to the tall building in the north of the city. "Prince Su's Mansion is really quite large."

Prince Su's Mansion could be considered a city within a city in Nanzhou Prefecture.

The mansion's guards patrolled the surrounding walls at regular intervals.

The two of them knew very well what was happening with the disappearances in the north city during this period.

However, they felt powerless to do anything about it.

Qian Bochou rubbed his hands together. "Let's just patrol around a couple of times, then head back and find a tavern for some hot wine."

"You haven't been to Yichun Tower in our Nanzhou Prefecture yet, have you, Brother?"

"Many of the girls there were brought in from the Imperial Entertainment Bureau in the Capital City."

"Their overall quality is much better than ordinary brothels."

Jiang Yun, however, said, "I'm not interested in that."

"How can you not be interested?" Qian Bochou said anxiously, "Let me tell you, men..."

Jiang Yun rolled his eyes at him and asked doubtfully, "You can't even handle your wife and seven concubines at home, and you still have the energy to seek pleasure elsewhere?"

Qian Bochou pouted. "That's different."

Just as they were talking, a cry for help suddenly came from an alley to their right ahead.

"Help! Help! What are you doing?"

Jiang Yun and Qian Bochou exchanged a glance and quickly rushed over.

At that moment, two ruffians had cornered a beautiful woman against the wall in the alley.

"Stop!" Qian Bochou shouted sternly. "In broad daylight, under the heavens, how dare you harass a respectable woman?"

The two ruffians looked to be around thirty years old, dressed in rags. When they turned and saw two constables, their expressions changed slightly.

"My lords, save me!" the beautiful woman cried tearfully as she ran towards Jiang Yun and Qian Bochou.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm here," Qian Bochou quickly stepped forward, put his arm around the woman's waist, drew his saber, and said, "Damn it, get down on the ground, you two."

Jiang Yun stood at the entrance of the alley, his brows furrowed slightly. He felt something was strange.

The north city was where officials and nobles lived. As Qian Bochou had mentioned, ruffians rarely dared to cause trouble here.

Let alone harassing a lady dressed in finery.

"Hey, Old Qian, something feels off," Jiang Yun said loudly, his hand resting on his saber.

Qian Bochou was currently embracing the woman's waist and searching the two ruffians.

Qian Bochou nodded. "It is a bit strange. These two scoundrels don't have a single copper coin on them."

Suddenly, Qian Bochou found a metal waist token in the hand of one of them.

He took it out and looked, his brow immediately furrowing. "What is this? A waist token from Prince Su's Mansion guard?"

The two ruffians' eyes also turned a bit colder.

"Hahahaha, so you're brothers from Prince Su's Mansion guard. You should have said so earlier." Qian Bochou quickly put the waist token back and pushed the woman back towards the two men.

"My good sirs, it's freezing cold, and you have such refined taste. Please continue, we'll pretend we didn't see anything."

Qian Bochou wasn't stupid. When he saw the Prince Su's Mansion guard token, he knew something was amiss.

He turned and ran towards Jiang Yun, his eyes blinking rapidly. "Let's go!"

Jiang Yun slowly turned around. The exit of the alley was blocked by dozens of Prince Su's Mansion guards.

The leader was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a scholar's robe, looking like a scholar.

Qian Bochou lowered his voice and said to Jiang Yun, "Lu Wanyu, one of the mansion's advisors. I heard Prince Su invited him from the Capital City."

Then, Qian Bochou grinned broadly, cupped his fists, and said, "Master Lu, long time no see. The last time I saw you was at the Prince's birthday banquet, which I was fortunate enough to be invited to."

Lu Wanyu held a folding fan and smiled faintly. "Constable Qian, this matter has nothing to do with you. My young master wishes to invite Jiang Yun to the mansion as a guest."

Jiang Yun's heart sank. Invite him as a guest?

He scanned the many skilled guards of the mansion in front and behind him, sensing trouble.

Qian Bochou frowned, glanced at Jiang Yun, took a deep breath, then pulled out a banknote from his pocket, and with a fawning smile, stepped forward. "Master Lu, we both have duties to attend to, and it's inconvenient today. Brother Jiang and I will personally visit the young master at the mansion another day."

Lu Wanyu took the banknote and said indifferently, "Guards, escort Constable Qian away."

"Lord Lu, you've taken the money, and it's a full fifty taels in bank notes," Qian Bochou said, his expression changing as he spoke through gritted teeth.

Lu Wanyu replied, "Without this bank note, you'd have to return to the Prince's Mansion with us. Be content."

Soon, the guards' soldiers grabbed Qian Bochou, tied him up, and tossed him aside.

All eyes turned to Jiang Yun in the alley.

Jiang Yun inwardly cursed his luck. He knew that Tang Wanxin had entered Prince Su's Mansion and might take matters into her own hands.

He hadn't expected them to dare make a move against him in broad daylight, right here in the bustling North City.

Jiang Yun glanced around and said in a deep voice, "You've been waiting here for me for a long time?"

Lu Wanyu chuckled, "It doesn't matter if you come to North City or not. Within Nanzhou Prefecture, there's no one our Prince's Mansion wants that we can't catch."

"You'd best surrender and save yourself some trouble."

With that, Lu Wanyu lightly waved his folding fan.

The dozen or so guards beside him charged towards Jiang Yun in unison!

Although these soldiers hadn't entered the Martial Dao, those selected to be guards in the Prince's Mansion were all skilled.

Seeing the more than ten guards charging at him, Jiang Yun quickly bit his finger and drew a Talisman on his left hand.

"Heaven and Earth are boundless, the universe lends me its power!"

He unleashed a palm strike.

Boom!

In the gloomy alley, a bolt of electricity as thick as a water bucket shot out from Jiang Yun's hand.

The Lightning Palm Strike passed through the bodies of the more than ten guards.

All the guards were struck by the current, collapsing to the ground, writhing and groaning.

Lu Wanyu, holding his folding fan, his eyes lit up slightly. "A bit of petty trickery, I see."

"I've cultivated the Confucian Dao since I was young. By the age of thirty-seven, I had already reached the seventh rank of the Confucian Dao, the Virtue Realm."

"It's a pity that after leaving the Capital City and arriving in Nanzhou Prefecture, I haven't made a move since."

"Nanzhou Prefecture is, after all, a small place."

"It's quite rare to encounter someone worthy of forcing my hand."

"Tragic, truly lamentable."

"I'd like to see how powerful your palm strike truly is."