County Office.

Li Mingqi expressionlessly fiddled with a cyan ring in his hand. Chen Yuan sat opposite him, his face calm. The atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

After imprisoning the Liu siblings, Chen Yuan immediately went to see Li Mingqi, recounting the events in detail, not even having time to eat.

Liu Changzhi had mentioned being on good terms with the Huang family, a family with at least a Bone Refinement expert overseeing them, not to be underestimated.

Of course, if it were just a Bone Refinement power, Chen Yuan wouldn't be afraid. But what if a Qi Condensation expert was in charge? Chen Yuan didn't want to gamble, so the best course of action was to report to Li Mingqi.

Chen Yuan was confident that Li Mingqi would protect him and support him because the Huang family incident had already caused Li Mingqi significant losses and a drop in reputation.

If he didn't protect the new Head Constable, Chen Yuan, he would truly have no authority in Ping'an County.

Of course, this was predicated on Li Mingqi being able to handle the Liu family's strength.

"Liu Shuanghe..."

Li Mingqi murmured.

"My Lord, what about the Liu family's strength?" Chen Yuan asked softly, his eyes flickering.

"If it were two years ago, the Liu family wouldn't be much, only on par with the Huang family. But Liu Shuanghe has a good son who entered the Qingyun Sword Sect to cultivate, and is said to have great talent, greatly increasing the Liu family's reputation. Just a year ago, Liu Shuanghe advanced to the Qi Condensation Realm, inviting experts from surrounding counties to celebrate, his power unmatched for a time."

Li Mingqi said in a deep voice.

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes, his gaze shifting slightly, and said softly:

"In that case, should the Liu siblings be... released?"

Although he was reluctant, if the Liu family's power was truly that great, then there was nothing he could do. Of course, that was assuming Li Mingqi could protect him. Otherwise, Chen Yuan would kill the Liu siblings first and then leave Ping'an County alone.

No matter what, he definitely wouldn't wait to die; that wasn't his style!

"What, are you scared now?" Li Mingqi snorted lightly.

"I thought you were truly rampant and fearless."

"This subordinate wouldn't dare. Such toughness is a last resort. This subordinate is only at the Blood Refinement Realm, not particularly strong, and even less so in public. Otherwise, some disgusting fellows might jump out."

"At that time, not only will this subordinate be in trouble, but you, My Lord, will probably lose face as well."

Chen Yuan's words were cleverly phrased, implying that they were in the same boat, sharing glory and loss. Chen Yuan represented Li Mingqi's honor.

"Slick tongue."

Li Mingqi snorted dismissively and said faintly:

"It seems you're lucky. Liu Shuanghe's eldest son has been missing for over three months, his whereabouts still unknown. Otherwise, even this official couldn't protect you. The Qingyun Sword Sect is one of the top powers in Qingzhou..."

"When a man dies, his lamp goes out. With the death of Liu's eldest son, the Qingyun Sword Sect will no longer support the Liu family. A mere Liu Shuanghe can't turn the world upside down in front of this official."

After Li Mingqi finished speaking, Chen Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

His luck was indeed good. The Liu family's backing was gone, and Li Mingqi wouldn't agree to be pressured.

Moreover, Chen Yuan suddenly realized that the Liu family's power surge must have touched the interests of many forces. Now... perhaps the Liu family simply can't afford to deal with him.

"With My Lord here, this subordinate is naturally safe and worry-free!"

Chen Yuan said with some respect in his tone.

"Alright, you don't need to worry about the Liu family's affairs. Now, the most important thing for you is to absorb the power of the North Sea Gang, and you must also diligently investigate the traces of the Eternal Life Church's rebels."

"My Lord, rest assured, the North Sea Gang will be settled before tomorrow!"

Chen Yuan said firmly.

Li Mingqi had withstood the threat from the Liu family for him, so he also had to show his value at the appropriate time.

A valuable person is one who is valued.

Li Mingqi glanced at Chen Yuan and said:

"Good."

"This subordinate takes his leave!"

...

...

Constabulary.

"Brother Yuan."

Seeing Chen Yuan enter, Wang Ping stepped forward to greet him.

"Are the Liu siblings securely detained?"

"They are both tightly bound with chains, impossible to escape. Brother Yuan can rest assured."

Wang Ping grinned.

"Have you found some entertainment for her?"

"Does Brother Yuan want to go see?" Wang Ping asked in return.

"No, I have other things to do. Also, slowly cripple Liu Changzhi." Chen Yuan instructed.

Although it was Liu Ruoqing who offended him, Liu Changzhi was clearly used to being high and mighty. Since the grudge had already been formed, there was no need to worry about anything else.

"Brother Yuan can rest assured..." Wang Ping's eyes flashed with shrewdness.

Improving strength and cultivation was beyond the skills of the constables, but slowly crippling someone was something they were very good at.

"Also, summon all the constables in the county office, everyone armed with a saber!"

Chen Yuan gazed at him.

"Are we going to...?" Wang Ping was stunned, not understanding why he was summoning the constables now.

It was already almost You time (5-7 PM), the sun was setting, and the sky was about to darken. Could there be some mission?

"You've been busy all day without a good meal. This official will take you to eat something good..."

Chen Yuan smiled.

Wang Ping was full of questions, but he didn't ask them. He immediately gathered all the personnel in the county office. Nineteen constables, thirty commoners, and including himself, a total of fifty people.

This was all the power Chen Yuan could gather in the shortest amount of time. The other constables and commoners were either still patrolling or stationed outside.

Wang Ping was Chen Yuan's confidant, which everyone in the constabulary knew, so no one dared to disobey. They might have opinions, but no one wanted to be the first to speak out.

After all, Wu Yushan, who had set a precedent, was still recovering from his injuries.

"My Lord, all the constables of the constabulary are here."

Wang Ping cupped his fist in salute.

Chen Yuan looked them up and down and nodded:

"This constable has found some traces of the Eternal Life Church's rebels, within the North Sea Gang. County Commandant has ordered a thorough investigation!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

...

...

North of the city, the North Sea Gang's headquarters.

Gang Leader Zhu Siha sat at the head of the table, listening to his gang members report on the conflict between Chen Yuan and the Liu siblings today. His brows furrowed, his fleshy face looking somewhat fierce.

He played with two iron balls in his hand and said softly:

"It seems that this Head Constable Chen is a truly impartial character, arresting the Liu family members and crippling them as he pleases..."

A skinny man beside him with a noticeable scar on his eye scratched his chin:

"It's hard to figure out this kid's intentions for now."

Zhu Siha glanced at him:

"Who would have thought that an unknown fellow would become the head constable of the constabulary and gain the appreciation of County Commandant Li Mingqi."

"Gang Leader, should we send an invitation to test this guy's waters first?"

---

Thanks to Liu Zun for the 500 coins of support.