At these words, Pei Zhan’s gaze instantly sharpened.

The few martial masters from the Escort Agency, who had seemed to be standing casually, shifted their feet an imperceptible half-inch, subtly forming an encirclement.

With his Five Senses Divine, Su Yu’s perception was incredibly sharp. He instantly registered the subtle fluctuations in their Qi and Blood and the shift in their stances, which made him even more certain there was something fishy behind the rockery.

Seeing that Su Yu had no intention of stopping and was still heading for the rockery, Pei Zhan’s expression turned grim.

SWOOSH!

He moved in a flash, planting himself firmly in front of Su Yu and Feng Ting.

"Commanders." The fake smile on Pei Zhan’s face had vanished, his tone laced with a chilling cold. "I, Pei Zhan, have made my way in Black Stone City’s Outer City for many years. I’m not some nobody you can just push around! Today, I acknowledged Mansion Master Pang’s search warrant. I let you turn the designated warehouses upside down. And I believe I’ve shown you every courtesy required. What exactly are you two trying to accomplish by clinging to this so stubbornly?"

"If you think the Zhenyuan Escort Agency is an easy target, then don’t blame me for not showing the Public Security Bureau any face! Let me tell you, just a few days ago, I was sharing drinks with Commander Wang Yungui himself. My Zhenyuan Escort Agency has even done business with the Wang Family of the Inner City!"

As he finished speaking, the Qi and Blood in Pei Zhan’s body erupted. The powerful aura of a Refining Flesh Realm Perfection master poured out, tangible and oppressive.

Facing this terrifying aura head-on, Feng Ting’s expression tightened, and she instinctively gripped the hilt of her blade.

She turned to Su Yu and shot him a subtle glance, signaling him to back off.

However, Su Yu paid her signal no mind.

Far from retreating, he chuckled and said, "Chief Pei, my routine search isn’t over. Your rush to block my path... are you afraid I’ll find something illicit you’re trying to hide?"

"Commander Su Yu, I urge you not to refuse my goodwill and force my hand!"

Pei Zhan’s patience had completely run out, the threat in his eyes intensifying. "I have already shown the Public Security Bureau enough respect! Your Security Guards have already torn the backyard apart, and you’ve been personally searching for so long. What could possibly be left to search?"

Before the words had even left his mouth, Pei Zhan stomped his foot. Spiderweb-like cracks instantly spread out from the point of impact.

His action was like smashing a cup to give the signal.

SHIIIIING—!

In the next instant, dozens of martial masters from the Escort Agency drew their blades in unison. Their faces filled with malice, they closed in, tightly encircling Su Yu and Feng Ting.

Seeing their Commanders surrounded, the Security Guards on the perimeter refused to show weakness. They drew their own blades, shouting in anger as they surged forward.

The courtyard filled with the cold glint of drawn blades. Tensions were stretched to the breaking point on both sides, and a violent clash seemed imminent.

Watching the situation rapidly deteriorate, Feng Ting’s brows knitted together tightly.

’She truly couldn’t understand. What in the world was going on inside Su Yu’s head?!’

’Does he think throwing his weight around like this, in front of all these people, is somehow impressive?’

’She’d seen this kind of foolishness far too often in the men who’d pursued her—disregarding the bigger picture just to show off in front of a woman.’

’She had thought a peerless genius like Su Yu would be different. She never imagined that at his core, he was just as hopelessly foolish as the rest of them!’

But at this moment, as a fellow Commander of the Public Security Bureau, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and stand with Su Yu. ’Still,’ she resolved privately, ’after we clean up this mess, I will never, ever partner with him on a mission again!’

"Pei Zhan! With this display, are you declaring war on the Public Security Bureau?" Feng Ting stepped forward, her face an icy mask. The Qi and Blood of her Late-stage of the Flesh Refining Realm cultivation surged within her, her posture screaming a resolve to fight to the death if necessary.

Just as a battle was about to erupt, Su Yu spoke calmly, "Chief Pei, I only wish to search for another fifteen minutes, and only in those few spots right ahead. What do you say?"

At Su Yu’s words, Pei Zhan’s heart skipped a beat.

’This kid... has he really figured something out?’

But he forced himself to remain calm on the surface, sneering, "Commander Su Yu, you’ve searched again and again. For all I know, you’ve just taken a fancy to a client’s private goods! If I let you continue searching today, how could my Zhenyuan Escort Agency ever maintain its reputation? Forgive me, but I absolutely cannot agree to this!"

By now, Feng Ting had lost all patience for the search. She turned to Su Yu, suppressing her anger as she said, "Commander Su Yu, we’ve been thorough enough today. Why don’t we just stop here?"

Su Yu shook his head again, then looked at Pei Zhan. "How about this, Chief Pei? I’ll propose a compromise, to prevent our men from crossing blades and shedding blood for no reason."

"You and I will exchange a single blow. If you can defeat me, Chief Pei, I will immediately take my men and leave, no questions asked. But if you cannot, then please step aside and allow me to conduct my search for fifteen minutes. What do you say?"

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

At these words, Pei Zhan was stunned for a moment, then he threw his head back and erupted into a wild, mocking laugh.

It was as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. He pointed at Su Yu, his eyes filled with contempt and disdain. "Commander Su Yu, I know you’ve made a name for yourself in the Outer City recently. A rare genius, they say. But has all that praise gone to your head? Have you forgotten your place?"

Pei Zhan took a step forward, the aura of his Refining Flesh Realm Perfection cultivation crashing toward Su Yu like a furious wave. "I have honed my skills at the peak of the Refining Flesh Realm Perfection for seven full years! And you, a mere mid-stage Flesh Refining Realm junior, still wet behind the ears, you dare speak of deciding victory and defeat with me in a single blow? What gives you the right?"