"Lord Chen."

"Lord."

"..."

Returning from the South Town Garrison Command, Chen Ping’an had just stepped through the gates of the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office when constables began greeting him with beaming smiles.

"Mm."

Chen Ping’an gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

The Zuo Wumei affair had made him the absolute center of attention at the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office. But even without it, he was the office’s legitimate second-in-command, wielding immense authority.

How could any ordinary constable dare to be insolent in his presence?

Upon entering the Garrison Commandant’s Office, Chen Ping’an didn’t head directly to his own room, but went to see Tian Fuliang instead.

No matter what, Tian Fuliang was still his superior. It was proper to give him a full report on the Zuo Wumei matter.

"Lord Tian."

The moment Chen Ping’an knocked, Tian Fuliang looked up, saw him, and rose to welcome him inside.

"Ah, Ping’an! Come, come in."

Tian Fuliang’s reaction was clearly warmer than his usual attitude toward a subordinate.

However, considering Chen Ping’an had just returned from the South Town Garrison Command, Tian Fuliang’s attitude made perfect sense.

"Ping’an, you are truly the lucky star of our Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office. Zuo Wumei ran rampant for years, and in the end, he fell by your hand!"

Tian Fuliang praised Chen Ping’an, his face wreathed in smiles.

He wasn’t wrong. Ever since Chen Ping’an had begun to make a name for himself in Nanquan Lane, he had first annihilated the Tiger Head Gang, then smashed a Ten Thousand Demons Sect stronghold, and now, with Zuo Wumei, this string of accomplishments spoke volumes of his extraordinary nature.

Of course, most superiors would offer some appropriate praise for a capable subordinate, but not to the extent Tian Fuliang was.

Ultimately, it was because he believed Chen Ping’an had powerful backers.

"It is all thanks to Lord Tian’s excellent guidance."

Chen Ping’an adopted a very humble posture.

It was just a platitude, a bit of flattery for Tian Fuliang that cost him nothing tangible.

’If you want to get ahead, you have to engage in a little give and take.’

Creating a rift, or even making an enemy, over a single sentence was simply unnecessary.

Hearing this, the smile on Tian Fuliang’s face grew wider.

He had already given Tian Fuliang a brief account of the previous night’s events when he reported to his superiors earlier. Now, he was just providing a more complete version with additional details. Naturally, Chen Ping’an concealed the specific details of the fight.

"So you’re saying Zuo Wumei was at most at the level of Qi Blood Fourth Layer Perfection!?"

"That’s right. And that was his peak state. Based on my assessment last night, if he were drawn into a protracted battle, his combat strength wouldn’t even reach Perfection. He would be, at best, an ordinary Qi Blood Fourth Layer."

Chen Ping’an responded.

After hearing Chen Ping’an’s words, a flash of regret crossed Tian Fuliang’s face.

’Qi Blood Fourth Layer!’

’With my level of martial skill, had I been properly prepared, I absolutely could have taken him down.’

’What a shame!’

’I missed my chance. And Zuo Wumei came to my house first!’

However, the regret lasted only a moment. After years of rising and falling through the ranks, Tian Fuliang’s Qi Cultivation Skill was naturally superb. He smiled and said, "I never would have thought, Ping’an, that you were a hidden Martial Dao genius. In the blink of an eye, you’re already at the Qi Blood Fifth Layer."

Tian Fuliang was genuinely surprised by Chen Ping’an’s progress in the Martial Dao. This statement was no empty flattery; it was truly from the heart.

"Not at all, Lord Tian, you flatter me. I still have a long way to go."

Chen Ping’an said with a smile, waving his hand dismissively.

"Still, my congratulations to you."

Tian Fuliang patted Chen Ping’an on the shoulder.

The two chatted for a while longer, and the atmosphere was excellent.

During their conversation, Tian Fuliang intentionally yet casually tried to inquire about Chen Ping’an’s future, wondering what arrangements the South Town Garrison Command had made for him.

Chen Ping’an deftly steered the conversation away with just a few words, merely stating that he wasn’t clear on the arrangements from his superiors either.

After chatting for quite a while, Chen Ping’an finally rose to take his leave.

"Take care."

Tian Fuliang watched Chen Ping’an depart, a trace of gloom flashing in his eyes.

’Whoever kills Zuo Wumei receives a two-rank promotion and a reward of one thousand taels of silver.’

