Chapter 50: Pursuit and Duel

As Chen Shijie led in the young man—who carried twin iron rulers at his waist, wore a brown hat, and had cloud-treading boots on his feet—Zhao Xing immediately recognized him.

“Zhao Xing? Is that you?” Shen Zhui was also somewhat surprised to see him.

“It seems you two already know each other?” Chen Shijie asked with a smile.

“Of course, Constable Shen is the most outstanding and youngest constable in the Martial Arts Bureau,” Zhao Xing said, cupping his hands in greeting.

“Not at all. The Martial Arts Bureau is teeming with masters; I merely had the good fortune to complete a few more missions,” Shen Zhui replied humbly in front of Chen Shijie. “My acquaintance with Zhao Xing is primarily because Anping Town, the land tax area he oversees, also falls within my jurisdiction for public security.”

Agricultural officials were responsible for promoting farming and investigating and collecting land taxes, while constables from the Martial Arts Bureau were in charge of maintaining public order in towns and villages.

Zhao Xing had interacted with Shen Zhui several times during his visits to rural towns and had developed a very favorable impression of him.

“Since you two already know each other, that saves me the trouble of introductions,” Chen Shijie said with a smile. “Shen Zhui, Zhao Xing, you two can talk.”

Chen Shijie gave the two young men some space. Shen Zhui looked at Zhao Xing and spoke first: “I didn’t expect the person I was assigned to protect would be you, Zhao Xing. What a coincidence!”

“Protect?” Zhao Xing was taken aback. “You were instructed to protect me, Constable Shen? Is the Xuan Tian Sect causing trouble again?”

Shen Zhui adjusted the iron ruler at his waist and explained: “Due to the Xuan Tian Sect, the arrests of officials in various counties of Nanyang Commandery have had a negative impact. Although the sect members themselves have vanished without a trace, many ruthless individuals have taken advantage of the chaos to cause trouble, committing numerous murders, which has truly made things restless.”

“Furthermore, with East Lake Mountain about to open, Gucheng is outwardly relaxed but inwardly tense, and the security level has been significantly heightened.”

Hearing Shen Zhui’s explanation, Zhao Xing finally understood: Chen Shijie hadn't just found him a sparring partner; he had also conveniently arranged for a bodyguard from the Martial Arts Bureau.

Old Chen is a reliable person; he genuinely helps when there’s trouble.

“Then I’ll be relying on you during this time, Constable Shen.”

“It’s my duty; no need to be polite.”

Although he now had a bodyguard, Shen Zhui didn't provide continuous, close protection.

Shen Zhui wasn't required to accompany Zhao Xing when he went to the Department of Agriculture for official duties or studies. However, if Zhao Xing left the city, Shen Zhui would go with him.

Additionally, at Zhao Xing’s request, they would spar for two hours each morning and afternoon.

The sparring sessions were held at the Chen Residence, which offered ample space and permitted the use of spells.

Their first sparring session resembled a cat-and-mouse game.

One person would evade, and the other would pursue, confined to the grounds of the Chen Residence.

Shen Zhui stood still, waiting for Zhao Xing to cast the first spell.

As a martial artist, and with the training ground being relatively small, if he moved first, Zhao Xing wouldn't stand a chance.

So the rule was that Shen Zhui could only begin his pursuit ten breaths after Zhao Xing cast his spell.

“Summon Wind!”

Zhao Xing cast a spell, and fierce winds whipped up sand, not as an attack, but to obscure visibility.

Whoosh~

Shen Zhui squinted, adjusting his brown hat.

Although he couldn't see Zhao Xing with his eyes, his martial artist's keen perception of vital energy still allowed him to discern Zhao Xing’s location.

But the next moment, a hint of surprise flashed across Shen Zhui’s face.

“He’s vanished?!”

On the training ground, Shen Zhui stood still, gazing up at the dark clouds with surprise.

“Did the Moving Clouds technique conceal his vital energy signature? But when did these clouds form? I didn't even notice!”

“Two spells in a single breath? Did he complete ‘Moving Clouds’ at the same time he cast ‘Summon Wind’?”

Right from the start, Shen Zhui felt that Zhao Xing, this agricultural official, was clearly different from anyone else he had encountered.

