Majestic and Imposing

Had he finally lost his patience?

He Zhiling's eyes suddenly narrowed. He had been brimming with confidence, certain that his master-level saber technique would let him defeat Chen Cheng with ease. Yet Chen Cheng's movement was incredibly swift, always avoiding the heavy blows and skirting the light ones, maintaining his distance from him like a loach slick with mud.

After dozens of exchanges, He Zhiling had not even touched the corner of Chen Cheng's clothes. The frustration in his heart had reached its limit.

Fortunately, he had always been experienced and steady, neither arrogant nor impatient. He quickly adjusted, pretending to be exhausted and showing signs of decline, deliberately exposing an opening. His aim was to show weakness to the enemy and lure him deeper in.

The tactic indeed worked. Chen Cheng changed his approach and even attempted a counterattack. This played right into He Zhiling's hands.

This Chen Cheng was still too young, too naive. His defeat would not be undeserved!

In the blink of an eye, He Zhiling stepped back, curled his body, and drew upon the power of his blood and qi. His strength reached the blade's edge as he unleashed a swift and ferocious diagonal upward slash with a shifting step, determined to knock Chen Cheng's attacking saber away in one stroke and seize victory.

The smugness on his face had already surfaced, but it swiftly vanished. The saber-wielding figure reflected in his eyes was simply too fast.

So fast that before his shifting-step diagonal slash had even been executed halfway, his right hand gripping the saber felt a chill carried by a faint breeze. The tip of Chen Cheng's incoming saber was already within inches of him.

"Not good!"

A powerful sense of danger surged into his heart. He Zhiling was so frightened that his soul trembled and every hair on his body stood on end. Forgetting about continuing his saber technique, he abandoned his saber and rolled sharply to the left.

A lazy donkey's roll!

Sshk...

The blade sliced through He Zhiling's sleeve, and a thin line of blood sprayed forth.

A clear breeze slipped through a crack, leaving no trace in the saber's shadow!

The long saber was slightly angled, a thin streak of blood glaringly visible on its tip. Chen Cheng stood there calmly, neither pleased nor sorrowful, his expression tranquil as still water as he recalled the battle just now.

Sure enough, an absolute advantage in movement and speed can completely make up for the gap in saber techniques. For that strike just now, I used my fastest speed and easily defeated He Zhiling's master-level Six Harmonies Saber Technique with my entry-level Chasing Wind Saber Technique.

If I weren't carrying fifty jin of weight, I could have been even faster. Defeating him should have been even easier.

It seemed that in battles between martial artists, strength, movement, and speed were all crucial factors that determined victory and defeat.

[Chasing Wind Saber Technique cultivation progress increased.]

[Skill: Chasing Wind Saber Technique (Entry 36/100)]

A panel notification appeared in the air, and Chen Cheng felt another surge of delight.

He had not expected that after a bout of fierce fighting, the progress of his Chasing Wind Saber Technique would increase by a full six points.

The increase was actually far faster than when he was in a focused state.

That's right. During the match just now, He Zhiling and I fought head-on with real sabers, facing the danger of life and death at any moment. My mind was highly focused, and I did not dare relax in the slightest. Naturally, my saber technique improved rapidly.

The saber match had long since settled into dust, yet the training ground was strangely quiet.

Chen Cheng had used an entry-level saber technique to defeat a master-level one. It was simply too unimaginable. Not only were the surrounding constables unable to calm themselves for a long while, but even the several chief constables and the two martial arts instructors on the viewing platform were the same.

Shen Qingshuang's beautiful eyes, on the other hand, gleamed with a strange light. The youth before her had given her far too many surprises.

Born into a poor family, unfamiliar with fist techniques, and having only cultivated his self-taught saber technique to the entry level, he showed no trace of having practiced any body-tempering art.

Yet merely with the physique he had built by tempering his strength at home, he had easily defeated a martial arts school disciple whose fist technique was close to mastery, as well as a martial arts school disciple newly entered into the Skin-Tempering Realm with a master-level saber technique.

