Wait

"Zhao Zhi?"

Fan Zhenqi found the name somewhat familiar.

He looked again at Zhao Zhi's blue constable uniform and suddenly recalled his identity.

Wasn't this the blue-uniformed constable Zhao Zhi who had forced the Gray Snake Gang to disband recently, winning the people's praise and gratitude?

"So it was you."

Fan Zhenqi curled his lips, revealing a contemptuous smile.

"Do you really think that making one tiny Gray Snake Gang disband means you can hold everyone beneath your gaze?

"The Gray Snake Gang is nothing but chickens and dogs made of clay before my Fan Family.

Now kneel at once and beg this young master for mercy. This young master may yet spare you. Otherwise, I'll let you learn the might of the Fan Family."

Luo Dashan's face went slightly pale at those words.

The Fan Family.

They were one of Qingfeng County's prominent gentry lineages, their strength far beyond that of a small gang like the Gray Snake Gang.

Zhao Zhi looked at Fan Zhenqi, his eyes carrying the look one gave a fool.

Couldn't he tell the difference in strength between them from what had just happened?

The Fan Family was indeed formidable, but before him stood only Fan Zhenqi, a wastrel who had merely used all manner of medicinal herbs to step into the Postnatal Initiation realm.

If Zhao Zhi wanted to kill him, it would take no more than the flick of a finger.

Yet this fellow was foolish enough to provoke Zhao Zhi with his words.

"Fool."

Zhao Zhi muttered. A sharp glint burst from his eyes as the five fingers of his left hand curled into an eagle claw and shot out, clamping down on Fan Zhenqi's shoulder.

His inner energy surged forth.

Fan Zhenqi's shoulder bone shattered instantly. The searing pain was like an iron hammer crashing down upon his nerves, and he immediately let out an exaggerated, shrill scream.

"Ah..."

"My arm, my arm..."

Zhao Zhi's expression remained unchanged despite Fan Zhenqi's screams. With a shift of his left hand, he struck Fan Zhenqi's other shoulder.

Crack.

That shoulder shattered as well.

Fan Zhenqi cried out miserably and dropped to his knees, both arms hanging limp.

After several cries,

he fainted outright and collapsed onto the ground.

"Zhao Zhi." Luo Dashan's expression changed again and again as he looked at the unconscious Fan Zhenqi. "He's Fan Zhenqi, the Fan Family's second young master."

"I know," Zhao Zhi replied calmly.

Luo Dashan's eyes widened. "You knew, and you still attacked him?"

Zhao Zhi tilted his head slightly and looked at Luo Dashan. "Riding roughshod through the streets and threatening a head constable are enough to throw him into prison. I merely broke both his arms. That already counts as leniency. Oh, go prepare a rope for me."

"A rope?" Luo Dashan froze. Why had he suddenly mentioned a rope? Perplexed, he asked, "What do you want a rope for?"

Zhao Zhi glanced at the unconscious Fan Zhenqi. "The Fan Family's second young master dared to gallop through the streets and attack a constable because he relied on the Fan Family's influence. With him in this state, the Fan Family will learn of it very soon. We'll wait here for them to come."

"Ah? Wait for the Fan Family?"

Luo Dashan was dumbfounded.

Wait for the Fan Family?

That was the Fan Family, not the Gray Snake Gang.

"Mm." Zhao Zhi nodded. Seeing Luo Dashan's expression, he said, "Brother Luo, you can go back first. I can handle this alone."

Luo Dashan fell silent, lowering his head slightly as his expression shifted between light and dark.

The Fan Family?

To him, they were an insurmountable mountain, utterly beyond the power of a mere blue-uniformed constable like himself.

But if he abandoned Zhao Zhi and left just like this, could he still call himself a constable?

Luo Dashan gritted his teeth and made up his mind. "Zhao Zhi, I'm staying."

Zhao Zhi smiled. "Brother Luo, then let's tie this Fan Zhenqi to the entrance of Minggu Tea House first. After that, we'll go in for a cup of tea and wait for the Fan Family to arrive."

"Alright."

Luo Dashan nodded.

Things had already come to this. There was no need to fear anything else.

The two found some hemp rope and tied the unconscious Fan Family second young master, Fan Zhenqi, to the entrance of Minggu Tea House. They left the severely injured fine horse lying on the ground, twitching, then walked into Minggu Tea House under countless watchful eyes.

On Great Passage Street,

vendors and ordinary townsfolk looked from the twitching horse to the bound Fan Zhenqi, their faces filled with disbelief.

Fan Zhenqi, that Little Overlord, had been tied up.

Such a thing had never happened before.

Even when Constable Chief Chen patrolled the streets, he would see the Little Overlord Fan Zhenqi galloping recklessly down Great Passage Street without restraint. Yet now, he had been bound by a mere blue-uniformed constable.

Blue-uniformed Constable Zhao Zhi?

The rumors were true.

Not far away, on the second floor of a restaurant,

Constable Chief Chen Qingzhi raised his wine cup and drank at an unhurried pace. Light flickered in his dark eyes as he glanced at Zhao Zhi entering Minggu Tea House, then shifted his gaze to Dark Cloud Treads Snow, which lay unable to rise.

Dark Cloud Treads Snow was an exceptional steed.

The impact generated by its full-speed charge was not something just anyone could defuse, much less casually and cleanly send Dark Cloud Treads Snow flipping onto its back with a single palm strike.

Even Chen Qingzhi would have needed to employ some means to achieve that.

Zhao Zhi was far stronger than expected.

However.

That was all.

By severely injuring the Fan Family's Little Overlord in public, he had completely offended the Fan Family.

The Fan Family would definitely come.

Chen Qingzhi set down his wine cup and waited quietly.

Time flowed on, and in the blink of an eye, nearly half an hour had passed.

Inside Minggu Tea House,

Zhao Zhi and Luo Dashan drank tea and ate delicate little pastries like refined scholars.

"Brother Luo." Zhao Zhi lowered his voice. "Can you taste what is special about this Cloudclear Tea?"

Luo Dashan pondered for a moment, then gently shook his head. "I can't taste it. A pot costs three taels, yet it isn't even as good as the Yellow-Skin Wine at Wang Family Tavern."

Zhao Zhi smiled. "Indeed, it is inferior to the Yellow-Skin Wine at Wang Family Tavern."

"These pastries taste good." Luo Dashan picked up an exquisite mung bean cake and bit into it viciously, as if he wanted to eat the money straight into his stomach. "It's a pity they're too expensive. A plate of mung bean cakes costs five large coins. Five large coins could feed my family for several days."

"Then eat more, Brother Luo. We mustn't waste it. In a while, we may not get the chance to eat anymore."

After saying that, Zhao Zhi turned his head and looked beyond Minggu Tea House.

Luo Dashan looked outside as well, worry threading through his expression. "Zhao Zhi."

"Don't worry."

Zhao Zhi's tone was calm.

Great Passage Street outside Minggu Tea House was quiet and open.

The formerly bustling street now held not a single vendor or commoner. From time to time, pairs of eyes could be seen peering out from the shops on either side, all watching Minggu Tea House in secret.

A large group hurried toward Minggu Tea House. From their clothing alone, it was clear that they were either wealthy or noble.

When Fan Youquan arrived outside Minggu Tea House, he spotted Fan Zhenqi at once, bound to a pillar and unconscious. He immediately shouted, "Hurry up and untie the second young master!"