I Have A Qi Fortune Altar

Chen Yuan, dressed in his government official attire and with a long saber fastened to his waist, stepped out of the courtyard, nodding slightly in calm acknowledgment at the occasional greetings from passersby.

To Chen Yuan, these neighborhood folks felt both familiar and strange; he did not wish to be overly enthusiastic and appear suspicious. In the eyes of the nearby residents, a government official's status was already quite significant.

In his memories, his predecessor always maintained a calm demeanor.

"Yuan Ge'er, heading to the county government?"

Passing by a bun shop, a fair and pretty girl greeted Chen Yuan.

"Yes, I'll take two meat buns."

Chen Yuan placed four copper coins on the counter; each large meat bun cost two pennies.

The girl, with her thick braids swinging, took out two meat buns from the steamer. Then, while her father wasn't looking, she slipped an egg to Chen Yuan.

Her cheeks were flushed, seemingly a bit shy.

Looking down at the items, Chen Yuan realized her intent and said with a smile,

"Thank you."

The girl smiled timidly, and Chen Yuan nonchalantly tossed a copper coin into the cash box, saying with a smile,

"I'll be off then."

"Then, take your time."

Chen Yuan bit into a meat bun; it tasted quite good and he couldn't help but reflect internally.

The past Xiaofang had braids both coarse and long.

The later Xiaofang wanted both a car and a house.

...

Before long, Chen Yuan arrived at the county government.

A few government officials huddled together, whispering among themselves. As Chen Yuan walked by not too far away, he occasionally heard words like "brothel."

"You lad, this time you've won the affirmation of both the County Magistrate and the County Magistrate; you should really celebrate properly..." someone teased.

"Definitely, certainly."

A smile spread across Chen Yuan's face.

The recent chance killing of Tie Shou, though fortuitous, happened with many witnesses present, and the arrest officer wouldn't embezzle his credit, especially since the County Magistrate was greatly angered by the Tie Shou case.

Now that it was solved, rewards were naturally to be expected.

Otherwise, who would risk their lives for the government in the future?

The armed forces of the county government relied entirely on the government officials, as the martial readiness had long been neglected, and as for the white servants, they were just one kind of corvée labor.

Operating on a rotation system, they were hardly willing to die for the government.

They were just ordinary people, unable to even practice the most basic body refining technique.

This was a privilege reserved for the government officials.

"Oh right, the arrest officer ordered that you should go see him in the squad room as soon as you return," someone said.

"Okay, thank you."

Chen Yuan gave a salute and then turned, saber at his waist, and headed in a certain direction.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Standing in front of the door, Chen Yuan knocked.

"Come in!"

A deep voice from Huang Xing came from inside the room.

Chen Yuan walked calmly into the squad room and, after glancing at Huang Xing's rugged face, quickly lowered his head:

"This subordinate offers respects to the official."

Seeing it was Chen Yuan, Huang Xing nodded:

"Hmm."

"May I ask what business the official has summoned this subordinate for?"

"It pertains to your merit. The County Magistrate and the County Magistrate personally inquired about this matter."

"Defeating Tie Shou, the credit belongs to Your Honor entirely; this humble official only provided some minor assistance. Without Your Honor, this humble official would certainly not be a match for Tie Shou."

Chen Yuan whispered softly.

Huang Xing smiled with satisfaction:

"What's yours is yours; does this official look like he would embezzle your earnings?"

"This humble official wouldn't dare."

"For this act of slaying Tie Shou, your merit is substantial. Both the County Magistrate and I have taken note. How about a reward of twenty silver taels and the bestowment of a saber technique?"

Huang Xing said lightly.

Chen Yuan felt a surge of joy in his heart; twenty silver taels—that was more than his annual salary; he had never handled such a large sum before!

And a saber technique!

Chen Yuan had been in the County Government for over a year, but his merits were low, and usually only the long-serving government officials were rewarded with a saber technique.

Even a common saber technique was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

In Ping'an County, many relied on a single saber or fist technique to open martial arts halls and teach martial arts. From this, it was apparent that a single saber technique could become a legacy for an ordinary family.

However, cultivation techniques rewarded by the imperial court were not to be taught to others; if discovered, one risked becoming a wanted fugitive.

In essence, the imperial court did not wish for everyone to be martially inclined, for the knight-errant, with his martial prowess, may break the law, and a person skilled in martial arts becomes an element of instability.

Yet, anyone with a bit of insight would pursue the path of martial arts.

For it brought power, status, wealth...

In this extraordinary world, only formidable martial strength could protect everything.

Within Ping'an County, every martial arts hall bore the same inscription.

"All are inferior; only martial arts stand supreme!"

Thus, one could see just how important 'martial arts' truly were.

"Thank you, Your Honor!" Chen Yuan bowed deeply, his gesture conveying an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward Huang Xing.

Observing Chen Yuan's expression, Huang Xing's lips curled into a smile.

"Your Honor... may this humble official exchange the silver for... Tiger Bone Pills?"

Chen Yuan suddenly asked.

"You may..." Huang Xing looked at Chen Yuan with a hint of interest.

Twenty silver taels were enough to marry a wife, but Chen Yuan opted to exchange them for an elixir. It was such a pity; with this kind of resolve, if it were not for his poor aptitude, Huang Xing would have seriously considered cultivating him.

"Thank Your Honor."

The Tiger Bone Pill, one of the most suitable body refining elixirs for those at the Foundation Establishment Realm, was something Chen Yuan had researched and longed to exchange for, but his means were too meager to afford it.

One Tiger Bone Pill was worth ten silver taels, that being the internal price set by the imperial court. On the black market, a Tiger Bone Pill could sometimes fetch more than twelve silver taels.

Despite earning nearly two silver taels a month in salary plus additional perks, Chen Yuan's expenses were high and savings difficult to accumulate. A martial artist needed regular nourishment; otherwise, the daily cultivation would be too taxing.

Chen Yuan had previously calculated his assets—aside from real estate, he had little more than eight silver taels and some copper coins, not even enough to afford a single Tiger Bone Pill.

"Here are two Tiger Bone Pills," Huang Xing said, taking a small porcelain bottle from his bosom and tossing it to Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan hastily caught it and tucked it away in his chest.

"The County Government currently has three saber techniques available: Stone Cutting Blade Technique, Gale Blade Technique, and Sword Drawing Skill. Which one would you like to learn?" Huang Xing lifted his teacup and took a sip without any intent to elaborate.

Nonetheless, Chen Yuan didn't need any introduction; all these three saber techniques were practiced by the veteran government officials, with the Gale Blade Technique being the most common for its boldness.

However, after weighing his options, Chen Yuan chose the Sword Drawing Skill.

It was a saber technique meant for killing, with only one move.

In the memories of his previous life, he had seen the prison chief execute this technique, severing a foe in two with a single strike, leaving a profound impact on Chen Yuan.

The catch was, if that one strike didn't kill the opponent, the enemy would be on guard, necessitating the use of other saber techniques to combat them.

Yet, this aligned with Chen Yuan's beliefs.

Flashy saber techniques really couldn't compare with the potency of one that focused on a singular, powerful strike.

One strike to determine life or death!