However, he was still mistaken. Zhao Xing hadn't cast two spells in a single breath; he had cast three.

In an instant, he had simultaneously cast ‘Moving Clouds,’ ‘Summon Wind,’ and ‘Summon Rain.’

“Pitter-patter~”

Raindrops fell on Shen Zhui’s brown hat, turning into a torrential downpour even before the ten-breath countdown finished!

“Whoosh~”

Shen Zhui’s vision was completely obscured, with visibility reduced to less than five meters.

“Swish swish swish~”

His iron rulers vibrated, locking onto a direction, and two beams of white light suddenly flared, quickly vanishing into the rain.

The light cut through the rain curtain for twenty or thirty meters, momentarily clearing his vision. A sharp glint burst from Shen Zhui’s eyes as he locked onto a blurry figure.

The ten-breath countdown ended, and his 'pursuit' began.

Meanwhile, Zhao Xing, hidden behind a willow tree on the east side of the training ground, began casting his second spell—the Grass Man Technique.

“I just crafted a Swift Grass Man, which should have drawn his attention. But one Grass Man won’t be enough to evade his pursuit.”

Zhao Xing gently snapped off a willow branch, all while carefully listening for Shen Zhui’s movements.

“Zhao Xing, the game is over,” Shen Zhui announced, flying down from a rockery and instantly surpassing the blurry figure.

“Is that so?” the blurry figure replied with Zhao Xing’s voice. “Perhaps you should take a closer look, Constable Shen?”

“A Grass Man?” Shen Zhui was taken aback.

“Constable Shen, it’s still too early.”

The Grass Man disintegrated on its own upon contact with Shen Zhui, its purpose fulfilled. A single Grass Man stood no chance against Shen Zhui, unless it were twenty or thirty Strong-Arm Vajras. But this was merely a Swift Grass Man, crafted from ordinary willow branches.

“I was actually fooled by a Grass Man? His Grass Man Technique is so refined that it can even produce sound?” Shen Zhui’s expression began to change.

Bear in mind, Shen Zhui was at the seventh stage of Gathering Yuan cultivation, while Zhao Xing, according to Chen Shijie, was only at the third stage!

He, the strongest genius of the Martial Arts Bureau, was being toyed with by a third-stage Gathering Yuan spellcaster from the Department of Agriculture?

Shen Zhui drew both of his iron rulers.

He was about to get serious.

“Tap tap tap~”

His cloud-treading boots kept a rhythmic pace in the rain.

But Zhao Xing also noticed something was off; after the first Grass Man disintegrated, Shen Zhui’s movements became harder to pinpoint.

Two breaths later, Shen Zhui’s footsteps disappeared.

Or rather, they didn’t disappear; they had completely blended into the rhythm of the raindrops.

Zhao Xing manipulated the moving clouds, using vital energy for fine control to alter the rhythm of the rain.

But each time, Shen Zhui managed to adjust his movement technique within two breaths, quickly blending into the environment.

As a result, while moving quickly, Zhao Xing was also unable to discern Shen Zhui’s precise location.

For Zhao Xing, Shen Zhui had also vanished.

“His movement technique has reached the stage of Nine Revolutions into Subtlety. Old Chen certainly picked a good sparring partner for me,” Zhao Xing thought, a hint of excitement in his eyes.

This was exactly the level of intensity he desired; such a confrontation would also accelerate the efficiency of his vital energy purification.

“Reviving Grass Man, rise!”

Soon, a second Grass Man appeared beneath the willow tree; its height and build were similar to Zhao Xing’s.

“Go!”

Zhao Xing ordered the Grass Man to hide in another part of the Chen Residence, aiming to distract Shen Zhui.

After another ten breaths, a third Grass Man took shape.

But just as the third one began to move, it stepped on two dry twigs.

“Crack~” The twigs broke with a crisp sound.

Although quickly muffled by the rain, the sound was jarringly clear to Zhao Xing.

Simultaneously, Shen Zhui, still hidden in the rain, sensed the anomaly. He stopped concealing his presence and charged fiercely in that direction.

“Not good,” Zhao Xing’s expression subtly changed. He immediately abandoned creating more Grass Men and fled in a different direction.