If one were to push the window open from the small pavilion on the second floor, they could see verdant sights all around, resembling the scene of mountain rocks and stone monuments, which is supposedly the elegance that scholars adore.

Elegance? Elegance lost in gambling?

Tie Lin laughed coldly in his heart.

Just as he was about to knock on the door, he noticed Wuxin had already raised his hand, brushing the brass chains tangled on the door. The heavy brass chains, weighing tens of pounds, broke apart, and the tightly locked wooden door was effortlessly pushed open, leaving a gap.

Though the sound was small, it was rather piercing in the night. Tie Lin instinctively stepped forward to shield Wuxin's actions. At the same time, he placed his right hand on his sword and glanced around keenly. Only after he had instinctively completed this series of protective moves did the corner of his mouth twitch.

Wait, wait, isn't this akin to stealing?!

As part of the Ministry of Punishment, shouldn't one knock on the door to visit and act according to protocol??!

He had always known Wuxin to act recklessly, but he hadn't expected it to be so evident everywhere. Only then did he somewhat understand why this time the Chief Arrestor sent him as a backup to Wuxin rather than allowing him to act alone as usual.

The Chief Arrestor was likely afraid, fearing that one day he would discover his competent disciple had become a Ministry of Punishment fugitive somewhere.

Tie Lin's thoughts stalled slightly, his eyes widened.

Could... Could this happen already?!

Wuxin opened the door calmly:

"Let's go, time is tight."

Without waiting for Tie Lin's response, Wuxin had already briskly entered the courtyard. Left with no choice, Tie Lin followed suit. Upon entering, he noticed that although the courtyard looked fine from the outside, hints of dilapidation could be seen upon closer inspection, indicating the owner was not as affluent as it appeared from a distance.

Indeed, having a gambler in the family is enough to drag down even a prosperous household, let alone one indulging in excessive gambling.

Passing through the main door by a side door and turning twice, first came the servants' quarters, only then did they see the house where the owners lived, with a small pavilion on the second floor and a terrace on the top floor, looking quite well-off.

At this moment, the house was pitch black, as if the owners had already turned in for the night. Tie Lin remembered the owners were a young couple.

The woman was nearly thirty and often had conflicts with neighbors, escalating a few times directly to the Ministry of Punishment, leaving behind some words, which is why he knew.

Now standing at the door, a trace of hesitation surfaced in Tie Lin's heart. If the young woman was currently disrobed and sleeping inside, it would be an exceptionally rude act for the two of them to break in. Even if there was no fear, it would add a lot of trouble.

Just as he hesitated, Wuxin had already pushed the door open. Tie Lin didn't quite react immediately, only understanding what his fellow disciple had done after Wuxin entered, when he heard the woman scream inside followed by sharp, piercing curses.

"Who are you?"

"Ministry of Punishment on duty, pardon me."

"Ministry of Punishment, your damn mother! Get out with Auntie, you are here to extort money again, aren't you? Don't think I don't know!"

"I'll tell you, I know nothing; I don't know where that deadbeat went either. If you have the guts, kill me, otherwise I will find someone to show you hell; my brother is at Liangzhou City...

Straight away came another round of cursing. This person cursed fiercely, almost scolding Wuxin's ancestors in full rotation, yet she wasn't afraid, remaining very calm, evidently having experienced such situations many times, becoming numb with no emotional fluctuations.

On the contrary, the more she spoke, the more spirited she became, uttering all sorts of indecent words repeatedly, almost unimaginable that they came from a woman's mouth.

Tie Lin lamented inwardly, finding the situation rather troublesome. With his experience, he naturally knew such people were the hardest to deal with, incessantly demanding benefits before loosening their tongue. To get some information from them would require spending money and effort.

Even if stepping back a couple or even ten steps, this issue ultimately falls on them; night intrusion into a private residence cannot be justified. Even if it went all the way up to the Chief Arrestor, the issue would not be overlooked.

But just as those piercing curses started rising, they were suppressed by a sharp clang. Tie Lin's expression changed, realizing something was amiss. He hurried inside, and under the moonlight, he observed the scene inside.

The woman was wearing a single garment, seemingly just waking up, half sitting on the bed with most of her body covered by a quilt. Her face still bore signs of fierceness, like ink dropped into clear water yet to diffuse, but quickly overshadowed by fear.

Stunned, Tie Lin gasped, his gaze lowered, seeing a standard long knife of the Ministry of Punishment, fully unsheathed, resting against the woman's neck.

The cold edge was even clearer under the moonlight, causing large patches of goosebumps to appear on the woman's fair skin.

Clearly, the woman had never encountered such a person who would draw a knife with little provocation, trembling greatly, her eyes wide, chest heaving erratically, evidently terrified.

Tie Lin couldn't help but say:

"Brother..."

"Ministry of Punishment on duty, taking convenient actions."

Following the cold moonlight and the knife's edge, the woman's gaze moved upward, seeing a white slender hand tightly gripping the knife handle, a young man in Vermilion Clothes lurking in the dense darkness and dim moonlight, obscured from view.