Chapter 99 - 80: The Black Lotus Counterattacks
Chen Cheng smiled faintly and said, "You’re a quick worker."
Li Sheng replied respectfully, "When carrying out your orders, Mr. Chen, I will naturally do my utmost."
"Mm, I’ll keep that in mind. You may go for now." Chen Cheng waved his hand and returned to considering his choice of subordinates.
But Li Sheng showed no intention of leaving, hesitating as if he wanted to say something.
He was well-informed and knew that following a Preparatory Chief Constable would make it easier to be promoted to an official constable later, so he had set his mind on following Chen Cheng.
"Is there something else?" Chen Cheng asked.
Li Sheng said tentatively, "Mr. Chen, even though you’re a Preparatory Chief Constable, I’m sure you’ll need people to run errands and handle tasks. I may not be the most talented, but I’m willing to be your point man and serve you diligently."
"Your Martial Arts Power is greater than many official constables, and you work efficiently. You are indeed quite good," Chen Cheng said with a smile.
"Thank you for your high praise, Mr. Chen!" Li Sheng was overjoyed and quickly bowed.
Chen Cheng waved his hand and said, "Don’t thank me yet. Lord Shen only granted me one slot for a Preparatory Constable, and I’ve already promised it to someone else. I have no use for you at the moment."
"Ah... this..." Li Sheng froze on the spot.
Chen Cheng gave him a warm smile and said, "You don’t need to be discouraged. As long as you perform well, I will of course make good use of you when an opportunity arises.
For now, you may go."
Of course, this was just an empty promise. Li Sheng was strong, but his character was poor. Why would Chen Cheng ever use him?
"Yes," Li Sheng replied, then left in disappointment.
Chen Cheng drank his tea for a while longer, then went home to cultivate the Wind Chasing Saber Technique.
During breaks from his cultivation, he would teach Xi’Er a few characters.
After lunch, Chen Cheng went to the training grounds in the back of the Ruyi Square Sub-Department.
Mr. Mu was at the edge of the grounds with his hands clasped behind his back, instructing the constables on their Saber Technique.
"Ah Cheng, my boy, you’ve really done well for yourself. A Chief Constable now."
Seeing Chen Cheng arrive, Mu Zhenhai walked up to him, laughed heartily, and exclaimed in admiration, "To think you’d still come to the training grounds to cultivate your Saber Technique after becoming a Chief Constable. That’s truly rare!"
After Chen Cheng had cultivated under Mr. Mu for a month, his Saber Technique improved at an incredible speed. Mr. Mu had long since stopped urging him to come to the training grounds to cultivate his Saber Technique.
In the old man’s own words, he had already taught Chen Cheng everything he knew, all his most treasured techniques. If Chen Cheng wanted to learn more, the old man had nothing left to teach.
Chen Cheng smiled and said, "Elder Mu, I didn’t come to cultivate my Saber Technique today. I came to ask if I could borrow someone from you."
"Borrow someone?" Mu Zhenhai was puzzled.
Chen Cheng said, "I’ve just been promoted to Preparatory Chief Constable, and Lord Shen has permitted me to take on a Preparatory Constable.
I remember you have a grandnephew, Elder Mu, who just joined the City Guard Department as a Preparatory Constable. I was wondering if you would be willing to let him serve under me?"
The position of a Preparatory Chief Constable was a comfortable one with few duties, so the subordinate who ran errands for him would naturally have a leisurely post as well.
By seeking out a junior of the Mu Family instead of someone else, Chen Cheng was clearly repaying the favor of Mu Zhenhai teaching him the Saber Technique, giving the younger Mu a helping hand.
Mu Zhenhai was old and shrewd; how could he not understand the logic behind it? ’I really didn’t misjudge Chen Cheng,’ he thought to himself, feeling immensely pleased. He laughed heartily and said, "To be held in such high regard by Mr. Chen is a stroke of good fortune for this junior of the Mu Family."
As he spoke, he beckoned toward the field and called out, "Mu Song, come over here and greet Mr. Chen."
"Yes." Mu Song stopped his cultivation and ran over, giving Chen Cheng a cupped-fist salute. "Mu Song greets Mr. Chen."
Mu Song had a fair and youthful face, and his build wasn’t very sturdy. At seventeen or eighteen, he was about the same age as Chen Cheng.
Although they were of a similar age, Mu Song was full of respect for Chen Cheng, mixed with a hint of fear.
After all, the man before him was the one who had cut down Zhou Fang and the South City Thirteen Thieves—the number one ruthless figure in the Ruyi Square Sub-Department. Now that he had been promoted to Chief Constable, Mu Song felt a deep-seated awe.
"Not bad, kid. From now on, you’ll be working for me."
Chen Cheng clapped Mu Song on the shoulder, then turned to Mu Zhenhai. "Elder Mu, how about we find a place and have a few drinks?"
"That sounds great! It’s been a while since you and I had a drink together. We should definitely have a good few rounds today," said Mu Zhenhai.
That day, Chen Cheng and Mu Zhenhai drank to their hearts’ content, with Mu Song keeping them company, not stopping until well into the afternoon.
