From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

Jiang Huan's palm strike came suddenly.

He was still saying "I'll learn from your skill, sir" when, before he finished speaking, his palm strike shot out like a dragon, aiming to catch Zhu Hong off guard and embarrass him in front of everyone.

Zhu Hong remained motionless.

He stood there, his gaze so calm that it was as if what was coming towards him was not a palm strike powerful enough to split a monument, but a gentle breeze.

The palm strike was getting closer and closer.

The force of the air surged, causing Zhu Hong's robes to flutter loudly.

Jiang Huan's face already showed a confident smile. This palm strike was so powerful that even a martial artist in the early stage of the Tendon Refining Realm would have his blood and qi surge if he took it head-on without any defense, let alone a lowly constable who had just started out.

Just as the palm strike barely touched Zhu Hong's clothes...

"Zheng—"

The sound of swords rang out, and the roar of dragons echoed.

A streak of dark light burst forth from Zhu Hong's waist, moving with incredible speed.

There were no fancy moves, just the simplest slash, yet it was incredibly fast. So fast that before Jiang Huan's palm strike could even touch Zhu Hong's chest, the dark blade was already pressed against his neck.

The cold blade pressed tightly against the flesh.

Jiang Huan froze.

His palm hovered in mid-air, only an inch away from Zhu Hong's chest, but he could not advance any further.

The entire main hall fell into a deathly silence.

"How...how is this possible?"

Jiang Huan's voice trembled, the smugness in his eyes completely shattered, replaced by utter shock and disbelief. He looked down at the black blade pressed against his throat, his pupils contracting sharply, and exclaimed, "You've already entered the Tendon Refining Realm?"

As the eldest son of the Jiang family, he will be the successor.

He relied on precious medicines for sustenance, possessed martial arts skills, and had top-tier talent. He had only just achieved the Great Perfection of Body Refinement, still half a step away from the Tendon Refinement Realm. Yet this unknown constable before him had already surpassed him?

"Impossible... Absolutely impossible!"

Jiang Huan roared wildly in his heart.

A hundred people don't believe it, ten thousand people refuse to believe it.

He muttered to himself, his face alternating between pale and flushed, filled with shame and anger. He wanted to shout, "You cheated!" and say, "This is not fair!" but the words were swallowed back by the last vestiges of pride in his heart.

The main hall was completely silent.

The Jiang clan elders and members stared wide-eyed, their expressions shifting from anger to astonishment, and then to horror. Some rubbed their eyes unconsciously, as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

A knife.

Just one cut.

The most brilliant genius of the Jiang family in this generation was completely crushed.

simply……

like dreaming.

"I... I didn't see wrong, did I?"

A member of the Jiang family murmured, his voice weak, "Brother Jiang Huan... he couldn't even withstand a single move?"

"Just who is this person?"

"Tendon Refining Realm? Did he spring from a rock? How come I've never heard of him before!"

"Yes, that's terrifying."

I didn't even see that stab just now.

……

Amidst the chaotic discussions of the crowd.

Zhu Hong slowly sheathed his sword.

The black knife slid across Jiang Huan's neck, leaving a shallow bloodstain on his skin where the blade passed. The blood seeped out, and the stinging pain brought Jiang Huan back to his senses.

"It's not quite right."

Zhu Hong glanced at his face, a half-smile playing on his lips, and slowly said, "Just now, Young Master Jiang said that if he wins, he can take your brother away. Does that mean anything in the Jiang family?"

Jiang Huan's face turned purple and swollen. His lips moved a few times, but he couldn't speak.

His words just now were just casual remarks; he was fully confident of victory. Who would have thought he would lose?

"laugh."

Zhu Hong waited a moment, and seeing that he remained silent, a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes: "So the young master of the Jiang family can't make decisions." He paused: "If you can't make decisions, why did you say those words so loudly just now? Fine, wait until you're all grown up and in power, then you can talk to me again."

