Chen Cheng strode down the street with a swagger. Commoners he passed along the way all moved aside. Even imposing Jianghu figures carrying weapons mostly chose to give way.
This was the prestige of a City Guard Department constable, even if he was only wearing the gray uniform of a Preparatory Constable.
âPower truly is a wonderful thing. Even a bottom-rung Preparatory Constable like me feels giddy!â
Chen Cheng shook his head, thinking to himself.
In reality, he was low-key and cautious by nature. Throwing his weight around and acting arrogantly was not his style, but he had to be this high-profile. After all, by wearing the uniform of the City Guard Department, he represented its authority. He enjoyed the many benefits this authority brought and, in turn, had to uphold it.
It wasnât just Chen Cheng; the other City Guard Department officials also behaved this way, whether intentionally or not.
Power and martial strength were the fundamentals for surviving in a chaotic era.
Joining the City Guard Department granted him power bestowed by the Government Office, while Chen Cheng cultivated tirelessly to increase his martial strength. By possessing both power and martial strength, he could survive and live well in this chaotic era.
His trip to the Jiang Family to successfully reclaim the debt from that scoundrel Jiang Rongxuan was a testament to the fact that power and martial strength were both indispensable.
Before, when Chen Cheng was just a Little Prison Guard, he couldnât even get through the Jiang Familyâs main gate. But once he put on the uniform of a City Guard Department constableâeven just the gray uniform of a Preparatory ConstableâJiang Rongxuan didnât dare act presumptuously and could only obediently return the principal.
And because Chen Cheng had achieved success in his Martial Arts Cultivation, he gained the right to demand interest as well.
With his current Martial Arts Power, Chen Cheng could hold onto this money. He no longer had to be like a child carrying gold through a bustling market, timid and terrified, as he had been when he sold the Red Sun Root Technique.
Having reclaimed the fifteen taels of silver owed, and adding it to his remaining silver coins, he now had over thirty taels of silver. This was enough to cover his expenses for more than half a year, allowing him to focus on his Cultivation in peace.
Pulling his thoughts back to the present, Chen Cheng glanced over his shoulder and saw that the Hospital Martial Artist from the Jiang Family was still following him at an unhurried pace.
Not long after he left the Jiang Family estate, this bastard had started following him. He was doing it openly, with no intention of concealing his tracks.
He didnât even bother to hide the hatred and killing intent in his eyes.
Chen Cheng didnât know if this was at Jiang Rongxuanâs instruction or if the Hospital Martial Artist was acting on his own.
It didnât matter. What mattered was that Chen Cheng could handle it. He was not afraid of a threat of this level and had already decided to eliminate it.
The Jiang Family, after all, was not as powerful as the Flying Eagle Gang. And Chen Cheng was no longer the man he once was. If he showed any weakness now, it would inevitably lead to endless trouble in the future.
âDuring the previous fight, Jiang Yun and two Hospital Martial Artists were surrounded and could only barely hold on, stalling for time. But as soon as this bastard arrived, he cut down several men in black. It seems he must be a Skin Grinding Realm Martial Artist, confident he has the strength to back it up.
But he didnât kill all the men in black and even got injured himself. A Skin Grinding Realm Martial Artist of that caliber is nothing to me. If I had been the one to act, I could have easily slaughtered all of them without taking a scratch.â
After making this silent comparison, Chen Cheng turned down two streets in quick succession and ducked into a quiet, secluded alley, quickly disappearing from sight.
Bao Yansong quickened his pace and arrived at the mouth of the alley. Seeing that it was unusually quiet, without a single soul in sight, a cruel smile crept onto his face.
"You refuse the path to heaven and barge right through the gates of Hell!"
Bao Yansong sneered and strode into the alley. He saw dark bloodstains splattered everywhereâon the ground, on the walls of the houses. It looked like some Jianghu Martial Artists had fought here before.
âCould it be that this damned constable deliberately led me here?â
A Martial Artistâs intuition made Bao Yansong sense a hint of danger. His face filled with suspicion and uncertainty, but that was quickly replaced by vicious brutality.
âSo what if a measly Preparatory Constable has help? Iâll just kill them all. No oneâs around anyway. Itâll be done without a trace.â
Drawing his Long Saber, Bao Yansong sprinted down the alley. He soon arrived before a courtyard house. The main gate was wide open, and the courtyard was empty save for a rather slender youth in gray clothes, standing there with a saber in hand. There was no one else.
"Heh!" Bao Yansong grinned, unable to suppress a silent laugh.
He strode into the courtyard, carefully closed the gate behind him, and turned around, his face now full of derision.
Heâd seen people with a death wish before, but never one in such a hurry to die. He even suspected the youth before him was the King of Hellâs illegitimate son, rushing to the Underworld for a family reunion!
"Kid, youâve got some nerve..."
Naturally, Bao Yansong had no intention of letting this reckless youth get his way. He wanted to hack him to pieces to vent his hatred. However, just as the words left his mouth, Chen Cheng moved. He charged forward, his Long Saber slashing rapidly!
Chen Chengâs movements werenât fast, his apparent speed only slightly greater than that of an ordinary Hospital Martial Artist.
His Saber Technique could barely be considered Great Success Level, and it was riddled with openings.
Without a second thought, Bao Yansong also moved, lunging forward to meet him. He swung his saber in a smooth, fluid arc, aiming to sever Chen Chengâs weapon arm with a single strike.
He wanted to torture Chen Cheng to vent his hatred, so he wasnât aiming for a killing blow.
In a flash, their figures closed in on each other. But Chen Cheng suddenly shifted his body, dodging to the side. He reached into his robes, then flung a handful of lime powder straight at Bao Yansongâs head.
Bao Yansong scoffed internally. Such a low-class, dirty trick? Heâd grown tired of playing with such things long ago. How could he possibly fall for it?
Pushing off with his feet, he leaped abruptly to the side, landing ten feet away.
The lime powder Chen Cheng had thrown naturally missed its mark.
"You damned constable, youâve got a lot of crooked tricks!"
Bao Yansongâs eyes were full of contempt. He spat fiercely on the ground, raised his Long Saber, and charged at Chen Cheng again.
He had it figured out now: the young constable before him was as cunning as a fox, an utterly despicable person. There was no telling what other Hidden Weapons he might have concealed. He might actually suffer an unexpected defeat at the hands of this youth if he wasnât careful.
Therefore, this time he held nothing back, using his full strength. His body was as swift as a tiger, covering ten feet in an instant.
The power behind his Long Saber was fierce and unmatched, its momentum like a rainbow, with overwhelming force ready to destroy everything in its path.
When a Martial Artist at Great Success in Skin Grinding Realm struck, their attack was powerful and domineering, creating an intense pressure that inspired fear.
A typical Martial Artist at the level of a Hospital Martial Artist, even one who had reached Great Success in Saber Technique, would be ruthlessly cut down by this single strike.
They wouldnât even have the chance to throw lime powder or a Hidden Weapon.
Because Bao Yansongâs speed was simply too fast. At the distance between them, he was confident that once this strike was unleashed, Chen Cheng would have nowhere to dodge and would undoubtedly die!
And just as he expected, Chen Chengâs reaction was a step too slow. His face was filled with panic as he seemed to be relying on pure instinct to hastily retreat and dodge.
A cruel and vicious light, tinged with a hint of pleasure, flashed in Bao Yansongâs eyes. He could already picture the wretched sight of Chen Cheng being sliced in two by his saber.