"Sanlang is here!"
"Sanlang, my mother packed some freshly picked fruit from the tree at our house. Care for a taste?"
"..."
As soon as they entered the duty room, many of the early-arriving constables warmly greeted Zheng Jun and Zhou Pu, their words dripping with flattery. Zheng Jun cupped his hands in return to each of the constables and Quick Hands, carrying himself somewhat like a "Little Zhesh."
His newfound prestige in the duty room was entirely thanks to the battle at Lin Workshop. Though the clash remained relatively unknown among the common folk, Liu Yaozu was a blabbermouth. While recovering from his injuries, he had constantly bragged about Zheng Jun. He tossed around phrases like "capturing enemy generals amidst a massive army as effortlessly as taking something from a pocket," "the Qingshui Gang's Body Tempering Martial Artists couldn't do a thing to him," and "unmoved by wealth even when the gang's higher-ups tried to recruit him." He made Zheng Jun sound as fierce as a mighty warrior straight out of a storyteller's tale.
These stories instantly caused an uproar within the Fast Shift. The Fast Shift only had about forty men. Several of them had been ambushed and beaten while patrolling Lin Workshop. Now that Zheng Jun had utterly routed the Qingshui Gang, he had finally avenged his fellow constables. Naturally, this earned him tremendous renown.
In the corner, Zhao Er's inverted-triangle eyes stared with a sinister, viper-like gaze, secretly observing Zheng Jun. Watching Zheng Jun soak up the attention as the center of the room, Zhao Er couldn't help but sneer.
"Enjoy your moment of glory for now, Zheng," Zhao Er thought. "Your good days are about to come to an end!"
Sensing Zhao Er's sinister gaze, Zheng Jun immediately went on high alert. He whipped his head around, his burning gaze locking onto Zhao Er's position. Faced with such an intense stare, Zhao Er instantly panicked. He didn't dare hold eye contact and guiltily averted his gaze. He looked exactly like a rat caught scurrying out of a gutter.
Seeing this, Zheng Jun simply scoffed and paid him no more mind. "This Eagle-Hawk Force truly performs well," he mused inwardly. "I didn't notice it while practicing, but I never expected it to have such a wondrous effect on my surroundings."
It wasn't by mere coincidence that Zheng Jun had precisely pinpointed Zhao Er's sinister glare; it was an innate sensory response. After fixing Zhao Er with that eagle-like glare and sending him into a panic, Zheng Jun realized that the Eagle-Hawk Force actually granted him the ability to sense killing intent. Since Zhao Er hadn't bothered to conceal his stare, Zheng Jun had easily detected him.
After a final glance at Zhao Er, Zheng Jun calmly returned to his seat to wait for the Squad Leader to take the roll call. It wasn't long before Squad Leader Sun entered the duty room. After checking the roster, everyone was present, save for five men who were on sick leave or injured.
Today, Zheng Jun didn't have to patrol the streets. Since Zheng Jun had handled the Lin Workshop situation so decisively, Squad Leader Sun worried he might stir up more trouble if he went back there. Thus, he kept Zheng Jun confined to the duty room as part of the "general reserve." He would only be dispatched if an incident occurred somewhere. It was a rather relaxing assignment.
Zhou Pu wasn't so lucky. However, he was assigned to patrol another Market. Since he knew the porters working in that Market, Zhou Pu was quite happy with the arrangement.
Once roll call was finished, the crowd dispersed. Only Zheng Jun and four other constables remained on duty in the room, leaving them with little to do.
Seeing this, Squad Leader Sun approached Zheng Jun with a smile and lowered his voice. "Sanlang, have you thought it through? I know your family's financial situation is tight. How about this? Ten taels of silver, and I guarantee you'll reach the beginner level."
Lately, Squad Leader Sun had been asking Zheng Jun every single day if he wanted to learn his Pile Skill. Every time, Zheng Jun would deflect the offer.
Since the Squad Leader brought it up again today, Zheng Jun had no choice but to reply, "Squad Leader, I was just lucky enough to pick up a couple of moves, and I'm honored that the Commander from the Garrison Command thought highly enough of me to bestow this Eagle-Hawk Force upon me. Unfortunately, my bones and muscles are not yet developed, and my body remains weak. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to handle the meridian-opening process of the Pile Skill. Let's wait a few more days before discussing it again."
