Chapter 224

A new official takes office.

During the day, Wangchuan spent only a small portion of his time handling the affairs of the branch helm. The rest was devoted to cultivation. After all, Wang Yuehui and Chen Ergou were there to oversee matters.

At night, Bai Yuhui and Hong Kaibao took turns standing watch.

As for him, he continued cultivating, resting very little.

After three days, the results were striking.

The Weapon Room’s daily output of weapons and arrows, along with its income, was clear at a glance.

The shipping operations across the waterways under the branch helm—how many ships were rented out, how many escort personnel were assigned, how much protection money was collected—had all been sorted into orderly accounts by Wang Yuehui.

The cargo situation at the docks was likewise reported with meticulous clarity.

Though Li Degui and Cao Xingwen still retained some authority, most of the strong and capable laborers had already become preparatory disciples and were now under the control of Chen Ergou and Zhao Heiniu.

As for the remaining dockworkers, once they learned that recruitment would take place every month, they began seeking instruction during their spare time, doing everything they could to train basic fist-and-foot techniques, hoping to join the branch helm in the future.

The transformation of the branch helm left the two deputy helm leaders with splitting headaches.

Restrict the dockworkers?

They simply could not.

Refuse to let them work?

Who would earn money for them?

But if they did not restrict them…

Sooner or later, all these men would become Wangchuan’s people.

After all, the dockworkers were free men. Once they entered the branch helm, they would belong to Wangchuan’s camp.

The Sanjiang Branch Helm could do without the two deputy helm leaders.

But it absolutely could not do without the nearly one thousand dock laborers!

Li Degui and Cao Xingwen noticed the subtle change in the dockworkers’ attitudes—noticed the shift in the way they were looked at—and they could no longer sit still.

The two drank at a brothel, brows tightly furrowed. Even the young beauties in their arms had lost their appeal.

“What do we do now?”

“Everyone is running off to serve Wangchuan.”

“In the future, will there even be a place left for us in the Sanjiang Branch Helm?”

…

“Damn it!”

“They handle the shipping operations; we handle the dock unloading. We used to mind our own business and not interfere with each other! Yet he insists on pulling the rug out from under us!”

“Spending money to recruit so many mud-legged laborers into the branch helm—what is he trying to do?”

The more they drank, the more agitated they became.

One of the girls in their arms blinked and asked,

“Two helm leaders, I have heard people outside saying that this newly arrived one is Old Seven’s designated next helm leader. Could it be that he is forcing you to declare your stance?”

“Yes…”

Li Degui and Cao Xingwen froze, exchanging thoughtful glances.

“You know…”

“You little minx, you may actually have a point.”

“But we are both deputy helm leaders. In terms of rank, we stand on equal footing. Why should we bow to him?” Li Degui still felt indignant.

Cao Xingwen drained his cup in one gulp.

“At a time like this, and you are still worried about face? We are about to lose substance! Wangchuan is a second-rank martial artist. If we pay our respects, it is no disgrace!”

“Indeed. Perhaps Helm Leader Zhang has already done so in secret.”

The girl beside them added fuel to the thought.

Li Degui finally found his stepping stone.

“You little minx, I did not expect you to have some wit after all!”

“Come! Drink!”

“Brother Cao, prepare a gift later. We will send it to Helm Leader Wangchuan…”

At last, Li Degui made up his mind.

They would pay their respects.

…

Meanwhile, after two days and two nights of cultivation, the faint thread of inner Qi within Wangchuan had finally grown to roughly the thickness of a finger. It felt increasingly distinct, and under the system notification, he saw that the third-rank inner cultivation method 《Xuanwu Art》 had finally reached Entry-Level Mastery.

Xuanwu Art: Entry-Level

Current Realm: Temporarily increases Stamina cap by 3 points and HP cap by 30 points.

Next Realm: Minor Mastery

Temporarily increases Stamina cap by 5 points and HP cap by 50 points; increases personal Defense by 10% and protective body defense by 20%.

After reaching Entry-Level, the circulation of 《Xuanwu Art》 became noticeably smoother.

The inner Qi coursed through his meridians and acupoints with greater speed and fluidity. One full major circulation now took about fifteen minutes.

With each completed major circulation, the inner Qi strengthened by the faintest fraction.

Adopting a stubborn, “break the pot and ask to the end” attitude, he circulated it about thirty times in succession before finally pushing the experience of 《Xuanwu Art》 from 0 to 1 point.

Seven hours of continuous cultivation.

For a single point of experience.

Wangchuan nearly ground his molars to dust.

What kind of demonic technique was this?

Did this not mean that if he did nothing day and night, he would gain only three experience points?

Would it take more than a month of closed-door cultivation without food or drink just to reach Minor Mastery?!

He had never seen a martial art so difficult to cultivate!

Filled with resentment toward 《Xuanwu Art》, he went to the training grounds to find Bai Jingtang.

“Captain Bai.”

Bai Jingtang had already stopped when she heard his footsteps from afar.

Wangchuan blinked.

The ground around the training field was littered with shredded white cloth strips.

What obscure technique was Captain Bai cultivating? It looked rather intense.

“What is it?”

Her cool voice pulled his wandering thoughts back.

“Oh.”

“I wanted to ask—when you cultivated 《Qingcheng Art》, did it also take more than seven hours to gain a single point of experience?”

Bai Jingtang was taken aback.

“You reached Entry-Level that quickly?”

“Quickly?”

“Inner cultivation methods are difficult to train. Even guiding the meridians and acupoints precisely—if there is the slightest deviation, it counts as wasted effort.”

“I know.”

Wangchuan interrupted.

“When cultivating 《Qingcheng Sword Art》, it was the same. That is why I was extremely cautious when cultivating 《Xuanwu Art》, following the route strictly and not daring to stray by even half a step.”

Bai Jingtang gave him a surprised look and nodded.

“Then you are rather patient. Many people give up for a period of time when they cannot grasp the method after prolonged effort.”

Wangchuan chuckled.

“It is all thanks to Captain Bai’s guidance.”

…

Bai Jingtang thought back.

She recalled that the last time, she had not spoken more than ten sentences to him in total.

It seemed Wangchuan’s talent was indeed not bad.

“Since you have reached Entry-Level, the rest is simply steady cultivation.”

“Inner cultivation is indeed grueling. Some people I know force themselves to gain one experience point per day, retreating like ascetic monks for months to break through to ‘Practice Makes Perfect.’ Others choose to gain one point every two days, balancing inner cultivation with other martial arts. How you arrange it depends on yourself.”

In other words, everyone’s inner cultivation methods were roughly the same—fair and square.

Wangchuan fell into thought.

Then Bai Jingtang suddenly asked,

“How did you know it takes more than seven hours to gain one experience point? Did you specifically calculate it?”

“Of course. I counted—thirty cycles, fifteen minutes each.”

…

Bai Jingtang had nothing to say.

After Wangchuan left, she sat cross-legged, and could not help but begin calculating the duration and count of her own cultivation of 《Qingcheng Art》.