In the small courtyard at home, Chen Erya was anxiously watching for Chen Ping’an to return. The moment Chen Ping’an stepped through the door, the little girl jumped up.

"Brother, you’re back!"

"Mhm." Chen Ping’an nodded. "Nannan, go get some rest. You don’t have to wait up this late for me next time."

Chen Erya grinned. "I can’t sleep until you come back, Brother."

The siblings chatted and laughed for a bit, then Chen Ping’an began his nightly hard work.

Since reaching Flying Locust Stone Perfection, he had more time to practice the Public Door Thirteen Sabers and the Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Horizontal Training. Now at Qi Blood Fourth Layer Perfection, his strength and stamina had greatly improved.

He could perform the Cultivation of the Public Door Thirteen Sabers four times in a row in the morning and six times at night. Under normal circumstances, that was 10 points of Cultivation Experience per day.

The Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Horizontal Training was less efficient in comparison. He could snatch moments during the day to cultivate it two or three times, depending on the situation. After reaching Flying Locust Stone Perfection, he could also manage one session of the Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Horizontal Training at night.

Even though he had been promoted to Constable, Chen Ping’an hadn’t slowed the pace of his Cultivation.

In this world, strength is everything!

’If I want to protect my family, live with dignity, and not have to bow and scrape to others, then I must cultivate diligently!’

’At my current rate of Cultivation, I’ll reach complete Perfection in the Public Door Thirteen Sabers in three days at most. At that time...’

SWISH!

With a flash of his saber, Chen Ping’an stopped his movements.

’I’ll be able to break through to the Qi Blood Fifth Level Refining Organ Realm!’

The Qi Blood Fifth Layer, Refining the Organs, involved the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys—strengthening the five viscera from within. Once one succeeded in Refining the Organs, the natural process of Qi Blood decay would be greatly slowed. Then, even when a Martial Artist reached their seventies or eighties, they would still possess eighty to ninety percent of their peak combat strength.

...

After his promotion to Constable, Chen Ping’an discovered that the perks of the position were beyond his wildest imagination.

Someone like Mr. Qin had to find a good hiding place to sneak a break, darting here and there to avoid being caught. But a Constable had no such worries. They could openly relax and pass the time in the Head of the Office.

As long as there were no special incidents, being a Constable was quite comfortable. On a normal day, they could just move their lips, assign tasks, and the work would get done.

Throughout the day, Chen Ping’an cultivated the Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Horizontal Training three times. He successfully accumulated 3 points of Cultivation Experience, bringing him one step closer to reaching Minor Achievement in the technique.

’I’ll see what kind of trick Zheng Zhenwu has up his sleeve!’

Tonight was the night Zheng Zhenwu was hosting an apology banquet at the Spring Rain Tower.

It was supposedly an apology, but no one knew what Zheng Zhenwu was really thinking, or if there was a conspiracy involved.

But no matter what Zheng Zhenwu was plotting, with his current strength at Bone Forging Perfection, Chen Ping’an no longer feared an ordinary challenge.

...

"Chen Constable, please."

Inside a private room on the second floor of the Spring Rain Tower, Zheng Zhenwu invited Chen Ping’an to take a seat with a smile plastered on his face.

"Constable Zheng." Chen Ping’an responded neutrally and calmly sat down.

Zheng Zhenwu wasn’t the only one in the private room; Zheng Shiyong was there as well.

"Chen Constable, this is my good-for-nothing nephew," Zheng Zhenwu said with a smile. "Shi Yong, hurry up and apologize to Chen Constable."

"Yes, yes, yes." Zheng Shiyong currently wore a subservient expression, bowing slightly and holding up a wine cup with both hands.

"Chen Constable. It was all my fault, every last bit of it. It was my fault for being blind and failing to recognize your greatness. You are a great man who doesn’t hold grudges against the petty; please forgive me."

After speaking, Zheng Shiyong raised his cup and downed the wine in one go.

Chen Ping’an remained expressionless and made no move.

"Chen Constable, Shi Yong is still young and foolish. If he offended you in any way before, please don’t take it to heart." Zheng Zhenwu picked up the wine pot and personally poured a cup for Chen Ping’an.

