At first light, Zhang Iron Ruler was already on his way to the Constabulary Office.
Ever since joining the Constabulary Office as a young man, Zhang Iron Ruler had been the first to report for duty every day. He had kept it up for nearly twenty years. To get there early, he had even moved closer to the office.
As if heaven couldn't bear to see Zhang Iron Ruler being so diligent, it sent a roadblock to waylay him on his way to the office today.
"Amitabha!" Monk Zhongcheng chanted the Buddha's name. "Chief Constable Zhang, this humble monk greets you."
"What do you mean by this, Master?" Zhang Iron Ruler rested a hand on the iron ruler at his waist.
"I have mastered Tummo and glimpsed the threshold of the seventh rank. With nothing to do in my spare time, I thought I'd spar with you, Chief Constable Zhang," Monk Zhongcheng said with a beaming smile.
Zhang Iron Ruler didn't respond. Instead, he recited Monk Zhongcheng's dossier: "Monk Zhongcheng of the Thousand Leaf Palm, direct heir to the Linji Sect's Dharma lineage, obsessed with martial arts and fond of challenging experts from all walks of life, fearing neither life nor death. He is currently staying at White Pagoda Temple in Jincheng Prefecture. His Thousand Leaf Palm has reached a state of consummate mastery."
"Amitabha!" Monk Zhongcheng bowed again. "The imperial court truly has eyes and ears everywhere. Chief Constable Zhang, will you fight me?"
"Master Zhongcheng, you didn't come here to challenge me, did you?" Zhang Iron Ruler smiled faintly.
"What do you mean?"
"I've studied the case files of everyone in Jincheng Prefecture at the sixth rank or above. Master, you only challenge people whose cultivation exceeds your own. But now that you've glimpsed the Concentrated Spirit Realm, you've already surpassed my Circulation Realm. You'd never challenge me!"
"Amitabha!" Monk Zhongcheng did not deny it.
"Let me guess... The source of the turmoil in Jincheng Prefecture is that someone from the Crown Prince's Mansion killed the Patrol Commissioner of the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower. Someone asked about Li Changgeng's injuries earlier, so there must be trouble on his end. Am I right?" Zhang Iron Ruler was absolutely certain. "Someone asked Master Zhongcheng to hold me up, to keep me from interfering."
"Amitabha. Monks do not tell lies."
"Then I guessed right!"
"Chief Constable, are you unwilling to fight me?"
"Quite the opposite!" Zhang Zhihe drew the iron ruler from his waist and pointed it at Monk Zhongcheng. "Please, Master, instruct me!"
"Why?" Monk Zhongcheng was taken aback.
"I don't want to get involved in the affairs of those two factions either!" Zhang Zhihe said solemnly. "The Crown Prince's Mansion framed the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower, and I've long found it hard to stomach. Master, you've done me a great favor by coming here today."
"Amitabha!"
With another invocation of the Buddha's name, Monk Zhongcheng's palms blossomed like flowers scattered by a celestial maiden, surging straight toward Zhang Iron Ruler.
Daya Hall.
Li Changgeng was eating the medicinal meal the doctor had prepared, while Yang Yuchun sipped tea beside him. Together, they admired the flowers and plants in the clinic's back courtyard.
Li Changgeng downed the medicinal meal in one go, then said, "I thought Jincheng Prefecture was so remote that no one here knew the art of garden design. I never expected even a mere clinic's back courtyard to be worth admiring."
Yang Yuchun smiled. "I know why. It's connected to Shui Ziyi. After retiring from office, he hired skilled craftsmen to build a garden. His Shui Family Garden is a world of its own. The people of Jincheng Prefecture followed his example, and naturally picked up a little garden design."
"They only picked up a little. This covered walkway should rise and dip to imitate the contours of mountains and rivers. Instead, it's been made completely flat and even—rather stiff."
At that, Li Changgeng fell silent for a long while.
"Brother Xiyan, has something come to mind?"
Yang Yuchun had called Li Changgeng by his courtesy name, with no trace of formality. It was clear the two had quickly grown close over the past few days.
"Shizhai, do you think our School of Heavenly Principle has become somewhat hidebound?" Li Changgeng addressed Yang Yuchun by his courtesy name as well. "Jincheng Prefecture was remote to begin with, yet after retiring, Shui Ziyi still dared to lead the way. He built the world's first steel-frame bridge right here. Even his private residence could influence the fashions of an entire region."
