Master Su is Truly Different

The group looked up, only to find Su Yuan standing before them, watching them in silence.

"C-Captain Su!" The men were startled, having failed to notice when he had closed the distance.

Su Yuan had long known these Liang people were incorrigible and had been quietly tailing them.

"You truly disappoint me." He stood with his hands behind his back, his tone flat yet laced with a chilling edge.

"Captain Su, h-here, take this!" The men hurriedly offered up the silver they had tucked away.

"Give it back." Su Yuan's gaze swept over them. "I will not hold onto past grievances; let it be considered a misunderstanding."

The group had no choice but to bite the bullet and return the money to its original owners one by one.

The commoners were suspicious at first, fearing the amount was insufficient, but only after Su Yuan nodded in confirmation did they dare to take it back.

"Master Su... he really is different. If only there were more good officials like him, how wonderful that would be," someone sighed in a low voice.

"I hope it's not just an act. I fear the Great Liang is doing this on purpose to show us that there is a bright future in siding with them," another remarked, filled with doubt.

Although a policy of appeasement had been implemented in the city recently, old habits died hard, and most Great Liang soldiers remained accustomed to extortion and plunder.

"Indeed. Besides, he only reached his current position by stepping on the backs of us Jing people. Now that he has become a Liang man, you all are fawning over him just because he showed a little kindness," another voice pointed out, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

Inside the Patrol Office.

Su Yuan looked at the men standing with their heads bowed and said indifferently, "Violating military discipline and privately extorting wealth from the people—this warrants punishment."

The men had no choice but to cough up even more silver.

Su Yuan did not take it, ordering them to turn it over to the treasury instead.

"From now on, keep yourselves in line." He cast one final glance at the group before turning to leave.

Wei Che stared at Su Yuan's retreating back, his teeth gritted.

A superior officer held absolute authority, and that was not even accounting for the fact that he couldn't beat him in a fight.

Yet, deep in his heart, a thought began to quietly take root.

So you like playing the good guy?

I will make sure you don't get your way.

Over the next month, Su Yuan spent most of his time in the Inner City in deep cultivation. His movements were erratic, giving the Shan Family no opportunity to strike, while also making it easier to keep tabs on Gao Mian.

He would occasionally return to the patrol team to supervise them and ensure they didn't cause trouble.

With the stipends from the Chai Family and the military, he did less carpentry work, pouring most of his focus into the martial path.

[Fate: A Further Step Forward]

[Golden Horse-Head Technique: 234/2000 (Second Layer)]

[Heavenly Horse Flying Star Fist: 13/2000 (Third Layer)]

[Origin-Returning Finger: 1855/2000 (Consummation)]

[Cloud-Striding Palm: 342/500 (First Layer)]

"Hoo~ The Heavenly Horse Flying Star Fist has also reached the Savage Strength stage." Su Yuan clenched his fist, a solid and domineering force circulating between his fingers and palms.

Flying Star Strength!

Its power was like a falling star, condensed into a single point; it would explode upon contact, shattering tendons and breaking bones in an instant.

He attempted to merge his Vajra Strength with his Flying Star Strength.

The two forces did not clash; instead, they complemented each other, adding a burst of explosive momentum to the already rigid power, doubling its lethality.

Since he began practicing martial arts, he had come to understand one thing.

It was not difficult to practice multiple martial arts during the Blood Condensing stage; it was merely a matter of time.

However, once one reached the stage of condensing internal strength, the forces generated by different techniques often clashed.

In particular, the internal strength of Great Liang martial arts was rough and savage, while that of Great Jing was subtle and refined.

The more refined the strength, the harder it was to merge with others.

The techniques of the Horse Division likely had inherent room for fusion, though he wondered if he could merge them again once he cultivated Cloud-Striding Strength, thanks to the power of his Fate.

The Chai Family had not yet granted him the subsequent techniques for the Heavenly Horse Flying Star Fist.

For now, he continued to focus primarily on the Golden Horse-Head Technique.

"Still too poor." Su Yuan looked at his savings of over three hundred taels; it was still not enough to buy a single Break Strength Pill.

This pill was not only useful for breaking through realms, but it also provided significant benefits for the cultivation of Savage Strength.

Unfortunately, he had already used the one Gao Mian gave him when he triggered his Flying Star Strength.

Beyond medicinal pills, the flesh and blood of specific second-tier demonic beasts could also aid in the cultivation of different types of internal strength.

For instance, Vajra Strength requires boiling the spine of an Iron-Bone Mountain Boar, while Flying Star Strength necessitates the essence blood from the heart of a Star-Falling Python; both are incredibly expensive ingredients.

This past month, he ceased taking Blood Origin Pills and switched to a diet of normal meat and medicinal meals, which indeed led to a slow improvement in his constitution and a slight increase in his cultivation speed.

As for the Blood Bone Pills, he had only consumed one, leaving the remaining two in storage.

He still dared not consume too much of that stuff.

Su Yuan suddenly had a thought: since his improvement in constitution was real, the Chai Family would surely publicize it extensively, and by then, the Blood Bone Pills might find a ready market.

He could take advantage of the momentum to offload the two pills in his hands and earn another sum.

