Liu Bai heard a tremendous commotion behind him and cast a glance over his shoulder. Panic instantly caused his pupils to contract.
Damn it!
How is this guy this fast?
He looked ahead at the two White-Clad Guards who were busy buying swamp eels, and shouted angrily, "Zhang Shan, Huang Huihua, the two of you, stop him!"
Zhang Shan and Huang Huihua both shrank their necks. Are you kidding us? Even you are no match for him—he is chasing and beating you without using any spiritual power at all. If we go up there, wouldn't we just be walking to our deaths?
Who in their right mind would go?
Lu Ming glanced at the two White-Clad Guards pretending nothing was amiss, lamenting that Liu Bai's nature hadn't changed at all after all these years. His popularity was outrageously poor, with not even his colleagues willing to rescue him. Ignoring them, he gripped the Black Iron Staff tightly and continued to pursue Liu Bai.
...
Not far ahead.
Chief Duan of the Xuanming Bureau received an urgent notification. Special Envoy Tang, who had previously changed his plans and stated he would not be visiting the Xuanming Bureau due to important matters, had suddenly changed his plans once again and was coming after all.
This left Chief Duan, who had just permitted his subordinates to leave, completely numb.
What on earth was going on here?
News had come from the Prefect's Mansion last night that Lord Tang, a special envoy from the Immortal Alliance, would come today to inspect the bureau.
Everything had been prepared: the case files were complete, the actors were in place, and it was guaranteed that the moment Lord Tang arrived, he would see the colleagues of the Xuanming Bureau hard at work.
Yet at noon, another message arrived saying Lord Tang had left the Prefect's Mansion and apparently wasn't coming anymore.
Being a cautious man, Chief Duan had made everyone—except those sent out to investigate cases—continue their performance to guard against a sudden surprise inspection.
Only when the off-duty hour arrived did he finally breathe a sigh of relief, figuring things were safe. He then told his subordinates to go off duty or rest as appropriate.
As a result, news suddenly came from the Prefect's Mansion that Lord Tang was coming after all!
Chief Duan was utterly dumbfounded. The actors—bah, his subordinates had nearly all left, and most of them simply couldn't be called back now.
If he hadn't heard that Lord Tang came from the Immortal Alliance and held a lofty status, Chief Duan would have cursed out loud on the spot.
They didn't even understand basic surface-level decorum—such reckless blockheads!
There was no help for it; a higher official crushes you by rank alone, let alone when the gap in status was this vast.
Flustered and hurried, Chief Duan could only call back the people who hadn't yet managed to leave, telling them to resume their positions and put on a show for Lord Tang.
Though the headcount fell far short, it barely passed muster.
Standing at the entrance wiping away cold sweat and craning his neck in eager anticipation, Chief Duan suddenly heard intense explosions and spiritual fluctuations erupting in the distance.
Bang! Bang! Bang...
The sounds were continuous and rapidly approaching.
With a displeased expression, Chief Duan raised his head and looked toward that direction. Who was being so tactless, deliberately making trouble for him at this critical juncture?
Yet the moment he looked toward the source of the noise, Chief Duan's eyes split with fury in an instant.
In broad daylight under the clear sky, a criminal was actually chasing and attempting to murder a Silver-Clad Guard of his Xuanming Bureau right out on the street?
If Lord Tang were to see this, what would become of him? At the very least, his position as chief would definitely be gone.
Filled with violent rage, Chief Duan surged into the air and swept forward: "You villain, how dare you commit murder in broad daylight?"
Although he also found Liu Bai extremely detestable, whether considering the Liu Family behind Liu Bai or his own official career, today this person had to be protected.
At the same time, a trace of doubt surfaced in his eyes: How could Liu Bai, whose strength within the Xuanming Bureau was second only to his own, end up being chased down and beaten by someone who looked sickly?
"Lord Duan, save me!"
Liu Bai also spotted Chief Duan standing at the entrance of the Xuanming Bureau. He immediately flung his arms wide and screamed at the top of his lungs, seeing hope.
Pity that he was ultimately a step too slow.
Lu Ming noticed someone stepping in to intercept. Just as Chief Duan made his move, Lu Ming was only ten Zhang away from Liu Bai. He immediately gripped the Black Iron Staff in his hand and hurled it forward with all his might like a javelin.
"Go!"
