Chapter 50: Pursuit and Sparring

When Chen Shijie led in this youth with twin iron rulers at his waist, a wrapped palm hat on his head, and Cloud-Stepping Boots on his feet, Zhao Xing recognized him at once.

"Brother Zhao? It's you?" Shen Zhui was also somewhat surprised to see Zhao Xing.

"Looks like you two know each other?" Chen Shijie asked with a smile.

"Of course. Constable Shen is the most outstanding and youngest catcher in the Martial Squad." Zhao Xing cupped his hands in greeting.

"I wouldn't dare. The Martial Squad is full of experts; I've just been lucky enough to complete a few more missions." In front of Chen Shijie, Shen Zhui behaved very modestly. "The reason Brother Zhao and I know each other is mainly because the farmland tax area he's in charge of, Anping Town, is also the public security district I'm responsible for."

The Agricultural Officials were responsible for encouraging farming and inspecting farmland taxes, while the catchers of the Martial Squad were responsible for the public security of the towns.

When Zhao Xing went down to the towns, he had dealt with Shen Zhui a few times and had a very good impression of him.

"Since you two know each other, that saves me the introduction." Chen Shijie smiled. "Shen Zhui, Zhao Xing, chat amongst yourselves."

Chen Shijie left space for the two young men. Shen Zhui looked at Zhao Xing and spoke first: "I never expected the person I have to protect is you, Brother Zhao. What a coincidence."

"Protect?" Zhao Xing was stunned. "Brother Shen, your orders are to protect me? Is the Xuantian Sect causing trouble again?"

Shen Zhui adjusted the iron rulers at his waist and explained: "It's related to the Xuantian Sect. After the officials of the various counties of Nanyang Commandery were arrested, it brought about terrible repercussions. They themselves vanished without a trace, but plenty of strongmen took the opportunity to cause trouble and committed quite a few murders. There's really been no peace."

"On top of that, East Lake Mountain is about to open its gates, and everywhere in Gucheng is tight on the outside but strict on the inside. The security level has been raised quite a bit."

Hearing Shen Zhui explain it like this, Zhao Xing finally understood that Chen Shijie hadn't just found him a sparring partner, but had also gotten him a bodyguard from the Martial Squad.

Old Chen is a solid guy—when it matters, he really helps out.

"Then I'll trouble you for the next while, Brother Shen."

"It's my duty. No need for pleasantries."

Although he had an extra bodyguard, Shen Zhui didn't provide round-the-clock, close protection.

When Zhao Xing went to the Agricultural Bureau for work or to study, Shen Zhui didn't need to go, unless it was outside the city—in which case he would accompany Zhao Xing.

Additionally, at Zhao Xing's request, they would spar for two hours each in the morning and afternoon.

The location was set at Chen Residence; the place was large enough and allowed the use of spells.

Their first sparring session was similar to a game of cat and mouse.

One person flees, one person catches, with the range limited to within Chen Residence.

Shen Zhui stood in place, waiting for Zhao Xing to cast first.

He was a martial artist, and the training ground was only so big—if he also got to move first, Zhao Xing wouldn't have any chance to play at all.

So the rule was that only after Zhao Xing cast his spell could Shen Zhui begin the chase on the count of ten breaths.

"Rise, Wind!"

Zhao Xing cast his spell. The gale blew sand and dust, not to attack, but to obscure vision.

Whoooosh~

Shen Zhui narrowed his eyes and pressed down on his wrapped palm hat.

Although he couldn't see Zhao Xing's position with his eyes, a martial artist's perception of a person's vital essence still allowed him to sense Zhao Xing's direction.

But the next moment, a strange look flashed across Shen Zhui's face.

"He actually vanished?!"

On the training ground, Shen Zhui stood in place, staring in surprise at the dark clouds overhead.

"Moving Clouds masked his vital essence fluctuations? But when did these clouds appear? I didn't even notice?"

"Two spells in one breath? While casting Rise Wind, Moving Clouds was completed too?"

Just at the start, Shen Zhui felt that this Agricultural Official, Zhao Xing, was clearly different from the others he had seen.

