Huang Tianhe

Chen Zhuo was carried into the Yamen, supported by a couple of people.

His strength had long since been drained by practicing martial arts and fighting.

If he hadn't swallowed a Blood Vitality Pill that morning, he wouldn't have lasted until now.

He wouldn't have dared test himself against a blade, either, practicing martial arts as if his life depended on it.

Of course, risk and reward went hand in hand.

The benefit of fighting tooth and nail was that his Iron Cloth Shirt and Zhengyang Blade Technique had both advanced by leaps and bounds.

The blade technique in particular seemed to be rolling upward by the handful.

[Training Method: Iron Cloth Shirt (83/100) (Beginner)]

[Fighting Method: Zhengyang Blade Technique (Incomplete) (7/50) (Mastered)]

Just one fierce battle had raised his Iron Cloth Shirt proficiency more than it had in the past month.

"Taking risks is a paean to courage."

Chen Zhuo was already satisfied with this result.

What was more, he had also mastered the Zhengyang Blade Technique in a single battle.

The two paths of martial arts, training and fighting, were both indispensable.

In today's battle, he had grown more and more courageous as the fight went on, mainly because his fighting-method proficiency had shot up.

"I wonder, once this incomplete Zhengyang Blade Technique, with only three moves, reaches perfection, could it evolve into a complete blade technique?"

Chen Zhuo looked forward to finding out.

"You're probably in a bit of trouble this time."

Sun Fei's voice was low.

In the Swift Squad's inner hall, Chen Zhuo had been settled on a makeshift bed. Sun Fei was looking after him nearby.

"Because of Huang Sanyou?"

Chen Zhuo turned his gaze back and asked curiously, "Who exactly is Huang Sanyou?"

"Baiyun County has One Sect, Three Gangs, and Five Schools. The Long River Gang is second only to the One Sect in power. These days, the Long River Gang belongs to the Huangs."

Sun Fei's words made Chen Zhuo's heart sink.

He was now certain of one thing.

Huang Yuan'er had been involved in this afternoon's attempted ambush.

As if seeing through his thoughts, Sun Fei suddenly revealed a shocking fact.

"Instructor Huang is the third son of Huang Tianhe, the Long River Gang's leader. And Huang Sanyou is Huang Tianhe's actual uncle, Huang Yuan'er's great-uncle."

"So Huang Sanyou is a generation above the current Long River Gang leader?"

Chen Zhuo's eyes widened, and it was as if an earthquake had struck his pupils.

In other words, he had beaten up the Long River Gang leader's uncle and dragged him back to the Yamen.

Wait.

"Hold on. I'm just a White-Uniform Runner. Am I really worth having such a big shot come after me personally?"

Chen Zhuo furrowed his brow, suddenly feeling that something didn't add up.

"Huang Sanyou may be senior in rank, but he's no good at either letters or martial arts, and his standing in the Long River Gang isn't high. At most, he's got a few petty tricks up his sleeve and spends all his time hanging around the gang members."

At this, a trace of disgust flashed through Sun Fei's eyes. "That man's like a dog-skin plaster—once he sticks to you, you can't shake him off. He's a shameless scoundrel. But he is Huang Tianhe's uncle, after all. Hitting him is like slapping the Long River Gang in the face."

"Huang Tianhe has already reached Aperture Opening. A casual wave of his hand carries tens of thousands of jin of force. You can imagine the consequences of daring to slap him."

"That's why I said you might be in a bit of trouble this time."

Chen Zhuo smiled. "Have you taken a hit from that Fat Old Man before?"

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Sun Fei's face. He shook his head firmly. "No."

Chen Zhuo didn't press him further. Instead, he asked seriously, "One Sect, Three Gangs, Five Schools. How does the Yamen compare to those gangs?"

Sun Fei quietly puffed out his chest. "Beneath the Yamen, they're all just clay chickens and pottery dogs."

"No matter how high Huang Tianhe's cultivation is, he can't surpass Magistrate Liu. No matter how many people the Long River Gang has, they can't stand against the Three Thousand City Defense Army."

"That's enough for me."

Chen Zhuo raised his arms. His skin was peeled back in places and covered with scabs of dried blood.

