At that moment, Cong Bo was eating.

For most people, breakfast was nothing more than a bowl of soy milk, a steamer of buns, or perhaps some lamb soup with flatbread.

But Cong Bo was different. His morning meal had to be a feast.

In his own words, the morning sets the tone for the day. If he didn’t eat well for breakfast, he’d have no energy for the rest of the day.

That was why preparations for his breakfast sometimes had to begin in the middle of the night.

Today was no exception. He was having roast suckling pig.

A specially raised piglet had been slaughtered the previous night, then de-haired, cleaned, and cut in half down the middle before being left to marinate in a sauce for half the night.

While it marinated, the pit for roasting the pig was prepared.

There was an art to this pit. It had to be built with red bricks and filled with burning charcoal, which was kept blazing hot. Around midnight, once the bricks were glowing red-hot, they would stop adding firewood.

After the flames died down a little, a large iron hook was used to grab the pig’s head, and it was lowered vertically into the pit. The lid was placed on top and sealed with yellow mud to ensure no heat escaped.

Over the next half of the night, the residual heat in the pit would slowly roast the pig. This process required strict control over the temperature—too hot and it would char and burn, too cool and it wouldn’t cook through. It was a very delicate process.

But the result was a roast suckling pig with golden, crispy skin, served whole on a large platter without needing to be carved first.

When it was time to eat, one would simply carve off a piece with a small knife. No dipping sauce was needed; placing it directly in your mouth was enough to experience its rich, savory flavor.

The problem was, no matter how you looked at it, such a delicacy was incredibly greasy for a morning meal. Few people had the stomach to start their day with half a roast suckling pig.

But Cong Bo could, and he never tired of it.

Just as he was taking large bites of the crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside roast pig, the rendered fat dripping endlessly from the corners of his mouth, someone hurried into the outer room and reported respectfully.

"Village Chief!"

"Speak!"

"The two government soldiers assigned to patrol the inn have disappeared. Their bodies were later found in the abandoned residence just a wall away."

"Oh? And?" Cong Bo tore off a hind trotter and began gnawing on it.

"One man’s head exploded, the other’s neck was snapped. The one whose head exploded had injuries almost identical to the government soldier who died during the chase last night," the subordinate reported.

Cong Bo spat out a bone and said slowly, "So, you’re saying the one who escaped last night has come back?"

"That seems to be the case!"

"Hmph. He’s got some nerve," Cong Bo snorted coldly, then continued.

"Relay this message to the Eighth Village Chief. Didn’t she want to wash away yesterday’s shame? Let her deal with it."

"Yes!"

The subordinate turned and left. Cong Bo immediately put the matter out of his mind and went back to feasting with gusto.

Meanwhile, Wu Liangchen had already reached the perimeter of the Imperial Inspection Office.

By now, the sky was fully lit. The Imperial Inspection Office was heavily guarded, not just by the visible patrols, but also by hidden sentries watching around the clock.

Wu Liangchen hid behind a distant roof ridge, observing quietly.

He was very patient.

He knew that people like Cong Bo and Chen Baimei were seasoned veterans of the martial world. To kill them, one needed ample patience.

Of course, it would be even better if he could take out the Inspection Commissioner, Ren Chong.

But Wu Liangchen knew that was a faint hope.

A man like Ren Chong, who dared to impose exorbitant taxes and even collude with bandits to harm the common people, was well aware that he had countless enemies who wanted him dead. He wouldn’t show himself easily.

Still, it was good to kill a few of them. After all, with scum like Cong Bo, the fewer there were, the better.

Wu Liangchen was gradually changing his way of thinking. Previously, due to his limited strength, he had always opted for a more cautious approach.

But now he understood. With his current power, at least within Great Yan, he was in little danger unless he was surrounded or encountered a Martial Arts Grandmaster at the peak of the Fourth Realm.

’Worst case, if I can’t beat them, I can just leave.’

’Besides, I’m the one launching the surprise attack. With the element of surprise on my side, my chances of success should be high.’

Wu Liangchen waited patiently. It was another overcast day, and the howling wind stung his face.

Fortunately, the spot Wu Liangchen had chosen was relatively sheltered from the wind, so it was bearable.

After an unknown amount of time, a sudden commotion erupted from within the Imperial Inspection Office. A side gate swung open, and a group of people rushed out.

Leading them was none other than Chen Baimei.

She was dressed in white, a longbow slung across her back. If not for her petite frame, she could have been described as heroic and imposing.

Wu Liangchen’s eyes lit up. At this range, with his archery skills, it was an effortless shot.

So, without hesitation, Wu Liangchen snatched up the Wind Shock Bow beside him, pulled a fletched arrow from his quiver, drew the string taut, and instantly let it fly.

He didn’t take long to aim because a Martial Artist like Chen Baimei, who specialized in archery, was exceptionally sensitive to killing intent.

If he aimed for too long, she would likely sense it. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The arrow flew like a shooting star, arriving in an instant.

