Chapter 233: Chapter 137: Profiting from Chaos
Once Martial Arts Cultivation reaches a certain level, one needs more than just talent; they must also rely on various cultivation resources. To reach the level of a Martial Saint, one would likely need to amass more than half of all resources in the world.
Whether it is the current Court, the various Sects, or the Noble Families, whichever power controls the most resources is the one most likely to produce a Martial Saint, unite the world, and continue its glorious legacy for a thousand years.
As for the losers, their only fate is to be mercilessly swept away by the river of time.
The Great Yu Court is a prime example. After uniting the world, it destroyed all records of previous history. Now, it is likely that no one in the world knows which dynasty preceded the Great Yu.
It isn’t just the Great Yu; even the major Sects and Noble Families of today are deliberately hiding history.
In Linji City, Chen Cheng, as a Chief Constable of the City Guard Department, was a man of some standing. However, for this very reason, he knew very little about matters outside the city.
In fact, aside from a map of the eight counties under the jurisdiction of Linji Prefecture City, Chen Cheng had never seen any others. He only knew that Linji City was governed by Su State.
Beyond Su State, his knowledge came to an end.
It would be no exaggeration to say that the vast majority of people in Linji City could face a cataclysmic shift in power, their city falling and its people perishing, and still not know why.
The Sects and Noble Families clearly had profound reasons for acting this way, the foremost being to maintain stability and prevent public panic.
Otherwise, with the Great Yu suffering from years of famine, the common people would surely grow restless and want to migrate to more stable regions.
And even if the Great Yu was too vast for commoners to traverse, the Martial Artists who cultivated the Martial Dao would certainly entertain such ideas.
Even Chen Cheng himself would choose to relocate if he knew of a place more stable than Linji City.
The information about the world outside Linji City had actually been revealed by Wang Xiongzhang. It was one of the things Chen Cheng had gained from his meeting on the Yun Meng Painting Boat.
Of course, even if Wang Xiongzhang had not told him, Chen Cheng would have learned all this eventually after joining the Demon Suppression Department.
In truth, there had always been powers in Linji City besides the Great Dao Sect. Forces like Marquis Zhenbei’s Mansion, the Taiyi Sect, the Blood Moon Sect, and the Sutra of Ultimate Sect all had personnel stationed there.
However, out of deference to the Great Dao Sect’s power, these people had always kept a low profile, disguising themselves as ordinary Jianghu Martial Artists and frequenting the various Black Markets.
The Demon Suppression Department had a specific mission to dispatch agents to the Black Markets to monitor the movements of these external powers and prevent them from causing trouble in Linji City.
Now, with the Black Lotus Sect uprising and the news that its headquarters might be deep within the Great Wilderness Mountain Range outside Linji City, these various powers were using the righteous cause of "eliminating the Black Lotus Sect fiends" as a pretext to operate openly.
They even began purchasing property in the Inner City District and establishing bases, paving the way for a greater presence in Linji City in the future.
Of course, the Great Dao Sect was, after all, a Major Sect that controlled an entire state; they would naturally find ways to respond. It wouldn’t be easy for these other powers to stir up chaos. Still, Linji City was unlikely to remain as peaceful as it once was.
Furthermore, since the Black Lotus Sect’s headquarters was located deep in the Great Wilderness Mountain Range, they undoubtedly had their own agenda.
’This tidal wave of change is coming faster than I imagined. I have to increase my strength as quickly as possible.
Since Linji City is destined for chaos, I’ll take the initiative and pull some chestnuts from the fire!’
After making this silent resolution, Chen Cheng returned to his bedroom, changed into his Chief Constable’s uniform, strapped on his long saber, and headed for the Lishui Sub-Department.
After looking around the Lishui Sub-Department for a bit, Chen Cheng made a special trip to Dai Qingfeng’s office, but the man was nowhere to be found.
Dai Qingfeng was the new Chief Constable Shen Qingshuang had assigned to take over the Lotus Pier district. He was twenty-five years old and had reached the Small Success in Muscle Strengthening Realm.
He had previously been on duty in the Dongyue District and was quite loyal to the Shen Family. His transfer to the Lishui District was a half-step promotion. He could now receive one Low Grade Muscle Strengthening Pill from the Lishui Sub-Department annually and had a chance of cultivating to Muscle Strengthening Realm Perfection, which could lead to a further promotion to Outer City Branch Chief Constable.
When Dai Qingfeng arrived at the Lishui Sub-Department, Branch Chief Constable Ji Jingbei had apparently told him to take his duties seriously, and as a result, he was quite diligent.
After all, when Chen Cheng had first arrived at the Lishui Sub-Department, his diligence had earned him the nickname "Street Patrol Chief Constable" and a first-place ranking in the year-end assessment, which came with an extra Low Grade Muscle Strengthening Pill.
Now that Chen Cheng had grown as lax as the other Chief Constables, it was Dai Qingfeng’s time to shine.
This wasn’t just Chen Cheng’s speculation, either. Dai Qingfeng had said as much to his face during a previous encounter, speaking with righteous conviction and making no attempt to be subtle.
Because of this, Chen Cheng had a decent impression of Dai Qingfeng. He was, after all, a straightforward man. Compared to his predecessor, Yan Jian, who would smile to your face and stab you in the back, Chen Cheng much preferred dealing with someone like Dai Qingfeng.
Not finding him in the office, Chen Cheng decided to head to the Lotus Pier district to look for him. Just as he stepped out of the Lishui Sub-Department’s main gate, he saw Dai Qingfeng approaching with a few constables in tow, apparently having just finished their street patrol.
"Mr. Dai, care to find a place for a couple of drinks?" Chen Cheng said with a smile as he walked up to greet him.
Dai Qingfeng was taken aback. He had been at the Lishui Sub-Department for a while now, and the most common rumor he’d heard was that Chen Cheng, the top-ranked Chief Constable of their Sub-Department, was aloof and arrogant, disliked socializing with the other Chief Constables, and had a very stiff relationship with Branch Chief Constable Ji Jingbei.
Of course, among the constables of the Lishui Sub-Department, Chen Cheng received the complete opposite appraisal. They saw him as generous, responsible, and decisive—a superior everyone admired.
Dai Qingfeng had his own opinion of Chen Cheng as well: admiration. Chen Cheng came from a Humble Family and had achieved so much at such a young age. He was a role model worthy of emulation.
