Chapter 14: Wanted Notice
Chapter 14: Wanted Notice
As Chen Mu contemplated the matter at hand, he made his way to the City Guard Headquarters.
Following the usual routine, he hung up his duty badge, checked in, and then headed to the backyard to wait for his tea.
Before practicing his swordsmanship, Chen Mu would always arrive at the City Guard Headquarters relatively early. However, after his practice sessions, he would come later, and by the time he arrived, most of the patrol officers from his shift would also be present.
As he entered, he brushed past Ren Yan, a man he hadn't had much interaction with over the past six months. This time, though, he couldn't help but give Ren Yan a subtle glance.
"Is this the result of skin tempering?" Chen Mu wondered to himself.
Compared to half a year ago, Ren Yan's skin tone had noticeably darkened, appearing rougher but also more robust. Chen Mu initially attributed these changes to his swordsmanship training, but now he wondered if skin tempering techniques were also involved.
However, from what he knew, both skin tempering and swordsmanship skills required time and patience. Even the account clerk had mentioned something along the lines of 'three years for skin tempering and ten years for muscle tempering.'
"I never paid attention to this before, but now that I think about it, four out of the five senior patrol officers here seem to have practiced skin tempering. But I have no idea to what extent they've mastered it."
Chen Mu's thoughts turned to the other senior patrol officers at the City Guard Headquarters.
Although only one of them had achieved blade aura proficiency, if the others had also practiced skin tempering, their physiques would be even more robust than ordinary people. Combined with their advanced swordsmanship, they might not be much weaker.
Upon further reflection, it made sense. Achieving advanced swordsmanship proficiency was a prerequisite for becoming a senior patrol officer, and such a position would undoubtedly come with connections and background. With such resources, it was unlikely that they wouldn't have access to internal cultivation techniques; they probably just hadn't cultivated them to a high enough level.
"This Ren Yan truly has an extraordinary background. I thought he had only learned swordsmanship, but it seems he has also studied internal cultivation techniques."
Chen Mu shook his head slightly.
He was still pondering how to obtain the funds to purchase an internal cultivation technique.
Soon, he arrived at the familiar Great Locust Tree, where Liu Song and Li Tie were already seated, waiting for him. As soon as they saw Chen Mu, they greeted him with broad smiles.
After pouring themselves some bitter tea and chatting briefly, a patrol officer entered the courtyard, holding several yellow papers and waving his arms. "New wanted notices are here!"
The patrol officers scattered around the courtyard gathered to take a look.
Liu Song stood up and soon returned with one of the yellow papers. It had a crudely drawn face with a distinct black mark on the right cheek and a hastily written description at the bottom.
"The evil bandit Tang Quan, who stole valuables in the inner city, is now on the run in the outer city. Thirty taels of silver will be rewarded for accurate information leading to his capture, one hundred taels for his execution, and three hundred taels for his capture alive."
Upon reading the wanted notice, there was a commotion among the patrol officers in the courtyard.
Li Tie exclaimed, "Wow! Three hundred taels of silver for his capture alive! What big crime did this guy commit in the inner city to warrant such a high reward?"
The City Guard Headquarters often issued similar wanted notices, but a reward of thirty or forty taels of silver for a capture alive was already considered high. A reward of three hundred taels was rare, with only a few such notices issued each year.
"Stealing valuables, huh? I bet the stolen goods are worth far more than three hundred taels..." Liu Song chuckled, but he casually tossed the wanted notice onto the stone table, not overly concerned.
A bandit of this caliber was far beyond the reach of low-ranking patrol officers like them. Three hundred taels of silver was no small amount; it was equivalent to a coffin board. After serving as patrol officers for so many years, they knew better than to be tempted by such an unrealistic reward.
After all, even a quick thought would reveal that a bandit with a three-hundred-tael reward was an explosive threat to low-ranking officers like them.
Chen Mu took a longer look but wasn't particularly interested.
If he encountered someone with a reward of twenty or thirty taels, he might assess their strength and consider taking action. But for someone with a three-hundred-tael reward, even with his perfected swordsmanship and blade aura, he wouldn't dare take the risk. There was no telling how powerful such a character might be.
"Only the senior patrol officers would be interested in this," Li Tie said, shaking his head as he took a sip of bitter tea.
Liu Song, sitting next to him, glanced around discreetly and, seeing no one paying attention, whispered, "Have you heard? Zhao Tou is retiring."
"What?" Chen Mu and Li Tie were both surprised.
Zhao Tou, probably referring to Zhao Zong, was the oldest senior patrol officer, likely in his late fifties or early sixties.
"What happened?" Li Tie asked in a hushed tone, surprised by the news.
Normally, senior patrol officers wouldn't willingly give up their positions, regardless of their age. As long as they held onto their positions, they enjoyed various benefits, including favors from outside gangs and factions.
But once they retired, they became ordinary elders. Even with their martial prowess, their declining health and diminished influence would quickly lead to them being forgotten.
"His old injuries are acting up, and he can't handle it anymore," Liu Song whispered.
Hearing this, Chen Mu and Li Tie nodded slightly. They guessed that Zhao Zong was reluctant to give up his position, but if his health couldn't support it, the higher-ups would indeed replace him with someone more capable.
Li Tie glanced thoughtfully at the numerous patrol officers in the courtyard and said quietly, "With Zhao Tou gone, there'll be an open position."
Currently, there were five senior patrol officers at the City Guard Headquarters, each with their own responsibilities and teams. When Zhao Zong left, his team could either be reassigned to other senior patrol officers or a new senior patrol officer could be appointed.
At that moment, Liu Song glanced at Ren Yan in the distance with a hint of admiration, saying, "That position is most likely his. Zhao Tou might be able to hold on for another half a year. Even if his skills aren't up to par by then, with someone pulling strings from above, there probably won't be any major issues. When luck strikes, there's no stopping it."
