Ye Qingxuan walked through the alleys. Behind him, the curses of the Pan family woman scattered in the wind. His steps were steady, and the five hundred and fifty coins in his arms chimed with each movement, making a delicate, pleasant sound.
When he returned to the small courtyard in the Southern District, Ye Caiwei was sitting on the threshold with her chin propped in her hands, gazing toward the alley entrance. The moment she spotted her brother, she hopped down and ran to meet him.
"Big Brother!"
Ye Qingxuan said nothing. He merely untied the heavy money pouch from his arms and placed it in her small palms.
The money pouch dropped sharply. Ye Caiwei cried, "Oh!" and nearly lost her grip. It took both hands for her to hold it steady, and its weight startled her.
"Big Brother, this is... all money?"
"Mm. Five hundred and fifty coins." Ye Qingxuan entered the courtyard and casually closed the gate behind him. "Our family's own money."
Ye Caiwei, clutching the money pouch, followed behind. Her little face was full of wonder and delight. She untied the pouch and saw it was stuffed with copper coins, her big eyes curving into crescent moons as she smiled.
"Go to Butcher Wang's house at the street corner. Buy a pound of pork belly, then weigh out three pounds of pig bones. Use whatever's left to buy some rice and flour." Ye Qingxuan ladled up a dipper of water from the vat and tipped his head back to gulp it down.
"Buy that much?" Ye Caiwei stuck out her tongue. "Brother, let's eat sparingly. This money can last us a long time."
"There's no need to save." Ye Qingxuan lowered the dipper and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "From now on, we'll have meat with every meal."
He said it as casually as could be, but to Ye Caiwei, those words sounded like the sweetest in all the world. The little girl nodded hard, hugged the bag of money that weighed even more than her head, and ran out of the courtyard with light, nimble steps.
Over the following days, aside from patrolling the streets while on duty, Ye Qingxuan spent all his free time in the gravel pit at the corner of the courtyard.
On mornings off, he rose before dawn, stripped to the waist, and rolled about in the pit. His flesh and skin repeatedly collided and scraped against the sharp-edged stones. At first, the agony had felt like being skinned and having his tendons pulled out, but now it had become a deep, marrow-seeping ache and numbness. He circulated his qi and blood throughout his body, actively welcoming the pain. Every roll, every tensing and relaxing of his muscles, fit seamlessly with the cultivation method of the Indestructible Vajra Body.
"Rustle... rustle..."
The rumble of rolling gravel became the unique morning bell and evening drum of this little courtyard in the Southern Ward.
After finishing a round of cultivation, he sat up in the pit. Heat steamed from his body, his skin flushed red and covered in fine scratches, yet not a single place had truly broken the skin or bled. After reaching minor mastery in the Indestructible Vajra Body, the toughness of his flesh was no longer what it had once been.
[Merit: +3]
A flash of radiance shone through the scroll in his mind, and lines of text appeared.
[Name: Ye Qingxuan] [Realm: Body Tempering, First Level—Perfection] [Martial Art: Indestructible Vajra Body (Realm: Minor Mastery, Measurement: Two Inches, Merit: 12/45)]
He exhaled a long breath of stale air, walked to the well, and dumped a bucket of icy well water over his head. The water washed over his body, carrying away the sweat and dust. The burning heat in his flesh faded, replaced by a refreshing ease as his muscles and bones loosened.
This was the reward of cultivation. Every measure of pain was repaid with merit; every drop of sweat made the mountain blocking his path an inch shorter.
Training consumed a tremendous amount of qi and blood, and his appetite rose with it. Of the large pot of meat porridge Ye Caiwei cooked each day, seven or eight tenths went into his stomach. The little girl not only wasn't distressed by it, she even watched her brother wolf down his food with a beaming smile every time, as though the more he ate, the more secure she felt inside.
Two more days passed like this, and Ye Qingxuan's merit had accumulated to eighteen points.
