Chapter 89: Chapter 88: That’s a Bit Much

Chen Tang chatted with the fat old man for a while, and the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Last night, his saber was cut by a flying sword, leaving only a broken saber.

Chen Tang held the broken saber, practicing Burning Wood Saber in the room for half an hour.

The guest room had limited space; practicing the saber wasn’t affected, but practicing fists would be difficult.

Chen Tang went downstairs, arriving at the open ground in the inn’s courtyard, and started practicing the Tiger Subduing Fist.

This kind of cultivation had become his daily routine and he was long used to it.

At this hour, most people in the inn were already awake. Some came to the backyard and saw Chen Tang practicing, slightly surprised.

Soon, a crowd gathered both upstairs and downstairs in the courtyard.

Many people from Changze County were among them.

Chen Tang seemed oblivious, continuing his practice.

The sixteen movements of Tiger Subduing Fist were almost universally known, nothing special.

He wasn’t afraid others would learn it.

Without entering the Divine State or guidance from a Mountain Guest, even watching for decades wouldn’t reveal its essence, at most reaching the level of his prior self.

Variations in posture, power techniques, and various details were hard to grasp through mere observation.

“Where’s this young man from, not afraid of embarrassment, even practicing the Tiger Subduing Fist?”

Someone in the crowd couldn’t help but chuckle, showing a mocking expression.

Many people turned to look, their gazes as if watching a fool.

Mei Yingxue also chuckled and said, “And who doesn’t know shame? This is Chen Tang, who just succeeded in grading yesterday and earned the name ’Panda Blade Master’ upon arriving in Wu’an County!”

The man’s face changed, realizing he had misspoken.

He hadn’t attended the drill field yesterday but had heard of the ’Panda Blade Master.’

The man smiled sheepishly, saying, “This brother doesn’t have the panda’s black eye circles, so I didn’t recognize him. My eyes are indeed blunt.”

Another wealthy gentleman from Changze County said in a deep voice, “Our compatriot was famous in Changze County! Who doesn’t know the name Young Hero Tiger Subduing!”

“Indeed, indeed!”

Another person from Changze County nodded and said, “Young Hero Tiger Subduing is praised by everyone back home; who wouldn’t call him a young hero!”

“When we came, we encountered Snow Thieves blocking the road. Fortunately, Junior Brother Chen helped resolve the crisis.”

Mentioning Young Hero Tiger Subduing again, the people from Changze County no longer had any ridicule in their tone.

They praised and flattered Chen Tang intensely, as if being a fellow townsman was a matter of great pride.

Chen Tang remained calm and undisturbed, leaving after finishing his practice.

Although this world was vastly different from his previous life, some things remained the same.

Young Hero Tiger Subduing used to be a joke.

Now, it was considered an honor.

This transformation was just because he succeeded in grading. In the eyes of people in Changze County, a Ninth Grade Martial Artist was already impressive.

Moreover, Chen Tang was still young, with limitless prospects.

Among the crowd, Lu Shizong’s family symbolically joined in the praises, though their expressions were somewhat unnatural.

“I wonder which household Chen Tang went to after attending the county governor’s banquet yesterday.”

“Previously, I saw him chatting cheerfully with the governor’s son, likely entering the governor’s mansion.”

“Working by the governor’s side is like reaching the heavens in a single bound!”

The crowd watched Chen Tang’s departing figure, their faces full of envy.

The banquet news hadn’t spread out yet, and only those who were there last night knew the details.

Chen Tang finished his practice, drenched in sweat, went back to clean up, and had breakfast downstairs.

He went to the stable, bought some good wine and meat to feed Thunder Leopard.

Thunder Leopard had found its way to the inn by itself as soon as the city gate opened yesterday morning.

Chen Tang temporarily placed it at the inn’s stable.

Today, he still needed to report to the Cyan Dragon Bureau.

Chen Tang was only Ninth Grade; Cai Yin had made an exception to recruit him, and it seemed he wasn’t considered an official Cyan Dragon Guard.

It kind of felt like he had taken a backdoor entry.

Would he be ostracized inside?

Those who took backdoor entries were often looked down upon.

Having connections or backing would be good.

He had none of that.

He didn’t know if the Cyan Dragon Bureau had many rules, how much salary it offered, or how tiring the work would be.

Most importantly, he wondered if there would be overtime.

With such scattered thoughts, Chen Tang had already reached the entrance of the Cyan Dragon Bureau.

On either side of the entrance stood two Cyan Dragon Guards.

Chen Tang approached, handed over the Ninth Grade Bronze Order he had received the night before, and stated his name.

A Cyan Dragon Guard took the token, gave Chen Tang a once-over, and then nodded, “Lord Cai instructed us yesterday, follow me.”

With that, the Cyan Dragon Guard led Chen Tang into the Cyan Dragon Bureau.

The internal structure of the Cyan Dragon Bureau showcased dragon motifs everywhere, impressive in detail, yet the entire facility exuded a sense of oppression and eeriness.

Soon, Chen Tang arrived in front of a hall.

Standing at the entrance, he could see Cai Yin sitting grandly at the primary seat in the middle, grabbing pastries and stuffing them into his mouth.

“Come in.”

Cai Yin saw Chen Tang and beckoned, asking, “You eaten? Come over and have some, these pastries are good.”

“I’ve eaten.”

Chen Tang felt slightly amused.

Every time he met this person, he seemed to be in a state of hunger, either eating or looking for food.

On either side of the hall, there were ten chairs in total, five on each side.

Sitting on both sides were nine people, five on the left and four on the right, with an empty seat at the end.

