Minor Mastery and Limit-Breaking

Yu Muqing turned and saw Shen Cheng stroll in with his hands behind his back.

She frowned. Shen Cheng rarely involved himself in affairs anymore, but he had the most seniority. If he intended to protect Lin Qing, she could hardly force the issue.

"Chief Shen, someone has reported that Lin Qing secretly kept a Wooden Idol and failed to report it. This matter has serious implications. I intend to get to the bottom of it," Yu Muqing said coldly.

"Oh? Where did this information come from? Is there any evidence?" Shen Cheng asked.

"There's no evidence as such, but Jiang Baihe said it himself," Yu Muqing explained.

Anger flared in Lin Qing's chest. He had wondered why Yu Muqing had suddenly come looking for trouble. So it was Jiang Baihe, that bastard, stirring things up behind his back.

"If there's no evidence, what exactly are you doing here, Chief Yu?" Shen Cheng narrowed his eyes.

"Lord Shen knows how I operate. In matters of consequence, I would rather kill the wrong person than let the right one slip away. The Yin-Yang Bureau also handles intelligence. Whenever there's a lead, I make sure it's investigated thoroughly. I'm not singling anyone out today; this is how I've always done things. But since Chief Shen says there's nothing wrong with him, I suppose the intelligence was mistaken. Farewell!"

With that, Yu Muqing turned and walked briskly away. From beginning to end, she had shown little expression, and even her voice had barely changed.

Lin Qing let out a breath. He added another debt to Jiang Baihe's account. This time, there was no room left for reconciliation. He silently resolved that once he grew stronger, he would find a chance to kill that cur.

Shen Cheng, meanwhile, studied Lin Qing from head to toe with a kindly smile.

"Shen Lian told me just now that you're a promising talent and asked me to look after you. I thought I'd come take a look, but I didn't expect to run into this. Yu Muqing has always operated this way. If you encounter trouble like this again, send someone to ask me for help at once."

"Thank you, Lord Shen," Lin Qing said clearly.

"Good. Keep working hard and aim to join the Prefectural City Soul-Calming Office next year."

Shen Lian spoke, then yawned as though utterly exhausted and turned to leave as well.

"Brother Lin, Jiang Baihe was behind this. Chief Yu has always operated this way; she wasn't deliberately targeting you," Yu Qiuyu said, coming over.

"I understand." Lin Qing nodded. "Brother Yu, what would have happened if Yu Muqing really had taken me away?"

"Hard to say. You might have taken a beating, but with Master around, your life probably wouldn't have been in danger. Of course, if they'd actually found anything, no one could have saved you," Yu Qiuyu said after some thought.

"I see." Lin Qing nodded slightly, his loathing for that old villain Jiang Baihe deepening.

For a while after that, nothing disturbed Lin Qing's life.

He kept his head down at the Soul-Calming Office, collecting corpses and practicing martial arts each day. His strength grew steadily.

Before he knew it, the depths of winter had passed. Ice and snow melted, a spring wind came overnight, and fresh buds appeared on the old tree in the courtyard.

In the Martial Arts Arena of the Corpse Collectors' courtyard, two figures stood facing each other. Yu Qiuyu and the other Constables gathered around, their faces alight with excitement as they watched. Lin Qing stood on the left, Yang Feng on the right, each holding a saber in one hand.

"Lin Qing, it's been two months since you became my disciple. Let me see how much you've improved. Draw your saber," Yang Feng said in a deep voice.

"Master, forgive me!"

Lin Qing charged forward with his saber. As he closed in on Yang Feng, he swung. Once again, he opened with the familiar Arc Moon. The saber's afterimages formed a wheel, shimmering like moonlight, beautiful enough to draw cries of surprise from the onlookers.

Yang Feng swung to meet him. Their blades collided, and a ringing clang echoed through the arena.

This time, however, Yang Feng held back. Rather than knocking the saber straight out of Lin Qing's hand, he kept his strength roughly equal to Lin Qing's. Their contest became a pure test of Saber Art.

