Chapter 2: Innate Blade Immortal, Nine Levels of the Body Tempering Realm

Two sets of footsteps sounded; it was the black dog returning, and it had brought a county office clerk with it.

"Boss, someone's looking for you at the gate, it's a government office person."

The clerk hurriedly lowered his head and saluted Shen Qing: "I, the humble official, have met Lord Shen before."

Shen Qing sat on a stone bench to the side and poured himself a cup of tea.

"Any case? Did you bring the files?"

In this world there is such a thing as fortune; people have fortune, and dynasties have fortune.

Personal fortune lies within oneself, illusive and elusive.

Dynastic fortune is simpler: it lies in territory, in the people, and in whether it is peaceful.

Therefore, to stabilize fortune, the founding emperor of the Martial Dynasty established the Embroidered Uniform Guard spread throughout the world, to suppress the martial world, suppress evils, specialize in solving major cases, stabilize fortune, and any cases the government offices cannot solve are also transferred to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The clerk hurriedly took out the files from his sleeve: "I, the humble official, have already prepared them."

Shen Qing received the files.

【September 13, Chen hour, Long Separation Lane, the Li Family Tofu household of four all killed, the victims all died from blade wounds, both women showed signs of assault, the target has been locked on, it is the Junior Gang Leader of the Sishui Gang, Jiang Hao】

Really, just when I was sleepy, someone brought a pillow.

I was just about to find someone to kill to test my golden finger.

"Get equipment ready, move out!"

In just the time it takes to finish half a cup of tea, a fully armed squad of the Embroidered Uniform Guard charged out on horseback from the courtyard.

This time the efficiency was especially fast.

The reason is simple.

Today Shen Qing is too frightening; they dare not provoke his bad luck.

Shen Qing rode a brown Hequ horse and took out a blue porcelain bottle from his bosom.

Inside were Opening Aperture Pills, used for opening apertures in the Body Tempering Realm.

These are the most effective ones issued by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Shen Qing directly tossed three into his mouth.

With the aid of a clear Dao heart, opening apertures while riding a horse is not difficult.

Shen Qing exercised the Overbearing Body Forging Technique, beginning to locate the next aperture.

In just two breaths, Shen Qing located the position of the next aperture, and then a massive surge of medicinal power rushed into this vital point.

Shen Qing only remembered that before, breaking through an aperture required half a day of deliberation, fearing mistake, causing meridian disorder.

But today these difficulties seem to have vanished; the path to opening apertures has never been so clear.

In just three breaths, the third aperture of the sixth level of the Body Tempering Realm opened.

Shen Qing blinked.

Unsure, he tried again.

Ten breaths, the fourth aperture opened.

Half a cup of tea's time, the Body Tempering Realm seventh level.

One cup of tea's time, the Body Tempering Realm eighth level.

One incense stick's time, the Body Tempering Realm ninth level peak.

In short, less than two incense sticks' time, he broke through three realms consecutively.

If an ordinary person were to clear the apertures, they would normally be cautious, think twice before acting, like walking on thin ice.

But Shen Qing was like shooting a halberd from the gate of a camp: appearing boundlessly overbearing, yet each step was carefully calculated, with no error.

Feeling the immense power surging within his body, Shen Qing only felt a sudden clarity of thought.

The scholar riding behind Shen Qing on horseback galloped forward.

"Lord, we've arrived at the Sishui Gang."

Shen Qing looked ahead and saw a spacious manor built along the Sishui River.

This is precisely the Sishui Gang, which controls all big and small businesses along the Sishui River; the porters and laborers all make their living here.

Over the years they have certainly profited abundantly.

Shen Qing glanced at Old Li: "Go knock on the door and say the Embroidered Uniform Guard brings warmth."

Shen Qing waved his hand; the Embroidered Uniform Guard behind him immediately understood, taking out a black, fist-sized round ball from the cloth pouch at his waist.

This is the Heaven-shaking Thunder developed by the Martial Dynasty's Heavenly Craft Workshop.

Once subjected to a violent impact, it erupts with tremendous sound and light, specially issued to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for capturing criminals.

Old Li stared for a moment, then immediately reacted, trotting forward and slapping the door panel with his hey‑hey hands, making a bang‑bang sound.

"All members of the Sishui Gang come out; the Embroidered Uniform Guard brings warmth."

That shout directly left the Sishui Gang people inside the manor dazed: "Embroidered Uniform Guard? Bringing warmth?"

Those few words, when separated, they could understand; but put together, how could they not comprehend?

The Sishui Gang's Deputy Gang Leader Huang Feng looked toward the Gang Leader Jiang Xian on one side.

"Gang Leader, this..."

Jiang Xian's face fell: "A weasel paying New Year's greetings to a chicken—what good intentions could it have?"

"It's obvious they're here to seize Hao'er; this gate cannot be opened."

Huang Feng hesitated: "But, big brother, outside are the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Jiang Xian spat: "What Embroidered Uniform Guard? I don't know; pack up, take some silver notes, and prepare to escape through the back door."

