Exchange! Dragon-Subduing! Broadblade!

"Once a martial art has been exchanged, it cannot be returned. Is Constable Mu certain he wants to choose the Dragon-Subduing Blade Technique and Three-Breath Lightness?"

Clerk Liu took the exchange catalog and asked one extra question out of kindness.

As the man in charge of logistics, he knew full well how difficult each martial art was.

If the Tiger-Subduing Blade Technique had a cultivation difficulty of 1, then the Dragon-Subduing Blade Technique was a 3. As for Three-Breath Lightness, it was probably a 30.

Even its First Breath: Lightness was likely no less difficult than 10.

After all, maintaining steady breathing during an intense battle was already no easy task. One also had to ensure that one's rhythmic breaths matched the circulation of one's qi and blood—the difficulty was plain to see.

When Wu Cai saw Mu Yang's choices, concern likewise appeared on his face. But considering Mu Yang's age and talent, he did not speak up to stop him.

Young people—having confidence was a good thing.

At worst, he could personally step in later and teach Mu Yang a few of his family's martial arts.

A genius like this was surely destined for boundless prospects.

He just had to befriend him!

"Thank you for the reminder, Clerk Liu. I'm certain."

Mu Yang cupped his fists as he spoke.

"Mm. It's good that you know what you're doing."

Clerk Liu nodded slightly, then swept his brush across the page and deducted the merit points Mu Yang had just registered. He then turned and entered the storeroom. About half a quarter-hour later, he returned with two yellowed, thread-bound booklets.

They were precisely the mid-grade martial arts, the Dragon-Subduing Blade Technique and Three-Breath Lightness.

Mu Yang took the booklets, and two panels silently surfaced before him.

[Equippable Item: Dragon-Subduing Blade Technique (Mid-Grade Martial Art)]

[Rank: Tier 2]

[Equipment Effects: ① Perfection (White): Dragon-Subduing Blade Technique proficiency reaches the level of Perfection.

② Blade Technique Affinity (White): Slightly increases affinity with blade-type martial arts, accelerating the cultivation speed of blade-type martial arts.

③ Bone-and-Sinew Tempering (White): Slightly increases the efficiency of using qi and blood to temper the bones and sinews.]

[Condition for Permanent Solidification: Equip this item for ten shichen, or while this item is equipped, slay any demon beast of Tier 2 or above.]

There was no need to say much about the two traits, Perfection and Blade Technique Affinity. Mu Yang had already seen them on the Tiger-Subduing Blade Technique.

It was the third white trait, Bone-and-Sinew Tempering, that pleasantly surprised Mu Yang.

The second realm of martial cultivation after the Skin and Flesh Realm was the Tendon-Bone Realm.

This realm required one to use abundant qi and blood to temper the bones and sinews. Depending on the progress of that tempering, it was divided into the Sinew-Tempering Stage and the Bone-Forging Stage.

Generally speaking, once one succeeded in sinew tempering, one's strength could increase by five hundred jin, comparable to fifty percent skin tempering. Once bone forging succeeded, one could gain another fifteen hundred jin of strength. Together with the boost from the Skin and Flesh Realm, the strength of a single arm would be at least three thousand jin.

It could be said that the Tendon-Bone Realm was far beyond anything the Skin and Flesh Realm could compare to.

Looking across all the constables in the yamen, only two had reached the Tendon-Bone Realm.

One was the elusive chief of the Four Head Constables, whom he had never once met. The other was his superior, Fourth Head Constable Wu Cai.

Though Wu Cai's blade technique was poorly practiced, his family's horizontal-training martial art had long brought his cultivation to the Bone-Forging Stage of the Tendon-Bone Realm. His strength was second only to the chief head constable.

After reading the Dragon-Subduing Blade Technique, Mu Yang glanced at Three-Breath Lightness.

With only one look, his gaze was drawn to the deep blue standing amid the white glow.

[Equippable Item: Three-Breath Lightness (Mid-Grade Martial Art)]

[Rank: Tier 2]

[Equipment Effects: ① Perfection (White): Three-Breath Lightness technique proficiency reaches the level of Perfection.

② First Breath: Lightness (White): Slightly increases the lightness effect.

③ Second Breath: Momentum (White): Slightly increases the speed of building momentum.