Having said that, he turned to face Jiang Cong, his voice deepening:

"I'll ask one last time."

"Jiang family, will you hand over the people or not?"

Jiang Cong sat upright in the main seat, his face as somber as a cold pool in the twelfth lunar month.

His eyes were heavy as he stared intently at Zhu Hong, his fingertips tapping unconsciously on the table, one tap after another, as if he were calculating something or suppressing something.

It has come to this point.

What else didn't he understand? The government's decision to send this young man to lead the charge was clearly not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather a long-planned scheme. This Zhu Hong, at such a young age, possessed such skill and courage; he was no ordinary constable and must be someone the government was grooming for advancement.

Such a person truly represents the government.

"??"

While Jiang Cong was still making his calculations, the various constables were not idle either, and they all turned their attention to Wang Zhenshan.

That means:

Confess now!

Wang Zhenshan simply crossed his arms, his expression unchanged, and even the corners of his mouth slightly curled up.

He neither explained nor looked back.

Standing to the side, Lin Jizhi's mouth was agape, wide enough to fit a fist, and his eyes were wide open, unable to close for a long time. "Damn it..." He pinched his thigh hard, wincing in pain.

It's true, I wasn't dreaming.

He kept repeating to himself, "I misjudged him. I knew Hong was no ordinary kid, but who knew he would be so fierce?!" After the initial shock, a surge of joy welled up inside him, almost making him burst out laughing.

"Goodness, as a brother."

From now on, we'll be respected figures in the government office, no, in the entire city of Jinyang.

At this moment, Jiang Cong slowly raised his eyes, suppressing the fire that had been burning in his heart. A smile appeared on his face, and he laughed heartily, waving his hand: "Just now, my Jiang family members were young and impetuous, and acted without knowing the consequences. They have offended us in many ways. I hope Lord Zhu will forgive them."

He paused, adopting an extremely humble posture:

"I'd like to apologize on their behalf."

Having said that, he bowed slightly, his manners impeccable, without a single fault.

"As for Jiang Feng..."

Jiang Cong straightened up, his gaze slightly lowered, but his tone remained calm: "If the yamen truly possesses conclusive evidence, my Jiang family is not an unreasonable one. Your Excellency may present the evidence in court first. If it is indeed true, my Jiang family will certainly handle the matter impartially and will never show favoritism or cover up wrongdoing."

He smiled, then changed the subject, his words carrying a hidden barb:

"Why resort to violence and damage our harmony?"

"Doesn't this make sense, sir?"

Zhu Hong heard this and a slight smirk appeared on his lips, but there was no hint of a smile in his eyes.

"What is this, Second Master Jiang?"

He paused slightly, then said in a flat tone, "So you want to make peace with me?"

"It's not a matter of making peace," Jiang Cong shook his head, his tone seemingly sincere. "I just don't want things to escalate beyond repair. You're so young yet already possess such skill; your future is bright. Why make a blood feud with the Jiang family over a few skeletons?"

He laughed:

"If Your Excellency would be so kind as to show leniency."

"The Jiang family will surely repay this favor handsomely in the future."

Zhu Hong simply stared at him quietly, then suddenly chuckled softly. The laughter was light, yet full of sarcasm: "Second Master Jiang, when your nephew launched his sneak attack just now, why didn't you mention peace talks? When you were speaking so politely before, why didn't you speak of harmony? Now you're thinking of begging for peace."

As soon as he finished speaking, his gaze sharpened abruptly, becoming as piercing as a knife.

"Unfortunately, it's too late."

"I have not come to Jiang's residence today to negotiate peace." Before he finished speaking, Zhu Hong suddenly swung his black knife, which emitted a clear sound like a tiger's roar.

"They kindly invited the people from the Jiang family, but they were unmoved."

Then we have no choice but to...

It was too forceful.

Having said that, Zhu Hong strode forward and roared, "Bring him here!!"