"What's going on?"
Ms. Han pushed open the cloth curtain and saw fishermen gathered in twos and threes on the shore, whispering to each other.
Her neighbor, Uncle Gao, lowered his voice. "Aunt Han, you haven't heard? Song Tie of the Jinhe Gang is dead."
"What?!"
Ms. Han's eyes went as wide as saucers.
'Song Tie was the tyrant of Mute Bay, said to be able to take down four or five strong men with his bare hands. How could a tough character like that be dead?'
Auntie Cuihua, who had sidled over at some point, patted her chest and said, "I heard the Tiger Gang did it. Hacked him to a bloody pulp. It was gruesome."
The surrounding fishermen were all startled to hear this, and fear showed on their faces.
"These times..."
Ms. Han let out a long sigh.
Uncle Da Chun looked at Auntie Cuihua and couldn't help but remark, "Auntie Cuihua, you're looking much better lately."
Indeed, her face was glowing, and she seemed much more energetic than usual.
Auntie Cuihua grinned from ear to ear. "It's all because Erya has found favor at Landlord Zhao's house. She often brings back pastries."
Hearing this, the neighbors' eyes went wide with envy.
For poor people like them, pastries made from white flour were an incredible rarity.
Uncle Gao swallowed. "I hear those pastries are fragrant and sweet..."
Auntie Cuihua said, looking a little smug, "Next time I'll have Erya bring back more, so everyone can have a taste."
Uncle Gao rubbed his hands together. "Oh, we couldn't possibly..."
Though his words were modest, his eyes were shining.
Auntie Cuihua turned to Uncle Da Chun. "By the way, how has Xiaochun been lately? I haven't seen him around in ages."
Uncle Da Chun waved his hand dismissively. "The Chao Feng at Wanbao Hall thinks highly of him and often takes him on trips. He's rarely home."
Auntie Cuihua said sourly, "That boy Xiaochun has been smart since he was little. Never any trouble."
Listening from the side, Ms. Han felt a pang of bitterness.
"Xiaochun has indeed saved his mother and me a lot of worry."
Da Chun said with gratification, "The boy said he wants to set up a home in the Inner City and have us old folks move in with him."
For the common folk, the Inner City was a place they could only dream of.
Uncle Gao said with a sigh, "Xiaochun is not only promising, but also filial. You're a lucky man."
Erya was just a servant in a wealthy household; it would be hard for her to achieve much in her lifetime.
But once Xiaochun became a Chao Feng, he would never have to worry about food or drink again.
Ms. Han said nothing, silently turning and walking back toward her home.
Auntie Cuihua's voice called after her, "Aunt Han, I'll save you some pastries when we get them!"
Ms. Han gave a dry laugh and hurried home.
"Shameless show-off! Who wants their damn leftovers!" she had just finished muttering when Chen Qing came out from the inner room. "Mom, what are you grumbling about?"
"Song Tie, the leader of the Jinhe Gang, is dead. They say he was hacked to a bloody pulp."
Ms. Han pulled him into the house and whispered, "The Tiger Gang hacked Song Tie to death. You have to be careful..."
Chen Qing nodded. "I know."
'Just as he'd expected. The Tiger Gang couldn't wait to take the fall for him.'
To an ordinary person like Chen Qing, it was a murder; but to the Tiger Gang, it was a rare opportunity to establish their dominance.
Ms. Han counted on her fingers. "The grain at home is almost gone, and we need to get more pickled vegetables, tooth powder..."
Ever since Chen Qing started practicing martial arts, his appetite had surged, and they often had to prepare dried rations for him.
"Mom."
Chen Qing took out a pouch and said in a low voice, "From now on, add more fish and meat to our meals."
Eating meat every day would strengthen his blood and qi, helping him break through to Dark Force faster.
Ms. Han took the silver, her expression changing. "Where did this silver come from?"
Chen Qing said, "You don't need to worry about that. Just do as I say."
"Alright."
Ms. Han stroked the silver and finally nodded.
'In times like these, anyone who can get money is capable.'
Her mind was already calculating: which morning market to go to, and how much to buy each time without attracting attention.
A woman who had struggled to survive in these chaotic times for so many years knew the art of survival best.
Chen Qing returned to his room and took out the *Gale Saber Technique* Secret Manual he had obtained the previous night.
This Secret Manual contained not only stances and Fighting Methods, but also a Basic Strength Diagram, making it exceptionally complete.
Chen Qing thought to himself, 'I can practice this Saber Technique more in my spare time.'
...
「In a flash, half a month had passed.」
Since coming to an agreement with Cheng Ming, Chen Qing had become a River Patrol Officer.