④ Third Breath: Fullness (Blue): In the state of Fullness, greatly reduces the damage caused by accelerating the circulation of qi and blood, and grants slight resistance against negative conditions affecting the body.]

[Condition for Permanent Solidification: Equip this item for ten days, or while this item is equipped, slay any demon beast of Tier 2 or above.]

Three-Breath Lightness truly deserved to be called the most difficult mid-grade martial art to cultivate. It had no fewer than four traits.

One of them had even reached blue quality.

This was his first time seeing a trait above white.

Its effects were also quite good. It could greatly reduce the damage sustained in the Third Breath: Fullness state, and it could resist negative conditions to a certain extent.

The only issue was that its solidification time was somewhat long—ten whole days, twelve times longer than the Dragon-Subduing Blade Technique.

Fortunately, the condition for slaying demon beasts had not changed. It was still Tier 2 or above.

So blue traits increase the time required for solidification?

Mu Yang thought to himself.

After handing the two martial arts to Mu Yang, Clerk Liu spoke again. "Oh, right. According to county regulations, anyone who slays a demon creature of Tier 1 or above may be directly promoted to head constable. This is your proof. In a moment, you can go directly to the Armory to collect a saber and two sets of uniforms."

As he spoke, Clerk Liu handed Mu Yang a square wooden token.

This was the standard little accessory issued to constable head constables. The front bore the character "Constable," while the back bore a "Five."

From this day onward, he was Qingxi County's fifth head constable. His monthly salary had leaped straight from one tael of silver to five.

After bidding Clerk Liu farewell, Wu Cai cheerfully led Mu Yang to the Armory.

Qingxi County was, after all, only a small county town. The Armory was not large, and it did not store many weapons.

Mu Yang had not held out much hope, but after sweeping his eyes over the room, he was immediately drawn to a long blade over a meter long in the corner.

[Equippable Item: Feather-Command Broadblade]

[Rank: Tier 3]

[Equipment Effects: ① Sharpness (White): When using this weapon, the sharpness of its blade is slightly increased.

② Armor-Piercing (White): When using this weapon, the blade's penetrating power is slightly increased.

③ Heavy Blade (White): When using this weapon, if it is a heavy broad-bladed weapon, its chopping and cleaving effect is slightly increased.]

[Condition for Permanent Solidification: Equip this item for ten shichen, or while this item is equipped, slay any demon beast of Tier 3 or above.]

The Feather-Command Broadblade was four chi and seven cun long. Its blade was one finger-width wider than an ordinary long blade, forged entirely from refined iron. Its spine was broad and thick, while only its edge had been ground into a line of chilling cold light.

A long blade in this style—

"This blade was a reward the chief head constable received when he went to the Prefecture City to assist with a case. It looks only half again as long as an ordinary blade, but it's no lightweight. It weighs more than three hundred jin. Even someone in the Tier 2 Tendon-Bone Realm would struggle to wield it nimbly." Seeing Mu Yang staring at the Feather-Command Broadblade in the corner, Wu Cai offered a reminder.

Those who practiced blade techniques generally prized speed, precision, and ruthlessness. What they wanted from a blade was sharpness and lightness.

Heavy long blades like the Feather-Command Broadblade were basically doomed to be unpopular.

Wu Cai could use it, but he did not like using blades.

"Head Constable Wu, can I claim this blade?"

Mu Yang understood what Wu Cai meant, but he had taken a liking at first sight to this bright silver blade.

As for its weight?

Once he killed a few more demon creatures, what was a mere three hundred jin?

Without any surprises, he would only find his weapons growing lighter and lighter in the future.

"You can. It'll only gather dust in the Armory anyway."

As he spoke, Wu Cai walked to the corner and brought the Feather-Command Broadblade over to Mu Yang.

Mu Yang took the long blade and gave it a few simple swings. With his Skin and Flesh Realm Perfection cultivation, combined with the strength of the Rat Demon Corpse, he could wield it, but compared to a Standard Long Blade, its movements were indeed a few degrees more sluggish.

But that was only a small matter. Once he equipped the Dragon-Subduing Blade Technique in a while, it would be fine.

As for Three-Breath Lightness, he still had to wait a few more shichen.

After all, only eight shichen had passed since last night. There was still over one shichen left before the Rat Demon Corpse could be solidified.