It was so fast and powerful that it left ripples in its wake—an anomaly caused by the air being compressed and pierced.

But before these ripples could even spread, Chen Baimei was already alerted by a sense of danger and reacted.

Without even turning her head, in the space of a single breath, she unslung her bow, nocked an arrow, and fired.

At that moment, the feathered arrow was nearly upon her, a split second away from piercing her head. It was precisely then that Chen Baimei’s arrow was released.

A piercing screech of metal on metal was heard, and a shower of sparks erupted in mid-air.

Then, two ruined arrow shafts fell to the ground.

In that fleeting instant, the two arrows had collided in mid-air, arrowhead to arrowhead, causing the explosion of sparks.

Chen Baimei’s reaction was incredibly fast. Following the trajectory of the incoming arrow, she spotted Wu Liangchen on the distant rooftop. Without hesitation, she raised her bow, her fingers a blur.

With a single TWANG, three arrows shot out simultaneously.

It turned out Chen Baimei had fired three arrows in rapid succession, but her movements were so fast that it sounded like a single release.

The three arrows flew toward Wu Liangchen in a triangular formation, their power even greater than the previous shot.

Most importantly, the three-arrow spread sealed off all of Wu Liangchen’s escape routes to the left and right.

But Wu Liangchen had no intention of retreating.

He raised his hand, drew his bow, and also fired three arrows in quick succession.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

After three explosive sounds, six ruined arrow shafts fell from the sky.

Only then did Chen Baimei’s subordinates and the guards of the Imperial Inspection Office finally react.

"Ambush!"

"Over there!"

"Fire! Fire the arrows!"

Amidst the shouts, a rain of arrows flew toward the spot where Wu Liangchen had just been.

Though their aim was poor, their strength was in numbers, creating an indiscriminate barrage.

Chen Baimei didn’t fire. She knew it would be meaningless.

And sure enough, although the dense volley of arrows turned the rooftop where Wu Liangchen had stood into a pincushion, they didn’t even graze the corner of his sleeve.

Her men then charged forward with a great clamor, but Chen Baimei remained silent, merely watching with a cold expression.

"Village Chief, should we give chase?" one of her subordinates asked.

"No need," Chen Baimei said.

Just then, the Seventh Village Chief, Cong Bo, having heard the news, also hurried over.

"How did it go? Bamei, did you manage to shoot that scoundrel this time?" Cong Bo asked.

Chen Baimei ignored him. She walked to the street, bent down to pick up one of the ruined arrows from the ground, and examined it closely in her hand.

Cong Bo let out a loud belch and said mockingly, "I just got word. Yang Ying was killed at dawn, and all the arrows stored in his home were stolen. Not even an hour later, this kid dares to come and provoke us right in front of the Imperial Inspection Office. He’s got some real nerve."

As he spoke, Cong Bo ambled over. "So? How’s the kid’s archery?"

"Very strong!" Chen Baimei finally responded.

Cong Bo was a little surprised. Given Chen Baimei’s cold exterior and proud heart, she rarely commented on another’s archery skills.

Especially not with a praiseworthy evaluation like "very strong."

"How does he compare to you?"

Chen Baimei frowned slightly and turned to glance at Cong Bo.

Cong Bo threw up his hands. "Hey, I’m just concerned about you."

Chen Baimei said nothing, leaping up to the rooftop to investigate carefully.

Seeing this, Cong Bo smiled faintly and stood in the middle of the street, directing his men to search the area.

For him, the mission would be complete as long as he eliminated the merchant factions that dared to resist. This one fish that had slipped through the net was insignificant, no matter how strong he was.

He couldn’t change the grand course of events.

Only someone like Chen Baimei would take him seriously.

But just then, a sudden uproar came from within the Imperial Inspection Office, followed by the flicker of fire and the faint sound of screams.

Cong Bo, who had been completely nonchalant just a moment ago, saw his expression change drastically. He rushed back inside with incredible speed.

In the blink of an eye, Cong Bo arrived at the scene of the incident—a small garden behind the Imperial Inspection Office. The fire was already under control, and several bodies lay scattered on the ground.

Cong Bo’s face was as hard as iron, and a cold killing intent glinted in his eyes.

It may have been just a small garden that burned, but its location was too sensitive. Right next to it was the study where Inspection Commissioner Ren Chong conducted his daily affairs.

This scene was tantamount to a heavy slap across his face.

Just then, Chen Baimei also arrived. Seeing the scene, she suddenly spoke, "Seventh Village Chief, have you found any trace of him?"

Cong Bo’s eyelid twitched instantly, and the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

This was clearly a jab at him.

But he had no retort and could only give a fierce order, "All units, on alert! Protect the Commissioner’s safety!"

As he spoke, he reached behind his back and removed a cloth-wrapped bundle. It contained several sections of a pole, which he quickly screwed together to form a long spear.

"The rest of you, with me! We’ll dig three feet into the ground if we have to, but we will find him!"

With that, he charged out in a fury. Chen Baimei watched from behind, a hint of mockery appearing on her icy face.