The cultivation of the Indestructible Vajra Body brought him changes that went beyond the numbers on the scroll. He still looked slender, but the muscles beneath his short shirt had become as solid as iron. His steps were steady and grounded, and even while carrying a three-hundred-pound burden, he could walk as normally as ever.
That morning, it was once again time to report for duty at the Fengtian Office.
Ye Qingxuan changed into a clean constable's uniform and left the little courtyard under Ye Caiwei's watchful gaze.
When he reached the Fengtian Office yamen and stepped into the side courtyard where attendance was recorded, he immediately noticed that the atmosphere was different from usual. Normally, the constables gathered in twos and threes, either complaining about the hardship of their duties or chatting about gossip from the streets. Today, however, most of them were gathered in the center of the courtyard, facing one direction with ingratiating smiles plastered across their faces.
At the center of the crowd was Zhang Lingxiao.
The Zhang family's nephew was wearing a brand-new constable's uniform today, its fabric far finer than the coarse cloth worn by temporary constables like them. He was sturdy by nature, and the well-fitting clothes made him look even more vigorous. With his head held high and chin slightly raised, he chatted merrily with the official constables surrounding him, his words brimming with the swagger of a youth who had risen to prominence.
"Monkey, what's all the fuss over there?" Ye Qingxuan walked to the corner and patted Wei Datong on the shoulder.
Wei Datong was craning his neck to look over when he heard this. He turned back, curled his lip, and lowered his voice. "What else could it be? Young Master Zhang entered the martial path last night and officially stepped into the first level of Body Tempering."
Even from thirty feet away, the sourness in his voice was practically tangible.
"Which one of us hasn't struggled for years without even touching the threshold of Body Tempering? But look at him—how long has he been in the Fengtian Office? One month! Relying on the tiger-bone paste and qi-nourishing powder his uncle got for him, he forcefully piled his cultivation up. Comparing people is enough to make one furious!"
Beside them, Xiong Tiezhu joined in with a deep, rumbling voice. "I heard Chief Constable Zhang was overjoyed. He set up three tables at the Manjiang Tower last night, inviting all the important figures in the office."
Ye Qingxuan listened without any change in expression, merely turning his gaze toward Zhang Lingxiao amid the crowd. With everyone showering him with praise, the youth's face shone brightly and his spirits soared, as though the entire city of Linyuan Commandery already lay beneath his feet.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The bell for recording attendance rang, and the commotion in the courtyard gradually died down. Everyone filed inside and headed toward the main assembly hall.
The person presiding in the hall today was not Chief Constable Hong, but another chief constable surnamed Yan. Chief Constable Yan was around fifty, with a fair, clean-shaven face and three long strands of beard. He had always been on good terms with Chief Constable Zhang.
He sat upright at the front of the hall, cleared his throat, and swept his gaze across the faces of the constables below.
"I have summoned everyone today to announce two matters."
The hall fell silent, not even a crow daring to caw.
"The first concerns the bounty for the remnants of the Azure Fish Gang." Chief Constable Yan picked up an official document and waved it. "The Deputy Garrison Commissioner has issued an order. Anyone who provides clues that help the office capture the Azure Fish Gang's leader, the 'Flower-Armed Flood Dragon,' will be rewarded with ten taels of silver and one merit credit! Anyone who personally captures or kills him will receive thirty taels of silver and a major merit credit! Temporary constables may be promoted to permanent positions as an exception!"
The words were barely out before a suppressed wave of gasps swept through the hall.
Thirty taels of silver! A major merit credit! And a chance to be promoted ahead of schedule!
This bounty was enough to drive every constable in Linyuan Commandery wild. Wei Datong's eyes went round, and he muttered under his breath, "Thirty taels... thirty taels... We've struck it rich. We've really struck it rich this time..."
Standing at the back of the crowd, Ye Qingxuan's heart stirred as well. This bounty was undoubtedly a way out for him. If he could claim it, not only would the "monthly payment" from the Fierce Tiger Hall no longer be a problem, but his and his sister's lives would turn completely around.
