Chapter 123 - 121: Emphasize Military Power, Neglect Internal Affairs
After that, Song Changming began to practice his Body Refining Skill day after day.
This process was dull and tedious, with nothing much to say. Only watching the Body Refining Experience Value increase bit by bit could bring him the joy of accumulation.
Under the enhancement effect of ’Heaven Rewards Diligence’, coupled with his Root Bone Attribute, which had already been increased to eighteen points, the progress of full-force body refinement was still quite fast.
But no matter how fast, he estimated that it would take at least two and a half years to break through the Bull Demon Skill from the Sixth Realm to the Seventh Realm.
The seemingly insignificant six hundred points of Body Refining Experience Value were extremely laborious for every point increase.
In the ’Heaven Rewards Diligence’ state, he could barely gain one point of Bull Demon Skill’s Body Refining Experience per day.
If his cultivation state slipped to ’Concentrated’, it would take two or three days to gain one point of Bull Demon Skill Experience Value.
"Still short of money, if I could replenish with Hundred Years Old Ginseng every month, the progress of body refinement would be vastly different!" In the General Department, Song Changming muttered to himself.
His shortage of money was not a new issue.
In the past, his primary income source, apart from the still stable monthly salary from the government, mainly came from the reward silver for capturing wanted criminals and the rewards from participating in some major tasks in the General Department.
The reward silver for wanted criminals was a matter of luck, purely by chance, and so was the major task in the General Department.
If luck favored him throughout the year, these two items combined could bring in several thousand reward silver, definitely a huge sum.
But if luck was unfavorable, with nothing happening day by day, this reward silver amount would plummet drastically. Having a few hundred silver was good enough, which still could not buy one piece of Hundred Years Old Ginseng.
In previous years, luck varied.
But now, with a decree from the Fifth Prince, their patrol guards’ power to arrest was confiscated.
Those wanted criminals only needed to shout that they came to seek refuge with the Fifth Prince, willing to serve him, and Song Changming and others could only let them go, allowing them to be taken away.
The world has changed, the rules have changed, and with no reward silver’s temptation, and being so oppressed, most patrol guards lost their motivation, only left to lie flat and slack off, and Song Changming was no exception.
If they couldn’t even catch the wicked, what use were they as patrol guards?
Over time, Song Changming’s main income source shifted from tapping into the government’s resources to the increasingly successful Bisho Silkworm business of his growing family.
Now, just from selling Blue-Striped Green Water Silkworms, he could earn dozens of silver each month!
And this income amount was almost increasing every month.
If it weren’t for Song Changming being a big spender, the Song family would have accumulated a substantial fortune just from selling Green Water Silkworms.
This also illustrates how difficult it is for an ordinary family to support a highly skilled martial artist.
Of course, Song Changming was different as he simultaneously cultivated multiple Body Refining Skills, so the money and silver needed for cultivation were more than that of ordinary martial artists.
...
That day.
A few chivalrous men from the Jianghu, after having their fill, suddenly spotted a girl from a family, became lustful, and forcibly broke in.
"Young lady, we brothers are about to go and gain honor and fame. Today, reward us well, and when we return successful, we will not let you down..."
On the street.
A young patrol guard heard the cries from the other end of the alley and felt compassion.
"Mr. Liang!"
Liang Zhao Long, carrying a saber, showed conflicting emotions on his face, but ultimately couldn’t get past it in his heart, stopped, and led the patrol guards into the house.
On the other side, Song Changming, who was practicing in the General Department, also quickly heard the patrol guards relaying the incident.
In the past, such minor issues didn’t need to be reported to Song Changming, and the villains would just be caught and put in jail to await trial.
Nowadays, being a sensitive period, the situation was different.
After hearing, Song Changming furrowed his brows slightly and said indifferently, "Since the higher-ups instructed us not to catch anyone, just break all their hands and feet and don’t bring them back."
"Yes!" The patrol guards answered and hurried away.
Soon after, Liang Zhao Long arrived quickly, with a bit of bloodstain still unaddressed on his hand.
"I’m sorry, boss, it’s my fault, I couldn’t hold back." Liang Zhao Long apologized as soon as he arrived.
In his view, he had caused trouble for Song Changming.
"It’s okay, if I were you, I might have acted as well at the time, it’s not a big deal." Song Changming patted Liang Zhao Long’s shoulder, not caring about the matter.
However, the next day, a cavalry team stormed to the outside of the Public Security Bureau. The ferocious-looking leader crashed through the patrol guards’ block and charged in.
"Find! Get out that scoundrel who crippled my brother!"
