Settling In

Lin Qing walked slowly to the center of the yard and stopped before the stone lock marked one thousand jin, his calm gaze resting upon it.

The stone lock had been polished from a single block of bluestone, bearing the rough texture worn by the years. It was a basic tool used by the Martial Suppression Office to test the strength of new recruits.

Without the slightest hesitation, he sank his waist and planted his stance, his legs rooted firmly as the qi and blood throughout his body quietly began to circulate. Then he reached out with both hands and tightly gripped the handles on either side of the stone lock, his palms instantly pressing against the cold bluestone.

"Rise!"

Lin Qing shouted inwardly and suddenly exerted force. His qi and blood surged through him, and power poured out along his arms.

Yet the expected heaviness never came. The thousand-jin stone lock was as light as an ordinary wooden stool, and he lifted it with effortless ease.

At that moment, Lin Qing was startled. Only then did he realize that he had gravely misunderstood his own strength.

He had always devoted himself to cultivation and rarely fought anyone in earnest. His only real battle had been when he killed three bandits in return outside the Black Market of Azure Sun County.

At the time, he had merely assumed they were ordinary Rogue Cultivators who committed evil deeds. Relying on his perfected basic martial arts and incomparably exquisite moves, he had easily slain all three, never giving their true strength any further thought.

But what he did not know was that those three had been able to prey upon Azure Sun County for months, amassing more than eight hundred taels of silver through robbery, their hands stained with who knew how much blood. How could they have been ordinary bandits?

They had always been shrewd in choosing their targets, seeking only ordinary people who had yet to enter the ranks of Certified Martial Artists. They had believed dealing with non-martial artists was a sure thing, only to run headlong into an anomaly like Lin Qing.

Lin Qing's innate physique differed from that of ordinary people. The realm of Blood Qi Like Quicksilver, which most ordinary people could not reach even after exhausting an entire lifetime, had come to him with ease after he cultivated every First-Tier Stance Art to perfection.

Afterward, his cultivation method had continued operating automatically day and night for more than ten days, constantly tempering his qi and blood before he slowly broke through into the realm of a First-Tier Martial Artist.

Though he had not been a First-Tier Martial Artist for long, the depth of his foundation and the abundance of his qi and blood were far beyond what an ordinary First-Tier Martial Artist could compare to.

He hurriedly restrained his strength in secret, steadied himself, and slowly raised the thousand-jin stone lock over his head, his expression utterly unchanged.

Zhao Feng watched all of it from the side and burst into hearty laughter.

"Good kid! You really do have some genuine skill. This thousand-jin stone lock is actually so easy for you! Come, try this one and let me see just how capable you are!"

As he spoke, Zhao Feng pointed toward a larger, darker stone lock beside it. It weighed a full two thousand jin. Even among First-Tier Martial Artists who had cultivated for years, very few could lift it.

Naturally, Lin Qing also knew that his earlier performance had been far too eye-catching. He had always been reserved by nature and disliked showing off. He was even less willing to expose all his strength in this unfamiliar Martial Suppression Office and attract needless attention and trouble.

He slowly walked to the two-thousand-jin stone lock, took a deep breath, and assumed his stance once more. After gripping the handles, he furrowed his brows slightly. Veins faintly bulged at his neck, his legs trembled a little, and he put on the appearance of gritting his teeth and holding on with every ounce of strength.

With a low grunt, Lin Qing slowly lifted the two-thousand-jin stone lock. Every inch higher brought a few more signs of strain to his face, making him appear to be at the end of a spent crossbow. After laboriously raising it over his head and holding it there for several breaths, he slowly lowered it back to the ground and took several heavy breaths.

Seeing this, Zhao Feng nodded, his eyes full of approval. Believing that Lin Qing had reached the limit of his strength, he did not ask him to try any heavier stone locks.

He patted Lin Qing on the shoulder and said in a clear voice, "Not bad. You are young, yet your strength is so solid. From this day onward, you are a member of the Martial Suppression Office of Cloudmist Prefecture City!"

