Chapter 3: Iron Cloth Shirt (Seeking votes)

Chapter 3: Iron Shirt (Please vote~)

"Nannan, don't be afraid, big brother is here."

Chen Ping'an closed the wooden courtyard gate, walked over to Chen Er'ya, and pulled her into his arms.

"Big brother, Nannan isn't afraid!"

In Chen Ping'an's arms, Chen Er'ya clung tightly to him, like a startled little deer.

This girl.

Chen Ping'an smiled silently.

She said she wasn't afraid, but this appearance certainly didn't look like someone who wasn't afraid.

Nine years old!

She might look like a little adult on most days, but deep down, she was still just a child.

In his previous life, at Chen Er'ya's age, a child would have only just started school! They would be the treasure of the family, held in the mouth for fear of melting, held in the hand for fear of breaking; no amount of pampering would be considered too much.

But here, she had to shoulder the hardships of the household at such an early age.

Chen Ping'an knew that what Chen Er'ya feared wasn't Young Master Hu; she feared that the stable life they had struggled so hard to maintain would just vanish like this.

"It will get better, everything will get better."

Chen Ping'an patted Chen Er'ya's little head, comforting her.

"Mm, it will get better!"

Chen Er'ya leaned in Chen Ping'an's arms for a while, seeming to regain a bit of vitality.

"Let's go, let's eat quickly, the food is getting cold."

Chen Ping'an called out.

On the wooden table, soup had spilled over half the surface, and several chunks of meat had fallen off—clearly the result of that lackey Liu'er slamming the table earlier.

Chen Er'ya didn't mind; she carefully picked up the meat, chewed it slowly, savoring every bit of flavor, before swallowing it with great reluctance.

"Nannan, big brother will definitely let you live a good life."

Looking at Chen Er'ya's well-behaved appearance, Chen Ping'an silently swore to himself.

"One day, big brother will make you a carefree little princess! Any storm or rain, big brother will block it all for you."

Having lived together for several years, Chen Ping'an had long since come to regard Chen Er'ya as his own true sister.

After finishing the meal, Chen Er'ya didn't trouble Chen Ping'an; she cleared the bowls and chopsticks, wiped the table, and took them to the small kitchen to wash.

Chen Ping'an looked at the broken crossbar and wood shavings on the ground, his expression devoid of a smile.

When Old Chen was still around, he had never suffered this kind of indignity.

One must know that back then, Old Chen was no ordinary bailiff at the Nanquan Alley Pacification Office; he was a figure who was only a step away from becoming a head bailiff. His "Thirteen Blades of the Public Gate" were wielded with tiger-like ferocity.

If it weren't for the severe injuries he sustained in the line of duty, perhaps Chen Ping'an could have lived the life of a "second-generation bailiff."

Speaking of Old Chen, he was quite a character in his youth.

He had ventured alone into this vast Weishui County, joined the Nanquan Alley Pacification Office, and firmly established himself within the county seat. He bought this property, found a place to settle down, and later married and had Chen Ping'an and Chen Er'ya, carrying on the family line.

For a commoner, he was definitely an inspirational model.

It was just a pity that his life...

His wife died in childbirth with Chen Er'ya, and his eldest son had drowned years earlier, which was why the transmigrated Chen Ping'an existed. Old Chen himself eventually succumbed to the injuries he sustained on duty.

Chen Ping'an cleaned up the broken crossbar and wood shavings, then found a similar wooden stick from the firewood pile in the corner of the courtyard to serve as a temporary door latch.

"That Young Master Hu has thick skin and flesh, and his meat-refining is accomplished; he must be at the peak of the Second Stage of Blood and Qi!"

Chen Ping'an recalled the scene with Young Master Hu earlier, combined with what he had seen and heard while on duty, and guessed inwardly.

Martial arts cultivation involves refining the physique externally, stretching tendons and bones, and strengthening the internal organs.

For an ordinary person, without the guidance of a master or a supply of resources, it would be difficult to even step through the door of cultivation after several months of effort.

Being able to achieve the First Stage of Blood and Qi was already quite impressive!

