He was in the Ming Dynasty, and his adoptive father was Governor Cao.

That night, the second hall of the Pearl-Picking Office was brightly lit.

Cao Guangxian sat in the main seat and publicly discussed and rewarded those who had made contributions.

"In tonight's battle, we first exposed Thousand-Faced Fox's disguise, then ambushed and killed Lei Zhen, captured Zhuo Hanjiang alive, killed four leaders of varying ranks, beheaded sixty-three elite bandits, and seized seven intact sentry boats, along with a considerable amount of weapons and valuables. This is a rare and significant victory against the Angry Dragon Gang in recent years, severely dampening the bandits' arrogance. They deserve a generous reward!"

His clear voice echoed throughout the hall: "First merit goes to Xiao Ting, who uncovered the traitor, orchestrated the ambush, and acted decisively in battle. He is hereby awarded a box of the sixth-grade precious medicine [Ambergris Ointment] from the treasury, and an additional three hundred taels of silver."

"Thank you, Godfather!"

Xiao Ting stepped forward and bowed to accept the reward.

In the past, Xiao Ting would not have been present at such an occasion.

He's lucky if he doesn't cause trouble, so why would he get a reward?

Even if he were given something, it would be Cao Guangxian's personal property, not the treasury of the Pearl Collection Office.

But tonight, no one had any objection to this, especially the dungeon guards. They had witnessed him execute Gao Jie, identify the Thousand-Faced Fox, and uncover the bandits' plan to break into the prison. They had already changed their opinion of him and witnessed him leading the charge and killing the enemy fiercely in the final battle. Such a reward was only right and proper.

"Second merit, Zhao Jing! Timely delivery of the message led to the assassination of Lei Zhen, the second-in-command of the Angry Dragon Gang. He is rewarded with a pair of sixth-grade rare treasures, the Ice Silk Gloves, and an additional two hundred taels of silver."

"Thank you, Master."

Zhao Jing stepped forward, his expression respectful.

"Fan Xiping was rewarded for his meritorious service in protecting Zhuo Hanjiang and for accompanying him in the capture. He was also awarded a pot of top-quality Agarwood Spiritual Vein Wine and two hundred taels of silver."

"Thank you, Eunuch!"

Fan Xiping smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

Cao Guangxian then looked at Qian Fu and Sun Huai, whose expressions were somewhat unnatural, and said gently, "Qian Fu and Sun Huai, you two have also made contributions by intercepting and restraining Zhuo Hanjiang on the east side. You will each be rewarded with ten taels of gold."

He then looked at the eight head eunuchs: "You have all rendered meritorious service in the defense; each of you shall be rewarded with twenty taels of silver."

Finally, he said, "The remaining soldiers who participated in tonight's ambush and defense will all be credited with a merit and will receive a reward according to regulations!"

"Thank you for your kindness, Eunuch!"

The crowd below expressed their gratitude in unison, most of them with joy on their faces.

Sun Huai's expression softened slightly, and he stepped forward, saying, "Thank you for the reward, Master."

Qian Fu stood still, his expression shifting, before finally clasping his hands in a fist salute and saying stiffly, "I cannot accept credit for something I have not done! Master had already made arrangements for the encirclement; I was merely following orders and dare not claim any credit!"

After saying that, he turned and left.

"Third Senior Brother!"

Sun Huai called out and hurriedly said to Cao Guangxian, "Master, I'll go and persuade my third senior brother."

Seeing Cao Guangxian nod slightly, he quickly followed him out.

Cao Guangxian remained calm, seemingly unconcerned about Qian Fu's retort, and waved for everyone to disperse.

Once only Xiao Ting, Zhao Jing, and Fan Xiping remained in the hall, Cao Guangxian looked at Xiao Ting and said in a deep voice, "These next few days, you will stay in the Pearl-Collecting Office and do not go out easily."

Xiao Ting was taken aback: "Godfather, the Angry Dragon Gang suffered heavy losses tonight. Do they still dare to cause trouble in White Dragon City?"

That's why you can't go out.

Cao Guangxian shook his head and said solemnly, "Kill Huo Tianqing's youngest son first, then make him suffer heavy losses... Huo Tianqing and his two sons probably hate you to the bone now! And the Hidden Edge Tower, the matter of the sword technique concerns the inheritance, they will probably make a move too... It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark, so stay put. I heard from Zhao Jing that you are very good at handling cases, so I'll leave Zhuo Hanjiang to you."

"..."

Xiao Ting raised an eyebrow. What Cao Guangxian said was true, but he wasn't going to listen... Killing the young and then the old, this would never end! The Angry Dragon Gang also had the Shangshui Alliance behind it, and the Hidden Peak Tower might also have allied sects. How long would it take to kill them all?

Were they hiding in the Pearl-Picking Division all along?

Wanxiangsheng had already researched "beer," "black stockings," "rock and roll," and "online novels" hundreds of years ago... He really wanted to see how far things had developed to now.

Most importantly, he has already obtained the Thousand-Faced Fox's disguise technique, so why not just change his face?

Incidentally, let's take this opportunity to uncover the time bomb within the Pearl-Picking Division...

Of course, for now, all I could do was agree and honestly say, "Yes."

Cao Guangxian couldn't help but glance at him again, thinking to himself that something was wrong.

