The day was past noon.
He visited the Chief Constable of the South City District once again.
It had been more than half a year since his last visit, which had been about the matter concerning Zhang Hai. At that time, he had been extremely cautious, bowing his head, unwilling to draw the slightest attention, trying to lower his presence and sneaking into the prison behind.
But this visit was different, as he was summoned by Xu Hongyu, the Chief Constable. Even if he wanted to lower his presence, it would be impossible. He had to report to the front desk first and then go to the central building of the Chief Constable's office, being led all the way to the highest floor, the fourth.
The officer who led him upstairs was a member of the staff at the Chief Constable's office, casting many curious glances at him. Along the way, he wore a smiling face, greeting him and asking various questions, clearly eager to make his acquaintance.
An officer who worked at the Chief Constable's office generally had some connections or abilities, different from the lower-level officers in the various district offices. They were more experienced and had broader perspectives.
Meeting someone like Chen Mu who had been summoned by Xu Hongyu, regardless of the reason, definitely wasn't an ordinary individual, and naturally, people were willing to make his acquaintance.
"Alright, I'll leave you here. Upstairs is the Hall Office of the Chief Constable. Brother Chen, you should go up on your own. When you're free, you must come find me. I insist on treating you to the famous drunken duck from the best restaurant in South City."
The officer who had led Chen Mu upstairs escorted him to the third floor, then stopped and smiled, bowing his hands.
Chen Mu returned the gesture, then continued upstairs.
The fourth floor.
This was the highest floor of the City Guard General's main building, from which one could overlook the most bustling markets of the South City District.
The entire floor was expansive, yet tranquil. As Chen Mu walked along, he only encountered one female officer, dressed in light armor, who led him to the Hall Office at the very end.
"Come in."
Xu Hongyu's voice did not come from the front Hall Office, but rather from the side hall adjacent to it.
The female officer who had led him here gestured for him to enter.
The side hall was not as spacious as the main hall but was nevertheless very elegant, furnished with several wisteria-wood tables adorned with some official papers or one or two pots of flowers and plants.
Xu Hongyu wasn't wearing the white flying fish robe but was dressed in a slightly loose casual outfit, sitting behind a table near the window. Half of her body was leaning against the window sill, one hand forming a fist to support her chin, as she looked out over the cityscape.
"Chief Constable."
Chen Mu stopped about two meters away and gave a salute.
Xu Hongyu slowly turned her head, looked Chen Mu up and down, then said, "Your father, Chen Feng, is an old officer from the Ninth District. He used his relationship with Liu Ming to arrange for you to join the City Defense Division. At that time, you didn't know any Blade Technique. All these years, you have no connections whatsoever, and haven't learned the blade from anyone else. It must be that you came across a Sword Manual by chance and have been practicing on your own for three to four years?"
With just one sentence, Xu Hongyu clarified Chen Mu's background distinctly.
Chen Mu wasn't too surprised, as Xu Hongyu's position made it too easy for her to investigate all his information, probably just taking one morning's work.
Asking him to come in the afternoon meant it was very likely that she had ordered someone to gather his background information that morning.
This background was basically accurate, and they might even have investigated his daily patrol duties. The only detail they were unclear about was… that he had actually only practiced the blade for just over nine months, and not three to four years.
Of course, Chen Mu would not correct this misconception. Xu Hongyu thinking that he practiced for three to four years actually made more sense.
"Yes."
Chen Mu bowed again, showing an appropriate amount of reverence.
Xu Hongyu took another few glances at him, then suddenly stood up, walked in front of Chen Mu, and extended her hand. Her small hand, clear and lustrous as jade, bent her index and middle fingers to tap swiftly three times on Chen Mu's ribs, chest, and the middle of his back.
These taps were as fast as lightning. Chen Mu only saw a blurred afterimage before feeling a tingling pain in the three areas. Following that, his body slightly softened, and he staggered, nearly unable to maintain his stance.
"Hmm... it seems so."
