"Ape-Leaping Steps, where a monkey can leap several meters in one bound, moving through the forest is like walking on flat ground, not to mention on flat land itself."
After returning to Xiazhen Town, Chu Ning began to study "Ape-Leaping Steps," a martial art created by the author based on the way monkeys climb through the forest.
The main features of "Ape-Leaping Steps" are jumping and climbing, which would be perfect for a thief.
However, Chu Ning wasn't picky, having it was better than not.
In the following days, besides practicing the Bull Demon Fist, Chu Ning spent an extra hour every day practicing "Ape-Leaping Steps" in the mountains and forests, preparing for the constable contest a month later.
If he was hiding his skills, perhaps the other constables were too.
He couldn't be careless.
So, day after day.
The triennial constable contest had also arrived.
Although the contest wasn't open to the public, some of the powers-that-be in Daning County could still come to watch, including the county magistrate himself.
Seats had already been arranged on the training field behind the patrol department.
When Chu Ning approached the registration point, the constable in charge was taken aback, "Are you sure you want to register?"
Before Xiazhen Town became wealthy, Chu Ning was virtually invisible at the patrol department, but with Huang Zhongtai strongly supporting Chu Ning, the constables of the patrol department had all come to remember him.
"Is that not allowed?"
"It's allowed, but you can only register once within five years. If you register this time, you'll have to wait five years for the next one, and by the age of forty you won't be eligible to enter again."
The experienced constable gave him a reminder. The constables registering on-site had all served for at least five years and had some confidence in their own strength before they came. It was unprecedented for someone who had been in the job for just a year or two to register.
Because those who chose to be constables typically weren't very talented in martial arts. If someone reached the level of a martial master just two or three years after joining, what point was there in continuing as a constable? Wouldn't it be better to focus on training for a couple of years to break through to martial master?
Even if you loved the constable profession, you could directly become an arrest officer.
With mediocre martial arts talent, it was even more a matter of spending time to grind, letting strength grow bit by bit. Practicing for one more year was always stronger than one year less.
After Chu Ning made his intention to register clear, the experienced constable wrote down his name.
Meanwhile, at one side of the training field's stands, there was a group of relatively young individuals.
"Isn't that Chu Ning?"
"What's he doing going over to the registration point?"
"No way!"
"Is he going to register too?"
Jin Le, like a commentator, kept explaining Chu Ning's every move, and the surrounding students couldn't help but look towards the registration point following his voice. When they saw Chu Ning picking up a number plate and heading to the competitors' seats, they were all shocked.
Chu Ning is participating in the constable contest?
Is this some kind of joke?
Is he here to make people laugh?
Before they came to watch the contest, their instructor Liu had given them an overview of the constable contest. Those participating were strong, with the weakest lifting 800 pounds, and those who had trained for over a decade could easily punch with a force of 3000 pounds. Not to mention their combat experience.
They asked themselves honestly, if they were to go on stage, they probably wouldn't even make it into the top five.
"He's certainly got guts," said Zhao Qin with his hands behind his back, speaking indifferently.
"Guts? This is called having no self-awareness. If I were him, I'd just be a peaceful constable, earn money, train, and maybe in ten years' time take part again."
"Exactly, come back in ten years, aim for a top-three spot, get the reward and then make a dash for the rank of martial master. That's the most reliable approach. What he's doing is just for show."
Dressed in a tight-fitting red outfit, Tang Ruowei couldn't stand listening any longer and interrupted, "If Chu Ning dares to go up, he must be confident."
That guy's really sharp.
Interrupted by Tang Ruowei in that way, the other students stopped discussing, as they couldn't beat her anyway.
On the main stage, there were three people sitting.
To the left was Director Huang, in the middle sat a middle-aged man in official attire, and to the right was Liu Junshan.
"Director Huang manages your subordinates well, the patrol department is full of talent," said the middle-aged man.
"He Xu, I can't take credit for that. The true merit goes to instructor Liu, as most of the constables from the patrol department come from our academy," replied Huang Zhongtai, directing the conversation towards Liu Junshan.
Seeing Huang Zhongtai bring Liu Junshan into the conversation, He Xu smiled faintly, "Of course, it's the students' fortune that our Daning County Martial Academy has instructor Liu."
Liu Junshan knew the underlying friction between these two men as clearly as if looking at a mirror. He originally only planned to bring the students to watch and had no intention of getting involved in their rivalry. However, when his gaze landed on Chu Ning sitting at the registration area, his eyes deepened, but he looked up and smiled, "Every competition has always been spectacular, not least because of the constables' diligence in training, but also thanks to the rewards and incentives. I wonder what rewards Director Huang and He Xu have prepared for this time?"
What rewards?
Both Huang Zhongtai and He Xu were puzzled by Liu Junshan's question, weren't the rewards for each constable contest always the same?
"Is instructor Liu suggesting that both the Director and I should offer something extra in terms of rewards?" asked He Xu, his gaze sweeping over the registration area before he added with a smile, "It's true, the same rewards every year might fail to draw interest. How about we add a Tongjin Elixir for this year's first place winner?"
"He Xu, I'm afraid that's inappropriate," Director Huang protested immediately, frowning, "The Tongjin Elixir is too precious."
"It's precisely because it's precious that it will encourage the constables to train harder. The county office will even help out with half the material costs."
He Xu knew why Huang Zhongtai was objecting; Huang's favored subordinates among the constables weren't very strong. Compared to them, the constables under He Xu were the most likely to win first place.
But he wasn't going to give Huang Zhongtai that opportunity. Now with the county paying half the expenses, if Huang were to refuse, he'd lose people's hearts at the patrol department.