The general’s voice was as deep as a beast’s roar, and the armored warriors behind him were about to follow his orders and search the General Department.
"Insolence!" A Patrol Captain strode forward and scolded: "Who are you to dare to break into a vital establishment!"
The general coldly stared at the Patrol Captain in front and asked the person lying limply on an armored warrior behind him: "A Hu, was it this person who did it?"
His brother shook his head, then suddenly pointed to Liang Zhao Long, who approached later, and shrieked: "Big brother, it was him, he broke my hands and feet!"
The general listened and didn’t waste any more words, glaring fiercely as he strode directly towards Liang Zhao Long.
His body emanated the battlefield’s unique bloodthirsty aura, exuding formidable intimidation.
Liang Zhao Long instinctively almost drew his sword but was held back by Song Changming beside him.
Then Song Changming stepped aside, positioning himself in front of Liang Zhao Long.
"Get out of the way!"
The general, with a rough and uncouth manner, swung his scarred and calloused hand towards Song Changming.
Song Changming raised his hand, grabbing the general’s wrist, instantly neutralizing his immense strength.
"Courting death!" The general, seeing this, kicked towards Song Changming.
Song Changming raised his leg in response.
Bang!
Both were extremely powerful, but after this kick, Song Changming remained standing, while the general staggered back several steps before barely steadying himself.
The general’s eyes betrayed surprise, as he had assumed that these city Patrol Guards were all weak and average in strength.
But Song Changming’s actions had completely overturned his previous assumptions.
"General!"
Seeing this, the Armored Warriors immediately gathered around.
The general felt his dignity slipping, and in the next moment, disregarding everything, grabbed a long spear from an Armored Warrior, thrusting it towards Song Changming.
Seeing this, Song Changming’s eyes instantly turned cold.
Now that weapons were drawn, the nature of the confrontation had changed.
Song Changming unsheathed the Dragon Pattern Saber, the wind howling and the sound of ringing and bird cries exploding around.
With one slash, Song Changming cut the general’s long spear in two.
The next moment, Song Changming stepped forward, instantly closing the distance.
The general’s pupils constricted, feeling as if countless Yin Ghosts were clawing at his body, gnawing at his flesh, leaving him icy cold all over.
Battle-hardened veteran that he was, he once again sensed the approach of death, causing a tremor in his heart.
"Stop!"
Suddenly, a shout came through, instantly dissipating the suffocating sword momentum.
In a daze, he then saw a broad long knife already resting against his neck, the cold blade pressing against his skin, sending a piercing pain continuously from its surface.
Just now, he had nearly been decapitated!
The two dragon patterns on the knife blade were extremely eye-catching, almost blinding to him.
"Dragon Saber!"
The general suddenly recalled a name previously spread across Jianghu.
Seeing Zhuang Ren approaching with a stern face, Song Changming withdrew his sword.
"Can anyone tell me what exactly is going on here?" Zhuang Ren glanced over everyone present, speaking coldly.
The Patrol Captain who had stepped out first immediately recounted the recent events.
"And who might you be from the army?! Barging into my Public Security Bureau and causing trouble!" Zhuang Ren glared at the general who had just escaped death, asking with a harsh tone.
"General Liang, I am Gao Qiu, under the command of the Fifth Prince. Yesterday, my younger brother was crippled in the city by your Patrol Guards. Now tell me, how will you resolve this?" Though the general saw Zhuang Ren, his tone remained less than polite, directly questioning him.
"How dare you!" Zhuang Ren rebuked angrily at the so-called general before him.
"I will investigate this matter thoroughly. You, a mere nondescript general, have brought troops into the city unauthorized today and forcibly entered my Public Security Bureau, openly causing trouble. Do you think the Governor’s Mansion has no one capable of dealing with you?"
Gao Qiu’s mouth twitched, still wanting to act tough, but suddenly glimpsing Song Changming with his knife at the side, his neck grew inexplicably cold.
"Today I was reckless, but this matter is not over. My brother came yesterday to join the Fifth Prince’s army and was beaten this way. Without a proper explanation, I won’t just let it go!"
Leaving those harsh words, seeing no advantage to be gained, the general had no choice but to retreat with his men.
Zhuang Ren did not stop them.
Though he had just displayed much vigor, currently, both their Public Security Bureau and the entire Governor’s Mansion were in a weakened state.
The Fifth Prince valued military power and neglected internal affairs.
This is why a mere unknown general dared to behave so arrogantly.
And indeed, he couldn’t handle them.
Even if he arrested them, when the army came to retrieve them, he’d still have to obediently release them.