Xu Hongyu withdrew her hand, returned to her table, and looked at Chen Mu calmly. She pushed forward a stack of items on the table, indicating for Chen Mu to take them.
Chen Mu, having been prodded thrice by Xu Hongyu, still felt a numbing and sore sensation in his body. Although he guessed she might be probing his physical condition in some way, he couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
Shifting forward somewhat laboriously, he picked up the items on the table to take a look.
To his discovery, there were several sheets of paper.
The first sheet had a note handwritten by Xu Hongyu saying 'Withdraw 300 taels of Patterned Silver.'
The sheet underneath held rows of densely packed small characters, with a few larger and more eye-catching words at the top—Golden Jade Skin Toughening Technique.
"My lady, this..."
Chen Mu showed surprise in a timely manner, looking towards Xu Hongyu.
But his mind was already as clear as a polished mirror. It seemed his talents, revealed through self-taught blade skills despite his age, were possibly higher than even he had anticipated, such that Xu Hongyu, the Chief Constable, was willing to bestow her favor and win his loyalty.
"Although you killed Tang Quan, I was nearby at the time and can count it as you having captured him alive. The 300 taels of Patterned Silver is his bounty reward. As for this Golden Jade Skin Toughening Technique... have you heard of the Internal Training Body Refining Method?"
Xu Hongyu looked at Chen Mu with a calm demeanor.
Chen Mu nodded and said, "Responding to your query, I have heard of the saying, 'first skin, then muscles, then tendons, then bones.' I've always been interested, but the price is steep, and I've had no opportunity to engage with it."
Xu Hongyu nodded slightly and said, "First Skin Toughening, then Body Refinement, followed by Tendon Changing, up to Bone Tempering... This is the most stable sequence in cultivating the Body Tempering Method. Generally speaking, if you're able to perfect Skin Toughening, dealing with four or five scoundrels bare-handedly should pose no problem. If you can further refine the Body Refinement technique to perfection, even a dozen scoundrels won't be able to get close."
"You've managed to self-learn Blade Momentum, which shows you have good comprehension. Even though your talent is average and you began learning the Body Tempering Method relatively late, you still have a good chance to refine Body Refinement to Perfection. By then, you can consider yourself somewhat skillful."
"Oh, right, the Tang Quan you killed had achieved Body Refinement Perfection and was a Martial Man. At that time, I had severely injured him, but the remaining strength he had was still extraordinary, which you must have experienced."
It was more than an experience for Chen Mu; he still vividly remembered it to this point.
In terms of skill, he wasn't far off from Tang Quan; they were probably both at the level of having cultivated 'Momentum'. But the gap in physique was too great. If Tang Quan had not been gravely injured, Chen Mu would have had trouble lasting even two or three moves against him.
"If Tang Quan hadn't been injured, I would have been no match for him."
Chen Mu shook his head and said.
Xu Hongyu nodded slightly and continued, "That's right. You have the skill of 'Momentum', but without the physical support, you're like a rootless duckweed. You can handle some third-rate characters with ease, but once you face someone who has cultivated the Body Tempering Method to a certain level, you'll have a hard time dealing with them, even if their skills haven't reached the level of 'Momentum'."
"With your current level, you're probably on par with someone who has perfected Skin Toughening but hasn't mastered 'Momentum'. However, if you also reach Skin Toughening Perfection, you could easily crush those at the same level who also haven't mastered 'Momentum', and you might even be able to handle some who have achieved Minor Achievement in Body Refinement, but whose skills stop short of 'Momentum'."
Chen Mu had never had a clear understanding of his own strength, but now, hearing Xu Hongyu's words, he finally had a rough idea.
Blade Technique is skill, and Body Tempering Method is strength.
Only when strength and skill are fused can one be on the right path, the grand avenue to heaven.
On the other hand, cultivating 'Momentum' depends entirely on comprehension, while the Body Tempering Method relies more on an accumulation of resources. Hence, those who have mastered Momentum are regarded as a class of talents. If they are young enough, it's even more remarkable.