Aside from his patrols at 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM every day, he was free to use most of his time as he wished.
He spent most of his time at the Zhou Institute, diligently practicing the Long Arm Pile Skill and Fist Technique.
[Heaven Rewards Diligence, Success is Certain]
[Long Arm Pile Skill: Minor Achievement (161/1000)]
[Long Arm Fist: Minor Achievement (132/1000)]
Nourished by meat and Blood and Qi Powder, his blood and qi grew more vigorous by the day, his physique became stronger, and his progress was twice as fast as before.
This also meant his silver coins were constantly being spent. Living off his savings was not a long-term solution.
Chen Qing thought, 'If I had enough meat and supplements, I could probably make my second breakthrough attempt in less than half a year.'
The power of Manifest Force was strong and domineering, which made Chen Qing look forward to Dark Force even more.
One day, Chen Qing was on patrol at the docks with Cheng Ming.
Cheng Ming looked at the opposite bank of the river and said with a sigh, "Across this Nan River is the Inner City."
On the other side of the river, the silhouette of the Inner City rose in the twilight, its lights dotting the walls like flecks of crushed gold.
Gaolin County was divided into an Inner and Outer City. In the Inner City, every inch of land was worth a fortune. It was home to the Noble Families, gentry, and wealthy merchants. The streets were wide and clean, the pedestrians were full of vigor, and martial artists were everywhere.
Because all the major households supported Nursing Homes, the gangs had vanished, making it a hundred times safer than the Outer City.
He sighed faintly. "While the people of the Outer City are still worrying about their next meal, these masters in here have long been indulging in lakes of wine and forests of meat."
Chen Qing was silent.
'Wasn't it the same in every era? The so-called upper class just enjoys themselves by treading on the corpses of the common folk. Their decadent ways—feeding pigs with human milk, plastering walls with pepper paste, cooking rice with candlelight, and blocking wind with brocade—are simply unimaginable to ordinary people. Chen Qing recalled a scene from a play in his previous life. An official was about to go to bed, attended by his servants. Two young bed-warming maids waited for him to lie down. Then, they would use their own bellies to warm the official's feet. Of course, that was just an artistic embellishment. In reality, bed-warming maids wouldn't be wearing any clothes.'
"While people in the Outer City are fighting over half a bowl of rice bran paste just to survive," Cheng Ming's voice carried a hint of imperceptible exhaustion and self-mockery, "the masters of the Inner City have probably grown tired of even bird's nest soup and shark fins, and are now figuring out how to feed ginseng to their pigeons."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the raggedly clothed laborers on the docks, and said in a low voice, "Save up enough silver, and bring your mother to the Inner City, even if you just rent the cheapest little shack. In these times, peace and safety are worth their weight in gold."
Chen Qing nodded.
For the common people of this world, safety was the most precious thing.
Just then, a strange commotion came from the entrance to the docks, accompanied by gasps of surprise and the impatient snorting of horses.
"Get out of the way! Get the fuck out of the way!"
"Are you blind? Scram!"
Several brutish men in gray Martial Attire violently shoved aside the laborers and vendors blocking the way, clearing a path.
Their eyes were fierce, their temples bulged slightly, and they wore sabers at their waists. They were clearly trained martial artists.
CLOP! CLOP! CLOP!
The crisp, rhythmic sound of hooves striking the green flagstones was neither fast nor slow, yet it carried an unquestionable authority.
A tall, magnificent, pure black horse slowly ambled onto the docks.
Atop the horse sat a single rider.
"Ah Qing."
Cheng Ming grabbed Chen Qing, his brow furrowed, and quickly dragged him into a quiet nearby alley.
"Chief, that's...?" Chen Qing asked, staring at the departing figure with shock and uncertainty.
"That's a Military Examination Lord."
Cheng Ming lowered his voice and slowly exhaled. "With a title from the Military Examination, you don't even have to bow or kneel before the County Magistrate. What's more, all your family's land and commercial goods are completely tax-exempt!"
"You can also receive a Military Position from the Court and draw a salary in silver."
"Countless poor families fight to become servants for a Military Examination Lord, just to benefit from that tax exemption... The advantages are just too many."
Cheng Ming's tone was complex, a mixture of reverence and a hint of imperceptible yearning.
If a small family like the Cheng Family could produce someone who passed the Military Examination, their entire fate would change.
A fire lit in Chen Qing's heart as he listened.
Passing the Military Examination wasn't just a single step to heaven—it was a deluge of wealth and honor!
"But to pass the Military Examination, you first have to get through the Martial Arts Examination." Cheng Ming clapped Chen Qing heavily on the shoulder and sighed, shaking his head. "It's difficult—as difficult as ascending to heaven!"