This kid doesn't seem like an honest person. He's become quite talkative lately, yet he hasn't tried to fight for anything. That's clearly suspicious...

Cao Guangxian felt a headache coming on. He hoped Fan Xiping would listen when he was disobedient, but now that he was obedient, he felt uneasy. He secretly gave Fan Xiping a meaningful look.

Fan Xiping was both amused and exasperated, but nodded without showing any emotion.

Cao Guangxian waved his hand, indicating that they could leave.

Xiao Ting walked out of the second hall with the [Ambergris Ointment] and three hundred taels of silver.

The night breeze was cool and carried the smell of the sea.

Zhao Jing followed behind, glanced at the medicinal materials, and took the initiative to say: "【Dragon Saliva Ointment】is made from the saliva of the mythical beast Dragon Saliva Shark. It is said to contain the essence of a dragon. It can be applied externally to strengthen bones and muscles and widen the meridians; it can also be taken internally. Its medicinal power is mild and mellow, and it can nourish the dantian and enhance one's internal strength."

Xiao Ting was taken aback. Aren't these common knowledge in Lingnan? They probably wanted him to know them...

Xiao Ting accepted the offer, clasped his hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you for the reminder."

Zhao Jing nodded and walked away.

Fan Xiping then stepped forward and whispered, "Sir, this Chief Inspector Zhao doesn't seem like the type to secretly collude with the Angry Dragon Gang. The traitor must be one of the remaining two..."

"Okay, let's keep an eye on it for now."

Xiao Ting gazed into the depths of the night: "We'll find out who it is tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Fan Xiping asked, puzzled.

……

In the eastern courtyard of the Pearl-Picking Office, there is a separate small courtyard room belonging to the eunuchs of the inner court.

The candlelight was dim, illuminating two faces with different expressions.

Qian Fu tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of wine, then slammed it onto the table with a bang.

"My master doesn't believe me!"

He lowered his voice, his whole body seething with resentment, and roared, "After all these years, he still doesn't believe me! All this time I've followed him, served him faithfully! If I'd known this would happen, why would I have bothered coming to this godforsaken place in Lingnan?!"

Sun Huai, sitting opposite him, remained relatively calm. Upon hearing this, he advised, "You can't say that. Master feels indebted to Xiao Ting, and the Xiao family... sigh. Recently, there have been one thing after another targeting him. It's only natural that Master would be suspicious and wary of those around him. As long as you and I do our duty, Master will naturally notice."

"You saw it?"

Qian Fu scoffed, "He only has eyes for that纨绔 (spoiled brat)! Didn't you notice? Before bestowing the reward, Master privately asked Xiao Ting what he needed! That [Dragon Saliva Ointment] was clearly given to him according to his needs! In the past, when we performed meritorious service, did we ever receive such an honor of 'asking before rewarding'? Master always bestowed it directly!"

Sun Huai shook his head with a wry smile and said, "Third Senior Brother, you're going too far. Every time Master bestowed something upon us, wasn't it something we desperately needed at the time? Have you forgotten? Back when you were cultivating the Blood Coagulation Divine Claw and got stuck at the 'Blood Coagulation and Qi Transformation' stage, you desperately needed rare and precious herbs to harmonize your blood and qi. Master later specially obtained the 'Crimson Blood Ginseng,' wasn't that a treasure of that kind? Master has always paid attention to our cultivation progress."

Qian Fu remained silent for a moment, then said coldly, "Times have changed! Now, Master is clearly making amends for his guilt towards Xiao Ting, showing favoritism in every way! We have followed Master for many years, risking our lives together, yet now we are being suppressed by a spoiled brat who has risen to power, and even tonight's important events have kept us in the dark, used as bait and pawns!"

He got angrier and angrier as he spoke, and took another swig of wine.

"He's not a spoiled brat anymore..."

Sun Huai sighed and frowned, saying, "It's strange, really. Xiao Ting's transformation is truly unbelievable! The guards in the dungeon say he not only mastered the 'Guicang One Blade,' but his skill is now on par with He Shan's! In just a few days, he's practically been reborn. Could it be that the Xiao family's bloodline, like the Nine Great Families, possesses some special quality?"

"The Xiao family bloodline?"

Qian Fu shook his head, his tone disdainful: "Xiao Yuan died at the age of thirty-five, stopping at the peak of the Innate Realm. Although he was a genius, he wasn't anything extraordinary. What special bloodline could he have? In my opinion, there are only two possibilities: either this kid is cunning and his past playboy behavior was all an act, and he had secretly learned the martial arts of the Hidden Edge Tower pirates, deliberately not learning what his master taught him, in order to disobey and anger him; or..."

He paused, a complex and enigmatic light flashing in his eyes: "That is 'enlightenment.' Just as history records, those who encountered great calamities, whose personalities changed drastically, and who awakened their extraordinary talents..."

Just as the two were talking, there was a gentle knock on the door of the side room.

Qian Fu and Sun Huai exchanged a glance, their expressions changing slightly. Who would come here at this hour?

Sun Huai stood up, walked to the door, and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"

A soft, feminine voice came from outside the door: "I apologize for my intrusion. I wonder if Eunuch Qian or Eunuch Sun would have the time to see you?"

Thank you for your understanding!

Qian Fu's face immediately darkened, and Sun Huai also frowned.

……