Go and capture those thirty-six fierce villains.

We were too far apart just now, and the lighting was also poor.

Qin Ning only realized now that Xu Meishan, who was so arrogant yesterday, slaughtering fifth-rank officials and pulling up radishes like a radish, had lost half of his right arm.

The cut was jagged and uneven, unlike the dark scab that forms after flesh and blood have congealed; it looked more like wood shavings.

Several cracks ran down his right cheek, across his neck, and into his chest, which was covered by clothing.

Coupled with the silly grin on the other person's face at that moment.

Qin Ning felt that the person in front of her did not look like a human, but rather like a mechanical puppet that had been smashed with a heavy hammer.

"Have you encountered a formidable enemy?"

"Heh, that's not something you should be asking. Come here... cough cough."

As Xu Meishan spoke, he coughed up a few more small parts from his mouth.

They've been smashed to pieces... Qin Ning stepped forward, secretly wondering if his injuries were so severe because he had encountered that Mo family leader.

"This is the antidote for the Golden Sand Pill. The pill was sealed in wax, so the poison is expected to take effect tomorrow or the day after. Remember, this antidote must be taken within fifteen minutes of the poison taking effect to be effective. Otherwise, the antidote itself will be highly poisonous to humans."

Xu Meishan tossed over a brocade box and continued to instruct, "From today onwards, you will be a fifth-rank Cold Cicada, stationed at the Sichen Guard garrison in Beian City. The Liangfeng Guards in the garrison will all be under your command, but you will only be under the direct jurisdiction of me and my godfather. Oh... and that meatball Li Siqin too."

If the first thing I do is start with Han Chan, then my starting point is Huang Mu's end point, and all the Liang Feng Guards in the garrison are under my command.

Qin Ning caught the brocade box, feeling surprised. Was this a bit too much power? What exactly did the other party want to do?

"Alright, that bald guy will explain the details to you. You can go now... cough!"

As Xu Meishan spoke, he coughed heavily and spat out a small, still-beating heart covered with gears and mechanisms.

...What exactly are you?!

Pretending not to see the thing on the ground, Qin Ning picked up the brocade box and quickly pushed open the door to leave.

Xu Meishan, who was on the verge of collapse, sat in a chair, looking puzzled, and muttered to himself.

"After going to such great lengths to recruit you, you've only given me a sinecure. Godfather... Meishan doesn't understand what you're trying to do anymore."

......

Upon exiting the room, Qin Ning saw the bald man waiting for her in the opposite corridor.

"Young Master Qin."

The bald man tried to smile kindly, but unfortunately, his "natural good looks" made his smile seem like he was hiding a knife.

He might draw his knife and overturn the table at any moment.

"I wouldn't dare. Lord Xu, please tell me the specifics."

Qin Ning noticed the seven withered leaves embroidered on the other person's clothes. Huang Mu had told him that this symbol represented "withered wood."

Although he was only a seventh-rank official, he was still considered a high-ranking figure in the Autumn Bureau.

"You're too kind, Lord Qin. You can just call me Old Ghost."

The bald man spoke in a friendly tone, without mentioning his name, secretly wondering who this handsome doctor was.

The entire prefecture issued inspection portraits, and the "Frostfall" lord from the capital specifically requested that he identify and take care of the person. Logically, this person's backing should be extremely powerful.

If one truly had the power to reach the heavens, how could they have been assigned to this turbulent city of Bei'an?

Moreover, his position was that of a low-ranking official in the local area.

Despite his doubts, the old ghost still dared not be negligent.

Qin Ning followed him to the front hall, where uniforms, waist tags, and other items that had been prepared in advance were placed, as well as a Sichenwei code of conduct manual that was half the thickness of a palm.

In addition, his subordinates were all waiting in the front hall.

Big eyes, small eyes, round eyes, flat eyes.

Two of them were the guards Qin Ning had seen before, and the remaining two looked exactly the same as the previous two, except for their eyes.

The twins became quadruplets.

A big question mark popped into Qin Ning's mind as he looked at the bald old man beside him.

