Pursuit Sparring

When Chen Shijie led in a young man with twin Iron Rulers at his waist, a Palm Fiber Hat on his head, and Cloud Stepping Boots on his feet, Zhao Xing recognized him at once.

"Brother Zhao? It's you?" Shen Zhui was also somewhat surprised when he saw Zhao Xing.

"So you know each other?" Chen Shijie asked with a smile.

"Of course. Head Constable Shen is the Military Office's most outstanding and youngest constable." Zhao Xing cupped his hands.

"Not at all. The Military Office is full of experts; I merely happened to complete a few more assignments." Shen Zhui was very modest before Chen Shijie. "Brother Zhao and I know each other mainly because Anping Town, the area where he oversees agricultural taxes, is also within my security jurisdiction."

Agriculture Officials were responsible for encouraging farming and auditing agricultural taxes, while constables from the Military Office were responsible for maintaining public order in towns and villages.

Zhao Xing had dealt with Shen Zhui several times when visiting the villages and towns, and he had a very good impression of him.

"Since you already know each other, I needn't introduce you." Chen Shijie smiled. "Shen Zhui, Zhao Xing, you two talk among yourselves."

Chen Shijie left the two young men some space. Shen Zhui looked at Zhao Xing and spoke first. "I didn't expect the person I was assigned to protect would be you, Brother Zhao. What a coincidence."

"Protect?" Zhao Xing froze. "The order Brother Shen received was to protect me? Is the Profound Heaven Sect causing trouble again?"

Shen Zhui adjusted the Iron Ruler at his waist and explained, "It is related to the Profound Heaven Sect. After officials from the various counties of Nanyang County were captured, it caused a terrible impact. Those people vanished without a trace, but quite a few bandits took the opportunity to stir up trouble and committed many murders. Things have truly been anything but peaceful."

"On top of that, East Lake Mountain will soon open. Everywhere in Gucheng may seem lax on the surface, but security is tight beneath it. The alert level has been raised considerably."

Only then did Zhao Xing understand. Chen Shijie had not merely found him a sparring partner—he had also found him a bodyguard from the Military Office.

Old Chen was someone worth knowing. When something came up, he truly helped.

"Then I'll have to trouble Brother Shen for the time being."

"It is my duty. No need to stand on ceremony."

Although he now had a bodyguard, Shen Zhui would not be protecting him closely around the clock.

When Zhao Xing went to work or study at the Ministry of Agriculture, Shen Zhui did not need to accompany him. Only when Zhao Xing left the city would Shen Zhui go with him.

Besides that, at Zhao Xing's request, they would spar for one shichen each morning and afternoon.

The location was set at the Chen Residence. There was plenty of space here, and spells were permitted.

Their first sparring session resembled a game of cat and mouse.

One person fled, while the other gave chase, with the Chen Residence as the boundary.

Shen Zhui stood where he was and waited for Zhao Xing to cast first.

He was a martial artist, and the training ground was only so large. If he made the first move as well, Zhao Xing would have no chance to play.

Thus, the rule was that Shen Zhui could only begin pursuing him after Zhao Xing had cast a spell and ten breaths had passed.

"Rising Wind!"

Zhao Xing cast his spell. Gale-force winds whipped up sand and dust, not to attack, but to disrupt Shen Zhui's vision.

Whooo~

Shen Zhui narrowed his eyes and pressed down his Palm Fiber Hat.

Though he could not see Zhao Xing's position with his eyes, a martial artist's sensitivity to the body's yuan energy still allowed him to sense Zhao Xing's whereabouts.

But in the next moment, a strange look flashed across Shen Zhui's face.

"He vanished?!"

On the training ground, Shen Zhui stood still and stared in surprise at the dark clouds overhead.

"Cloudcalling concealed his yuan energy fluctuations? But when did these clouds appear? I did not notice at all."

"Two spells in one breath? He completed Cloudcalling while casting Rising Wind?"

Right at the start, Shen Zhui could already tell that Zhao Xing, this Agriculture Official, was clearly different from the others he had met.

Yet he was still mistaken. Zhao Xing had not cast two spells in one breath, but three.

