Seeking Shelter

The young shopkeeper was startled. He had been selling buns for more than a day or two, and he had seen plenty of customers deliberately picking faults and making trouble.

Some complained that the flavor was not authentic, while others nitpicked that the filling was too skimpy. But he had never encountered anyone claiming the buns were so hard they chipped their teeth.

These were freshly steamed, piping-hot buns. How could they possibly be hard enough to chip someone's teeth?

The young constable before him was clearly looking for an excuse not to pay, but the excuse was so clumsy that even if the young shopkeeper wanted to give him the two buns for free, he had no grounds to do so.

If he went along with the constable's words, his bun shop's reputation would be ruined. Who would dare buy buns from him in the future?

"Everything in this shop is steamed fresh and sold fresh, piping hot and soft. How could they possibly be hard enough to chip your teeth? Sir Constable, you must be joking.

How about this? Take the buns. I will not charge you."

The young shopkeeper forced a careful smile. As an ordinary commoner, he truly did not dare offend a City Guard Office constable. He could only choose to spend money to avert disaster and smooth things over.

"What? Are you saying I'm lying through my teeth and trying to cheat you out of a few copper coins for these buns?"

Chen Cheng's face darkened as he snapped angrily.

"Sir Constable, you said that yourself. This humble one would never dare mean such a thing."

The young shopkeeper was somewhat angry now. Even in broad daylight, a City Guard Office constable could not bully people like this, could he?

The street was bustling with passersby, and their dispute immediately drew many people to stop and watch. The nearby vendors all turned to look as well.

Chen Cheng widened his eyes and swept his gaze around, finally fixing it on the old peddler not far behind him.

"What are you looking at? You little old man, you want to meddle too?"

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare!"

The old peddler hurriedly turned his head away.

The gray-clad man standing beside the handcart avoided Chen Cheng's gaze, quickly lowered his head, turned around, and hurried off.

The man carried no weapon, but his waist bulged conspicuously, clearly concealing a sharp blade. He was no decent sort. Chen Cheng had noticed an emblem of a flying eagle embroidered on his cuff.

"You don't believe me when I say your buns chip teeth? Let your daughter taste one herself."

Chen Cheng stuffed the other bun in his hand into the little girl's hands, then turned and strode away.

With no more spectacle to watch, the crowd gradually dispersed as well.

The bun shop owner stood there in a daze, his face full of confusion.

If that constable had wanted to eat buns for free, why would he have returned one?

"Daddy, this bun really does chip teeth!"

At that moment, the little girl took a bite of the bun and spoke in a crisp voice.

"Girl, why are you talking nonsense too?"

The young shopkeeper snatched the bun from his daughter's hand, only to find several copper coins somehow mixed into the filling.

"How could there be copper coins inside a perfectly good bun? How strange!"

Chen Cheng patrolled the streets as he headed home. The gray-clad man did not follow him again.

These past few days, whenever he walked the streets, he had always felt someone watching him.

That gray-clad man had been shadowing him from before Chen Cheng entered Luo's Shop. Even after he left Luo's Shop, the man had still followed him from afar. He clearly had some ulterior motive.

Chen Cheng had not known who was tailing him until he saw the flying eagle emblem on that man's cuff just now. Only then did he confirm that the man should be from the Flying Eagle Gang.

It seems Zhou Biao still refuses to let this go! Of course. I killed one of his men and seriously wounded another. Zhou Biao surely cannot swallow this insult.

Muttering inwardly, Chen Cheng summoned the panel to inspect it.

[Name: Chen Cheng

Realm: Skin Tempering (Minor Accomplishment)

Skills: Iron Garment Art (Minor Accomplishment 223/1000), Chasing Wind Saber Technique (Minor Accomplishment 28/1000)]

After diligently training over this period, the progress of both the Iron Garment Art and Chasing Wind Saber Technique had increased considerably.

Chen Cheng was far stronger now than when he had fought He Zhiling that day.

