Chapter 10: Upgraded Swordsmanship with a Sharp Blade, Storms Rise in the South City Alley

The dawn broke.

Morning mist in Qingxi County drifted into the dilapidated wooden house district, veiling the undried dark red bloodstains on the ground in a hazy shroud.

Wang Daniu's legs lacked the strength to support him.

Every step he took was unsteady, and he stumbled across the threshold of the wooden house.

In his hand, he carried a pair of heavy refined steel shackles.

The shackles dragged along the ground, the sound of metal scraping against stone piercing through the morning light.

Startled by the sound, a cold crow on the old locust tree took flight, flapping its wings into the air.

Wang Daniu swallowed hard.

His gaze bypassed Zhang Biao, who was lying on the ground breathing weakly.

His eyes finally found Lin Chen.

Lin Chen was standing by the water vat, washing his hands.

"You really crippled Second Young Master Zhao's personal bodyguard," Wang Daniu said.

"You've truly poked a hole in the sky this time."

Lin Chen flicked his fingertips, scattering water droplets.

He drew the standard-issue thin-bladed saber from his waist.

With the blade facing up, he caught the morning light to examine the edge carefully.

The once smooth blade had been ravaged by last night's combat.

The edge was rolled, revealing two notches that were difficult to repair.

Lin Chen ran his thumb pad along the side of the blade, feeling the rough texture of the iron.

"The edge is rolled," Lin Chen said.

"These items issued by the government are, in the end, only good for intimidating thugs."

"When facing a tough nut at the Body Refining stage, they prove inadequate."

Wang Daniu stepped forward twice.

Looking at the damaged edge, the flesh on his cheeks trembled with fear.

"You still have the heart to worry about this broken blade?" Wang Daniu said.

"If the Zhao family finds out you've detained their man, they could raze this wooden house district to the ground by noon."

Lin Chen sheathed the long saber and tossed it onto the tattered cotton cloth in the corner of the bed.

He straightened the cuffs of his soap-colored uniform, which were stained with dried blood.

"That depends on whether they have the guts," Lin Chen said.

"Openly attacking the territory of the Patrol Division."

"No matter how pathetic the laws of the Great Qian might be, the County Court still has to maintain a facade of dignity."

"As long as this official uniform hasn't been stripped from my back, they can only resort to underhanded tactics that see no light."

Lin Chen turned around and pulled the silver ingot he had searched from Zhang Biao's body out of his bosom.

It was a ten-tael silver ingot.

He weighed it in his palm twice.

"Brother Daniu, please keep an eye on this living captive," Lin Chen said.

"I'm going to the Sun Family Martial Arts Hall."

Wang Daniu's eyes widened.

He stared at the dazzling silver ingot, his breathing becoming heavy.

"What are you going to the Sun Family Martial Arts Hall for?" Wang Daniu asked.

"That place is a money pit where you need heaps of silver just to Move your legs."

"To buy a blade, and incidentally, to find a blade manual suitable for combat," Lin Chen said.

The consecutive battles over the past two days...

Lin Chen realized his martial arts Foundation was shallow.

He had only been able to gain the upper hand against enemies by relying on the deep Qi and blood granted by the System, as well as his physical fitness which surpassed that of an ordinary person.

The Moves he used were merely basic slashing and hacking techniques.

If he were to encounter an expert with comparable cultivation who had been immersed in the martial path for many years...

A fighting style based on instinct would inevitably reveal irreparable flaws.

In the West City of Qingxi County, the Sun Family Martial Arts Hall.

It was two long streets away from the Patrol Division.

On both sides of the gate of this century-old martial arts hall, two stone lions sat majestically.

On the high-hanging wooden plaque were carved four vigorous, powerful characters.

Lin Chen stepped onto the moss-covered stone steps and strode into the spacious front courtyard of the martial arts hall.

In the courtyard, more than a dozen young men, bare-chested, were training hard by lifting stone locks.

Sweat beads glistened in the morning light.

An apprentice in a green shirt was leaning against a pillar, cracking melon seeds.

Seeing Lin Chen walk in, he lifted his eyelids with a lazy, weary look.

Lin Chen was wearing his tattered soap-colored uniform.

"Officer, the protection money for our Sun Family Martial Arts Hall for this month was already paid to the County Yamen yesterday," the apprentice said.

"Did you walk into the wrong place?"

The apprentice spat out a melon seed shell.

His tone betrayed a hint of contempt for low-level runners.

Lin Chen ignored this disdain.

He walked straight up to the apprentice and opened his right hand.

In his palm lay two ingots of official, full-purity silver.

"I want to buy a blade technique and a handy weapon," Lin Chen said.

Seeing the silver, the light in the apprentice's eyes brightened.

The weariness on his face faded, replaced by a mercenary smile.

"Oh my, Officer, please come in. My name is Sun Fu. You've definitely come to the right place," Sun Fu said.

"In our Sun Family Martial Arts Hall's Martial Arts Pavilion, if we claim second place in Qingxi County, no one dares to claim first."

Sun Fu walked in front, half-bowed.

