Chapter 85: The East Courtyard had just reached its full strength of one hundred men when Wang Gang came to cut off their food supply!

The next day at the hour of Mao.

Daylight had just begun to spill over the top of the eastern courtyard wall, and a thin layer of night dew still clung to the bluestones of the training field.

One hundred people were already standing on the training field.

Zhou Tie held an open register in his hand as he stood at the front of the queue. His voice wasn't loud, but every word was articulated clearly.

"Investigation Group: Led personally by Lin Chen. Zhou Tie, Zhao Gang, and Shen Yue will serve as the core backbone, supported by six veterans of the Tongmai Realm and twelve elites at the Late Stage of the Blood Refining Realm."

He flipped the page of the register.

"Combat Group: Supervised by Instructor Qi, responsible for direct combat and escort duties. Total complement of thirty people."

Instructor Qi Boyuan stood to the right of the formation.

With his hands behind his back and a few strands of white hair fluttering in the morning breeze, his cloudy eyes scanned the faces of those thirty people one by one. His lips were pressed tight, and he didn't say a word.

Zhou Tie continued reading.

"Intelligence Group: Led by Sun Qi and Qian Xiaoliu, responsible for gathering information in the shadows. Total complement of fifteen people."

"Logistics Group: Led by Liu Buyu, with two veteran soldiers assisting in management, responsible for the allocation of equipment and supplies. Total complement of thirteen people."

After the last name was read, Zhou Tie closed the register and tucked it inside his breastplate.

Lin Chen stood in the northeast corner of the training field, leaning against a pillar of the weapon rack. His right hand rested on the hilt of black abyss as he scanned the positions of the four groups from left to right.

"Break off into groups and begin drills."

As his voice fell, the four groups dispersed under the command of their respective leaders. The training field immediately rang with the sounds of weapons unsheathing and footsteps striking the ground—dull and powerful, echoing between the courtyard walls.

Just past the hour of Chen.

There were three knocks at the courtyard gate. The rhythm was neither rushed nor slow, with even intervals, carrying a sense of measured composure.

Han Shan poked his head out from the doorway, his expression shifting. He walked quickly to Lin Chen's side and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"Lin Chen, it's Director Wang. He's come in person."

The sounds of drilling on the training field didn't stop, but several veteran soldiers nearby turned their heads to glance toward the gate.

Instructor Qi Boyuan's hand clenched behind his back, then relaxed.

Lin Chen stepped away from the weapon rack and walked toward the gate.

The gate opened.

Director Wang Gang stood outside in a brand-new deep blue official robe. The fabric was more than a grade better than what he usually wore, and the subtle patterns on the collar shimmered slightly in the morning light.

He wore a smile and carried a black lacquered food box in his right hand, its copper buckle polished to a shine.

Only a clerk followed beside him, hunched over and holding a stack of documents.

Director Wang Gang stepped over the threshold. His gaze swept over Lin Chen's shoulder to the hundred people on the training field, his smile not wavering in the slightest.

"Lin Chen, congratulations on reaching full strength."

He switched the food box from his right hand to his left and cupped his right hand in greeting.

"I heard the East Courtyard was quite lively. It would have seemed impolite if I, as the Director, didn't come to take a look."

Lin Chen did not invite him further in, but stood by the stone table at the edge of the training field.

One hundred people remained in formation behind him. The rhythmic shouts of drills and the crisp clashing of blades continued wave after wave; no one stopped.

Director Wang Gang walked to the stone table himself, set the food box down, and flicked the copper buckle open with a snap.

His gaze slowly scanned the training field from the first row to the last, the smile always hanging at the corners of his mouth.

When his gaze reached Instructor Qi Boyuan, it lingered for two breaths.

Instructor Qi Boyuan stood at the front of the Combat Group's formation, his white hair dazzling under the sun and his back held straight as a ramrod.

Director Wang Gang recognized him.

Of the two official seals stamped on the decommissioning order three years ago, one belonged to the Patrol Division. The person who had signed it was the previous Director, and Director Wang Gang's name was among those who had handled the approval process.

The knuckles of his hand holding the food box lid tightened slightly, the color of his fingernails fading from blood-red to pale pink.

But his smile did not falter.