In an instant, he had cast Cloudcalling, Rising Wind, and Rainmaking.

Drip, drip, drip~

Raindrops fell upon Shen Zhui's Palm Fiber Hat, and before the ten-breath countdown ended, they had become a torrential downpour!

Splash~

Shen Zhui's vision was completely blurred, and visibility had been reduced to within five meters.

Swish, swish, swish~

The Iron Rulers trembled as they locked onto a direction. Two streaks of white light abruptly flashed forth and shot into the rain.

The light cleaved through the curtain of rain for twenty to thirty meters, briefly clearing his vision. A sharp gleam burst from Shen Zhui's eyes as he locked onto a vague figure.

The ten-breath countdown ended, and he began the pursuit.

Zhao Xing, meanwhile, hid behind a willow tree on the eastern side of the training ground and began casting his second spell—the Straw Man Art.

"I just snapped off a Swift Steps Straw Puppet. It should have drawn his attention away, but one straw puppet won't be enough if I want to escape his pursuit."

Zhao Xing gently snapped off a willow branch while carefully listening for Shen Zhui's movements.

"Brother Zhao, the game is over." Shen Zhui leaped down from an ornamental rockery and instantly overtook the vague figure.

"Is that so?" Zhao Xing's voice came from the vague figure. "Brother Shen, why not take a closer look?"

"A straw puppet?" Shen Zhui was taken aback.

"Brother Shen, it's still far too early."

The straw puppet collapsed on its own. Having encountered Shen Zhui, its mission was over. A straw puppet could not possibly defeat Shen Zhui unless there were twenty or thirty Vajra Puppets—but this was a Swift Steps Straw Puppet, and its material was nothing more than an ordinary willow branch.

"I was actually fooled by a straw puppet? His Straw Man Art is this exquisite? It can even make sounds?" The look in Shen Zhui's eyes began to change.

One had to know that he was at the Gathering Yuan Seventh Level, while Zhao Xing, according to Chen Shijie's introduction, was only at the Gathering Yuan Third Stage!

As the Military Office's greatest prodigy, he had been toyed with by an Agriculture Official from the Ministry of Agriculture who was at the Gathering Yuan Third Stage?

Shen Zhui drew both rulers.

He was going to get serious.

Tap, tap, tap~

The Cloud Stepping Boots struck the rain with a steady rhythm.

But Zhao Xing also noticed that something was wrong. After the first straw puppet collapsed, Shen Zhui's movements became difficult to track as well.

Two breaths later, Shen Zhui's footsteps disappeared.

Or rather, they had not disappeared at all—they had completely blended into the rhythm of the raindrops.

Zhao Xing controlled the clouds, using precise yuan energy manipulation to alter the rhythm of the rainfall.

Yet every time, Shen Zhui could adjust his movement technique within two breaths and swiftly blend into the surroundings.

As a result, Zhao Xing could no longer distinguish Shen Zhui's exact location while moving at high speed.

To Zhao Xing, Shen Zhui had disappeared as well.

"His movement technique has already reached the level of Nine Revolutions to the Subtleties. Old Chen really did pick me an excellent sparring partner." Excitement gleamed in Zhao Xing's eyes.

This was precisely the level of confrontation he wanted. In this kind of battle, the efficiency of purifying his yuan energy would also increase.

"Repeating Straw Puppet, rise!"

Very soon, a second straw puppet appeared beneath the willow tree. Its height and build were roughly the same as Zhao Xing's.

"Go!"

Zhao Xing ordered the straw puppet to hide elsewhere in the Chen Residence, confusing Shen Zhui's sight.

Another ten breaths passed, and the third straw puppet took shape.

But as the third one began moving, it stepped on two dry branches.

Crack~

The dry branches snapped with a crisp sound.

Though the sound was quickly covered by the rain, to Zhao Xing's ears, it was piercingly loud.

At the same time, Shen Zhui in the rain also caught the anomaly. He no longer concealed himself and lunged forward in pursuit.

"Not good." Zhao Xing's expression changed slightly. He immediately gave up making the straw puppet and ran in another direction.