One whip came down.

The ground tiles cracked, water droplets splashed...

Five experts from the Green Blade Sect retreated in a rush, covering their faces.

Lin Miao, fighting one against five, wielded his cloth stick into a blur. The more he fought, the braver he became, achieving a stalemate with the five great experts of the Green Blade Sect, especially since the other side included a top-notch master at the Blood Fusion Realm.

Han Chunyang watched in awe; such an intense battle was the first of its kind he had seen in his nearly twenty years with the Arresting Department.

The fight dragged on with no clear winner.

The Green Blade Sect experts began to grow anxious. The battle was already making quite a commotion. If it drew in other experts in the city or caught the attention of the authorities, it would be troublesome.

They needed to finish the fight quickly.

The leading Blood Fusion Realm expert of the Green Blade Sect gave a "whistle," issuing a command. The four Green Blade Sect experts, who received the command, had two among them deftly crossing their blades, skimming the ground as they launched a lightning attack towards Lin Miao, aiming at his feet.

The other two then gave the leading expert a boost, suddenly flying up into the air, their sword lights forming a dazzling vortex, aiming to shred Lin Miao.

The three-person Combined Attack Skill of the Green Blade Sect: "Heavenly Shredder Sword"!

"A petty trick. Look, a water jar!" Surprised, Lin Miao glimpsed at a water jar by the side of the courtyard and swept it with his cloth stick. The jar, full of water, was flung into the air with great force, meeting the "shredder" coming from the sky.

Bang!

The water jar shattered. The Green Blade Sect’s Blood Fusion Realm expert, drenched like a wet chicken, fell from the sky. But when they tried to get back up and charge at Lin Miao, they suddenly felt a numbness in their body, their inner energy stifled: "Despicable, you drugged the water..."

The four followers, intending to attack again, discovered their limbs weak and powerless.

The entire jar of water was drugged; how could they escape it?

"Fools, don’t forget, I’m a physician. Using drugs is my specialty." Lin Miao laughed heartily, gloating.

"Earlier, you took off your outer clothing, soaking it in the water jar, placing the hidden drug from your clothing into the jar, then using it against your foes. Actually, you already drugged it. Every time we fought, we touched your outer garment, passively inhaled some of it. The more we used our techniques and activated our inner energy, the quicker the toxin took effect..."

"You’re quite clever!" Lin Miao said as he stepped forward slowly.

"Wh-what do you want..." The Green Blade Sect expert supported themselves on their sword tip, showing a hint of fear, realizing they were at Lin Miao’s mercy.

"I’d love to kill you all, but murder is a serious crime. So, I’ve decided to hand you over to the Arresting Department and let them deal with your punishment." Lin Miao laughed lightly. He wasn’t foolish enough to kill someone in front of Han Chunyang.

"You despicable..." The Green Blade Sect expert cursed, though inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Was it you who killed Mr. Shang’s wife inside? No ordinary person can completely twist someone’s neck, only a martial artist has such strength!" Lin Miao asked.

This was a strengthened version of the "Ten Fragrance Soft Tendon Powder" he had specially prepared, which activated when energy was channeled, especially during combat, making it react even faster.

The Green Blade Sect expert gasped heavily. The drug had seeped deeply, leaving him groggy and defenseless.

This drug was too potent!

"Mr. Lin, you’re hurt!" Han Chunyang came over, dragging Gon Sheng. He was no match for the Green Blade Sect experts, but taking on Gon Sheng was easy.

"It’s nothing, just a surface wound." Lin Miao smiled slightly. Had there been more people from the Green Blade Sect, he might have been defeated tonight.

The wound on his abdomen looked frightening and had bled extensively, but it hadn’t injured his internal organs or bones. He knew his own body well.

The commotion in Mr. Shang’s courtyard had drawn attention from neighbors, and someone quickly ran to notify the village head.

The village head organized some strong young men, who were also skilled in martial arts, to come over.

Han Chunyang revealed his identity, then had the village head fetch ropes to bind everyone from the Green Blade Sect.

No matter how powerful the Green Blade Sect was, would they dare openly oppose the court?

Did they plan a rebellion?

Everyone was taken back to the Arresting Department’s office. By the time Mr. Zheng arrived with his men, everyone had already left.

Unless Zheng Dan ordered a pursuit, he could only watch as Han Chunyang and Lin Miao escorted the group of criminals to the Arresting Department office.

Once they reached the Arresting Department, Zheng Dan could no longer influence the situation. Feng Sheng wasn’t someone from Marquis Lingyang’s Mansion.

He wouldn’t listen to you, only to Pei Jian, the magistrate, his direct superior.

With Han Chunyang fully witnessing the process, Lin Miao had acted in self-defense, and Mr. Shang’s wife was also killed by the Green Blade Sect!

It was especially heinous that they had disguised themselves as court constables, led by the captain from the South City District, to boldly commit murder and silence witnesses!

The nature of this case was extremely vile!

Such a major case was immediately reported by Feng Sheng to Magistrate Pei Jian.

Upon receiving this news, Pei Jian was also shocked, not expecting Mrs. He of Marquis Lingyang’s Mansion to invite Lin Miao for a peaceful talk on one hand, while secretly plotting with a heavy hand on the other.

This woman, Mrs. He, acted one way in the open and another in the shadows, ruthless and truly frightening.

The Green Blade Sect members were all captured.

And it was all done by Lin Miao alone. He indeed cleverly used a tactic, drugging to incapacitate them. But to withstand an attack from five Green Blade Sect experts for so long and capture all five—this courage and skill were extremely rare among young people.

It was even somewhat terrifying.

To be an enemy of such a young man was a frightening prospect.

