Chapter 22: Awakening

The next morning.

"What?"

Lin Qing looked at Team Leader Han in surprise and couldn't help but ask, "Camel is dead? Killed at the Iron Stone Bar? When?"

"The exact time is uncertain, but it should have been last night."

Team Leader Han glanced at him and said, "I heard you had a conflict with the Blue Scarf Gang yesterday morning?"

"Yes." Lin Qing nodded. "I happened to run into the Blue Scarf Gang collecting protection fees, so I gave them some sarcastic remarks. However, Camel was quite respectful of me; he didn't collect the fees and just left directly."

Team Leader Han nodded slightly and said, "After all, you are the Patrol Officer of Iron Stone Street, so of course he would give you face."

"But how did Camel suddenly get killed?"

Lin Qing asked in confusion, "Could it be a gang war? He fought in underground boxing matches; his strength should be quite good, right?"

"Hard to say." Team Leader Han said, "The forensic conclusion from the Public Security Bureau is death by a single throat-cutting slash. Although the body was burned, making it difficult to distinguish the type and model of the weapon, the single wound on the entire body is enough to demonstrate the killer's strength."

Lin Qing pondered for a moment and said, "When I encountered the Blue Scarf Gang yesterday, there was a huge man with terrifying strength following Camel. He punched a steel railing and bent it. Could it have been him?"

Team Leader Han shook his head slightly and said, "He is dead too. His palm was slashed, and he also died from a single throat-cutting slash."

"He's dead too?" Lin Qing exclaimed in surprise.

"The killer's strength is very great."

Team Leader Han said softly, "It is very likely a master of the Captain level."

Lin Qing suddenly understood and said, "No wonder the Public Security Bureau didn't summon me."

"Once the forensic report came out, they knew it wasn't you; you are far too weak." Team Leader Han shook his head.

In his view, Lin Qing had only just mastered the 46th Edition Training Method not long ago, and was still far from the limit of the training method. Moreover, he had only learned one combat technique, taking five days just to enter the door.

A combat technique at merely the entry level offers no significant boost to strength.

This level of strength would be at the bottom among the team leaders of the Xiaoshan District Branch, and was far, far below the Captain level.

"Then what is the temporary mission the Bureau assigned to us?" Lin Qing asked.

"Didn't you see the members of the Blue Scarf Gang after their reorganization?"

Team Leader Han said, "The higher-ups ordered us to cooperate with Team One to search the Iron Stone Bar and its surroundings, control suspicious personnel. The Public Security Bureau is still checking the surveillance footage, but currently there are no leads."

Lin Qing nodded.

Everything was exactly as he had predicted.

In the blink of an eye, it was afternoon.

After the patrol team finished searching the area around the Iron Stone Bar and sent all those Blue Scarf Gang members away as suspects, the Blue Scarf Gang, which had been established for just one day, was declared dissolved once again.

【Order Level increased by 0.1 levels】

After the team returned, Lin Qing looked at the Order Level, which had reached a high of 0.8 levels, and felt quite satisfied in his heart.

In his previous life, he lived in a completely stable and peaceful era, where the highest Order Level was no more than 0.9 levels.

Now, it wasn't much different.

According to his understanding, there are two key points to raising the Order Level.

First, expand your circle of life or social class.

An ordinary person's circle of life is only that small; no matter how stable it is, it probably cannot reach level 1.

Second, try to eliminate unstable factors within the circle of life, such as potential crises, matters affecting order, and so on.

Both of these actually require his strength to be sufficient.

With strength comes status, and only then can one eliminate crises and quell chaos.

That night, Lin Qing received some good news.

"Lin Qing, the Bureau has arranged an instructor for you. Starting tomorrow, you can go to him to learn the 77th Edition Training Method."

"Although it's a bit late, you are very lucky. I heard this instructor was once an outer hall student of the Chaoyang Martial Arts Hall."

January 12th, 11:00 AM.

Lin Qing arrived at the Blue Sky Martial Arts Training Center on time, according to the schedule arranged by the branch.

Although the Chaoyang Martial Arts Hall is currently dominant, there are also some training centers that teach the basics of martial arts, specializing in tutoring various martial arts fundamentals.

The Blue Sky Martial Arts Training Center used the selling point of 'students from the Chaoyang Martial Arts Hall serving as instructors at our training center' for various promotions, and the effect was indeed good. Judging by the number of students at the training center, it was clearly very popular.

After confirming the appointment, Lin Qing went all the way to the private training room at the end of the second floor of the training center.

This instructor, who had signed an agreement with the Patrol Bureau, is named 'Tan Yanwen'.

He appeared to be around twenty years old. He looked ordinary, but when sitting cross-legged on the ground, he possessed a quiet and composed temperament, making it clear at a glance that he was a martial arts master. "Hello, Instructor Tan. I am Lin Qing, a Level 3 Patrol Officer of the Xiaoshan District Patrol Branch." Lin Qing greeted him politely.

"Mm."

