In Pear Blossom Lane, there were several public water-drawing spots. However, the one closest to Chen Ping'an's home was under the large mulberry tree to the east.
Next to the mulberry tree was a small stream where the women of the lane often came to wash their clothes. There was also a small clearing where the children who came with the women frequently played. In the clearing stood a well, which was where the surrounding households drew their water.
Chen Ping'an was swift on his feet and quickly arrived under the large mulberry tree.
As expected, there were quite a few people here. Children were running around, playing happily. "Have you heard? Mrs. Gao's family in the southeast corner seems to be doing quite well for themselves lately."
"How so?"
"A few days ago, I was just dropping by for a visit and happened to see them eating. I noticed they were actually having braised pork."
"Braised pork!? Mrs. Gao's husband has no skills and no strength. What happened? Did they strike it rich?"
"I don't know! Isn't it strange?"
"It is! We should go ask around together another day and see if they've found some way to get rich!"
"..."
By the stream, several women washed their clothes, gossiping about this and that.
Chen Ping'an paid them no mind. He walked straight to the well and began to draw water.
There was a wooden bucket by the well specifically for drawing water, and Chen Ping'an tossed it into the well.
A spray of clear water splashed up.
Chen Ping'an skillfully maneuvered the rope, tipping the bucket over to begin swallowing the clear water from the well.
Chen Ping'an peered over the edge of the well. Once the water filled the bucket to overflowing, he hoisted it up at once.
Huh!?
Chen Ping'an froze for a moment. He realized the bucket, now full of water, felt a little light—not at all like he remembered.
Chen Ping'an pulled the bucket out of the well and poured its contents into the pail he had brought with him, filling it to the brim.
He repeated the action, filling his other pail with water as well.
'Have I gotten this much stronger?'
Lifting the bucket a second time, it still felt just as light. Chen Ping'an wondered to himself.
Hoisting the two pails of water onto his shoulder pole, Chen Ping'an started for home.
Along the way, his steps were light, completely different from his previous experiences fetching water.
Before, although he could carry two full pails of water, he would sway and stumble the whole way. By the time he got home, nearly half the water would have splashed out. It was like half a pail of water was wasted on the road.
Not only was it exhausting, but it was also inefficient. Therefore, Chen Ping'an usually only filled the pails just over halfway.
But today...
Chen Ping'an carried the pails steadily, looking as if he had energy to spare.
Even after pouring the water into the cistern, he remained calm and composed, not feeling tired in the slightest.
'So this is the change brought by the Qi Blood First Layer!'
Chen Ping'an felt an indescribable sense of pleasant surprise.
It was the first time he had so tangibly felt the changes in his body.
"Again!"
Chen Ping'an excitedly rushed out the door.
He went back and forth like this until the water in the cistern reached the brim.
Normally, it took ten trips to fill the cistern, but today he only made seven or eight. This was because he filled the pails completely each time, instead of intentionally leaving them only a little more than half full like before.
'My strength has increased by more than half!'
After savoring the feeling for a while, Chen Ping'an began to practice his Iron Cloth Shirt technique.
An hour later, the familiar "+1 Experience Points" appeared.
Name: Chen Ping'an
Realm: Qi Blood First Layer
Martial Arts: Iron Cloth Shirt, Entry Level (3/15)
...
For the next few days, Chen Ping'an's life fell into a very regular routine.
Every day, he would wake up early, practice his Iron Cloth Shirt once, and then head to the Nanquan Lane Town Patrol Office to check in on time.
Following the assignments from the Garrison Commandant's Office, he patrolled the various streets and alleys of Nanquan Lane, deterring petty criminals.
After his shift each day, he would eat dinner with Chen Erya and then practice his Iron Cloth Shirt one more time.
During this time, he also saw Mr. Qin once.
Mr. Qin's hair was graying, and he had a kind smile.
Nearing sixty, he no longer had the aggressive, fearless demeanor of his youth. If not for the black uniform of an official constable, he would look just like a short, elderly neighbor if he walked through a crowd.
Only the occasional sharp glint in his eyes revealed his Martial Arts Cultivation at the Qi Blood Second Layer.
To have become an official constable of the Nanquan Lane Town Patrol Office with no background and starting from nothing, how could this Mr. Qin not have a few tricks up his sleeve?
Old Chen had been the same back in the day, and naturally, so was Mr. Qin.
On this particular day, in a rare occurrence, Mr. Qin wasn't slacking off and joined them for a patrol.
Having not seen them for a while, Mr. Qin was quite generous, even paying out of his own pocket to treat the few of them to tea.
During their conversation, Mr. Qin brought up Chen Ping'an's father, Old Chen, his words tinged with a bit of melancholy.
"Back in the day, Old Chen was really someone! If it weren't for that operation to encircle the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, where he was severely injured by one of their Stewards... Given his progress, he probably would have reached the Qi Blood Third Layer in another two years! At that point, he'd have been guaranteed the rank of Constable!"
Qi Blood First Layer, Skin Refining! Qi Blood Second Layer, Muscle Training! Qi Blood Third Layer, Yijin!
As long as a constable successfully reached the Qi Blood Third Layer and had no major black marks on their record, the South Town Garrison Command would generally grant them the rank of Constable.
Once promoted to Constable, one truly leaped across social classes.
Chen Ping'an fell silent. Images of Old Chen's face and voice surfaced in his mind.
The Ten Thousand Demons Sect...
"A Constable! Here in Nanquan Lane, they're the ones who deal with all the prominent figures!"
Mr. Qin sighed, taking a sip of his tea.
"Mr. Qin, you're not so bad yourself. With your Martial Arts Cultivation at the Qi Blood Second Layer, plus your masterful execution of the Public Door Thirteen Sabers, you're a well-known figure in Nanquan Lane too!"
Monkey Head chimed in with a compliment.
"Isn't that right, Da Shan?"
Da Shan nodded in agreement with a foolish grin.
Of the thirty-odd official constables in Nanquan Lane, at least half had failed to reach the Qi Blood Second Layer and were still stuck at Qi Blood First Level Perfection.
"I'm getting old! On the path of the Martial Dao, old age brings exhaustion. Your life force fades, and your Qi Blood declines! I'm already fifty-nine. Though I may have a Qi Blood Second Layer cultivation, if I really had to fight, I'm afraid I'd only be at the level of someone at Qi Blood First Level Perfection."
Mr. Qin glanced at the saber at his waist, as if lost in thought.
"A man has to admit when he's getting old!"
"The older the ginger, the spicier it is. You're still as formidable as ever, sir!"
"Hahaha..."
Mr. Qin burst out laughing.
Seeing this, Monkey Head and Da Shan also gave a couple of dry laughs.
Although they had not yet embarked on Martial Dao Cultivation, they knew a thing or two about its common principles.
The Qi Blood Realm had six layers, each stronger than the last!
Aside from the final two layers, cultivators in the first four layers could not escape the natural law of exhaustion and Qi Blood decay in old age.
Once past the age of fifty, they would slowly begin to decline.
Only by nourishing the body with various Great Medicine Treasures could the years of decay be delayed by several years, or even more than a decade.