He lifted the lid of the food box and set it aside. Four dishes of delicate pastries were neatly arranged inside, each with a different design: osmanthus cake, jujube paste crisps, pine nut rolls, and red bean cakes. Their exquisite appearance suggested they were not bought from the street.

"A small token of my regard, nothing more."

He pushed the food box toward Lin Chen, his fingers sliding across the stone table and leaving a faint trace.

His voice was very genial, like a March spring breeze blowing across the water's surface.

"Furthermore, I have already learned about Ma Kui's situation."

He bowed slightly—not a deep bow, but the posture was perfectly measured.

"That such scum appeared in the Patrol Division is a failure of oversight on my part as Director."

He straightened up, his gaze landing on Lin Chen's face as his smile deepened by two degrees.

"Thanks to Lin Chen's keen insight, a festering sore has been removed for the Patrol Division."

Lin Chen looked at the pastries in the food box, then at the perfect layer of a smile on Director Wang Gang's face.

He didn't touch the food box.

"Director Wang is too kind," he said, his hand resting on black abyss's hilt, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"Ma Kui's case has already been transferred to the Governors Mansion. Subsequent matters are no longer the concern of the Patrol Division."

The smile at the corners of Director Wang Gang's mouth faltered for a split second at the mention of the "Governors Mansion." His eyelid twitched once before he suppressed it.

He sat down by the stone table, crossing one leg over the other, his posture as relaxed as if he had come over for a casual chat.

"Why is Lin Chen standing? Sit, please sit."

Lin Chen didn't sit; he remained standing opposite the stone table, hand on his blade.

Director Wang Gang didn't mind. He picked up the teapot on the stone table, which was already half-cold, poured himself a cup, and blew on the steam.

"A full complement of one hundred men. How does Lin Chen plan to use them?" He brought the teacup to his lips and took a shallow sip. "The city has quite a backlog of security cases. Will you start with small cases in the wards, or are there larger arrangements?"

Lin Chen's reply consisted of only four words.

"Awaiting the Governor's instructions."

Director Wang Gang's teacup paused at his lips for a beat.

He set the cup down and tried a different angle.

"The manpower is significant, but there are many new recruits and few veterans. If Lin Chen needs the Patrol Division's Main Courtyard to transfer a few experienced officers to help train them, I can arrange that at any time."

The corners of Lin Chen's mouth didn't curve in the slightest.

"No need. The East Courtyard has enough people."

Director Wang Gang's finger traced half a circle around the rim of the teacup, his fingertip rubbing against the porcelain. He changed direction again.

"I heard Lin Chen pulled fifteen people out of the dungeon, including one named Qi Boyuan."

His gaze drifted casually toward the training field, landing on Qi Boyuan's white hair.

"Instructor Qi taught soldiers at the Military Training Hall for twenty years back then. He has talent, but unfortunately, he was involved in an old case, and his reputation suffered quite a bit."

He set the teacup back on the table and tapped his finger on the rim.

"By recruiting him, isn't Lin Chen afraid of gossip from other government offices?"

Lin Chen's response was like a cold block of iron.

"The release order from the Governors Mansion states clearly that Qi Boyuan is released without charges and his innocence is restored. There is no issue of a damaged reputation."

Director Wang Gang's finger stopped on the rim of the cup.

The smile at the corners of his mouth stiffened for half a breath before being forced back into place.

Over the time it took for an incense stick to burn, he tried five different angles and five different directions. Each one was blocked by Lin Chen with the shortest possible words, leaving no openings whatsoever.

Director Wang Gang drained the dregs of the tea in one gulp, set the cup down, and stood up from the stone table.

He stretched and patted away non-existent dust from the hem of his robe, his smile still that same gentle shell.

"Lin Chen manages his troops well. I am impressed."

He stepped toward the courtyard gate, the clerk following closely behind with a hunched back. As he reached the gate, his pace faltered for a moment.

He turned back, his gaze passing over Lin Chen to the hundred people on the training field. His tone was casual, as if mentioning an insignificant piece of gossip.

"Lin Chen, reaching full strength is a good thing."

He put his hands behind his back, his fingers slowly clenching inside his sleeves.

"However, a hundred people need to eat, need to be paid, and need equipment."

He tilted his head slightly, his smile shifting from gentle to a sort of businesslike consideration.

"Where this money comes from... it's quite a significant sum."

