Becoming a Saint From the Iron Armor Skill-Chapter 50: Concealing the Truth

Night fell. A crescent moon, like a hook, hung in the sky, now visible, now hidden among the dark clouds. Locust Tree Lane was pitch-black.

After dinner, Chen Cheng practiced the Wind Chasing Saber Technique in the darkness of his courtyard for an hour.

Sheathing his saber, he stood and summoned his status panel.

[Name: Chen Cheng

Realm: Skin Grinding Realm (Small Success)

Skills: Iron Armor Skill (Small Success 808/1000), Wind Chasing Saber Technique (Great Success 82/10,000)]

Having gone through a life-and-death battle during the day, Chen Cheng had gained many new insights. When he cultivated, he once again entered a state of deep focus, and his progress soared.

In just one afternoon, plus another hour in the evening, his Wind Chasing Saber Technique Cultivation Progress had increased by 80 points.

In a few more months, he should be able to cultivate his Wind Chasing Saber Technique to the Perfect Level.

Compared to the Great Success Level Saber Technique, the Perfect Level represented a qualitative leap in power.

Though Chen Cheng had never seen a Martial Artist with Saber Technique Perfection in action, he had heard some things from the other constables. Any such master, relying on their superior Saber Technique alone, could remain undefeated even when besieged by ten or more Great Success Blade Masters.

Chen Cheng was filled with anticipation for the progress of his Saber Technique.

As for his Iron Armor Skill, it was progressing steadily. He could even slack off and cultivate it while on duty, increasing his progress by about 6 points each day.

It would take about another month to reach Great Success in the Skin Grinding Realm.

During his fight with the Hospital Martial Artist that day, Chen Cheng could sense that the man’s strength was likely at Great Success in the Skin Grinding Realm.

Compared to that man, Chen Cheng was only at Small Success in the Skin Grinding Realm, nearing Great Success, yet his strength and speed were not the least bit inferior—in fact, they were even slightly greater.

However, when it came to the toughness of his skin, Chen Cheng was far behind.

This was likely the difference between an Inner Breath Technique and a Body Tempering Technique.

The man from that day was no ordinary Great Success Martial Artist. As he was about to die, he seemed to use some kind of Secret Technique, suddenly erupting with power close to that of a Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm.

He was such a formidable enemy. If Chen Cheng hadn’t been so meticulously cautious—always using his full strength in any life-and-death battle—he probably wouldn’t have been able to kill him.

After all, Chen Cheng had always believed that tactics like throwing lime powder were a part of one’s strength. Used unexpectedly, they could produce miraculous results.

Even though he had successfully slain the man, Chen Cheng felt a great sense of crisis in his heart. ’My strength... is still too weak.’

On the surface, the man was just a Hospital Martial Artist. Who would have thought his true identity was a member of the Black Lotus Sect?

The Black Lotus Sect’s claim that all its members reached the Skin Grinding Realm was clearly no empty boast.

Chen Cheng could also guess some of the man’s motives for attacking. Most people who cultivated the Evil Techniques of the Black Lotus Sect didn’t live past forty.

The man was already over thirty with not much time left, so naturally, he acted without restraint. He had developed the intent to kill just because of a few words exchanged with Chen Cheng in a petty dispute.

If Chen Cheng had been just an ordinary Great Success Blade Master, he would be a dead man by now.

Extrapolating from this one incident, there were probably quite a few Jianghu Martial Artists who had died at that man’s hands.

’Perhaps this is what members of the Demon Sects are like—their actions are impossible to predict with common sense. Truly terrifying!’ Chen Cheng thought to himself.

’This world is far more dangerous than I imagined.’

"Brother Cheng, the hot water is ready."

Mu Xiaowan had timed it perfectly, emerging from the kitchen with a basin of hot water.

"Mm."

Chen Cheng put away his Long Saber, walked over to take the wooden basin, and headed into the house.

Inside, as Mu Xiaowan carefully wiped Chen Cheng’s body, she said, "Brother Cheng, I hid the device under the second floor tile. Do you want to carry one with you?"

That afternoon, Chen Cheng had put on plain clothes, concealed his face, and gone to a pawn shop to buy another poison-water Hidden Weapon.

The poison-water Hidden Weapon he’d taken from the Hospital Martial Artist had four uses left. Combined with the newly purchased one that had ten uses, he had fourteen in total—enough for Mu Xiaowan’s self-defense.