The Black Iron Staff shot forth like a black flash of lightning, reaching Liu Bai's feet in the blink of an eye and brushing heavily past his right leg.
Crack!
Bone snapped with a crisp sound.
The Black Iron Staff retained its momentum, driving with a thud straight into the bluestone pavement, its slanted angle precisely pinning Liu Bai's broken right leg underneath it.
Liu Bai instantly lurched forward, crashing flat onto the ground with his right leg completely immobilized.
A pool of fresh blood trickled down the Black Iron Staff, spreading into a crimson blotch across the bluestone street.
"Ah—"
Liu Bai's heart-rending, blood-curdling screams echoed up and down the entire avenue.
Chief Duan went black before the eyes.
It was over.
Things had blown up.
If Special Envoy Tang were to see this, wouldn't he feel that he was utterly unfit to serve as the chief of the Xuanming Bureau in Nuanfeng City? If he couldn't even protect his own subordinates, how could he speak of protecting the common people?
"You little scoundrel, forfeit your life." In the grip of fierce anger, Chief Duan drew a curved saber from his waist.
The precious blade gleamed brightly as if emerald bamboo shadows were shifting gently, and a rustling sound arose along the long street, resembling fallen bamboo leaves in a forest.
This was his magic weapon—the Bamboo-Drinking Saber!
With a single slash, saber Qi swept across dozens of Zhang, and Chief Duan rushed furiously toward the scene of the crime.
His future official career depended entirely upon this day.
Lu Ming landed lightly on the ground, raising his head to look at the incoming saber Qi that tore through the air.
The spiritual power in the air was affected by it, transforming into countless blue-yellow bamboo leaves that fluttered down from the sky, filling half the street. The bamboo leaves were fierce and sharp as blades, sweeping onward accompanied by the saber Qi of the Bamboo-Drinking Saber.
A magic weapon?
Moreover, his cultivation had already reached the peak of the Second Realm—the Xuanguan Realm—leaving him just a step away from entering the Third Realm—the Chaoyuan Realm as a Qi Refiner?
Nuanfeng City was not small, bordering the royal capital of the Peony Kingdom, so it was only natural for the chief of the Xuanming Bureau here to possess such strength.
However, since he could not use spiritual power, dealing with this person might prove somewhat troublesome.
The saber Qi came rushing like an avalanche with a rumbling roar.
Lu Ming frowned and reached out to pull up the Black Iron Staff planted in the ground, preparing to intercept the saber Qi hurtling toward him.
Just as the saber Qi was a mere ten Zhang away from Lu Ming, a startled and furious roar suddenly erupted from behind him.
"Duan Cangyu, halt!"
A cyan spiritual hand print measuring over ten Zhang in size was slammed from behind Lu Ming, colliding with Chief Duan's saber Qi with a loud crash.
Boom.
The saber Qi scattered, the giant palm shattered, and the rumbling explosion of colliding forces shook the area for miles. The spiritual power bursting in the air gradually dissipated as the forces intertwined, clearly demonstrating a matched contest of strength.
Lu Ming turned his head in puzzlement to look back.
Who was it?
A figure was seen rapidly speeding over—it was none other than Tuoba Yi, the Chief Clerk of the Immortal Records Office. Dropping down from the air, his gaze immediately locked onto Lu Ming, and he let out a sigh of relief upon seeing that Lu Ming was safe and sound.
Only then did he notice Liu Bai howling on the ground.
Seeing Liu Bai clutching his leg and screaming frantically, Tuoba Yi's eyelids twitched violently a few times.
How could he possibly not recognize Liu Bai?
As the Chief Clerk of the Immortal Records Office, he remembered every single one of the seventeen people from Nuanfeng City who had gone to participate in the Tianqi Great War.
Although he didn't know why Lu Ming had come and beaten Liu Bai into such a state, Lu Ming possessed the Canglan Token and absolutely must not come to any harm—at least not on his watch.
At this moment, because Lu Ming had pulled out the Black Iron Staff, Liu Bai's broken right leg was freed from the suppression, and he immediately scrambled toward Chief Duan, crying out, "Lord Duan, save me! Please save me!"
Chief Duan hurried down beside Liu Bai, tightly gripping the Bamboo-Drinking Saber. With a gloomy expression, he glared at Tuoba Yi and pointed accusingly at Lu Ming, demanding in displeasure:
"Tuoba Yi, what is the meaning of this? Are you trying to protect this violent bandit?"