...
For the next few days, Chen Cheng would report for duty at the City Guard Department each morning, then return home to cultivate the Wind Chasing Saber Technique.
The City Lord’s Mansion mobilized a large force, ordering the City Guard Department and the Protectorate Army to conduct searches throughout the Four Outer City Districts, and many people were arrested.
However, very few members of the Black Lotus Sect were captured, and the results were negligible.
After all, the followers of the Black Lotus Sect looked no different from ordinary people; only after death would the Black Lotus Mark appear on their bodies.
After the searches, however, a curfew was imposed on the Four Outer City Districts, and all major streets were heavily guarded by the Protectorate Army.
The curfew had a significant impact. The Black Lotus Sect seemed to have been stirred into action, and many vicious incidents occurred during the day in the Four Outer City Districts.
The various districts of the South City District also saw a string of murder cases. The slain culprits all showed the Black Lotus Mark on their bodies.
Compared to the other districts, Ruyi District was much calmer, with no murders reported.
Even so, the Ruyi Square Sub-Department still increased patrols within its jurisdiction.
Chen Cheng, who was on standby at home cultivating the Wind Chasing Saber Technique, was not affected.
On this day, Chen Cheng spent the entire morning cultivating the Wind Chasing Saber Technique in his courtyard. Sheathing his saber, he stood and called out his panel.
[Name: Chen Cheng
Realm: Skin Grinding Realm (Great Success)
Skills: Iron Armor Skill (Great Success 3666/10000), Wind Chasing Saber Technique (Perfection 17201/100000), Bear Skin Grinding Technique (Great Success 2450/10000)]
While at home, Chen Cheng removed his training weights and focused solely on cultivating the Wind Chasing Saber Technique. His progress was extremely fast, increasing by more than two thousand points daily. After several days of cultivation, it had increased by over ten thousand points in total.
In just over a month, he would be able to cultivate the legendary Saber Momentum.
Those who could cultivate a Skill to the point of producing Momentum were few and far between. In the entire Ruyi Square Sub-Department, the only person Chen Cheng knew of who had achieved this was Shen Qingshuang, who had cultivated Sword Momentum.
Furthermore, Chen Cheng had heard that even a Perfect Martial Artist of the Muscle Strengthening Realm like Zhou Xu had not managed to cultivate Momentum.
’I wonder if I’ll be able to contend with a Perfect Martial Artist of the Muscle Strengthening Realm who hasn’t cultivated Momentum once I achieve Saber Momentum?’
Chen Cheng’s eyes gleamed as he pondered this, but he soon shook his head.
’Probably not. Mastering Saber Momentum might increase my combat power by about tenfold, but the difference in combat power between a Perfect Martial Artist of the Muscle Strengthening Realm and a Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm is likely more than ten times that.
After I cultivate Saber Momentum, I’ll still need to raise my Martial Arts Realm as quickly as possible.’
...
「Dongyue District」
Yan Jian was hurrying home for lunch, walking quickly through the streets. Recently, Dongyue District had been plagued by a series of murders, with several occurring in his own jurisdiction. He was so busy with daily patrols that he even had to rush through his lunch.
Just then, a man in the black uniform of a City Guard Department constable, a saber at his waist, walked toward him. He gave a cupped-fist salute and said, "Chief Yan, Lord Shen wants to see you immediately."
The man’s face was unfamiliar. Yan Jian frowned and asked, "And you are?"
The man replied, "I am a constable from the Ruyi Square Sub-Department. I came to Dongyue District with Lord Shen to investigate a case.
Lord Shen said she is about to return to Ruyi District and time is short, so she needs you to see her at once."
"You’re saying Lord Shen is in Dongyue District?" Yan Jian’s heart leaped with joy. "Where is she?"
"She’s just ahead. Please follow me, Chief Yan," the man said, then turned and walked away.
Since it was Shen Qingshuang who was looking for him, Yan Jian didn’t dare to delay and hurried to follow.
The two walked down a main street before the man suddenly turned into an alley.
Yan Jian grew suspicious and asked, "Where is Lord Shen?"
The man replied, "She’s at the Yingke Restaurant on Shengrong Street, just up ahead. It’s faster to go through this alley."
The alley was indeed a shortcut to Shengrong Street. Yan Jian grunted in acknowledgment and followed him in.
When they reached the middle of the alley, Yan Jian saw that it was deserted. His heart suddenly tightened. He drew the longsword from his waist and demanded, "You said you were a constable from Ruyi District. How are you so familiar with the streets of Dongyue District?"
"Chief Yan, you’re as alert as they say. Even though I was so careful, you still found the flaw in my story. But it’s too late now. Today is the day you die!"
The man turned around, his face filled with murderous intent.
The moment his voice fell, the gate of a nearby courtyard burst open, and more than ten men in black, wielding all sorts of weapons, suddenly charged out.
Realizing he’d been ambushed, Yan Jian made an instant decision and turned to retreat, only to find that another dozen men in black had rushed out of a courtyard not far behind him, blocking his escape.