Northern Suppressing Faction

"Heaven and earth possess righteous energy; use intent to connect with the Great Sun, use the blade to carry the Heavenly Dipper..."

Chen Zhuo held his blade horizontally across his chest, the three incomplete forms of the Zhengyang Blade Technique flowing through his mind.

He closed his eyes, his body turning with the blade, the blade moving with his intent.

Once it touched the bone, the Zhengyang Blade Technique seemed to open a new chapter in his hands.

Every time he swung the blade, a humming sound rang incessantly in his ears.

Even the sparse fallen leaves on the ground were split in two and scattered in all directions.

Each move and stance was executed with effortless grace, the aura faintly exuding a presence that felt as heavy as a mountain yet as light as floating water.

[Zhengyang Blade Technique (Incomplete) +1]

Even with his eyes closed, Chen Zhuo could vaguely sense rows of tiny, gnat-like characters appearing before him.

The incomplete Zhengyang Blade Technique was improving at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Chen Zhuo was immersed in it, completely unaware of the passage of time.

In the blink of an eye, the morning glow had gradually shifted toward the scorching sun, and the light falling on the blade became somewhat blinding.

At that moment, Chen Zhuo suddenly opened his eyes.

He raised the long blade in his hand high, as if lifting a shattered, blazing sun.

The stance changed abruptly.

"Dawn Break, Heaven Patrol, Solar Eclipse, Flowing Fire..."

Every move Chen Zhuo landed was completely different from before.

There were no complex maneuvers; it was simple, crisp, and furthermore, faster, steadier, and heavier.

Even the air began to crackle with explosive sounds.

The broad leaves on the ground flew about, but the moment they touched the blade's edge, they were shredded to pieces.

After a long while, Chen Zhuo sheathed his blade and stood still; there were no longer any intact leaves beneath him.

The panel popped up once more.

Just as he expected, all techniques arise from within; the incomplete Zhengyang Blade Technique had been perfected.

[Zhengyang Blade Technique: 1/20 (Not yet initiated)]

"The complete Zhengyang Blade Technique only has nine forms?"

Chen Zhuo frowned, slowly sheathed his blade, and pondered for a moment before his brow smoothed out.

The Zhengyang Blade Technique aims for peerless rigidity and surging righteous energy; it is indeed not known for complex or intricate moves.

With these nine forms of the Zhengyang Blade Technique, it would be enough to kill enemies and slay demons.

It was just this blade...

Chen Zhuo lifted the sheathed long blade and weighed it slightly.

It was a bit too light.

"It seems that when I go to the Ghost Market, I'll have to pick up a heavy blade, or perhaps find a smithy to have one custom-made?"

Chen Zhuo thought for a moment, but after considering the fifty-tael banknote and the five-plus taels of loose silver in his pocket, he ultimately dismissed the idea of going to a smithy.

"What day does the Ghost Market open?"

Chen Zhuo counted on his fingers.

The Ghost Market would open the day after tomorrow.

Chen Zhuo committed the date to memory, pushed aside his extraneous thoughts, buckled on his blade, and hurried toward the kitchen.

It was time to work.

Although the kitchen was not as busy as it was at sunset, there was still plenty to do as noon approached.

As soon as Chen Zhuo arrived at the kitchen, he began chopping vegetables, but in the intervals between chopping, he had taken on an extra task.

Processing live animals.

He had to handle every chicken, duck, and fish himself.

This was an order issued personally by Master Chef Yan, and no one else was allowed to interfere.

Because of this, the kitchen assistants looked at him with a hint of pity, whispering among themselves about whether he had offended Master Chef Yan in some way.

Only Chen Zhuo knew that this was a trial for his Dissection Technique.

If one cannot dissect demons and refine true blood oneself, how can one be called a qualified Blade-Catcher?

Thus, he could only run back and forth between chopping vegetables and processing live animals.

[Dissection Technique +1]

Watching the Dissection Technique progress steadily, he felt the same way he did when practicing martial arts.

Solid.

Soon, after processing eight fish, three chickens, and three ducks, the kitchen work gradually came to an end.

Chen Zhuo didn't return to his small courtyard; instead, he pulled over a small stool and sat down.

