State of Mind

Chen Ping'an walked out of the head runner's office without any expression on his face. He had known how this would end from the very beginning. Even so, he had still gone to see Head Runner Zheng. Now, he was completely certain. Head Runner Zheng was undeniably tangled up in this matter. Without Head Runner Zheng running interference and shielding them, swallowing Chen Ping'an's credit would never have been this simple. And what was more... His weakest point—and the biggest reason he had no way to clear his name—was that, on the surface, he was just an ordinary person who knew nothing of the martial path! Cultivation methods could indeed be explained away with a few fabricated excuses, but lacking the necessary training regimen and medicinal aids, he could not openly display his martial cultivation. And without revealing his martial cultivation, he could not prove that Trash Fish had died by his hand. He had undoubtedly landed in a vicious circle! "Ping'an, congratulations, congratulations! You sly dog, pulling off something so big without making a peep! Come on, tell me what happened last night." When Chen Ping'an reached the gates of the Suppression Office, Monkey and Dashan were already waiting there. The moment they met, Monkey lightly punched him in the chest. "Hiss!" Chen Ping'an grimaced, baring his teeth. "Ping'an, you're kidding, right? I barely even tapped you!" Monkey was startled. "No! There's an injury right there." Chen Ping'an lifted his shirt, exposing his badly bruised chest. "What happened?" Monkey asked with concern. The injury looked rather severe. "Isn't it because of that Trash Fish business? Let's talk while we walk!" "Yeah, all right." Walking out of the Suppression Office, Chen Ping'an recounted the previous night's events to Monkey and Dashan. However, he made no mention of having personally slain Trash Fish. Following along with what Head Runner Zheng had announced, he simply gave a brief account of how he discovered the clue, adding that he had taken a kick in the end. Monkey was fiercely loyal, and Chen Ping'an worried that if he revealed the truth, Monkey's stubborn nature would drive him to demand justice on his behalf. If that happened, not only would the matter remain unresolved, but Monkey would end up dragged down with him. While patrolling the streets, Monkey and Dashan were in remarkably high spirits. Chen Ping'an had reported the clue, earning five taels of reward silver and a recorded minor merit. They were sincerely thrilled for him. In the end, they even bantered with him to treat them. "All right. Once the reward silver is paid out, I'll definitely treat you both," Chen Ping'an agreed readily. He valued these two companions dearly. Throughout the day, laughter came easily and often. Alongside it, the fiery indignation in Chen Ping'an's heart subsided a little. Yet... This matter was not over! *** When he returned home, Chen Er Ya happened to be boiling dumplings. She was cooking quite a lot—an entire large potful. "Big Brother~ You're back~ We're having dumplings tonight!" Chen Er Ya's eyes curved in a smile, showing a pair of little canine teeth. "Great, dumplings are wonderful!" Chen Ping'an smiled broadly. All the exhaustion from the day seemed to dissolve away in that very moment. Watching Chen Er Ya bustle about the kitchen, Chen Ping'an suddenly had a change of heart. Perhaps his thoughts earlier today had been too extreme! The risk was too great! If he was exposed, he would not be able to shoulder the consequences! Well, at least his present self could not shoulder them! If it were just him alone, it would not have mattered. But he had... a younger sister. During the day, Chen Ping'an's thoughts had been very simple. Namely, to slaughter them! Zheng Shiyong and Tan Huacong dared to embezzle his credit? To hell with them! Tonight, he would teach them what it meant to pick on the wrong target! Yes! His daytime thoughts had still been far too impulsive! Setting Zheng Shiyong aside for a moment, Tan Huacong was a registered runner of the Nanquan Lane Suppression Office. If he turned up dead, it would not simply be treated as a disappearance; dedicated investigators would certainly be dispatched. Those sent to investigate would be no random rabble. They would all be professional manhunters. Once they investigated, suspicion would inevitably fall on him. As such, the risk was enormous! Looking at Chen Er Ya, Chen Ping'an hesitated. Perhaps... At times, one had to swallow some grievances! When pushed to the brink of losing one's head and throwing everything away, one had to think of whether there were people behind them who cared. When your strength was insufficient, endure first and learn to make time your ally! A day would come when you held your head high and paid back every single grievance in full, without leaving a fucking scrap behind! "Big Brother, time to eat~" Chen Er Ya giggled as she carried out a large plate of dumplings. "Good girl, Nannan!" A smile appeared on Chen Ping'an's face, and he hurried over to help. *** Chen Ping'an had an enormous appetite, and most of the dumplings Chen Er Ya cooked that evening went into his stomach. After finishing dinner, Chen Ping'an warmed up and began his nightly practice of Iron Shirt. However, the moment he stripped off his shirt, Chen Er Ya noticed the bruises across his chest. "Big Brother, what happened to your chest?" That morning, Chen Er Ya had been busy preparing breakfast and had not noticed the injury on his chest. Now that she could see it clearly, she could not help but feel distressed. "It's nothing. I was sparring at noon and accidentally got hurt." Not wanting his sister to worry, Chen Ping'an made up a quick lie to brush it off. With his upper torso bare, he stepped into the pile of rocks and began rolling across them continuously. As he rolled, the day's scenes flashed repeatedly through his mind. Indeed! He had his golden finger panel; time was on his side. Compared to the vast majority of people who had no hope whatsoever, his future was brimming with promise. He was destined to shine with blinding brilliance! He could never be so foolish as to gamble his life on revenge while he was still weak. The grudge would be settled! But his life had to be kept above all! At present, he was only at the qi and blood second layer, the flesh tempering stage! If he reached the qi and blood third layer, tendon changing! The qi and blood fourth layer, bone forging! And if... he went even higher! None of these matters would count for anything. They would all be trivial! A mere vacancy for a registered runner... what was that worth mentioning?! Chen Ping'an continued drilling Iron Shirt. As the saying went, endure for a moment and the winds will calm; take a step back and... The more he thought about it, the angrier he became! Chen Ping'an slammed a heavy fist against a boulder. Fuck that... Ten years was not too long for a gentleman to take his revenge! He was no gentleman. Two months at most—he would settle this score! Thump! Thump! Thump! Chen Ping'an rolled relentlessly within the pile of rocks, slapping and striking against them as he turned. As time ticked past, experience notifications flashed across his vision one after another. Name: Chen Ping'an Realm: Qi and Blood Second Layer Martial Art: Iron Shirt, Greater Mastery (20/100) *** Chen Ping'an climbed out from the pile of rocks. Whether from the vow he had sworn in his heart or the venting he had just done, he felt surprisingly refreshed. "Martial cultivation is called cultivation precisely because it is not merely practicing martial arts, but also cultivating the mind! Possessing strength without character is all in vain in the end! This is nothing more than a minor bump on the cultivation path. Looking back from the days ahead, none of this will be worth a second thought!" "Who knows how many twists and setbacks lie along the path of martial cultivation? If every little obstacle could shatter my mindset, it would only prove I amount to nothing!" "A martial practitioner must possess both courage and cunning, bearing triumphs and disgraces alike without flinching, yet also maintaining a decisive, unyielding will to advance. What happened today, I have noted. But two months at most, and there must be an accounting! Only thus can one balance tension with ease and follow one's true desires!" "..." With his thoughts clear and his mind unburdened, Chen Ping'an felt as though his very frame of mind had been elevated. That night, Chen Ping'an slept exceptionally soundly.