Complaints and sighs rose and fell, almost everyone was stumped by the threshold of the first step of Body Tempering, their faces filled with frustration and anxiety.
Dongfang Yueming listened silently, his heart calm. This was reality. Without a cheat, without resources, wanting to rely on one's own talent and effort to achieve entry-level Skin Tempering within a month was indeed as difficult as ascending to the heavens for the vast majority of ordinary people.
He finished his meal, got up, and left the dining hall, preparing to head to the East City Gate patrol station.
As soon as he stepped out of the dining hall, he felt many gazes fall upon him. Unlike the anxiety in the eyes directed at other new students, these gazes were filled with pity, sympathy, and even a hint of veiled mockery.
“Look, it’s him! The one who talked back to Gao Hu in the Martial Arts Practice Hall yesterday!”
“Tsk tsk, truly a newborn calf not afraid of a tiger, daring to challenge Gao Hu to a fight, and a month from now?”
“I heard Gao Hu broke through to the Major Achievement in Skin Tempering realm after he went back yesterday! How will this kid fight him now?”
“Fight? With what? He probably won’t even be able to block a single finger from Gao Hu then!”
“Not only will he not be able to block him, but having offended Gao Hu, his days in the Martial Arts Academy will likely be difficult. It’s hard to say if he’ll even last until a month from now…”
Although these discussions were hushed, with Dongfang Yueming’s hearing, which was at Perfection in Skin Tempering, he heard them clearly.
He remained expressionless, as if he hadn't heard anything, and walked straight out of the school gate.
Pity me? Sympathize with me?
Dongfang Yueming’s lips curved into a cold arc.
A month from now, you will know who the truly pitiable one is!
Passing through the slightly old but still sturdy East City Gate, Dongfang Yueming quickly found the patrol station. It was a row of low-lying bungalows, with a sign hanging at the entrance that read “East City Security Patrol Third Squad,” showing signs of weathering.
When Dongfang Yueming pushed open the door and entered, four people were already in the room.
Three men and one woman.
The leader was a middle-aged man of average height and ordinary appearance, but with unusually sharp eyes. He wore a crisp patrol uniform, his temples bulged high, and his breathing was steady and deep. When he saw Dongfang Yueming enter, he merely nodded faintly.
Standing beside him was an exceptionally tall young man, even more robust than Gao Hu, with muscles like chiseled granite, exuding a powerful fluctuation of Qi and blood. He was clearly at the Major Achievement in Skin Tempering cultivation! Judging by his age, he seemed only a few years older than Dongfang Yueming, and should also be a student of the academy, out on a mission to earn contribution points.
The other two were a man and a woman. The man was lean and strong, with steady eyes, and his aura was slightly weaker than that of the tall young man, but he had also reached the Major Achievement in Flesh Refining level.
The woman was pretty and well-proportioned, wearing a fitted martial arts uniform. Her cultivation was at Minor Achievement in Flesh Refining, and her bright, curious eyes were sizing up the newcomer, Dongfang Yueming.
“Are you Dongfang Yueming?” the leading middle-aged man spoke, his voice steady and strong. “I am Wang Zhen, captain of the Third Squad. This is Zhang Meng, Major Achievement in Flesh Refining.” He pointed to the lean man.
“This is Li Yue, Minor Achievement in Flesh Refining.” He then pointed to the pretty woman.
Finally, he patted the tall young man beside him on the shoulder: “This is Zhao Tieniu. Like you, he is also a student of the Martial Arts Academy, Major Achievement in Skin Tempering.”
Dongfang Yueming nodded in acknowledgment: “Hello, Captain. Hello, everyone.”
“Hmm, welcome aboard.” Captain Wang Zhen nodded, his gaze sweeping over Dongfang Yueming, seemingly assessing something. “Since you’ve arrived, let’s get straight to work. Today’s patrol area is East District Three to East District Five, a rather large area.”
He pondered for a moment, then pointed to Li Yue and Dongfang Yueming: “Li Yue, you’ll take the new guy today. You two will be a team, responsible for East District Three and the first half of East District Four.”
“Yes, Captain!” Li Yue responded cheerfully, a clear smile and goodwill in her eyes as she looked at Dongfang Yueming. No other reason than that Dongfang Yueming, though dressed ordinarily, had handsome features and a calm demeanor, making him undoubtedly more pleasing to the eye than the other rough men in the team.
However, Li Yue’s undisguised attitude caused the lean man, Zhang Meng, nearby to frown almost imperceptibly, a hint of undetectable sourness flashing in his eyes. He had always had feelings for Li Yue, and seeing her so enthusiastic towards a newly arrived youngster naturally made him uncomfortable.
“Zhao Tieniu, you’ll be with me. You’ll be responsible for the latter half of East District Four and East District Five.” Wang Zhen continued to assign tasks.
“Alright, Captain!” Zhao Tieniu rumbled in response, his gaze at Dongfang Yueming carrying a hint of scrutiny, seemingly curious about this “competitor” who was also at Major Achievement in Skin Tempering.
With the assignments complete, Captain Wang Zhen waved his hand: “Alright, everyone get moving! Be careful!”
“Yes!”
Li Yue waved to Dongfang Yueming: “Let’s go, new guy, follow me.”
Dongfang Yueming nodded and followed Li Yue’s footsteps. The two walked side by side out of the patrol station and began to patrol along the designated streets.
Watching their retreating figures, Captain Wang Zhen’s face at the original spot showed a meaningful smile. He turned his head and whispered to Zhang Meng beside him:
“Zhang Meng, later… you can ‘accidentally’ release a few of those ‘little rats’ we caught yesterday towards East District Three.”
Upon hearing this, a flicker of understanding passed through Zhang Meng’s eyes, and a malicious sneer curled his lips as he whispered in response: “Understood, Captain!”
Zhao Tieniu, who heard their conversation, remained silent, but he understood perfectly.
“Carrion Rats, huh… Sure enough, it’s the same old trick.” Zhao Tieniu thought to himself.
Carrion Rats, the lowest level of Mortal Beasts, usually only possessing the strength of Minor Achievement in Skin Tempering, but they are numerous, agile, and carry a certain toxicity. This was a common method used by the patrol team to test the courage and strength of newcomers.
“Let’s see what this kid is made of.” Zhao Tieniu recalled his own first encounter with a Carrion Rat, where he was flustered and took a great deal of effort to deal with it, even getting bitten on the arm.
“Theoretical cultivation and actual combat are two different things! Especially when facing Vicious Beasts, that kind of fear and pressure isn’t something everyone can withstand.”
“If this kid, upon seeing a Carrion Rat, doesn’t even have the courage to fight and gets scared and runs away, then his Major Achievement in Skin Tempering is a sham, and the captain will undoubtedly kick him out of the team! After all, the patrol team doesn’t need dead weight!”
Zhao Tieniu glanced in the direction where Dongfang Yueming had disappeared, his heart filled with anticipation. He was very curious to see how this new recruit, also at Major Achievement in Skin Tempering, would perform against this first ‘appetizer’.