Liu Song and Li Tie, along with many other senior patrol officers, had no desire to curry favor with Ren Yan. It wasn't just because Ren Yan was too young, but also because Ren Yan wanted to become a senior patrol officer, which meant he needed to train his blade skills for many years and cultivate true prowess.
But now,
Just as Zhao Zong was falling ill, a position was about to open up, and it was like a pillow for a sleepyhead.
"What great luck," Li Tie couldn't help but sigh.
Over half a year ago, Ren Yan was no different from the other patrol officers, but suddenly, he got an opportunity to train in the Inner City. After just half a year, his skills were probably barely at the level of entering the chamber, and now he had a chance to become a senior patrol officer.
Hearing this, even Chen Mu couldn't help but glance at Ren Yan from a distance.
Such good fortune seemed to hint at a touch of heaven's favor.
However...
Chen Mu shook his head slightly but didn't say anything. After taking a sip of tea, he stood up and said, "Alright, Old Brother Liu, Old Brother Li, let's get going."
Seeing this, Liu Song and Li Tie put down their tea bowls and picked up their patrol sabers.
After Chen Mu and the others left, the other patrol officers also started to move out in small groups. They whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with surprise, and many of them kept glancing in Ren Yan's direction.
The news about Zhao Zong wasn't something that had just emerged in a day or two; it had gradually become impossible to hide. Almost everyone in the entire courtyard had heard about it, and as they thought about the soon-to-be-vacant position of senior patrol officer, they immediately thought of Ren Yan.
As for Ren Yan, who was the focus of everyone's attention, he remained calm and composed, as if he didn't know what was going on. He casually drank his tea, and after a while, he slowly got up and began his patrol with a leisurely stride.
...
Chen Mu didn't really care about Zhao Zong's situation.
He was different from Ren Yan. With his blade technique now at the Mastery level and his ability to manifest blade aura, he didn't need to rely on an empty position to become a senior patrol officer. Even if there were no vacancies, he could still achieve this position solely based on his skills.
If the Nine Li District Office dared to say that the senior patrol officer position was already filled, the other City Guard Branch Offices would likely extend olive branches to Chen Mu, inviting him to become a senior patrol officer at their offices.
After patrolling with Liu Song and the others, Chen Mu returned home. He also bought some fresh meat and vegetables, ensuring that his family could now enjoy meat with every meal. Chen Yue's complexion had improved significantly compared to before, and even the little maid, Wang Ni, had the fortune of better meals.
After everyone had finished eating, Chen Mu, as usual, went to the barn alone. He took out the Blazing Wind Blade Technique manual.
"I need to prioritize the Skin Tempering Technique. I'll find a way to obtain it sooner, and until then, I'll practice this Blazing Wind Blade Technique."
As his strength grew, Chen Mu's temperament became increasingly steady.
He opened the manual.
Although both the Blazing Wind Blade Technique and the Gale Blade Technique had the character 'wind' in their names and belonged to the Gentle Wind lineage, their moves and techniques were entirely different. The Gale Blade Technique focused more on the chaos and entanglement of wind, while the Blazing Wind Blade Technique emphasized the 'blazing' aspect.
Now that Chen Mu had reached Mastery in blade techniques and could manifest blade auras, he only needed to skim through the Blazing Wind Blade Technique once to grasp its core principles and direction. Immediately, he began practicing the moves with his blade.
"The Blazing Wind Blade Technique, with its grand flourish and fierce aura..."
A faint light flashed in Chen Mu's eyes. It wasn't completely dark yet, and as he practiced in the barn, a blade shadow flickered on the dilapidated wall, fierce and violent, as if ready to tear the wall apart at any moment.
With the foundation of the Gale Blade Technique, practicing the Blazing Wind Blade Technique was indeed different. Chen Mu, with the help of the system panel, relied solely on himself to practice for two or three hours. He felt that he had already grasped the basics of this blade technique.
He summoned the system interface to take a look.
Indeed, there were changes.
[Martial Arts: Gale Blade Technique (Mastery), Blazing Wind Blade Technique (Beginner)]
[Experience: 7 points]
"Hmm, without relying on the system, I can easily grasp the basics. It probably won't take long to reach Rank 2, but breaking through to Rank 3 might still be faster by consuming experience points. As for reaching Mastery..."
Chen Mu nodded slightly.
Earlier, while patrolling and discussing Zhao Zong's situation with Liu Song and Li Tie, he realized that Liu Song, being older, had seen and knew more than him.
For example, in this world, it was rare to find someone proficient in two blade techniques. Usually, mastering one blade technique was already challenging, and learning more would only lead to overreaching and underachieving. It was far better choice to focus on a single technique and reach Mastery, manifesting its aura.
However,
Those who could master multiple blade and sword techniques to the level of Mastery were indeed like monsters. Even in the Inner City, they were considered exceptional talents, rarely found in the Outer City.
But for Chen Mu, as long as he had enough time, it didn't matter if it was two or three techniques; he could master as many as he wanted, grasping their fundamental auras. This was a skill unique to him.
Chen Mu put down his saber and walked towards the stove. He picked up a water pot from the stove, which contained the water Chen Yue had boiled for him before going to sleep.
"Tonight, I'll have a good rest."
Despite Chen Mu's mental resilience from staying up all last night, he now felt a bit tired, as he was stronger than the average person. He didn't plan to stay up all night practicing his blade technique; instead, he intended to get a good night's rest.
Just as Chen Mu was about to return to his bedroom to rest, he suddenly stopped and listened intently, as if he had heard something. He peered through the door crack, his face revealing a hint of alertness.
(End of Chapter)
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