Tan Yanwen sized up Lin Qing and nodded slightly, saying, "I heard you are only eighteen. How long did it take you to successfully master the 46th Edition Chaoyang Training Method?"

"If calculated seriously, probably a few months?" Lin Qing deliberately said a shorter time; after all, no one knew the truth.

"Not bad. Although your aptitude isn't excellent, it isn't too far off." Tan Yanwen said softly, "You can indeed learn the 77th Edition Training Method; there should be some hope of success."

Lin Qing knew that the 'excellent' aptitude the other party referred to was the classification level for aptitude assessment by the Chaoyang Martial Arts Hall.

Ordinary, Excellent, Outstanding.

Those with excellent aptitude would be accepted as outer hall students by the Chaoyang Martial Arts Hall.

As for inner hall students, they have always been mysterious; even those with outstanding aptitude cannot enter.

Lin Qing couldn't help but ask, "Instructor Tan, I heard that those with excellent aptitude can almost all master the 77th Edition Chaoyang Training Method. Is there still hope to master the original version?"

"Aptitude is merely talent; it cannot determine too much."

Tan Yanwen shook his head slightly: "If one is not diligent enough, there are still those within the Chaoyang Martial Arts Hall who haven't mastered the 77th Edition Training Method before turning twenty and are eventually advised to withdraw."

He said no more, stood up, and said, "Let's start now. I have things to do at noon. From now on, come find me at ten in the morning; we'll finish at twelve. I'll teach you for at most three days. If you still haven't learned it after three days, then there's nothing more to be done."

"Good." Lin Qing nodded.

"The Version 77 method is simply a more complex elaboration of the movements in the Version 46 form, but the breathing technique has become even more concise."

Tan Yanwen said, "I will deliberately emphasize the breathing variations. I'll demonstrate once slowly, then once at normal speed. Watch carefully, memorize the general outline first, and then I'll break down the movements to teach you."

Having spoken, Tan Yanwen began his demonstration.

Lin Qing watched carefully from the side, memorizing the coordination between every movement and the opponent's breathing.

Two rounds ended.

Tan Yanwen looked at Lin Qing and said, "You try it now. I'll correct you movement by movement."

Lin Qing nodded and immediately began to imitate, copying the form.

After one round, Tan Yanwen was surprised to find that this young Patrol Bureau officer had made almost no mistakes; only the details of the coordination between the breathing technique and the movements were not quite accurate.

"Your memory is excellent, and your body control is very good."

Tan Yanwen murmured in praise, "It seems you won't need to come tomorrow. After two more lessons, you should be familiar with it."

Twenty minutes later.

"It's already very standard."

Tan Yanwen nodded slightly and said, "Next, you must adjust slowly on your own, striving to find a state that mobilizes more of your body's potential, so you can absorb more mysterious energy."

"Good." Lin Qing nodded.

He also noticed that the panel had already recorded the Version 77 Morning Sun Practice Method.

Next, once the combat technique "Agility" is completed, he will be able to directly advance the Version 77 Morning Sun Practice Method! "It's still early; we haven't even reached the two-hour standard for a lesson." Tan Yanwen smiled and said, "I didn't expect this lesson to be so easy."

He sat down on the floor. "If you have things to do, you can leave. If you don't want to leave, you can stay and chat; after all, the lesson time hasn't been reached."

Lin Qing thought for a moment and said, "I'm also a bit curious. If Instructor Tan doesn't mind, could you tell me the requirements for joining the Morning Sun Martial Arts Hall?"

"You want to go?" Tan Yanwen asked.

"I heard that students of the Morning Sun Martial Arts Hall can live in the Urban Circle. Who wouldn't want that?" Lin Qing said frankly.

He naturally also wanted to live in the more peaceful and stable Urban Circle; by then, the Order Level would surely rise significantly, wouldn't it?

"It's not necessarily a good thing."

Tan Yanwen shook his head and said, "Even Outer Hall students aren't qualified to live in the Urban Circle; they only have a pass. Moreover, if you haven't entered the Inner Hall before the age of twenty, you will be advised to withdraw."

He glanced at Lin Qing and said, "If you want to live in the Urban Circle, you can only enter the Inner Hall, but the difficulty... heh..."

His light laugh seemed to be self-mockery, or perhaps mockery of this young man's wild fantasy.

"Enter the Inner Hall before the age of twenty?"

Lin Qing immediately asked, "May I ask what qualifications are required to enter the Inner Hall?"

"The Inner Hall doesn't look at qualifications." Tan Yanwen shook his head and said, "The key lies in 'Awakening'."

"Awakening?" Lin Qing asked curiously.

Tan Yanwen fell silent for a moment, then spoke softly in a tone of helplessness mixed with longing, "Either it's the 'Gene Awakening' that breaks the genetic shackles, or it's the extremely rare 'Psychic Awakening' that breaks the mental barriers."

He paused, then spoke jokingly, "Of course, it is said that there is another kind of Awakening that almost only exists in legends."

"What?" Lin Qing couldn't help but look at him.

(End of this chapter)