Peaceful County, County Office.

Chen Yuan groggily awoke, smelling a hint of alcohol. His stomach felt uneasy, with stomach acid churning.

"I... wasn't I washing my feet? Why do I smell of alcohol?"

As everyone knows, after drinking alcohol, one shouldn't...

And today was the day Chen Yuan's favorite number eighty-eight was returning to her hometown for a blind date.

Chen Yuan had barely managed to squeeze out some time to bid farewell to number eighty-eight.

Time breeds affection; they had developed some "intimacy" over time.

Chen Yuan focused his gaze and glanced around, somewhat astonished.

Simple wooden tables and chairs, slightly yellowed pillars, and a cyan quilt covering him.

"Where... where is this?"

Chen Yuan stood up and rushed to the water tank, then froze in place.

Reflected in the water was a human face: thick sword-like eyebrows, a high, straight nose, deep pupils, and a resolute face.

But, this wasn't him!

"I... I've transmigrated?"

Just as Chen Yuan was questioning his life, a tidal wave of memories surged in, entered his brain, and rapidly flowed.

Chen Yuan, a yamen runner in Peaceful County, Nanling Prefecture, Qing Province, Great Jin Dynasty, earning less than two taels of silver per month.

His parents had died of illness in his early years and he was raised by his eldest uncle. Later, his uncle also fell seriously ill. Unable to rest easy about him, he used connections and spent money to get him into the yamen.

Thinking of this, Chen Yuan felt a sense of relief. He was now unburdened and alone.

Most importantly, those who have lost both parents are usually not ordinary.

"System?"

After a long silence, Chen Yuan's tentative voice echoed in the room.

But unfortunately, the system didn't respond to him.

"Sign-in?"

Chen Yuan said again.

......

......

"No golden finger, what am I going to do..."

Inside the county office, Chen Yuan frowned.

For seven days, Chen Yuan had called out to the system countless times, but he had never received a response.

If it were an ordinary ancient world, it would be fine, but in these few days, Chen Yuan had learned that this was a transcendent world where martial arts reigned supreme.

In legends, there are strong individuals who can sever rivers with a single sword strike and shatter green mountains with a fist...

If his aptitude were exceptional, Chen Yuan wouldn't be so eager for a golden finger, but he tried to cultivate and discovered that his talent was terrible, just average.

He completely lacked the flair a transmigrator should have.

"Oh well, at least I have the identity of a yamen runner..." Chen Yuan sighed.

In a few days, Chen Yuan accepted reality. The golden finger did not favor him.

The only thing to be grateful for was that he wasn't starting in hell. He had the identity of a county yamen constable. No matter what, he wouldn't be impoverished. He just had to accept his ordinariness.

"Yuan-ge'er, the head constable is summoning us!"

Just as Chen Yuan was lost in thought, a young figure rushed in.

"What's wrong?" Chen Yuan immediately stood up, and with extreme speed, his hand touched the hilt of the knife at his waist, showing his extreme insecurity.

"Iron Hand's whereabouts have been found!"

Chen Yuan's eyes narrowed. The name "Iron Hand" had been mentioned frequently in his ears these past few days. A formidable expert at the Blood Refining stage of the Foundation Establishment realm, he had committed several murders in Peaceful County.

The county magistrate was furious and ordered Iron Hand to be captured and brought to justice within a time limit.

This had kept Chen Yuan from getting a good rest. But Iron Hand had disappeared as if he had vanished from the face of the earth. He never expected that they would actually find him now. No wonder Head Constable Huang Xing was so anxious to summon the yamen runners.

"Let's go!"

Chen Yuan dared not delay. If he messed up for the head constable at this time, he would inevitably suffer in the future, and the head constable had great power in Peaceful County.

It wasn't just his rank nine official status, but also his family background in the Huang family of Peaceful County.

Even the county magistrate and the county commandant had to take him seriously.

In order to capture Iron Hand, all the idle yamen runners in the county office were dispatched, a total of more than twenty, plus hundreds of temporary laborers, making for a considerable force.

Although Iron Hand was a Blood Refining stage martial artist, even Head Constable Huang, who was one level higher than him, was unwilling to easily take on his pair of iron hands.

As for Chen Yuan, he was just an ordinary Skin Refining stage runner, barely considered a martial artist.

"Chen Yuan, Wang Ping, you two take eight temporary laborers and guard North Street."

"Li..."

Huang Xing solemnly scanned the eight yamen runners and dozens of temporary laborers, and said in a low voice:

"No matter which direction Iron Hand escapes from, stop him at all costs! Anyone who dares to slack off and let Iron Hand escape, don't blame me for turning against you afterward!"

Huang Xing's tall figure gave everyone a sense of oppression.

"Yes, this subordinate obeys!"

Chen Yuan's voice joined the chorus.

After Huang Xing gave his instructions, he led a group of yamen runners to search house to house. Iron Hand's trail had last disappeared within these few thousand meters.

"Yuan-ge'er, I'm a little nervous."

Wang Ping, standing beside him, lowered his voice.

Although Chen Yuan was also very flustered, after all, it was the first time he had faced such a powerful Jianghu martial artist. It was rumored that Iron Hand had taken no less than ten lives in Peaceful County.

But on the surface, Chen Yuan still maintained a basic calmness:

"Don't panic. The head constable is a Bone Tempering expert, and with the assistance of the yamen runners, it won't be difficult to capture Iron Hand."

Wang Ping seemed to be infected by Chen Yuan's calmness and said softly:

"Yuan-ge'er, why do I feel like you've been a little different these past few days?"

Chen Yuan was startled, and the hairs on his body stood on end:

"Where am I different? I'm still the same as before."

"I can't say, I just feel... anyway, I feel different. You didn't even go to the brothel with us the other day."

"A true man should live with integrity, how can he be so depraved?"

"I..."

"There's movement!" Chen Yuan's whisper reached the ears of Wang Ping and several temporary laborers.

No sooner had Chen Yuan's words fallen than everyone heard several screams, followed by Head Constable Huang Xing's roar:

"Iron Hand, prepare to die!"

"Hmph, you bunch of yamen runners and constables think you can catch me? In your next life..."

"Quick, chase!"

Huang Xing's tone was somewhat shocked and angry.

"This can't be my bad luck, right..." Chen Yuan swallowed secretly and gripped the long saber tightly with both hands.

Then...

Chen Yuan saw a thin figure rushing towards him, followed closely by Head Constable Huang Xing.

"Stop him!" Huang Xing shouted.

Chen Yuan looked left and right. Several temporary laborers couldn't even hold their knives steady. Only Wang Ping and himself were standing in the middle of the road.

"Get out of the way!"

Iron Hand roared, his arms instantly turning blue as he grabbed towards Chen Yuan and Wang Ping.

"Kill!"

Wang Ping took the lead, his roar seemingly giving himself strength. He held his saber and was about to slash at the palm.

"Bang!"

The palm collided with the saber, and Wang Ping's saber instantly broke. He was sent flying by Iron Hand. Then, Iron Hand smiled coldly and rushed towards Chen Yuan, trying to grab his neck.

"Swish!"

In an instant, just as Wang Ping was knocked away, a handful of lime powder was thrown. Iron Hand covered his eyes, Chen Yuan thrust his saber forward, and Huang Xing arrived in time, hitting Iron Hand's back with a palm strike, causing him to stagger a few steps.

"Pfft."

The long saber pierced through his chest.

Chen Yuan's expression froze. A stream of cool air flowed from Iron Hand's corpse into his mind.

————

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