Chapter 38: 38: The Position of the Arrest Officer

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: The Position of the Arrest Officer

But now, after the refinement of the Marrow Cleansing Spirit Pearl and the subsequent subtle influences,

Chen Yuan’s martial arts talent could definitely be called genius.

This could be seen from how Chen Yuan was currently cultivating the Vajra Glaze Body.

Threads of scorching heat were seeping into his flesh, and Chen Yuan’s blood was undergoing its third refinement.

According to the standard Blood Refining Technique, Chen Yuan was already considered among the strong at the Blood Refining Level; should he step into the fourth or fifth Blood Refining, his strength could catch up to that of a Bone Refining Martial Artist.

This was the terror of ninefold Blood Refining.

...

In comparison, Chen Yuan had already created a gap between himself and ordinary people at the foundational level.

Of course, this was only true for ordinary people, Chen Yuan speculated that the real prodigies within the Jianghu, the Body Refining Techniques they cultivated, were definitely not limited to mere threefold Blood Refining.

Martial Arts Foundation Establishment, these four words encapsulated it all.

The entire goal of the Foundation Establishment Realm was to forge a foundation for the subsequent realms.

That is why ordinary Government Officials might enter the Blood Refining Level with the passing of time, but very few could reach the Bone Refining Level. Looking across the entire Ping’an County Government, you could not find a handful of Bone Refining experts.

Chen Yuan focused his mind and calmed his Qi, with scorching solar energy on the outside and the cool power of the Marrow Cleansing Spirit on the inside, one inside and one outside, one cold and one hot, the overlapping effects caused his blood to flow like a bubbling brook.

In the midst of this, Chen Yuan felt as if he could sense his blood flowing.

Stillness.

Chen Yuan maintained his posture for nearly an hour, when suddenly he furrowed his brows and opened his eyes. Footsteps approached from the front of the gate, and the Golden Paint merged back into his body.

“Creak.”

The gate was pushed open, and in came Wang Ping, wearing a Government Official’s attire with a long saber slung on his waist, smiling.

“Brother Yuan, you’re practicing your cultivation techniques early in the morning,” Wang Ping said as he looked at Chen Yuan, who was bare-chested and in a horse stance.

“The plan for a year lies in spring, and the plan for a day lies in the morning,” Chen Yuan replied with a smile, taking a deep breath and standing up.

“Anyway, since Bone Refining is out of reach, I’ll naturally enter Blood Refining after a few years; I don’t want to work that hard,” Wang Ping shook his head.

“Uncle Wang spent money to get you into the Government office, isn’t it because he wants you to step onto the path of martial arts and bring glory to the family? By acting this way, you’re wasting Uncle Wang’s good intentions.”

Just like Chen Yuan, Wang Ping and most of the Ping’an County Government Officials had gained their positions through money.

“Nonsense, he just wanted to get rid of me. You really think I don’t know about his dirty business?” Wang Ping curled his lips, obviously having some complaints.

Chen Yuan was taken aback, then he remembered Wang Ping’s father, who was indeed worthy of the nickname ‘the man next door,’ according to Wang Ping, he had quite a few romantic affairs.

“Has your injury healed?” Chen Yuan looked him up and down.

“It healed a long time ago. If it weren’t for wanting to rest a bit longer, I would have returned to the County Government office much earlier,” Wang Ping pounded his chest a few times with his fist to show his robustness.

“It’s just as well that you’re coming back now. If it had been earlier, it would have been dangerous instead.”

It had to be said, Wang Ping’s luck was indeed good. He had not been involved in the previous chaos caused by the No-Life Sect or the matters with the Huang Family. After all, the County Government had lost quite a few men in the battle with the Huang Family.

And someone like Wang Ping, the most common of Government Officials, would have easily been injured.

Hearing Chen Yuan’s words, Wang Ping’s eyes twitched with interest. He looked around, stepped forward, and asked in a low voice,

“Brother Yuan, I heard that guy Huang Xing was thrown into prison?”