His gaze lingered on Lin Chen's face for a breath.

"The Patrol Division's budget is only so much each year, and this year's allocation has already been distributed."

He smiled faintly.

"The pay and supplies for each Hundred-Household must go through the Patrol Division's general ledger. As for the approval process... well, you know how it is."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning wrapped in that last half-phrase had already slammed onto the stone table.

You bypassed the hurdle of personnel, but can you bypass the hurdle of money?

The authority to approve the Patrol Division's budget rested in the hands of the Director.

And the Director's surname was Wang.

Director Wang Gang pulled back his smile, cupped his hands in a polite gesture, and turned to step out of the courtyard gate.

The clerk followed closely, disappearing around the corner of the corridor with a hunched back.

The courtyard gate closed once more.

Zhou Tie walked over from the training field and stood half a step behind Lin Chen, his voice lowered so only the two of them could hear.

"What he said is the truth."

He planted the shaft of his spear on the ground, the butt of the spear thudding against the bluestone.

"The Patrol Division's pay and funding are indeed in his hands. From requisition to distribution, every single transaction requires the Director's signature and seal."

He paused for a beat, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"If he intentionally delays, or uses insufficient budget as an excuse to cut the East Courtyard's share, the food and expenses for a hundred people won't last half a month."

Lin Chen's thumb rubbed over the hilt of black abyss, the coarse texture of the ray skin rasping against his fingertip with two soft sounds.

He didn't respond.

That afternoon, Lin Chen did something that no one in the East Courtyard expected.

He sent Qian Xiaoliu out to make a round, inquiring about the backgrounds of several large commercial firms in the city—where their storefronts were, what the managers' backgrounds were, and whether their business was going smoothly.

Qian Xiaoliu returned two hours later with a belly full of news.

After hearing it, Lin Chen changed into a clean uniform, hung black abyss at his side, and left through the main gate of the East Courtyard.

Zhao Gang and Shen Yue followed behind him.

The three of them crossed Chengen Ward and headed toward the south of the city.

Their destination was the Wanbao Pavilion branch.

Wanbao Pavilion's storefront was located on the most prosperous long street in the south of the city. Three storefronts had been knocked into one. The gold-plated plaque above the lintel dazzled the eyes in the sunlight, and on either side of the steps stood a stone beast half the height of a man, each with a copper ring in its mouth.

Zhao Gang looked up at the plaque from the bottom of the steps, then at the two attendants in fine silk at the door. His mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but he held it back.

Lin Chen stepped through the main door.

An attendant came forward. After glancing at the Patrol Division uniform on his chest, the attendant's eagerness faded by twenty percent, though he maintained seventy percent of his politeness.

"This officer, have you come to Wanbao Pavilion to purchase items or for consignment?"

Lin Chen took out his Hundred-Household waist token from his belt.

"Patrol Division Centurion Lin Chen. I am here to discuss business with your Enshrined."

The attendant's gaze circled the waist token, and his attitude shifted again—from polite to cautious—as he bowed and led them toward the back hall.

In the tea room of the back hall, the Enshrined of the Wanbao Pavilion branch was already seated in the primary chair.

He was a thin man in his early fifties with a sallow face and high cheekbones. His eyes were small, but they moved extremely fast, scanning people like two copper weights sliding back and forth on a scale beam.

The aura of the Early Stage of the Tongmai Realm radiated faintly from him—not thick, but steady.

He watched Lin Chen walk in while holding his teacup. He didn't stand up or offer a greeting; he simply set the teacup on the table and jerked his chin toward the chair opposite him.

"A Centurion from the Patrol Division? Sit."

Lin Chen sat down, placing black abyss horizontally across his knees. Zhao Gang and Shen Yue stood at the doorway, not entering.

The Enshrined looked Lin Chen up and down twice, his eyes lingering an extra breath on the pitch-black long sword at his waist.

"What business does Centurion Lin have?"

Lin Chen got straight to the point.

"Has Wanbao Pavilion's business in Nanyang Prefecture City ever suffered at the hands of local forces?"

The teacup the Enshrined was bringing to his lips paused for a beat.

He set the cup down, his look toward Lin Chen shifting from caution to something else.

"What makes Centurion Lin say that?"

Lin Chen didn't beat around the bush.