Zhou Biao was likely not as strong as He Zhiling. If he dared make a move, Chen Cheng was confident he could kill him in a single slash.

Of course, Chen Cheng had always been cautious. In his daily travels, he only took the main roads and never chose remote alleys just to save a little distance.

Even if Zhou Biao wanted to strike, it would be difficult for him to find an opportunity.

After all, Chen Cheng was a registered probationary constable of the City Guard Office. Zhou Biao did not dare act openly on the streets.

As for sending men to break into a private home at night and murder someone as before, he dared that even less.

Chen Cheng's status was no longer what it had once been. Anyone who dared break into a constable's home at night would be committing a major crime. Locust Tree Alley was Flying Eagle Gang territory, so the City Guard Office would seek out the Flying Eagle Gang first.

Still, since Zhou Biao had sent his men to tail him, he must have been eager to find a chance to strike.

Should I create an opportunity for them and kill them in return? Or should I simply go straight to their door and uproot the trouble once and for all?

The moment those thoughts arose, Chen Cheng dismissed them.

Creating an opportunity for the enemy and then counter-killing them carried some risk. It was not advisable.

As for taking the initiative to kill his way to their door, that was not quite appropriate either. Zhou Biao was, after all, a hall master of the Flying Eagle Gang and deeply valued by their gang leader.

If Chen Cheng went to his door and killed him, given that Zhou Biao had previously clashed with him, the Flying Eagle Gang would inevitably suspect Chen Cheng. Then one tug would move the whole body. If Chen Cheng could kill his way to Zhou Biao's door, the Flying Eagle Gang's leader, Cao Fei, might very well kill his way to Chen Cheng's door.

When one's strength was weak, one absolutely could not take even the slightest risk. He needed to find a safer method.

Right. I'm a City Guard Office constable now, one of Liu Yunfeng's men. Why not ask him for help when I'm at a loss?

After all, my original purpose in joining the City Guard Office was to seek shelter. Sometimes, wisely borrowing the protection of a powerful force is the sensible choice.

The next day.

During a break in his street patrol, Chen Cheng went to find Liu Yunfeng.

Regarding the Brown Bear Skin-Tempering Art, Liu Yunfeng had practically painted Chen Cheng a huge pie, only for nothing to come of it in the end. It truly felt a little like deceiving an honest child, and Liu Yunfeng had felt guilty about it for several days.

Chen Cheng was, after all, a subordinate Liu Yunfeng thought highly of. If he harbored any small grievances, Liu Yunfeng naturally needed to soothe him properly.

However, Chen Cheng never mentioned the matter afterward, so Liu Yunfeng simply chose not to bring it up either.

"Ah Cheng, have you come to see me because you have some difficulty with martial arts training?" Liu Yunfeng wore a warm smile, while inwardly considering how best to phrase things if Chen Cheng asked about the Brown Bear Skin-Tempering Art.

Chen Cheng had long since cast the matter of the Brown Bear Skin-Tempering Art out of his mind. But since Liu Yunfeng had brought it up, there was no harm in asking for some guidance.

"Chief Liu, I asked around. The medicinal decoctions needed to cultivate the Brown Bear Skin-Tempering Art are extremely expensive. I cannot even afford a single dose, so I fear it will be difficult for me to train in it," Chen Cheng said honestly.

Liu Yunfeng's eyelid twitched slightly. What was bound to come had come after all.

"Well... martial arts cultivation is not something accomplished overnight. You must proceed gradually. There is no need to rush. Slowly save up some silver, then begin cultivating," Liu Yunfeng said with a chuckle.

To be honest, there was not much he could do. Shen Qingshuang had only given him a martial arts manual. He could hardly pay out of his own pocket for Chen Cheng's medicinal materials.

Even if he had the intention, he lacked the means.

"All right." Chen Cheng read Liu Yunfeng's expression and saw that he seemed to have some unspoken difficulty, so it was not appropriate to continue pressing the matter. Instead, he stated the reason for his visit.

"Chief Liu, someone has been following me often lately. They seem to intend me harm."