Chapter 78 - 70: The Number One Constable
’My Martial Arts Power is still too weak,’ Chen Cheng lamented inwardly after seeing the strength on display at the Zheng Martial Arts Hall.
Let alone powerhouses like Gongsun Rou and Luo Yunzhi.
Even those dozen or so disciples practicing the Powerful Eagle Claw Skill were at a much higher Martial Arts Realm than Chen Cheng.
The weakest among them was a Great Success Martial Artist in the Skin Grinding Realm, and a few even had skin as tough as copper and iron, having cultivated to Skin Grinding Realm Perfection.
Of course, Chen Cheng wasn’t discouraged. After all, he had started Cultivating Martial Dao late. If he trained diligently, he would surely catch up and soon surpass them.
In a little over a month, Mr. Zheng would be accepting new disciples. Once he became one of them, he would naturally distinguish himself and obtain the inheritance of the Muscle Strengthening Realm, and perhaps even higher Martial Arts teachings.
And with Mu Xiaowan at the Zheng Martial Arts Hall, he would be able to see her often.
The future is promising!
Back home, inspired by the Sword Technique he had just witnessed Gongsun Rou perform, Chen Cheng practiced his Wind Chasing Saber Technique in the courtyard. He once again entered a state of complete immersion, which lasted for over a full hour.
[Your Cultivation Progress for the Wind Chasing Saber Technique has increased.]
...
[Skills: Wind Chasing Saber Technique (Great Success 1258/10000)]
’It worked. After seeing more advanced Martial Arts Skills, my horizons have broadened. My Saber Technique Cultivation is progressing faster and faster, advancing by leaps and bounds.
The future is promising!’
Sheathing his saber, Chen Cheng stood tall, his eyes gleaming. His joy was written all over his face.
"Young Master, the meal is ready."
Xi’Er called out as she came from the kitchen.
These past few days, she had been learning from Mu Xiaowan and had gotten used to timing things perfectly so as not to interrupt Chen Cheng’s Cultivation or his shift at the City Guard Department.
Lunch was simple: millet rice, braised pork knuckle, and crucian carp and tofu soup.
Chen Cheng picked up a piece of the braised pork knuckle with his chopsticks and took a bite, his brow furrowing slightly.
Xi’Er asked timidly from the side, "Young Master, is the food not to your liking?"
Chen Cheng smiled. "It’s fine, it’s good. You should eat too."
"Oh! I added too much salt." Xi’Er also took a piece of pork, and after a small bite, she found it too salty and the meat a bit tough. Her little face fell, and she looked aggrieved.
Although she knew how to cook, her skills were still unrefined. It naturally wasn’t as delicious as Mu Xiaowan’s cooking.
"It’s alright, we can manage. The more you cook, the better you’ll get," Chen Cheng encouraged with a smile.
"Mhm." Xi’Er’s face lit up, and she nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice. "I’ll definitely do better next time, Young Master. I’ll make sure you enjoy every bite."
"That’s the spirit!" Chen Cheng reached out and ruffled her hair.
...
After lunch and a short rest, Chen Cheng went to the City Guard Department for his shift as usual.
After roll call, a fellow constable from his shift told him that Liu Yunfeng was looking for him, so Chen Cheng went to Liu Yunfeng’s office.
Liu Yunfeng was talking with Chief Constable Su Chenglin. Seeing Chen Cheng arrive, he quickly waved him over. "Ah Cheng, come in."
"Mr. Liu, Captain Su." Chen Cheng walked into the room and cupped his fists to both of them.
Liu Yunfeng glanced at Su Chenglin before speaking with profound meaning, "You’ve moved to Shisong Street, which is quite far from Upper Street. It’s a bit inconvenient for your patrols."
"As it happens, Captain Su came to me. He’s interested in having you work under him. What do you think?"
Shisong Street was within the jurisdiction of the constables led by Su Chenglin. It would certainly be much better to patrol a nearby area.
Moreover, Chen Cheng was sharp and faintly guessed the hidden meaning in Liu Yunfeng’s words.
Su Chenglin was over fifty. His vitality was declining year by year, and he no longer possessed his former prowess. On top of that, he had accumulated many old, hidden injuries from his years of Cultivating Martial Dao. He would likely retire within the next few years.
By specifically requesting Chen Cheng to work under him, he was clearly intending to groom him to take over the position of Chief Constable.
After a moment of consideration, Chen Cheng turned to Su Chenglin, cupped his fists, and said, "I am honored by your high regard, Captain Su. I am willing to follow you."
"Mr. Liu just told me that Ah Cheng is a decisive man. It’s true."
Su Chenglin laughed heartily and continued, "Since that’s settled, I’ll personally take you on a tour of the jurisdiction later."
"Thank you, Captain Su," Chen Cheng said solemnly.
"No need to be so polite, kid. I’ll go make some arrangements. Come find me in my office in a bit." Su Chenglin clapped Chen Cheng’s shoulder and left with a cheerful laugh.
