Da Xuan Martial Saint Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Youying

After departing from the prison cells,

Chen Mu walked away with haste.

The heavy, suffocating air of the City Guard General’s office was not something he wished to endure for a moment longer than necessary.

However, as Chen Mu crossed the front courtyard and passed the massive City Defense Tower, a flicker of movement on the fourth-floor balcony caught his attention. There, he spotted a figure draped in a white flying fish robe.

Even from this distance, he could discern that the person was a woman, and a youthful one at that. Her features were striking enough that the classic praise of ‘sinking fish and falling geese’ felt like an honest description rather than mere flattery.

“Is that the South City District’s Chief Constable?”

Chen Mu stole only a fleeting glance before immediately averting his eyes.

Among the east, south, west, and north city districts, only the South City District was led by a female Chief Constable. Yet, despite her gender, no one dared to treat her with anything less than total respect.

While Head Constables might rely on nepotism and Prefecture Chiefs could be incompetent, one could not hold the title of Chief Constable under the City Guard General without possessing immense personal power, regardless of their family background.

In his mind, he began to reflect on the world’s various external skills, such as Blade Techniques and Swordsmanship, as well as the legendary ‘Internal Techniques.’

He knew for a fact that Internal Techniques were real, but their requirements and the difficulty of practicing them far exceeded those of external skills. A single dose of Medicinal Powder could cost dozens of Silver; practicing Internal Techniques was essentially the same as setting money on fire, which explained why they were so rare.

Nevertheless, the true elites were those who mastered Internal Cultivation. A master of external skills might reach the peak and manifest Blade Momentum to fight ten men, but that was their ceiling. In contrast, those who cultivated Internal Techniques possessed immense stamina and prolonged Inner Breath; it was whispered that they could slaughter hundreds, or even thousands, on a battlefield!

“That Chief Constable is surely a powerful practitioner of Internal Techniques; it is a shame I have no way to obtain such training methods,”

Chen Mu shook his head slightly.

He had no interest in the Chief Constable’s beauty; his only concern was the Dharma Doors of Internal Training. He wondered if his system would allow him to forcibly stack experience points if he ever acquired an Internal Cultivation Method.

His mind wandered for a moment before he regained his focus. He couldn't afford to be overly ambitious yet; he needed to master the Raging Wind Blade Technique first before seeking a path forward. Once he achieved sufficient strength and status, he could then search for the Dharma Doors to internal training.

Chen Mu quickly exited the City Guard General’s compound.

At that same moment, Xu Hongyu, the Chief Constable on the tower balcony, looked down at the City Defense Division with a troubled expression. Her eyes swept over Chen Mu’s retreating back without stopping; like the many other Prefecture Officers scurrying about below, he failed to catch her interest.

...

Chen Mu maintained a brisk pace as he hurried toward his home.

The City Guard General’s office was a significant distance from his residence, and evening was fast approaching. Even wearing the uniform of an officer, the streets were treacherous after dark. A single unlucky encounter could result in him becoming a nameless corpse rotting in a gutter by morning.

By the time Chen Mu reached his house, the sun had not yet fully set. Chen Hong was there, waiting with an anxiety so thick it felt as though every minute had been a year.

She rushed to meet him the moment he appeared.

“Third Aunt,”

Chen Mu gave her a nod and said, “The head jailer took the Silver. He promised not to be too hard on my cousin for the next month or two. However, we will need to find a more permanent solution after that.”

Hearing this, Chen Hong finally let out a long breath of relief and whispered, “That is good, that is good...”

She had spent the last several days hitting dead ends while trying to secure a release, unable to find anyone willing to help. Given the circumstances, this compromise was a blessing, as the head jailer was at least willing to negotiate. This would, at the very least, keep Zhang Hai alive for now. They would have to deal with the future when it arrived.

Chen Mu guided Chen Hong to a seat.

“Third Aunt, don’t let this weigh on you too heavily; we will deal with the future when the time comes. A new opportunity might present itself in a few days.”

In truth, if Zhang Hai’s troubles had occurred later, once Chen Mu had become a Head Constable, he would have possessed some leverage. Furthermore, if he could reach his peak and demonstrate Blade Momentum to someone of the Chief Constable's caliber, he might actually have the power to pull Zhang Hai out of that cell.

Perhaps it was simply Zhang Hai’s destiny to suffer this trial. For now, there was little Chen Mu could do—and he was hesitant to overextend himself if it risked ruining his own progression.

After sitting down, Chen Hong began to regain her composure.

With the immediate threat to Zhang Hai’s life paused, her many years of experience allowed her to calm herself quickly.

“You are right, we can only take things one step at a time.”

Chen Hong sighed, adding, “I am to blame for spoiling him since he was a boy... Xiaomu, the hour is late. Why don't you and Yue’er come to my home for a modest meal?”

Chen Mu noticed the spark of hope in Chen Yue’s eyes, but he still declined with a shake of his head. “No, it is getting late. By the time we finished, night would have fallen. We would be forced to stay over at your place, which is simply too much trouble.”

Chen Hong dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand. “It is no trouble at all. I would be happy to have you... umm...”

She stopped mid-sentence.

As if a sudden memory had struck her, Chen Hong hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Xiaomu, do you recall Youying? She is the daughter from Little Hai’s fourth uncle’s family. She used to visit your home when you were children.”

Chen Mu felt a flash of confusion.

That memory was buried deep, dating back to the time before he had arrived in this world. He possessed all the previous host's memories, though some were becoming faint.

As Chen Hong spoke, he searched through those old thoughts until he finally recalled the image of a young girl.