In the Nanquan Alley Pacification Office where Chen Ping'an worked, many of the unregistered temporary bailiffs hadn't even reached the First Stage of Blood and Qi.

The First Stage of Blood and Qi is considered the start of martial arts cultivation.

At the peak of the First Stage of Blood and Qi, the skin becomes thick like thin cowhide, which is considered a decent level of skill!

Such a person, if they mixed with gangs, could easily become a gang leader. If they went through official channels, with a little bribery, they could easily become a temporary bailiff.

If one reached the Second Stage of Blood and Qi, they would be considered core strength among the gangs roaming the streets. Even, as long as one's family background was clean and they had no criminal record, they could easily pass the examination to become a formal bailiff at the Nanquan Alley Pacification Office.

In fact, most formal bailiffs had not yet reached the Second Stage of Blood and Qi.

As for someone like Young Master Hu, who was at the peak of the Second Stage of Blood and Qi, there were few such people even in the Tiger Head Gang; he could be considered high-level gang management. At the Nanquan Alley Pacification Office, he could even be considered a candidate for head bailiff.

If he had deep connections and the right opportunity, he might even be able to land a position as a head bailiff.

Old Chen was once famous and highly respected in this Pear Blossom Alley precisely because of his peak Second Stage of Blood and Qi cultivation and his mastery of the "Thirteen Blades of the Public Gate," the standard blade technique for formal bailiffs.

In ten days, Chen Ping'an had to repay Young Master Hu fourteen taels of silver, including interest. Currently, all he had, including his savings, was at most a little over seven taels, not even eight.

To pay off the debt, he had to find another way.

"Strength, strength! To truly stand firm in this world and not be disturbed by anything, I need strength!"

Thinking of the "Golden Finger" panel that had been activated last night and the Iron Shirt technique recorded within it, Chen Ping'an felt a burning sensation in his heart, filled with infinite anticipation.

Chen Er'ya was busy in the small kitchen, while Chen Ping'an gradually calmed down.

He had stayed up all night, and the Pacification Office had given him a day off today. It was the perfect time to practice martial arts.

After he had finished reading the Iron Shirt technique yesterday, the details recorded in the manual were all captured by the Golden Finger panel. As Chen Ping'an calmed his mind, the content of the Iron Shirt technique appeared in his mind one by one.

Iron Shirt belongs to the most basic method of tempering Blood and Qi.

When first practicing, one must use a soft cloth to wrap around the chest and back several times, then use the hands to rub and massage with force. Then, flex and extend the elbows and arms to make the chest contract and expand. At night, one should use a hard wooden board as a bed so that the bones are in constant contact with hard objects, gradually becoming solid over time.

The practice method of Iron Shirt sounds simple, but in actual practice, if the method is not correct, one might not only fail to succeed but also suffer a great deal of pain for nothing.

However, for Chen Ping'an, these were not problems at all.

Because the function of his Golden Finger panel was that as long as he practiced, he would gain something. Once proven, it is proven forever; it will never regress!

Chen Ping'an found some undergarments from the room, took off his upper clothing, wrapped them around his chest and back several times, and began to try according to the Iron Shirt practice method.

Chen Ping'an rubbed and massaged with force, then flexed and extended his elbows and arms, making his chest contract and expand.

Like this, he repeated it over and over again.

Later, when Chen Er'ya finished washing the dishes, she sat on a wooden stool, watching her brother perform these strange movements with curiosity.

"Big brother, are you practicing martial arts? What a strange way to practice."

As the practice continued, Chen Ping'an felt the skin on his body becoming scorching hot, and it hurt quite a bit.

"Continue!"

Chen Ping'an gritted his teeth and persisted.

He practiced for a full half-hour, just as he was about to give up.

Within his field of vision, a "+1" text symbol suddenly flashed.

Name: Chen Ping'an

Realm: None

Martial Arts: Iron Shirt (Not yet entered) (1/5)

"It works!"

At this moment, a smile finally appeared on Chen Ping'an's face.

(End of chapter)