Entry

Thud! Thud! Thud! Chen Ping'an's hands rubbed vigorously against his body. With the undergarments wrapped several times around him, the sound of the friction resembled dull thuds against oxhide. Inside the small courtyard, Chen Ping'an gritted his teeth and practiced over and over again. Finally, half a shichen later, a "+1" experience symbol flashed across his field of vision. "Done!" Name: Chen Ping'an Realm: None Martial Art: Iron Shirt (not yet entered) (4/5) ...... Looking at the panel before him, Chen Ping'an was thrilled. It really worked. Following this routine, he could practice Iron Shirt twice a day. What was more, when his day off came, he might even be able to try practicing three times a day. If so, the speed of his Iron Shirt practice would soar. Little Tiger of the Tiger Head Gang had come looking for him the day before yesterday. Counting today, two days had already passed. He did not have much time left. However, succeeding in his Iron Shirt practice early this morning showed Chen Ping'an the dawn of rapid growth. "Tonight, I'll be able to accumulate all five experience points." Chen Ping'an felt a surge of heat in his chest as he drew clear water to wipe down his body. He had to go on duty to patrol the streets during the day, so naturally, he couldn't step out dripping with sweat. By the time he finished wiping down, Chen Er Ya had already cooled his bowl of congee to the point where it was just right to eat. Today's breakfast: a large bowl of congee, an egg, and leftover braised pork from yesterday. Chen Ping'an picked up the large bowl and gulped down the congee noisily. Before Chen Er Ya had even finished half of hers, he had emptied the entire bowl into his stomach. "Nannan, your brother is heading off to duty. Remember, don't skimp on lunch—eat something good." Chen Ping'an peeled the egg, planning to eat it on the way. "Got it, Big Brother," Chen Er Ya replied. ...... Having eaten the peeled egg on the road, Chen Ping'an walked briskly and soon arrived at the Nanquan Lane Suppression Office. It was the same pre-shift routine: numerous runners gathered together, listening to the head runners speak from above. Today, however, Head Runner Zheng did not appear. In his place were Head Runner Li and Head Runner Yan, who had not been present yesterday. There were five head runners in the Nanquan Lane Suppression Office, and two were present today. Who knew what the others were busy with. As for the office chief and deputy office chief, neither showed up as usual; whether they had already arrived and simply stayed out of sight or were absent for some other reason, no one knew. None of that concerned Chen Ping'an, however. For him right now, all he could think about was getting off duty early so he could go home and practice Iron Shirt. In fact, if not for the requirement that the two practice sessions couldn't be too close together, he would have loved to slack off and slip away around noon to push Iron Shirt to five experience points in one go. Accompanying Chen Ping'an on patrol were still Monkey and Dashan, while Old Qin, as always, did not show up. This was completely normal; generally speaking, Chen Ping'an only ran into Old Qin once every five or six days. The area they were patrolling today was Niuye Ward. Niuye Ward was on Niuye Street, the most heavily trafficked place in Nanquan Lane. Under normal circumstances, the Nanquan Lane Suppression Office would assign at least five shifts of runners to Niuye Street for routine patrols to deter troublemakers. Today, the three of them—Chen Ping'an, Monkey, and Dashan—counted as one shift. Compared to Willow Leaf Street, significantly more ruffians frequented Niuye Ward. It was also the home turf of the Iron Ox Gang. Like the Tiger Head Gang, the Iron Ox Gang was one of many gangs in Nanquan Lane. In terms of power and influence, however, the Tiger Head Gang still had the edge. After all, at the top of the Tiger Head Gang were Tiger and Master Qing, two chiefs—one chief and one deputy—with three widely renowned protectors, seven squad leaders serving as the gang's backbone, and over a hundred fierce underlings as voracious as wolves and tigers. The Little Tiger whom Chen Ping'an had dealt with was one of the gang's protectors and the adopted son most valued by Gang Leader Tiger. Then again, the Tiger Head Gang was ultimately just a gang of ruffians operating in Nanquan Lane. Yet with their chiefs, protectors, and squad leaders, they carried on as though they were some prestigious sect in the Jianghu. To Chen Ping'an, it felt somewhat absurd. Whenever the subject came up, though, Monkey took it completely in stride. After all, they were in Weishui Commandery City. Compared to gangs operating in ordinary towns and smaller cities, they naturally had a much grander presence. Yet as formidable as the Tiger Head Gang was, they were nothing before the Nanquan Lane Suppression Office. If the Tiger Head Gang truly crossed a line, there would be no need for the office chief to intervene; just two or three head runners gathering their men would be enough to suppress them. Therefore, even Gang Leader Tiger of the Tiger Head Gang had to treat the head runners of the Nanquan Lane Suppression Office with great deference. If Chen Ping'an's father, Old Chen, were still alive and had managed to become a head runner, the Tiger Head Gang wouldn't dare come to the door demanding repayment. Not only would they waive the debt, but they would even send over silver to curry favor. Temporary runner, runner, head runner... The disparity between these ranks was as vast as heaven and earth. Today's patrol of Niuye Ward went remarkably smoothly, with nothing out of the ordinary happening. The only incident was a few ruffians hurling insults at each other; seeing the runners arrive, they gave them some face and stopped their cursing. At noon, they took their usual break to slack off. Having woken up early and exerted considerable energy practicing Iron Shirt, Chen Ping'an slept for nearly a shichen before waking. In the afternoon, the men idled about, and another day went by. Runners on duty lived only for getting off duty! After handing in his saber and waist token, Chen Ping'an hurried home in high spirits. When he reached home, Chen Er Ya was almost done cooking dinner. With Chen Ping'an lending a hand, things moved along much faster. Tonight's dinner: a bowl of stir-fried pork kidneys, a bowl of steamed eggs, a plate of steamed pumpkin, and two bowls of pure white cooked rice. While not as meat-heavy as the past two days, it was still a meal that would make the neighbors green with envy. The rich aroma of food wafted into the neighborhood almost every evening. Fortunately, thanks to Chen Ping'an's status as a runner, dishes like these wouldn't invite any trouble. After finishing dinner, he helped his sister clear the table and wash the dishes. Then he rested for a short while to let his food digest. Once ready, Chen Ping'an stretched his limbs and made preparations for training. With several successful sessions under his belt, his practice this time went as smoothly as water flowing into a channel. Half a shichen later, the familiar "+1" experience symbol appeared before his eyes, then slowly faded. Name: Chen Ping'an Realm: None Martial Art: Iron Shirt (not yet entered) (5/5) ...... "The experience is enough!" Looking at the panel visible only to him, Chen Ping'an felt his heart thumping wildly, and a light sweat broke out on his hands and feet. At this moment, his anticipation and excitement reached their peak. "Now, what comes next..."