"Nannan, don't be afraid. Big Brother is here."
Chen Ping'an closed the wooden courtyard gate, walked over to Chen Erya, and pulled her into a hug.
"Big Brother, Nannan is not afraid!"
In Chen Ping'an's arms, Chen Erya pressed herself against him tightly, like a startled little fawn.
'This girl...'
Chen Ping'an smiled silently.
'She says she isn't afraid, but she certainly doesn't look it.'
'Nine years old!'
'Usually, she acts like a little adult, but deep down, she's still just a child.'
'In my past life, a child Chen Erya's age would have just started school! They were treasures in every family—so precious you'd worry they'd melt in your mouth or shatter in your hands. No amount of doting would have been too much.'
'But here, she has to bear the family's hardships at such a young age.'
Chen Ping'an knew Chen Erya wasn't afraid of Young Master Xiao Hu. She was afraid that the stable life they had painstakingly built would be shattered just like that.
"It'll get better. Everything will be all right."
Chen Ping'an patted Chen Erya's small head comfortingly.
"Mhm, it'll get better!"
Chen Erya leaned against Chen Ping'an for a while, and some of her spirit seemed to return.
"Come on, let's eat. The food is getting cold."
Chen Ping'an said.
Broth was splashed across half the wooden table, and several pieces of meat had fallen off, clearly the result of that lackey Liu'Er slamming the table earlier.
Chen Erya didn't seem to mind. She carefully picked up the pieces of meat, chewed them slowly, savoring every last bit of flavor before swallowing with great reluctance.
"Nannan, Big Brother will definitely give you a good life."
Watching Chen Erya's obedient demeanor, Chen Ping'an silently swore an oath in his heart.
'One day, Big Brother will make you a carefree little princess! I will shield you from every storm.'
After spending several years together, Chen Ping'an had long since come to see Chen Erya as his real sister.
After dinner, Chen Erya didn't bother Chen Ping'an, but collected the bowls and chopsticks, wiped the table, and took them straight to the small kitchen to wash.
Chen Ping'an looked at the broken wooden bar and splinters on the ground, his face devoid of any smile.
When Old Chen was still around, he had never been subjected to this kind of humiliation.
After all, back in the day, Old Chen wasn't just any ordinary constable at the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office; he was a man just a step away from becoming a Constable. His Public Door Thirteen Sabers technique was formidably powerful.
If he hadn't been seriously injured in the line of duty, Chen Ping'an might have been able to live the simple life of a second-generation constable.
Speaking of Old Chen, he had been quite a figure in his youth.
He had made a name for himself all alone in the vast Weishui County City, even joining the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office and establishing a firm foothold in the city. He bought this very property, giving himself a place to call home. Later, he married, had Chen Ping'an and Chen Erya, and carried on the family line.
For a commoner, his life was an absolute model of inspiration.
Unfortunately, his life was...
His wife died in childbirth with Chen Erya, and his eldest son drowned a few years before that, which led to the transmigration of the current Chen Ping'an. Old Chen himself was later injured in the line of duty and eventually passed away.
Chen Ping'an cleaned up the broken bar and wood chips, then found a similar-looking stick from the firewood pile in the corner of the courtyard to use as a temporary door latch.
'This Young Master Xiao Hu's skin is tough and his flesh well-refined. He must be at Qi Blood Second Realm Perfection!'
Chen Ping'an recalled the scene with Young Master Xiao Hu, combining it with what he had seen and heard during his duties as a constable, and made a silent guess.
Martial Dao Cultivation began with External Body Refinement, stretching tendons and pulling bones, and proceeded to the Inner Strength of the Lungs and Spleen.
For an ordinary person, without the guidance of a master or a supply of resources, it would be difficult to even enter the gate of Cultivation, even after several months of effort.
Those who could reach the Qi Blood First Layer were already considered impressive!
In the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office where Chen Ping'an worked, many of the unlisted temporary constables had not even reached the Qi Blood First Layer.
