Becoming a Saint From the Iron Armor Skill-Chapter 45: All Arts Unrestrained

"I have enough silver for now, but what’s the deal with this Black Lotus Sect?" Chen Cheng had never heard of this sect.

Liao San explained, "The Black Lotus Sect is a Demon Sect. It’s been around for a long time, always lurking in the shadows and causing trouble. Whenever a Government Office discovers their presence, they immediately use all their resources to wipe them out."

"Why is that?" The sects Chen Cheng knew of, like the Fire Worship Sect, merely recruited followers, swindling and deceiving people to accumulate wealth. The Government Office usually turned a blind eye to them.

"Have you ever heard the saying, ’When the Black Lotus blooms, all techniques are attainable’?" Liao San asked.

Chen Cheng shook his head.

Liao San continued, "This goes back to Martial Arts Cultivation. When a Martial Artist cultivates to Skin Grinding Realm Perfection, they must consume a Muscle Strengthening Elixir to strengthen their muscles and tendons and advance to the Muscle Strengthening Realm.

And after cultivating the Muscle Strengthening Realm to Perfection, one needs a Bone Forging Elixir to temper their bones and advance to the Bone Forging Realm.

Both Muscle Strengthening Elixirs and Bone Forging Elixirs require Spirit Medicines refined from Demon Beasts of corresponding or greater strength to create. They are incredibly precious and monopolized by the Great Yu Government Office, the major Sects, and the Noble Families. That’s why Martial Artists above the Muscle Strengthening Realm are extremely rare.

The people of the Black Lotus Sect once invented a Secret Technique. They would plant a type of Black Lotus in the bodies of Martial Artists with strong qi and blood, and then use that Black Lotus to refine Elixir Pills.

Although the effects of these pills are somewhat weaker than those made from Demon Beast Spirit Medicines, they can still enhance a Martial Artist’s strength. A Skin Grinding Realm Martial Artist who takes these pills can increase their cultivation speed dramatically. The Black Lotus Sect boasts that they can make everyone reach the Skin Grinding Realm.

Not only that, but if they plant a Black Lotus in a Martial Artist at the Muscle Strengthening Realm or above, the Muscle Strengthening Elixir refined from it can also help someone successfully break through to the Muscle Strengthening Realm.

This is what they call ’When the Black Lotus blooms, all techniques are attainable.’

The Black Lotus Sect was once prosperous, but because their Secret Technique was so vicious, they were jointly besieged and nearly annihilated by the Great Yu Court and the major Sects and Noble Families. The Secret Technique for planting the Black Lotus was lost as a result.

But in recent years, this Demon Sect has resurfaced from who knows where. They’re causing trouble all over Great Yu, and it looks like they’re making a comeback."

’Using Martial Artists as fields to grow medicinal ingredients... A Demon Sect like that is truly horrifying. No wonder everyone wants them dead.’

Even with Chen Cheng’s firm state of mind, he was genuinely frightened.

’It seems even Martial Artists who cultivate the Martial Dao aren’t safe when they’re out and about. I have to protect myself well. Otherwise, who knows when the Black Lotus Sect might come looking for me!’

"Can the Black Lotus Sect’s Martial Artists plant the Black Lotus in their own members?"

Chen Cheng couldn’t help but ask, his curiosity piqued by the possibility.

Liao San shook his head. "The Black Lotus Sect is extremely secretive. Even Mr. Liu doesn’t know much about them. I only heard him mention it recently myself, so I’m not very clear on the details.

However, the Elixir Pills the Black Lotus Sect refines with their Evil Technique are volatile and extremely toxic. Those who consume them have their bodies corroded by the toxins and often don’t live past forty. They also develop a lotus-shaped black mark on their chest and back, which makes them easy to identify."

At this point, Liao San added a word of caution.

"Mr. Liu has instructed that matters concerning the Black Lotus Sect are confidential. They can’t be casually leaked, or it could cause a panic.

The only reason Mr. Liu made an exception and warned me is because I recently started cultivating a Body Tempering Technique and just entered the Skin Grinding Realm, making me a likely target for them. He said I could only tell you, and that it must not be spread any further."

"I understand. Thank you for the warning, Third Brother," Chen Cheng said with sincere gratitude.

Recently, bandits had become rampant in Linji City, so the City Guard Department had increased patrols. Constables could no longer be away from their posts for long periods as they had been before.

After finishing his explanation about the Black Lotus Sect, Liao San carefully went over the pawnshop’s address, the secret code for their meeting, and the details to be aware of during the transaction before leaving in a hurry.

There was still some food and warm wine on the table. Chen Cheng wasn’t in a rush to leave; he sat leisurely, sipping his wine and thinking.

’The world is getting more and more chaotic. Even though the poison-laced Hidden Weapon has gone up to eight taels of silver, I’ll still have to grit my teeth and buy it.’

’After buying the Hidden Weapon, I’ll still have seven or eight taels of silver left. With my monthly salary, I should be able to guarantee a sufficient supply of meat for the next half a year or so.’

