The scarred, burly man and his men moved swiftly along the mountain road, drawing closer and closer to Peace Town.
They could already make out the faint outline of the little town in the distance.
"Ha ha ha, brothers, do you see that? That's Peace Town!"
"Beautiful women and grain are right within reach, ha ha ha..."
The scarred man licked his lips, his eyes filled with greed.
But just then, a figure appeared without warning in the middle of the road ahead.
The man had directly blocked their way.
He looked quite young, dressed in a plain constable's uniform, with a strange long sword wrapped in rags at his waist.
He simply stood there in silence, sweeping his gaze over the burly man and his men as if he were looking at a group of corpses.
An invisible aura radiated from him, making everyone present feel a shiver of dread.
The scarred man leading the group looked at the suddenly appeared young man, and his pupils abruptly contracted!
A storm of shock surged through his heart.
When had the other man appeared?
How could he, a powerful Martial Master, have failed to sense him at all?!
It was as if this man had materialized out of thin air.
Unable to make sense of it, he didn't dare act rashly.
He sensed an extremely dangerous aura coming from the other man.
The feeling was exactly the same as the one he remembered from facing a Grandmaster.
He forcibly suppressed his murderous intent, cupped his hands to Lin Hanzhou, and said in a grave voice,
"Friend, we're only passing through. We mean no harm."
"If we've disturbed you, please forgive us. I understand what you mean, and we'll leave at once."
After speaking, he was about to order his men to turn around and take another route.
His men were puzzled by their leader's decision. Why go around just because of an ordinary constable?
But the scarred man had built up such authority over them that not one dared to ask him about it.
At that moment, however, Lin Hanzhou spoke.
"There's no need to leave. Since you've come here, you may as well stay here forever."
His voice was calm, yet steeped in chilling murderous intent.
"This fine spot is perfect for burying you."
As soon as the words fell, the long sword wrapped in rags in Lin Hanzhou's hand suddenly left its sheath.
A cold flash flickered before everyone's eyes.
There was no stunning Sword Qi, nor any sharp whistle as it cut through the air.
There was only the flowing grace and freedom unique to the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique.
With a soft swish, an invisible wave swept toward the scarred man and his men.
A rapid series of soft, wet thuds followed.
Led by the scarred man, a Martial Master, the heads of the dozens of bandits there all separated from their bodies at the same instant!
Each of their eyes still held the terror and bewilderment of a moment earlier.
It seemed they hadn't even realized they were dead.
Then, blood gushed from the dozens of headless bodies like fountains.
Their blood dyed the entire mountain road red in an instant.
And so, the bandits who had run rampant for a time all died on the spot.
They hadn't even managed to withstand a single move from Lin Hanzhou.
The next moment, Lin Hanzhou returned his sword to its sheath and hung it at his waist.
There wasn't even a trace of blood on the blade.
It was as if he had merely drawn his sword for fun.
Afterward, Lin Hanzhou cleaned up the scene as usual.
With his sword, he carved out a huge pit in the nearby woods and buried all the bandits' bodies in it.
That way, they could still serve one last purpose: fertilizer for the plants and trees.
Once everything was taken care of, he returned to Peace Town.
Looking at the familiar, peaceful town where he had lived for nine years,
Lin Hanzhou knew it was time for him to leave.
With the strength of the third-stage Qi Sea Realm, he was now capable of protecting himself in this chaotic world.
There was no point in staying in this remote little town any longer.
He had already made this plan before coming here.
But before he left, there was one last thing he needed to do.
He flashed into the town chief's office without a sound.
The frail, elderly town chief was currently fretting over the town's defenses, sighing in distress.
The bandits who had appeared recently had left him deeply uneasy.
They were wreaking havoc throughout Qing Prefecture, specifically targeting remote towns.
He was constantly afraid they would come to Peace Town. If they did, Peace Town would cease to exist.
For days now, he had been asking the authorities for help, but the court had yet to respond.
This left the old town chief, who had devoted his life to the Great Gan court, unable to keep from feeling disappointed in Great Gan.
"Could it be true, as those people say, that Great Gan is doomed?"
The old town chief murmured to himself, sorrow etched into his weathered face.
Lin Hanzhou did not show himself. He merely watched through a crack in the door as the old man, who had spent his life working for the people, sat inside.
He flicked a finger, and a stream of incredibly pure spiritual energy instantly entered the old town chief's body.
The old man's hunched frame jolted, and he sprang up from his chair.
He felt a warm current flow through his body. The chronic ailments that had plagued him for years suddenly eased considerably, and his whole body felt refreshed.
He stared around in astonishment, but there wasn't another soul in sight.
The old town chief couldn't help wondering if he had imagined it.
But when he turned his head, he saw a manual that had appeared on the table at some point.
The manual had no title on its cover and no author's name.
It was the Martial Master Chapter that Lin Hanzhou had deduced especially for the town chief, based on the cultivation method he had originally practiced.
Combined with the stream of pure spiritual energy he had just given him, it was enough to help the old town chief break through to the Martial Master realm.
Having finished what he came to do, Lin Hanzhou brushed off his sleeves, kept his merit hidden, and drifted away.
With a Martial Master guarding Peace Town, it would have a better chance of protecting itself in these chaotic times.
He had helped the old town chief because of the man's integrity and the way he loved the people as if they were his own children.
Lin Hanzhou had lived in the town for years and knew the old town chief well.
Helping him was also a way of helping all of Peace Town.
It was the last thing he could do for the place where he had lived for nine years.
With that final task done, Lin Hanzhou returned to his small courtyard.
He changed into the black outfit he had prepared long ago, wrapped the extraordinary sword in cloth once more, and slung it across his back.
That day, Lin Hanzhou quietly left Peace Town without saying goodbye to anyone.
Just as he had arrived nine years ago, he left quietly.
From then on, Peace Town was missing a kind young constable.
And the martial world of Great Gan gained a mysterious swordsman in black.
Before you continue