Such talent in martial arts was simply earth-shattering—he could only be called a monster!

"This Chen Cheng truly is extraordinary. Perhaps, just as Liu Yunfeng said, he is worth cultivating."

Shaking her head slightly, Shen Qingshuang turned and walked out of the training ground.

"Lady Shen, you still haven't announced the results of the assessment matches," Liu Yunfeng said.

"You handle it yourselves," Shen Qingshuang replied without looking back.

On the field, He Zhiling clutched his injured forearm. His back had already been soaked through with cold sweat, leaving him chilled to the bone.

In the match just now, he had gone all out and had even used a tactic to lure the enemy in. It could be said that he had used every trick up his sleeve.

Yet he had still lost, and lost thoroughly. As a fellow saber wielder, he could tell that if Chen Cheng had not held back with that strike, he would not merely have suffered a cut on his arm. Perhaps his entire arm would have been severed, leaving him crippled for life.

When he thought of how he himself had never considered holding back at all, He Zhiling felt even more ashamed, so embarrassed he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"Chen Cheng, I will remember the mercy you showed me today."

With a flushed face, He Zhiling said this, picked up the saber he had dropped, and silently headed off the field. His sturdy, broad back looked especially lonely.

Chen Cheng had won two consecutive matches and smoothly passed the probationary constable assessment. Even Zhao Yongfeng had nothing left to say.

Liu Yunfeng was naturally overjoyed. He personally brought Chen Cheng to the clerk's office to register him, where he received his waist badge and probationary constable uniform.

Though there had been a few twists and turns, he had successfully entered the Ruyi Ward branch of the City Guard Office and become a probationary constable.

His rank, salary, and benefits were no different from when he had been a prison guard, but after Chen Cheng changed into the gray uniform of a probationary constable and walked through the streets, he felt a clear difference.

When he had worn a prison guard's uniform before, no one paid him any mind.

Now, it was an entirely different sight. Wherever Chen Cheng went, whether roadside vendors or ordinary civilians, all wore ingratiating expressions.

Even those martial world folk carrying weapons looked at him with wariness, and most chose to step aside.

A county magistrate was no match for the official directly in charge. Prison guards managed the prison, so prisoners and their families feared them.

Street-patrolling constables managed public order, and their sphere of influence was clearly much broader.

Liu Yunfeng took especially good care of Chen Cheng and assigned him to Liao San's shift. Normally, all he needed to do was follow Liao San around.

The work of a street-patrolling constable was actually more leisurely than that of a prison guard. All they did was stroll through their assigned district when the time came. If they encountered bandits or thieves, they beat them if they needed beating, killed them if they needed killing, and arrested them if they needed arresting.

If someone reported a case, they would go handle it.

In times like these, what bandit or thief would dare cause trouble in front of constables? The moment they saw constables approaching, they would have long since hidden far away.

After a full day on duty without encountering anything, Chen Cheng continued as he had in the prison, silently cultivating the Iron Garment Art while strolling about, his progress steadily increasing.

Since his assigned district was near Locust Tree Alley, he could even return home at noon to eat and rest, and practice the Chasing Wind Saber Technique a few times along the way.

Probationary constables were not qualified to carry sabers. This so-called lack of qualification did not mean they were forbidden from carrying one; rather, the City Guard Office did not issue official sabers to probationary constables. If they wanted to carry a saber, they could only buy one themselves.

Businesses such as salt and iron in Linji City were monopolized by great families. An ordinary long saber cost more than ten taels of silver. How could an ordinary probationary constable afford one?

After all, people like He Zhiling, who served as probationary constables while also being martial arts school disciples, were few.

Chen Cheng had previously seized a long saber from Tian Qi of the Flying Eagle Gang, so he boldly wore it at his waist. He could be considered a saber-carrying constable now, majestic and imposing.