The Great Martial Saint!

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

Chen Ping'an closed the wooden courtyard gate and walked over to Chen Erya, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Big brother, I'm not afraid!"

In Chen Ping'an's arms, Chen Erya clung tightly, like a frightened fawn.

This girl...

Chen Ping'an smiled silently.

She said she wasn't afraid, but her demeanor suggested otherwise.

Nine years old!

She usually seemed like a little adult, but deep down, she was still just a child.

In his previous life, a child like Chen Erya would have just started school! They would be the treasure of their families, cherished and protected, no amount of care would be too much.

But here, she had to bear the hardships of life early on.

Chen Ping'an knew that Chen Erya wasn't afraid of Little Tiger Lord; she was afraid that the hard-earned stability of their lives would be shattered.

"Things will get better, everything will get better."

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

"Yes, things will get better!"

Chen Erya leaned in Chen Ping'an's embrace for a while, seeming to regain some vitality.

"Come on, let's eat, the food is getting cold."

Chen Ping'an called out.

The soup had spilled over half the table, and several pieces of meat had fallen off, clearly due to the lackey Sixth slamming the table earlier.

Chen Erya didn't mind, carefully picking up the pieces of meat, chewing them slowly, savoring the flavor before reluctantly swallowing.

"Little one, big brother will definitely give you a good life."

Seeing Chen Erya's obedient demeanor, Chen Ping'an silently vowed in his heart.

"One day, big brother will make you a carefree little princess! Any storm, big brother will shield you from it."

After several years together, Chen Ping'an had long regarded Chen Erya as his real sister.

After finishing the meal, Chen Erya didn't trouble Chen Ping'an, she cleaned up the dishes and wiped the table, then took them to the small kitchen to wash.

Chen Ping'an looked at the broken latch and wood shavings on the ground, his face expressionless.

When Old Chen was still around, he had never been treated like this.

You should know, Old Chen was not just any bailiff in the Nanquan Lane Town Pacification Office, he was almost a squad leader. His skill with the Thirteen Blades of the Public Gate was formidable.

If it weren't for his severe injury on duty, perhaps Chen Ping'an could have lived a simpler version of a bailiff's offspring life.

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

He ventured alone in the vast Weishui County city and even joined the Nanquan Lane Town Pacification Office, firmly establishing himself in the city. He bought this property, securing a place to live. Later, he married and had Chen Ping'an and Chen Erya, continuing the family line.

For a commoner, this was definitely an inspiring story.

Unfortunately, his life...

His wife died due to complications during Chen Erya's birth, his eldest son drowned a few years earlier, which led to Chen Ping'an's transmigration. Old Chen himself was injured on duty and eventually passed away.

Chen Ping'an cleaned up the broken latch and wood shavings, then found a similar piece of firewood from the stack in the corner of the yard to serve as a temporary latch.

"Little Tiger Lord has thick skin and well-trained muscles, probably at the peak of the second level of Qi and Blood!"

Chen Ping'an recalled the scene with Little Tiger Lord earlier, combined with his usual observations while on duty, and made a mental guess.

Martial arts training involves external body tempering, stretching tendons and bones, and internal strengthening of the lungs and organs.

For an ordinary person, without a master's guidance or resources, it might take months just to step into the threshold of training.

Achieving the first level of Qi and Blood is already remarkable!

In the Nanquan Lane Town Pacification Office where Chen Ping'an worked, many unregistered temporary bailiffs hadn't even reached the first level of Qi and Blood.

The first level of Qi and Blood is considered the beginning of martial arts training.

Reaching the peak of the first level of Qi and Blood, with skin as tough as thin cowhide, can be considered a decent fighter!

Such a person, if mingling in gangs, could easily become a gang leader. If going the official route, with a bit of effort, they could easily become a temporary bailiff.

As for the second level of Qi and Blood, in the gangs roaming the streets, they would be considered core members. Moreover, with a clean background and no bad records, they could easily pass the assessment to become a formal bailiff in the Nanquan Lane Town Pacification Office.

In fact, most formal bailiffs haven't reached the second level of Qi and Blood.

As for someone like Little Tiger Lord, at the peak of the second level of Qi and Blood, they are rare even in the Tiger Head Gang and can be considered high-ranking members. In the Nanquan Lane Town Pacification Office, they could be considered potential squad leaders.

Even, with strong connections and the right opportunity, they might even become a squad leader.

Old Chen was well-known and respected in Pear Blossom Lane, precisely because of his peak second level Qi and Blood cultivation and his mastery of the Thirteen Blades of the Public Gate, the standard knife technique for formal bailiffs.

In ten days, Chen Ping'an would have to repay Little Tiger Lord fourteen taels of silver, principal and interest included. Currently, he had at most seven to eight taels of silver, including his savings.

To repay the debt, he would have to find a way to get more money.

"Strength, strength! To truly stand firm in this world, undisturbed by anything, one needs strength!"

Thinking of the golden finger panel activated last night and the Iron Shirt technique recorded within, Chen Ping'an felt a surge of excitement and infinite hope.

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

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

After flipping through the Iron Shirt technique last night, the details of the technique were recorded by the golden finger panel. As Chen Ping'an calmed his mind, the contents of the Iron Shirt technique recorded by the panel appeared in his mind.

The Iron Shirt is one of the most basic methods for tempering Qi and Blood.

At the beginning of practice, one needs to use soft cloth to wrap around the chest and back several times, then rub and massage with force. Then, bend and stretch the elbows and arms, making the chest expand and contract. At night, use a hard wooden board as a bed, allowing the bones to frequently contact hard objects, gradually becoming tougher over time.

The practice method of Iron Shirt sounds simple, but if done incorrectly, not only might one not succeed, but they could also suffer unnecessarily.

However, for Chen Ping'an, this was not a problem at all.

Because the function of his golden finger panel is that as long as he practices, he gains progress. Once achieved, it's permanent and never lost!

Chen Ping'an found some close-fitting clothes from the house, then took off his upper garments, wrapped the cloth around his chest and back several times, and began trying the Iron Shirt practice method.

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

He repeated this over and over.

Later, Chen Erya, having finished washing the dishes, sat on the wooden stool, curiously watching her brother's strange movements.

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

As the practice continued, Chen Ping'an felt his skin becoming extremely hot, the pain quite intense.

"Keep going!"

Chen Ping'an gritted his teeth and persisted.

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

A "+1" symbol suddenly flashed in his vision.

Name: Chen Ping'an

Realm: None

Martial Arts: Iron Shirt - Not Initiated (1/5)

"It works!"

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