Hou Huai lowered his waist and raised his saber, assuming Crouching Tiger, the opening stance of the Three Ultimates Tiger Baleful Intent Saber.
Wu Shuangren assumed the same opening stance.
Hou Huai attacked first. He stepped forward and swung the iron rod down in a great arc from behind his shoulder. As the wind from his saber howled, his attack had something of the ferocity of a tiger pouncing on its prey!
Wu Shuangren struck almost at the same time. He too used Wind Follows the Tiger's Roar, but lowered his center of gravity further the instant he stepped forward.
Just as the iron rods were about to clash, Wu Shuangren suddenly twisted his wrist.
Bang!
Hou Huai felt his force diverted slightly, while Wu Shuangren's "saber" turned with the momentum, pointing its "tip" at Hou Huai's throat-an adaptation that had no place in Wind Follows the Tiger's Roar.
Startled, Hou Huai hurriedly retreated half a step and brought his saber across to block, catching Wu Shuangren's "saber" and pushing it forward and upward. He was about to follow with the second move, Whirling Gale Shocks the Mountain, and use the momentum to lift Wu Shuangren's "saber" aside.
But Wu Shuangren's "edge" slid swiftly to the left along the "blade" of his own saber. It used the very same method of exerting force as Whirling Gale Shocks the Mountain, carrying a shuddering force, yet the move itself was completely different!
Screech-
The iron rods scraped loudly, sending a shower of sparks flying. With this "sliding saber" move, Wu Shuangren not only disrupted Hou Huai's exertion of force but also pressed his opponent's "saber" down, leaving him wide open!
Alarm bells rang in Hou Huai's mind. Relying on his bone-deep familiarity with the Three Ultimates Tiger Baleful Intent Saber, he immediately leaped backward.
Sure enough, the moment he leaped back, Wu Shuangren turned his "blade," pointing its tip forward. Had Hou Huai retreated any slower, he would have met a killing thrust!
Wu Shuangren pushed off and leaped forward again, pursuing him with another Wind Follows the Tiger's Roar.
But halfway through the move, he suddenly changed the downward chop into a sweep, turning it into the third move, Tiger Baleful Intent Severs the Soul!
The change came out of nowhere, yet the exertion of force was perfectly smooth. He changed moves so quickly that the two seemed meant to flow together.
Hou Huai could only hurry to change his own move and block, but before Wu Shuangren's "saber" reached the end of its sweep, it suddenly traced a downward semicircle, slashing at his lower body like a tiger swinging its tail.
Though this variation was part of the Three Ultimates Tiger Baleful Intent Saber's routine, it was faster and more abrupt, far beyond Hou Huai's expectations!
Whoosh-
The iron rod swept across Hou Huai's thigh, making him stagger and nearly lose his footing.
Wu Shuangren stopped.
At the last moment, he had held back and had not truly struck Hou Huai. Otherwise, even with an iron rod, his internal power could have broken Hou Huai's bones and torn his sinews!
His ability to control his strength so freely revealed the subtlety of his saber technique all the more.
Hou Huai steadied himself and stared at Wu Shuangren as though looking at a monster.
In just a few days under his instruction, Wu Shuangren had plainly only learned the basics of the Three Ultimates Tiger Baleful Intent Saber.
Yet in their exchange just now, Wu Shuangren had made many improvements to the original technique, raising it a whole level above what it had been!
In his youth, Hou Huai had traveled far and wide, seeking instruction in martial arts from many people. Drawing on decades of experience, he had continually improved the original Three Ultimates Tiger Baleful Intent Saber until it became the technique he now taught Wu Shuangren.
Yet Wu Shuangren had surpassed everything he had accumulated over decades in just a few days!
18 Head Constable
"When I was learning at a martial arts school, the master who taught me the saber said there were martial arts talents found only once in ten thousand people. In their hands, the same saber technique could turn the rotten into the miraculous."
Hou Huai looked at Wu Shuangren, his face full of emotion. "I once thought I was a genius like that, but later I learned I was just an ordinary man... I never thought I'd actually meet someone like that in my lifetime!"
Wu Shuangren smiled and did not deny it. "It also helped that you taught me well, Uncle Hou."
