"Lord Chen."
"My Lord."
"......"
Upon returning from Nancheng Suppression Office, as Chen Ping'an stepped into the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office, Yamen Runners greeted him with beaming smiles.
"Mm."
Chen Ping'an nodded slightly in response.
The matter of Zuo Wumei had made him the absolute focus of the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office. But even if it wasn't for Zuo Wumei, he was still the legitimate second-in-command of the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office, wielding immense power.
How could ordinary Yamen Runners dare to be presumptuous when they saw him?
After entering the Zhenfu Division, Chen Ping'an did not directly return to his own office, but instead went to Tian Fuliang's place.
No matter what, Tian Fuliang was still his superior. He needed to report properly about the Zuo Wumei matter.
"Lord Tian."
As soon as Chen Ping'an knocked on Tian Fuliang's door, Tian Fuliang looked up, saw him, and stood up to welcome him in.
"Ah, Ping'an, come, quickly come in."
Tian Fuliang's reaction clearly exceeded the attitude he would show to a typical subordinate.
However, considering that Chen Ping'an had just returned from the Nancheng Suppression Office, Tian Fuliang's attitude seemed normal.
"Ping'an, you are truly the lucky general of my Nanquan Lane Garrison Office. Zuo Wumei has been rampant for many years, but he finally fell into your hands!"
Tian Fuliang praised Chen Ping'an with a beaming smile.
He wasn't wrong. Ever since Chen Ping'an rose to prominence in Nanquan Lane, he first annihilated the Tiger Head Gang, then broke through the Ten Thousand Demons Sect stronghold, and now, Zuo Wumei—a series of events, all indicating Chen Ping'an's extraordinary nature.
Of course, for most superiors, even if a subordinate is capable, appropriate praise is usually enough, not to the extent of Tian Fuliang's reaction.
Ultimately, it was still because, in his perception, Chen Ping'an had someone backing him.
"It's all due to Lord Tian's excellent guidance."
Chen Ping'an kept a very low profile.
It was just a polite remark, flattering Tian Fuliang, and he had no substantial loss.
To get by, one still needs mutual benefit.
Sometimes, harboring resentment or even enmity over a single sentence is truly unnecessary.
Hearing this, the smile on Tian Fuliang's face grew wider.
He had already briefly explained the events of last night to Tian Fuliang when he reported for duty. Now, he was just elaborating on some details more thoroughly. However, Chen Ping'an naturally concealed some of the fighting details.
"So, Zuo Wumei was at most a Martial Artist with Qi and Blood Fourth Level at Perfection!?"
"Exactly. That was his Peak state. Based on my feeling last night, once he got into a prolonged fight, his combat power wouldn't even reach Perfection; at most, he would be an ordinary Martial Artist with Qi and Blood Fourth Level."
Chen Ping'an replied.
After hearing Chen Ping'an's words, a hint of regret flashed across Tian Fuliang's face.
Martial Artist with Qi and Blood Fourth Level!
With his martial arts strength, if he had been well-prepared, he would have had a good chance of keeping the opponent there.
What a pity!
He ultimately missed out. Zuo Wumei had clearly come to his house first!
However, the regret was only momentary. Having been through many ups and downs over the years, Tian Fuliang's composure was naturally impressive, and he said with a smile, "I really didn't expect, Ping'an, that you are also a hidden martial arts Genius. In a blink of an eye, you're at Qi and Blood Fifth Stage."
Tian Fuliang was still somewhat surprised by Chen Ping'an's martial arts progress. This statement was not false; it was truly heartfelt.
"Not at all, not at all, Lord Tian overpraised me. I'm still far from it."
Chen Ping'an waved his hand with a smile.
"Still, congratulations to you."
Tian Fuliang patted Chen Ping'an's shoulder.
The two chatted for a while longer, and the atmosphere was excellent.
During the conversation, Tian Fuliang subtly inquired about Chen Ping'an's future assignment, curious about the arrangements at the Nancheng Suppression Office.
In response, Chen Ping'an quickly changed the topic with a few words, only saying that he was not entirely clear about the arrangements from above.
After chatting for a good while, Chen Ping'an finally stood up to take his leave.
"Walk slowly."
Tian Fuliang watched Chen Ping'an depart, a trace of sadness flashing in his eyes.
Whoever slays Zuo Wumei shall be promoted two ranks and rewarded with a thousand taels of silver.