Although the poison-water Hidden Weapon was powerful, it wasn’t of much use to Chen Cheng himself. Anyone who could truly threaten him would naturally be able to dodge the spray of a Hidden Weapon.

In contrast, carrying a large amount of lime powder to distract enemies was far more practical.

"I won’t carry one," Chen Cheng said softly.

...

「The night was deep.」

In the Jiang Family residence, the family members and servants were all asleep. The rear courtyard was dark and silent.

The front courtyard, however, was still brightly lit. A doorkeeper huddled behind the main gate, yawning from time to time as he glanced toward the main hall.

At the entrance to the main hall, a dozen or so Hospital Martial Artists stood with solemn expressions, Long Sabers in hand.

Jiang Rongxuan sat in a redwood chair, his face full of worry. He watched Jiang Yun, who was pacing anxiously back and forth in the hall with a knitted brow, then picked up his teacup only to set it back down.

"Yun’er, can’t you sit down for a moment? You’re making my head spin, pacing like that."

Jiang Yun walked to the side and sat down, though she still felt restless and anxious.

"Father, what business do you think Steward Bao went to handle? Why isn’t he back yet, so late at night?"

"He only said he was attending to a personal matter. How should I know?" Jiang Rongxuan said irritably.

"Sigh!" Jiang Yun let out a long sigh. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The hall fell silent for a time as the father and daughter just sat and waited.

They had some inkling about the attack on Jiang Yun from earlier that day. The mastermind was likely the Wang Family of Ruyi District.

The Wang Family of Ruyi District was a distant, collateral branch of the Wang Family, one of the Four Great Clans of the Inner City, and they held considerable influence.

Wang Cong, the main heir of the Wang Family, had taken a fancy to Jiang Yun and wanted to take her as a concubine, sending matchmakers to their door multiple times to propose.

Normally, being able to form a connection with the Wang Family of Ruyi District should have made Jiang Rongxuan happily agree to the marriage.

But Wang Cong was a frivolous and debauched man, a complete dandy who spent his days in gambling dens and brothels. Furthermore, the family businesses of all the concubines he had taken before were eventually swallowed up by the Wang Family.

With such precedents, Jiang Rongxuan was naturally unwilling and had politely refused every time.

Besides, the Jiang Family itself was connected by marriage to the powerful Zhou Family of the South City District, so they had some backing. Thus, the matter had been dragged out.

From this latest incident, it was clear that Wang Cong hadn’t given up and had tried to have Jiang Yun secretly abducted.

If their Hospital Chief Steward, Bao Yansong, hadn’t been so overwhelmingly powerful and intervened to save Jiang Yun, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Seeing that Bao Yansong still hadn’t returned, the Jiang father and daughter were naturally anxious.

"Forget it. For as long as Steward Bao is gone, you are not to leave the house."

They waited until well after midnight, but Bao Yansong still hadn’t returned. Jiang Rongxuan could only say helplessly.

Jiang Yun suddenly said, "Father, do you think Steward Bao could have gone looking for Chen Cheng, and was... by him..."

Jiang Rongxuan shook his head. "Yun’er, what are you thinking? Chen Cheng is strong, but how could he possibly be a match for Steward Bao, a Great Success Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm?"

...

「The next day.」

Chen Cheng went on duty at the Ruyi Square Sub-Department as usual.

During roll call, he heard from Liao San that a major case had occurred in Xia Ban Lane the day before. Chief Constable Shen Qingshuang had even gone to investigate the scene herself.

As for the details of the case, the Chief Constables and constables involved were all tight-lipped, and no one knew anything.

Xia Ban Lane was the very alley where Chen Cheng had slain the Hospital Martial Artist. It was obvious that a case involving the Black Lotus Sect was serious enough that even Chief Constable Shen Qingshuang couldn’t sit still.

A member of the Black Lotus Sect had died, yet no word of it had gotten out, which proved that Shen Qingshuang was deliberately concealing the truth.

As for why Shen Qingshuang would hide it, Chen Cheng couldn’t guess. ’In any case, no one knows I’m the one who killed the Black Lotus Sect member, so I can’t be bothered to guess at her motives. As a low-level constable, it’s best for me to remain a nobody. I’ll just patrol the streets honestly, do my duty, and quietly focus on cultivating the Martial Dao to increase my strength.’