Reaching the Qi Blood First Layer meant one had officially embarked on the path of Martial Dao Cultivation.
At Qi Blood First Level Perfection, one's skin became tough like thin cowhide, and they could be considered a decent expert!
A person of this caliber could easily become a gang leader if they joined the underworld. If they went the official route, with a little bribery, they could easily become a temporary constable.
As for the Qi Blood Second Layer, those who reached it were considered the core strength of the street gangs. Moreover, as long as they had a clean family background and no criminal record, they could easily pass the examination to become an official constable of the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office.
In fact, most official constables had not yet reached the Qi Blood Second Layer.
Someone like Young Master Xiao Hu, at Qi Blood Second Realm Perfection, was a rarity even in the Tiger Head Gang, considered part of the gang's upper echelon. In the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office, he could be considered a Preparatory Constable.
With deep connections and the right opportunity, he might even be able to snag a position as a Constable.
Back then, Old Chen was well-known and highly respected in Pear Blossom Lane precisely because of his Cultivation at Qi Blood Second Realm Perfection and his masterful execution of the Public Door Thirteen Sabers, the standard Sword Skill for official constables.
In ten days, Chen Ping'an had to repay Young Master Xiao Hu fourteen taels of silver, principal and interest. Right now, all the silver he had, including his savings, amounted to a little over seven taels, not quite eight.
To pay off the owed silver, he had to find another way.
'Strength, strength! To truly establish myself in this world and live undisturbed, I need strength!'
Thinking of the Golden Finger Panel that had activated last night and the Iron Cloth Shirt Technique it had recorded, Chen Ping'an's heart burned with endless hope.
While Chen Erya was busy in the small kitchen, Chen Ping'an gradually calmed down.
He had pulled an all-nighter last night, so the Garrison Commandant's Office had given him a day off. It was the perfect opportunity to practice martial arts.
After flipping through the Iron Cloth Shirt manual yesterday, the details of the technique had been recorded one by one by the Golden Finger Panel. As Chen Ping'an calmed his mind, the contents of the Iron Cloth Shirt Technique recorded by the panel appeared in his mind.
The Iron Cloth Shirt was one of the most basic Qi Blood tempering and Refining Techniques.
In the beginning stages, one needed to wrap the chest and back with several layers of soft cloth, then rub the area forcefully with their hands. After that, they had to extend and contract their elbows and arms to make the chest expand and contract. At night, it was advisable to sleep on a hard wooden board so the bones would have constant contact with a hard surface, gradually becoming solid over time.
The method for practicing the Iron Cloth Shirt sounded simple, but in actual Cultivation, if the method was improper, one would not only fail but also suffer a great deal for nothing.
However, for Chen Ping'an, none of this was a problem.
Because his Golden Finger Panel's function was that as long as he cultivated, he would gain something. Once a gain was made, it was permanent, never to be lost!
Chen Ping'an found some undergarments in his room, took off his upper-body clothing, wrapped the cloth around his chest and back several times, and began to try the Cultivation Method of the Iron Cloth Shirt.
Chen Ping'an rubbed forcefully with his hands, then extended and contracted his elbows and arms to make his chest expand and contract.
He repeated this, again and again.
After a while, Chen Erya finished washing the dishes and sat on a wooden stool, watching her brother's strange movements with a curious expression.
"Big Brother, are you practicing martial arts? What a strange way to cultivate."
As the Cultivation progressed, Chen Ping'an felt his skin grow scorching hot and intensely painful.
'Continue!'
Chen Ping'an gritted his teeth and persisted.
He practiced for a full hour, and just when he felt he couldn't go on any longer...
A "+1" symbol suddenly flashed in his vision.
Name: Chen Ping'an
Realm: None
Martial Arts: Iron Cloth Shirt Not at Entry Level (1/5)
...
"It's working!"
At that moment, a smile finally appeared on Chen Ping'an's face.