Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

Chapter 348: Chapter 170: Military Merit (2)

However, resources of this level were nearly impossible to buy on the open market.

It seemed he would have to formally join a Sect to solve this problem.

…

「Ten days later.」

“Sir, we’ve arrived at the Prefecture City of Yunlei Mansion,” came the voice of the driver, Old Huang.

A moment later, Chen Cheng completed a full cultivation cycle of the Great Cycle of Four Gods Profound Body and slowly exhaled a murky breath.

He lifted the window curtain.

A massive city appeared ahead, its scale rivaling that of Yongzhou Prefecture City.

However, this massive city presented a completely different sight.

The city walls were high and imposing. The bricks were riddled with gashes from blades, axes, and countless arrow holes, looking as if they had been repeatedly gnawed away by time and war. Every crack seemed to silently tell a story.

The arrow towers above the city gate were two stories taller than those of an ordinary prefecture city, and there were more of them.

Behind the crenellations, one could faintly see Armored Warriors milling about. The long arms of Crossbow Wagons protruded from the arrow slits, their massive, dark Iron Arrows poised as if ready to be unleashed upon those below at any moment.

Below the walls, an exceptionally wide moat stretched into the distance. The water was an eerie, dark red.

A breeze blew across the water, carrying a thick stench like that of rotting flesh mixed with rust.

The only visible means of passage was a solitary drawbridge.

The entrance to the bridge was piled high with sandbags and wooden barricades. Armored soldiers, swords at their sides, carefully inspected everyone who passed.

Inspections for merchant caravans were especially strict. Their Trade Documents were repeatedly checked and recorded, and their cargo was thoroughly searched. The soldiers even used iron rods to probe the undersides of the carts and deep into the bundles of goods.

The process was so time-consuming that the Martial Artists traveling with the caravan chose this spot to officially part ways.

Having the status of a Military Guard made entering the city much simpler.

“Younger Brother Chen! We’re heading to the inn to wait for you! Remember, it’s the Futong Inn. Don’t go to the wrong one!”

Ning Chong leaned out of his carriage, shouting and waving in Chen Cheng’s direction.

“Alright, see you in a bit.”

Chen Cheng called back in acknowledgment and continued to observe his surroundings.

After entering the city, he found the main street was wide, but half the shops on either side were tightly boarded up. Seals or notices were pasted on their doors, and some still bore the lingering scorch marks of a fire.

As for the shops that were open, their wine banners drooped low and their doorways were deserted. Attendants leaned against the frames, yawning with vacant eyes.

The streets were not empty, but most pedestrians hurried along with their heads down and shoulders hunched, like mice ready to scurry into their holes at any moment.

Whenever a squad of patrolling soldiers marched by, their Iron Armor CLANGING, the pedestrians would part like a tide, only to slowly converge again once the soldiers were a safe distance away.

An indescribable odor hung in the air—a mixture of gunpowder smoke, medicinal herbs, rotting wood, and the omnipresent smell of blood.

The faint sound of clashing metal drifted from the distance, making it impossible to tell whether it was a blacksmith’s forge hard at work or another armed fight breaking out in the streets.

Some time later, the carriage stopped in front of the South Outer City Patrol Office.

Chen Cheng disembarked, carrying two heads wrapped in coarse cloth. Just as he was about to enter the gate to the Patrol Office, a cheerful voice called out from behind him.

“Younger Brother Chen, if you were coming to the Patrol Office, why didn’t you let us know? We could have come together.”

Fang Lang was carrying a head of his own, flanked by Zhao Dongping and Su Bing.

Chen Cheng gave the three a slight nod in greeting and said casually,

“My carriage was separated from yours by some distance when we entered the city. I didn’t have a chance to call out, so I came over on my own.”

“Come on, let’s head in together.”

Fang Lang, still smiling cheerfully, walked up to Chen Cheng’s side, and they entered the Patrol Office together.

Zhao Dongping and Su Bing trailed some distance behind.

“See? The kid said he’d consider it, but he never actually intended to ally with us!”

Zhao Dongping lowered his voice to a whisper.

“He’s even avoiding us while coming to the Patrol Office to collect his reward, afraid we’ll take a cut! He’s judging a gentleman by his own petty standards. As if we’d even look twice at such a paltry amount of silver?”

“That’s enough. Just drop it.”

Su Bing said with a frown,

“I don’t think Brother Chen was deliberately avoiding us. Our carriages really did get separated for a bit when we were entering the city. We just got split up, that’s all.”

“Besides, to each their own. It’s perfectly normal if Brother Chen doesn’t want to ally with us. You don’t need to keep harping on it.”

At her words, Zhao Dongping fell silent, but his lips moved, and from their shape, it looked as if he was mouthing a silent curse.

A moment later, in the Merit Officer’s room.

Fang Lang finished explaining the situation to a Merit Officer and handed over the head he was carrying—that of the bare-chested man with the crocodile tattoo.

After carefully checking it against a record, the Merit Officer spoke.

“This is a Third-Level Wanted Criminal. You can redeem him for three thousand taels of silver or thirty points of Military Merit. Once you accumulate enough Military Merit, you can go to the Martial Guard Department to exchange it for Martial Arts techniques or other resources.”

“The credit for this one belongs to the three of us! It has to be split evenly!”

Before Fang Lang could even speak, Zhao Dongping cut in, his voice edged with an urgency, as if terrified he might be short-changed.

“Of course,” the Merit Officer nodded.

“I’ll take one thousand taels of silver,” Zhao Dongping said immediately.

“We’ll take the Military Merit,” Fang Lang and Su Bing said in turn.

Soon enough, the Merit Officer retrieved Silver Notes worth one thousand taels for Zhao Dongping. He then recorded ten points of Military Merit onto both Fang Lang’s and Su Bing’s Martial Guard Official Documents.

Finally, he had the three of them complete the detailed registry and affix their signatures, which concluded the process.

“And now for you, young man.”

The Merit Officer’s gaze fell upon Chen Cheng, and his expression held a hint of surprise.

‘In his eyes, Chen Cheng looked no older than sixteen or seventeen. His strength should be less than the other three, yet he was holding two heads. The contrast was striking.’

‘He probably just got lucky and ran into a couple of ordinary bandits.’