"Their Investigation of Things School really does have its strengths."
"Shui Ziyi isn't part of the Investigation of Things School. He belongs to the Academy of Sciences." Yang Yuchun frowned.
"It's all the same. The Academy of Sciences claims to be neutral, but we both know nearly everyone leans toward the Investigation of Things School."
"Brother Xiyan, there's no need to worry too much," Yang Yuchun said. "Our School of Heavenly Principle supports the Crown Prince, so we stand at the heart of the world's rightful order. Even if the Investigation of Things School has some ability, it still has to lie low."
"Besides, Shui Ziyi invited me to River-Viewing Tower for tea today. He probably wants to build ties with our School of Heavenly Principle for the sake of his son's future."
"Very well." Li Changgeng's brow relaxed, and he brought up something else. "Doctor Wang just got back from making his rounds and told me something strange. This morning, Monk Zhongcheng of the Thousand Leaf Palm challenged Zhang Iron Ruler in the street. Zhang Iron Ruler couldn't hold his own and went home injured, so Doctor Wang had to treat him."
"Monk Zhongcheng..." Yang Yuchun had heard of him too. A look of schadenfreude crossed his face. "Zhang Iron Ruler was unlucky to get tangled up with him."
"Hahaha!" Li Changgeng laughed. "Shizhai, you should be careful too. Knowing Monk Zhongcheng, he could set his sights on you one day."
"Don't worry. Monk Zhongcheng is no match for me!" Yang Yuchun said confidently.
Yang Yuchun glanced at the sky, then took his leave. "Brother Xiyan, I have an appointment with Shui Ziyi. I'll be going now."
River-Viewing Tower.
Chen Wu stood in front of a shop across from River-Viewing Tower, holding a copy of the Jincheng Industry Promotion Gazette. The corner of the newspaper trembled slightly, betraying his nerves. He didn't even feel like reading the latest chapter of Legend of Dayu'er.
Just then, a blind man by the roadside moved close to Chen Wu and whispered, "He'll be here in fifteen minutes."
Chen Wu's heart tightened. He gave the blind man a copper coin, then turned and headed up to the shop's second floor.
The buildings along this street were two or three stories tall. Their ground floors were rented out as shops, while people lived upstairs.
The shop and its second floor were both secret properties Old Ma had bought with money from his private fund. To avoid drawing attention, he had used an alias when buying them and had other people collect the rent.
If Chen Wu hadn't been avenging the Patrol Commissioner this time, he would never have known Old Ma owned a place like this. Back when Old Ma had complained about being broke, Chen Wu had actually believed his nonsense.
Chen Wu opened the door to the second floor and went straight to the table. Two swords lay squarely on top of it. One was his own; the other was Old Jin's conical sword.
Chen Wu picked up the conical sword, took a deep breath, and circulated his power from his dantian up to his mouth and teeth. Then he bit down hard on Old Jin's conical sword.
This was Chen Wu's greatest asset in seeking revenge: the second stage of the Heaven-Intercepting Dao-Exposition Method—Borrowing Mystic Realm Power.
Building on the foundation of borrowing from the Concentrated Spirit Realm, this stage went a step further. By digesting a Mystic Realm expert's life-bound weapon, he could temporarily borrow power similar to that of a Mystic Realm expert.
Chen Wu hadn't understood how Borrowing Mystic Realm Power worked, but after talking with Wu Chengyi yesterday about the power of heaven and earth and the Lesser Mystic Realm, he had suddenly seen the light.
The power was said to belong to a Mystic Realm expert, but it was only similar in nature. What he was really borrowing was the power of heaven and earth.
Mystic Realm experts resonated with a special energy between heaven and earth, allowing them to draw on it without end. The second stage of the Heaven-Intercepting Dao-Exposition Method used a secret technique: by eating a Mystic Realm expert's weapon, one could resonate with that energy just as a Mystic Realm expert did.
With the energy of heaven and earth upon him, he could then wield power akin to that of a Mystic Realm expert. But without the martial foundations of one, he could only be called a knockoff Mystic Realm expert.
The manual required practitioners to cultivate Bronze Skin, Iron Tendon, and Jade Bone because the energy of heaven and earth was violent. For someone at a lower realm to bear its power, their body had to reach its utmost limits before it could just barely withstand it.
Before long, Chen Wu had swallowed Old Jin's conical sword whole and was secretly circulating the technique.
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