Lesser Mastery

"Ping'an, Dashan, did they leave?!" Monkey gripped his saber, maintaining a cold, ruthless demeanor. In truth, he genuinely projected an imposing presence like this. "They're gone," Chen Ping'an said calmly, watching the figures vanish into the distance. The moment Monkey heard his words, he instantly slumped. Bending forward with a hand propped on his knee, he panted heavily in huge gulps of air. "Phew! Phew! Phew! Finally gone! If they hadn't left right then, I wouldn't have been able to keep it up!" Monkey's face was pale with lingering dread, completely stripped of his overbearing, stern bravado from moments earlier. "Ping'an, let me tell you—my legs were about ready to shake. Those are Tiger Head Gang thugs, people I can't afford to mess with. Just now, I was thinking, what if he didn't buy it and decided to throw down? If a brawl had really started, the few of us wouldn't have stood a chance!" Watching Monkey babble on with such a disheveled look, Chen Ping'an felt a warmth in his chest. A Monkey like this felt far more genuine. "Monkey, there were four of them and three of us. I could take two, and you two take one each. If we fought, we might not have lost!" Dashan said in his muffled, sullen tone, looking rather confident. "Are you an idiot, Dashan?! Don't you know who that thug in front was?!" "Who?" "Liu'er from the Tiger Head Gang! Little Tiger's trusted aide, a small leader in the gang. Word is he's already embarked on martial cultivation, reaching the Qi and Blood First Layer. Big and burly as you are, if it came down to a real fight, you'd be no match for him!" "Even if you've got brute strength to hold your own at fifty-fifty, Ping'an and I couldn't take the other three." "So that's how it is!" Dashan looked shocked, then turned with a hint of admiration. "Monkey, you looked really formidable just now." Hearing that, Monkey's legs straightened, his back stiffened, and he grinned cockily. "Right? Formidable, wasn't I?" "Yeah, really formidable! When you drew your saber just now, you startled me too," Dashan confessed honestly. "Of course! Say what you will, but I, Monkey, am an old hand at the Nanquan Lane Suppression Office. I've seen plenty of scenes like this! Once my saber comes out, who dares defy me!" Monkey's face flushed with pride. Looking at him puffing his chest out like this, one would never guess who had been terrified out of his wits just moments ago. "Ping'an, was I formidable just now?" As if suddenly remembering something, Monkey checked with Chen Ping'an. Fearing he might get an unflattering response, he hastily added, "Ping'an, I stood up for you back there!" "Yeah, formidable. Formidable as could be," Chen Ping'an replied. Having received Chen Ping'an's confirmation, Monkey looked as though he had received an official endorsement, his whole demeanor brimming with energy. Sheathing his saber, he mimicked his earlier stance and drew it once again. "'What Chen kid?! Call him Master Chen!' Heh-heh~" Monkey chuckled cheekily. "Satisfying! That felt so good!" After trying it twice and relishing the feeling for a bit, Monkey suddenly slumped in dejection again. "Sigh, if only I were a registered runner! Why would I have needed to draw my saber back then? The moment I showed up and they saw me coming, they would've stopped right away!" "A registered runner..." Monkey sighed toward the sky. Indeed, registered runners were at least at qi and blood first layer, perfected. Whether in status or martial cultivation, they had more than enough weight to cow such petty thugs. And that was merely a runner. If a head runner arrived in person, these hoodlums would likely offer flattering smiles, or even fall to their knees and beg for mercy. When they were clearly in the wrong, not even Tiger, the chief of the Tiger Head Gang, would be willing to sour relations with a Suppression Office head runner on their account. "All right, Monkey. Let's keep patrolling the streets." Chen Ping'an patted Monkey on the shoulder. "Right, patrolling!" Monkey perked up, instantly regaining his vigor. "Oh, right, Ping'an. What was that silver Liu'er said you owed?" Remembering the thug Liu'er's parting words, Monkey looked at Chen Ping'an with confusion. "It's nothing. Everything is taken care of," Chen Ping'an replied flatly, effectively brushing past the topic. "Mm, good then. Let's go." By this time, all trace of the curled-up figure in the alley corner had vanished. As soon as the thugs left, he had slipped away quietly. The trio paid it no mind. Scenes like that occurred openly and in the shadows all throughout Hupao Lane. They had only intervened out of duty because they happened to stumble across it. As for what became of him afterward, that was up to his own fortune. Today's ordeal stemmed from his own past choices. And since it was his own choice, whether he could bear the consequences or not, he had to shoulder them. As the saying went: every peck and every sip is predetermined by fate! After that incident, the rest of their day's patrol proceeded smoothly without further incident. However, there was less time to slack off today, with less than an hour's rest in total. As their shift drew to an end, Chen Ping'an bumped into an acquaintance in Hupao Lane. Uncle Gao from the southeast corner! When Chen Ping'an saw him, Uncle Gao was excitedly preparing to enter a gambling den. Judging by its scale, it was a fairly upscale establishment. "Uncle Gao, what are you..." Chen Ping'an called out. "Ah, young Chen!" Uncle Gao was lean and gaunt, though his complexion was ruddy. Recognizing Chen Ping'an, he added, "Just here to have a little fun." After exchanging a brief greeting, Uncle Gao trotted into the gambling den. ... In the cramped courtyard, Chen Ping'an practiced Iron Shirt relentlessly. As he moved, he felt his qi and blood surging continuously, coursing throughout his body. With each repetition, his movements grew increasingly proficient. Chen Er Ya rested her chin in her hands, sitting quietly on a wooden stool and watching her brother. For a time, no other sounds broke the silence of the small courtyard save for Chen Ping'an's heavy breathing and the rhythmic friction of his body. As time drifted by, a +1 Experience symbol finally flashed into view, and Chen Ping'an halted his movements. Name: Chen Ping'an Realm: Qi and Blood First Layer Martial Art: Iron Shirt, Elementary (15/15) ... "The experience is full!" Chen Ping'an was thrilled. He had waited seven whole days for this moment. Without the slightest hesitation, he focused his mind and clicked the faintly shimmering plus sign behind it. Whoosh! Fleck after fleck of experience transformed into starlight, flooding into the glabella between Chen Ping'an's brows. As the starlight entered him, complex torrents of insight surged in his mind. Within this flood of information were scenes of him bitterly practicing Iron Shirt, reflections and insights gained after training, applications in actual combat... Every piece of information centered entirely upon the martial technique of Iron Shirt. Chen Ping'an closed his eyes, savoring every sensation in detail. At this moment, he absorbed not only information, but also a raging surge of qi and blood. It was not a forced infusion; rather, everything felt as if he had spent years of bitter labor cultivating it himself. Name: Chen Ping'an Realm: Qi and Blood First Layer, Perfected Martial Art: Iron Shirt, Lesser Mastery (0/40) ... At this moment, Iron Shirt reached lesser mastery! Even someone of above-average talent would have had to invest years of bitter toil to reach such a level! Yet to reach this stage, Chen Ping'an had taken less than ten days. "This is only the beginning..." Feeling the boundless strength welling up within his body, Chen Ping'an felt invigorated, filled with hope for the future.