"Damn dog thief! Take this from your grandpa!"
With a loud shout, another man with wild black hair, resembling a lion's mane, wielding an Xuanhua Axe, leapt high and chopped down at Song Changming.
"Tsk." Song Changming frowned.
When did he become a dog thief?
Robbing a prisoner carriage in broad daylight on the street, and it's justified?!
Song Changming took a deep breath, brandished the Soul-breaking Saber, and in an instant, unleashed a powerful sword momentum, pressing towards the opponent.
The man's eyes went wide under the pressure of Song Changming's sword momentum, his attack paused, but he didn't retreat, jumping onto the prisoner carriage, continued swinging axe after axe at Song Changming.
This man truly knew how to wield an axe, his Qi power was immense, even stronger than Song Changming's.
However, his axe skills were rather crude, and Song Changming avoided the sharp edges and countered with his saber.
In the blink of an eye, the air was filled with an ominous chill.
With Great Success Realm sword skills, Song Changming quickly suppressed this crude fellow, his long saber carving out over ten bloody marks on the man's body, even his mask was stained with a large splatter of blood.
In the end, this crude fellow was rescued by a person who handed over the saber earlier, saving his life from dying under Song Changming's saber.
"Everyone leave quickly, there's no need to lose your lives for me!" exclaimed the prisoner inside the carriage.
"Brother Liu is noble, killing that corrupt official, saving the people from disaster, shouldn't end his life here!" cried out the person who handed over the saber, full of grief and indignation.
Each of them spouted words filled with the spirit of Jianghu, and Song Changming could clearly see they were all acting impulsively with Jianghu morality.
Seeing that they wanted to attack again, Song Changming stood coldly, his foot on the prisoner carriage, waiting with saber in hand.
There might be some hidden truth in this matter, but it was none of his business.
He was a member of the Patrol Armor Bureau, and his stand was different; he must ensure that these prisoners were safely delivered to the jail on Houli Street.
Meanwhile, in a tall building by the street.
"Young master, that patrol guard is quite formidable!" A sword-attendant maid in white stood in the tower, gazing down at the chaotic street, and remarked upon seeing the young patrol guard on the prisoner carriage skillfully defeating adversaries.
"Hmm, excellent sword skills indeed, though I cannot discern which sect it belongs to." The well-mannered young master fanned himself with a folded fan, noticing the scene with curiosity.
Another sword-attendant maid suddenly remarked coolly, "This patrol guard, I've seen before, does young master recall?"
"Oh? I can't quite remember, where did we see him?" The young master shook his head and asked.
"About a year ago, in an inn on Houli Street," replied the maid.
This reminder seemed to spark a faint memory in the young master, who smiled and said, "Xiu'Er surely has a good memory."
The maid's expression remained indifferent as she continued, "At that time, this young patrol guard only had Minor Success Realm sword skills, yet in just one year, he has reached Great Success."
This point greatly intrigued her.
"Now that you mention it..." The young master noted curiously, "Such talent indeed warrants a meeting; perhaps he can be nurtured."
"Should I go and bring him here?" the first maid excitedly inquired.
The young master, with a faint smile, looked at this maid beside him and said, "Min'Er, could it be he has caught your fancy? That lad is indeed quite handsome."
The maid blushed slightly and retorted, "I just thought that young master has too few capable individuals by his side. He seems quite capable and perhaps could be of aid to young master in the future."
"Hehe, no rush to see him yet. Just have someone keep an eye on him for now." The young master smiled and closed the folded fan, shifting his gaze elsewhere, whispering lightly.
"It seems today's efforts by the General Department were in vain. Liu Xiangnan with the Feiyan Sword only managed to catch small fry, and those few officials, it seems their accomplices and wings have also been eradicated."
Outside the pavilion, Liang Chuan Mountain likewise repelled a person attempting to rob the prisoner carriage, flipping onto it and guarding the prisoner with Song Changming, one at each side.
The patrol guard grouped their forces, guarding around the prisoner carriage.
As time passed, perhaps realizing the situation was unfavorable, those people, taking their injured, intended to retreat and plan further.
However, at this moment, on the rooftops on both sides, a group of patrol guards in official uniforms lined with gold appeared, blocking the escape paths of those trying to flee.
In just moments, those who attempted to rob the prisoner carriage were all subdued.
"Why go through all this..." sighed the man confined inside the prisoner carriage, gripping the cage with his hands, as if feeling guilty for involving them.
Song Changming glanced at him without saying anything.
"Is this a trap?" Liang Chuan Mountain took a deep breath, realizing the issue when seeing the General Department's patrol guards appear.
These patrol guards arrived so promptly, they must have been prepared in advance.
The General Department anticipated that this prisoner transport would attract people to rob the carriage, aiming to catch them all in a single stroke.
And none of this was ever informed to them.
Moments later, the prisoner convoy continued its journey, while the robbers were taken away by the General Department's patrol guards.
The group then successfully arrived at the Houli Street Patrol Armor Bureau, where all the prisoners were safely enclosed in the jail.
However, this robbery attempt cost the Houli Street Patrol Armor Bureau seven patrol guards, with more than ten wounded, a heavy price indeed.
Among Liang Chuan Mountain's men, two were killed, which left him in a foul mood upon return.
"Feiyan Sword Liu Xiangnan." In the small courtyard, Song Changming looked at the prisoner list; everything today started because of this person.
This name, it seemed he had heard before.
"Liu Xiangnan's reputation is quite renowned around Donglai Prefecture, fighting evil and supporting justice, famously known in the Jianghu for his Feiyan Sword, a first-rate knightly expert in the prefecture."
Liang Chuan Mountain, sitting on a long bench, resting with closed eyes, spoke slowly.
"Such a person, why is he now a felon?" a patrol guard nearby asked, puzzled.
"A month ago, he killed the County Magistrate of Yu Shui County." Liang Chuan Mountain said, having read the dossier, and with this matter gradually spreading, it was no longer a secret.
"Tsk, a ruthless man!" Jiang Chunzi clicked his tongue, he hadn't heard of Liu Xiangnan of the Feiyan Sword, but knew that daring to kill a local county official, if not caught, all's well, but once caught, it's a certain death.
This was a blatant challenge to the authority of the Imperial Court, unforgivable regardless of the reason.
"Enough, let's speak less on this, lest disaster arises from our mouths. We have tasks tomorrow; let's return to rest."
Liang Chuan Mountain rubbed his brow, waving to dismiss the patrol guard, leaving only Song Changming behind.
"Honestly, I don't like how this task feels, this feeling of being in the dark, kept out of the loop," Liang Chuan Mountain sighed, voicing his true feelings to Song Changming.
"Like a pawn, being manipulated at will."
Song Changming simply listened in silence, saying nothing.
To him, there was nothing worth dwelling on; those at the top overlook the grand scheme, have the right to be players, while those below, with limited rights and vision, could only be chess pieces.
He was a chess piece, and so was Liang Chuan Mountain.
The key lay in, if one couldn't become a player, then one must always be a useful chess piece, rather than an expendable one.
More importantly, it was about having the right mindset.
Liang Chuan Mountain harbored resentment likely because he was on the brink of being promoted to the position of Director, a growing ambition for power swelling within.
During this critical period, this mission made him feel profoundly undervalued, skewing his mindset.
Song Changming, aware of the underlying issue, would not speak up.
After all, Liang Chuan Mountain was his superior, and honest words often fell on deaf ears; a subordinate's advice might not be heeded, and saying too much could only cause annoyance, with no benefit.
What he needed to do was assist Liang Chuan Mountain in smoothly ascending to the position of Director, thereby not failing his kindness of mentorship.
"Tonight at Chunfeng garden, have another drink with me." Liang Chuan Mountain stood and said.
"Alright." Song Changming nodded in agreement.