Qingfeng County Constable, Zhao Zhi

Great Passage Street was broad enough for four carriages to ride abreast.

Zhao Zhi rested a hand on the constable's saber at his waist and strolled down the street shoulder to shoulder with Luo Dashan.

"Great Passage Street shouldn't be part of our patrol route. Why were we suddenly sent here?"

Luo Dashan looked around at the clean, spacious street, a trace of confusion showing between his brows.

Constables patrolled the streets according to assigned districts.

People like Zhao Zhi, Qian Tong, and Luo Dashan, who had neither power nor influence and did not know how to curry favor with the powerful, had always patrolled the chaotic areas where people from all walks of life gathered and hooligans and bullies ran rampant, not Great Passage Street.

Several streets around Great Passage Street were home to Qingfeng County's local gentry, and Constable Chen also patrolled there.

Trouble?

It was almost impossible.

Therefore, patrol duties around Great Passage Street had always fallen to Qi D aqu, Liu Guang, and the others.

Today.

Chief Constable Chen Qingzhi had directly ordered Zhao Zhi and Luo Dashan to take charge of the Great Passage Street area.

Like Qi D aqu, Chen Qingzhi was a confidant of County Magistrate Lu Guangyi.

Given Lu Guangyi's current relationship with Zhao Zhi, there was no way he would let such a good assignment fall into Zhao Zhi's hands.

Even though the Gray Snake Gang had been disbanded and Zhao Zhi's reputation had soared, such good fortune still should not have come his way.

Great Passage Street.

A faint glimmer stirred in Zhao Zhi's eyes. It was clean, orderly, and bustling with life, indeed far beyond the streets he had patrolled in the past. Yet he noticed that the street vendors all looked wary, their eyes darting about as if they feared something might happen.

Something was going on.

County Magistrate Lu Guangyi likely had other arrangements in store.

However.

Zhao Zhi was not afraid.

He had already pushed the Innate Unity Qi Technique to perfection, and his cultivation had entered the Innate Completion Realm, placing him among Qingfeng County's foremost experts.

There were only a handful in Qingfeng County who could threaten him.

If soldiers came, generals would block them; if water came, earth would dam it.

He wanted to see what other tricks Lu Guangyi had up his sleeve.

"This is a good thing. Don't overthink it." Zhao Zhi smiled and patted Luo Dashan's shoulder, his gaze settling on a teahouse in the distance. "I heard the tea at Minggu Tea House on Great Passage Street is excellent, and its pastries are delicious. Since we've finally come here on patrol, let's go inside and have a look."

"Minggu Tea House?"

Luo Dashan looked over as well and shook his head.

"Minggu Tea House is outrageously expensive. Even ordinary tea and pastries cost dozens of copper coins, while better tea costs a whole tael of silver. No, no."

Zhao Zhi smiled. "Since I joined the constabulary, Brother Luo has helped me a great deal. I can afford to treat you to Minggu Tea House once. Come on, don't stand on ceremony."

"All right, then."

After giving it a little thought, Luo Dashan quickly agreed.

He had long heard of Minggu Tea House. Being able to sample it would be wonderful.

The two headed toward Minggu Tea House, but before they had taken more than a few steps, they heard urgent hoofbeats.

"Move aside! Move aside! Make way for this young master!"

At the other end of Great Passage Street.

The hoofbeats thundered closer.

A young man in embroidered green robes rode a Dark Cloud Treads Snow horse, galloping recklessly through Great Passage Street without the slightest regard for the pedestrians around him. He threw the entire street into an uproar, sending chickens flying and dogs leaping.

"Run!"

"He's here again!"

"Run!"

The street vendors packed up their stalls with astonishing speed and hurried their goods off to both sides.

In fewer than three breaths.

The street became open and clear.

One vendor saw Zhao Zhi and Luo Dashan still standing in the middle of the road and immediately cried out, "My lords, why aren't you leaving? The Little Overlord is coming!"

"The Little Overlord?"

Zhao Zhi raised his gaze slightly toward the young man racing past on horseback.