They shifted and darted across the courtyard, blades flashing, their afterimages weaving into a net. In an instant, their sabers clashed more than a dozen times.

Yu Qiuyu and the others stared, dumbfounded. Lin Qing's Saber Art was flexible and varied, no longer bound to fixed patterns, yet his moves flowed naturally from one to the next. He had clearly reached Minor Mastery.

Many veterans who had spent over three years in the Corpse Collection Team had yet to attain such skill. For a time, the onlookers watched, entranced.

They exchanged more than twenty rapid moves before Lin Qing finally lost, Yang Feng's saber knocking his weapon from his hand.

But a string of cheers rose around them.

"Excellent!"

"Brother Lin's Saber Art is fierce!"

"That looks like Minor Mastery, doesn't it?"

Curiosity and envy shone in everyone's eyes as they talked without pause.

Yang Feng lowered his saber, his eyes full of approval. "Not bad. Your Saber Art has reached Minor Mastery, and your foundations are exceptionally solid. You're thoroughly practiced in every individual move, with virtually no openings. Very good. You haven't slacked off this past month."

Lin Qing got up and sheathed the saber that had stuck in the ground. "I still haven't worked hard enough, Master. I'll have to train twice as hard from now on."

As he spoke, a thought stirred, and he glanced at the panel. It showed that Lone Swan Reflecting Shadow had reached Minor Mastery.

That was his level without the Rebirth Record's aid. Once he equipped the Perfect Mastery-level Lone Swan Reflecting Shadow, his Saber Art would become Limit-Breaking.

It was a realm profound beyond words. His understanding of the Saber Art would be driven to astonishing depths, its many flaws naturally corrected. Its moves would become even more exquisite, perhaps surpassing those of its creator.

When Yu Qiuyu and the others heard Lin Qing confirm it, they could not hide their envy.

In two months, Lin Qing had trained Lone Swan Reflecting Shadow from the basics to Minor Mastery. Since the founding of the Jiangyin County Yamen, no one else had progressed so quickly.

Most people could train bitterly for three years and still fail to become proficient, let alone reach Minor Mastery.

"Mm. But you mustn't push yourself too hard. Martial training requires a balance of effort and rest. I've been keeping an eye on you these past two months. Apart from attending to your basic needs, you spend all your time training. You need to relax sometimes, too," Yang Feng advised.

"I understand, Master." Lin Qing nodded respectfully.

"How far have you gotten with Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake?" Yang Feng asked.

"I'm still at Minor Mastery," Lin Qing replied.

It was not that he had neglected his practice. Without the Rebirth Record's aid, training on his own was simply too slow.

To break through, he had to find a way to copy a Perfect Mastery-level Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake.

But that would take luck. Over the past two months, he had performed rites for more than twenty corpses, yet all of them had been ordinary people. Not one had been a Martial Artist.

Lin Qing reckoned that if things continued this way, he might well fail the selection next year.

But he knew impatience would do no good. He had to carry on with his daily work and keep his head.

"That's slow. It seems you've put too much time and energy into your Saber Art lately. But in next year's Soul-Calming Office Reexamination, the level of your Saber Art won't matter. Minor Mastery is enough to keep you alive. Set it aside for now and focus on Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake." Yang Feng rose and went to the pavilion nearby, where he poured himself a cup of cool tea and took a long swallow.

"Yes, Master." Lin Qing nodded. He had no intention of explaining; he could not let anyone learn about the Rebirth Record.

"Overall, I'm very pleased with your performance these past two months. Here's a bottle of Origin-Restoring Pills as a reward. Take one each day. They'll nourish your blood and vitality, strengthen your body, and help you reach Bright Force Perfection sooner." Yang Feng took a small, palm-sized dark green medicine bottle from inside his robe.

"Thank you, Master."

Yu Qiuyu and the others looked on with envy. Origin-Restoring Pills were among the finest medicines for nourishing blood and vitality that Bright Force Martial Artists could take.