Commendation

"Well come—"

Finally, you've fallen into my hands, Chen Wu thought.

However, seeing a group of constables in pursuit behind them, Chen Wu dared not reveal his Concentrated Spirit Realm strength, so he had to limit himself to the power of the Meridian Opening Realm.

Swish—

Chen Wu moved instinctively, employing the technique Wang Jiuyuan had taught him two days prior, his wrist rotating slightly as he drew his sword.

This time, there was no ringing of the blade; it was completely silent.

To avoid drawing attention, Chen Wu had specifically purchased an ordinary longsword from Master Li. Now, as he stepped out, he carried this inconspicuous weapon.

Clang—

The man seemed to have sensed Chen Wu's movement in advance, blocking the strike with his own sword. He did not stop his pace, however, maneuvering around Chen Wu to continue his flight.

At this moment, a series of ringing sounds erupted—it was the sword in the man's hand that was singing.

Chen Wu felt a momentary sense of bewilderment, feeling as though this imposter was more "Chen Wu" than he himself was.

"That brave warrior, don't let him get away!" the young constable behind them roared.

Clang—

Chen Wu stuck to the man like glue, executing his moves while utilizing his movement techniques. As their blades clashed again, Chen Wu's wrist coiled like a spirit snake, winding along the opponent's edge to strike directly at the man's left hand, which held the sword.

The assassin had not expected this move and hurriedly retracted his hand, holding his sword horizontally to force Chen Wu's blade away.

Yet, this caused his pace to falter once more.

The movement techniques of the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower were no ordinary skills; unable to shake Chen Wu off, the man had no choice but to leap across rooftops while exchanging blows with him.

Clang—Clang—Clang—

Although Chen Wu could only use the power of the Meridian Opening Realm, the man was focused entirely on escaping and remained on the defensive, refusing to counterattack.

In this situation, Chen Wu felt as if his swordplay were guided by a divine hand, allowing him to put into practice everything Wang Jiuyuan had taught him over the past two days.

Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

The monk Lingming screamed internally, wishing he could kill Chen Wu on the spot.

Ever since he had murdered his senior brother in the Discipline Hall and defected from Chengtian Temple, Lingming had never felt such humiliation.

If not for that group of constables behind them, a mere Meridian Opening Realm cultivator would never dare to block his path!

It was indeed the Meridian Opening Realm!

After a few exchanges, Lingming had already probed Chen Wu's bottom line. There was something strange about him, but the true energy in his sword did not exceed the Meridian Opening Realm.

As Chen Wu clung tighter and tighter, the monk Lingming could not help but feel regret; if he had known, he should have fled that very day!

He had assumed the constables were all fools who wouldn't be able to find him for a while.

He had been waiting in Yan'an Prefecture for that noble person to arrive, intending to leave with his carriage and enjoy a life of freedom and riches thereafter.

He never imagined these constables would arrive so quickly!

For a moment, his breathing became labored!

Lingming knew this was because he had just forcibly withstood a strike of the Great Stele-Breaking Hand, causing internal organ damage that he could no longer suppress.

Clang—Clang—Clang—

With such an excellent practice target, Chen Wu became more proficient with every strike, and for a time, every brilliant idea in his mind was put to the test.

Chen Wu's swordplay became increasingly fluid, while the man opposite him grew more awkward with his own blade.

A flaw!

Seeing the gunshot wound on the man's right shoulder, Chen Wu understood. The man was naturally a right-handed swordsman; having been forced to switch to his left due to the injury, his swordplay lacked harmony, revealing openings during intense combat.

Once he realized this, Chen Wu immediately pressed the attack on the man's left shoulder—the most clumsy point of his hurried switch.

Rip—

Sure enough, within a few moves, Chen Wu's sword slashed across the man's left shoulder, instantly cutting through skin and flesh.

The man grunted in pain!

"Ha—"

In desperation, the man let out a roar, abandoning his defensive stance to strike out with a grand, sweeping blow!

Chen Wu's swordplay had reached a new level; to his eyes, this desperate, cornered-beast strike was hollow and riddled with openings.

Just as the two swords met, Chen Wu exerted force from his shoulder to his elbow, violently rotating his longsword. Simultaneously, a spiral of true energy surged out along the blade, turning Chen Wu's sword into a high-speed drill.