He looked at his wounds and suddenly smiled.

Sun Fei shook his head. "The path of martial arts takes more than talent. More than anything, it takes time. You've never seen Huang Tianhe. When he truly appears before you..."

Before he could finish, a middle-aged man with a stubbly face and disheveled clothes suddenly walked in.

"Little Fatty, didn't your father teach you that the path of martial arts takes heart, too? Without heart, you'll never reach the summit."

"You're a long way behind your big brother in that regard."

Yan Ming set down his medicine chest briskly. After making a few offhand remarks, he walked over to Chen Zhuo and carefully examined his injuries.

Sun Fei awkwardly scratched his head, not daring to argue. "Please treat his wounds first."

"Master Yan, you know medicine?"

Chen Zhuo was surprised.

In his previous life, cooks and doctors both wore white, but they were still two different professions.

It was the same in this life.

"Back home, I spent a few years treating cattle and horses. Treating people isn't any different."

Yan Ming replied mildly, "When a person loses heart, he really does become a beast of burden."

Chen Zhuo was speechless.

Sun Fei seemed to mull this over for a moment, then respectfully bowed to Yan Ming.

"All done."

Yan Ming looked Chen Zhuo over, then put a hand on his wrist to take his pulse and came to a startling conclusion.

"If you'd come back any later, your wounds would've healed already."

This time it was Chen Zhuo's turn to feel awkward.

Chen Zhuo gave an embarrassed grin. "Sorry for the trouble, Master Chef Yan."

Yan Ming waved a hand. "You're ruthless with yourself, kid. You've got guts, too. It wasn't a waste for me to come all this way."

"Oh, right. Lord Liu is hosting a banquet tonight. The kitchen's going to be busy, so make sure you show up on time."

With that, Yan Ming slung his medicine chest onto his back and left.

As soon as he stepped out, Yan Ming's voice came from outside again.

"Don't forget that bucket of Blood-Strengthening Soup. You know how much it cost. If you don't want to work like a beast for nothing, pay it back soon. Otherwise, you won't get a monthly wage for quite a while, and there'll be interest on top..."

His voice faded into the distance, and Chen Zhuo's expression turned bitter.

He'd almost forgotten about that bucket of Blood-Strengthening Soup.

He was going to be broke again.

Thinking about how the money he'd just gotten was about to go right back out, Chen Zhuo's heart bled.

He sat up and looked at the money pouch at his waist.

The five-plus taels of silver inside had come from his own hardworking hands, frisked from a few members of the Long River Gang.

It hadn't been easy.

"I still have to help in the kitchen tonight. I need to recover my strength quickly."

With that in mind, Chen Zhuo didn't hold back on the Blood Vitality Pills. He swallowed one right away.

Its coolness slid down his throat, leaving him much more alert.

"Rest up. As for Huang Sanyou, Squad Leader Yao will take care of it once he gets back to the Yamen."

As he spoke, Sun Fei somehow produced a bucket of clean water and a set of clothes, placing them both in front of Chen Zhuo.

"Thank you, Brother Sun."

"We get along well. No need to thank me."

Sun Fei hesitated as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't speak. He waved a hand. "I'm off."

Watching Fatty Sun's broad back, Chen Zhuo turned around and began cleaning the blood off himself.

After washing himself clean and changing into fresh clothes, Chen Zhuo dropped into a grand armchair and poured himself a cup of tea.

The tea was cool, but his heart was burning.

He smiled to himself, remembering the way Fatty Sun had looked when he left.

He understood what Fatty Sun had been thinking.

The other man had seen how strapped for cash he was.

But money was best earned and spent by your own hand.

It wasn't that he was being fussy, or that he couldn't accept someone else's charity.

What others gave always came with limits. Besides, accepting charity or a gift meant you had to repay them, sometimes even with your life.

After their conversation today, Chen Zhuo could see just how deep the waters ran in Baiyun County.

The One Sect, the Three Gangs, and the Five Schools—with the Yamen above them all.

He thought again of Huang Sanyou, Huang Yuan'er...

"I'll have to put even more effort into my martial arts."

He downed the tea, glanced up at the sky, then rose and left, heading straight for the kitchen.