As evening approached, Xu Qing took the one hundred and twenty-eight taels of silver he had earned with such difficulty and first went to Azure Hawk Martial Arts School, where he spent ten taels on a pound of Tai Sui Spirit Meat before returning to his residence.
Elsewhere.
Yu Chen's residence.
"Yu Chen!"
Fan Yanbin had come knocking. "I only want to ask you one question. Where exactly did you find that senior wearing the Ghost Mask today?"
"Senior? Fan Yanbin, what are you trying to do?"
Yu Chen's expression tightened.
One had to know—
Fan Yanbin was a Bright Force martial artist, while Yu Chen had failed at martial arts and was merely an ordinary man. If Fan Yanbin flew into a rage, a single punch could kill Yu Chen.
"Hidden Force! He's a Hidden Force martial artist!"
Fan Yanbin's eyes widened as he shouted, "Where did you find a Hidden Force martial artist? I haven't offended you, have I? Yet you brought a Hidden Force martial artist to deal with me?"
"Hidden Force?!"
Yu Chen's mind shook. He truly had been horrified by Fan Yanbin's words. According to Fan Yanbin, Xu Qing was actually a Hidden Force martial artist?
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible!
But...
Fan Yanbin had no reason to deceive him, either.
For a moment—
Yu Chen's heart sank into shock and confusion.
If that was really the case—
Xu Qing truly was a Hidden Force martial artist.
The first possibility—
Xu Qing had been concealing and deceiving everyone from the very beginning, hiding both himself and his strength. Yet that did not quite make sense.
Because—
Xu Qing had been personally brought here by Lord Huo Yi. With Lord Huo Yi's skill and discerning eye, it was impossible for him not to notice that Xu Qing was a Hidden Force martial artist.
The second possibility—
If Xu Qing had hidden his strength from the start, why reveal it now? Could it really have been merely to earn the hundred-odd taels of silver from today?
Therefore—
The first possibility was unlikely.
Then—
Only the second possibility remained.
At the beginning, Xu Qing truly had been a beggar of unknown origins, but he possessed a Martial Talent beyond anything ordinary people could imagine.
In less than a week—
Xu Qing had gone from an ordinary man to crossing two levels in succession, breaking through Bright Force and reaching the Hidden Force realm, becoming a Hidden Force martial artist.
At that thought—
Yu Chen's shock could no longer be calmed.
Involuntarily—
Yu Chen recalled how Xu Qing had been unwilling to reveal his identity, had asked him to find a mask to conceal his face, and had told him to keep the matter tightly sealed.
"Phew..."
Yu Chen drew a deep breath and pondered. "So Xu Qing knew his strength had risen too quickly and would draw the covetous eyes of others?"
"Xu Qing, Xu Qing... I, Yu Chen, am nothing but a profiteer whose eyes open at the sight of money. Aren't you afraid I'll reveal your secret?"
"Phew..."
Yu Chen took another deep breath. His mood had already calmed as he glanced at Fan Yanbin. "I don't know what you're talking about. As for that senior you mentioned, I don't know much either. He came to find me himself, and he was already wearing the Ghost Mask when he found me."
"Fan Yanbin, let alone whether I have the ability to invite a Hidden Force expert, I suggest you think about whether you've offended someone else."
"You..."
Fan Yanbin's expression froze.
Night.
Xu Qing's residence.
"Phew..."
After pan-frying the Tai Sui Spirit Meat, Xu Qing ate all of it. The flavor was exquisite, even better than the finest steak he had eaten in his previous life.
"Serpent Evasion Technique."
Next—
Xu Qing continued practicing the Serpent Evasion Technique. His feet moved through the steps inside the room, his body gliding like a nimble serpent, incomparably agile as he dodged and shifted, vividly lifelike.
In the blink of an eye—
Four hours passed.
"Phew..."
Xu Qing slowly finished his practice.
Serpent Evasion Technique (Incomplete) LV3: 20/20 (Upgradeable!)
Four hours.
Xu Qing could practice the Serpent Evasion Technique five times in an hour, gaining five experience points. Four hours gave him twenty points, exactly enough to level up.
"Upgrade."
Buzz!
The Omni-Codex flashed with a faint gleam.
Xu Qing entered that mysterious state once more, as though enlightenment had been poured directly into his mind. He further deduced the Serpent Evasion Technique and grasped a stronger version of it.
Serpent Evasion Technique (Incomplete) LV4: 0/40 (...)
After taking a look—
The information for the Serpent Evasion Technique had not changed much. Only the agile, yielding Bright Force in his feet had grown more powerful, and the technique's flexibility had risen to another level.
However—
It had yet to undergo a qualitative transformation.
"Not bad."
Xu Qing nodded. "But as Eight Extremities Fist levels up and I've stepped into Hidden Force, one pound of Tai Sui Spirit Meat a day is no longer enough."
"Judging by the current situation, I need to eat three pounds of Tai Sui Spirit Meat each day—one pound in the morning, one at noon, and one at night—to sustain the stamina and energy needed for martial arts practice."
In truth—
Xu Qing's expenses were not considered high. They were merely the daily food expenses of a Hidden Force martial artist. Other Hidden Force martial artists, aside from their everyday meals, also relied on corresponding Secret Medicine to assist their martial arts training.