Seeing that dusk was approaching, Su Yuan rose to return to the Inner City.

He never lingered in the Outer City at night to prevent any unforeseen mishaps.

Just as he was about to leave, Wei Che blocked the doorway: "Captain Su, orders from above: two Cloud-Water Wolves have been captured in the Outer City and are being escorted inside. We are required to provide an escort along the way to prevent the Jiguang Society from hijacking them halfway!"

"It is already late; you go yourselves. It is inconvenient for me to go," Su Yuan refused flatly.

He was unwilling to even stay on duty at night, let alone go outside the city for an escort mission.

Previously, while performing his duties during the day, he would always encounter martial artists from the Shan Family, who would eye him like a tiger watching its prey.

Fortunately, they were at most at the Savage Strength level.

During the day, they still dared not be too blatant, and Su Yuan could always stay alert and slip away in time.

Now, unless a Vein Splitting martial artist arrived in person, no one could stop him.

However, Vein Splitting martial artists were the top combat power in Ji City, numbering no more than a dozen; why would they waste their energy on a small fry like him at the Blood Condensing stage?

Yet, once night fell, the situation became entirely different.

He had to guard against both the Shan Family's schemes and potential assassination attempts by the Jiguang Society.

When it came down to it, his title as a squad leader made him the number one lackey under the Liang People in the eyes of the rebels.

However, over the past month, the squad under his command had been relatively well-behaved, and the area around Fengxing Street had been quite peaceful.

Other parts of the city were not so tranquil; the Jiguang Society was causing trouble everywhere, and he occasionally had to go and provide support.

The opposition did not strike much during the day, but in the few recent clashes, they had actually gained the upper hand, even going so far as to loudly proclaim that the martial arts of Great Liang were inferior to those of Great Jing, steadily increasing their reputation.

This was thanks to them hiding in the shadows, launching sneak attacks that were impossible to guard against.

Perhaps because of Yun Xu, or perhaps because he never appeared at night, the opposition had not taken the initiative to seek trouble with him.

Because of this, Su Yuan had actually lost the opportunity to make contact with them.

He had originally thought they would come looking for him, which was why he had specifically stayed at the Patrol Office for a period during the day.

It seems they still don't trust me, Su Yuan realized, though he understood why.

Wei Che refused to yield: "Captain Su, the higher-ups have already spoken, saying our squad has been slack lately and is suspected of drawing pay without working. For this mission, the entire squad must be present!"

He felt stifled inside.

Following under Su Yuan, he couldn't scrape together any extra profit, and yet this man was so perfunctory.

He had reported it multiple times, yet the higher-ups still tolerated it and delayed dismissing him; it was simply absurd.

Su Yuan sneered inwardly: For a mere 30 taels, what kind of life am I supposed to sell? Staying alive is what matters most.

Besides, he had only been at this for a month; were they in such a hurry?

"The entire squad must be present? Isn't that what you say every time?" Su Yuan ignored him and walked straight out.

Upon returning to the Inner City, Chai Nian sent someone to invite him over.

"Su Yuan, you don't seem to pay much attention to military affairs? You spend all day practicing martial arts; how is your progress?" Chai Nian asked with a smile, waving his fan.

"Reporting to Young Master, the progress is rapid. The Heavenly Horse Flying Star Fist has entered the Blood Condensing stage, and Savage Strength is within reach," Su Yuan said, gesturing with his arms.

"Sigh, I know you don't like the trivialities of the military, but since it is a military order, you must handle it to some extent," Chai Nian frowned slightly.

"Su Yuan only wishes to serve the Chai Family with all his heart. Since taking the Blood Bone Pill, I have gradually felt the changes in my constitution, so I am willing to devote myself entirely to cultivation and not let down the Young Master's cultivation," Su Yuan said with a respectful expression and a tone of loyalty.

Hearing this, Chai Nian smiled: "Good, good! Then hold on for another month. Once Tie Niu finishes his breakthrough, I will take you both out of the city to see the world."

"Yes." Su Yuan withdrew, feeling a sense of emotion in his heart.

Tie Niu had attempted to break through a month ago by taking a Break Strength Pill, but he had failed.

He had taken Blood Origin Pills early on to speed up his progress, which ultimately left hidden dangers.

Fortunately, his constitution was not damaged, and the Chai Family had not let him take the Blood Bone Pill.

Martial arts barriers were the hardest to break; being stuck for months or even years was a common occurrence.

But Su Yuan had the blessing of his destiny, never having to worry about bottlenecks; this was his greatest reliance in martial arts.

The following afternoon, Su Yuan returned to Fengxing Street.

Today, the merchants on the street greeted him, but the calls were somewhat sparse, and their expressions lacked their usual warmth.

"Greetings, Master Su." Even their voices carried a hint of reluctance.

Had something happened?

Su Yuan stepped into the Patrol Office and saw that several of his subordinates were injured and bandaged, while others were nowhere to be seen.

Upon asking, he learned that during yesterday's mission to escort the demon wolves, the squad had been ambushed. The demon wolves had broken free and wreaked havoc in the streets, causing numerous casualties.

The Eighth Patrol Squad bore the primary responsibility, and he, the derelict captain, could hardly escape the blame.