Chapter 58 Building the Team

Luxurious residence.
Pavilions for dance and towers for song.

Chu Yunting, the Southern Heavenly King, wore an expression of agony. Both of his hands were heavily wrapped in bandages and treated with top-grade medicinal herbs. Even so, piercing waves of intense pain kept shooting through him, turning his face completely pale.

He knew that the Yin Wind Claws he had cultivated with such painstaking effort were likely crippled.
He wouldn't even think of fighting any martial arts experts for the next half year!

At this thought, a surge of grief and hatred welled up within him.
It was all because of that damn constable!
It was him!

He had crushed the bones in his hands, reducing him to near-invalid status.

"Ninth Master, that's how the situation stands. This constable is definitely our enemy, and the martial arts style he uses is an external discipline, similar to the Tiger Claw and the Vajra Claw," Chu Yunting said in pain.

"An external discipline?"

A middle-aged man in a black robe nearby flashed his eyes and said indifferently, "I wouldn't have thought the yamen would actually send a competent expert this time around, to the point that even your Yin Wind Claws were crushed like this?"

Another bald man sneered and said, "Since it's an external discipline, I'd actually like to try him out and see whether his claw technique is stronger, or my Vajra Palm is superior!"

"Do not be careless!"

A cold voice suddenly rang out from the front.

At the very front, a large bed had been laid out horizontally.

Reclining diagonally on the bed was a massive mountain of flesh—rolling fat, ugly visage, ferocious face, weighing at least five or six hundred catties. His eyes opened and closed, flashing with a chilling, cold light. Four or five slender maidservants sprawled over his body, kneading his shoulders and beating his back, while another fed grapes directly into his mouth.

'Iron Mountain Back' Lord Wang Jiu!

"Ninth Master!"

Everyone looked toward the mountain of flesh.

"Since this constable was able to effortlessly cripple Yun Ting's Yin Wind Claws, his strength cannot be underestimated. The three of you go over together tonight. If he still refuses a polite toast only to drink a forfeit, then bring his head back to me," Wang Jiu said.

"Understood, Ninth Master!"

The Eastern Heavenly King, Western Heavenly King, and Northern Heavenly King cupped their fists in unison.

With all three Heavenly Kings dispatched together, this lineup was enough to go toe-to-toe even against those at the tail end of the Human Rankings.

"How is the news regarding Qingfeng Mountain? Has it been scouted out over the last two days?" Wang Jiu asked.

"Lately, a large number of pugilists have been gathering around here. Our men have had a few conflicts with them, but so far we haven't discovered the source of the strange fragrance. Furthermore, some high-level experts from the Human Rankings have already arrived," the Eastern Heavenly King said.

"Who?"

"‘Cold-Faced Young Master Xiao Yunxi’ is already in the city, ‘Cloud-Veiling Hand’ Zhao Longfei was seen yesterday operating around the outskirts of Qingfeng Mountain, and ‘Blade Overlord of the Southwest’ Meng Sanqian revealed his presence in the northern part of the city this afternoon," the Eastern Heavenly King reported, cupping his fists. "Moreover, the Great Desolate Sword Sect has also dispatched experts to rush here. I'm afraid they may have already secretly contacted the Kongtong Sect behind them."

Wang Jiu's eyes narrowed, deep and terrifying, as he said indifferently, "Very well, I am aware of this. I will report it to the Marquis."

The three cupped their fists and withdrew.

...

As evening fell,

Zhang the Gold-Haired and Li the Dumber hurried over with twenty newly made sets of constable uniforms, alongside twenty steel sabers.

Since they had been rushed on the spot, the craftsmanship was not particularly refined.

But Chen Xuan wasn't picky; as long as there was something to wear, who cared about the rest.

"Dumber, Gold-Haired, you two did a good job with this task. This constable rewards you with twenty taels of silver."

Chen Xuan smiled and tossed a silver ingot over.

"Many thanks, My Lord."

The two hastily put on flattering smiles, caught the silver ingot, and felt a surge of great joy.

Chen Xuan turned his head to look at the people who were still scrubbing the yamen. A whole day had passed, and the yamen already looked about eighty percent newer than before, with even the main gate and the plaque completely replaced.

Overall, it looked passable.

"Alright, stop all of you, stop right there!"

Chen Xuan channeled his internal energy and shouted aloud.

The people who had been busy working immediately stopped, looking at Chen Xuan in bewilderment.

"Motherfuckers, you did a decent job today. You bastards, this constable originally intended to chop all of you up, but now I'm giving you a chance to turn over a new leaf. The yamen is currently lacking manpower and is in urgent need of people, so this constable will act with magnanimity, grant you amnesty, and let you serve as constables under my command!"

Chen Xuan shouted.

The crowd looked at each other, quickly turning pale with panic.

Chen Xuan frowned and hollered, "Whoever is willing to serve as a constable, take one step forward!"

Swish!

The crowd stepped backward even faster in unison.

