Warm blood splattered across Lu Tong’s face.

All around was chaos and noise.

In the confusion, Lü Dashan dodged to the side. The flower pin failed to hit his eye but struck his left cheek. Lu Tong had struck with tremendous force—the silver needle was nearly half-buried in his skin before being violently torn open, immediately revealing a gory gash dripping with blood and flesh.

Lü Dashan cried out in pain, flew into a rage, and forgetting about Lei Yuan, thrust his knife straight at Lu Tong: “You filthy whore, I’ll kill you!”

However, Lu Tong had already broken free from his restraints the moment he dodged and immediately ran forward. The fierce killing intent from the knife point attacked from the side. Unable to dodge in time, she watched as that silver gleam was about to fall across her face.

“Miss, be careful!” Yin Zheng’s heart leaped to her throat. With this strike, even if it didn’t kill, her appearance would certainly be completely ruined.

Behind them, Lei Yuan on horseback narrowed his eyes and waved his hand. His subordinate’s long arrow shot straight toward Lü Dashan.

Lu Tong felt the icy blade edge was already close before her eyes and couldn’t help but grit her teeth.

She didn’t care about her appearance. If her looks could be exchanged for her life, she would abandon them without hesitation.

But not right now.

At this critical moment, suddenly came the sound of something cutting through the air from afar. Before anyone could see clearly, a golden streak pierced through the crowd, heavily grazing past the blade in front of Lu Tong’s eyes, knocking the knife point to one side.

Lu Tong was startled. The next moment, a figure suddenly appeared before her eyes. The newcomer smoothly grasped Lü Dashan’s knife-wielding hand. There was a “crack” sound, as if bones were being crushed. Lü Dashan screamed in pain: “Let go!”

Before his next words could leave his mouth, he was kicked heavily away. The long knife in his hand fell into the other person’s grasp, blocking the sharp arrow flying toward his heart.

“Clang.”

The arrow fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

All around fell silent.

This series of movements flowed like water without the slightest hesitation, yet every part was perfectly timed. A moment earlier or later would not have resulted in this outcome.

Lu Tong looked at the golden arrow on the ground. Just now, this person had used an arrow to knock away the knife point that Lü Dashan had thrust at her.

She looked up ahead.

The long street was filled with the chaos of overturned stalls and shops. Among the heavy ranks of soldiers and horses stood a young man holding a curved bow, wearing a bright red brocade fox-fur jacket with arrow decorations.

Surrounded by so many soldiers and horses, this person remained relaxed in expression, his imposing manner not diminished in the slightest. He casually put away his long bow, then looked toward Lei Yuan and smiled: “Just catching one person, Captain Lei’s formation is quite impressive.”

Lei Yuan’s expression looked somewhat unpleasant. After a long while, he said: “Commander Pei.”

Lu Tong’s heart stirred. Commander?

Over there, Du Changqing was whispering to Yin Zheng: “He is the current Imperial Guard’s Tianwu Right Army Commander Pei Yunying. It seems Lei Yuan has kicked an iron plate this time.”

Lü Dashan on the ground was curled up in a corner moaning. His wrist was broken, and he had been kicked until his bones were shattered. Without his knife, he was merely struggling in his death throes.

Lei Yuan looked at Pei Yunying, forcing a smile onto his face: “Commander, we are under orders to capture a fugitive. Now that the fugitive has been apprehended, please step aside.”

Pei Yunying clicked his tongue: “Captain Lei catches people by immediately shooting deadly arrows. If I hadn’t intervened just now, the fugitive would have nearly died.” He smiled faintly, “This concerns the Imperial Horse Monitor case. The criminal should be handed over to the Criminal Justice Department to be processed by the Court of Judicial Review. Captain Lei being so ruthless—you wouldn’t be trying to silence him, would you?”

Lei Yuan’s expression changed dramatically, and he said coldly: “Commander, you can eat carelessly, but you cannot speak carelessly.”

The young man laughed again. He said: “Just joking. Why is Captain Lei so nervous? Those who don’t know might think Captain Lei has a guilty conscience.”

“You!”

He turned his head and called: “Duan Xiaoyan.”