“The Huang Family had secret communications with the No-Life Sect traitors, so naturally the County Magistrate was furious and couldn’t let him off,” said Chen Yuan.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, the Huang Family had quite a reputation in our Ping’an County; I never thought they would collapse so quickly. It’s a pity I didn’t get to see that scene,” Wang Ping said with some regret.

Glancing at Wang Ping, Chen Yuan commented,

“With your skinny frame, if you really got mixed up in that, do you think you could have come out unscathed?”

Wang Ping grinned, touching his face,

“Brother Yuan, you’re right. With my strength, indeed I’m not enough.”

Chen Yuan turned around and went back into his room, got dressed, and strapped the long saber to his waist.

“Let’s go, to the county government.”

…

“Hey, Brother Yuan, with Huang Xing and Tie Xuan dead, who do you think will take their places? Should we start building relationships now, so it’ll be easier for us later?” Wang Ping said, lightly stroking the stubble on his chin.

“You just suck up to me, that’s enough…” Chen Yuan said with a smile glancing at Wang Ping.

“Brother Yuan, you haven’t already made arrangements, have you?” Wang Ping asked somewhat surprised.

“No.”

“Then what do you mean, Brother Yuan… You’re not thinking of becoming the arrest officer, are you?” After some thought, Wang Ping suddenly asked in shock.

Chen Yuan smiled without a word and saw Zhou’s Steamed Bun Shop, hastening his steps towards it.

“Hey…” Wang Ping called out and hurriedly followed.

He didn’t bring up the arrest officer matter again. The position of a county arrest officer was a ninth-rank official post, usually requiring the Cultivation of the Bone Refining Level to hold it.

Although Brother Yuan was a bit stronger than him, the difference was not by much; Wang Ping figured he was just joking.

Without taking action, nobody could tell that Chen Yuan had reached the Blood Refining Level.

Of course, after the confrontation at the Huang Family’s doorstep, some government officials knew that Chen Yuan must have started Blood Refining; otherwise, it would have been impossible to take down an experienced old government official by himself.

“Uncle Zhou, six pork buns and two eggs,” Chen Yuan called out to the busy figure of Xiao Fang’s father. A few villagers gathered to buy buns stepped back a bit, making way upon seeing Chen Yuan and Wang Ping’s attire.

“Ah Fang, get Brother Yuan’s buns…” Uncle Zhou called out.

“Hey…”

Xiao Fang responded and, swishing her braids, hurried over and began to fill a steamer with several buns.

“Brother Yuan, I’ll take two buns.”

Chen Yuan nodded and said to Xiao Fang:

“Give me eight pork buns.”

Wang Ping “…”

Xiao Fang, with a bright smile, handed the pork buns and eggs to Chen Yuan. Her fingers brushed his involuntarily, retracted quickly, her cheeks coloring like a spread of crimson dawn.

“Let’s go.”

Chen Yuan smiled, tossed two pork buns to Wang Ping, and turned to leave.

Xiao Fang’s face flushed, watching Chen Yuan’s silhouette slowly fade away.

Wang Ping kept looking back and forth, glancing at Xiao Fang and then at Chen Yuan, bit off a big mouthful of his pork bun, and muttered:

“Brother Yuan, Xiao Fang is a nice girl, how come it looks like you…”

Chen Yuan popped the peeled egg into his mouth, his expression calm:

“She is nice, but not suitable for me.”

If it were the old Chen Yuan, marrying such a domestically-inclined woman would have been quite good, but now, Chen Yuan was determined to pursue the path of Martial Arts and did not want to be restricted by romantic entanglements.

That way, it wasn’t good for either her or Chen Yuan.

Once involved in the Jianghu, time flies. Chen Yuan did not wish to have her involved in the troubles of enemies in the future; thus, it was better to cut off romantic ties sooner.

Wang Ping heard the firmness in Chen Yuan’s voice, looked once more at Xiao Fang who was still gazing behind them, and sighed, thinking to himself:

“That’s just what love is…”

————

Thank you to the book friend Zi Jin for the support of a hundred point coins.