Over the past few days of learning the saber from him, Wu Shuangren had been able to tell how much care he put into teaching. He held nothing back, passing on all the experience he had gained over many years.
With the help of his entry as well, Wu Shuangren had progressed at a remarkable speed.
"Uncle Hou, please don't spread this around."
Wu Shuangren spoke.
Hou Huai said solemnly, "Don't worry. I've spent decades in the constabulary. I've never breathed a word of anything I shouldn't."
Wu Shuangren nodded. This was one of the reasons he had chosen Hou Huai.
He had long noticed that Hou Huai did not quite fit in at the constabulary.
At first, he thought there was something wrong with Hou Huai's character, but after getting to know him, he found him to be a simple, honest man who took both sparring and teaching the saber seriously.
So Wu Shuangren had asked Liao Yu about him and learned the reason-
Whether they were official constables or auxiliary runners, their real income never came from the wages paid by the authorities, but from one bit of "extra income" after another: protection fees, dirty money, and so on.
Everyone from top to bottom was united in making money, but Hou Huai was the exception. He refused to "blend his light with the dust," so he stood out and was disliked.
Wu Shuangren even thought that, besides his identity, perhaps Hou Huai had agreed to teach him the saber because he had not gone after money like the other constables.
After all, his predecessor had been something of a scholar, his family had no shortage of money, and Liao Yu kept a close eye on him.
It was because Hou Huai had such character that Wu Shuangren felt safe revealing some of his abilities in front of him.
Through their exchange just now, he had gained a deeper understanding of the rules governing Match for One Person's enhancement-
It prioritized enhancing skill, with "stats" coming second.
Before learning the Three Ultimates Tiger Baleful Intent Saber, Wu Shuangren had needed to temporarily gain stronger internal power than Hou Huai to defeat him when he fought at full strength. Only by surpassing him in "stats" could he win.
But after learning the Three Ultimates Tiger Baleful Intent Saber, even though he was only a beginner, the enhancement from Match for One Person had allowed him to use it better than Hou Huai.
Not only that, the Three Ultimates Tiger Baleful Intent Saber had also been altered, rising a level above the original technique!
But in exchange, the internal power he gained was inferior to Hou Huai's.
So Wu Shuangren concluded that Match for One Person enhanced skill first and stats second.
Besides that, Wu Shuangren had also confirmed his earlier conjecture: the process of defeating an opponent depended not only on the opponent's strength but also on his own.
Before learning the Mountain-Moving Method and the Three Ultimates Tiger Baleful Intent Saber, Wu Shuangren had needed around fifty moves to defeat Hou Huai when he fought at full strength.
But after learning martial arts, Wu Shuangren had defeated Hou Huai in just four moves during their exchange!
Of course, part of the reason was that Wu Shuangren was already very familiar with Hou Huai's saber technique, but the improvement in his own abilities was the main factor.
Fourth rule: skill is enhanced first, then stats.
Fifth rule: against the same target, the stronger I am, the easier it is to win.
Wu Shuangren summed up the new rules.
Using these rules, he could "enhance" many martial arts in the future!
"Brother Wu."
A voice interrupted Wu Shuangren's thoughts. An auxiliary runner walked into the rear courtyard. "Head Constable Liao is looking for you."
The constabulary was only so big, and Wu Shuangren had been practicing the saber with Hou Huai in the rear courtyard these past few days. Everyone had seen them, but they had all known better than to disturb them.
"All right."
Wu Shuangren answered and nodded to Hou Huai. He put down the iron rod and left the rear courtyard.
Soon, he entered Liao Yu's office.
"Uncle Liao, you wanted to see me?"
Wu Shuangren asked.
Liao Yu beckoned him over and pointed to a set of clothes on the table. "Good news. The credit for killing Peng Tianlang has been settled for you. Your father and I discussed it and put both our shares of the credit under your name too. We used the credit from this to get you a position."
Wu Shuangren looked at the clothes on the table. They were almost identical to the constable's uniform he was wearing. He looked at Liao Yu in surprise and asked uncertainly, "Head constable?"
