At the Dark Star Bureau, Blockhead reported Xiao Zhenggong’s hospital visit to Captain Chen Changrui.

He mentioned that Xiao Zhenggong had been visiting He Jiaqing’s hospital ward, but he did not say a single word about He Jiaqing already being awake.

"Captain, Deputy Xiao has been going to the hospital quite often lately."

Chen Changrui gave a small nod. "I know."

"It… seems like there’s some kind of personal grudge between him and He Jiaqing."

"I know that too."

"I am worried he might kill He Jiaqing," he said, making sure to put it in the simplest possible terms.

Chen Changrui smiled. "I know that as well."

The captain’s attitude left Blockhead confused and he thought, He knows everything, but he doesn't do anything about it? What's the logic behind this?

Chen Changrui handed Blockhead a cigarette and lit one for himself. "What kind of person do you think He Jiaqing is?"

Blockhead took a drag. "I don’t know. I have never interacted with him before. I only know that he is someone that the Bureau values highly."

Chen Changrui took a deep drag from his cigarette, then let out a long, lazy cloud of smoke. "Then what kind of person do you think Xiao Zhenggong is?"

Blockhead didn't dare to answer carelessly. He fell silent for a long while before saying, "I don’t really know Deputy Xiao that well either."

Chen Changrui flicked ash from his cigarette and smiled. "You don’t understand, and you won’t be able to understand. The kind of people He Jiaqing and Xiao Zhenggong are is beyond your understanding. It's because they are from Puluo Province.

"Since you have never been to Puluo, you don't know what it is like there. I stayed there for a few years. Those from Puluo Province crawl their way out of bloodshed and all kinds of nasty schemes.

"At our age, we think we have seen enough and know enough. We think we are experienced, full of schemes, with minds as deep as still water. But the truth is that we are nothing compared to those from Puluo Province.

"Do you really think someone lying in a hospital bed must be a patient? Do you think someone with the title of deputy captain is necessarily on the Bureau’s side? 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"People like them aren’t people we can deal with. It’s not a bad thing letting one handle the other, right?"

Blockhead remained silent.

Captain Chen chuckled. "Blockhead, not everything in the Bureau is fair. I don’t like it either. If there’s something I can fight for you, I will. If I can’t, it just means I am not capable enough.

However, we are still part of the Bureau. When something comes up, we handle it together. As for matters involving Puluo Province, it’s best we stay out of them. Don’t you think that makes sense?"

Blockhead’s heart tightened, but his face remained stoic.

Captain Chen stubbed out his cigarette. "We have got a new recruit this year. I will have you take him under your wing."

You Xuehan, nicknamed Tangyuan, brought him in. He was a young man of average build and ordinary looks, dressed plainly but neatly. There was a bright, youthful energy about him that stood out right away.

The young man stepped forward and introduced himself. "My name is Qin Minghui. I’m twenty-three, a recent law graduate from Yuezhou University."

Captain Chen said, "He ranked first in the written test, the interview, and the physical exam. He could have had a better posting, but he chose the Dark Star Bureau."

Blockhead asked, "Why did you choose the Dark Star Bureau?"

Qin Minghui answered, "To protect."

"Protect what?"

Qin Minghui said, "To protect this world and everything important in it…"

Before he could finish, Tangyuan’s face turned red as she struggled to hold back her laughter.

Chen Changrui and Blockhead burst out laughing, and Qin Minghui laughed right along with them. He laughed as if it were the most natural thing in the world. There was nothing awkward about it at all.

"Blockhead, Qin will be under you from now on. Give him a codename."

It was tradition in the Dark Star Bureau for the senior to give the junior a codename.

Blockhead had always been kind to newcomers, so when it came to codenames, he would usually ask for their opinion. "What kind of codename do you want?"

Qin Minghui scratched his head. "The senior brothers already gave me one. They call me Chuunibyou."

Chen Changrui waved it off. "Don’t listen to their nonsense. A codename is serious business. It helps prevent identity leaks and makes communication easier during missions."

Qin Minghui didn’t mind at all. "Then let’s just go with Chuunibyou[1]. It suits me. Maybe after I get beaten up a few times, I won’t think I’m so special anymore, like I have got hidden powers or something."

Blockhead didn’t want to waste time or effort on a codename. Since Qin Minghui was fine with it, he went with Chuunibyou.

"Go study the Bureau’s regulations first."

"Senior, I have already studied them..."

"Then study them again. I have been learning them for half my life, and there are still things I don’t understand."

***

At the Peace Tower cinema in Greenwater City, the movie star Zhou Changhong sat alone in the back row of the second floor, watching the third installment of The Legendary Bloodblade Detective.

Ling Miaoying had already released his version ahead of Ma Wu.

However, it didn’t seem to matter how far ahead of Ma Wu Ling Miaoying released his film. Compared to The Legendary Bloodspear Detective, The Legendary Bloodblade Detective attracted a far smaller audience.

There was a great, gaping difference in viewership, but it didn’t mean that no one wanted to watch The Legendary Bloodspear Detective.

Even after a whole week, it stubbornly held on, pulling in just over twenty percent of the crowd each day. The cinema felt empty, but those who did show up were not the casual sort. They sat there with sharp eyes and stranger tastes, the kind who seemed to enjoy things others simply didn’t understand.

The fake Zhou Changhong caught bits of whispering from the audience around him.

"Now this is what you call a real movie. This is real art."

"Just look at the lighting and the cinematography. Nothing else even comes close."

"And that Liang Chunjie… what a character. Written so well, and the actor nailed it. You can tell it’s the work of a master. I have already memorized a few of his lines."