"The Patrol Division's East Courtyard has one hundred men responsible for patrolling the city's security." He placed his palm on the scabbard of black abyss on his knees, his voice not loud, but each word falling steadily. "If Wanbao Pavilion is willing to sponsor a batch of basic equipment and three months' worth of rations, the East Courtyard can include the Wanbao Pavilion branch in its priority patrol and protection range."

There was no change in expression on the Enshrined's thin face, but his fingers resting on the table moved twice, his index and middle fingers tapping in alternation. His voice carried the shrewdness characteristic of a merchant.

"Centurion Lin, are you using the Patrol Division's public authority to make a trade?"

Lin Chen's expression didn't change.

"It's not a trade."

He pulled a folded list from his robe, spread it out on the table, and pushed it toward the Enshrined.

"Last year, the Wanbao Pavilion branch had manure thrown at its door twice. The year before, a shipment from another prefecture was detained at the city gate for three days on the pretext of inspection; when it was finally released, two crates were missing."

The Enshrined's fingers stopped on the table.

Lin Chen continued, his speaking pace not fast.

"The people who did those things were under the Wang Family."

His finger tapped twice under those lines on the list.

"I can take care of these matters."

The Enshrined picked up the list and read it from beginning to end. He read very slowly, pausing for two or three breaths at each line, his lips moving slightly as if calculating something in his head.

The tea room remained silent for the time it took an incense stick to burn.

The Enshrined set the list back on the table, his fingers rubbing the paper back and forth twice.

"The equipment and rations can be provided on credit for three months."

He took a blank contract from a hidden compartment beside his chair, spread it on the table, dipped his brush in ink, and began filling in the terms.

The tip of the brush paused on the paper for a breath as he looked up at Lin Chen.

"But there is one condition."

He set the brush back on the inkstone's rest.

"The safety of Wanbao Pavilion's freight routes within the city must be escorted by men from the East Courtyard."

Lin Chen reached out, took the contract, read it from beginning to end, and signed his name at the bottom.

The Enshrined tucked the contract away. His gaze lingered on Lin Chen's face for two breaths, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

"Centurion Lin, you have quite a lot of nerve."

Lin Chen stood up and hung black abyss back at his waist.

"Whether I have nerve or not doesn't matter, as long as I can get things done."

The three of them walked out of Wanbao Pavilion's main door and headed along the long street toward the East Courtyard.

Zhao Gang followed behind, his mouth moving constantly as he muttered for half the street.

"Centurion, that move was truly brilliant. The Patrol Division won't give us pay, so you just get equipment from the commercial firms?"

Lin Chen ignored him.

Shen Yue followed on the left, a faint, almost imperceptible curve at the corner of her mouth. Her gaze lingered on Lin Chen's profile for an extra beat before she looked away.

Zhou Tie walked at the very back, silent throughout, his iron spear held upright on his shoulder, its shadow swaying on the ground.

The way he looked at Lin Chen's back was now completely different from a few days ago.

Nightfall, East Courtyard duty room.

Lin Chen sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, eyes closed as he regulated his breathing.

As soon as the hour of Zi arrived, the faint blue light at the edge of his vision floated up on schedule.

**[Summary of today's official duties: Completed reorganization of the complement, removed internal threats, coordinated social resources to ensure the operation of the patrol force.]**

**[Duty Evaluation: Excellent.]**

**[Today's Basic Patrol Points: 50 points.]**

**[Extra Merit Reward: 500 points.]**

**[Current System Cumulative Total Points: 1550 points.]**

Lin Chen scanned the panel and closed his eyes.

One thousand five hundred and fifty.

He was still far from the points required for a Breakthrough to the Ningdan Realm, but they were increasing every day. Each step he took on the path beneath his feet was becoming more solid.

He leaned against the headboard and slowed his breathing. The dark gold True Qi core in his Dantian rotated at a steady pace.

Outside the window, the leaves of the locust tree rustled in the night wind.

In the distance, toward the east of the city, the silhouette of the Wang Family estate was hidden in the darkness, with only the window of the highest pavilion showing a glimmer of lamplight.

That was the study of the Wang Clan Chief, Wang Chongyuan.

The light wasn't large; looking across half the city, it was only the size of a bean in a warm hue.

But that light remained lit throughout the entire night.