"The Little Overlord?" Luo Dashan froze for a moment, then quickly came back to himself. "Zhao Zhi, get out of the way! That's the Fan Family's Second Young Master, the notorious spoiled Little Overlord."

"The Fan Family's Second Young Master?"

Zhao Zhi's thoughts raced, and the scant information he knew about the Fan Family's Second Young Master surfaced in his mind.

At the same time.

He understood County Magistrate Lu Guangyi's intentions.

Lu Guangyi wanted him to clash with the Fan Family's Second Young Master, perhaps even with the entire Fan Family.

The Fan Family was one of Qingfeng County's local gentry, mainly dealing in cloth and silk.

The Fan Family's strength could not be underestimated. They had martial artists at the Innate Minor Achievement level. Furthermore, the Fan Family's Eldest Young Master was a renowned prodigy of Qingfeng County. He had entered the Innate Realm at a young age and left Qingfeng County two years ago to travel abroad.

There were rumors that the Fan Family's Eldest Young Master had latched onto a great figure outside the county, someone even County Magistrate Lu Guangyi feared.

That was precisely why, every time Lu Guangyi mobilized the local gentry and commoners to raise money for an attack on Flying Cloud Stronghold, the Fan Family directly refused.

Zhao Zhi watched as the Fan Family's Second Young Master drew nearer and nearer.

If he acted, he would fall into Lu Guangyi's scheme.

But if he did not act, Lu Guangyi would have other things to say. His supposed pleas for the people and enforcement of Heaven's justice would be nothing more than a show.

An open scheme?

Zhao Zhi curled his lips in a scoff.

So what?

He stepped forward and went directly to the middle of the road. One hand still rested on his constable's saber, and he lifted his chin slightly as he looked toward the Fan Family's Little Overlord.

"Zhao Zhi, don't!"

Seeing Zhao Zhi's action, Luo Dashan cried out.

"Get lost! Get out of this young master's way!"

Seeing someone blocking the middle of the road, Fan Zhenqi, the Fan Family's Second Young Master, raised his horsewhip and shouted.

Zhao Zhi stood where he was, his expression calm as he watched Fan Zhenqi without a trace of agitation.

"Get lost!"

Fan Zhenqi swung his horsewhip toward Zhao Zhi.

Zhao Zhi's eyes flashed like lightning, seeing the horsewhip clearly.

The instant the whip was about to strike, he raised his hand and effortlessly caught it. Then, with a turn of his inner qi and a burst of force from his hand, he yanked Fan Zhenqi into the air.

The fine horse continued charging forward.

Zhao Zhi's expression turned cold. His left hand came together in a palm, inner qi pouring into it like a raging flood. With a palm like an Arhat holding up the heavens, he struck Dark Cloud Treads Snow beneath the jaw.

Crack.

The instant the sound of breaking bone rang out, an incomparable, terrifying force burst forth, sending the charging horse flying. It flipped onto its back and crashed to the ground, blood spilling from its mouth as its whole body convulsed.

Bang.

At that moment, Fan Zhenqi fell from the air and slammed down beside the horse. The violent impact nearly shattered his bones and tore his tendons.

Fan Zhenqi screamed in agony.

"It hurts! It hurts! Who was it?"

Amid his ghostly wails and wolfish howls, Fan Zhenqi opened his eyes wide and looked toward Zhao Zhi in the middle of the road.

A blue constable's uniform.

A blue-clad constable had actually dared to attack him.

In his fury, Fan Zhenqi instead suppressed the searing pain in his body. He glanced at Dark Cloud Treads Snow, which was convulsing and vomiting blood beside him, and cried out, "Black Snow? Black Snow? What's wrong with you?"

He rose to his feet and glared at Zhao Zhi. "You dared to injure this young master's Black Snow. This young master will never let you off."

Zhao Zhi said coldly, "Riding recklessly through the streets, defying the law, threatening a constable, and showing no regard for the imperial court—you deserve severe punishment!"

Fan Zhenqi sneered. "Severe punishment? What the hell are you to dare speak of severely punishing this young master?"

Zhao Zhi said, "Qingfeng County constable, Zhao Zhi."