Exhaustion hits hard after pushing yourself too far.


    Soul and body intertwined, Han’s all-night grind left his spirit dragging, slowing his martial training the next day.


    Bai Ruoyue noticed right away. “Little Junior Brother, what’s wrong with you?”


    “Wore myself out last night with Aunt Mo,” he said.


    Lu Qingmo had stayed up guarding him while he forged his yang earth fire—busy work for her too.


    “You two were at it all night?” Bai Ruoyue’s face scrunched with question marks.


    “Training,” he clarified.


    “Oh, got it.” She bought it without a second thought.


    By evening, Zhang Yuantao came back with unexpected news.


    “Word is, evil cultivators—pretty strong ones, even Bone Forging level—popped up outside Black Cloud Town.”


    Han raised an eyebrow. “From where?”


    “No clue. Zuo Tianzheng’s sent the Black Cloud Guard after them,” Zhang Yuantao said, laying out the details. “Seems they were wreaking havoc in a village out there. Patrol spotted them and reported back.”


    “They’ve bolted already. Zuo Tianzheng swore he’d avenge the villagers—track down the culprits and bring them to justice.”


    “The Guard’s out in force, hunting them down.”


    “What a mess,” Han muttered.


    He recalled the Ghost God Division’s intel—evil cultivators stirring up trouble across Tianyue County’s other regions, claiming plenty of lives.


    If it was hitting the outskirts, Black Cloud Town—the eye of the storm—couldn’t dodge it.


    Problem was, stopping these creeps before they struck was near impossible. You could only clean up after the damage was done.


    Catch them in the end, sure—but the losses were locked in.


    Unlike Han’s old world, martial arts and techniques here made keeping the peace a nightmare.


    For regular folks, every dawn was a gamble—tomorrow or the next villain, who’d show first?


    Cultivation was the only way to grab your fate by the reins.


    Zhang Yuantao sighed. “Hope they wrap this up quick.”


    Next day at noon, an unexpected visitor hit Tai Bai—someone from the town guard’s office, looking for Bai Ruoyue with a job.


    After some back-and-forth, she saw them off.


    “What’d they want you for?” Han asked, curious. “Why not send the Guard?”


    Then it clicked. Most of the Guard got tapped yesterday to chase those village-wrecking cultists.


    Since Zuo Tianzheng beefed up the Black Cloud Guard, the town office rarely bothered the families or dojos for help anymore.


    With so many locals joining the Guard, it could handle almost anything solo. Even with most of them tied up in Black Mountain “keeping order,” the leftovers paired with the Ghost God and Martial Order Divisions were enough.


    Yesterday’s chaos must’ve stretched them thin, though.


    “They asked me to take down a wanted killer,” Bai Ruoyue said. “Some newbie Bone Forging martial artist offed someone over a treasure last night. Got spotted this morning and bolted out of town.”


    “The Guard’s Bone Forging crew’s either chasing those cultists or tied up elsewhere, so they tapped me.”


    Her Viscera Realm status was no secret—nor was her Bone Forging-level punch. She’d tangled with Long Tianya from Tenglong Dojo, flattened a Tianlong inner disciple, and just subdued a Bone Forging thug on the street. Proof was in the pudding.


    A Bone Forging fighter in Viscera clothing—perfect pick when the Guard was shorthanded.


    “You said yes?”


    “Yep,” she nodded. “Done this kind of thing before. It’s in my wheelhouse—couldn’t say no.”


    “You sure he’s just early Bone Forging?”


    “When they first ID’d him, the town office clashed with him and snagged a chunk of his flesh. No mistaking his realm.”


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    “That flesh lets them track him with a technique too.”


    She pulled out a mirror. “This is the artifact they gave me—pinpoints the guy.”


    Two dots glowed: a steady green one and a red one zipping along.


    “Oh, and they said he might have some technique tricks up his sleeve. They’ve coordinated with the Ghost God Division—someone’s on the way to back me up.”


    Han thought it over and made his call. “I’ll go with you. No need to drag in some random from the Division.”


    Outside a handful of standouts, the Black Cloud Ghost God crew couldn’t touch his skills.


    The town office wouldn’t pull a Day Roaming member for this—best they’d send was a Night Roaming cultivator.


    Middle of the day, sun blazing? A Night Roamer tagging along would need Bai Ruoyue babysitting them—not the other way around.


    Better he step in himself.


    “You?” Bai Ruoyue blinked.


    “Ghost God Division Seventh-Rank Patrol—same clout as a county magistrate or overseer!” Han said, smirking. “You should be thrilled a big shot like me’s tagging along, Senior Sister.”


    “By rights, a commoner like you ought to bow when you see me—but for you, I’ll waive it.”


    “Show-off,” she huffed, though she was glad to have him.


    They briefed Shen Long and the crew. When the Division’s backup showed, they’d explain and send them back to report in.


    Then, mirror in hand, they bolted out of Black Cloud Town after the killer.


    “Here, Little Junior Brother,” Bai Ruoyue said, tossing him two talismans from her spatial pouch. “From the town office—speed boosters to catch this guy.”


    Han caught them. “They thought of everything.”


    “Of course—they’re the ones asking. Gotta come prepared,” she said. “Once it’s done, there’ll be a reward. I’ll snag you a cut too.”


    “Sweet deal.”


    “What if we don’t catch him?”


    “Then we’re out of luck,” she shrugged. “These gigs aren’t mandatory. If it flops, they’ll just slap a bounty on him—keep him out of Black Cloud.”


