Chapter 50: Pursuit and Sparring

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

"Brother Zhao? It's you?" Shen Zhui looked somewhat surprised when he saw Zhao Xing.

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

"Of course, Constable Shen is the most outstanding and youngest investigator in the Martial Precinct," Zhao Xing said, cupping his fists in a salute.

"You flatter me. The Martial Precinct is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons; I am merely fortunate to have completed a few assignments successfully." In the presence of Chen Shijie, Shen Zhui appeared very modest. "The reason Brother Zhao and I know each other is mainly because the agricultural tax district he is responsible for, Anping Town, happens to fall within my security jurisdiction."

While Agricultural Officials held the responsibility of encouraging farming and inspecting agricultural taxes, constables from the Martial Precinct were tasked with maintaining township security.

Zhao Xing had interacted with Shen Zhui a few times during his trips to the townships, and his impression of the man was quite favorable.

"Since you are already acquainted, it saves me the trouble of introducing you," Chen Shijie laughed. "Shen Zhui, Zhao Xing, you two chat amongst yourselves."

Leaving space for the two young men, Shen Zhui looked at Zhao Xing and spoke first, "I didn't expect that the person I was assigned to protect would be Brother Zhao. What a coincidence."

"Protect?" Zhao Xing was slightly startled. "The order Brother Shen received is to protect me? Could it be that the Xuantian Cult is making trouble again?"

Shen Zhui touched the iron ruler at his waist and explained, "Because of our ties to the Xuantian Cult, the arrest of various county clerks in Nanyang Commandery has brought about severe repercussions. Though those cultists have vanished without a trace, quite a few outlaws have taken advantage of the chaos to stir up trouble and commit numerous homicides, leaving the region in genuine unrest."

"Added to the fact that East Lake Mountain is about to be opened up, everywhere in Gucheng is lax on the surface but tight underneath, and the alert level has been raised considerably."

Hearing Shen Zhui say this, Zhao Xing finally understood that Chen Shijie hadn't just found him a sparring partner; he had also thoughtfully secured a personal bodyguard for him from the Martial Precinct.

Old Chen was truly a reliable friend; when trouble arose, he genuinely stepped up to help.

"Then I'll have to trouble Brother Shen during this period."

"It's my duty, no need for formalities."

..........

Although he had gained a bodyguard, Shen Zhui did not provide round-the-clock, close-range protection.

Whenever Zhao Xing went to the Directorate of Agriculture to report for duty or study, Shen Zhui did not need to accompany him—unless Zhao Xing was leaving the city, in which case Shen Zhui would go along.

In addition, at Zhao Xing's request, the two of them would spar for one hour each morning and afternoon.

The location was set in the Chen residence, which was spacious enough and permitted the use of spells.

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

One person would flee while the other pursued, confined within the grounds of the Chen estate.

Shen Zhui stood in place, waiting for Zhao Xing to cast his spells first.

As a martial artist, and with the training ground being of such a limited size, if he were to make the first move as well, Zhao Xing would stand no chance at all.

Therefore, the rule was that Shen Zhui could only begin his pursuit ten breaths after Zhao Xing had cast his spells.

"Rise, wind!"

Zhao Xing cast his spell, and a fierce gale whipped up the dust and sand. However, it was not meant for attack, but rather to obstruct vision.

Whoosh~

Shen Zhui narrowed his eyes and pressed down the brim of his brown-wrapped hat.

Although he could not visually pinpoint Zhao Xing's exact location, a martial artist's perception of human vital energy still allowed him to sense Zhao Xing's general direction.

The next moment, however, a flash of surprise crossed Shen Zhui's face.

"He's actually vanished?!"

On the training ground, Shen Zhui stood in place, looking up in astonishment at the dark clouds gathering overhead.

"Did the drifting clouds mask his vital energy fluctuations? But when did these clouds appear? I didn't even notice!"

"Two spells in a single breath? While stirring the wind, he managed to form the clouds as well?"

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

Yet, he had still miscalculated. Zhao Xing had not cast two spells in a breath; he had cast three.

In a fraction of a second, he had simultaneously executed Drifting Clouds, Rising Wind, and Falling Rain.

