"Ping'an, Da Shan, are they gone?"
Monkey Head held his blade, maintaining a tough, fearsome posture. It had to be said, he actually looked quite imposing like that.
"They're gone."
Chen Ping'an said calmly, watching the figures disappear into the distance.
Hearing Chen Ping'an's words, Monkey Head immediately deflated. He bent over, resting a hand on his knee, and started gasping for air.
"HUFF! HUFF! HUFF! They're finally gone! If they hadn't left, I wouldn't have been able to keep it up!"
Monkey Head's face was a picture of lingering fear, all traces of his recent fierce and arrogant demeanor gone.
"Ping'an, let me tell you, my legs were about to start shaking just now. Those are ruffians from the Tiger Head Gang! I can't afford to mess with a guy like that. I was just thinking, what if he didn't buy my act and decided to fight? If a real fight had broken out, the few of us really wouldn't have been a match for them!"
Looking at Monkey Head's disheveled state as he rambled on, Chen Ping'an felt a warmth spread through his heart.
This was the real Monkey Head.
"Monkey Head, there were four of them and three of us. I could've taken two, you each take one. If we fought, we wouldn't necessarily lose, would we?"
Da Shan said gruffly, looking quite confident.
"Are you stupid, Da Shan? Do you not know who that head ruffian was?!"
"Who?"
"That was Liu'Er from the Tiger Head Gang! A trusted subordinate of Young Master Xiao Hu and a minor leader in the gang. I heard he's already stepped onto the path of Martial Dao Cultivation, at the Qi Blood First Layer. Don't be fooled by your own brawny build; if you two really fought, you'd be no match for him!"
"Even if you, with your brute strength, could somehow fight him to a draw, there's no way Ping'an and I could beat the other three."
"So that's how it is!"
Da Shan looked shocked. Then he turned his head and showed a hint of admiration.
"Monkey Head, you were really impressive just now."
Hearing this, Monkey Head's legs straightened, his back stiffened, and he grinned smugly.
"Right? Impressive, wasn't I?"
"Yeah, very impressive! You even startled me when you drew your blade."
Da Shan confessed honestly.
"Of course! No matter what, I, Monkey Head, am a seasoned veteran of the Jianghu in the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office. I've seen plenty of scenes like this! One slash of my blade, and who would dare to disobey!"
Monkey Head's face was glowing red. Just looking at him now, you'd never guess he was the one who had been so scared moments ago.
"Ping'an, I was impressive just now, wasn't I?"
As if remembering something, Monkey Head sought confirmation from Chen Ping'an again.
Afraid he might get an unfavorable reply from Chen Ping'an, he quickly added another sentence.
"Ping'an, I was sticking up for you!"
"Yes, impressive. Extremely impressive."
Chen Ping'an said.
Having received Chen Ping'an's validation, Monkey Head seemed to have gotten some kind of official certification, his whole being filling with energy. He sheathed his blade, then, mimicking his earlier action, drew it again.
"What 'Chen Family's kid'? Call me Master Chen!"
"Hehe~"
Monkey Head chuckled with a mischievous grin.
"Feels good! So damn good!"
After practicing the move a couple more times and reveling in the feeling for a while, Monkey Head suddenly grew dispirited.
"Sigh, if only I were an official constable! I wouldn't have even needed to draw my blade. The moment I appeared, they should have stopped just from seeing me."
"An official constable..."
Monkey Head sighed, looking up at the sky.
Indeed, official constables were, at the very least, at Qi Blood First Level Perfection. Their status, position, and Martial Arts Cultivation were more than enough to intimidate these petty ruffians.
And that was just for a constable. If a Constable had come in person, these ruffians would probably have been smiling obsequiously, perhaps even getting on their knees to beg for mercy.
When they were in the wrong, not even the Tiger Head Gang's Gang Leader, Master Hu, would be willing to make an enemy of a Garrison Commandant's Office Constable for their sake.