Retreating five or six steps all at once!

Damn it!

Anger flared in Chen Xuan's heart. With a casual wave of his hand and a loud *boom*, he directly cleaved into a nearby pillar. The thick pillar was snapped right through by his strike on the spot, and his tone turned grim and chilling:

"Turtle's sons, since you're courting death, this constable will wipe all of you out right now, go slaughter your entire families, execute your nine clans, and leave not even a chicken or a dog alive!"

The crowd's complexions turned ashen with terror, and they all hurriedly dropped to their knees, kowtowing repeatedly with loud *thuds*.

"Spare my life, My Lord! Spare us!"

"I beg you, spare us! We know we were wrong!"

"I really don't dare to be a constable..."

*Plop!*

The hand rose, the blade fell, and fresh blood spattered.

The man who had shouted the loudest had his head sliced off on the spot, his headless corpse collapsing face-down to the ground, dead as a doornail.

The others were even more terrified, splattered all over with fresh blood.

"My Lord, I'll do it! This humble one has aspired since childhood to be a constable, to serve the country and serve the people! Please give this humble one a chance, My Lord!"

"Nobody fight me for it! My Lord, I want to be a constable!"

"Dammit, stop shoving me! I'll do it! My Lord, take me in right now!"

They hastily shouted out, scrambling over one another in panic.

Chen Xuan sneered inwardly.

Sure enough, unless you show some ruthlessness, these people won't know fear.

Besides, not a single one of these fellows was a good bird.

Killing a few was just killing a few; it was no big deal.

"Enough, shut your mouths, all of you!"

Chen Xuan shouted again, "This constable is only recruiting eighteen people this time. Becoming a constable isn't that easy. We'll hold a martial arts contest first—those with high martial arts will become constables, and those with low martial arts will become servants. Also, is there anyone who knows how to storytelling or sing opera? Those who know storytelling or opera can also become constables!"

The crowd looked at each other in utter shock.

Lose the martial arts contest and you still have to stay behind as a servant?
Storytellers and opera singers can become constables?
What... what kind of logic is this?

"My Lord, I know how to tell stories!"

Someone suddenly yelled out.

"I know how to sing opera!"

Another shouted.

Chen Xuan instantly looked toward the crowd, his eyes flashing as he commanded, "Get out here, you two!"

Two small-time hoodlums hurriedly ran over, wearing flattering smiles and bowing repeatedly.

"Who knows how to tell stories? Give us a performance!"

Chen Xuan demanded.

"I'll do it, I'll do it!"

One of the short fellows smiled brightly, quickly pulling a pair of bamboo clappers from his chest. He clapped them together, making a crisp *clack-clack* sound, and said with an air of smug delight:

"The bamboo clappers strike slow, the sounds fill the skies, the master listens to my words inside; striking the bamboo clappers I begin to sing, first came the Three Sovereigns and then came the Heavens, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors created the world, and Lord Laozi was born in the Jiazi year, Lord Laozi carries the five elements on his back, metal, wood, water, fire, and earth he claims them all..."

Chen Xuan touched his chin and smiled. "Not bad, not bad. However, these lyrics will need to be changed a bit from now on."

The short fellow immediately stopped and smiled, "How does the Master plan to change them?"

With a meaningful look, Chen Xuan smiled amiably and said, "I'll tell you how to change them later. You can be a constable!"

"Many thanks, My Lord! Oh right, this humble one is called Niu San!"

The short fellow said with great joy.

"Mn."

Chen Xuan nodded lightly, looked at the other person, and smiled. "You know how to sing opera? Good, you can be a constable too!"

"This humble one, Wang Liu, thanks My Lord!"

That person also hastily bowed in delight.

Chen Xuan looked at the rest of the crowd and shouted, "Alright, the rest of you, hold a martial arts contest right now!"

*Swish!*

The crowd surged. Under the supervision of Gold-Haired, Dumber, Wang Liu, and Niu San, the martial arts tournament quickly commenced.

These individuals were all a bunch of good-for-nothings, trash, and scumbags. Chen Xuan was merely picking the tallest dwarf among short men. In less than an hour, all the quotas for the constables were finalized, and the rest were assigned to work as servants within the yamen.

Chen Xuan ordered Gold-Haired and Dumber to fetch the uniforms and steel sabers, making them change into them promptly.

Soon, a yamen framework composed of twenty constables was initially established.

"Go pay respects to Magistrate Lin. Remember, you must be extremely polite. Whoever lacks courtesy need not expect this constable to be polite to them."

Chen Xuan gripped his official saber and spoke.

The group of constables hurriedly ran toward Lin Zedong's room and knelt in unison.

"Greetings, My Lord!"

Lin Zedong's eyes showed deep shock.

Ever since he was dispatched to this godforsaken place, when had he ever seen such a spectacle?

He had almost forgotten what a yamen's assembly ceremony even looked like.

"Good, rise, rise all of you."

Lin Zedong said repeatedly.