In the days that followed, the Qingshui County Yamen was rocked by a series of major shake-ups.

Chief Constable Gao Yuan had vanished!

He hadn’t been seen for several days.

Within the Qingshui County Yamen, Gao Yuan had been the most powerful figure.

His influence was so great that even the County Magistrate had to give him a wide berth.

In addition, Prison Chief Zhang Fang had been murdered in the courtyard of his home, and the killer had yet to be apprehended.

For a time, these two incidents became the talk of Qingshui County, fueling all sorts of speculation.

The County Yamen’s main hall.

"Chief Constable Gao was a Martial Artist who had reached Body Tempering Great Success."

"Who in Qingshui County could possibly harm him? How could he just vanish like that?"

Dressed in his Official Uniform, Zheng Heda sat in the main seat, sighing heavily.

Below him sat all the officials of the County Yamen, great and small.

The County Magistrate, Chief Clerk, Instructor, and the others were all present.

"Lord Zheng, the case of Chief Constable Gao’s disappearance must be thoroughly investigated until the truth is revealed."

The County Magistrate was a man in his sixties named Hong Ming’an. His hair was sparse, but his voice was resonant.

"Indeed! We cannot allow the Chief Constable to have disappeared so mysteriously!"

The yamen’s Chief Clerk also chimed in with a grave voice.

The other officials all voiced their agreement.

Zheng Heda, however, remained outwardly impassive.

’These guys are all from the powerful local clans. With Gao Yuan as their head, they’ve formed a faction that has completely stripped me, the County Magistrate, of my authority.’ 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

’Now that something has happened to Gao Yuan, they’re the ones in a panic.’

"Rest assured, I have already assigned several constables to investigate this matter."

"Aside from that, there is the matter of Prison Chief Zhang Fang, who was murdered in his home. How should we handle it?"

Zheng Heda asked.

"My lord, let’s set that case aside for now..."

"Give some silver coins to Zhang Fang’s wife as a consolation payment."

"Let’s focus on investigating Chief Constable Gao’s disappearance first."

County Magistrate Hong Ming’an said softly.

He was just a prison chief; no one cared whether he lived or died.

"Hmm... Very well, then."

Zheng Heda nodded.

"My lord, there is one more thing."

"With Chief Constable Gao missing... who will take over the position of Chief Constable?"

Hong Ming’an asked.

Gao Yuan had been gone for so many days that no one believed he was still alive.

With him dead, the position of Chief Constable was now vacant.

This was a crucial position in the yamen, and every clan wanted to secure it.

Hearing this, Zheng Heda frowned and said hesitantly, "The position of Chief Constable concerns the yamen’s ability to make arrests and maintain public order. I believe we must select the candidate with great care."

Hong Ming’an said in a low voice, "Lord Zheng, the gangs are getting more audacious by the day. This is precisely why the position of Chief Constable cannot be left vacant, or we won’t be able to keep them in check."

The Chief Clerk and other officials also spoke up, putting pressure on Zheng Heda.

"In that case, three days from now, we will hold a martial arts tournament at the training grounds outside the city."

"In addition to all the constables of the yamen, each of you may also recommend a candidate."

"Whoever takes first place will be the new Chief Constable."

"What do you think?"

Zheng Heda said, as if compromising reluctantly.

Indeed, no one could find any fault with his proposal.

After all, a Chief Constable needed to have real skill; it wasn’t a position one could get through connections alone.

Otherwise, how could they possibly keep the city’s gangs and martial arts schools in line?

Hong Ming’an smiled and cupped his fists. "Your Lordship is wise!"

"Your Lordship is wise!"

"Your Lordship is wise!"

The various officials all declared their approval.

Zheng Heda said listlessly, "Is there anything else?"

"If not, then this meeting is dismissed."

Hong Ming’an and the others, sensing the County Magistrate was not in a good mood, all took their leave.

However, after leaving the yamen, this group of officials gathered again in a private room at a teahouse.

"County Magistrate Hong truly has great foresight. You knew Zheng Heda wanted to give the Chief Constable position to one of his own men and checked him before he could move," one official said fawningly.