’A two-rank promotion from Candidate for Deputy... that is the position of Inspectorate itself.’

’That inconspicuous kid from before is now about to surpass me.’

’Inspectorate...’

...

After returning to his office, Chen Ping’an received several more waves of visitors.

There were people like Constable Li and Constable Huang, as well as Monkey Head, Da Shan, and Xiaozeng.

Without exception, they all came to congratulate Chen Ping’an on slaying Zuo Wumei.

Everyone knew of the decree: whoever killed Zuo Wumei would be promoted two ranks and rewarded with one thousand taels of silver.

Everyone was perfectly clear what position Chen Ping’an would attain with a two-rank promotion from his current level.

Who could have imagined that a mere unlisted temporary constable from back then would reach such heights today?

Most importantly, Chen Ping’an had only just reached the age of manhood!

His best years were still ahead of him; no one knew what heights he might reach in the future.

After dealing with these miscellaneous matters, Chen Ping’an calmed his mind and began to carefully take stock of his gains and losses.

’I’ve exposed some of my strength this time.’

’Fortunately, no one else knows the truth about Zuo Wumei’s condition.’

Therefore, Chen Ping’an still managed to hide a portion of his strength, revealing only a Martial Arts Realm of the Qi Blood Fifth Layer.

By revealing some of his strength at the right time to slay Zuo Wumei, he had reaped immense rewards.

Prestige, a promotion, a favor owed by the Fang Family, and cultivation techniques...

That’s right—cultivation techniques.

Last night, he had looted quite a few good things from Zuo Wumei’s corpse. Besides several silver notes totaling over three thousand taels, there were also two cultivation technique manuals.

Gale Sword Technique! Eight Steps Chasing Cicada!

Gale Sword Technique, a Superior Saber Skill, channels the Gale Intent to be incomparably swift. When cultivated to a certain level, one can condense the Gale Saber Momentum, multiplying its power.

Eight Steps Chasing Cicada, a Superior Lightweight Skill. The name implies one can catch a rare flying cicada within eight steps. By tapping one’s toes to the ground, the body becomes light enough to leap several yards into the air. Furthermore, besides being a Light Body Technique, Eight Steps Chasing Cicada is also an excellent Leg Technique.

It utilizes eight points of attack—the tips of both feet, both knees, both elbows, and both hands—to continuously assault an enemy. If the first kick misses, another kick follows. If the second strike misses, upon landing, use both knees to strike the opponent’s chest. If the third strike misses, lunge forward and use both elbows to attack the opponent’s chest and abdomen. If the fourth strike misses, use both hands to grab the opponent’s throat!

The first kick is the "Inquiry Leg," like a boxer’s jab. If the opponent dodges, it becomes an "Illusory Leg"; if they don’t, it becomes a "Solid Leg." The attacks continue in this fashion, repeating until the opponent’s defenses are broken.

Whether it was the Gale Sword Technique or Eight Steps Chasing Cicada, both were exceptionally fine superior cultivation methods.

Zuo Wumei truly lived up to his reputation as a former Inner Qi Master. He had plenty of good things on him, his foundation was indeed profound.

If Zuo Wumei’s Dantian hadn’t been crippled and if he hadn’t been gravely injured by the Fang Family Elders, with these two cultivation techniques at his disposal, Chen Ping’an would have been no match for him.

Last night, he had simply gotten lucky.

Both cultivation technique manuals contained extremely detailed cultivation explanations, including the Breathing Heart Method and information on Secret Acupoints. As early as yesterday, Chen Ping’an had successfully added both techniques to his Golden Finger Panel.

Name: Chen Ping’an

Realm: Qi Blood Six Layers Perfection

Martial Arts: Iron Cloth Shirt Perfection, Flying Locust Stone Perfection, Public Door Thirteen Blades Perfect, Thirteen Grand Protectors Cross Training Perfect, Minor Achievement in Golden Bell Shield (108/160), Gale Sword Technique (Not Started: 0/20), Eight Steps Chasing Cicada (Not Started: 0/20)

...

Gazing at the Golden Finger Panel in the air before him, Chen Ping’an’s heart thrilled with excitement.

With these two superior martial arts techniques, he wouldn’t need to worry about new cultivation techniques for a long time.

’Sword Skill, Lightweight Skill, Leg Technique, Horizontal Training, hidden weapons... I’ve finally scratched the surface of all these different types of cultivation techniques!’