He led Lin Chen along the blue-brick corridor toward a two-story wooden building in the backyard.

They pushed open the heavy wooden door.

An aroma of old books rushed to meet them, faintly mixed with the scent of insect-repellent herbs.

Rows of tall pear-wood bookshelves were filled with crudely bound hand-copied booklets.

Lin Chen followed Sun Fu to the weapon and martial arts rack against the wall on the left.

His gaze swept quickly over the colorful covers.

Sun Fu pulled a thread-bound book from the top shelf; a tiger was drawn on the cover.

He held it with both hands and presented it to Lin Chen, his words full of enthusiasm.

"Officer, take a look at this one," Sun Fu said.

"This is the best-selling Low Grade martial art in our hall, emphasizing a spirit that shakes the heavens."

"A single slash carries the momentum of a tiger roaring in the mountains, capable of crushing the enemy's courage."

Lin Chen did not reach out to take it.

He only glanced at the crude cover and shook his head slightly.

"I don't want this kind of flashy, impractical posing," Lin Chen said.

"When I patrol the streets, I encounter desperate criminals wielding iron rulers."

"They aren't afraid of a tiger's roar."

Seeing this, Sun Fu hurriedly shoved the booklet back.

He took out another yellowed booklet from the side and slapped the dust off it vigorously.

"Then take a look at this one," Sun Fu said.

"This blade technique emphasizes fierce, powerful strength."

"As long as your Qi and blood are abundant, you can even cleave a bluestone millstone in two with one strike."

"Dealing with street thugs is even more like sweeping away dry leaves."

Lin Chen took the booklet and flipped through two pages casually.

The rustling sound of paper turning filled the air.

The booklet contained crude diagrams.

It required the Martial Artist to pour all their strength into their arms, sacrificing flexibility in exchange for absolute destructive power.

"Such Moves have too many flaws," Lin Chen said.

"Once the first strike fails to hit the opponent's vitals, and your strength is exhausted, it's difficult to defend."

Lin Chen tossed the booklet back onto the shelf and tapped his fingertips against the wooden compartment.

The tapping sound was dull.

"I have learned the basic Moves issued by the Yamen," Lin Chen said.

"Now I need an advanced blade technique that can seamlessly integrate with it."

"It must emphasize speed and a dense, endless offensive."

Hearing this, Sun Fu scratched his scalp, looking hesitant.

He rummaged back and forth between several bookshelves for a long time.

Finally, in a corner where a dilapidated wooden box was used as a base, he dug out a grey, old book.

The edges of the pages were curled and yellowed, and the writing on the cover was blurred and unclear.

"If you're talking about seamless integration, only this blade technique meets your requirements," Sun Fu said.

"This is a fragmentary text passed down from the previous dynasty, which has been completed."

Sun Fu wiped the dust off the cover vigorously with his sleeve and handed it to Lin Chen.

Lin Chen took it in his hand, rubbed the rough paper edges with his fingertips, and opened the first page.

The general outline read:

When this blade technique is executed, the blade's momentum is as swift as the wind, dense and endless.

Each slash faster than the last, giving the opponent not a moment to catch their breath.

"After reaching Major Achievement in this martial art, the blade makes no sound of wind when swung," Sun Fu said.

"Yet it can weave an airtight web of blades around the enemy."

"It belongs to a fast-blade style that is very difficult to practice."

Sun Fu curled his lips to the side.

He did not think much of the practical value of this Cultivation Technique.

"However, this booklet requires extremely demanding control of Qi and blood," Sun Fu said.

"Previously, several Senior Brothers in our martial arts hall tried to force themselves to practice it, and as a result, they all suffered from hidden ailments of damaged Meridians."

"So this book has just been piling up in the corner, gathering dust."

Lin Chen flipped through the complex human Meridian diagrams.

He felt that this blade technique was of the same origin as the Moves he had already learned; it was clearly an advanced path paved for continuous slaughter.

The System strengthened him.

He did not begrudge the money; strength was his reliance for plundering resources in this dark county town.

"This is the one. Name your price," Lin Chen said.

Lin Chen closed the thick, fragmentary book and pressed it onto the pear-wood table beside him, making a dull thud.

Sun Fu's eyes rolled, a glint flashing in them.

He held up two fingers and waved them in front of Lin Chen, his tone testing the waters.

"Officer, you have a good eye," Sun Fu said.

"Although this Cultivation Technique is difficult to practice, it is, after all, a complete Low Grade High-level martial art."

"It has to cost you thirty taels of silver."

Lin Chen did not bargain at all.

He just looked at Sun Fu's two fingers and pressed his right hand onto the hilt of his standard-issue saber.

"I have a clear idea of the prices in Qingxi County," Lin Chen said.

"For a piece of ordinary trash gathering dust, you dare to ask for thirty taels."

"Do you think this soap-colored uniform on me is just a borrowed costume?"

He lowered his center of gravity, and the Qi and blood in his body circulated.

An invisible heat wave radiated through his uniform, and the surrounding air became slightly heavier.