As Xu Hongyu was saying, even among some who have achieved Major Achievement or Perfection in Body Refinement, many have not been able to cultivate 'Momentum' and are thus, at best, second-rate.
For someone like Chen Mu, who had mastered Momentum at a young age, if he could just cultivate his physique to Body Refinement Perfection, he would be able to take on ten of those who have relied on resources to reach Body Refinement Perfection but lacked adequate skill level.
That kind of person is truly elite.
In the Outer City, they could serve as a Prefecture Chief of Ninth District, managing two to three hundred officers.
In the Inner City, within the major forces, they could also be mid-level elites, serving as martial masters and Protectors, leading some troops.
"The most difficult 'Momentum' you have already cultivated. This Body Tempering Method just requires daily hard work and perseverance, allowing you to accumulate progress layer by layer. My 'Golden Jade Skin Toughening Technique', though not the most efficient, causes very little harm to the body, and even as you grow older, there's no need to worry about latent injuries flaring up. If it were available outside, it would be worth its weight in gold."
"Now, I am awarding you this Skin Toughening method as well. Do you... understand?"
Xu Hongyu quietly watched Chen Mu.
Chen Mu, of course, knew what he was supposed to say and immediately responded, "I am merely a subordinate, acting upon the commands of my superiors. With the great kindness you've shown me, I'll definitely follow your lead from now on."
The powers within Yu City were complex and intertwined; even the City Defense Division wasn't solely under Xu Hongyu's control, as forces from both the Inner City and other powers tried to influence it, through bribery or planting their own. Xu Hongyu saw Chen Mu as a talent worth nurturing, requiring his clear loyalty in return.
"Very good."
Xu Hongyu nodded slightly, satisfied with Chen Mu's attitude. "You can go back now. I've informed Chief Constable Min to take good care of you. Once you have made progress with this Skin Toughening Technique, I'll transfer you to the Chief Office."
Chen Mu bowed again, "Thank you for your high regard, sir. I will heed your instructions."
Xu Hongyu said no more but waved him off.
Chen Mu respectfully placed the several pages into his bosom and then left the side hall.
After Chen Mu left, Xu Hongyu gazed at his retreating figure with a trace of regret in her eyes.
"To self-learn the Blade Momentum in just three or four years is indeed a mark of talent. It's a pity he has low origins and wasn't able to start learning the Body Tempering Method earlier. It isn't difficult for him to reach the First Realm of Body Refinement, but hoping to reach the 'Tendon Changing' level seems to be a faint prospect."
Children from wealthy families often start learning skills from a young age, and at the most suitable age of fifteen or sixteen, they begin to cultivate the Body Tempering Method concurrently. After 'three years of Skin Toughening and five years of Body Refinement', they can achieve Body Refinement Perfection before the age of twenty-five, giving them a good chance of entering the Third Realm of 'Tendon Changing'.
If Body Refinement Perfection coupled with skill Perfection defines the mid-level elite, then reaching the Tendon Changing Level marks the true upper echelon.
As a Chief Constable like her stands on this level.
She didn't get her position as Chief Constable just because of her background, as strength is one of the fundamentals.
But...
Chen Mu's introduction to the Body Tempering Method had come somewhat too late.
She had just tested Chen Mu's talent, which was untapped until now in Body Tempering Method, but he was already over twenty-two years old. Even with dedicated and intense training, it would be hard for him to reach Body Refinement Perfection before thirty.
That's because the ideal age to train in the Body Tempering Method is from sixteen up until twenty-five, a period when a young person's vitality is at its peak, so progress comes twice as fast. After that, it's pretty much fixed.
Once you're past thirty, the process inversely becomes more and more challenging, and advancement is hard to come by.
With Chen Mu's innate ability, had he been born in an affluent family, his accomplishments might not be much lesser than hers right now. Even if he wouldn't have reached the Tendon Changing level, he would at least have achieved Body Refinement Perfection. But now, starting to chase after it from scratch, he's more than just a step behind.
All she could feel was regret.
After all, talents like Chen Mu were quite rare in the Outer City; he could have had the potential to stand shoulder to shoulder with her.