"It’s not just Shi Yong. I, too, have caused you much offense in the past. Please be magnanimous, Chen Constable."

Zheng Zhenwu then boisterously downed a cup of wine.

Chen Ping’an said nothing, just watched Zheng Zhenwu quietly.

"Look at me, so eager to apologize that I almost forgot." Zheng Zhenwu gave an apologetic laugh, took a wooden box from his robes, and pushed it in front of Chen Ping’an. "A small token of our sincerity. Please accept it, Chen Constable."

Zheng Zhenwu very considerately opened the wooden box for Chen Ping’an.

One glance, and Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but be slightly moved.

Inside the box, ten gleaming Gold Yuanbao lay neatly arranged.

It was Gold!

Not silver!

The Gold Yuanbao weren’t large, but each ingot weighed three taels.

Ten ingots, that was a full thirty taels!

Thirty taels of Gold, equivalent to three hundred taels of silver.

With that kind of money, you could buy a comfortable three-courtyard residence in Nanquan Lane and still have plenty left over.

Even for a Constable, relying solely on their Monthly Allowance, it would take ten or twenty years to accumulate such a sum.

Zheng Zhenwu truly lived up to his reputation as a highly experienced Constable; when he made a move, it was an extravagant one.

’Could it be that he genuinely wants to make peace?’

A flicker of doubt crossed Chen Ping’an’s mind.

Logically, Zheng Zhenwu wasn’t the type to bow his head so easily. But judging by the sheer value of this gesture, he seemed to be serious.

"Constable Zheng, what is the meaning of this?" Chen Ping’an asked, feigning confusion.

Zheng Zhenwu smiled and said, "It’s just a small token, not nearly enough to show our respect. Please consider it an apology gift from my nephew and me."

Chen Ping’an glanced at Zheng Zhenwu, unable to figure out what he was thinking.

’However...’

’I don’t care what you’re thinking.’

’It’d be foolish not to take free gold!’

Chen Ping’an mulled it over for a moment. "Since Constable Zheng is so sincere, it would be rude of me to refuse."

Seeing Chen Ping’an accept the wooden box, the smile on Zheng Zhenwu’s face grew wider.

"Come, Chen Constable, let me toast you again!"

Zheng Zhenwu filled Chen Ping’an’s cup again, raised his own, and drank first as a sign of respect.

Having accepted the gold, Chen Ping’an dropped his reserved posture and also drank a cup of wine.

He rarely drank, and the few times he did, it was cheap, low-quality liquor with Monkey Head and Da Shan at a street stall. This was clearly good wine; the moment it entered his mouth, it felt crisp, pure, and incredibly pleasant.

In such a public place, he wasn’t the least bit worried that Zheng Zhenwu would try to tamper with the drinks.

In fact, with his Martial Arts Realm already at Bone Forging Perfection, ordinary drugs and poisons had little effect on him.

"Chen Constable is a straightforward man! Come, Shi Yong, toast Chen Constable again."

"Yes. Chen Constable, I toast you."

For a while, the atmosphere was lively.

Amidst the clinking of cups, Zheng Zhenwu even promised that within the next two days, he would transfer a team of his men to Chen Ping’an, filling out his proper four-team roster.

By the end of the banquet, both guest and hosts were thoroughly pleased.

Zheng Zhenwu personally escorted Chen Ping’an all the way to the entrance of the Spring Rain Tower before stopping.

"Constable Zheng, you don’t need to see me out further."

Chen Ping’an called out, a hint of drunkenness in his voice, and walked away.

"Take care on your way," Zheng Zhenwu said, waving with a smile.

Once Chen Ping’an was a good distance away, the smile on Zheng Zhenwu’s face gradually faded.

"Let’s go. Upstairs, quickly."

Zheng Zhenwu said to Zheng Shiyong, then turned and walked back into the Spring Rain Tower.

They had already arranged for women in the Spring Rain Tower and were preparing to spend the night there.

And their purpose for doing so was to create an alibi.