Another two ranks up from Petty Officer Candidate would be the position of Squad Leader.
That inconspicuous young man from before was now going to surpass him.
Squad Leader, ah...
...
After returning to his office, Chen Ping'an received several more waves of visitors.
There were Chief Constable Li, Chief Constable Huang, and others, as well as Monkey Head Da Shan, Xiao Zeng, and a few others.
Without exception, they all came to congratulate Chen Ping'an on slaying Zuo Wumei.
Whoever slays Zuo Wumei shall be promoted two ranks and rewarded with a thousand taels of silver—this matter was known to all.
Everyone was clear about what position Chen Ping'an would reach if he were to be promoted two more ranks at his current level.
Who could have imagined that a temporary Yamen Runner, who was not even officially registered, would reach such a height today?
Most importantly, Chen Ping'an had just reached the age of twenty!
A great future awaited him, and no one knew what heights he would ultimately reach.
After dealing with these trivial matters, Chen Ping'an calmed down and began to carefully review and summarize his gains and losses.
He had exposed some of his strength this time.
Fortunately, others were not aware of Zuo Wumei's true condition.
Therefore, Chen Ping'an still concealed part of his strength, only revealing the martial arts Realm of Qi and Blood Fifth Stage.
By appropriately revealing some strength and slaying Zuo Wumei, he gained too many things.
Prestige, promotion, the Fang Family's favor, and Cultivation Techniques...
Yes, Cultivation Techniques.
Last night, he found many good things on Zuo Wumei's corpse. Besides several silver notes totaling over three thousand taels, there were also two Cultivation Techniques.
Swift Wind Saber Technique! Eight Steps Catching Cicadas!
Swift Wind Saber Technique, a high-grade saber technique, embodying the swiftness of the wind, incredibly fast. When Cultivated to a certain level, one can condense a Swift Wind Saber momentum, greatly increasing its power.
Eight Steps Catching Cicadas, a high-grade light body Cultivation Technique. It means that within eight steps, one can catch an exotic flying cicada. By tapping the toes on the ground, the body becomes light, allowing one to leap several feet into the air. Additionally, Eight Steps Catching Cicadas, besides being a light body Cultivation Technique, is also an excellent leg technique.
One can use the tips of both feet, both knees, both elbows, and both hands—eight points of attack—to continuously attack the enemy. If one kick misses, use the other kick to attack. If the second attack misses, use both knees to strike the opponent's chest upon landing. If the third attack misses, follow through with a forward pounce, using both elbows to attack the opponent's chest and abdomen. If the fourth attack misses, use both hands to grip the opponent's throat!
The first kick is the "Inquiring Leg," similar to a boxer's "jab." If the opponent dodges, it becomes a "feint leg"; if not, it becomes a "real leg." Attack continuously, repeating this process until the opponent's entire body defense is broken.
Both Swift Wind Saber Technique and Eight Steps Catching Cicadas are excellent high-grade Cultivation Techniques.
Zuo Wumei truly lived up to his reputation as a former Internal Energy master; he had many good things hidden on him, truly possessing a deep foundation.
If Zuo Wumei's Dantian hadn't been crippled and he hadn't been severely injured by the Fang Family elder, Chen Ping'an wouldn't have been his match even with these two Cultivation Techniques.
Last night, he had truly stumbled upon a treasure.
Both Cultivation Techniques provided extremely detailed Cultivation explanations, including breathing Mind-Cultivation Technique and vital acupoints. As early as yesterday, Chen Ping'an had successfully added both Cultivation Techniques to his Golden Finger panel.
Name: Chen Ping'an
Realm: Qi Blood Sixth Stage at Perfection
Martial Arts: Iron Cloth at Perfection, Flying Locust Stone at Perfection, Gongmen Thirteen Blades at Perfection, Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training at Perfection, Golden Bell Cover at Minor Achievement (108 / 160), Swift Wind Saber Technique not yet mastered (0 / 20), Eight Steps Catching Cicadas not yet mastered (0 / 20)
...
Looking at the Golden Finger panel in the Void Realm, Chen Ping'an felt excited.
With these two high-grade martial arts Cultivation Techniques, he wouldn't have to worry about Cultivation Techniques for a long time.
"Saber technique, light body Cultivation Technique, leg technique, horizontal training, hidden weapons—I've learned the basics of all these Cultivation Techniques!"