A Long River Myth

After exiting the main hall of the Inspection Department, I walked towards Jinshui Street.

Li Fulin felt his steps were light and unsteady, and his whole body was trembling.

One should not enter officialdom in life, nor should one enter hell in death.

This is an old saying. It turns out that trying to save money almost cost me half my life. I'm still terrified.

Li Hong and Yao Shi helped him up from both sides.

"Hong'er? You...you went to see your aunt?" The scene just now felt like a dream to Li Fulin.

I can't quite describe my feelings right now; there's a sense of relief at surviving a disaster, but also a deep sense of bewilderment.

Last night, he was held in solitary confinement in the Inspectorate’s cell, and the officers spoke to him kindly.

They even prepared a separate dinner for him.

Today's court hearing broadened his horizons even further.

Even now, less than a day later, he still feels like he's in a different world.

Standing to the side, Madam Yao said smugly, "Father, it was Hong'er who asked for help himself; he didn't go to his eldest sister!"

Despite the sudden ups and downs, the old man was eventually alright, and Madam Yao finally recovered her spirits.

"What? It was Hong'er who asked for it himself!?"

A look of deep surprise flashed across Li Fulin's eyes; he had never even considered this possibility.

He couldn't help but take a few deep looks at his grandson.

The old man was completely dumbfounded. His grandson actually had such connections?

Having only been in the west courtyard of the martial arts academy for two months, I haven't seen my grandson make any connections with any prominent figures.

How did such a strong relationship suddenly appear?

It's obvious that the perpetrator, Hao Laoliu, must have been bribed last night, and even the official in charge was contacted.

Li Fulin was an older man with more experience and knowledge. Having worked his way up through many years, he naturally knew the significance of the matter better than Yao.

Li Hong smiled slightly and said nothing.

Grandpa is fine. He'll get through this. There's no need to brag about it to the family.

However, Liu Ming owes him a huge favor...

...........

One day later.

Li Hong carried several jars of fine wine and some gifts to the patrol and inspection office to report for duty.

That day, he became a temporary inspector under Liu Ming of the Inspection Division.

They received their uniforms, waist tags, and a standard waist knife, and received a monthly allowance of five taels of silver, which was registered in the register.

The outer city's patrol office has five patrol teams, with the chief patrol officer as their superior.

They were jointly responsible for maintaining order throughout the outer city.

He was a temporary inspector, similar in nature to an assistant inspector in his previous life.

The working environment is better; if there's nothing to do on weekdays, he only needs to walk a few more steps to arrive at the inspection department early to check in.

If there are no cases that day, one can return to the martial arts hall to continue practicing martial arts.

This is also a characteristic of the patrol inspection department. Liu Ming's team of patrol inspectors only handles major cases, and when there is nothing else to do, they can be quite idle.

Li Hong understood perfectly well that Liu Ming was helping him so much this time, and even offered him a temporary post in the Patrol and Inspection Division.

It's likely that he recognized his own talent.

Of course, there's also the basis of his own performance in the Cheng Jiu case.

Therefore, they wanted to win over the patrol and inspection departments in advance, since they were short of capable people.

Li Hong silently noted this favor in his heart. Such a matter could not be settled simply by saying nice words and sending a few jars of wine.

As for the martial arts hall, Liu Ming had already given them instructions.

The sect does not prohibit its disciples from seeking financial assistance from wealthy families or taking up official positions; on the contrary, it encourages them.

Being able to find it on your own is a skill in itself.

Therefore, Li Hong did not rely on the assessment in the hall, but instead found his own way to take up a temporary post in the patrol and inspection department.

This caused quite a stir in the hall over the next few days!

Even He Song was somewhat surprised!

The position of Patrol Inspector is extremely difficult to enter, but the pay is good. The school has recommended outstanding disciples for temporary posts several times.

But only a very few will be accepted.

This is a place that is somewhat dangerous, but leisurely when there is nothing to do, and the pay is generous.