Clang—

The man's sword was knocked backward, and his eyes filled with shock.

"You are—"

Swish—

Chen Wu cut his words short with a single strike, driving his blade straight into the man's throat. The tip pierced deep, exiting through the back of his neck.

"Hah—hah—hah—"

The man's voice sounded like a punctured bellows; he wanted to say something but could not get the words out.

Splat.

Chen Wu drew his sword and flicked the blood from its tip. Lingming clutched his throat, held on for only a few seconds, then fell straight backward onto the main street.

Seeing the look of extreme confusion in Lingming's eyes, Chen Wu immediately leaped down, knelt beside him, and gave him a nod.

Upon seeing this, Lingming's expression shifted to one of sudden realization; his body went limp, and he passed away peacefully.

"Hero! How is it?" The young constable was the first to arrive.

"This villain has been brought to justice!"

Chen Wu shouldered his long sword, turned his back to the constable Li Zheng, and walked slowly forward.

"Don't go, hero—" Li Zheng shouted, "May I ask your name?"

"Just a concerned citizen!" Chen Wu waved his hand, pushed off the ground, and vanished over the rooftops.

"If everyone in our Great Shun were like this, why would there be any chaos in the world!"

Li Zheng gazed at Chen Wu's retreating back, his face filled with admiration.

"Dead?" Old Liu asked in surprise, "That fast!"

"It was mostly thanks to those constables," Chen Wu said.

He then told Old Liu that the constables had been hunting the man, and he had simply picked up the easy win.

After hearing Chen Wu out, Old Liu rubbed his furrowed brow and asked for details once more, which Chen Wu answered one by one.

Old Liu looked thoughtful: "Stay in Lingshan Temple for these next few days, and whatever you do, don't run around!"

The Jade-Faced Killing God had been dead for three days.

Although Chen Wu heard the monks and laypeople in the temple discussing it incessantly, he did not join the conversation, choosing instead to keep a low profile.

Just after finishing breakfast in the canteen, Chen Wu returned to his quarters, intending to get in some training. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside.

Chen Wu opened his door, only to be taken aback!

He saw several constables, along with Old Liu, blocking his doorway so tightly not even water could pass through.

If not for the fact that they were all chatting and laughing, he would have thought Old Liu had betrayed him.

"Hero—"

The moment Chen Wu stepped out, the young constable in the lead was overjoyed and rushed forward to grab Chen Wu's hand. Chen Wu was startled, backed away repeatedly, and looked at Old Liu with a blank expression.

"Ahem—" Old Liu winked at Chen Wu and signaled with his eyes, "My cousin here is introverted by nature and doesn't like such crowds, which is why I arranged for him to stay in the temple."

"Ah, my apologies for being rash." The young constable Li Zheng nodded repeatedly.

"What is this..." Chen Wu asked, confused.

"Even though you didn't want me to spread the word, I thought about it—we can't do good deeds without leaving a name! Haven't you heard how Confucius praised Zilu for accepting the ox? I reported your deeds to the authorities. You may be low-key, but I must make your name known!" Old Liu said.

"Huh?" Chen Wu was even more shocked.

"Look, look—" Li Zheng said to his colleagues, "Such humility and caution; this is the model for our Great Shun!"

As he spoke, Li Zheng pulled a one-thousand silver dollar banknote from his pocket and shoved it into Chen Wu's hand.

"Little brother, the bounty for the Jade-Faced Killing God has been issued. The Chief Constable made the call to award you one thousand silver dollars. We've also reported it to the Imperial Court to grant you a commendation as a Righteous Citizen."

Chen Wu finally caught on—Old Liu had reported his business!

Though he didn't know what Old Liu was planning, Chen Wu had no choice but to play along.

"This, this is only what I ought to have done." Chen Wu squeezed out an awkward smile.

Suddenly remembering something, Chen Wu pulled out five hundred silver dollars and handed them to Li Zheng.

"I only happened to be there at the right time. The Jade-Faced Killing God had already been severely wounded by you all, and I just picked up the scraps. I would feel guilty taking the full thousand. Take this back and distribute it among the men who were there that night!"

Seeing Chen Wu was so sensible, Li Zheng liked him even more, and even Old Liu secretly gave him a thumbs-up.