Brother Qing Last Year, Master Qing Today

Stone Rock County:

Someone knocked on the door.

Pharmacist Li took a deep breath, forced himself to remain calm, and opened the door.

A wave of blood stench rushed straight at him.

A Masked Man in coarse hemp clothes, drenched in blood from head to toe, strode inside.

Thud!

A bundle was tossed onto the floor.

"See if there's any Nirvana Qi Grass inside."

"Oh, right. Where's your water vat? I need a bath."

Pharmacist Li...

Half an hour later:

Pharmacist Li held a bloodstained stalk of Nirvana Qi Grass, trembling with excitement.

He was already over sixty. He only remembered seeing Nirvana Qi Grass once in his youth.

After so many years, he was seeing it again.

"This time, I must write a more detailed medicinal herb compendium."

Chu Qing, masked and dressed in dripping wet hemp clothes, said:

"How long until that secret medicine is refined?"

He had given the Toad Secret Medicine formula to Pharmacist Li.

Pharmacist Li swallowed, saying in panic, "Two days. At most two days."

Chu Qing looked deeply at him and said calmly:

"Fine!"

"Refine the medicine properly."

"Once you're done, the secret medicine formula is yours."

Pharmacist Li's eyes widened in disbelief.

The moment he had seen the Toad Secret Medicine formula, he had felt that the day the medicine was completed would be the day he died.

Yet this man not only would not kill him to keep the secret, but would even give him the secret medicine formula?

This... was simply unbelievable.

Chu Qing seemed to notice his thoughts and said, "You haven't seen my face. You won't have to die."

With that, he took the more than two thousand taels' worth of Silver Notes paid as compensation by the fake medicine peddler, turned, and left.

Dawn was about to break.

Early morning:

Chu Qing went to the Martial Hall.

Zhao Wuji and the others had not yet been released.

Under his guidance, Shi Tiezhu barely managed to keep things running.

With the Toad Secret Medicine nearly complete, Chu Qing performed Frog Jumps around the training ground.

Before the secret medicine is ready, I need to complete the first requirement.

One lap...

Ten laps...

Twenty laps...

"Chu Qing, someone's looking for you."

A few minutes later:

At the entrance, a Minor Leader of the Blood River Gang cupped his fist in salute and said:

"Master Qing, Hall Master Liu requests that you make a trip to the yamen."

The yamen?

Chu Qing fell into thought.

"I haven't killed any enemies in Stone Rock County these past two days. Why are they looking for me again?"

His thoughts spun through a thousand turns as he followed the Minor Leader to the yamen.

The moment he entered, a constable led him to a large courtyard.

This was Chief Constable Shi's place of work.

Main hall:

Chief Constable Shi, Constable Li, Hall Master Liu, and the others were discussing matters.

Chu Qing cupped his fist in salute, then stood silently to one side.

He listened as they discussed how to deal with Zhao Wuji and the others.

A constable sneered:

"They committed a grave offense."

"Teaching martial arts to the killer made them accomplices."

"By law, they should be beheaded!"

Another constable objected. "Mantis Fist, Iron Hand, and Iron Thread Fist aren't practiced only by them. They're found in many places."

"They can't be convicted."

Hall Master Liu said quietly, "Even if they aren't the killers, they're still accomplices."

"They killed members of my gang. A life must be paid for with a life."

He knew that this incident had been caused entirely by his own subordinates.

Since he had already offended Zhao Wuji and the others, this time he intended to kick them when they were down and ensure they would never rise again.

The group argued without end.

Chief Constable Shi watched with great interest, as though watching monkeys perform.

After a long while, he drawled:

"That... Chu something, was it?"

"Sir, this junior is Chu Qing." Chu Qing cupped his fist in salute.

Chief Constable Shi smiled. "You personally took part in this matter. Tell us, how should it be handled?"

Chu Qing said earnestly:

"Sir, Hall Master Liu's poor search efforts in the early stages allowed the killer to escape."