"Ah Cheng, you moved to a new home, and I didn’t get a chance to congratulate you. This is a small token of my well wishes. Please take it." Seeing Su Chenglin had walked away, Liu Yunfeng took a gold coin from his robes and pressed it into Chen Cheng’s hand.
Chen Cheng quickly tried to refuse. "Mr. Liu, I can’t accept this."
Liu Yunfeng’s eyes widened. "You keep calling me ’Mr. Liu,’ but now that you’re transferring to Captain Su, are you already starting to distance yourself from me?"
"I will always remember the kindness you’ve shown in mentoring me, Mr. Liu. How could I dare to distance myself?" Chen Cheng said sincerely. Since he couldn’t refuse, he had no choice but to accept the gold coin.
"That’s more like it." Liu Yunfeng’s smile returned. "The Chief Constable has instructed you to pay a visit to her small courtyard."
...
When he arrived at Shen Qingshuang’s small courtyard, she was busy practicing her Swordsmanship. Xiaoxing was waiting at the gate.
Chen Cheng walked into the courtyard, hoping to witness the Chief Constable’s Swordsmanship, but Xiaoxing pulled out a stack of silver notes and said with a cold expression, "The mistress has ordered me to give you this silver as a reward."
Shen Qingshuang, that old miser, was actually giving him a reward for once. Chen Cheng was overjoyed. He quickly took the silver notes, cupped his fists, and said, "Thank you, Chief Constable."
"Alright, the Chief Constable is busy with her Cultivation. You may go," Xiaoxing said coolly.
Chen Cheng was already used to Shen Qingshuang and Xiaoxing’s strange behavior. He said his thanks and quickly left the courtyard.
He counted them discreetly. A full ten silver notes of ten taels each. A hundred taels of silver in hand. Not bad at all.
In the afternoon, Chen Cheng followed Su Chenglin and the other constables on his shift, touring the jurisdiction. He quickly familiarized himself with the area.
His own power was already formidable, and with Su Chenglin deliberately guiding him, the other constables on the shift were completely won over. Regardless of age, they all addressed him as Brother Cheng upon meeting him.
The next day, after lunch, Chen Cheng didn’t practice his Saber Technique at home. Instead, after a short rest, he hurried to the training grounds of the Ruyi Square Sub-Department.
The biggest benefit of being promoted to an official constable was the opportunity to train in the Martial Dao under an Instructor Constable.
At the Ruyi Square Sub-Department, the Instructor Constable would give guidance on Martial Arts Cultivation on the training grounds for half an hour during the midday break.
Don’t underestimate this half-hour. If one trained hard, the gains could be immense.
Chief Constables like Liu Yunfeng and Su Chenglin had mostly learned their Saber Techniques from the Instructor Constable.
Chen Cheng arrived at the edge of the training grounds. There were already many constables there, and among them he spotted several familiar faces: Liao San, Li Ze, and Lai Yongchang.
Liao San, in particular, stood out. His Saber Technique was fierce and aggressive, full of momentum, and he was clearly several cuts above the other constables.
At the edge of the field, a tall, one-armed old man in his sixties with white hair and a white beard held a Constable’s Saber in one hand, occasionally calling out a few words of guidance to the constables.
This old man was none other than the Ruyi Square Sub-Department’s Instructor Constable, Mu Zhenhai. This Instructor Constable was no simple character. In his youth, he had achieved Saber Technique Perfection and was even on the verge of comprehending Saber Momentum.
Unfortunately, his left arm was severed during a clash with a criminal, causing his power to diminish greatly. As a result, he had retired from active duty to become an Instructor Constable.
Although he only had one arm, his Saber Technique was still exceptionally sharp, far surpassing that of an ordinary Perfect Martial Artist in the saber. Even powerful Chief Constables like Liu Yunfeng held him in high esteem, always addressing him as Elder Mu upon meeting him.
Facing such an expert, Chen Cheng naturally didn’t dare to be disrespectful. He walked forward, cupped his fists, and said, "Chen Cheng greets Elder Mu."
"So you’re the man under Liu Yunfeng they call Fierce Ah Cheng, the number one constable below the Chief Constables?" Mu Zhenhai asked, his expression solemn as he carefully sized Chen Cheng up.
Chen Cheng hadn’t realized he’d gained the nickname "number one constable" at some point. Not only that, but they had added the word "Fierce" to it. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
"That’s just the brothers joking around, Elder Mu. You shouldn’t take it seriously," Chen Cheng said with a straight face.
Mu Zhenhai shook his head, his expression turning quite serious. "There’s a saying: a man’s reputation is like a tree’s shadow. For you to have earned such a name, it certainly didn’t come from nowhere."
"I’ve always regretted not being able to witness you cut down Zhou Fang with your saber. Since you’re also here to practice your Saber Technique, why don’t you come up and give me a demonstration?"