The prices of that Secret Medicine were even more outrageous. A simple dose cost over a hundred taels of silver.
Fortunately—
Xu Qing had little need for such Secret Medicine. Otherwise, the one hundred and twenty-eight taels he had earned today would probably only have been enough to buy a single dose.
The night passed without incident.
In the blink of an eye—
The next day arrived.
"I've been buying Tai Sui Spirit Meat from Azure Hawk Martial Arts School so frequently. I wonder if it might expose something, but I have no other channels right now."
Xu Qing pondered. "So for the time being, I can only keep buying it from Azure Hawk Martial Arts School."
Morning.
Xu Qing went to Azure Hawk Martial Arts School. He did not see Instructor Zhang He, but quite a few outer courtyard students saw Xu Qing, and their expressions carried a trace of disdain.
Naturally—
Xu Qing ignored their looks. He went straight to the martial arts school's warehouse, where he met Old Man Xiao and took out 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 merely nodded blandly. He said nothing more and asked no questions. After accepting Xu Qing's thirty taels of silver, he entered the warehouse.
Not long after—
Old Man Xiao brought out three wrapped portions of Tai Sui Spirit Meat and handed them to Xu Qing.
"Thank you, Old Man Xiao."
Xu Qing cupped his hands, secretly delighted. He accepted the three pounds of Tai Sui Spirit Meat and left quickly, not lingering at Azure Hawk Martial Arts School.
In the blink of an eye—
He returned to his residence.
Xu Qing immediately began pan-frying the Tai Sui Spirit Meat. After eating one pound, his strength and energy became abundant once more, and he felt full of vigor.
"Eight Extremities Fist."
Next—
Xu Qing began practicing Eight Extremities Fist.
Without realizing it—
The entire morning passed.
Near noon.
"Phew..."
Xu Qing slowly finished his practice, exhaling a breath of stale air. Above his head, faint white vapor rose from evaporating sweat.
Eight Extremities Fist LV5: 15/160 (...)
"There's still a long way to go before the next upgrade."
Xu Qing said.
Next—
Xu Qing tidied himself up and, as agreed yesterday, arrived at Qingbei Town's largest restaurant in the outer city, Kaiyuan Tower. The restaurant was built like a pavilion, nine stories high. Its furnishings and decorations naturally became more luxurious and grander with each floor, while the cost likewise rose floor by floor.
Yu Chen could only afford to treat them on the first floor.
And—
Even the minimum spending on the first floor started at ten taels of silver.
Kaiyuan Tower, first floor.
Xu Qing entered. Guests streamed in endlessly, and the air was filled with the aroma of all kinds of food. Many people were shouting and chatting, making the place exceptionally 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 call out. Turning his head, he saw Yu Chen rising from a dining table and waving at him.
Besides Yu Chen—
A calm-faced middle-aged man sat beside him. A streak of white marked his temple, and he was likely no younger than forty.
Moreover—
The middle-aged man with the streak of white at his temple wore a saber at his waist and the uniform of a yamen constable. Everyone at the surrounding tables regarded him with some awe.
"I'm here."
A smile appeared on Xu Qing's face as he walked straight over.
"Come, come."
Yu Chen smiled as well, gesturing toward Xu Qing. "Let me introduce you. This is Lord Zhao Jingyuan from the yamen."
"Xu Qing, let me tell you, Lord Zhao is a junior constable at the yamen. He has more than ten men under him."
"Lord Zhao."
Xu Qing cupped his hands in salute. "This commoner is Xu Qing. I pay my respects to Lord Zhao."
"Sit."
Zhao Jingyuan waved a hand. "No need to be so formal. You are Yu Chen's brother, which naturally makes you my brother as well. Brothers meeting do not stand on ceremony."
"Among the three of us, I'm the oldest. Just call me Brother Zhao."
"Alright."
Xu Qing nodded. "Brother Zhao."
"Mm."
A faint smile appeared on Zhao Jingyuan's face.
Next—
Xu Qing sat down. The dishes had already been ordered, all ordinary fare, since Kaiyuan Tower's food was indeed expensive.
"Xu Qing, Yu Chen has already told me about your situation."
Zhao Jingyuan continued, "The outer city has been unsettled recently. It's not convenient to tell you the specific circumstances. There are only so many yamen constables, and it's difficult to patrol the entire outer city."
"So the yamen intends to recruit people and form Patrol Teams. Yu Chen has already told you about the compensation. You haven't cultivated Bright Force yet and have only learned combat techniques and training methods, so you'll receive only one tael of silver per day."
"Of course—"
"If you render any merit, you will definitely be rewarded."
"Mm."
Xu Qing nodded.
"Each Patrol Team has one Captain and two Vice-Captains. The Captain is served by a yamen constable, while the two Vice-Captain positions do not require that."
Zhao Jingyuan continued, "Generally speaking, a Vice-Captain must also possess Bright Force strength. You fall a little short, but I can try to appoint you to the position."
"That way—"
"If you encounter danger, you can slip away first. After becoming a Vice-Captain, your compensation will also double, and you can receive two taels of silver each day."
"Thank you, Brother Zhao."
Xu Qing stood and cupped his hands in salute. He had not expected matters to go so smoothly. Zhao Jingyuan had not even opened his mouth to ask Xu Qing for any benefit.
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