Zhao Jingyuan

As evening approached, Xu Qing, clutching the 128 taels of silver he had "finally" earned, first went to the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School. He spent ten taels on a pound of Tai Sui Spirit Meat before returning to his lodgings.

Meanwhile.

At Yu Chen's residence.

"Yu Chen!"

Fan Yanbin had come looking for him. "I just want to ask you one question: where did you find that senior wearing the evil ghost mask today?"

"Senior? Fan Yanbin, what do you want?"

Yu Chen's expression tensed.

One had to understand.

Fan Yanbin was a Bright Force martial artist, while Yu Chen, having failed at martial arts, was just an ordinary person. If Fan Yanbin got angry, he could kill Yu Chen with a single punch.

"Dark Force! That's a Dark Force martial artist!"

Fan Yanbin's eyes widened as he shouted, "Where did you find a Dark Force martial artist? I haven't offended you, have I? You actually found a Dark Force martial artist to deal with me?"

"Dark Force?!"

Yu Chen's heart trembled. He was indeed shocked by Fan Yanbin's words. According to Fan Yanbin, Xu Qing was actually a Dark Force martial artist?

Impossible.

Absolutely impossible!

But…

Fan Yanbin wouldn't lie to him, would he?

Unconsciously.

Yu Chen's heart fell into a state of shock and confusion.

If that were truly the case.

If Xu Qing was really a Dark Force martial artist.

The first possibility.

Xu Qing had been concealing and deceiving from the very beginning, hiding himself and his strength. But that didn't quite make sense.

Because.

Xu Qing was personally brought by Lord Huo Yi. With Lord Huo Yi's abilities and discernment, it was impossible for him not to recognize Xu Qing as a Dark Force martial artist.

The second reason.

If Xu Qing had been hiding his strength from the start, why did he reveal it at this time? Was it just to earn over a hundred taels of silver today?

Therefore.

The first possibility was unlikely.

Then.

Only the second possibility remained.

Xu Qing was genuinely a beggar of unknown origin from the very beginning, but he possessed martial arts talent unimaginable to ordinary people.

In less than a week.

Xu Qing had successively crossed two levels from an ordinary person, breaking through to Bright Force and reaching the level of Dark Force, becoming a Dark Force martial artist.

Thinking of this.

Yu Chen's shock could no longer be contained.

Unconsciously.

Yu Chen thought again of Xu Qing's reluctance to reveal his identity, his request for Yu Chen to find him a mask to cover his face, and his demand for absolute secrecy.

"Hoo…"

Yu Chen took a deep breath and pondered, "So, Xu Qing knew that his rapid increase in strength would attract others' covetousness?"

"Xu Qing, oh Xu Qing, I, Yu Chen, am just a greedy merchant who only sees money. Aren't you afraid I'll expose you?"

"Hoo…"

Yu Chen took another deep breath, his mood calming down. He glanced at Fan Yanbin. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm also not very aware of the senior you mentioned; he just approached me himself. When he found me, he was also wearing an evil ghost mask."

"Fan Yanbin, setting aside whether I even have the ability to invite a Dark Force expert, I advise you to think about whether you've offended someone else right now."

"You…"

Fan Yanbin's expression froze.

In the evening.

At Xu Qing's residence.

"Hoo…"

After frying the Tai Sui Spirit Meat, Xu Qing ate it all. It tasted incredibly delicious, even better than the top-tier steak he had eaten in his previous life.

"Serpent Evasion Technique."

Next.

Xu Qing continued to practice the Serpent Evasion Technique, his footwork pacing within the room. His body moved like a spirit snake, incredibly agile, dodging and shifting with lifelike fluidity.

In the blink of an eye.

Four hours later.

"Hoo..."

Xu Qing slowly finished his practice.

[Serpent Evasion Technique (Incomplete) LV3: 20/20 (Can be upgraded!)]

Four hours.

Xu Qing could practice the Serpent Evasion Technique five times per hour, gaining five experience points. Four hours meant twenty experience points, just enough to level up.

"Upgrade."

Buzz!

The Omni-Codex flashed with light.

Xu Qing entered that mysterious state once more, as if receiving divine enlightenment. He further deduced the Serpent Evasion Technique, mastering a more potent version.

[Serpent Evasion Technique (Incomplete) LV4: 0/40 (…)]

He glanced at it.

The information for the Serpent Evasion Technique hadn't changed drastically. Only the supple and yielding Bright Force in his feet had become significantly stronger, and the maneuverability of the Serpent Evasion Technique had improved by a level.

However.

It hadn't undergone a qualitative change yet.

"Not bad."

Xu Qing nodded. "It's just that with Eight Extremities Fist upgrading and me stepping into Dark Force, a pound of Tai Sui Spirit Meat a day isn't enough anymore."

"Based on the current situation, I need to consume three pounds of Tai Sui Spirit Meat daily. One pound in the morning, one at noon, and one in the evening, to sustain my stamina and energy for martial arts practice."

In fact.

Xu Qing's expenses weren't that high. It was merely the daily food cost for a Dark Force martial artist. If it were other Dark Force martial artists, in addition to their regular meals, they would also use corresponding secret medicines to aid their cultivation.

And the prices of those secret medicines were exorbitant. A single dose could cost over a hundred taels of silver.

Fortunately.