Hearing this, Squad Leader Sun glanced at the exceptionally vigorous and energetic Zheng Jun. He clearly didn't buy a word of that excuse. But since Zheng Jun had put it that way, what could he do? He simply left him with, "If you change your mind, remember to come find me, Sanlang," and didn't press the issue any further.
Having shaken off Squad Leader Sun's pestering, Zheng Jun sat bolt upright, looked inward at the Great Tao Martial Book, and began to ponder.
[Pile Skill: Eagle-Hawk Force (Mastery). Current Repayment Progress: 2/50.]
This morning, Zheng Jun had practiced the Pile Skill two full times. Judging by that, he could easily manage at least four or five sessions a day. It seemed that mastering this Pile Skill was quite simple; he would be able to repay the debt in less than half a month. If he pushed himself and practiced a few more times each day, he might not even need ten days to pay it off.
However, this was only at the Mastery stage. According to his observations, the Great Tao Martial Book had five stages: Beginner, Mastery, Minor Achievement, Great Success, and Perfection. His Eagle-Hawk Force was only at Mastery right now, still a fair distance away from Minor Achievement, Great Success, or Perfection. If the Mastery stage alone allowed him to perform Blood Refining to this extent, he wondered what results the higher stages would yield. He was highly anticipating it.
"Let's test my strength," he thought. Seeing that there was nothing to do in the duty room, he stood up and walked toward the central courtyard of the Three Squad duty area.
The Three Squad duty rooms were situated together, enclosing a small courtyard that served as a makeshift training ground. Stepping into the training ground, Zheng Jun spotted several stone weights in the corner. He quickly scanned them, picked the heaviest one—which weighed two hundred catties—and lifted it effortlessly to his chest, level with his shoulders.
"Excellent!" he praised inwardly, a look of joy spreading across his face.
Although his Cloak and Dagger had reached Great Success, to Zheng Jun, that was merely a matter of technique. The Blade Skill Consolidation trait only allowed him to understand how to apply force more clearly. However, practicing the Eagle-Hawk Force had genuinely increased his physical strength, bringing about an earth-shattering transformation to his constitution!
"This is just preliminary Blood Refining, yet I already possess this much Power," he thought. "I wonder what capabilities I'll have once my Blood Refining and Body Tempering reach their peak, and True Qi begins to fill my Dantian!"
Setting the stone weight down and dusting off his hands, Zheng Jun suddenly heard a flurry of hoofbeats echoing outside the Government Office. The sound caught him off guard. He walked to the front of the courtyard and peeked outside. He quickly spotted several elite cavalrymen halting their horses outside the gates. Wearing helmets and breastplates, they looked incredibly imposing!
"Cavalry?" Zheng Jun was utterly astounded.
In a small place like Black Mountain County, cavalry was a rare sight. The entire county likely only housed a dozen or so Light Cavalry. Why would cavalry appear here?
As he pondered this, he noticed a constable in a black Official's Uniform dismount from behind one of the riders and sprint madly into the County Government Office. The constable was none other than Zhou Pu!
The leading cavalryman quickly dismounted and ran inside as well. Bounding past the paved path, the rider headed straight for the ceremonial gate, likely to notify the county's prominent figures.
Meanwhile, Zhou Pu rushed directly to the Three Squad duty area. He glanced at Zheng Jun in the courtyard before shouting into the duty room, "There's been a murder! Assemble immediately!"
Seeing this, Zheng Jun hurriedly grabbed the hem of Zhou Pu's uniform and whispered, "Zhou Pu, what happened?"
"There was a murder in Haicui Square. The entire Wang Family has been slaughtered!
"Their bodies were mutilated and disemboweled. Intestines were strewn all over the floor, and their hearts, livers, spleens, and lungs were completely gone. Only half a chewed-up kidney was left.
"I'm afraid a Demon Fiend is at work!" Zhou Pu replied in a hushed tone, a trace of horror flashing in his eyes as he took a deep breath, speaking with palpable fear.
Having said that, Zhou Pu didn't linger for a second. He hurried off to inform Squad Leader Sun.
Zheng Jun stood rooted to the spot, his chest heaving.
"A Demon Fiend?!"