There were seven men and two women, all in armor and armed with swords, looking fairly young, with the first two appearing around thirty.

Cai Yin pointed to the empty seat at the end of the right row and said, “From now on, when you come here, you’ll sit there.”

Chen Tang didn’t feel disrespected.

He originally wasn’t qualified, so it was normal for him to sit at the end in the Cyan Dragon Bureau.

As Chen Tang stepped into the hall, the nine people on both sides turned to look at him, sizing him up with a hint of scrutiny and a bit of curiosity in their eyes.

It wasn’t the hostility Chen Tang had imagined.

On the seat at the end of the right row lay a set of cyan armor and a sheathed long sword.

Chen Tang honestly said, “My lord, I don’t know how to use a sword.”

“Just learn it; you’ve just entered the ranks, what skills do you expect to have?”

Cai Yin said, “This is the standard equipment and symbol of our Cyan Dragon Guard. Wearing the armor and carrying the sword, anyone who sees you outside will know you’re from the Cyan Dragon Bureau.”

Chen Tang nodded, understanding.

After all, joining the court inevitably comes with some restrictions.

Just like in the patrol bureau of the previous life, a patrol officer with a standard issue pistol wouldn’t walk around with a Desert Eagle, it would be inappropriate.

Chen Tang didn’t care much.

After all, he never intended to stay long in the Cyan Dragon Bureau; once he found the opportunity to deal with the Young Leader of the Black Water Gang, he would owe nothing to his past self and be carefree.

He could then roam the martial world with his saber and horse.

“These are soft armors custom-made for our Cyan Dragon Bureau, a bit better than those worn by Centurions and Thousand Leaders in the army.”

The one speaking was the woman in the ninth seat on the right, about twenty-something, without makeup, elegant and extraordinary, her hair tied in a ponytail at the back of her head, looking very capable.

“My name is Wang Yanli, you can call me Sister Li or Sister Wang, as you wish.”

The woman introduced herself as she saw Chen Tang looking at her.

“Oh??”

The surrounding Cyan Dragon Guards made strange sounds with smiles, joining in the joke.

Cai Yin, eating at the main seat, showed no concern for this.

The oppressive feeling from entering the Cyan Dragon Bureau vanished instantly in the laughter of the hall.

“Sister Li.”

Chen Tang greeted.

Wang Yanli said, “The common soft armor in the army is made from cowhide, and the better ones use buffalo hide. But our Cyan Dragon Armor is made from rhino hide.”

“Its defense is much better than ordinary soft armor, a full-force strike from a Ninth Grade Martial Artist might not even break the Cyan Dragon Armor!”

Chen Tang secretly thought, impressive.

This was like wearing a bulletproof vest.

Having soft armor on in fights below the Fifth Grade made a noticeable difference.

When struck on the soft armor, one might not be injured, or only slightly injured.

While facing opponents without armor protection, a single strike might render them incapacitated.

Even two or three ordinary people in armor, holding sharp weapons or long spears, could fight to the death with a Ninth Grade Martial Artist!

So in Qian Country, it’s nothing for Jianghu people or common folks to carry a sword or a bow under one stone, but crossbows are not allowed.

One armor equals three crossbows, three armors send you to the underworld.

Illegally possessing armor is a more serious crime than possessing a crossbow!

Even just a few scattered parts or fragments of armor, if found, could be a capital crime of treason!

Cai Yin, sipping tea and swallowing a pastry, waved his hand and said, “Actually, you’re not officially a Cyan Dragon Guard yet, so the requirements for you aren’t too strict.”

“In the future, when you check-in at the Cyan Dragon Bureau or go out on official business, just wear your armor and sword neatly, and in normal times just be casual.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

Chen Tang expressed his gratitude.

Indeed, this lightened things up considerably.

Cai Yin asked, “Where will you live from now on? The Cyan Dragon Bureau has accommodations, do you want to move in?”

Chen Tang shivered inside and quickly shook his head.

Living at the company would make working overtime very convenient.

Some memories from the previous life surged back.

Chen Tang said, “I have elders and children to look after, so it’s more convenient to live at home.”

Later, he could find a place in Wu’an County, maybe rent a large courtyard.

“That works.”

Cai Yin nodded and asked, “Do you have anything else you want to ask?”

Chen Tang thought for a moment and asked, “How much is the monthly salary?”

Since he wasn’t officially a Cyan Dragon Guard yet, it was like being an intern.

If he encountered a heartless boss, it wouldn’t do to have no internship salary.

Cai Yin said, “The monthly salary is five taels, following the Seventh Grade Cyan Dragon Guard standard, equivalent to the Centurion standard. As for your usual living expenses, you can get everything from the bureau, including cultivation herbs.”

A Centurion is similar to a Hundred Households Leader.

Five taels a month is equivalent to a regular farmer’s yearly income.

Plus, there are other hidden benefits.

Like Cai Yin just mentioned, the bureau would provide for his regular living expenses, amounting to saving a significant amount.

No wonder everyone wants to join the court and become an official.

Chen Tang thought for a moment and asked, “Do I have to check-in every day, how long are the work hours generally, and can I move freely if there’s nothing to do?”

Cai Yin was slightly annoyed by Chen Tang’s three questions.

“You brat, your first day at the Cyan Dragon Bureau and you’re not concerned about me, the Cyan Dragon Bureau, or the court, but you open with questions about the salary, and now you want to slack off, isn’t that a bit much?!”

Cai Yin glared, his eyes wide and whiskers puffed.

He began to doubt whether he’d misjudged Chen Tang.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep