The companion of Ru Hong felt his skin go cold. Sweat dripped down his back and made his robe cling uncomfortably to him.
His hands trembled despite his effort to remain calm. His eyes were locked on the man standing in the market square.
At first, he thought it was nothing more than a trick. This immortal police had shown the aura of a fifth stage Body Refinement cultivator. But now, after watching him slam Ru Hong into the ground like a ragdoll, he knew what he had sensed earlier had not been an illusion. His mind stammered as he recalled the clash.
Earlier… It felt like he's in the ninth stage. I was sure of it. But just now, when he struck again, when he slammed Ru Hong without effort… that was a tenth stage cultivator. Tenth stage!
His breathing grew shallow. No wonder. No wonder Master Fang warned us to lay low, to not act rashly in this town. No wonder he said there could be someone dangerous here. But to think this dangerous man would wear the garb of some strange "Police," to stand in plain sight in the market like it was nothing… His teeth clenched as dread filled him. Just who is this guy? Are there more like him here? If there are… then this entire town belongs to powers we cannot simply touch easily. If we want it, just like Master Fang had said, we must be careful.
On the other hand, the bystanders were still caught in shock.
They had seen a scene that would be told and retold for years.
A cultivator—a true cultivator—someone who wielded strength beyond mortals, had been beaten down. And why? Because he caused trouble for a mere commoner.
The silence of disbelief broke into a storm of voices.
"He… he defeated him! Did you see it? He actually beat the crap out of his fellow cultivator for a mere mortal like us!"
"Impossible. That is a strong cultivator in the third stage. Even if he's arrogant, even if he bullies, he's not weak! And yet—look at him now!"
"With one strike. Just one strike. Slammed into the ground like he was nothing!"
"Is this real? Or are we dreaming?"
"Does this mean… someone is really standing up for us mortals? For people like us?"
"Look! Look at the way he stands. Not with arrogance, but with pride. He isn't gloating… he's declaring something."
"No cultivator has ever done this before. They laugh at us. They spit on us. But he—he crushed one of their own to protect one of us!?"
"But how? He's not from any sect we know. That uniform—what is it? He called himself… Immortal Police?"
"Immortal Police… I've never heard of such a title. But if this is what it means, if it means someone like him protects us, then maybe."
The disbelief was combined with wonder, with fear, with rising hope.
Mothers clutched their children tighter.
Merchants who had long suffered the extortions of cultivators stared with wide eyes.
Old men whispered prayers under their breath, unable to stop trembling.
And then, a soft voice broke through the storm of chatter.
"Hey, mister."
A child, no older than seven, stepped forward timidly. Her dress was patched, her hair tied into a rough knot by her mother's hands. She tugged gently at Zhen's sleeve, looking up with wide, innocent eyes.
"Sir… Did you beat him up because he's bullying uncle?" she asked.
The crowd fell quiet, holding its breath as they listened.
Zhen knelt slightly, lowering himself so his eyes met hers. His gaze softened, and for the first time since the fight, he allowed warmth into his voice. "Yes," he said with calm certainty. "As long as I am here, all of you are safe."
The child's lips quivered, and her questions spilled out, each one carrying the fears of countless others. "But… what if more bad people come? Will you still protect us? Even if they're stronger? Even if they're scarier? Even if… even if they try to hurt you?"
Zhen placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "Yes," he answered proudly, each word steady. "Even if they are stronger. Even if they are scarier. Even if they try to hurt me. That does not matter. What matters is justice. I will protect this town, no matter who dares to threaten it."
The little girl's eyes glistened. Her voice shook as she asked one last question. "Then… may we know your name, sir?"
For a moment, the square was silent again. All eyes turned to Zhen. He straightened, his uniform glinting in the sunlight, his voice carrying like a bell.
"Yes," he said firmly. "I am Immortal Police Cadet Yuan Zhenzhou. You may also call me Officer Zhen."
The effect was explosive. Gasps rippled through the crowd, mouths opened in shock, and whispers rose like a flood.
"Yuan… Yuan Zhenzhou?!"
"He… he's from the Yuan family!"
"The Yuan family of this very town?!"
"They say the Yuan family is cruel, heartless! That they bully anyone who defies them!"
"But… wasn't he their son? The only son? We all thought he never left the family estate. That he was always training in seclusion!"
"Could it be true? That while his family ruled with cruelty, their son—he—he stands here, protecting us?"
"This doesn't make sense. Why would the son of such a family save us? What does he gain from this?"
"Maybe he's pretending. Maybe this is all an act, a trick to win our trust."
"Yes… perhaps he's showing off, planning something even worse."
"But what if it's not? What if… what if he truly means it?"
"No… it can't be. Not from the Yuan family. And yet… and yet…"
Confusion, suspicion, and fragile hope warred in the hearts of the people.
Some looked at Zhen with admiration, some with fear, others with doubt that can somehow cut deep.
Zhen felt speechless.
He had just saved them, had risked his life, and still, they suspected him. Still, they thought he was scheming. What are you bastards saying!!?? He sighed inwardly, but in the end, he chose to ignore their murmurs.
And then, in his mind, a melodic chime echoed.
Ding!
Mission Completed:
Patrol the market square for two minutes and record suspicious movements. (For Body Refinement Stage One)
– Reward: Immortal Handcuffs.
– Punishment for failure: Severe itching of the host's lower region for a week.
Zhen blinked in disbelief. "What the hell…?"
And suddenly, in his hand, a pair of gleaming silver handcuffs appeared.
The crowd gasped anew, murmurs filling the air.
Zhen turned the cuffs over in his hands, testing their weight. On instinct, he funneled a trickle of Qi into them, and they shimmered faintly, light bending strangely around their form. He twisted them, flipped them, snapped them open and closed with ease, and a small smile tugged at his lips.
"Huh," he muttered smugly. "This is… kind of cool."
His eyes drifted down to the battered figure of Ru Hong sprawled on the ground, his arm blasted into ruin, his body broken. Zhen frowned, then glanced at the cuffs.
"Where am I supposed to use these? One of his arms is already gone."
His gaze lowered further, to the cultivator's remaining hand, then to his legs. Slowly, a grin spread across his face. "Ahhh. I know now."
…
Meanwhile, far away in the crowd, Ru Hong's companion tried to slip unnoticed among the people. His heart still raced, his face pale.
"This Yuan Zhenzhou…" he whispered to himself, hiding his mouth with his sleeve. "Isn't he the elder brother of our Master Fang? Did we just happen to meet him while we were talking about him? What a crazy coincidence. I didn't expect this. I didn't realize that the family Master Fang came from would be this terrifying."
His knees shook, and he swallowed hard. Ru Hong should've listened to Master Fang. This was what Master Fang warned us about. The power of his brother wields. To think that one of the strongest men in our group, Ru Hong, was crushed so easily like he's just a bug…
Panic clawed at his chest. I must tell Master Fang about this. He has to know his elder brother stands in this town. If we don't… he might obstruct our Master Fang's plan.
And then—
"Oi!" Zhen's sharp voice rang out across the square.
The companion froze, his blood turning to ice.
"Where's the companion of this guy?" Zhen shouted, scanning the crowd with hawk-like eyes.
Immediately, the companion ducked low, shoving himself into the press of bodies, hiding his face, his heart hammering wildly.
He dared not breathe too loudly, dared not look back, praying to every ancestor he knew that the Immortal Police would not see him.