Body Tempering Hidden Dragon Enters Fengtian

Inside a side courtyard of the Fengtian Division, the air was thick with voices and heat.

Thirty taels of silver felt like a burning brand, searing into the hearts of every constable. They whispered amongst themselves, calculating their connections, rallying familiar companions. Every face was etched with naked desire and scheming.

Wei Datong rubbed his hands, eyes gleaming as he stared at Ye Qingxuan, nearly spitting with excitement. "Qingxuan, thirty taels! That's enough for us to live on for how long!"

Xiong Tiezhu stood beside him, simply grunting, "Do it."

Ye Qingxuan withdrew his gaze from the agitated crowd, then looked at Hong Qingshan, who was puffing away in the corner, before finally settling on the faces of his two companions.

"We'll do it, of course," he said. His voice wasn't loud, but it made the excited Wei Datong and Xiong Tiezhu fall silent. "But not by rushing in headfirst right now."

"Why?" Wei Datong asked, puzzled. "Such a good opportunity, if we're late, we won't even get the broth!"

Ye Qingxuan shook his head. "Who are the Green Fish Gang? They're desperate cutthroats who live by the blade. And that 'Mottled Fish' is their leader. Even severely injured, he's not someone to trifle with. If the three of us just blunder in like that, are we trying to trade our lives for money?"

His words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Wei Datong's head. He flinched, shrinking his neck, and mumbled, "Then... then what do you suggest we do?"

"Commander Xiao said he wants results. This Linyuan Prefecture city, it's not that big, not that small. Where could a severely injured man hide? Let's proceed step by step, do our jobs, and keep an eye out discreetly. Especially at times like these, we mustn't lose our composure."

Ye Qingxuan's plan went far beyond this.

He had his own calculations.

He was currently at the peak of Body Tempering second stage. Even Deputy Commander Xiao Yunting, facing him directly, hadn't seen through his cultivation. This was all thanks to the "Martial Path Heavenly Machine Codex's" method of concealing one's strength.

But this martial skill couldn't be revealed. How could an unregistered temporary constable, with no sect or affiliation, explain such formidable martial arts? If questioned, it would lead to dire consequences.

Therefore, he couldn't directly display his martial arts to claim credit.

What he wanted was "legitimacy."

As long as he achieved a moderate merit, he could transfer to become a formal constable. Once registered, he could receive the Fengtian Division's standard martial art, the Thirteen Blades of Fengtian. By then, when he revealed his martial cultivation, it would have a source, a plausible explanation.

Others would simply assume he had gained an official government technique and, with his exceptional talent, had soared to new heights.

This was the foolproof plan.

And this current bounty was precisely the "moderate merit" that could allow him to step onto the threshold of becoming a formal member of the Fengtian Division.

Seeing that Ye Qingxuan's reasoning was sound, Wei Datong and Xiong Tiezhu both nodded. With their plan decided, they no longer joined the commotion and dispersed, preparing for the afternoon patrol.

The sun slanted westward, and the heat gradually subsided.

On the streets of the Southern District, the pedestrians had thinned out. Ye Qingxuan and his two companions walked through the streets and alleys for the entire afternoon, keeping their eyes and ears open, but they hadn't uncovered the slightest whisper about the "Mottled Fish."

Wei Datong's lips were nearly worn out from questioning everyone, from the idlers in the teahouses at the street corner to the old woman selling flatbreads in the alley. All he got were shakes of the head.

"Damn it, has this Mottled Fish burrowed underground?" Wei Datong plopped down on the stone steps by the roadside, pounding his aching legs.

Xiong Tiezhu remained taciturn, though sweat had beaded on his forehead.

Ye Qingxuan, however, appeared as usual. This much walking was nothing for his current physique. He simply committed the terrain, hidden alleys, and waterways along the way to memory.

As the end of the shift approached, the three walked past a courtyard wall that was being repaired. Several bricklayers were busy at work, with a pile of removed old bricks and stones nearby.

Ye Qingxuan's steps paused, his gaze falling on the pile of rubble.

He walked over and cupped his hands towards an old master resting nearby. "Uncle Zhang, busy at work?"

Uncle Zhang recognized Ye Qingxuan and grinned. "It's Qingxuan. What, not on duty today?"

"Almost done for the day," Ye Qingxuan said, pointing at the pile of waste. "Uncle, I'd like to borrow a few stones."

"Eh, what's the big deal? Just a pile of junk. If you want them, take them yourself," Uncle Zhang waved his hand dismissively.

Ye Qingxuan thanked him and walked over, bending down to pick through the stones. He specifically chose those with sharp edges and hard textures, judging their weight. He selected seven or eight pieces, wrapped them in a piece of tattered cloth, and carried them.

Wei Datong came over, curious. "Qingxuan, what are you doing with these things? Building a wall?"

"The yard at home is a bit low, just need to level it," Ye Qingxuan replied casually.

Wei Datong didn't think much of it, assuming it was just a trivial matter.

The three returned to the Fengtian Division, clocked out, and went their separate ways. Ye Qingxuan, carrying the heavy bag of stones, felt lighter than when he arrived.

The afterglow of the setting sun painted the alleys of the Southern District a warm orange.