"Pitter-patter~"

Raindrops fell upon Shen Zhui's brown-wrapped hat. Before the ten-breath countdown had even finished, it had turned into a torrential downpour!

"Splash, splash~"

Shen Zhui's line of sight was completely blurred, his visibility compressed to within five meters.

"Swish, swish, swish~"

His iron ruler quivered, locking onto a direction as two streaks of white light suddenly burst forth and plunged into the rain.

The radiance cleaved the curtain of rain open for twenty to thirty meters, briefly restoring clarity to his vision. A sharp glint erupted in Shen Zhui's eyes as he locked onto a hazy figure.

The ten-breath countdown had ended, and his "pursuit" had begun.

Meanwhile, hiding behind a willow tree on the eastern side of the training ground, Zhao Xing initiated his second spell—the Straw Man Technique.

"The divine mobility straw man I deployed just now should have drawn his attention over there, but a single straw man isn't enough to evade his pursuit."

Zhao Xing gently snapped off a willow branch while carefully listening for any movement from Shen Zhui.

...........

"Brother Zhao, the game is over." Shen Zhui descended gracefully from an artificial rockery, instantly overtaking the hazy figure.

"Is that so?" The hazy figure emitted Zhao Xing's voice. "Would Brother Shen care to take a closer look?"

"A straw man?" Shen Zhui was taken aback.

"Brother Shen, it's still far too early."

The straw man disintegrated on its own. Having made contact with Shen Zhui, its mission was complete. A straw man stood no chance of defeating Shen Zhui in combat unless it were twenty or thirty Vajra Puppets, but this was merely a [Divine Mobility Straw Man], crafted from nothing more than ordinary willow branches.

"I was actually fooled by a straw man? His straw man technique is this exquisite, even capable of producing speech?" Shen Zhui's gaze began to shift.

One must remember that he was at the seventh stage of Qi Gathering, whereas Zhao Xing, according to Chen Shijie's introduction, was merely at the third stage!

As the foremost genius of the Martial Precinct, he had been toyed with by a third-stage Qi Gathering spellcaster from the Directorate of Agriculture?

Shen Zhui drew both of his iron rulers.

He was going to start taking this seriously.

................

"Taptaptap~"

The cloud-treading boots splashed through the rain with a very distinct rhythm.

Yet Zhao Xing also sensed something was amiss. After the first straw man disintegrated, Shen Zhui's movements became impossible to track.

Two breaths later, the sound of Shen Zhui's footsteps vanished.

Or rather, they hadn't vanished; they had completely blended into the rhythm of the falling raindrops.

Zhao Xing manipulated the drifting clouds, using his vital energy to make micro-adjustments and alter the rhythm of the rainfall.

Yet every single time, Shen Zhui was able to adjust his footwork within two breaths and swiftly merge back into the environment.

Consequently, amidst the rapid movement, Zhao Xing could no longer discern his specific location either.

From Zhao Xing's perspective, Shen Zhui had vanished as well.

"His footwork has reached the realm of infinitesimal mastery. Old Chen really did pick a fine sparring partner for me," Zhao Xing thought, a glint of excitement in his eyes.

This was precisely the level of combat intensity he needed. Through this kind of confrontation, his efficiency in purifying his vital energy would also increase.

"Duplicate Straw Man, rise!"

Soon, a second straw man appeared beneath the willow tree, its height and build roughly matching Zhao Xing's own.

"Go!"

Zhao Xing commanded the straw man to flee toward another part of the Chen residence to confuse Shen Zhui's senses.

Another ten breaths passed, and the third straw man took form.

However, just as the third straw man began to move, it stepped upon two dry twigs.

"Crack~" The twigs snapped, the sound crisp and sharp.

Though quickly swallowed by the sound of the rain, to Zhao Xing's ears, it was gratingly loud.

Simultaneously, Shen Zhui, moving through the rain, seized upon the anomaly. Abandoning all concealment, he lunged forward in fierce pursuit.

"Not good." Zhao Xing's expression shifted slightly. He immediately abandoned the creation of the straw man and sprinted in the opposite direction.