Hong Ming’an scoffed. "Magistrates may come and go, but the great clans are eternal."

"In the end, Qingshui County belongs to us, the local clans. An outsider like him thinks he can interfere? Dream on!"

The Chief Clerk also spoke up. "But with Zheng Heda proposing a tournament, could he be hiding some trick up his sleeve?"

"Who does he have on his side?" Hong Ming’an shook his head slightly, confident. "He’s probably just trying to use this to make our clans fight amongst ourselves."

"So, we should coordinate first, and once we’re in the ring, it’s every man for himself."

"No matter what, the Chief Constable’s position will remain in the hands of one of our great clans!"

...

"Gao Yuan hasn’t been gone long, and just as expected, these vultures are already circling the Chief Constable position."

In the rear courtyard of the County Yamen, Zheng Heda seemed quite happy, his earlier gloom and helplessness completely gone.

"That old fox Hong Ming’an thinks he’s so clever... little does he know he’s being played right into your palm, my lord."

"They would never guess that our proposal for a tournament wasn’t an act of desperation, but a move to pave the way for Constable Han."

Zhang Hu said, fawning over him.

Han Yuan sat in a nearby chair, his expression calm and composed.

Zheng Heda had already discussed the matter of becoming Chief Constable with Han Yuan long ago.

Now that the position was finally vacant, Zheng Heda certainly didn’t want it to fall into the hands of the great clans again.

Han Yuan had become the best candidate.

And Han Yuan agreed it was a golden opportunity.

After entering the Body Tempering realm, he needed a large amount of medicinal herbs for cultivation, which meant spending money like water.

His regular stipend from Changfeng Street alone was not enough to sustain him for long.

Besides, if someone else became the new Chief Constable, it could lead to more trouble.

Rather than let that happen, it was better for him to become the Chief Constable himself. He could both make money and avoid unnecessary problems.

"Constable Han, these great clans do have some experts."

"You can’t afford to be careless."

Zhang Hu reminded him in a low voice.

"Oh? Don’t tell me these families have Body Tempering masters as well?"

Han Yuan asked.

"Of course... Don’t be fooled by the fact that Gao Yuan and Qian Yuanlang are the only publicly known Body Tempering masters in Qingshui County Town."

"In reality, the major clans have a few older-generation Body Tempering masters."

"But their vitality has waned with age, so they don’t fight readily and have gradually faded into the background."

Zhang Hu said softly.

"So they’re old tortoises, eh... Tell me about them."

Han Yuan said with a smile.

"Gao Yuan’s in-law, the old Patriarch of the He Family, is a Body Tempering master. He was quite famous back in the day for his Wind Chasing Saber technique."

"The Hong Family has an old tortoise too, skilled in a Fist Technique of considerable power."

"Besides them, there’s the Li Family’s expert. He specializes in a Leg Skill and is very fast."

Zhang Hu had clearly investigated the backgrounds of these great clans in detail, as his descriptions were quite thorough.

"But you don’t need to worry, Han Yuan."

"As they say, youth has the advantage in a fight."

"These old men have spent their entire lives unable to break through to the Inner Breath realm. Their vitality has severely declined."

"With your strength, they shouldn’t be a problem."

Zheng Heda said.

Birth, old age, sickness, and death—it was the natural cycle of the world.

No one in this world could escape it.

Because Body Tempering masters constantly had to stimulate their body’s potential, their vitality was vigorous. But once they passed the age of fifty, their vitality would decline rapidly, and various hidden ailments would surface.

The only way to counter this was to break through to the Inner Breath realm, using Inner Qi to nourish the body, repair hidden injuries, and slow the decay of their vitality.

"Magistrate Zheng, you can rest assured. The position of Chief Constable is as good as mine."

Han Yuan said confidently.

’If I can’t even beat a few old-timers, I might as well just jump into the Qingshui River and save myself the embarrassment of being a transmigrator.’

"In that case, allow me to congratulate Chief Constable Han in advance!" Zheng Heda laughed heartily.