As he pushed open his courtyard gate, the aroma of cooking food wafted out.

"Brother, you're back!"

A small figure ran out from the kitchen. It was Ye Caiwei. She had two little pigtails on her head, and a smudge of soot on her face, making her look like a little calico cat.

Ye Qingxuan put down the bag of stones and reached out to wipe the dirt from her face, his movements gentle.

"Nannan, what delicious food did you make today?"

"I used the leftover minced meat from yesterday to steam some egg custard!" Ye Caiwei said, tilting her small face up as if seeking praise. "And I heated up two multigrain steamed buns."

"Our Nannan is so capable," Ye Qingxuan praised, lifting her into his arms.

The little girl giggled in his embrace, and the day's fatigue seemed to melt away with her laughter.

The siblings sat at their small dining table. A bowl of golden, tender egg custard, two steaming buns.

Ye Caiwei carefully scooped a large spoonful of egg custard with her spoon and placed it in Ye Qingxuan's bowl, leaving only a little broth in her own.

"Brother, eat more. You work hard."

Ye Qingxuan looked at the plain-looking soup in his sister's bowl, his heart warming, and a little sore. He didn't speak, just gave his sister more than half of the egg custard from his own bowl.

"You're still growing, you need to eat more."

"But..."

"No 'buts'. Listen to your brother."

Ye Caiwei then began to eat in small bites, her large eyes happily narrowing into crescent moons.

In this chaotic world, for Ye Qingxuan, it was this steaming bowl of egg custard, and his sister's satisfied smile. To protect this warmth, he was willing to face any storm.

After the meal, Ye Caiwei obediently cleaned the bowls and chopsticks.

Ye Qingxuan, carrying the bag of stones, walked to a corner of the yard.

As the night deepened, he took off his shirt, revealing his well-built upper body. Under the moonlight, his skin had a healthy glow, his muscles were smooth and streamlined, not as bulky and exaggerated as ordinary martial artists, but containing astonishing strength.

He first grabbed two handfuls of fine river sand and rubbed it repeatedly on his body until his skin turned red and hot. This was the first step of the Indestructible Vajra Body, skin tempering.

After doing this, he had a thought.

[Indestructible Vajra Body (Scale: Four inches, Merit: Twenty-one points)]

[Sand and stone tempering, tendons and bones hum slightly, Merit points +3.]

In his mind, the feedback from the Heavenly Machine Codex came clearly.

He exhaled a breath of stale air. As expected, plain sand and stone were becoming less effective.

Next, he untied the cloth bag, revealing the sharp-edged bluestones inside.

He took a deep breath, picked up a stone, and slowly rolled its sharp edges over his arms, chest, and back.

A stinging sensation spread, far more intense than with the sand. Red marks soon appeared on his skin.

But this pain invigorated him.

He could clearly feel that as the stones rolled, the muscles and fascia beneath his skin were repeatedly stimulated, compressed, and strengthened by a strange force.

This was what he wanted.

The next day, before dawn.

Ye Qingxuan was already practicing in the yard. After tempering his body with the sharp stones, he activated the Heavenly Machine Codex again.

[Indestructible Vajra Body (Scale: Four inches, Merit: Twenty-four points)]

[Mysterious stones temper the body, qi and blood surge, Merit points +3.]

It was also +3 points, but this time the feeling was much more solid and substantial than when he used sand and stone yesterday.

He put on his clothes, ate the breakfast his sister had prepared, and headed to the Fengtian Division in high spirits.

At the pre-duty meeting, Chief Constable Zhang was still giving his speech, still talking about the search for "Mottled Fish," with nothing new.

However, Wei Datong, while the chief constable wasn't paying attention, quietly pulled Xiong Tiezhu aside and whispered in his ear.

"Dashan, let me tell you something." Wei Datong said mysteriously, "In our Fengtian Division, there are rules about how to address people. For Chief Constable Zhang, Chief Constable Hong, you must call them 'Chief Constable,' not just 'Constable.' It's a world of difference."

Xiong Tiezhu nodded foolishly.

"For someone like Chief Constable Qin, who is an old hand among the regular constables, you call him 'Chief Constable Qin,' which is a term of respect. For ordinary regular constables, you call them 'Brother X.' As for us unregistered ones, if they're happy, they'll call you by your name; if they're not happy, they'll just shout 'Hey!' and you'll have to run over obediently."

Ye Qingxuan listened from the side, understanding in his heart. These were the rules of this chaotic world, the rules of the bureaucracy. People were divided into ranks, clothes came in various colors, and a single address was a chasm of class.

Wei Datong sighed, "When can we also make others call us 'Brother' or 'Chief,' then we won't have lived in vain."

These words echoed the feelings of all the temporary constables.

Another day of patrolling the streets.

In the streets and alleys, there was more talk about "Mottled Fish," but not a single useful clue.

Wei Datong was still full of fighting spirit, inquiring everywhere, with Xiong Tiezhu following closely behind him.

Ye Qingxuan walked at the end, his gaze calmly sweeping over every corner where someone might hide.

He wasn't in a hurry.

Hunters needed patience.

That fish worth thirty taels of silver would eventually surface. And all he had to do was to grasp it firmly in the most secure way the moment it appeared.