"Lord Qin, as you know, most of the things we do in the Autumn Bureau are done in the dark... This post is just a facade. After all, we are an office directly under the royal family, so we need a place to do our work." The bald middle-aged man chuckled and continued, "So only these four brothers are assigned to guard this post. They usually take turns in pairs, but they are all here today because you are here."

Qin Ning: "..."

So, my job is just glamorous on the surface, and in reality I'm just a house looker?

Seeing Qin Ning's look, the bald old man quickly added, "We are a bit short-handed, but there's not much to do at the post on weekdays. At most, we receive some briefings from the capital, and if people from other government offices come, we handle their reception. But generally, no one wants to deal with us. Oh right, Lord Xu knew you were coming, so he specially assigned an extra person for you."

There were too many things to complain about, and Qin Ning didn't know where to begin.

He nodded expressionlessly, exchanged a few words with his four subordinates, whose eyes were quite different, and then dismissed them.

Old Ghost said he had other things to do, then turned and disappeared into the room Qin Ning had come out of earlier.

What exactly are Physician Yang and his group up to?

Qin Ning casually found a wooden chair and sat down, the phrase echoing in her mind.

After thinking for a long time without figuring it out, he got up and walked towards the door.

......

The main gate of the Sichenwei garrison.

Qin Ning stared at the large, gold-lettered characters on the black plaque and the extremely conspicuous tall gatehouse, and fell silent once again.

The Sichen Guard's Autumn Office is responsible for monitoring all officials, encompassing the martial arts world, the imperial court, and even enemy states. People in this organization value secrecy above all else.

After all, if everyone knows about it, then trying to use stealth and assassination is just pure nonsense.

Of course, people like Hu Guang are an exception.

Letting him stay at the post now would be as conspicuous as a drop of ink falling on a blank sheet of paper.

Will this allow us to access the secrets of Sichen Guard?

How could he possibly be the second-in-command of the Prince Su's mansion... cough, his excellent spy if he couldn't get access to the secrets of the Sichen Guard!

If he can't become a good spy and loses his value, how will he seek help from Prince Su's mansion when Physician Yang finally reveals his true colors?

No, I might have to take some initiative.

Qin Ning pondered for a moment, then turned around and saw Huang Mu with a bitter expression, carrying a small package, walking towards them from a distance.

What is he doing here...?

"You jumped into a well and searched for a way when you came here, how come you're showing up here openly now? Don't you want to work here anymore?" Qin Ning said sarcastically.

Huang Mu smiled wryly: "Lord Qin, from now on I will have to make a living under your command."

"What do you mean?"

"I've just been informed that I've been relieved of my covert spy identity and will be working at this base from now on..."

After some questioning, Qin Ning learned that the other party had been demoted to this place because he had fallen into a deep sleep for 24 hours after treating the prince and had not been able to convey the news of his becoming a retainer of the prince's mansion in time.

It even went from being classified as a third-class cool breeze to a fourth-class one.

"...Our autumn heat really does have a clear system of rewards and punishments."

"Who can argue with that?"

Huang Mu bowed, then stepped through the gate with a mournful face, carrying a small bundle on his back as he walked inside, looking quite miserable.

Although being a spy is dangerous, it's lucrative and has a high potential for advancement. In contrast, the guards stationed at the Sichen Guard's garrison receive a fixed monthly salary of two taels of silver, with absolutely no opportunities for advancement.

This amount of money sounds like a lot, but that's for ordinary families. For those of them who have embarked on the path of cultivation, two taels of silver isn't even enough to buy themselves a good weapon.

Huang Mu is very sad now. Not only was he demoted, but he was also assigned to a place with little to no lucrative opportunities. And to make matters worse, his boss was someone he had previously reported...

He turned to look at the little beast on his shoulder: "Uncle Huang, do you think I should go and pray recently? Why am I so unlucky?"

......

I don't know Huang Mu's inner journey.

After leaving the Sichen Guard's garrison, Qin Ning headed straight for the Mo Family's Tiangong Tower in the south of the city.

At the same time, he was thinking to himself:

"I didn't dare refine the Golden Sand Pill yesterday because I was afraid of being inspected by that guy surnamed Xu. Today I can try it and see if the pill is strong enough."