Outside the manor, Old Li ran all the way back to Shen Qing's side, looking at the utterly silent courtyard, feeling dissatisfied.

"Lord, the Sishui Gang doesn't know how to accept kindness; the gate won't open—what do we do with this 'warmth'?"

Shen Qing's lips curled slightly upward.

"Tricking them, we'll deliver even if they don't open the door!"

"Throw them at me!"

As soon as the words fell, all the Embroidered Uniform Guard rounded their arms, and about ten thunderclap bombs fell into the Sishui Gang manor.

Huang Feng lifted his head: "Something's coming in..."

The two watched as a dozen or so thunderclap bombs slammed into the ground, suddenly erupting in a fierce sound and light.

All the gang members in the courtyard were shaken sideways and upside down, while those ordinary people without cultivation were directly knocked unconscious.

Jiang Xian also felt dizzy and nauseous, his face grim: "Get ready to lead the brothers out; Haoer must not fall into their hands."

But before his words were finished, the gate panel was kicked flying.

Shen Qing entered slowly, holding a goose-feather saber.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is handling this case; you all had better surrender quietly."

Jiang Xian saw a hint of anger appear on Shen Qing's face, but now was not the time to scold.

"Quick, split up and run!"

Shen Qing stroked his chin.

"Splitting up—what an unreasonable demand."

"But as an official, I still decide to satisfy you!"

As soon as his words fell, Shen Qing's figure vanished from the spot, and a swift wind swept through.

Jiang Xian had turned his head and hadn't even taken two steps when a round object shot high into the air—it was his own head.

【Congratulations on successfully looting the trait: Initial Blade Path (Green)】

Shen Qing raised his eyebrows; this trait's drop rate is still quite high.

Without any hesitation, the novice gift package rewards three trait upgrade chances, plus one free daily claim, for a total of four.

He went all in.

He consumed all four trait upgrade chances.

Initial Blade Path (Green) upgraded to: Blade Master (Blue)

Blade Master (Blue) upgraded to: Blade Grandmaster (Purple)

Blade Grandmaster (Purple) upgraded to: Man-Blade Unity (Gold)

Man-Blade Unity (Gold) upgraded to: Innate Blade Immortal (Red).

【Innate Blade Immortal: Understanding of the blade path is as if a blade immortal were reincarnated】

Shen Qing only felt a cleansing surge rise from deep within his soul, and he felt the blade in his hand grow closer by several degrees, as if it were an extension of his own arm.

With a thought, aided by a clear Dao heart and the Innate Blade Immortal, the Roufeng Blade Technique was no different from a kindergarten textbook.

It happened almost in an instant.

The proficiency of the Roufeng Blade Technique rose from minor accomplishment to perfection.

With a casual swing, he flung out a blade, as if trying to knead the wind into pieces.

Huang Feng, seeing this, was terrified to the point of his liver and gallbladder feeling ready to burst, wishing his parents had given him two fewer legs.

Shen Qing took a step, his figure vanished again, blade light flickered in the air, four successive strikes, and Huang Feng's limbs were severed at the roots, the cuts perfectly neat.

In the time it took to exchange two glances, the leader and deputy leader of the Sishui Gang were dead.

"Ransack the residence."

Shen Qing flicked his goose-feather saber, and fresh blood trickled down the blade, spattering on the ground to form a vivid flower.

Upon hearing Shen Qing's order, Heigou and Lao Li charged straight into the crowd, and the scholar followed closely behind.

In the time it took to finish a cup of tea thereafter, miserable screams echoed continuously within the courtyard.

These Sishui Gang members had long been terrified by Shen Qing; now, facing the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they were basically being slaughtered unilaterally.

In the span of an incense stick's burn, besides the Embroidered Uniform Guard, no one remained standing in the courtyard—not even a chicken.

Lao Li grabbed a young man and hurled him to the ground.

"Boss, Jiang Hao has been caught."

Looking at the corpses littering the ground, Jiang Hao's face turned deathly pale, his trousers visibly dampening at an observable speed as he crawled on his knees toward Shen Qing.

"Sir... sir, I know I was wrong; spare me a chance to live, I'm willing to pay money for my life."

Shen Qing glanced at Jiang Hao.

"You don't know you're wrong; you just know you're going to die."

With his goose-feather saber, he flashed three blade lights in succession, and Jiang Hao was instantly chopped into several pieces.

"Boss! Boss! Come quickly!"

A shout from the scholar echoed from the rear courtyard.

Shen Qing entered a room in the rear courtyard; it looked like this was either Huang Feng's or Jiang Xian's room.

The scholar stood before a secret door, face full of excitement, clicking away on an abacus with a clacking sound.

Shen Qing also stood at the doorway and glanced inside; there were several chests: one filled with silver ingots, a small box of silver notes, and another chest full of silver notes.

The scholar's face grew ever more excited: "Boss, I roughly calculated that these silver notes and silver together conservatively amount to over a thousand taels."

"This doesn't even count these jewels and ornaments, nor what we found on the other gang members."

"We've struck it rich."