Kaoshan Town

The warm current did not disappear but instead delved deeper, transforming his body. Gradually, his muscles began to condense and tighten, and a bit of black impurity flowed from his skin.

After a brief period of adaptation, he could sense that under the nourishment of the warm current, his body had undergone earth-shattering changes. His explosive power and endurance were no longer comparable to before. His arm strength alone was likely over a thousand jin now.

The improvement continued.

The surging warm current continued to penetrate deeper, causing a stinging pain throughout his body. Just as Su Ye was feeling confused, a wave of coolness washed over him. The areas that had been stinging repeatedly felt a gradual strengthening and thickening of his physique.

"Body Tempering Initial Giải" Minor Accomplishment, Initial Stage. Consumes 2 Assistance Points.

Body Tempering Layer One.

Body Tempering Layer Two.

A total of 12 Assistance Points were spent to advance to Body Tempering Layer Three. Su Ye had some guesses in his heart. However, he learned from the system that advancing from Minor Accomplishment Completion to Major Accomplishment Initial Stage required 10 Assistance Points.

According to the notes, there was a bottleneck when breaking through from the initial to the middle stage, and the required breakthrough resources also increased. Assistance Points were still too scarce. If he could master these three Martial Arts he possessed, he would feel much more secure.

On the way back, Su Ye reviewed his memories again and realized that this world was far from simple. The Corpse Wolves he encountered before were nothing.

There were countless Demonic Beasts with terrifying power, as well as inexplicable and strange occurrences. Although Martial Artists who could fly and move with great speed were extremely powerful, a moment of carelessness could lead to their complete annihilation.

He needed to kill more Demonic Beasts to quickly improve his strength; that was the foundation for his existence. In the future, no matter what kind of monstrous fiends appeared, a single saber strike would be the way to go.

With a plan in mind, he spent two Assistance Points to upgrade [Flowing Dragon Steps] to beginner level, compensating for the deficiency in his movement techniques. Su Ye then lay down on the dilapidated wooden bed and gradually fell asleep.

The next morning, at the crow of the rooster, Su Ye got up and haphazardly threw on the clothes of a constable. After a quick wash, he walked out of his home. Passing a food stall, he bought two steamed buns, eating them as he headed towards the yamen.

Quite a few runners were already present in the yamen, including some of the runners who had guarded the city gate yesterday.

Several runners who were familiar with his predecessor approached Su Ye, speaking with some envy: "Little Brother Su, congratulations! We all heard that yesterday you not only killed a Wolf Demon."

"You were even noticed by the County Lieutenant. We are truly happy for you."

The speaker was named Xu Er. He came from a well-to-do family and had a friendly relationship with Su Ye's predecessor.

Hearing this, Su Ye looked at the gazes cast upon him by the crowd. He didn't see the other newly promoted constables among them. He then said calmly, "Brother Wang contributed the most to this matter. I was merely fortunate."

Before the crowd could exchange pleasantries, footsteps were heard from a distance. Zhou Tao walked in with his hands behind his back, his voice preceding him: "No roll call today. Everyone, get back to your duties."

As he reached Su Ye's side, he said lightly, "Su Ye, you will head to Kaoshan Town immediately. It's good for young people to accumulate some merit."

"Your subordinate understands. I will depart now." With that, Su Ye turned and left. This arrangement suited him perfectly, as the probability of Demonic Beasts appearing within the city was not high. Although it was dangerous outside, it was not a certain death.

Outside the city, Su Ye rode on his old horse for about an hour and a half. He saw weeds growing on both sides of the official road. Not far ahead, beyond the field ridges, a small town of modest size came into view.

Upon arriving, he noticed that the bluestone path in Kaoshan Town was sparsely populated. The low wooden houses on either side looked somewhat dilapidated. As he ventured deeper into the town, he saw many heads peeking out from the surrounding houses and could faintly hear distant cries.

"Lord Huang, please, no more! I beg you, let us go."

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In the open space outside the town yamen in the distance, a middle-aged man knelt on the ground, cradling a beautiful woman and pleading.

The woman's clothes showed clear signs of tearing, and her fair skin could be vaguely seen. The runners surrounding them cast lustful glances.

"Bold peasant, how dare you slander this official! Your true colors are revealed now, do you think you can fool me with such words?"

The speaker was a middle-aged man with gaunt cheeks, dressed in a blue official robe. He sat outside the yamen, his voice filled with threats, and added:

"Hand over all the property in your home, and perhaps I can spare both your lives."

The middle-aged man sitting outside the town yamen was Huang Qianqing, a runner from Kaoshan Town. He relied on his uncle, who was a Hall Master in the Black Tiger Gang, and had always been tyrannical in town. Most of the runners respected him.

"Alas, Wu Lao Er is truly unlucky. His daughter is almost of marriageable age, and yet this has happened." An elderly woman looked towards the town yamen, sighing regretfully.

"Who says not? If it weren't for this bastard surnamed Huang..."

"Hush! Are you looking for death? Don't involve me."

The hushed discussions within the houses allowed Su Ye to understand the general situation.

Wu Lao Er was the only carpenter in town. Three days prior, the town yamen's roof needed repairs, which naturally fell to him. At the time, Huang Qianqing promised to pay one tael of silver as compensation afterward.

It was Wu Lao Er's fault for being too talkative. Huang Qianqing's notorious reputation was known to all, yet after the repairs, he tried to inquire about his wages.

Unexpectedly, Huang Qianqing turned hostile on the spot. Not only did he refuse to pay, but he also demanded ten taels of silver from Wu Lao Er. Wu Lao Er didn't have it, so he forcibly abducted his sixteen-year-old daughter.

Afterward, Wu Lao Er and his wife discussed the matter and used their entire family's savings to go to the town yamen to plead for their daughter's return.

Seeing that Wu Lao Er dared to come to the yamen gate to cry injustice, Huang Qianqing became furious and immediately ordered his runners to take action, breaking Wu Lao Er's left leg.

His wife, Wu Li Shi, rushed forward to protect her husband. With tears streaming down her face, she begged Huang Qianqing to stop.

Unexpectedly, her pitiful appearance drew peals of laughter from the runners, who then tore at Wu Li Shi's clothes.

"I'm asking you, are you going to give it or not? If not, that's fine too." Huang Qianqing looked at the woman in the man's arms with a lewd grin, his intentions obvious.

Some farmers who had stopped on the street, though dressed in rags, were burning with anger. Many young men clenched their fists, but after weighing the situation, they slowly relaxed their hands and looked away.

Seeing this, Su Ye lightly patted the horse he was riding. The sound of the horse's hooves drew curious glances from many farmers.

"Another runner has arrived."

"No, no, this is clearly the attire of a constable," someone corrected.

"So what if he's a constable? What's the difference between him and Huang Qianqing? I think Wu Lao Er is finished today."

Su Ye ignored the farmers muttering in the shadows and continued forward on his horse. At this moment, a young man about sixteen or seventeen years old suddenly blocked his path, his voice trembling, "Are... are you Lord Su?"

Su Ye looked at the youth, reining in his horse. Though surprised that someone here recognized him, his face remained impassive as he said, "You know me."

"I'm Meng Daniu." As he spoke, the youth suddenly knelt on the ground, his voice filled with sorrow. "Yesterday, I secretly ran to the County Town and saw your heroic figure at the city gate."

"Lord, did the county yamen send you to seek justice for me?"

Su Ye didn't give a definitive answer, gesturing for him to explain the situation. Meng Daniu choked back sobs and said, "Seven days ago, Huang Qianqing was collecting land taxes, and unexpectedly..."

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