From the crowd walked out a round-faced, round-eyed youth in blue clothes: “Sir.”

Pei Yunying glanced at Lü Dashan: “Take him back and hand him over to the Criminal Justice Department.”

“Yes.”

Lei Yuan looked at Pei Yunying, his tone very cold: “Commander, Lü Dashan is someone our Metropolitan Police Bureau wants to arrest.”

“Since it involves the Imperial Horse Monitor case, it also has some connection to the Tianwu Right Army. It’s the same if I send him. Moreover, after Captain Lei catches someone, don’t you also have to send them to the Criminal Justice Department?” Pei Yunying spoke with interest, “Unless Captain Lei has some other private punishment to use?”

These words were cutting to the heart. Once they reached the Emperor’s ears, it would certainly bring another unwarranted disaster.

Lei Yuan stared at him fixedly while Pei Yunying seemed to smile but didn’t smile.

After a moment of standoff, perhaps realizing that today’s matter had no room for reconciliation, Lei Yuan stopped entangling and only looked at Pei Yunying meaningfully: “Then I’ll trouble the Commander to take care of it. When I return to the Metropolitan Police Bureau, this subordinate will report today’s events to my superiors. Thank you for the Commander’s kind intentions.”

Pei Yunying said lazily: “Much trouble.”

Lei Yuan took another vicious look at Lü Dashan in the corner before ordering his subordinates to leave.

The long street immediately lost half its soldiers and horses. The remaining half belonged to Pei Yunying.

Lu Tong had just witnessed the undercurrent of conflict between these two men when she suddenly felt wetness on her shoulder. Raising her hand to touch it, she discovered it was the wound from Lü Dashan’s knife point that had stained her collar red.

Yin Zheng rushed over, nervously staring at her face: “Miss, you’re bleeding so much…”

Lu Tong raised her hand to wipe the blood from her face, speaking indifferently: “Don’t worry, it’s not my blood.” Just as she finished speaking, she heard panicked shouting from above: “Is the young lady all right?”

Lu Tong looked up and saw the Grand Tutor’s daughter from earlier sitting on a flower terrace on the second floor, surrounded by people offering careful comfort.

When Lü Dashan appeared, this young lady had been protected by guards who retreated into Treasure Fragrance Tower. Now that Lü Dashan had been taken away, she seemed frightened. Her veiled hat had been removed, and through the crowd, one could vaguely see half her face—delicately beautiful like soft jade and tender flowers, her voice still carrying trembling fear. Seven or eight people surrounded her, whether Lei Yuan’s or Pei Yunying’s subordinates, all inquiring about her well-being and serving water and tea.

“Miss Qi need not worry, we’ve already sent word to the Grand Tutor’s manor.”

“This place is heavily guarded. Today’s incident was sudden, and frightening the young lady is the Metropolitan Police Bureau’s fault.”

“Would the young lady like to have some calming fragrant tea first?”

Considerate words continuously drifted on the wind to people’s ears. On Lu Tong’s side, no one paid attention—she stood there pitifully alone.

Yin Zheng also noticed the stark contrast between the two sides and whispered: “Miss, the wound on your neck…”

Lu Tong withdrew her gaze. Not far from Treasure Fragrance Tower was a rouge shop. She said: “Let’s go clean up over there.”

Yin Zheng supported her as she stood up, walking toward that rouge shop. Some of the officers here noticed their movement and shouted: “Hey, wait, you two over there haven’t been recorded yet!”

Du Changqing hurriedly stepped forward with a smile: “I’ll do it, I’ll help them write it! That young lady is Doctor Lu from our Renxin Medical Hall! I’m the proprietor!”

This commotion reached Pei Yunying’s ears. He glanced at Du Changqing, withdrew his gaze, and walked forward expressionlessly. After taking two steps, he suddenly stopped again and turned to look behind him.

Where he had just passed, among the chaos, lay a blue sparrow silk flower.

Half the flower’s petals were soaked with blood, showing mottled dampness.

He bent down and picked up the silk flower from the ground. Upon seeing the back of this flower clearly, his expression suddenly showed a trace of something unusual.

Behind this silk flower were sharp, pointed flower pins stained with tragic red blood.

There were three silver needles in total.