At the critical moment, accompanied by a sharp whistling through the air, a streak of silvery-white sword light shot over like a meteor, arriving in a flash from the far end of the long street, carrying a chilling, biting aura.

It tore through the sky!

Hiss!

In an instant, the streak of light pierced through the man's hardened chest, sending his entire body flying and crashing heavily into the wall behind him.

When George Lambert regained his footing, he found that the shadow before him had already vanished. The man was pinned to a brick wall more than ten yards away, his fate unknown. In his chest was embedded a pure white sword, as if forged from moonlight.

With a clatter of armor and clothing, a squad of blade-wielding soldiers in black cloaks closed in from all directions, surrounding the unconscious man in a tight circle. Yet not one of them stepped forward, as if waiting for something.

Soon, a figure descended, accompanied by a fragrant breeze.

It was a woman dressed in plain white robes, tall and slender, her gaze clear and cold, her brows and eyes as soft as mist veiling the moon, a slight hump at the bridge of her nose, her skin like congealed cream, her jade-like face facing the wind.

She flew in from afar, floating down like a fairy descending to the mortal world, and then landed with a rustle, her flowing sleeves suspended in the air.

This stunning woman who descended from the sky instantly drew every gaze on the street, as if all the sunlight in the world had converged upon her alone.

Countless people forgot to breathe in that instant.

After landing, with a flick of her hand, the flying sword in the man's chest shook off a string of blood beads and, with a swish, turned into a streak of light that slipped back into her sleeve. Only then did she speak: “Yu Wenlong?”

The burly man pinned to the wall crashed to the ground, struggling to lift his head, revealing a face covered in scars, hideous and fierce. He cursed through clenched teeth, “Running dogs of the Demon-Slaying Bureau, despicable southerners…”

“To escape back to the Divine Capital, you even went so far as to destroy your own face.” The woman unfolded a portrait in her hand, which faintly resembled the man, though his hair was much longer and his face lacked the shocking scars.

“Ah…” The man braced himself on his arms and roared, “I’ll fight you to the end—”

Though subdued by many, he still struggled desperately, refusing to yield, his ferocity like that of a wild beast.

“Take him away!” Without waiting for the woman’s command, the surrounding soldiers produced heavy iron chains and, in the blink of an eye, bound him tightly. A squad escorted him away.

With the task complete, the woman finally turned around, looking at George Lambert who was sitting on the ground, and walked over slowly, raising a token as she did: “Demon-Slaying Division, Xingshi, William Warren.”

Her voice was gentle yet cold, matching her demeanor.

“Yudu Guard, Fukang Ward Station, George Lambert.” George Lambert hurriedly got up, his right leg stumbling a bit, then cupped his fists and replied, “Thank you, miss, for saving me.”

“So you’re with the Yudu Guard. No need to thank me—we’re all just doing our jobs. If you hadn’t flushed him out, our Demon-Slaying Division might have missed a major criminal. However…” William Warren paused, her gaze lingering on George Lambert with a hint of curiosity, and asked:

“How did you know he was a Jiuyang spy?”

Chapter 4: You’re Actually This Competitive

Huh?

George Lambert was stunned by these words, his mind buzzing.

How did I know?

I only knew because you said so!

No wonder that man was so highly skilled—he was actually one of the legendary Jiuyang secret agents? No wonder he suddenly lashed out when he saw the three of us charging at him with swords drawn…

He must have been feeling guilty, mistakenly thinking we were after him, so he struck first.

But actually, we were after the old man with the cart behind him; our paths just happened to overlap.

Who would have thought we’d stumble upon such an unexpected catch.

“We didn’t know he was a Jiuyang spy either…” George Lambert replied with a look of sincerity and determination, “We just noticed his suspicious behavior during our routine patrol, sensed a murderous aura about him, unlike a decent person, so we went to check it out. Sure enough, he panicked and gave himself away…”

“Sharp eyes.” William Warren offered a faint compliment, handing over the portrait in her hand.

George Lambert took it and realized it was a wanted poster, finally understanding the man’s significance.

Edward Young, previously a sixth-rank Wu’an Hall Xingshi and a deputy general in the army, had, during the Yin Dynasty’s campaign against the Haoyue Kingdom, slaughtered civilians and claimed false merits, for which he was apprehended by General Ling Sansi of the East Sea.

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that he was actually a long-term Jiuyang spy sent to the Yin Dynasty. His actions were not only for personal advancement, but also to undermine military discipline, spread infamy, and ruin the Yin Dynasty’s reputation among neighboring nations.

His intentions were truly malicious.

While being escorted back to the Divine Capital for trial, he managed to escape through cunning means. The Demon-Slaying Division immediately issued a wanted notice, posting it at the gates of every city. Unexpectedly, this scoundrel was bold enough to return to Longyuan City, and to evade pursuit, he shaved his head and disfigured his face, making it impossible to recognize him from the portrait.

But he was also a bit too ruthless. When George Lambert and his companions charged at him, he decisively chose to strike first.

Had he hesitated even a little, he might have escaped unscathed.

“Today just wasn’t his day!” After reading, George Lambert said heavily.

To outsiders, this might sound like boasting, as if they were so formidable that the criminal was simply unlucky to run into them.

But the brothers themselves knew the truth.

He really was just unlucky.

William Warren then lifted a white silk handkerchief with her left hand, and with her right, took out a white porcelain bottle, pouring three pills onto the handkerchief.