She turned her head and looked at the man.

The man, without glancing away, said: "You shouldn't have exposed me."

...............

Inside the county government courtyard.

Jiang Shangli walked back into the courtyard, his head drooping like a wilting plant, his neck sagging meekly.

A servant hurriedly helped him remove his outer robe and said:

"County Magistrate, what happened to you..."

"Drained from handling big shots." Jiang Shangli sighed heavily.

He had just met with some important figures at Xique Pavilion, and the sheer pressure of their presence made him feel as though half his lifespan had been shaved off.

Their leader, newly appointed, appeared gentle and refined but wielded words like knives, cutting straight into the lifeblood of Shantong City with razor-sharp precision.

As for the rest, Jiang Shangli barely dared to glance at them. Yet, the woman guarded by the spies from Xique Pavilion, a Miss Donggong, left quite an impression on him.

"County Magistrate Jiang, this order comes directly from Xique Pavilion. We answer only to the palace. Whether you are reassigned or exiled depends on just a single word." The new leader declared.

"I would not dare shirk my duties, but the county office has no funds. We're critically understaffed, and even border security has no budget left. We lack manpower, and assisting you in locating someone would be almost impossible." Jiang Shangli paused and added: "Honored Leader, I am already putting forth my utmost effort—digging three feet into the ground if needed. If I applied such determination elsewhere, I could even find my mother, who died amidst the chaos of war years ago."

He still remembered Miss Donggong's remark at that moment: "Finding your mother today wouldn't be easy."

Inside the courtyard, a servant quickly approached, hurriedly handing him a towel.

Jiang Shangli took the towel to wipe his neck, soaking up sweat and muttering, "More water than the Oiran at Moon Viewing Tower."

Sitting down for only a moment, someone came to report that Qin Tu had arrived.

Jiang Shangli perked up. Shantong City had recently become a den of intrigue. With so many unresolved matters pressing on him, he dared not rest even for a moment.

Qin Tu jogged through the gate and called out, "Magistrate..."

"Sit, sit—it's just us here." Jiang Shangli gestured to a chair.

Qin Tu pulled over a chair and sat down.

Jiang Shangli took a closer look at him, seeing no injuries, and asked, "How did the mission go? Was it manageable?"

Qin Tu replied enthusiastically, "Not bad. I crossed a couple of moves with him."

"Then I suppose he's not particularly skilled. Details?"

"I tested him; he's not from Taihua Mountain. He's a martial artist." Qin Tu paused. "But I couldn't figure out which sect. He asked me a lot of questions."

Jiang Shangli nodded and said, "What kind of questions?"

"About Chongyang Sword Pond."

"Doesn't seem to have anything to do with the Lonely Smoke Sword," Jiang Shangli paused briefly and added, "Nor with the spies in the city."

"Can't say for sure. Isn't the Lonely Smoke Sword supposed to head to the Sword Pool for study? If not for that, why would enemies be hunting him down?"

Recalling tales from Jianghu, Jiang Shangli sighed and said:

"A gift of rice creates gratitude; a bushel brings enmity."

It was said that Lonely Smoke Sword traveled the world, visiting top martial sects, and at the summit of Kunlun Peak, inadvertently conceived a move known as the Kunlun Broken Sword. As the stroke was comprehended during Kunlun's cloud-viewing rituals, it was named accordingly and gifted to the Kunlun Sect Leader.

But as it was incomplete, flawed, and dangerous, the Kunlun Sect Leader shelved it within the Scripture Pavilion. Years later, however, the leader's son grew fascinated with the technique, traveling thousands of miles to seek out Lonely Smoke Sword. The latter, moved by the son's sincerity, imparted the complete version of the move.

What was once a celebrated moment in Jianghu turned sour when the son eventually became Sect Leader but failed to advance his martial arts past a bottleneck. In the name of the sect, he demanded that Lonely Smoke Sword relinquish his sword manual!

When denied, he rallied Lonely Smoke Sword's enemies to hunt him down, ultimately cornering him within Shantong City.

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Shangli returned to the immediate issue:

"What is the Daoist's name?"

"Don't know." Qin Tu replied earnestly.

Jiang Shangli mulled the thought briefly and asked, "What moves did he use?"

Qin Tu strained to recall and said, "It's hard to describe exactly. I went to claw him, and he landed a punch straight into my stomach."

Jiang Shangli couldn't picture the specifics.

Knowing Qin Tu's simple-mindedness, he figured there wasn't much to be gained by asking further. Anyone able to spar against Qin Tu was unlikely to be truly formidable.

Still, out of caution, he asked: "What were you doing when he punched you?"

He stretched his legs in a relaxed posture.

"I was gathering my breath. He's just lucky—the punch landed right as I was about to strike again." Qin Tu gestured with his hands. "Just a bit further, and I would've countered."

Jiang Shangli raised his head slightly, suspicious, and asked, "How many moments? Precisely how many?"

"Maybe half a moment..."

"And then what?"

"Then he knocked me down. When I tried to get up and fight back, his sword happened to be at my throat."

"Where was his foot?"

Qin Tu gestured, pressing his chest and abdomen, and said, "Here."

"You call that 'exchanging moves'?" Jiang Shangli suddenly straightened up.

"...I counted—they came to at least three moves..." Qin Tu mumbled sheepishly but patted his chest nonetheless and said, "He's just lucky."

Jiang Shangli pressed his hand to his face, speechless. Eventually, he could only shake his head.

He said irritably, "He's an expert—you nearly tricked me into thinking otherwise."

Embarrassed, Qin Tu tried to defend himself: "Honestly, doesn't seem like much—if he were truly an expert, I would've been downed in just one move."

"Do you suggest I send someone else to test him?"

"Indeed, indeed. I doubt he's anything special. Does Magistrate have someone in mind? Or will you tackle him personally?"

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