While the others were still being served, he had already started eating.

Now that his status in the kitchen was second only to Master Chef Yan, he naturally had the right to do so.

Crystal-clear fatty meat paired with fragrant rice went down bite by bite, making him feel what true happiness was.

This single bite was enough to make all his hard work worthwhile.

"Master Chen, eating?"

As Chen Zhuo was eating, an old man with a sharp-featured face and a pair of thin mustaches suddenly poked his head through the crack in the kitchen door.

"Fifth Master? What wind blew you over here?"

Chen Zhuo stopped his chopsticks and greeted him with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Master Chen, look at what you're saying. How could I be called a master? You are the real master here."

Fifth Master chuckled, his thin, small body barely squeezing through the door crack.

Once inside, Fifth Master cupped his hands toward Chen Zhuo: "To be honest, I wouldn't visit the temple without a reason."

"Oh?"

Chen Zhuo raised his head: "What instructions does Fifth Master have for me?"

Fifth Master waved his hands repeatedly: "Look at what you're saying, how could it be instructions? It's Young Master Sun; he was afraid you wouldn't be willing to see him, so he specifically entrusted me to bring you something."

As he spoke, Fifth Master carefully fished an envelope out of his robes and handed it to Chen Zhuo.

Chen Zhuo put down his chopsticks, took the envelope, and asked suspiciously: "Is there something Sun Fei couldn't come over for himself? Why did he have to write a letter?"

Fifth Master smiled and said: "Master Chen, you might not know, but Young Master Sun's original words were that the Sun Family has been busy lately and is short-handed. He has taken leave from the yamen and has to go on a long journey, and won't be back until the Autumn Hunt."

"Young Master Sun also said, please read the contents of the letter carefully; it is very important to you."

On those last three words, Fifth Master seemed to be imitating Sun Fei's tone, emphasizing them quite a bit.

Chen Zhuo nodded thoughtfully: "Thank you."

"You're too kind."

Fifth Master cupped his hands, turned around, opened the door, and left.

Watching the door slowly close, Chen Zhuo turned his gaze to the envelope in his hand.

In his mind, he couldn't help but recall the scene at the Morning Assembly that day.

Ever since Huang Yuan'er had made his move against him, the figure of Fatty Sun had not appeared in his field of vision.

However, he did seem to recall a fleeting image of someone being dragged away.

Perhaps it was out of guilt that he wrote this letter.

Thinking of this, Chen Zhuo smiled to himself and shook his head.

That matter couldn't be blamed on Fatty Sun no matter how you looked at it.

If there was anyone to blame, it was Huang Yuan'er, or perhaps this world itself.

Chen Zhuo then thought of Chief Clerk Sun, whose subtlety was completely different from Fatty Sun's.

He had sold him out one moment, only to return the favor the next, and even left him owing another favor in the process.

"What could it be that even you, Young Master Sun, are so solemn about?"

Chen Zhuo opened the envelope with curiosity.

"I am about to embark on a long journey. Regarding the events of the other day, no matter what you think, I must offer my sincere apologies on behalf of my brother."

"After thinking about it for days, there is one thing I must warn you about: the yamen recruitment, which usually occurs every three years, why has the convention suddenly changed? And why are there only two spots? It is because of an urgent decree from the capital. The Northern Suppressing Faction has requested that this office specifically recruit talent from the Yong Territory this year."

"In the small county of Baiyun, there are only two spots. To be honest, one is already set for me, and the other is currently held by Zhou Sheng. With the Autumn Hunt approaching, I hope you will strive to be the best. Opportunities vanish in an instant; do not be negligent. If we can go to the capital together in the future, wouldn't that be grand!"

"Your talent and foundation are peerless, as I have always believed. I hope you will set your ambitions high and surely defeat Zhou Sheng."

Can't you just speak like a normal person?

Chen Zhuo read the contents of the letter over and over, word for word, and only after a long time did he fully grasp what Fatty Sun was saying.

So this was the truth behind the Autumn Hunt.

"Northern Suppressing Faction... this fatty..."

Chen Zhuo smiled, gently set down the envelope, and as his gaze flickered, the edge of a blade gradually seemed to emerge.