Chapter 90 - 76: Rising to Fame
Even though he knew Yan Jian was quite strong, Chen Cheng couldn’t help but be impressed. ’Nineteen years old and already at Skin Grinding Realm Perfection... I doubt even the disciples of the Inner City’s great clans are much better.’
Liu Yunfeng’s expression was complicated. He sighed softly and said, "He can’t compare to the disciples from the great clans of the Inner City. Take Lord Shen, for example. She started her martial arts training at fourteen, reached Skin Grinding Realm Perfection by seventeen, and now, at twenty-two, she has reached Muscle Strengthening Realm Perfection. A figure like that is what you’d truly call a heaven-blessed prodigy.
As for Yan Jian, his talent for the Martial Dao is certainly good, but he can’t compare to the disciples of the Four Great Clans of the Inner City.
You don’t need to be discouraged. You’re only eighteen, and you haven’t been cultivating the Martial Dao for long. Your strength is already comparable to a Great Success Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm. Your future achievements won’t be any less than Yan Jian’s."
Chen Cheng’s true strength was already on par with a Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm, so of course he wasn’t discouraged.
"Mr. Liu, just now, Lord Shen said she would provide Yan Jian with some Muscle Strengthening Elixir.
You’ve also pledged your allegiance to the Shen Family, and your strength is at Skin Grinding Realm Perfection. Has Lord Shen ever given you any Muscle Strengthening Elixir?"
Liu Yunfeng chuckled, but then his expression turned serious, his gaze sharp. "I’m about to reach Great Success in the Muscle Strengthening Realm."
As he spoke, he activated his Qi Blood Power. The aura around him exploded outward, powerful and domineering, giving one the feeling of facing a ferocious beast.
Chen Cheng was slightly startled and said admiringly, "Mr. Liu, you’ve hidden your strength too well!"
Liu Yunfeng withdrew his aura and smiled faintly. "When a Martial Artist cultivates the Martial Dao, if they can’t break through to the Muscle Strengthening Realm, their Qi Blood Power will begin to decline year after year after they turn thirty.
At thirty, I was fortunate enough to obtain a Muscle Strengthening Elixir and broke through to the Muscle Strengthening Realm. After that, because I had no more Muscle Strengthening Elixirs for my Cultivation, my progress stalled. I’ve only started to improve again recently."
"So you’re saying Lord Shen gave you Muscle Strengthening Elixirs as well?" Chen Cheng asked.
Liu Yunfeng nodded and sighed. "Sigh... Pledging my allegiance to the Shen Family was something I did out of necessity.
With your current strength, it’s time you learned about the situation in Linji City so you can prepare for the future.
In the Great Yu of today, the Court’s influence is waning. Its decrees no longer reach the local territories. Although the regions still maintain the structure of the Great Yu Government Office, the reality is that power is shared between the Court, the Sects, and the Noble Families.
Linji City is controlled by the Four Great Clans of the Inner City: the Jiang Family, the Qin Family, the Wang Family, and the Shen Family.
The Four Great Clans control all of Linji City’s resources, and they are constantly fighting, both openly and in the shadows, to seize them.
The City Guard Department holds immense power, making it a natural point of contention for the Four Great Clans. Ordinary Chief Constables must either walk a tightrope and try to appease all four families, or they must pledge allegiance to one of them.
If you want to advance further and be promoted to a Chief Constable in charge of an entire district, you must be someone appointed by one of the Four Great Clans. There are no exceptions.
Only when you reach the level of a district’s Chief Constable can you receive some Muscle Strengthening Elixirs from the City Guard Office. If the family values you, they might also reward you with more.
You could say that pledging allegiance to one of the Four Great Clans is the only path for a Martial Artist in the Muscle Strengthening Realm to increase their Martial Arts Power."
At this point, a peculiar look crossed Liu Yunfeng’s face. He smiled and said, "As for Yan Jian’s character, I imagine you’ve seen it for yourself?"
Chen Cheng understood his meaning and also smiled. "Chief Yan’s skill at flattery is truly extraordinary!"
"Hahaha! ’Skill at flattery is truly extraordinary!’ An excellent turn of phrase!" Liu Yunfeng laughed heartily, then straightened his posture. "We Martial Artists who cultivate the Martial Dao place the greatest importance on our principles and spirit. We must act with integrity, with nothing to be ashamed of.
Those who shamelessly scheme and curry favor for personal gain are unacceptable. You must not learn his crooked ways."
Chen Cheng replied seriously, "You are right, Mr. Liu. We Martial Artists should take this as a cautionary tale.
Mr. Liu, what about the Inner City’s Zheng Martial Arts Hall?"
Chen Cheng had asked Liu Yunfeng about the Zheng Martial Arts Hall more than once, but his previous answers had always been vague. This time, however, his expression was serious as he spoke:
"Mr. Zheng is, of course, a role model for Martial Artists like us. However, he alone cannot contend with the Four Great Clans.
It’s a good thing that you want to join the Zheng Martial Arts Hall. Although they don’t have many cultivation resources, they teach all their disciples without discrimination and will pass down profound Martial Arts Skills.
As for cultivation resources, you and I can only rely on our own efforts to obtain them."
...
After leaving Liu Yunfeng, Chen Cheng was outside the Government Office Hall when he unexpectedly ran into Yan Jian walking out from a garden pathway.