Liao Yu smiled and nodded. "That's right. From today on, you're a head constable of Bo County, just like me!"
Although Wu Shuangren had no intention of pursuing an official career, a promotion was always a pleasant thing.
A smile spread across his face. "Thank you, Uncle Liao!"
Liao Yu looked gratified. "When you first became a constable, I told your father it would take at least ten years before you became a head constable. Who would have thought you'd reach the same position as me in less than a year?"
Though a head constable was still a clerk rather than an official, he commanded dozens of saber-wielding subordinates, and his status was second only to the chief officials.
For Wu Shuangren to become a head constable less than a year after joining the constabulary was indeed fast!
Liao Yu gestured for Wu Shuangren to change into the clothes.
Wu Shuangren took off his outer robe in the room and changed into the brand-new head constable's uniform.
The left sleeve of this outer robe bore an extra black stripe, the mark of a head constable.
"Take this."
Liao Yu handed Wu Shuangren a money pouch as well.
Wu Shuangren took it and looked inside. It contained five silver ingots, five taels of silver.
He looked at Liao Yu in puzzlement. "What's this for?"
Liao Yu smiled. "In a moment, I'll take you outside and announce that you've become a head constable. Then you can take the opportunity to say you're treating everyone to dinner at Moxian Tower tonight."
Moxian Tower was the best restaurant in Bo County, a property of the Mo family.
A meal at Moxian Tower cost at least fifty copper coins per person.
There were more than fifty people in the constabulary, counting all the official constables and auxiliary runners. Treating them all to a meal would cost at least two taels of silver!
Wu Shuangren could not help feeling the pinch, but he knew this was a necessary social obligation. So he said to Liao Yu, "Uncle Liao, once my reward silver comes through, I'll pay you back."
Liao Yu chuckled and nodded.
The two walked out of the office together, and Liao Yu gathered all the constables and auxiliary runners who were not out on patrol.
Everyone assembled in the courtyard. When they saw the clothes Wu Shuangren was wearing, they were surprised at first, then came to a realization.
Liao Yu announced, "Constable Wu Shuangren displayed courage during the recent pursuit and arrest, killing Peng Tianlang, a vicious bandit named on Yi Province's wanted list! After deliberation by the superior officers, Wu Shuangren has been specially promoted to head constable of this county!"
After a brief silence, everyone applauded and cheered.
Without the operation that night, they surely would have resented Wu Shuangren's promotion to head constable.
But now, most of them felt it was only natural.
Not convinced?
If you weren't convinced, you could try killing a Peng Tianlang yourself!
Smiling, Wu Shuangren stepped forward and said, "I've booked all of Moxian Tower tonight to treat everyone to a feast!"
"All right-"
Everyone cheered in unison, this time with greater feeling and more genuine smiles on their faces.
After making the announcement, Liao Yu dismissed everyone.
"Brother Li."
Wu Shuangren called over the man who had come to the rear courtyard to fetch him earlier. His name was Zhang Li, and he was an auxiliary runner.
Zhang Li hurried over, a broad smile on his face. "Just call me by my name, Head Constable Wu. I couldn't presume to be called Brother Li."
Wu Shuangren handed him a silver ingot. "Sorry for the trouble, Brother Li, but could you make a trip to Moxian Tower and book the whole place for tonight? This is the deposit."
Zhang Li took the ingot and accepted the errand with great pleasure.
By the hour of the dog, seven in the evening, the sky had darkened.
Inside Moxian Restaurant, the lights blazed and voices filled the air.
Wu Shuangren had booked the entire restaurant. Besides the people from the constabulary, Wu Dongrong had brought more than a dozen of his subordinates from the prison to the feast.
After resting and recuperating these past few days, Wu Dongrong's injured thigh had healed enough for him to get out of bed and walk.
His son had become a head constable, so of course he, as his father, had to bring people along to show support.
Both floors of Moxian Tower were packed, and the place was bustling.
"Damn it, I've worked my ass off at the constabulary for years, and now some little brat's been put over my head!"
In a corner on the second floor, an official constable cursed under his breath.
"These days, risking your life is worth less than having connections."
Another official constable sitting beside him spoke in a low, mocking voice.