The wheels rumbled over the bluestone road.
The Patrol Bureau's distinctive green carriage slowly pulled away from the Porter Guild headquarters, where the excitement and commotion still hadn't died down.
It left the cheers, chatter, and countless complicated gazes farther and farther behind.
Inside the carriage, sealed off from the noise outside, it was unusually quiet.
Gong Tian had already shed the stern authority he'd worn before the crowd and returned to his lazy manner when alone with Yang Ning. If anything, he seemed even more relaxed.
He lounged against the padded carriage wall, arms folded behind his head, eyes closed as he rested, as though the thunderous operation and all the public show that followed had been nothing more than an after-dinner stroll.
Yang Ning sat opposite him. He, too, had removed the White Jade Mask, revealing a young yet composed face.
He quietly watched the streets drifting past the window, still sorting through everything that had happened that day.
From the fierce battle in Red Scarf Alley and the rescue in the dungeon, to his declaration outside the Porter Guild.
He knew that from that day onward, his identity as the Patrol Chief of the East Street Patrol Bureau would be firmly etched into the minds of countless people in the district.
"You handled the Porter Guild matter well today."
Gong Tian spoke suddenly, his eyes still closed, his voice carrying a hint of lazy approval.
Yang Ning turned his gaze from the window to his Senior Brother.
"It was all thanks to your backing, Senior Brother, and to the Patrolmen who risked their lives. I merely went with the flow."
"Going with the flow still takes an eye for reading the current, the courage to shape it, and the wisdom to use it."
Gong Tian opened his eyes and looked at Yang Ning with a clear gaze.
"Junior Brother, remember this: one of the most important abilities for a capable Jingan Bureau Guard is adapting to local conditions.
"Your public identity, your covert methods, and your reach between the gray and the white must all be laid out and cultivated according to the circumstances."
He sat up a little straighter, his tone taking on a more instructive edge.
"Take how I established myself in Kuishan County. On the surface, I'm the Patrol Commander of the East Street Patrol Bureau, responsible for maintaining public order and representing the law of the authorities.
"Behind the scenes, I'm a Captain of the Jingan Bureau, monitoring all quarters and eliminating hidden threats."
"And between the visible and the hidden..."
He paused.
"The East Street Martial Arena is my 'gray glove.' It's also an 'undercover post' for gathering intelligence, scouting talent, and even handling matters that can't conveniently be dealt with in an official capacity."
Yang Ning's heart stirred. He began to understand what his Senior Brother was really getting at.
"Originally, once I moved to the Inner City, I planned to gradually hand over control of the Martial Arena and some of the channels connected to it to you."
Gong Tian spoke without reservation.
"Now it seems you're more perceptive than I thought. You've already started deliberately building your own foundation.
"That's good. You can prepare two, even three, ways forward."
He counted them off on his fingers.
"On the surface, you're the Patrol Chief of the East Street Patrol Bureau, maintaining public order and wielding official authority and influence.
"In the gray areas, the Porter Guild can become your eyes and ears, your reaching hands.
"It's connected to the common folk, well-informed, and full of all kinds of people. There may be clues there about undercurrents the Patrol Bureau can't directly investigate or even detect.
"As for the deeper shadows..."
Gong Tian gave Yang Ning a meaningful look.
"The Martial Arena, along with any other forces you may gain control of in the future, will be your 'black gloves,' handling dirty work that requires absolute secrecy or the use of thunderous force."
Yang Ning's heart surged as he listened. His Senior Brother was sketching out a blueprint for a power base of his own.
He nodded solemnly.
"I understand, Senior Brother. Only by weaving light and shadow together, and letting the real and the false support each other, can I sink deeper roots and see more clearly in this muddied world."
"Exactly."
Gong Tian nodded with satisfaction, then returned to his lazy manner. He stretched mightily, his bones cracking softly.
"But you'll have to put these plans into action soon.
"Because I, your Senior Brother, am about to leave the Outer City."
Yang Ning froze.