"Fortunately, under your wise leadership, many stolen goods were recovered during the later search, and evidence of the killer's escape was also found."

"When the killer fled, he did not deal with Zhao Wuji and the others. That is enough to prove their ties were not deep."

Chief Constable Shi nodded inwardly.

This fellow was interesting. Right from the start, he had pushed the blame onto Hall Master Liu.

As for himself, not only was he blameless, he had even rendered merit.

"Sir, Zhao Wuji and the others were at fault, but it was only a minor fault."

"While searching for evidence, you also cleared out several ownerless residences. Now, they can be made to repair those houses and hand them over for you to oversee, so that if the owners ever come calling, they can be properly returned to them."

Chief Constable Shi burst into laughter.

Zhao Wuji and the others would pay to repair the houses, only for the houses to end up in his hands.

Not bad.

As for the owners returning to claim them? Was that even possible? Many of those houses had been abandoned for decades. Where would there be any descendants? And who could prove it?

At this moment:

The others considered this, then laughed as well.

Only Hall Master Liu looked terrible. He growled, "Sir..."

A friendly constable clapped a hand over his mouth and whispered, "Shut up!"

Hall Master Liu was bewildered.

Chief Constable Shi smiled and said:

"Chu... has rendered merit. This constable once promised that once this matter ended, you would be rewarded."

"This constable is in a good mood today. I'll reward you with a blade technique."

Chu Qing's heart raced.

The expressions of many constables changed slightly.

The Great Gan Empire did not prohibit unarmed martial arts, but it banned weapon techniques.

Though the Imperial Star now swayed in the wind and the Millennial Calamity loomed ahead, those who knew weapon techniques were still as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

Do not be fooled by all those people carrying sabers or shouldering spears.

They only did it to put on airs.

In a real fight to the death, without forms or techniques, they could only slaughter ordinary people.

Even constables could not learn weapon techniques unless they had attended the Martial Academy.

Even if they secretly learned them, they would not dare use them openly.

And now, Chief Constable Shi intended to teach Chu Qing a blade technique.

With someone backing this blade technique, he could use it openly and aboveboard.

How could that not make them jealous?

Hall Master Liu's envy made his eyes split wide.

I took the blame.

I was even scolded and told to shut up by a good friend.

That was humiliating enough.

Yet Chu Qing could receive a blade technique?

"Sir, blades are weapons of murder. Chu Qing comes from a street-rat background."

"His temperament is already poor. If he gains a weapon of murder and kills someone, he'll bring trouble upon you."

The other constables also hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

A blade technique was far too precious.

Since they could not obtain it, they did not want Chu Qing to have it either.

Chief Constable Shi frowned.

Chu Qing pondered.

If I really take the blade technique, Heaven knows whether these bastards will force me to hand it over.

When that happens, people will certainly die.

One or two deaths don't matter.

But if too many die, Constable Shi will definitely suspect me.

That would be troublesome.

Besides, I need to enter the Martial Academy.

What weapon techniques—sabers, spears, swords, halberds—wouldn't the Martial Academy have?

There are only twenty-some days until the Martial Academy Preliminary Exam. It doesn't matter if I endure for a while.

Even so, he remained furious at Hall Master Liu and the others.

But for now, he cupped his fist and said:

"Sir, I'm still young. I can't wield weapons."

Chief Constable Shi sighed in relief.

Originally, he had only offered Chu Qing a blade technique on a whim.

The instant the words left his mouth, he regretted them.

Those damned constables only knew how to object; none of them knew how to give him a way out.

Chu Qing was far better than them.

What a talent!

Chief Constable Shi smiled. "Since that is the case, I'll first give you a claw technique."

"After seven or eight years, once you train the claw technique to Great Completion, I'll reward you with a blade technique."

The many constables and Hall Master Liu all let out long breaths.

But none of them saw the fierce glint flash through Chu Qing's eyes.