"So Inspector Liu actually came in person to take Li Hong on a temporary assignment?"

"Yes! I heard he earned some merit by assisting the inspector general in handling that case!"

"Goodness, how long had he been in the West Wing back then?"

Inside the martial arts hall, disciples gathered in twos and threes, occasionally glancing at Li Hong, who was practicing martial arts in the distance.

Their eyes were filled with envy and surprise.

It was precisely because of this that, soon after, the details of Cheng Jiu's case were revealed and quickly spread throughout the martial arts hall!

Li Hong, who was originally unknown, became the only person outside the inner disciples' circle of discussion in the martial arts hall in just a few days.

However, Li Hong became increasingly low-key, never participating in gatherings or circles among his disciples.

Every day, he simply traveled between the patrol office and the martial arts hall.

All my time was meticulously planned, and I focused on practicing martial arts, just like always.

During the day, he continued to practice the Hundred-Refined Stance and boxing techniques, and at night he would practice the Iron Wall Kung Fu in the cellar.

Although the days were unremarkable, they were also quite fulfilling.

With the aid of meat and nourishing resources such as blood-regulating pills, martial arts cultivation also progressed rapidly.

........

In the blink of an eye, more than twenty days have passed.

Late that night, Li Hong finished practicing his Iron Wall Kung Fu next to the Dragon-Entangling Stake in his cellar.

He was drenched in sweat, stepped into the bathtub, picked up the bucket next to him, and poured the water over his head with a splash.

The coolness instantly dispelled some of the heat.

Li Hong was shirtless, and his shoulders were even broader than they had been a month ago.

Under the dim light of the yellow oil lamp, its entire body reflected a luster, looking oily and tough.

In recent days, thanks to the four mid-grade blood-regulating pills that Shi Liang had given him, he was able to keep up with his medical needs even when his money ran out.

As for the mid-grade pills, their effects are at least two to three times greater than those of the low-grade blood-regulating pills.

So, Li Hong decided to check the panel and see his limits.

He threw away all the silver he had in his hand.

The expenses of this past month or so are probably equivalent to nearly two years' income for my family's grocery store.

Li Hong now only has a few dozen large coins left.

Fortunately, he already has two stable sources of income.

The monthly allowance from the patrol and inspection department will be issued soon, and Yang Chen's financial aid to him will also be due soon.

As for his martial arts progress, Li Hong glanced at the panel with a hint of anticipation:

[Iron Wall Skill - Rhinoceros Armor Strength (175/500)]

[Minor Success in Hundred-Refined Stance Training (445/500)]

[Basic Mastery of the Hundred-Refined Fist Technique (398/500)]

Aside from stance training and fist techniques, Iron Wall Kung Fu has been cultivated to the second level, "Rhinoceros Armor Strength"!

Li Hong tensed his entire body slightly, and some gray-brown stripes appeared on the surface of his originally bronze-colored muscles.

Over the past few months, he has discovered that the panel's function is far more than just eliminating bottlenecks!

This is a pace that others would need a year and a half to achieve.

As long as he gets enough nutrition and supplements and focuses on his training, he begins to radiate the miraculous effect of "constant improvement".

As long as you master the practice method of this skill.

After that, just keep repeating it like a machine. As your progress increases, inspiration will come naturally, and your physical fitness will improve rapidly!

Do you know how difficult it is for an ordinary person to master a skill?

As for focusing on hard work, those are just the basics.

During this process, it is naturally necessary to constantly try and fail, constantly learn and adjust the direction, and constantly consolidate the results!

"But after I strengthened my external body, I also practiced boxing and Iron Wall Kung Fu. Even so, I could achieve internal strengthening in just over three months?"

"Even the most outstanding students in the West Campus, such as Shi Liang and Huang Shan, only managed to get accepted after half a year..."

"Is this what it feels like to be a genius?"

He did some quick thinking and was surprised even by himself.