Martial Arts Maniac

The sky was barely bright when Zhang Iron Ruler was already walking on his way to the Constabulary Office.

Ever since he joined the Constabulary Office in his youth, Zhang Iron Ruler had been the first to report for duty every single day, a habit he had maintained for nearly twenty years. To ensure he could arrive early, he had even moved his residence to the vicinity of the office.

As if the heavens could not bear to see such diligence, today, on his way to the office, a roadblock was waiting for him.

"Amitabha!" Monk Zhongcheng chanted a Buddhist name. "Chief Inspector Zhang, this humble monk greets you."

"What is the meaning of this, Master?" Zhang Iron Ruler steadied his hand on the iron ruler at his waist.

"This humble monk has mastered the Tummo and has caught a glimpse of the seventh stage. Having nothing better to do, I wish to spar with Chief Inspector Zhang," Monk Zhongcheng said with a smile.

Zhang Iron Ruler did not commit to an answer, but instead began reciting the file on Monk Zhongcheng: "Monk Zhongcheng of the Thousand Leaf Palm, direct lineage of the Linji Sect, obsessed with martial arts, loves to challenge experts of all paths, disregarding life and death. Currently staying at the White Pagoda Temple in Jincheng Prefecture. His Thousand Leaf Palm has reached the realm of perfection."

"Amitabha!" Monk Zhongcheng bowed again. "The imperial court is indeed omniscient. Chief Inspector Zhang, shall we fight?"

"Master Zhongcheng, you aren't here to challenge me, are you?" Zhang Iron Ruler smiled slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"I have analyzed the dossiers of everyone in Jincheng Prefecture above the sixth stage. You only challenge those with higher cultivation than yourself. But now, since you have glimpsed the Concentrated Spirit Realm, you have surpassed my Circulation Realm. You would never challenge me!"

"Amitabha!" Monk Zhongcheng did not deny it.

"Let me guess... The current source of chaos in Jincheng Prefecture is nothing more than the Crown Prince's Mansion killing the Patrol Commissioner of the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower. Someone was asking about Li Changgeng's injuries earlier; it must be that something is happening on Li Changgeng's side, right?" Zhang Iron Ruler was absolutely certain. "Master Zhongcheng was entrusted by someone to hold me, the Chief Inspector, back so I wouldn't get in the way."

"Amitabha, a monk does not tell lies."

"It seems I guessed right!"

"Does the Chief Inspector not wish to fight me?"

"Quite the contrary!" Zhang Zhihe drew the iron ruler from his waist and pointed it at Monk Zhongcheng. "Master, please enlighten me!"

"Why?" Now it was Monk Zhongcheng's turn to be surprised.

"I don't want to get involved in the affairs of those two houses either!" Zhang Zhihe said sternly. "The Crown Prince's Mansion framing the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower is something I couldn't stand to see anyway. You coming here today has actually done me a huge favor."

"Amitabha!"

As another Buddhist name fell, Monk Zhongcheng's palm shadows bloomed like flowers scattered by a celestial maiden, rushing straight toward Zhang Iron Ruler.

Daya Hall.

Li Changgeng was consuming the medicinal meal prepared by the doctor, while Yang Yuchun sipped tea to the side, both of them admiring the flowers and plants in the clinic's backyard.

Li Changgeng finished the medicinal meal in one gulp and said, "I thought Jincheng Prefecture was remote and no one understood the art of garden design. I never expected that even a mere clinic backyard would have such a view."

Yang Yuchun laughed, "I know about this; it has to do with Shui Ziyi. After he retired, he hired master craftsmen to build his garden, and his Shui Family Garden is a world of its own. The people of Jincheng Prefecture followed suit, so naturally, they learned some gardening techniques."

"But they don't know much. This corridor should have been built with ups and downs to imitate the undulations of mountains and rivers. Here, it is built flat and straight, which is a bit dull."

Li Changgeng fell silent for a long time upon hearing this.

"Brother Xiyan, have you thought of something?"

Yang Yuchun actually called Li Changgeng by his courtesy name, showing no restraint at all. It was clear that the two had become familiar with each other very quickly over the past few days.

"Shizhai, do you think our School of Heavenly Principle is a bit too conservative?" Li Changgeng also addressed Yang Yuchun by his courtesy name. "Jincheng Prefecture was originally remote, yet after Shui Ziyi retired, he still dared to be the first in the world, building the world's first steel-frame bridge here. Even his private residence can influence the trends of an entire region."

"Their Investigation of Things School truly has some extraordinary aspects."

