Chapter 335: Chapter 179: Paving the Way for Me
"So that was Fierce Master Chen!"
The young Preparatory Constable slapped himself hard on the forehead, then exclaimed in a burst of wild joy,
"I heard Master Chen is from Ruyi District. Could it be his old home is right here in Locust Tree Lane?
If that’s the case, for the Ba Dao Gang to dare stir up trouble near Master Chen’s old home... they’re just asking to die!
Brother He, let’s hurry over and see what’s happening."
He Zhiling glanced toward Locust Tree Lane again. After a moment of contemplation, he turned and headed toward the Ruyi Square Sub-Department.
"Lord Liu and Mr. Liao have probably heard the news as well. Let’s head back to the City Guard Department first and go over with everyone else."
The other constables looked at each other, all wearing puzzled expressions.
’Wouldn’t it be better to follow him immediately? We could make a good impression in front of that great man, explain the situation, and get him to recognize us.’
However, they all looked to He Zhiling for leadership. Though they were confused, they had no choice but to follow him.
He Zhiling walked quickly, his heart a turmoil of mixed emotions.
Once upon a time, that legendary figure had been nothing more than a Little Prison Guard.
He, He Zhiling, hadn’t even given the man a second thought. Not until... not until he was repeatedly defeated by that great figure and personally witnessed him become a dazzling existence, as brilliant as the sun, moon, and stars.
Only then did He Zhiling realize how arrogant he had been, trying to compete with the sun and moon for brilliance.
’Sigh... I just hope Fierce Ah Cheng doesn’t hold a grudge for all the times I fought against him before!’ He Zhiling lamented inwardly.
For the longest time, Chen Cheng had been like a great mountain, forcing He Zhiling to do nothing but look up in awe.
Even after Chen Cheng left Ruyi District for his new post in Lishui District, He Zhiling continued to ask about him often.
He Zhiling knew far more than anyone else about Chen Cheng’s deeds in Lishui District.
Slaying the Flying Thief Ren Fei, annihilating the Tiger and Leopard Gang, becoming the number one Chief Constable of the Lishui Sub-Department, and then making the leap into the Demon Suppression Department.
The more He Zhiling learned about Chen Cheng, the deeper his reverence grew. At the same time, Chen Cheng’s example ignited his own ambition, driving him to cultivate the Martial Dao with ever-increasing diligence.
Despite having a severed arm and suffering from a deficit of qi and blood, he had forcefully cultivated his Saber Technique to Perfection with his remaining left arm, and his Body Cultivation had also reached Great Success in the Skin Grinding Realm.
At the Ruyi Square Sub-Department, he had once again made a name for himself through sheer strength. He even earned the high regard of Chief Constable Liu Yunfeng and had promising prospects for a future promotion to Chief Constable.
Having come this far, He Zhiling finally felt the true difficulty of cultivating the Martial Dao and the hardship of advancing in rank.
He also came to a profound realization of just how incredibly difficult it must have been for Chen Cheng to rise from a Little Prison Guard to the great figure he was today.
To have come so far was proof enough of how extraordinary Chen Cheng truly was!
...
Meanwhile, as Chen Cheng and Mu Xiaowan had just stepped into Locust Tree Lane, they saw that the entire alley had been transformed.
Many artisans were busy at work. Some were demolishing courtyard walls and houses, while others were constructing new walls and foundations. The scene was one of bustling activity.
A few gang members with Long Sabers at their waists stood guard in the lane, occasionally shouting orders at the artisans.
Not a single one of Locust Tree Lane’s common folk was to be seen.
The few households that remained untouched all had their gates shut tight.
The Chens’ courtyard was also unchanged. In fact, having been uninhabited for years, it looked even more dilapidated than before.
This was especially true because the manors being built on either side were tall, stone-walled structures, which made the Chens’ old house seem all the more shabby and small.
Looking at the scene before him, Chen Cheng couldn’t help but frown.
’This neighborhood is quite remote, and everyone here is poor. Why the sudden large-scale construction?’
Just then, a group of people emerged from the tall building opposite the Chens’ house. The leader was a tall man of about twenty-five or twenty-six, with a Long Saber at his waist and a fierce, imposing air about him.
A thin, smallish middle-aged man in his forties, wearing hemp shoes, a long gown, and a two-pronged mustache, followed closely beside him. The two were talking and laughing, seeming quite pleased.
Chen Cheng actually recognized these people.
The middle-aged man was named Lu Wubai, also a resident of Locust Tree Lane. He was originally a carpenter but later joined the Fire Worship Sect.
He claimed to have learned profound Daoist Skills from a Daoist of the Fire Worship Sect outside the city, enabling him to predict fortunes, understand everything from the heavens above to the earth below, and foresee all matters under the sky.
His main profession had also shifted from carpentry to specializing in character analysis fortune-telling, feng shui reading, choosing names, and divining futures through trigrams.
In short, he lived by his wits and the gift of gab, mooching off everyone, yet he had managed to do quite well for himself, supporting his entire family.
The tall, saber-wielding man was named Ma Sitian. He was from Upper Street, and his family’s lane was several alleys away from Locust Tree Lane.
Ma Sitian’s family had a fair amount of silver coins and had even bought a few plots of land at an estate outside the city.
This was where Ma Sitian’s name came from. It was said that Lu Wubai had helped choose it, with the meaning that his "four fields" (四田) would yield bountiful harvests, his livestock would prosper, and Ma Sitian himself would begin to rise in the world.
The Ma Family therefore invested heavily in raising this son, sending him to a Martial Arts Hall to practice martial arts from a young age.
Later, Ma Sitian got involved with the gangs, not in the South City District, but in the Dongcheng District. As for which specific gang, no one knew.
After all, members of Jianghu Gangs were often in life-or-death struggles, made numerous enemies, and would rarely choose to operate near their own homes.
In Chen Cheng’s memory, he had only seen Ma Sitian a few times, and that was three or four years ago.
The group didn’t notice the people at the entrance of the lane and headed toward Wang Laoshu’s house not far away.
But Lu Wubai’s son, Lu Manguan, happened to cast a quick, unintentional glance their way and spotted Chen Cheng and Mu Xiaowan.
Lu Manguan was twenty-four years old. Unlike his father, Lu Wubai, he was a more honest sort and had actually taken up the carpentry trade.
Now, however, for some unknown reason, he too was dressed in gang attire with a Long Saber at his waist.
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