Sun Fu's breath hitched, and cold sweat covered his forehead.

Only then did he realize that this Patrol Officer before him was far from someone he could easily manipulate.

"Officer, please calm your anger. I was blind and failed to recognize a superior," Sun Fu said.

"Please give a fair price."

"Twenty taels of silver, and you can take this Secret Manual," Sun Fu said.

He hurriedly pushed the blade manual on the table toward Lin Chen.

Lin Chen took out all the twenty taels of silver remaining in his bosom, along with a few copper coins.

He pressed them onto the broken wooden stump.

"The silver is here," Lin Chen said.

"Next, take me to see a handy weapon."

"Don't try to fool me with those unsharpened iron blanks on the shelves."

Sun Fu took the silver, his attitude becoming even more respectful.

He bowed and made a gesture of invitation.

He led Lin Chen to a sealed warehouse behind the Martial Arts Pavilion.

The light in the warehouse was dim, with only a faint glow from the oil lamps on the wall.

In the center of the warehouse, several long weapon racks were placed.

On them were displayed various sabers, spears, swords, and halberds, each weapon surface coated with thick anti-rust grease.

Lin Chen walked to the innermost wooden rack.

His gaze swept across a row of sabers one by one.

The blades here were clearly far superior to ordinary ones.

The edges shimmered with a cold, eerie light under the oil lamps.

"Officer, take a good look," Sun Fu said.

"These few were all forged by a master blacksmith from the Prefecture, personally invited by our martial arts hall."

"They are absolutely incomparable to the crudely made items in the county's blacksmith shops."

Sun Fu took a sheathed saber from the rack.

He held it respectfully above his head with both hands.

This was also a standard-issue saber with a thick back and thin blade.

But the scabbard was made of superior Manchurian ash wood, with the outer layer wrapped in a layer of tough, tanned cowhide, making it slip-resistant and moisture-proof.

Lin Chen took the long saber with one hand.

He hooked his thumb onto the brass-carved handguard and pushed forward gently with his wrist.

A flash of dark blue blade light appeared as the blade slid out of the scabbard.

The sound of metal rubbing against metal was clear and resonant, exceptionally distinct in the silence.

The weight of this blade was nearly two jin heavier than the standard-issue waist saber issued by the Yamen.

The back of the blade was thicker.

The curvature of the blade had also been finely adjusted to fit the new blade technique perfectly.

"The blade was forged repeatedly ten times with refined iron to remove Impurities from the pig iron," Sun Fu explained diligently.

He gestured with his finger on his own headband.

"Its toughness and sharpness have reached the pinnacle of Low Grade weapons."

"Holding this blade, even when facing the tough bones of a Martial Artist at the Body Tempering Late-Stage, as long as sufficient Qi and blood are infused, the blade will not leave any notches, nor will it easily break."

Lin Chen drew the long saber completely.

He gripped the hilt in his right hand and casually spun the blade in front of him, and several sharp cutting sounds immediately came from the air.

The material of the ten-forged refined iron was tough.

It allowed the Qi and blood of his Body Tempering Late-Stage to flow smoothly to the tip of the blade, feeling smooth and comfortable in his hand.

He turned sideways and aimed the blade at a test-cutting wooden stump in the corner of the warehouse.

He raised his hand and slashed down diagonally.

The blade cut into the hard iron-wood stump without his wrist feeling the slightest resistance.

It was like slicing through solidified grease.

Half of the wooden stump slid smoothly along the diagonal cut and fell onto the floor tile, making a dull thud.

The cut surface was flat and smooth, with not a single burr of wood fiber to be seen.

Lin Chen looked at the smooth cut, a look of satisfaction appearing in his eyes.

He sheathed the long saber.

"Good blade. How much for this blade?" Lin Chen asked.

Sun Fu swallowed his saliva.

Looking at the leveled iron-wood stump, he understood even more clearly.

This young runner could not be easily provoked.

"Since you are an expert, Officer, I won't name a random price," Sun Fu said.

"Twenty taels of silver, just to make friends with you on behalf of our hall."

"In the future, the business over in South City Lane will have to rely on you to look after it a bit."

Lin Chen took out all the twenty taels of silver remaining in his bosom, along with a few copper coins.

He pressed them onto the broken wooden stump.

"Payment and goods are cleared," Lin Chen said.

"I won't drink the tea at the Sun Family Martial Arts Hall; there are still a pile of official matters at the Yamen waiting for me to handle."

Lin Chen straightened the slightly disheveled hem of his soap-colored uniform.

He strode out of the dim warehouse.

The morning sun pierced through the thick clouds and shone on the blue stone slabs of the martial arts hall's front courtyard.

Lin Chen walked toward the main street with his back to the dazzling sunlight.

His fingers unconsciously rubbed the new hilt on the outside of his thigh, feeling that cold and solid reliance.

This weight made the blood in his body seem to have a tendency to boil.

The Zhao family must still be waiting for their subordinates to bring back his head.

Lin Chen was looking forward to taking this new blade tonight to attend the bloody banquet that was bound to come.