Although a sword talisman can be activated simply by crushing it, there are still some techniques required when using it. If you don’t practice, using it in a rush might even end up hurting yourself.

Lucas Ethan was not paired with Old Henry this time, but instead was grouped with a constable named Andrew Brooks.

Andrew Brooks looked to be in his thirties, also a seasoned constable in Dongling County, skilled in martial arts, and also used a saber. He had even received guidance from Logan in the past, so he was very enthusiastic when facing Lucas Ethan. After they left, he pulled Lucas Ethan by the sleeve and took him to the busiest market street in Dongling, bought two jars of good wine and several large pieces of cooked meat, saying he wanted to visit Lucas Ethan's home to pay respects to Logan. Lucas Ethan couldn’t refuse him, so he had no choice but to follow him home carrying the two jars of wine.

Upon arriving at the Tie family home, Andrew Brooks first paid respects to Logan, flattered Logan for quite a while, and then patted his chest to assure him that no matter what happened tomorrow, he would protect Lucas Ethan and put Logan's mind at ease.

Logan just sat there smiling, drank two jars of wine, chatted idly for a while, and then Andrew Brooks took his leave, leaving Lucas Ethan completely puzzled. He knew that Andrew Brooks must have had a purpose in coming to see Logan, but during the whole drinking session, aside from flattering Logan, he only talked about trivial family matters and never mentioned anything important. Yet, judging by Logan's expression, he seemed to be deep in thought, which made Lucas Ethan curious.

“Dad, what does he mean by this?!”

Logan smiled, “What else could it mean? He wants to be the head constable!!”

“He wants to be the head constable?!” Lucas Ethan was slightly stunned. “If he wants to be head constable, then what about Sheriff Reed…?!”

“David Reed did make a mistake, and his position is unstable now. If he’s smart, he should be more cautious, but I’ve heard that he’s been very impulsive these past few days, repeatedly clashing with Lord Ming, completely failing to see the situation clearly!” Logan sighed. Speaking of which, David Reed was half his disciple, quite skilled and clever, but unfortunately, he acted on impulse at the worst possible time, and there was nothing he could do.

“So Andrew Brooks saw an opportunity?!”

“Andrew Brooks is quite skilled, second only to David Reed in the yamen, and he’s in his prime. If David Reed can’t get through this, there’s a sixty percent chance Andrew Brooks will take over as head constable. If I put in a good word for him with the lord, that chance goes up to ninety percent!”

“Looks like you still have quite a bit of influence with the lord!” Lucas Ethan said with a grin. “When are you going to make me head constable too?”

“You? Forget it, you need at least another ten years of training!” Logan chuckled, then his expression suddenly turned serious. “You’re going again tomorrow?!”

“Yeah, if we don’t catch that evil cultivator, Dongling will never be at peace!”

At the mention of this, Lucas Ethan felt a bit uneasy, because last time, his performance at the mass grave was not good, and he didn’t think he would do much better this time.

Logan stood there, seemingly deep in thought. After hesitating for a moment, he said to Lucas Ethan, “Come with me, I have something for you!”

Lucas Ethan was intrigued but didn’t ask more, and followed Logan into the inner room.

The inner room was Logan's bedroom, very simple: a bed that had been used for over ten years, an old nightstand, a few chests piled in the corner, and besides that, just a small table and two chairs.

Logan entered the room, closed the door, and shut the window, making the room much darker. He walked to the bed, lifted the bedding, revealing a plank under the bed, removed the plank, and exposed a gap wide enough for a person. Logan bent down and started feeling around in the gap. After a while, he pulled out a small box covered in dust from under the bed.

“What’s this?!” Lucas Ethan knew this was probably something his old man had kept hidden away. Seeing him take it out, he asked.

Logan didn’t answer right away, but carried the box to the table.

He gently opened the lid, stepped back to give Lucas Ethan enough space, and motioned for him to come forward.

Lucas Ethan's curiosity grew, and he walked to the table and looked inside. He saw that the box wasn’t very deep, with a thick layer of red silk at the bottom, and the walls lined with thick black cotton cloth. On top of the red silk sat a bead about the size of a fist. The bead was entirely yellow, faintly flickering with a layer of flame-like light, though the glow wasn’t strong. The most striking thing was that the bead was covered in cracks, one of which was three or four millimeters wide and ran through the entire bead. These cracks made the bead look extremely fragile, and Lucas Ethan didn’t even dare to pick it up, afraid it would fall apart at the slightest touch.

“This bead is something I acquired in my early years. It should be a very powerful magical treasure, able to emit a blazing light that specifically harms the eyes. I’ve used it twice, and it saved me from great danger both times. Unfortunately, when I got it, it was already cracked, though not as badly as now. After using it twice, it ended up like this. Judging by its condition, it can probably only be used one or two more times before it shatters completely. Take it with you—it’s more than enough as a life-saving item!”

“How do I use this thing?!”