Lin Miao couldn’t care less how Pei Jian would handle the case. He recounted the story, filed a statement, and then went straight home.

The matter with Mr. Shang had the Arresting Department taking over.

...

The vast Marquis Lingyang’s Mansion was as dark as ink, with deep courtyards.

"What, Men Dong and the others have been captured? Who made the move?"

"Reporting to Madam, the situation is currently unclear, but the information I received is that Lin Miao didn’t go to Mr. Tang’s house alone; he went with Han Chunyang from the Arresting Department..." Zheng Dan knelt outside the bead curtain. Unlike Ye Shengyuan, he couldn’t enter the curtain and become a close guest.

This Zheng Dan only got his position as the South City District Commander thanks to Marquis Lingyang; everyone knew he was just a dog of the Marquis Lingyang’s Mansion.

"Useless! Didn’t Men Dong say that a mere boy of sixteen or seventeen is something he can easily handle?" Mrs. He scolded angrily.

"Madam, what should we do now? The people from the Green Blade Sect have been caught. Will they give me up?" Zheng Dan was very worried. If someone had to take the blame, he was the most suitable candidate.

"Don’t worry, they won’t. Lin Miao injured the people of the Green Blade Sect. They were there for revenge; it’s a personal feud, unrelated to you!" Mrs. He said lightly.

"But I sent Gon Sheng to accompany them, and they were all wearing constable uniforms?"

"It was them who held Gon Sheng hostage; what does that have to do with you..."

"Thank you, Madam." Zheng Dan felt as if he’d been granted amnesty, and thus was freed from his fate of taking the blame.

"Go keep an eye on the Arresting Department and report any situations at once!"

"Yes, I accept the order."

...

Back at home.

Seeing the knife wound on the chest, Sun Youwei’s heart ached, and her eyes reddened immediately.

"Junior Brother, does it hurt?"

"It doesn’t hurt anymore; the bleeding has stopped." Lin Miao smiled slightly, feeling Sun Youwei’s deep concern for him.

"Is there anything to eat? Since going out until now, I’ve only had a sip of water at the Arresting Department and nothing to eat."

"I’ll go make something for you right away..."

"No need, it’s already so late. Just give me some pastries and a bowl of butter tea." Lin Miao chuckled. It was too late to start a fire in the kitchen.

"Alright, I’ll get it for you." Sun Youwei nodded and quickly walked out. She had been waiting at home, waiting in the study until Lin Miao returned. It wasn’t until he put a coat over her that she realized he was back.

Drinking butter tea and eating pastries, Lin Miao recounted the night’s encounters to Sun Youwei, of course, downplaying the part about his injury. The rest of the details, he narrated quite excitingly.

"Senior Sister, are you tired? Let me take you to bed." Seeing Sun Youwei’s eyelids drooping, Lin Miao hurriedly said.

"Oh, no, I’m listening to you..."

"It’s quite late today; let’s talk tomorrow." Lin Miao picked up Sun Youwei and carried her to her own room.

Sun Youwei was initially reluctant, but when she moved, Lin Miao showed a pained expression, scaring her into not daring to move, allowing him to carry her like that.

...

"Mr. Lin, I want a hug too!" As soon as Lin Miao returned to the study, Si Miaoxue opened the secret passage door, pouting in a "plea for a hug" manner.

"Can you stop eavesdropping on others’ conversations?"

"It’s not that I want to eavesdrop; when you talk with Senior Sister, can’t you try to avoid it, or at least not do it in the study?"

"Do you know the expert from the Green Blade Sect at the Blood Fusion Realm?"

"I know, Men Dong, an inner core disciple of the Green Blade Sect, the third disciple of the Sect Leader Shen Yidao." Si Miaoxue said, "Once he drew that ’Jade Ridge Saber’, I recognized it."

"Have you two fought before?"

"No, I’ve only heard of him, never seen him, nor have I fought with him, but if I were to fight him, I’m afraid he would recognize me."

"What does ’recognize me’ mean?"

"He might not know who I am, but my martial arts come from the Moon Worship Sect, and that can’t be hidden." Si Miaoxue explained.

"What if you didn’t use the Moon Worship Sect’s martial arts?" Lin Miao asked.

"If I don’t, currently, I could still defeat him, but a quick victory would be difficult." Si Miaoxue considered, from her current cultivation, she might not defeat him without the Moon Worship Sect’s unique skills. However, with her significantly improved cultivation realm, it’s now different, but a quick victory is still not easy.

"Have you learned anything from watching me practice in the backyard every day?" Lin Miao asked.

"I haven’t peeked at you practicing for a long time."

"Want to learn my set of fist techniques?"

"Mr. Lin, do you mean to teach me that set of fist techniques?" Si Miaoxue was shocked. Such rare skills and cultivation techniques would not be easily taught to outsiders unless in a master-disciple relationship. Even between spouses, some secret techniques are not to be passed on.

This involves the matter of lineage.

A master can teach a disciple, the disciple can teach another disciple, but if a disciple wants to teach his wife, it must be with the master’s consent.

Teaching privately would break the sect rules, which is seen as deceiving the master and betraying the ancestors.

Of course, if it’s something you’ve obtained yourself or created yourself, teaching your wife is fine, as it means you have mastery over it.

"I have a lot of good things here. If you want to learn in the future, you can, as long as you can convince me to share them." Lin Miao chuckled, pointing to his head.

"Mr. Lin, how about we try that ’Aerial Butterfly’ you mentioned tonight?" Si Miaoxue’s eyes rippled as if water was about to overflow.

Lin Miao raised an eyebrow, thinking this vixen was doing it on purpose!

Knowing full well that he was injured, was she still thinking of winning one over?