"Senior Brother, are you going to... the Inner City?"
"What else?"
A smile tugged at Gong Tian's lips.
"Why do you think I've been in such a hurry to push you into this position? I've helped you build a reputation and earn merit, brought you up to speed on the procedures, and even turned a blind eye when you 'set up your own camp' at the Porter Guild.
"It's because I can't keep sitting in this Outer City Patrol Commander's chair much longer."
"Is there really a rule like that?"
Yang Ning was surprised.
He knew that Organ Refining was another great threshold in the martial path, with power far surpassing Bone Forging, but he hadn't realized there was a hard-and-fast rule about transfers.
"A rule?
"Heh. You could call it an unspoken understanding between the Four Great Families, the major sects, and the authorities."
Gong Tian's tone carried a trace of mockery.
"An unspoken understanding?"
Yang Ning furrowed his brows. After thinking it over, he ventured a guess.
"Is it to maintain the 'balance' in the Outer City and reduce internal friction?
"After all, an Organ Refining expert would be a core asset to any faction. If they stayed in the Outer City to fight over interests, it could easily spark a large-scale conflict."
"Clever!"
Gong Tian snapped his fingers.
"That's about the gist of it.
"They leave the minnows and shrimp in the Outer City pond to thrash about and fight over what they can. As long as they don't make too much trouble, the people above turn a blind eye.
"But the real big fish have to move into the larger fish tank of the Inner City, where they'll compete by another set of rules—more 'civilized,' but also more complicated.
"Of course, this 'understanding' isn't unbreakable. Infiltrating behind the scenes and propping up proxies are tricks that have never been in short supply."
He looked at Yang Ning, his gaze growing more profound.
"All these years, under my master's orders, I've put down roots in the Outer City, tempering my cultivation while climbing the ranks until I took charge of the Patrol Bureau. At the same time, I've secretly carried out the Jingan Bureau's duty of oversight.
"It may look glorious, but in truth I've been walking on thin ice, keeping all the factions balanced.
"But lately, the winds have been shifting in a more and more ominous direction."
Yang Ning felt the same.
"You're right, Senior Brother.
"I grew up here, and over the years I've clearly felt the world grow more chaotic, with order on the verge of collapse.
"The people are growing poorer, while bandits and thugs grow bolder.
"So much of what's happening seems to go beyond the usual gang feuds and clashes over interests."
"Exactly."
All of Gong Tian's laziness vanished, replaced by a grave expression.
"That's why Master came here in person this time, to take up the post of County Magistrate in Kuishan County."
Yang Ning's heart skipped a beat.
"Master is here in person. Could it be...
"Is there an even deeper secret behind the chaos in Kuishan County?"
"You used to run around the streets and alleys, and you were fairly well-informed. You should know something about what's been happening within the authorities."
"Yes, Senior Brother. When I worked as a porter, I often heard that the County Governors and County Assistants in the authorities kept changing, one family today and another tomorrow. The authorities are able to do less and less."
Gong Tian didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked a question.
"Then, Junior Brother, do you know why posts like County Magistrate and County Governor at the Kuishan County Government Office have seen one disaster after another in recent years?"
Yang Ning shook his head. He wasn't at a high enough level to know much about the movements at the top.
Gong Tian lowered his voice and spoke slowly.
"As far as I know, three County Magistrates have died in Kuishan County over the past five years alone.
"And four County Governors—the highest officials of the county—have died as well!
"Some came from local aristocratic families or gangs, some from sects in other prefectures, and some were properly appointed by the Imperial Court, with spotless backgrounds.
"Without exception, every one of them died a mysterious, violent death not long after taking office!
"Their deaths were different, but no clear culprit could be found. Each became another unsolved case.
"Even the Chief Clerks and County Assistants have met with strange misfortunes, leaving everyone on edge.
"Now the upper ranks of the Kuishan County authorities have become an invisible whirlpool.
"It's a cursed place where anyone who takes one of those high posts may meet with disaster!"
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