Chief Constable Yan was very pleased by the reaction below. He set down the official document, a smile appearing on his face.
"As for the second matter, it is a happy one."
He turned his gaze toward Zhang Lingxiao, who stood in the front row, and his voice rose by an octave.
"Our Fengtian Office has someone to carry on the legacy! Temporary constable Zhang Lingxiao is only seventeen years old, gifted and intelligent, and diligent in his cultivation. Last night, he successfully broke through and officially entered the first level of Body Tempering!"
Before he had even finished speaking, a wave of flattery rang out below.
"Congratulations, Young Master Zhang! Congratulations!"
"Young Master Zhang truly is a dragon among men, a martial prodigy!"
"With a hero like Chief Constable Zhang leading the way, Young Master Zhang is naturally a scion of a family of generals!"
Listening to the praise coming from all directions, Zhang Lingxiao straightened his back even more. The arrogant expression on his face turned into a reserved smile. He cupped his hands toward Chief Constable Yan, then saluted in all directions, looking like a mature young man beyond his years.
Chief Constable Yan raised a hand and silenced the crowd.
"Now that Zhang Lingxiao has entered the martial path, having him continue patrolling the streets would be a waste of his talent." He spoke slowly. "After discussing it with Chief Constable Zhang, I have decided that, effective today, Zhang Lingxiao will be transferred to the Fengtian Office armory, where he will serve as a 'watchman.'"
The moment the words "watchman" were spoken, many people's expressions in the hall changed.
The Fengtian Office armory stored all kinds of weapons confiscated by the office, martial arts manuals, and even some low-grade pills. The watchman's post was not only leisurely, but also exceptionally lucrative. Guarding the storeroom normally meant no one would disturb you, making it an ideal place to focus on cultivation. With enough luck, one might even learn a move or two from the martial arts manuals.
Countless official constables had fought tooth and nail for such a good post without getting it, yet now it had fallen to a boy who had only just entered the first level of Body Tempering.
Beside Ye Qingxuan, Wei Datong was practically grinding his back teeth to dust. His lips moved as he silently cursed something.
This world had never been fair.
Some people were born above the clouds; others spent their entire lives rolling in the mud.
Zhang Lingxiao was one of those born above the clouds.
Watching the scene before and below the dais—a miniature reflection of the officialdom and martial world—Ye Qingxuan's heart remained still. He neither envied nor resented him.
Zhang Lingxiao had his sunlit road, while he had his single-plank bridge.
Other people's glory belonged to them. His own path would ultimately have to be carved out step by step by himself.
The noisy congratulations, the ingratiating smiles, and the swagger of the youth who had risen to prominence all became mere background in his eyes. He silently calculated his own merit in his heart.
Twenty-seven points short.
At most, nine more days of hard cultivation.
After the assembly was dismissed, everyone crowded around Zhang Lingxiao, saying they should celebrate. Zhang Lingxiao waved a grand hand and offered to treat everyone to a meal at a restaurant.
Ye Qingxuan didn't join in the commotion. He, Xiong Tiezhu, Wei Datong, and the others accepted their street-patrol assignments for the day and quietly left the main hall.
"Damn it, this is seriously infuriating!" The moment they left the yamen, Wei Datong couldn't hold back his curse. "A greenhorn of a kid relies on his uncle and ascends to the heavens in a single step! We old fellows work ourselves to death and can't even scrape up a single hair!"
Xiong Tiezhu said gloomily, "He was simply born lucky."
"Born lucky?" Wei Datong gave a cold laugh. "He was merely born into a good family. Qingxuan, don't you agree?"
Ye Qingxuan walked ahead without looking back.
"That's how it is," he replied. "So we have to fight for our own fate."
His voice was not loud, yet both Wei Datong and Xiong Tiezhu froze. They looked at Ye Qingxuan's back. His figure was clearly still that of a youth, but for some reason, it carried a steadiness far beyond his years.
It was as though none of the world's injustice or clamor could disturb his steps.
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