The man held his head high with his chest puffed out, a smug and joyful look on his face. It was obvious his efforts to suck up to Shen Qingshuang’s maid, Xiaoxing, had produced excellent results.
Chen Cheng couldn’t be bothered with him, so he pretended not to see him and strode toward the Government Office Hall.
Inside the hall, a group of constables was crowded around Mu Chuan, listening as he recounted the previous night’s encounter with wild gesticulations and flying spittle.
"You guys have no idea how dangerous it was last night! If Brother Cheng hadn’t been so sharp and seen through that villain Bo Qi’s treacherous plot, turning it against him and beheading him with one slash, I’m afraid I would’ve been a goner too...
...You don’t know how formidable those South City Thirteen Thieves are. Forget Bo Qi, their number two, Lou Hui, was unbelievably fierce and powerful! I still get chills just thinking about it... Even so, Brother Cheng and I fought with everything we had and actually managed to clash with him for dozens of rounds...
...And guess what happened in the end? Brother Cheng and I were still no match for Lou Hui, so we had to run for our lives! Lou Hui was chasing us relentlessly; his greatsaber nearly struck my back several times.
It was all thanks to Brother Cheng, who grabbed me and kept running...
...But you think that’s the end of the story? Turns out, Brother Cheng wasn’t just trying to escape. He was setting up a counterattack to kill Lou Hui...
...The moonlight was too bright, making it impossible to escape. But then Brother Cheng... suddenly, a cloud of lime powder filled the air, blocking both the moonlight and Lou Hui’s line of sight...
Beneath the bright moonlight, amidst the swirling cloud of lime powder, Brother Cheng struck with a single, vicious slash and took Lou Hui’s head... At that moment, only one thought crossed my mind: Brother Cheng was a Celestial God descended to the mortal world!"
It had to be said, Mu Chuan was a gifted orator, almost like a professional storyteller. The constables listened with repeated gasps of admiration, clapping and cheering from time to time!
’That kid, Mu Chuan, is really laying it on thick!’
Chen Cheng shook his head slightly and walked straight toward the Dianmao Government Office.
"Brother Cheng!"
"Brother Cheng!"
...
Seeing him arrive, all the constables greeted him warmly. Chen Cheng had no choice but to smile and return their greetings one by one.
Yan Jian strode into the Government Office Hall, chest puffed out, intending to subtly drop a hint about being the South City District’s youngest new Chief Constable before he left, just to show off his authority.
But to his dismay, no one even noticed him. Everyone was fawning over Chen Cheng, like a host of stars orbiting the moon.
"Hmph! A bunch of ignorant nobodies!"
Yan Jian muttered resentfully and left in a foul mood.
...
The case of the Zhao Family’s massacre, handled by the Ruyi Square Sub-Department, had caused a massive uproar. After the wanted posters for the South City Thirteen Thieves were released, the common people lived in fear, terrified of the infamous names of the leaders, Bo Qi and Lou Hui. People felt so unsafe that even a crying child could be scared into silence with a simple threat: "The South City Thirteen Thieves are here."
Now that the two remaining, ferocious leaders of the South City Thirteen Thieves had been slain by a City Guard Department constable, the news naturally spread like wildfire, and soon everyone in the Ruyi District had heard.
"Fierce Ah Cheng!"
"The Ruyi Square Sub-Department’s Number One Constable!"
"The Hero Who Vanquishes Evil!"
...
All sorts of titles began to spread throughout the district.
Not far from the Ruyi Square Sub-Department, inside a large tavern, an old storyteller slapped his bamboo clapper, letting out a sharp CRACK before he began his tale:
"My esteemed audience, have you heard the tale? The South City Thirteen Thieves were notoriously infamous, and their leader, Bo Qi, along with his second-in-command, Lou Hui, were Great Success Martial Artists of the Skin Grinding Realm who had achieved Saber Technique Perfection...
...But then, a young hero emerged from obscurity, overcoming the strong despite being the weaker...
..."
"Brother Cheng, quick, listen! He’s telling your story!"
Down in the audience, Mu Chuan tugged on Chen Cheng’s sleeve, his face flushed with excitement.
For slaying the South City Thirteen Thieves, Chen Cheng had received a sizable reward silver, and nearly everyone at the Ruyi Square Sub-Department had offered their congratulations.
Naturally, Chen Cheng had to show his appreciation in return. Since there were too many people to thank individually, he spent twenty taels of silver for the other Chief Constables and familiar constables like Liao San to treat everyone to a feast.
Chen Cheng had always preferred to keep a low profile, so he didn’t join them.
However, as a brother-in-arms who had faced life and death with Chen Cheng, Mu Chuan would not take no for an answer. He insisted on dragging Chen Cheng out for a proper meal with drinks. Unable to refuse him, Chen Cheng had no choice but to take him to a restaurant.
Chen Cheng’s fame was skyrocketing, thanks in no small part to Mu Chuan and the other constables of the Ruyi Square Sub-Department.
That guy Mu Chuan really was a show-off. Seeing that the hero of the story, Chen Cheng himself, was right there, he raised his hand and was about to shout, "That young hero..."
Startled, Chen Cheng quickly stuffed the large chicken leg he was holding into Mu Chuan’s mouth, hissing, "You brat, what do you think you’re doing?"