Chapter 56: The Professional Pig-in-Tiger

The hour was near dusk, and the afterglow spilled over the noble quarter of the capital, draping the area in a golden veil.

Lin Yue’e, clad in a fitted combat suit with a sword at her waist, walked with steady steps through this solemn street.

This district was utterly unlike any other, its high walls rising into the clouds as if to sever the noise and turmoil of the outside world.

At the gates hung imposing plaques, engraved with the names of illustrious families, proclaiming their extraordinary status.

Outside some mansions, powerful guards held long spears, their eyes blazing as they patrolled, allowing no petty criminals to approach.

As Lin Yue’e walked down this street, her heart swelled with complex emotions.

She gazed at the towering mansions and thought to herself: in this capital where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, when would her meager salary ever let her buy a home of her own?

Though the capital’s pay far exceeded that of other regions, for a common constable like her, settling here was as impossible as dreaming of the moon.

If she wanted to buy, she could only afford land beyond the sixth ring of the capital.

But those places were far from her workplace, and housing there was hard to find.

Maybe she should just save up and return home to retire.

There, she had familiar mountains and rivers, kind neighbors, and memories and dreams from her childhood.

Thinking of this, Lin Yue’e lightly slapped her own cheek and murmured inwardly: Lin Yue’e, you’ve only been on the job a few days—you haven’t even received your first month’s salary—how can you be thinking about buying a house?

If you don’t do your job well, how can you repay His Majesty’s trust?

That Wang Ting envoy must have some hidden agenda; if I uncover the truth, I might contribute to the peace of this region.

Reality may be cruel, but dreams can still be held close.

Right now, she had to stay late and finish her work.

But sometimes, life simply refuses to go smoothly.

Just as she arrived near the location where A Tade had been captured, and was about to delve deeper into the case, a clamor shattered the surrounding quiet.

She frowned and turned toward the noise, seeing a reeking, drunken figure staggering toward her with several underlings.

It was Prince Wang Shizi Xu Zifeng—his clothes disheveled, hair wild, clearly just emerged from a brothel, his steps unsteady, his gaze hazy.

Beside him, the scent of rouge and powder lingered in the air.

Lin Yue’e’s heart sank; since becoming a constable, Xu Zifeng had never ceased troubling her.

Every patrol, he teased her, even dared to disrupt the government office, driving her to distraction.

Today she’d thought she could avoid this nuisance, yet here he was again.

The moment Xu Zifeng saw Lin Yue’e, his eyes lit up and a lewd grin curled his lips.

“Look at that—fate is so wonderfully strange, Constable Lin. Just off duty? Why not come to my mansion for a drink?”

Xu Zifeng was brazen—this sounded like a suggestion, but with his status, he intended to forcibly drag her away.

As Xu Zifeng drew nearer, Lin Yue’e clenched her teeth, glared at him, and prepared to step aside—when suddenly, a figure stepped between them.

It was a scion of a great noble house, named Xue Wu.

He had fallen instantly in love with Lin Yue’e and could not bear to see his beloved tormented.

He had just returned from work and happened to witness her being harassed, so he brought his men to intervene.

Lin Yue’e held a decent impression of Xue Wu—he was upright, had connections in the capital, and his family background was undeniable.

He belonged to the class of noble youths raised under strict family discipline.

At least among those pursuing her, compared to scum like Xu Zifeng, he was already outstanding. To Xue Wu, Lin Yue’e was aloof—he’d never found a chance to be alone with her.

He was also a bit simple-minded, lacking flashy courtship tactics; every time he spoke to Lin Yue’e, his hand unconsciously scratched the back of his head.

But today, Xue Wu was delighted—he thanked Xu Zifeng for giving him this “hero saves beauty” opportunity.

If he could teach Xu Zifeng a lesson, Lin Yue’e would surely grant him a meal.

Thinking this, Xue Wu roared at Xu Zifeng: “Xu Zifeng, as Prince of the Blood, you ought to uphold the law and be a model for the people, yet here you bully others, harass government officials—this is utter contempt for the state’s laws and utter arrogance!”

Xu Zifeng sneered. “So what if I teased her? Even your father can’t touch me—what are you, Xue Wu? In this capital, there’s nothing I, Xu Zifeng, dare not do!”

Clearly, his mood had been spoiled.

“Mind your tone. You may insult me, but not my family.”

“Oh? Oh? Oh? Didn’t your useless father teach you that if you’ve got no power, don’t go around barking?”

These words struck Xue Wu like a dagger to the heart.

!

He had adored his father since childhood—he could not tolerate such an insult.

Xu Zifeng had precisely stepped on his trigger point.

“You—!” Xue Wu’s face turned ashen with rage; he could endure no more and decided to teach Xu Zifeng a lesson.

He gave a command, and his men surged forward like wild horses unleashed toward Xu Zifeng and his underlings.

Xu Zifeng did not back down—his henchmen were also elite fighters, and the two sides plunged into a chaotic brawl.

Fists and feet clashed, weapons rang out, and the street filled with shouts and the sharp clashing of steel.

Lin Yue’e stood aside, watching the sudden battle, her heart a tangle of emotions.

She was grateful for Xue Wu’s intervention, yet feared this fight would bring greater trouble.

She was merely a lowly constable—the combatants were a Prince of the Blood and the eldest son of a great noble house, neither of whom she could afford to antagonize.

Most importantly, this was her own jurisdiction—she should stop the fight, but the situation was already beyond control.

If this incident reached the ears of the Viceroy and the Chief Constable tomorrow, she’d be scolded again—her head ached just thinking of it.

Before Lin Yue’e, the battle had reached its fever pitch.

Though older, Xue Wu was exceptionally powerful; his aura erupted with terrifying force—several times greater than Xu Zifeng’s.

When he activated his meridian technique, the energy fluctuations were monstrous.

Yet Xu Zifeng was a master of pretending to be weak—he looked like a drunken fool, but was in truth hiding immense power.

Many still didn’t know: Xu Zifeng’s father was the powerful Prince of the South, who commanded vast armies. Since childhood, Xu Zifeng had been the bravest in the army, even reaching the mid-stage of the Six Realms realm.

Coupled with innate superhuman strength, extraordinary talent, and immense fortune, he could easily challenge opponents of higher realms.

The late Emperor, fearing the Prince of the South, had sent his son to the capital as a hostage.

(End of Chapter)