"Shui Ziyi is not from the Investigation of Things School; he is from the Academy of Sciences." Yang Yuchun frowned.

"It's all the same. The Academy of Sciences claims to be neutral, but we all know that almost everyone there leans toward the Investigation of Things School."

"Brother Xiyan need not worry too much." Yang Yuchun said, "Our School of Heavenly Principle protects the Crown Prince, which is where the orthodoxy of the world lies. Even if the Investigation of Things School has some skills, they must still bow and lie dormant."

"Look, Shui Ziyi invited me to the River-Viewing Tower for tea today. I reckon he wants to befriend our School of Heavenly Principle for his son's future."

"Very well." Li Changgeng's brow relaxed as he brought up another matter. "Doctor Wang just returned from his rounds and told me a strange thing. This morning, Monk Zhongcheng of the Thousand Leaf Palm challenged Zhang Iron Ruler in the street. Zhang Iron Ruler was no match, was injured, and has gone home, even asking Doctor Wang to go and treat him."

"Monk Zhongcheng..." Yang Yuchun had also heard of this man's reputation, and a look of schadenfreude appeared on his face. "It's Zhang Iron Ruler's bad luck to be entangled by him."

"Hahaha!" Li Changgeng laughed. "Shizhai, you should be careful too. Given Monk Zhongcheng's style, who knows when he might entangle you."

"No need to worry, Monk Zhongcheng is no match for me!" Yang Yuchun said confidently.

As he spoke, Yang Yuchun looked at the sky and immediately took his leave. "Brother Xiyan, I still have to keep my appointment with Shui Ziyi, so I won't keep you company any longer."

River-Viewing Tower.

Chen Wu stood in front of a shop opposite the River-Viewing Tower, holding a copy of the Jincheng Industry Promotion Gazette. The slightly trembling corner of the newspaper revealed Chen Wu's anxiety. He had no heart to even look at the latest chapter of Legend of Dayu'er.

At this moment, a blind man on the side of the road approached Chen Wu and whispered, "It will arrive in another quarter of an hour."

Chen Wu's heart tightened. He gave the blind man a copper coin and turned to walk toward the second floor of the shop.

The houses on this street were all two or three stories high, with the ground floor rented out as storefronts and people living above.

This shop, as well as the second floor above it, were secret properties bought by Old Ma using his private treasury. In the past, to prevent exposure, not only were aliases used during the purchase, but rent collection was also outsourced to others.

If it weren't for avenging the Patrol Commissioner this time, Chen Wu wouldn't even have known that Old Ma had such an asset. When Old Ma used to cry poverty, Chen Wu had actually believed his nonsense.

Chen Wu opened the door to the second floor and walked straight to the table, where two swords were laid out perfectly. One was Chen Wu's own sword, while the other was Old Jin's awl-shaped sword.

Chen Wu picked up the awl-shaped sword, took a deep breath, and channeled his internal energy from his dantian up to his teeth, biting down hard onto Old Jin's weapon.

This was Chen Wu's greatest reliance for his revenge: the second level of the Heaven-Intercepting Dao-Exposition Method—Borrowing the Mystic.

This technique took the foundation of Borrowing the Concentrated Spirit a step further; by digesting the natal weapon of a Mystic Realm expert, one could temporarily borrow power akin to that of a Mystic Realm expert.

Originally, Chen Wu had not understood what this Borrowing the Mystic truly entailed, but after a conversation with Wu Chengyi yesterday regarding the power of heaven and earth and the Lesser Mystic Realm, Chen Wu had suddenly realized the truth.

While this power was said to belong to Mystic Realm experts, that was only partially true; in reality, it was borrowing the power of heaven and earth.

Mystic Realm experts were in harmony with that special energy between heaven and earth, allowing them to draw upon an endless supply. By operating the secret art of the second level of the Heaven-Intercepting Dao-Exposition Method and consuming the weapon of a Mystic Realm expert, one could harmonize with that heavenly energy just as a Mystic Realm expert would.

In this way, with the energy of heaven and earth infused into his body, he could unleash power similar to that of a Mystic Realm expert. It was just that, lacking the martial accumulation of a true Mystic Realm expert, he would barely count as a budget version of one.

The reason the manual required the cultivation of Bronze Skin, Iron Tendon, and Jade Bone was simply because the energy of heaven and earth was violent; for those at a lower realm to bear such power, they had to reach the pinnacle of the physical body to barely withstand it.

Before long, Chen Wu had completely swallowed Old Jin's awl-shaped sword and began to secretly circulate the secret art.