Having finally passed the test and successfully joined the Martial Suppression Office, Lin Qing let out a breath of relief. His face remained humble as he cupped his hands toward Zhao Feng.

Afterward, Zhao Feng led Lin Qing to the Martial Suppression Office's logistics department. The furnishings were simple, with rows of bookshelves and ledgers inside. An elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in gray cloth robes, sat at a desk sorting through documents. He was Elder Wang, the head of logistics.

"Elder Wang, keeping busy?" Zhao Feng greeted him with a smile before pointing at Lin Qing in introduction. "This little brother is named Xie Chen. He has just passed the strength test. Please help him handle the entry procedures."

Elder Wang raised his head. His cloudy eyes swept over Lin Qing with a trace of scrutiny before he nodded slightly, set down his brush, and replied, "All right, leave it to me."

Zhao Feng turned to Lin Qing again and instructed, "Xie Chen, follow Elder Wang and complete the paperwork today. Go back and settle your own affairs afterward. Tomorrow morning, report to the yard from earlier on time. Do not be late."

"Thank you, Lord Zhao. I will remember it well," Lin Qing said solemnly, cupping his hands.

After Zhao Feng left, Elder Wang led Lin Qing through the remaining procedures.

First, he registered Lin Qing's identity information and entered it into the Martial Suppression Office's exclusive ledger. Then he handed Lin Qing an identity plaque forged from bronze. It was the size of a palm, with the three vigorous characters "Martial Suppression Office" carved on the front and an exclusive number engraved on the back. Its edges had been polished smooth, and it felt cold in the hand. The workmanship was exceptionally fine.

"Little brother, you must keep this identity plaque safe. It must never be lost or lent to another," Elder Wang warned in a stern tone. "When you carry out missions for the Martial Suppression Office, accumulate merit, or exchange it for cultivation methods, pills, weapons, and all manner of rewards, you will need this plaque. If you lose it, replacing it will be extremely troublesome, and it will also affect your evaluation within the Office."

Lin Qing hurriedly accepted the identity plaque and carefully tucked it against his body.

Next, Elder Wang took out two uniforms from a nearby cabinet and handed them to Lin Qing. They were the exclusive uniforms of a Martial Suppression Office Banner Officer, entirely solemn black in color. The fabric was specially treated brocade, tough and wear-resistant, and capable of resisting the cuts of ordinary blades.

After Lin Qing received the uniforms, Elder Wang looked at him and asked, "The Martial Suppression Office issues weapons according to each person's specialty. What weapon are you skilled with?"

Lin Qing possessed several martial arts and had dabbled in sabers, spears, swords, and halberds alike, making him proficient in all of them. Yet when his gaze swept outside, he saw that most passing Martial Suppression Office members wore standard long sabers at their waists. After a brief thought, he answered, "This junior is skilled with the saber."

Hearing this, Elder Wang turned around, took out a long saber, and handed it to Lin Qing. This saber was a Hundred-Forged Embroidered Spring Saber. Its blade was narrow and long, with a smooth curve, forged from hundred-refined fine iron. The edge gleamed with biting cold light and was incomparably sharp, while the thick spine gave it both killing power and resilience.

The hilt was wrapped in black sharkskin to prevent slipping and absorb sweat, with a small bronze ornament embedded at its end. The scabbard was likewise black leather, fitted with metal clasps. Worn at the waist, it was convenient to draw and carried an imposing air. At a glance, it was clearly a rare and excellent saber.

Lin Qing gripped the hilt with one hand and gently drew out half the blade. Its cold glint made his eyes narrow slightly, while a sharp aura rushed toward him. He nodded inwardly and slid the saber back into its scabbard.

Elder Wang then took out a finely drawn map, spread it across the table, and pointed to it as he said, "The Martial Suppression Office assigns a residence to every new recruit. These unmarked locations are all vacant courtyards. Choose whichever one you like."

Lin Qing's gaze swept over the map. He preferred quiet and secluded places, so he immediately selected an independent single-courtyard residence within a remote alley.

