Martial Arts: Starting from a Seemingly Real System

There is a Zhangjiang Gate on the west side of the city facing the river. It is the gateway for prominent officials and wealthy businessmen to come and go by boat. It is very lively. A hundred meters away from the city gate, there is a huge attic on the city wall, built against the wall. It is magnificent with carved beams and painted buildings, and it is magnificent and majestic. If you stand on the top of the building and look into the distance, you can see the inside and outside of the city.

In a side hall of the pavilion, a group of dignitaries were drinking tea. In the center of the upper hall sat a young man with red lips, white teeth, delicate features, and a white robe, looking very handsome. Behind him stood a fat old man with a round face, small eyes, and a clean beardless face. He smiled kindly, like a gentry. On both sides of the lower hall sat a group of officials of all ranks, most of whom were fat and bloated.

The young man took a sip of tea slowly, then put down the cup and coughed. Seeing that everyone's attention was focused, he said, "Our Great Xia has been peaceful for a long time, so the government is slack, the people are unruly, and the bandits are ready to make a move. The various forces in the martial arts world are intertwined and becoming more and more arrogant. The surrounding small countries are also unwilling to submit and are making changes. Your Majesty is rebuilding the Qingtian Guards today to stop war with force, clamp down on the martial arts world, and monitor the world. However, the officials in the court are not loyal to the country, and do not understand your Majesty's good intentions. They even oppose it on the grounds that the power is too great and uncontrolled. They are really short-sighted and have no use except for fighting for power!"

Although the young man spoke softly, his tone was cold and majestic. He paused, glanced down, and saw that everyone was sitting upright and not daring to act rashly. He continued, "We, the Qingtian Guard, are independent of the court and will not interfere in your local affairs at all levels. It's just that when we need help from the local government when dealing with disputes in the martial arts world or investigating important cases in the martial arts world, you must cooperate with us to the best of your ability and not be perfunctory or lazy!"

"Yes... yes... yes... Your Highness!" The officials below responded hurriedly, fearing to offend this young master.

"Call me Grand Commander!" the young man frowned and scolded.

"Yes, Grand Commander!" Everyone quickly changed their words.

The young man nodded, his brows relaxed. He tilted his head slightly and looked at the old man in red official uniform on his left. He changed his stern tone and said gently, "Sir Yan, you are an old minister of His Majesty's residence. His Majesty has always trusted you and even gave you the place where he once hibernated. Don't let His Majesty down!"

“I dare not. Even if I die, I will never betray your majesty’s kindness. I will do my best to repay your majesty’s grace!” The old man in red robe stood up hurriedly and bowed towards the direction of the northern capital.

"Old man, there is no need to do this. Please take a seat!" The young man raised his hands and motioned the old man to get up and sit down. At this moment, there was a noise outside the hall, as if someone wanted to come in to report, but was stopped outside.

The young man raised his lips slightly, then returned to his indifferent expression and said calmly: "What are you making noise for? Come in and talk!"

Soon, the guards led a yamen runner in. The yamen runner saluted to everyone and shouted "Greetings, gentlemen." Then he said to the middle-aged official at the head of the county, "Your Excellency, today a large number of gangsters are causing chaos in the city. We are seriously short of manpower. Ma Dianli and Chen Qutou led all the yamen runners, constables, and police officers to patrol, but they still cannot quell the chaos, and it is getting worse. Please send troops to suppress it as soon as possible!"

"This..." The middle-aged county magistrate was shocked and turned to look at the prefect above him at a loss, then looked at the garrison opposite the prefect. The prefect looked at Lord Yan, the governor of Jiangyou. Everyone looked at each other, and finally their eyes fell on the young man in the main seat above.

Seeing everyone looking at him, the young master was not in a hurry. He took a sip of tea slowly, put down the tea bowl, and then sneered: "The military preparations in various places are lax. Forcing you to send troops to suppress the rebellion, if the suppression fails and chaos occurs, the consequences will be disastrous. It would be a good idea if you don't want to take this risk!" These words made the officials below blush and ashamed. They saluted repeatedly, but in the end no one dared to step forward to take responsibility for the matter.

Seeing that no one dared to respond, the young master sighed and said, "Forget it, since you dare not deal with it, I, the Sky Guard, will clean up the situation!"

His eyes sparkled and his words were decisive. He turned to the fat old man behind him and said, "Uncle Fu, tell them to let Hong Gang take people to deal with this matter. I want to see a safe and stable Longxing City before noon!"

"Also, ask him to pick out some good seedlings and bring them back. I will host a banquet for them here at noon!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" The old man responded and went out to give orders!

"You guys go down too, I want some quiet time!" The young man was too lazy to deal with this group of people. Without waiting for the officials to leave, he walked to the balcony alone, overlooking the chaos in the city, secretly calculating in his heart!

The southwest of the city is mostly commercial streets, with developed commerce and trade, and it is also the most chaotic area. Qiao Rui and Liu Xinyue patrolled here with the two detectives Chen Lu, beating, capturing and killing many criminals, with remarkable results.

But since when, Qiao Rui discovered that there were a group of people in the city wearing uniforms. They wore dark clothes with the Xiezhi mythical beast embroidered on the middle of their shirts, and were equipped with short crossbows and spring knives with claws. They were so fierce and decisive that they could capture or kill the city's scoundrels and rarely missed. Seeing that there were fewer and fewer people making trouble in the city, Qiao Rui and his men often ran through one or two streets without seeing any chaos. Finally, when the sun was at its highest point in the sky, no one made trouble anymore and the city was at peace.

At this time, a minor official found Constable Chen and whispered something in his ear. Chen Nian nodded, glanced at Qiao Rui with an envious look on his face.

Chen Nian walked over to Qiao Rui and said, "To be honest, I am the chief constable of this city. If it weren't for the two of you helping me capture and kill so many rioters today, I would be guilty of this crime!"

"So it's Captain Chen. I've always treated you as an ordinary constable. How disrespectful!" Qiao Rui replied.

"Brother Qiao, you are too polite. You and I have suppressed the rebellion together today, so we have become friends who fought side by side. In the future, if you need me, Old Chen, in Longxing Prefecture, just ask, and I will not refuse!" He patted Qiao Rui on the shoulder and said, "But Brother Qiao is a martial arts expert with a bright future, so he may not need our help!"

"Oh?" Qiao Rui saw that there was something else behind his words, so he responded and waited for him to continue.

Sure enough, Chen Nian said with envy: "The higher-ups are grateful for your contribution to the government, and they want to host a banquet for you!" After that, he looked around, and then whispered to Qiao Rui: "It is said that he has a great background. You should be careful. If you really get his favor, you will have a bright future!"

Qiao Rui's eyes flashed with brilliance. He nodded to Chen Nian, clasped his fists to Lu Jia, and then followed the messenger clerk away with Liu Xinyue.

On the way, Liu Xinyue quietly asked Qiao Rui, "Did you foresee this situation from the beginning, so you chose to help Captain Chen?"

"No... I can't think of that much." Qiao Rui shook his head and explained in a low voice: "I just think that in a sound and regulated world, it's always a good idea to have a good relationship with the government!"

"It's almost the same... so cunning!" Liu Xinyue curled her lips.

Qiao Rui smiled. He had been bullied by Little Lajiao many times in the past. Now it was quite funny to see her being humiliated.

Along the way, more and more people were brought to join the team, and finally they met a rough man with a full beard, followed by a dozen people. The rough man waved his hand to signal the clerks leading the way to retreat, and then led the thirty-something people to the door of a huge building. He straightened his clothes, looked solemn, and led everyone to the second floor in a very dignified manner.