Just over two hours later, at the end of a secluded alley in a residential district east of You Province City, Zhang Tie once again saw the young thief who had stolen his money.
When Zhang Tie arrived, though wind and snow still filled the sky, every spot within a hundred meters around the alley—including the walls and rooftops—was already packed with dense ranks of Judicial Office constables in grim black uniforms, armed with crossbows, sabers, and other weapons, like Black Impermanence himself.
"Have those standing on the rooftops and walls come down. It's the New Year—don't frighten people!" Before entering the alley, Zhang Tie casually instructed the person beside him.
Upon hearing Zhang Tie's words, the person at his side merely made a gesture. The You Province City constables stationed on rooftops and eaves vanished one after another until not a single one remained.
The man beside Zhang Tie who had raised his hand was an old man. His brows were stern as iron, carrying a trace of baleful qi; his face never smiled. This old man was the Deputy Chief of the You Province Judicial Office, effectively Zhang Tie's deputy. Whenever Zhang Tie was absent from the Judicial Office, it was this Deputy Chief who presided over its affairs.
The Deputy Chief of the You Province Judicial Office was not unfamiliar to Zhang Tie. The two had known each other since their days in Huaiyuan Prefecture. Back then, when Zhang Tie first returned to the Zhang Family's old residence after becoming a Knight, he happened to encounter the Old Master's principal wife's grand birthday celebration. Because of the Wang Family's young lady, several of the Zhang Family's unworthy descendants caused some unsavory trouble during the banquet. The person Zhang Tie had summoned to resolve the situation and give