    Fair enough—the town office only outsourced when they couldn’t hack it themselves. Do your best, no pressure. Punish failure? No one’d take the jobs.


    Han pinged Lu Qingmo via conch mid-chase. “Aunt Mo, I’m out here hustling for you—reward me later!”


    “What are you up to?” she asked, puzzled.


    He filled her in, and she went quiet.


    She’d just heard about it herself—town office roping in a Division helper was small potatoes, handled by underlings, no need to bug her.


    But with Han subbing in, “hustling for her” kinda tracked.


    “Be careful—don’t get sloppy. It’s Bone Forging,” she warned.


    “Relax, Aunt Mo,” Bai Ruoyue cut in. “I’ve got Little Junior Brother covered!”


    Post-call, she grinned. “Few months back, I said it’d happen—didn’t expect it’d take this long.”


    “Said what?”


    “Remember your first trip outside with Yunduo?”


    “Sure—the beast-taming cultivator stirring up trouble.”


    “When you got back, I said the town office sometimes hands us jobs. I’d take you along someday to see it.”


    She chuckled. “Didn’t think you’d hit this level before we got the chance.”


    Now he remembered—she had mentioned it.


    “Better late than never,” he said.


    “Right! Today’s the debut of Black Cloud’s Dynamic Duo,” she declared, voice rising. “Every crook’s getting hauled in!”


    “We’re nailing this guy!”


    Dynamic Duo? What kind of wild name is that?


    “Senior Sister, doesn’t that sound more villain than hero?”


    “Does it?” She waved it off. “Doesn’t matter what it sounds like—long as we’re doing good.”


    “Good folks make a name good; a good name doesn’t make the folk.”


    Didn’t expect Senior Sister to drop wisdom like that.


    Still, Han wasn’t sold. “I’d tweak it.”


    “To what?”


    “How about Phoenix Legends?”


    “Lame as hell.”


    Hmph, zero taste, Senior Sister—hopeless!


    On the mirror, the Bone Forging killer’s red dot crept closer, but the gap was still wide.


    He’d had a head start, and at that level, he could sprint like a blur—beyond mortal limits.


    Good thing martial artists couldn’t fly yet, or they’d be screwed.


    “This guy can move,” Han muttered.


    “Wish Aunt Mo’s flying carpet was here.”


    Time ticked on, and their spirits lifted—the red dot slowed.


    “He’s slacking off!” Bai Ruoyue said, pumped. “Keep running, buddy—why’d he stop?”


    Senior Sister, you’re sounding like the bad guy now…


    “Maybe he thinks he’s in the clear,” Han guessed.


    He clocked the distance—hundreds of miles from Black Cloud. Slowing down made sense.


    Martial artists weren’t tireless machines.


    The guy’s pace kept dropping, the gap shrinking fast.


    “Here, Senior Sister—pop this,” Han said, handing her a pill. “Eases fatigue, restores qi.”


    Long haul like this took a toll—gotta be peak for the fight.


    Soon, Han’s mental senses pinged—a roaring qi and blood aura.


    The Bone Forging killer.


    “Got him!”


    The last stretch vanished in a flash. A grizzled middle-aged man came into view.


    He spotted them too.


    His face twisted, and he bolted—but seeing their speed outpace his, he stopped cold.


    No escaping now.


    “Tai Bai’s brats?” he growled, clearly recognizing them from their rep.


    “That’s us!” Bai Ruoyue stomped the ground, voice booming. “You dare rob and kill in Black Cloud Town? Total disregard for the law!”


    “The law?” He sneered. “I hit Bone Forging—I’m above all that. What’s some piss-ant law gonna do to me?”


    “Mortals bow to that garbage. Us martial artists? We run free!”


    “You kids are naive—dumb as rocks!”


    His rant laid bare his creed—shared by plenty of cultivators.


    I’ve got power, so I do what I want. No one stops me.


    With strength, I’m beyond petty rules and justice.


    Otherwise, I’m chained by laws without training, and still chained after—then what’s the damn point?


    Funny thing, though—most with that mindset begged for rules when facing someone stronger.


    Me as the line: below me, chaos; above me, order.


    A classic cultivator headspace.


    His spiel didn’t faze Han or Bai Ruoyue.


    Evil’s evil—fancy words don’t change that.


    “Bet you won’t surrender,” Han said coolly. “Hope you can take a beating.”


    Senior Sister’s a beast!


    “Cocky little shits,” the man—Liu Chen—snorted. “I’ve been tearing through the martial world, killing to train, since you two were sucking on bottles!”


    He eyed Bai Ruoyue. “Viscera matching Bone Forging? Prodigy stuff.”


    “But you’re still not there!”


    “Tai Bai brats—your loot’s gonna make me happy.”


    He didn’t doubt her strength—too many saw her drop a Bone Forging thug in public. Denying it would be delusional.


    Didn’t shake his confidence, though.


    I’m not like those weaklings!


    Han? Barely a glance.


    Months to Viscera? Cute, but against a Bone Forging vet, he wasn’t even in the game.


    Bai Ruoyue cracked her knuckles, itching to brawl—she lived for this.


    Han slapped a defensive talisman—spoils from a past haul—on her back.


    Senior Sister, you’re juiced up!


    “Little Junior Brother, back me up!”


    She charged, terrified Han might steal her thunder.


    Eighteen and scared of street fights?


    Han scanned the area with his senses—no oddities.


    Solo operator, just like the town office said.


    Perfect.


    Next up: me and Senior Sister tag-team a Bone Forging kill.


    Epic!