"Alright, Monkey Head. Let's get back to the patrol."
Chen Ping'an patted Monkey Head's shoulder.
"Right, patrol!"
Monkey Head's spirits jolted, and he was instantly re-energized.
"Oh, right, Ping'an, what was that about the owed silver that Liu'Er mentioned?"
Monkey Head recalled Popei Liu'Er's words and looked at Chen Ping'an quizzically.
"It's nothing, it's all taken care of," Chen Ping'an said calmly, brushing the topic aside.
"Ah, good. Let's go then."
By this time, the huddled figure in the corner was long gone. He had slipped away quietly right after the ruffians left.
The group didn't pay it any mind.
Situations like that happened all the time in Tiger Run Lane, both openly and in the shadows. They had only intervened because they happened to stumble upon it while carrying out their duties.
As for what happened next, that would depend on the man's own fate.
What happened today was the result of his own past choices. Since he made those choices, he had to bear the consequences, whether he could handle them or not.
As the saying goes, every peck and every sip is preordained.
After that incident, the rest of their patrol day was uneventful, with nothing special happening. The only difference was that they had less time to slack off, taking a break for less than half an hour.
As their shift was about to end, Chen Ping'an ran into an acquaintance in Tiger Run Lane.
It was Uncle Gao from the southeast corner!
When he saw him, the man was excitedly about to enter a gambling den. Judging by its size, it was a high-class establishment.
"Uncle Gao, are you...?"
Chen Ping'an called out.
"Ah, it's Brother Chen."
Uncle Gao was wiry but had a ruddy complexion. He recognized Chen Ping'an.
"I'm just here to have a little fun."
The two exchanged a brief greeting, and then Uncle Gao trotted into the gambling den.
...
In the small courtyard, Chen Ping'an was relentlessly practicing the Iron Cloth Shirt.
As he practiced, he could feel his Qi Blood beginning to surge, coursing through his entire body. The more he repeated the motions, the more proficient he became.
Chen Erya sat on a wooden stool with her chin in her hands, quietly watching her older brother.
For a time, the only sounds in the small courtyard were Chen Ping'an's heavy breathing and the rustling sounds of his movements.
Time slowly ticked by. Finally, with the appearance of a "+1 Experience" symbol, Chen Ping'an stopped his movements.
Name: Chen Ping'an
Realm: Qi Blood First Layer
Martial Arts: Iron Cloth Shirt Entry Level (15/15)
...
'The Experience Points are full!'
Chen Ping'an was ecstatic.
He had been waiting for this moment for seven days.
Without the slightest hesitation, he focused his mind and tapped the faintly visible plus sign.
SHH~
The Experience Points transformed into motes of starlight that surged into the space between Chen Ping'an's eyebrows.
As the starlight entered his body, streams of incredibly complex information flooded his mind.
This information included scenes of him arduously training the Iron Cloth Shirt, insights and reflections from after his practice, applications in real combat scenarios...
Everything in the information dump revolved around the Martial Arts Technique of the Iron Cloth Shirt.
Chen Ping'an closed his eyes, carefully absorbing and understanding it all.
At that moment, he wasn't just receiving information, but also a new surge of Qi Blood.
It wasn't a forceful infusion; it was as if he himself had gained all this through years of arduous cultivation.
Name: Chen Ping'an
Realm: Qi Blood First Level Perfection
Martial Arts: Iron Cloth Shirt Minor Achievement (0/40)
...
At this moment, the Iron Cloth Shirt had reached Minor Achievement!
Someone with above-average talent would need to spend years of hard work to reach such a Realm!
Yet Chen Ping'an had reached this step in less than ten days.
'This is only the beginning...'
Feeling the boundless power welling up inside his body, Chen Ping'an's heart soared with excitement and anticipation for the future.
...
PS: The new book has been in the system for two days. If there are enough readers following the latest chapters, it can get a trial recommendation. Brothers, please keep reading!!!