"Alright, just as Master He proposed."
With a sullen face, Huang Zhongtai, and He Xu wearing a smug smile, Liu Junshan beside them sighed inwardly, thinking that Master He still believed he had won, not realizing that he had long fallen into the trap set by Huang Zhongtai, and that even he himself had likely been calculated against.
Reflecting on it now, Liu Junshan figured that for this kind of constable competition, it should have been the head instructor of the school to lead the team, but instead, Huang Zhongtai had issued an invitation to him. His own attitude towards Chu Ning, Huang Zhongtai probably had guessed something about it.
"The children of top nobles are indeed none too simple," Liu Junshan murmured to himself.
…
…
At the registration desk, Chu Ning, as one of the youngest faces, naturally also attracted the attention of the other constables. Some looked at him mockingly, some with a flash of maliciousness in their eyes, and some simply ignored him.
At Chen Time, Huang Zhongtai stood up and said, "You all know the rules of the constable competition, so I will not repeat them here. But I have good news for you, the first-place winner of this constable competition will receive a Tongjin Elixir."
Whoosh!
Chu Ning heard the astonished voices around him and noticed that the breaths of the surrounding applicants grew rapid. Even though he did not know what the Tongjin Elixir was, he understood it must be something valuable.
Could it really help one cultivate Dark Energy?
Chu Ning's eyes also lit up, thinking that he must get his hands on that Tongjin Elixir this time.
Before long, the eleven constables seated at the front began to draw lots to choose their opponents.
This time, there were twenty-two constables registered in total. The eleven sitting in the first row were openly recognized as having strong abilities, and they would pick the weaker ones in the second row as their opponents, so that a premature clash of the strongest wouldn't happen too soon.
"Number 18."
When Chu Ning saw the number drawn by the constable, who turned out to be an acquaintance—Zhao Qin's top constable, Li Cheng—he was also surprised.
"Chu Ning, lucky for you, you drew me." Li Cheng looked at Chu Ning and said impatiently, "Why did you sign up for this? Do you really think this competition is just for play? If you got someone like Zhang Tao as your opponent, although they wouldn't cripple you, bringing you down and putting you to bed for a few months would be no problem, and Director Huang wouldn't be able to say anything about it."
"Brother Li, I have my reasons for registering. Let's do this, we'll both throw a punch at the same time, and whoever has more strength wins, what do you say? "
Not wanting to be too harsh with one of his own, Chu Ning's proposal made Li Cheng laugh, "Where's this confidence coming from, kid? Alright, we no longer need to see who's stronger. If you can take a punch from me and still stand without moving, you win."
After agreeing on the terms, Chu Ning and Li Cheng struck out with their fists simultaneously. The moment their fists collided, Li Cheng's expression changed.
First his pupils dilated, then his face showed disbelief, and finally, his body staggered a few steps, while Chu Ning stood firmly in place.
"Chu Ning, you..."
"Brother Li, do you think Director Huang would have let me register if I wasn't confident?" Chu Ning said harmlessly to a somewhat dazed Li Cheng.
"That's true; it seems you've been playing your cards close to the chest, Chu Ning."
Li Cheng stepped down, and the fights between the other twenty were also nearly over.
The first row relied on sheer power to overwhelm, thus winning without much difficulty.
But when these ten saw Chu Ning still standing on the field while Li Cheng had stepped down, their glances towards Chu Ning acquired a hint of scrutiny.
"Those who won, step forward to draw lots; the person who draws the blank lot will automatically advance this round."
With eleven people and a necessity for pairs to compete, there was bound to be one left over, and not everyone needed to step forward to draw. For instance, Chu Ning stepped forward and drew number 3, meaning that the constable with number 3 wouldn't need to draw anymore.
"What a coincidence."
Holding his lot number, Chu Ning gazed at Zhang Tao, unexpectedly facing him in the second round.
Looking at the number in Chu Ning's hand, Zhang Tao's eyes flashed fiercely. He was backed by Officer Gan, who was Master He's confidant, and Chu Ning was Director Huang's man…
Now, as Master He watched from the stands, if he could defeat Chu Ning fiercely, Master He would surely take notice of him.
"This man... harbors intent to kill me?"
Although Chu Ning couldn't sense the so-called killing aura, he could tell something was off from Zhang Tao's expression.
"I like to nip threats in the bud; I might as well waste you right here."
Regardless of whether his judgment was correct, since Zhang Tao was from the other side, he saw no need to show mercy.
"Chu Ning, I didn't expect to see you again so soon."
Bang!
Before Zhang Tao could finish his words, Chu Ning's fist had already arrived.
"You!"
Zhang Tao hastily blocked with his arms in front of his chest, only to hear a crisp sound of bones breaking, following which he was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.
This sudden turn of events on the field immediately drew all the onlookers' attention.
After all, compared to the fights between other constables involving exchanging punches and kicks, retreating steps and staggering balance, the way Zhang Tao was defeated was particularly attention-grabbing.
If it wasn't for a vast disparity in strength between the two, such an outcome would not have been possible.
"What happened? I wasn't watching this side just now."
"I was watching; Chu Ning attacked treacherously and sent Zhang Tao flying without him being prepared," a constable indignantly claimed.
Upon hearing this, a nearby constable looked at the speaker as if he were an idiot. A sneak attack... then sending someone flying... why don't you try to see if you can do it?
This was an opponent so strong that he couldn't even react in time.
However, the most shocked were not these constables, but the students who came to watch.
"Damn!"
"Damn!"