Daqian Martial Saint

”Ping’an, that outfit of yours... tsk, tsk... you look so impressive!”

Chen Ping’an had just arrived at the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office when Monkey Head circled around him, showering him with praise.

At this moment, Chen Ping’an was no longer wearing the Black Clothing of a temporary constable. Instead, he was in the official Constable Uniform: a long, narrow-sleeved robe of blue cloth with a crossover collar, tied at the waist with a red woven sash.

He stood out starkly among the temporary constables, most of whom were still in their Black Clothing.

The Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office had over a hundred temporary constables, but fewer than forty official constables.

Beside them, Da Shan’s eyes also revealed a hint of envy.

”Ping’an, this is really great! Keep up the good work. The future belongs to you young folks.”

Mr. Qin came over to offer his own praise. After what had happened that day, Mr. Qin rarely slacked off anymore and was always present for roll call.

While they were waiting for the Constables to arrive, quite a few constables came up to talk with Chen Ping’an.

Before, Chen Ping’an was practically invisible at the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office. Outside of his small circle of friends, almost no constables paid him any mind. But now that he had been promoted to official constable, things were different.

Walking around outside, he was now a somebody, a minor figure of authority. When Chen Ping’an got a little older, people would be calling him Master Chen.

Seeing Chen Ping’an being so warmly received, a trace of resentment flashed in Zheng Shiyong’s eyes.

’That little punk hasn’t even reached the Entry Level of the Martial Dao. He must’ve stepped in some serious dog shit to get this lucky!’

Before long, a Constable entered the Town Patrol Office. It was Constable Zheng. The moment he walked in, he saw a temporary constable fawning over Chen Ping’an.

”What’s all this ruckus? What is this place becoming!”

Although Constable Zheng’s words were for everyone, his gaze was fixed in Chen Ping’an’s direction.

The temporary constable he was staring at looked as if his face had frozen solid.

”Get back to your spot!” Constable Zheng said, his displeasure evident.

Hearing this, the temporary constable who had been trying to get on Chen Ping’an’s good side immediately scrambled back to his place.

Being publicly reprimanded by a Constable was no small matter.

As Constable Zheng entered, the chatter in the hall died down.

’So what if you’re an official constable, kid? My uncle still has you right where he wants you!’ Zheng Shiyong gloated inwardly.

Although Constable Zheng hadn’t said it outright, his action was a subtle warning to Chen Ping’an. It also served as a notice to everyone else that he was not particularly fond of Chen Ping’an.

Any temporary constables who had intended to curry favor would now have to think twice after seeing Constable Zheng’s attitude.

Watching Constable Zheng’s back as he walked up to the high platform, Chen Ping’an narrowed his eyes slightly.

’This Constable Zheng...’

Because the matter with the Ten Thousand Demons Sect was still unresolved, the Inspector and Vice Inspector were not present today. However, the five Constables still reported for duty as usual, with Constable Zheng presiding over the pre-patrol briefing.

After the pre-patrol briefing ended, Chen Ping’an received his newly assigned duties.

Now that he was an officially registered constable, he could no longer just tag along with Mr. Qin. He was now required to lead three temporary constables and manage his own affairs.

Whether by coincidence or by design, two of the three temporary constables he was assigned to lead were people he had recently encountered.

Cheng Yuan and Zhao Hu. Besides those two, there was also a rookie who had joined less than two months ago, named Zeng Jihe.

Chen Ping’an didn’t know much about the others, but he knew that Cheng Yuan and Zhao Hu were fairly senior temporary constables, the type who were good at latching onto powerful people. It seemed they were part of Constable Zheng’s faction.

At this, Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but be secretly on his guard.

’In my past life’s workplace, there was no shortage of people trying to make things difficult for you. Did I transmigrate just to go through it all again here in the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office?’

’However...’

’Unlike in my past life, my abilities now are clear and quantifiable. People can’t just call a stag a horse, twist right and wrong, shift blame, and control me as they please.’

Since Chen Ping’an’s new assignment had just been decided today, it would officially start tomorrow. For today, everything was to proceed as usual.

That day, Chen Ping’an patrolled Willow Leaf Street with Mr. Qin, Monkey Head, and Da Shan. He and Mr. Qin, each in their official Constable Uniforms, cut a very intimidating figure on the street.

Many of the local thugs, who had previously been dismissive and unafraid of Chen Ping’an, now flashed ingratiating smiles upon seeing their uniforms.

Official constables were different from temporary constables. If one was determined to take down a hooligan, they would succeed nine times out of ten.

Therefore, as far as these hooligans were concerned, official constables were people you should avoid offending at all costs!

”Ping’an, starting tomorrow, you’ll be standing on your own two feet!” Mr. Qin said, a look of gratification on his face. ”Your father and I were colleagues for many years. In terms of seniority, you could consider me half an uncle. I haven’t accumulated much over all these years, but I do have some experience and lessons learned.”

”Please, Mr. Qin, I’m listening,” Chen Ping’an said respectfully.

He truly respected Mr. Qin’s character. Despite being an official constable, he never threw his weight around or bullied his juniors. Aside from his minor habit of slacking off, there was nothing to fault him for.

”Being an official constable is different from being a temporary one. As long as you don’t make any major mistakes, it’s an iron rice bowl for life. But sometimes, just because you say you didn’t make a mistake doesn’t mean you didn’t. Ping’an, you have to remember this: The Lord Chief’s perception of you isn’t necessarily the real you, but the you described by your Chief. So, maintaining a good relationship with your Chief is one of your most crucial tasks. Take me, for example...”

Mr. Qin began to share his life’s worth of experience and lessons with Chen Ping’an, while Monkey Head and Da Shan listened intently from the side.

”Sometimes a Constable gives an order that you need to carry out promptly, but the people under you are incompetent. What do you do then? And sometimes it’s not incompetence, but an attitude problem. In that case, you need to...”

”...”

For the entire day, Mr. Qin held nothing back, pouring out all his experience and lessons. Chen Ping’an listened attentively. Though he might not use every piece of advice, it would undoubtedly help him avoid many pitfalls. By combining Mr. Qin’s lessons with the insights from his past life, Chen Ping’an gained many unexpected rewards.

”Ping’an, that Cheng Yuan and Zhao Hu are Constable Zheng’s men, so you need to be careful. Not just with them—you need to be wary in all matters.”

As it neared time to get off duty, Mr. Qin gave his advice in a heartfelt tone.

It was obvious that Mr. Qin, with his years of experience, had seen through to Constable Zheng’s malice toward Chen Ping’an.

”Yes, I understand,” Chen Ping’an nodded.

He was at least that cautious.

”Among the three men under you, Cheng Yuan has reached the Entry Level of the Martial Dao. You should pay extra attention to him.”

Mr. Qin added, still worried.

In his eyes, Chen Ping’an was still just an ordinary person. Although he had become an official constable through merit, he had no backing and no personal strength. It would be difficult for him to win the heartfelt respect of his subordinates, especially Cheng Yuan. He would just have to be extra careful.

”I’ll be careful.”

Chen Ping’an replied.

However, with his current strength, he wasn’t the least bit afraid of them trying to control him through a few temporary constables. If Constable Zheng himself came after him, now *that* would be a different story.

It was perfect, actually. Now that he had obtained the Public Door Thirteen Sabers, he could slowly begin to reveal his talent for the Martial Dao.