The fake Zhou Changhong felt a quiet swell of satisfaction. This was exactly the kind of reaction he had wanted.

About a third of the way through the film, an old man slipped into the seat beside him. Leaning closer, he spoke in a low voice. "Big movie star… I didn’t mistake you for someone else, did I?"

Zhou Changhong had noticed him long ago. Still, he acted as if the realization had only just struck him and quickly rose to his feet. "Old Master Lu… what brings you here?"

Lu Maoxian, the old granduncle of the Lu Family, flicked his hand as if brushing away a fly. "None of that bowing and scraping. I came to watch a movie.

"There’s no doubt that it’s a fine piece of work. It's just that most people in Puluo Province cannot understand it.

"Still, there’s one thing that nags at me. That Liang Chunjie role… it should have been yours. The fella they cast… he’s missing something."

The fake Zhou Changhong smiled modestly. "You flatter me, sir."

Lu Maoxian waved it off. "That’s not flattery. At my age, I have got no need to butter anyone up. I mean what I say. Changhong, why didn’t you take the role? Was it because Boss Ling didn’t offer a good enough price?"

Zhou Changhong shook his head. "I tried for it, but Boss Ling already had someone else in mind."

"I will have a word with Miaoying. A role like that shouldn’t be wasted on the wrong fellow. And as far as I am concerned, there isn’t a soul alive better suited for it than you."

After a few casual exchanges, the two fell quiet and turned their attention back to the film.

Why was Lu Maoxian so friendly toward Zhou Changhong?

There was nothing strange about it. In Puluo Province, especially in Greenwater City, movie stars often interacted with members of powerful families.

The fake Zhou Changhong didn’t think much of it. From what he could tell, the real Zhou Changhong must have been quite familiar with the Lu Family’s great grandfather.

After the movie ended, the fake Zhou Changhong exchanged a few polite words with Lu Maoxian then went their separate ways.

As the fake Zhou Changhong walked down the street, he overheard a man and a woman still talking about the film. Out of habit, he raised a pin to his left ear and listened for a moment… but heard nothing.

His left ear still hadn’t recovered. It remained completely deaf.

He moved the pin to his right ear, and this time, he could hear everything clearly.

"This movie isn’t really interesting," the man said. "We are better off watching The Legendary Bloodspear Detective."

The woman said, "Why are you so vulgar? How can you even watch something like that?"

"Bloodspear Detective has a decent plot too. It’s not all just…"

"Stop talking. I don’t want to hear it." The woman was really irritated. "A movie isn’t just about the plot. It’s about depth. A character like Liang Chunjie has a level of depth no other film character can match.

"I especially admire what he said. A family needs a leader, a city needs a leader, a region needs a leader. Without a leader, the people of Puluo are just scattered sand, bound to be bullied."

"I don’t agree with that," the man said. "What, you can’t survive without a master or something?"

The woman let out a sigh. "We really have nothing common to talk about."

The fake Zhou Changhong gave a faint nod. Aside from the low turnout, everything else had largely met expectations.

He wanted to hear more of the audience’s reactions when the button on his chest suddenly vibrated.

"Jiaqing, something happened at the hospital."

It was Blockhead’s voice.

"What happened?"

"Xiao Zhenggong has figured out that the person in the hospital is actually Zhou Changhong, and Zhou Changhong told him the truth."

The fake Zhou Changhong frowned. Whatever good mood he had just moments ago was instantly ruined.

"Is the information reliable?"

"I heard it with my own ears."

"Thanks, brother." He Jiaqing, disguised as Zhou Changhong, cut off the communication. Only then did he realize how serious the situation was. He should never have left Zhou Changhong alone, nor should he have overestimated his loyalty.

He Jiaqing walked toward the train station as if nothing had happened, ready to buy a ticket back to the Outer Provinces at once.

Of course, buying a ticket was one thing. Whether he actually took the train was another matter. He had other ways to return to the Outer Provinces.

The secret was already out. Speed no longer mattered. What mattered now was staying hidden.

Hidden… He Jiaqing murmured to himself, Was there another reason Lu Maoxian came to see me just now?

"Sir, want to buy a newspaper?" A newsboy stepped in front of him.

Feeling slightly annoyed, He Jiaqing shoved the newsboy to the side.

Lu Maoxian coming to see me might not have been a coincidence. Did he recognize me? Impossible.

With his level of cultivation, he shouldn’t have been able to tell I’m not the real Zhou Changhong. Unless he has dealings with Xiao Zhenggong… Could the Jiangxiang Gang be connected to the Lu Family? Or is there another possibility?

"Have some pity, give me something to eat." A beggar stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

Feeling irritated, He Jiaqing quickly moved around the beggar.

Lu Maoxian might really have dealings with Xiao Zhenggong. Xiao Zhenggong isn’t just the leader of the Jiangxiang Gang, he’s also a Balancer. His identity is far more complicated than I thought…

"Have pity on me. Give me something to eat." The beggar circled around and blocked He Jiaqing again.

Why is this beggar so persistent?

His thoughts were interrupted once more. He Jiaqing glanced at the beggar with irritation. The man’s clothes hung in tatters, his face was covered in festering sores, and green pus oozed from them.

He Jiaqing’s expression tightened.

It's the Greenwater Beggar…

The beggar smiled. "Have pity on me. Give me something to eat."

He Jiaqing tapped the button on his chest and murmured, "Don’t speak. Stay connected."

Author’s Note:

PS: An old friend of the Sage has arrived.

1. It means something like a middle schooler who acts overly dramatic and thinks that they are special, as if they have some hidden powers or special knowledge ☜