Yet he was still wrong—Zhao Xing hadn't cast two spells in one breath, but three.

In an instant, he cast Moving Clouds, Rise Wind, and Summon Rain.

"Pitter-patter~"

Raindrops fell on Shen Zhui's wrapped palm hat, and before the ten-breath countdown ended, it became a downpour!

"Splash splash splash~"

Shen Zhui's view ahead was completely blurred; visibility was pressed down to within five meters.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~"

The iron rulers trembled, locked onto a direction, and suddenly two streaks of Bai Guang flared, swiftly vanishing into the rain.

The light split the curtain of rain open for twenty or thirty meters, and his view briefly cleared. A sharp gleam burst in Shen Zhui's eyes as he locked onto a blurry figure.

The ten-breath countdown ended, and he began the "chase."

Zhao Xing, meanwhile, was hiding behind a willow tree on the east side of the training ground, beginning his second spell—the Straw Man spell.

"I just expended one Swift-Step Straw Man; it should have drawn his attention away. But to escape the chase, one Straw Man isn't enough."

Zhao Xing gently broke off a willow branch, while carefully listening to Shen Zhui's movements.

"Brother Zhao, the game's over." Shen Zhui flew down from a rockery, instantly overtaking that blurry figure.

"Is that so?" The blurry figure spoke in Zhao Xing's voice. "Brother Shen, why not take a closer look?"

"A Straw Man?" Shen Zhui was stunned.

"Brother Shen, it's far too early for that."

The Straw Man collapsed on its own. Because it had touched Shen Zhui, this Straw Man's mission was over. A Straw Man couldn't possibly beat Shen Zhui, unless there were twenty or thirty Great Strength Vajras, but right now this was a 【Swift-Step Straw Man】, and its material was nothing but an ordinary willow branch.

"I was actually fooled by a Straw Man? His Straw Man spell is actually this exquisite—it can even produce sound?" Shen Zhui's gaze began to change.

One had to remember, he was at the seventh stage of Gathering Yuan, while Zhao Xing, according to Chen Shijie's introduction, was only at the third stage of Gathering Yuan!

He, the top genius of the Martial Squad, being toyed with by a third-stage Gathering Yuan spell from the Agricultural Bureau?

Shen Zhui drew both rulers.

He was about to get serious.

"Tap tap tap~"

The Cloud-Treading Boots struck the rain with a steady rhythm.

But Zhao Xing also noticed something was off—after the first straw dummy collapsed, Shen Zhui's movements became hard to track.

Two breaths later, Shen Zhui's footsteps vanished.

Or rather, they hadn't vanished—they had completely blended into the rhythm of the rain.

Zhao Xing manipulated the Moving Clouds, using his vital energy to make fine adjustments and change the rain's rhythm.

But every time, Shen Zhui could adjust his movement technique within two breaths, swiftly merging into the environment.

Because of this, even while moving quickly, Zhao Xing couldn't pinpoint his exact location.

For Zhao Xing, Shen Zhui had also vanished.

"His movement technique has already reached the Nine-Turn Subtlety stage—Old Chen really picked me a good sparring partner." A spark of excitement gleamed in Zhao Xing's eyes.

This was exactly the intensity of opposition he needed; under this kind of contest, the efficiency of his vital energy purification would also rise.

"Straw dummy, rise!"

Soon, a second straw dummy appeared beneath the willow tree; its height and build were about the same as Zhao Xing's.

"Go!"

Zhao Xing ordered the straw dummy to hide elsewhere in the Chen residence, to confuse Shen Zhui's line of sight.

Another ten breaths passed, and the third straw dummy took shape.

But just as the third one began to move, it stepped on two dry branches.

"Crack~" The dry branches snapped, the sound crisp and clear.

Though quickly drowned out by the rain, in Zhao Xing's ears it was painfully jarring.

At the same time, Shen Zhui in the rain also caught the anomaly; no longer concealing his form, he suddenly gave chase.

"Not good." Zhao Xing's expression shifted slightly, and he immediately abandoned making the straw dummy, running off in another direction.