The courtyard was not large, far from the bustle, and exceptionally private. It suited his wishes perfectly.

"I'll choose this one," Lin Qing said, pointing at the courtyard on the map.

"Good. It is quiet there, making it suitable for cultivation." Elder Wang picked up his brush, marked the map, and carefully told Lin Qing the courtyard's exact location.

Once all the procedures had been completed, Lin Qing bid Elder Wang farewell and left the Martial Suppression Office. With the identity plaque tucked away, he followed the directions Elder Wang had given him and arrived before the small courtyard assigned to him.

The courtyard lay deep within a secluded alley. Tall blue-brick walls lined both sides of the alley, shutting out the noise of the outside world and making the place exceptionally quiet.

Pushing open the weathered wooden gate revealed a neat single courtyard. Bluestone slabs paved the ground, clean and orderly. An osmanthus tree stood to the left, its buds just beginning to form.

Stone tables and stools stood on the right. Directly opposite the gate was the main house, with two side rooms beside it. One could serve as a bedroom, while the other could be used as a storage room. Though the courtyard was not luxurious, it was small and refined, with excellent ventilation and lighting. Secluded in its own corner, it gave him great peace of mind.

Looking at this little patch of heaven that belonged to him, Lin Qing felt much more settled. At last, under the new identity of Xie Chen, he had gained a foothold in the Martial Suppression Office of Cloudmist Prefecture City. From now on, he could use the Office's status to study many cultivation methods and martial arts.

After a night of rest, Lin Qing had completely adjusted to his new identity and residence. The next day, when dawn had only begun to brighten the sky, he rose early.

He carefully put on the black Banner Officer uniform of the Martial Suppression Office. The fitted fabric clung to his body, making his upright figure appear even more heroic. After fastening his belt, hanging the Hundred-Forged Embroidered Spring Saber at his waist, and placing the bronze identity plaque inside his robes, he made a few simple adjustments before stepping out of the courtyard and heading for the Martial Suppression Office.

When he reached the courtyard where Zhao Feng had been the previous day, the other members arrived one after another. All wore matching black uniforms, Embroidered Spring Sabers at their waists, with straight postures and solemn expressions. Lin Qing quietly stood at the back of the crowd and waited in silence.

Once everyone had arrived, Zhao Feng stepped before the crowd and swept his gaze across the yard. He then called Lin Qing to the front and introduced him in a clear voice.

"Everyone, this is Xie Chen. He passed the test yesterday and has officially joined our Martial Suppression Office. From now on, he is one of us. Look after him well in the days to come."

After his words fell, Zhao Feng called over a Chief Banner Officer named Shen Lie and instructed him, "Chief Banner Officer Shen, Xie Chen will join your unit. You will arrange his patrol duties and assignments from here on."

"This subordinate obeys." Shen Lie stepped forward and answered Zhao Feng with cupped hands. He then turned to Lin Qing and gave him a slight nod.

Cloudmist Prefecture City flourished in martial arts, and its number of martial artists was far beyond that of remote county towns. The Martial Suppression Office's organization also differed somewhat from that of smaller places.

There was no position of captain here. After all, in a place like the prefectural city, where crouching tigers and hidden dragons were everywhere, an ordinary-person-level captain going out to enforce the law would be no different from seeking his own death.

Even those descendants who had inherited their fathers' positions and entered the Martial Suppression Office would remain within the Office to focus on cultivation if they had not reached First Tier. They would never be assigned to go out on missions.

In truth, Chief Banner Officers like Shen Lie were usually only responsible for leading teams on patrols through the city, guarding the Office gates, or dealing with minor frictions and disputes between ordinary martial artists, handling trivial matters of little importance.

Whenever a mission involved truly dangerous matters such as vicious bandits, officers of Hundred-Household rank or above personally led a team, drawing elite forces to ensure the mission went smoothly while reducing casualties as much as possible.

Standing behind Shen Lie, Lin Qing silently listened as Zhao Feng assigned the day's tasks.