Chapter 11: Initiation

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Chen Ping'an rubbed his hands repeatedly against his body. Because he had wrapped several layers of undergarments tightly around his torso, the sound of the rubbing was dull, much like striking cowhide.

In the small courtyard, Chen Ping'an practiced over and over again, gritting his teeth.

Finally, after half an hour, a "+1" experience symbol flashed across his vision.

"It worked!"

Name: Chen Ping'an Realm: None Martial Arts: Iron Cloth Shirt (Not yet initiated) (4/5)

Looking at the panel information before him, Chen Ping'an felt a surge of excitement.

It really worked. If he kept up this routine, he could practice the Iron Cloth Shirt twice a day. And if he waited until his day off, he might even be able to try practicing three times a day.

If he could do that, his speed in mastering the Iron Cloth Shirt would skyrocket.

Young Master Hu of the Tiger Head Gang had come to find him the day before yesterday; counting today, two days had already passed. He didn't have much time left.

However, the success of his early morning practice gave Chen Ping'an a glimmer of hope for rapid growth.

"I'll be able to accumulate 5 experience points by tonight."

Chen Ping'an felt a burning sensation in his heart as he fetched clean water to wipe his body. Since he had to go on duty and patrol the streets during the day, he naturally couldn't head out drenched in sweat.

By the time Chen Ping'an finished cleaning himself, Chen Er'ya had already cooled his bowl of rice porridge to the perfect temperature for eating.

Today's breakfast: a large bowl of rice porridge, an egg, and the leftover braised pork from yesterday.

Chen Ping'an picked up the large bowl and slurped down the porridge.

Before Chen Er'ya had even finished half of her meal, he had already polished off the entire bowl.

"Nannan, I'm off to work. Remember, don't just settle for anything for lunch; eat something good."

Chen Ping'an peeled the eggshell, intending to eat it on the way.

"I know, Brother," Chen Er'ya replied.

Eating the peeled egg on the road, Chen Ping'an walked with quick strides and soon arrived at the Nanquan Lane Magistrate's Office.

It was the same pre-shift meeting as always, with many bailiffs gathered to listen to the superiors speak.

However, Head Bailiff Zheng did not appear today. Instead, Head Bailiff Li and Head Bailiff Yan, who hadn't been there yesterday, arrived.

There were five head bailiffs in the Nanquan Lane Magistrate's Office, and only two had shown up today. It was unclear what the others were busy with.

As for the Magistrate and the Deputy Magistrate, they were absent as usual; it was unknown whether they had arrived early and stayed out of sight, or if there was some other reason.

But none of that had anything to do with Chen Ping'an.

For him, his mind was entirely occupied with finishing his shift early so he could go home and practice the Iron Cloth Shirt.

In fact, if it weren't for the fact that his practice sessions couldn't be too close together, he would have wanted to slack off at noon and leave for a while to push the Iron Cloth Shirt to 5 experience points in one go.

The ones patrolling with Chen Ping'an were still Monkey-head and Dashan, and Head Bailiff Qin was absent as usual.

This was normal; generally, Chen Ping'an only ran into Head Bailiff Qin once every five or six days.

The place they were patrolling today was Niuye Ward. Located on Niuye Street, it was the most densely populated area in Nanquan Lane.

Normally, the Nanquan Lane Magistrate's Office would assign at least five squads of bailiffs to Niuye Street for routine patrols to deter petty criminals.

Today, Chen Ping'an, Monkey-head, and Dashan counted as one squad.

Compared to Liuye Street, the number of thugs lurking in Niuye Ward was significantly higher. Niuye Ward was also the base of the Iron Ox Gang.

Like the Tiger Head Gang, the Iron Ox Gang was just one of many gangs in Nanquan Lane.

However, in terms of influence, the Tiger Head Gang was a cut above.

After all, the Tiger Head Gang had Master Hu and Master Qing as the leader and deputy leader, three famous protectors, seven major bosses as the backbone, and hundreds of fierce, wolf-like members.

The Young Master Hu that Chen Ping'an had dealt with was one of the protectors of the Tiger Head Gang and the adopted son most valued by Master Hu, the gang leader.

Come to think of it, the Tiger Head Gang was just a gang of thugs roaming Nanquan Lane. The way they styled themselves with leaders, protectors, and bosses made it seem like they were some prestigious sect from the martial arts world. To Chen Ping'an, it felt a bit ridiculous.

However, whenever this was brought up, Monkey-head was used to it. After all, they were in the Weishui County City. Compared to the gangs in smaller cities, they naturally had a different level of prestige.

Yet, even with the Tiger Head Gang's might, they were nothing to the Nanquan Lane Magistrate's Office. If the Tiger Head Gang truly committed a taboo, there would be no need for the Magistrate to step in; just two or three head bailiffs gathering their men would be enough to suppress them.

Therefore, even Master Hu, the leader of the Tiger Head Gang, had to be respectful when meeting the head bailiffs of the Nanquan Lane Magistrate's Office.

If Chen Ping'an's father, Old Chen, were still alive and had luckily become a head bailiff, the Tiger Head Gang wouldn't have dared to come knocking for the money he owed. Not only would they not ask for it, but they would likely have sent more silver over to curry favor.

Temporary bailiff, bailiff, head bailiff—the differences in status were like heaven and earth.

The patrol in Niuye Ward today went smoothly, with nothing special happening. The only incident was a few thugs shouting at each other, but they gave some face when they saw the bailiffs and stopped the verbal sparring.

At noon, they slacked off and rested as usual. Having woken up early and expended a lot of energy practicing the Iron Cloth Shirt, Chen Ping'an slept for nearly an hour before waking up.

The afternoon passed by in a daze, and just like that, another day was gone.

Bailiffs, bailiffs—they only go to work to finish work!

After handing in his saber and waist token, Chen Ping'an headed home in high spirits.

By the time he arrived, Chen Er'ya had almost finished cooking. With Chen Ping'an lending a hand, the process sped up significantly.

Today's dinner: a bowl of stir-fried pork kidneys, a bowl of steamed eggs, a plate of steamed pumpkin, and two bowls of fluffy white rice.

Compared to the heavy meat dishes of the previous two days, it was slightly less extravagant, but it was still a meal that would make the neighbors envious.

Every night, the rich aroma of the food would often drift to the neighbors' homes. Fortunately, with Chen Ping'an's status as a bailiff, these dishes alone weren't enough to cause any trouble.

After eating, he and his sister cleaned up the dishes together. Then, he relaxed and rested for a while to let his food digest.

Then, Chen Ping'an began to stretch his body, preparing for his practice.

With the experience from several previous sessions, this practice went smoothly.

Half an hour later, the familiar +1 experience symbol appeared in his vision before slowly fading away.

Name: Chen Ping'an Realm: None Martial Arts: Iron Cloth Shirt (Not yet initiated) (5/5)

"The experience points are enough!"

Looking at the panel information that only he could see, Chen Ping'an's heart pounded, and his hands and feet were faintly damp with sweat.

At this moment, his anticipation and excitement were pushed to the limit.

"So, what's next..."