’With enough meat, I won’t have to worry about depleting my qi and blood, and my Cultivation Progress won’t be delayed. By then, my Iron Armor Skill should reach Great Success, and my Wind Chasing Saber Technique should be close to Perfection. Then I can enter the Inner City, join the Zheng Martial Arts Hall, and plan my next steps.’

During this time, Chen Cheng had also gathered quite a bit of information about the Zheng Martial Arts Hall. Mr. Zheng was an upright man who taught all students without discrimination. As long as someone had a clean background and outstanding talent in the Martial Dao, he was willing to teach them with great care.

He came from a Humble Family, and after achieving success in his Martial Arts Cultivation, he did not align himself with the Four Great Clans of the Inner City. He was considered a transcendent existence in the Inner City, on par with the Four Great Clans.

By becoming his disciple, Chen Cheng wouldn’t have to worry about threats from the Four Great Clans.

In Linji City, this was undoubtedly Chen Cheng’s best option.

"Chen Cheng, what are you doing here?"

Just then, a slightly surprised voice interrupted Chen Cheng’s thoughts.

The speaker was none other than Jiang Yun, the woman who once had a marriage agreement with Chen Cheng. She had just come down from the second floor, accompanied by the Shopkeeper of Ronghe Restaurant and two Hospital Martial Artists.

Chen Cheng had met Jiang Yun a few months ago, and his impression of her was that she was crazy and seemed to have something wrong with her head.

He really didn’t want to deal with a madwoman like her and couldn’t help but frown.

"What else would I be doing in a restaurant but drinking?"

Jiang Yun stared at Chen Cheng, her eyes filled with suspicion.

She wasn’t just striking up a conversation, of course. ’He still hasn’t given up on me. Of all the restaurants, why did he have to come to Ronghe Restaurant? Is he waiting for me to show up so he can pester me?’

She noticed that Chen Cheng was wearing the gray uniform of a Preparatory Constable of the City Guard Department, with a Long Saber at his waist.

’No wonder he’s speaking with such confidence. So he went from a Prison Guard to a Preparatory Constable for the City Guard Department. Hmph, does he think becoming a Preparatory Constable is enough to climb up to my level?’

’Ordinary Preparatory Constables don’t even carry sabers. But look at him, finding some shoddy iron saber from who-knows-where just to put on a front. How ridiculous!’

Jiang Yun could tell with a single glance that the Long Saber at Chen Cheng’s waist was a low-quality iron weapon used by minor figures in Jianghu Gangs, and she sneered inwardly.

"Chen Cheng, I advise you not to have any improper ideas. You and I are from two different worlds, after all."

Jiang Yun left him with those baffling words and stormed off with her Hospital Martial Artists.

’That madwoman really does have a screw loose!’

Chen Cheng shook his head. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He reached into the Money Bag in his robes, fumbled around for a moment, and pulled out an IOU.

Five taels of silver wasn’t a lot, but he had to get it back one way or another.

’Do they think it’s so easy to default on a debt to the Chens? After all these years, with principal and interest, it should be a considerable sum!’

With that thought, Chen Cheng downed the rest of his wine in a few gulps, then left the restaurant and leisurely made his way toward the Jiang Family estate.

...

The Jiang Family estate was located in an alley in the central part of the Ruyi District. The surrounding residents were all wealthy households with high walls and large courtyards, each protected by their own Hospital Martial Artists.

When Chen Cheng arrived not far from the Jiang Family estate, the alleys were mostly empty. The courtyards were imposing and the surroundings were completely quiet, like a different world compared to the poor districts.

This wasn’t surprising; the streets where the wealthy lived were usually like this. It was broad daylight, and as a constable of the City Guard Department, Chen Cheng felt no fear, strolling brazenly down the street.

About two alleys away from the Jiang Family estate, Chen Cheng turned a corner and suddenly heard the sounds of a fight from a nearby alley.

He turned to look and saw Jiang Yun and her two Hospital Martial Artists surrounded by seven or eight men in black wielding sabers.

The men in black had the advantage in numbers and seemed quite strong as well. Jiang Yun’s two Hospital Martial Artists were already wounded in several places; it looked like they wouldn’t last much longer before being cut down.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yun was tied down by three of the men in black. Her Swordsmanship was actually quite impressive; she was somehow holding her own against three opponents.

However, once her two Hospital Martial Artists were killed, the other men in black would swarm her, and she would be in grave danger.

Jiang Yun understood her predicament. She shouted for help while trying to break out of the alley, but to no avail.

Just then, a figure wearing the uniform of a City Guard Department constable and carrying a saber appeared at the mouth of the alley, looking over with great curiosity.

Who else could it be but Chen Cheng?

Jiang Yun was overjoyed and quickly shouted, "Chen Cheng, quick, call for help! Save me."

City Guard Department constables usually patrolled the streets in groups of two or three. Since Chen Cheng was here, she assumed other constables must be nearby.

As long as the City Guard Department constables arrived, these villains would retreat, and she, Jiang Yun, would naturally be saved. For a moment, a wave of joy from surviving a disaster washed over her.

But things did not go as she had hoped. Chen Cheng took a quick glance at the situation in the alley, turned around, and bolted, disappearing in an instant.