Becoming a Saint From the Iron Armor Skill-Chapter 75 - 69: Mighty Eagle Claw

The Inner City District of Linji City was located slightly to the north, while Ruyi District was near the South City Gate of the Outer City District. The distance between them was quite significant.

Chen Cheng hired a horse-drawn carriage and brought Mu Xiaowan to the South Gate of the Inner City District.

After they got off the carriage, a tall and magnificent fortified city filled their vision.

The wide moat was well over a hundred feet across. Even though it was the dry season, the water was still dark and so deep you couldn’t see the bottom.

A stone bridge, wide enough for four or five carriages to travel side-by-side, connected the South City District to the gate of the Inner City District.

Dozens of armored soldiers, holding long spears, guarded the front of the stone bridge with stern and solemn expressions.

An officer and a few soldiers were checking the travel permits of passersby one by one.

Those who lived or worked in the Inner City could enter the Inner City District directly with their permits.

Common folk from the Outer City, however, had to register their identity and pay one tael of silver for an Inner City travel permit before they were allowed inside.

As an official constable of the City Guard Department, Chen Cheng was afforded some privilege; he didn’t need to pay and could enter after a simple registration.

He spent one tael of silver to register Mu Xiaowan and get her a travel permit. Then, the two of them crossed the stone bridge and entered the Inner City District.

The Inner City District was distinctly different from the Outer City District. The streets were wide and clean, the buildings tall and grand. Even the pedestrians on the streets were mostly dressed in silks and satins, clearly either rich or noble.

Although the Inner City and Outer City were only separated by a bridge, they seemed like two different worlds.

Chen Cheng had already asked Qian Bin for the location of the Zheng Martial Arts Hall. It was in an alley in the southeast corner of the Inner City. From the South Gate of the Inner City, he just had to go past two main streets to get there.

Since Chen Cheng was in a hurry, he opted not to walk and hired a carriage.

As expected, carriages in the Inner City were much more expensive than in the Outer City District. Chen Cheng haggled with the driver, but for such a short distance, it still cost him one hundred cents. In the Outer City District, that would have been enough for three or four trips.

Before long, the carriage arrived at the entrance of the Zheng Martial Arts Hall.

The two got out of the carriage and saw the Zheng Martial Arts Hall standing at the end of a wide street.

It was a grand estate with a wide entrance, carved beams and painted rafters, red walls and green tiles. In front of the main gate stood two enormous stone statues of unknown Demon Beasts.

Above the gate, the four words "Zheng Martial Arts Hall" were inscribed in large, gilt script, their calligraphy powerful and vigorous.

It was absolutely imposing, even more magnificent than the South City District’s City Guard Headquarters.

This hardly looked like a Martial Arts Hall. To Chen Cheng, it looked more like a Prince’s Mansion.

"Brother Cheng, the Zheng Martial Arts Hall is enormous!" Mu Xiaowan exclaimed in amazement, her big eyes blinking.

Chen Cheng was also quite stunned. ’Mr. Zheng truly lives up to his reputation as the leading figure in the Linji City Martial Arts Realm.’

’This estate alone is probably as imposing as the City Lord’s Mansion.’

The Zheng Martial Arts Hall was magnificent, yet its entrance was guarded by only two young men armed with sabers, dressed like estate guards.

These two guards were no ordinary men. They were stoutly built with sharp eyes, and their skin was tight and tough like oxhide. They seemed to be Martial Artists at the Great Success in Skin Grinding Realm.

Chen Cheng stepped forward and stated his purpose. One of the men hurried inside to report. Before long, the man returned, leading a one-eyed man dressed in black martial attire with a black cloth tied across his forehead.

The one-eyed man was in his thirties and walked with a powerful, commanding gait, exuding a fierce aura. Chen Cheng could sense his profound aura, which seemed to surpass even that of Liu Yunfeng, who had long since reached Skin Grinding Realm Perfection. ’He must be a Martial Artist in the Muscle Strengthening Realm,’ he thought.

"You’re the one looking for the Sixth Madam?"

The one-eyed man asked, sizing up Chen Cheng.

Qian Bin had told him before that Mr. Zheng had six wives in total, with Luo Yunzhi being the sixth.

Chen Cheng quickly cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute. "I am."

"Follow me."

With that, the one-eyed man turned and led the way into the courtyard. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Chen Cheng beckoned for Mu Xiaowan to follow.

Upon entering the estate, they were met with the sight of a vast square. Dozens of young disciples in martial attire were practicing their Martial Arts Skills.

The disciples were mostly seventeen or eighteen, both men and women, and they were practicing a wide variety of Martial Arts Skills—Fist Techniques, Palm Techniques, Sword and Saber Techniques—each with a distinct style. Chen Cheng was secretly amazed.

"Wait here. I’ll go inform the Sixth Madam."

The one-eyed man led the two of them past a large garden beside the square and into a spacious courtyard with a covered corridor. It was only then that he spoke before hurrying inside to make his report.

The courtyard abutted the estate wall, and in the distance lay another, smaller training ground. There, a dozen or so young disciples were practicing a Cultivation Technique, which appeared to be an Outer Claw Technique.

These disciples were clearly much stronger than the ones outside. Their power was profound, and their strikes were swift enough to make the air whistle, carrying an impressive momentum.

In front of each of them was a massive, hard rock. As they executed the Claw Technique, they would occasionally gouge claw marks into the stone.

Even more impressively, some could easily gouge chunks out of the hard rock with a single swipe of their claws. Then, with another exertion of force, they would crush the stone fragments into fine dust.

Although there were only a dozen or so of them, their shouts rose and fell in waves, punctuated by the CRACKING of shattered rock. The commotion they created was even greater than that of the dozens of disciples in the main square.

Mu Xiaowan watched, fascinated. With a touch of envy in her voice, she said, "Brother Cheng, what kind of Cultivation Technique is that? It’s incredible!"

Chen Cheng had heard a few things about it before. He smiled and said, "It should be the famous signature skill from Mr. Zheng’s youth, the Powerful Eagle Claw Skill."

Mu Xiaowan gasped in amazement. "Crushing solid rock so easily... that technique is terrifyingly strong! If they grabbed an ordinary person, their bones would probably be crushed to pieces!

I used to think only Sword and Saber Techniques were impressive. I never thought a Claw Skill could be this formidable."

Chen Cheng nodded. "This Cultivation Technique is much more than that. According to legend, Mr. Zheng can use his Iron Claws to clash directly with Divine Weapons and Sharp Blades."