Early the next morning, before the sky was even bright, the yamen of the Martial Guard Division in Nanning County was already brightly lit.
One by one, familiar and unfamiliar faces rushed over from all corners of the city, all because late last night, an order had spread through the entire constabulary system like thunder—
"Tomorrow at the hour of mao, all head constables, constables, and runners are to assemble at the deliberation hall of the Martial Guard Division. No absences will be tolerated."
This was the first order from the newly appointed Director Lu Zhao, concise and to the point, yet carrying an irresistible might.
Inside the deliberation hall, a plaque bearing the four characters "Upright and Just Martial Guard" hung above a tall, black-lacquered desk, and more than ten attendants dressed in black robes and wearing gold-patterned tokens around their waists stood sternly on either side. Each of them exuded a deep aura, clearly making them no ordinary martial artists.
Soon, the hall was bustling with heads.
The current head constable Lin Tai was helped to his seat by others, his face pale and his injuries still unhealed;
Jiang Yuan leaned on a crutch, his expression heavy;
As for Cao Xiao's seat, it had long since been completely empty.
Shen Qingyan and Li Hongye sat adjacent to each other.
Gu Chang'an had arrived as well; he was not a head constable and stood toward the back.
Just as everyone was discussing in low voices, a sound of forceful footsteps rang out from outside the hall, and subsequently, a steady and majestic voice was delivered:
"Director Lu has arrived!"
The crowd straightened up all at once, their gazes shifting successively toward the entrance.
They saw a man draped in black martial robes, approximately twenty-eight years of age, step into