Xu Qing didn't require these secret medicines much. Otherwise, the one hundred and twenty-eight taels of silver he earned today would barely be enough to buy one dose.

The night passed without incident.

In the blink of an eye.

The next day arrived.

"I'm buying Tai Sui Spirit Meat so frequently at the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School. I wonder if it will expose anything, but I don't have any other channels right now."

Xu Qing pondered. "So, for the time being, I can only buy it from the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School."

In the morning.

Xu Qing went to the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School. He didn't see Instructor Zhang He, but many outer court disciples saw Xu Qing. These disciples looked at Xu Qing with some disdain.

Of course.

Xu Qing ignored their gazes and went straight to the martial arts school's warehouse. He met Old Man Xiao and presented thirty taels of silver.

"Old Man Xiao, I'd like to buy three pounds of Tai Sui Spirit Meat today."

Xu Qing said.

"Mm."

Old Man Xiao simply nodded his head slightly, saying nothing more and asking no further questions. He accepted the thirty taels of silver from Xu Qing and walked into the warehouse.

Not long after.

Old Man Xiao emerged with three wrapped portions of Tai Sui Spirit Meat and handed them to Xu Qing.

"Thank you, Old Man Xiao."

Xu Qing cupped his fists, a slight joy in his heart. He took the three pounds of Tai Sui Spirit Meat and quickly left, not lingering at the Azure Hawk Martial Arts School.

In the blink of an eye.

He returned to his residence.

Xu Qing immediately began to pan-fry the Tai Sui Spirit Meat. After consuming one pound of it, his stamina and energy were replenished, and his spirit was invigorated.

"Eight Extremities Fist."

Next.

Xu Qing began to practice the Eight Extremities Fist.

Unknowingly.

An entire morning passed.

It was nearing noon.

"Hoo..."

Xu Qing slowly finished his practice, exhaling stale air. Above his head, wisps of white steam, formed by evaporating sweat, could be faintly seen.

[Eight Extremities Fist LV5: 15/160 (...)]

"Still a long way from the next level," Xu Qing said.

Next.

Xu Qing tidied himself up and, as agreed yesterday, headed to the largest restaurant in Qingbei Town's outer city, 'Kaiyuan Tower'. This restaurant was a multi-story building, nine floors high. The interior decoration and furnishings naturally became more luxurious and grand with each ascending floor, and so did the prices.

Yu Chen could only afford to treat him on the first floor.

Moreover.

Even the minimum charge on the first floor started at ten taels of silver.

On the first floor of Kaiyuan Tower.

Xu Qing walked in. Guests were coming and going incessantly, the air was filled with the aroma of various dishes, and many people were talking and laughing, making it very lively.

If one had to describe it.

It was like the employee cafeteria of a large factory.

"Xu Qing, over here."

Suddenly.

Xu Qing heard Yu Chen's shout. He turned his head and saw Yu Chen standing up at a dining table, waving at him.

Besides Yu Chen, a middle-aged man with a calm expression was sitting next to him. A streak of white hair adorned his temple, and he appeared to be at least forty years old.

Furthermore.

This middle-aged man with a streak of white hair at his temple wore a saber at his waist and the uniform of a Yamen constable. Everyone at the surrounding tables regarded him with a degree of awe.

"I'm here."

A smile appeared on Xu Qing's face as he walked directly over.

"Come, come."

Yu Chen also smiled and gestured to Xu Qing, saying, "Let me introduce you. This is Lord Zhao Jingyuan from the Yamen."

"Xu Qing, let me tell you, Lord Zhao is a small constable captain in the Yamen, and he commands over a dozen men."

"Lord Zhao."

Xu Qing cupped his fists in a salute. "This commoner, Xu Qing, pays his respects to Lord Zhao."

"Sit down."

Zhao Jingyuan waved his hand. "No need to be so formal. You're Yu Chen's brother, so you're naturally my brother too. When brothers meet, we don't stand on ceremony."

"Among the three of us, I'm the oldest. Just call me Brother Zhao."

"Alright."

Xu Qing nodded. "Brother Zhao."

"Mm."

Zhao Jingyuan showed a slight smile.

Next.

Xu Qing sat down. The dishes on the table had already been ordered; they were all ordinary dishes, as the food at Kaiyuan Tower was indeed very expensive.

"Xu Qing, Yu Chen has already told me about your situation," Zhao Jingyuan continued. "The outer city hasn't been peaceful lately. I can't tell you the specifics, but the Yamen only has so many constables, making it difficult to patrol the entire outer city."

"Therefore, the Yamen plans to recruit people to form a patrol team. As for the treatment, Yu Chen has already informed you. Since you haven't mastered Bright Force yet and have only practiced the combat style and body refinement method, you'll receive one tael of silver per day."

"Of course."

"If you achieve any meritorious deeds, there will definitely be rewards."

"Mm."

Xu Qing nodded.

"Each patrol team will have one captain and two vice-captains. The captain will be a Yamen constable, but the two vice-captains are open positions."

Zhao Jingyuan added, "Generally, the vice-captain position requires Bright Force level strength. You're still a bit short, but I can try to get you appointed."

"This way."

"If you encounter danger, you can escape first. Once you become a vice-captain, your treatment will double, and you'll receive two taels of silver per day."

"Thank you, Brother Zhao."

Xu Qing stood up and bowed. He hadn't expected things to go so smoothly, and Zhao Jingyuan hadn't even asked for any favors.