Promise!

Chapter 92, Ascension

Time flies and it is the end of the month, June 30th.

Zhuang Jin came to the Shen family headquarters, the General Affairs Department, and chatted with Yue Song.

Now at the level of a servant, Chang Hetong's information level is no longer enough, and the other party has also broken through the fourth classics and moved to the north of the city. On the contrary, Yue Song maintains this relationship so that he can get some information. Yue Song is naturally happy to do so. After all, it is just something that benefits him without any cost.

Yue Song mentioned the north of the city. Just as Zhuang Jin had predicted at the beginning of the month, the intensity of the fighting in the north of the city had increased significantly this month. "At the beginning of this month, the Shuluo Dan was launched, and every district and street accelerated its efforts to fight for the streets occupied by those small gangs... Our Shen family stepped up its efforts, and how could the Medicine King Gang just stand by and watch? There are too many people and too little resources. In the fight for the streets, some tacit understandings are gradually broken."

"In the north of Yuecheng, even the street guards at the level of the Four Classics have been injured or killed in battle... I heard that the two street guards who died in the battle both crossed from the medicinal fields outside the city. They probably couldn't adapt to the sudden transformation of the enemy from exotic beasts to Medicine King Gang warriors... I remember one was called Yan Shao and the other was called Zhang Ziqiao... But people are much more dangerous than exotic beasts!"

"Zhang Ziqiao?!"

When Zhuang Jin heard this familiar name, his heart moved. Isn't this the brother of Zhang Zigao, the former commander of Long Town and the team leader under him?
"After this man's death, Zhang Zigao will probably be much more obedient next month," he thought to himself.

"This month, the speed at which the small gangs in the north of the city were cleared out was much faster than in the past months. It can be said that more small gangs were cleared out in January than in the past two or three months combined... At this rate, by next month at the earliest, or the month after next at the slowest, in the north of the city, apart from our Shen family and the Medicine King Gang, there will be no more small gangs occupying one or two streets."

Yue Song reminded Zhuang Jin as he spoke: "Brother Zhuang, although you will still be assigned to the medicine field outside the city next month, it may not be the case the month after next... There are still some places for the street guards who were injured this month. If the number continues to increase next month, then..."

What he didn't say was that actually next month, people were setting their sights on Zhuang Jin's position. However, Zhuang Jin was getting married this month, and it would be inappropriate to send him to the north of the city next month, so it didn't happen. However, it was unlikely that he would continue to stay in the medicine fields outside the city the next month.

"Thank you Director Yue for the reminder." Zhuang Jin nodded slightly. Being able to stay in the medicinal fields outside the city for one more month next month and have one more month to concentrate on improving his strength was already a blessing beyond his expectations. As for the month after next... it was always better to know about this kind of thing in advance and be prepared than to be unprepared.

However, this still made him sigh secretly: "The Shen family and the Medicine King Gang are fighting, and the situation in the city is like the turbulent water. Warriors like me are like duckweed in the water, unable to control the development of the situation."

Of course, then again, if it weren't for this background, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to become a warrior and come into contact with extraordinary powers.

"What I have to do is to follow the trend, seize the advantages and avoid the disadvantages. This requires a clear mind, wise vision, and most importantly, strength!"

Zhuang Jin was thankful that he had not slacked off for a single day since becoming a warrior. This was also the case this month in the medicine fields outside the city. He had not relaxed at all. Now, he had completed one-fifth of the accumulation of the Five Classics realm, and would probably complete 80% by the end of next month.

He thought for a moment and asked, "Director Yue, is the Five Classics Realm Assessment like the Four Classics, where we can take it anytime, or is it like before, where we can only wait until the first day of the new year?"

"The situation with the Four Classics is special, because you need to receive the tranquility skills of the four to six classics. Special arrangements are made for special cases. Theoretically, the Five Classics can also be received, but if it's not urgent, it is usually placed on the first day of the month. It will not delay the new month's payment of the two-marked family servant level... Why do you ask this, Brother Zhuang?"

Yue Song asked, and suddenly thought of something, his eyes widened instantly: "Brother Zhuang, are you..."

"Not bad!" Zhuang Jin smiled and nodded slightly. "I've luckily broken through the Five Classics. Will this affect my duty as the garrison commander of the Long Medicinal Field outside the city next month?"

Yue Song: ???
Look at what you're saying, it's like asking if being promoted from chief clerk to county magistrate affects your ability to eat three dishes a meal. No, that's not the point. The point is...

"Hey, my dear brother Zhuang, why did you just tell me such an important thing?" Yue Song's address changed instantly, and his attitude became even more enthusiastic at this moment.

……

In the evening, a small group of five people had a small gathering at the end of the month.

Qian Wende was extremely excited when he saw Zhuang Jin. His eyes were full of tears and he almost hugged him. "Brother Zhuang, I missed you so much! You don't know, if I hadn't been lucky this month, I would have almost not been able to see you..."

Zhuang Jin stopped Qian Wende who was approaching like a pug and listened to what he had to say.

It turned out to be a sequel to the night raid on the ninth day of last month. Although Zhuang Jin had caught hold of Jiang Wei's clues last month and exposed the Medicine King Gang's hunting, causing considerable trouble to the City North Medicine King Gang and making them extremely anxious, this month the Medicine King Gang was able to stabilize its position and free up its hands and feet. It also happened that the Shen family was like a chicken with its blood pumped up this month in the north of the city, occupying land crazily... Both new and old grudges were settled together.

Zhuang Jin slapped his butt and came to the medicine field outside the city. Can't the Medicine King Gang only attack Furong Street where Duan Tao is?
The most dangerous attack of the month was when Furong Street was attacked jointly by three streets led by one Five Classics and two Four Classics warriors from the Yaowang Gang. It was Duan Tao who broke through the Five Classics and reported the trap set up by the gang. In the end, he killed one Four Classics warrior from the Yaowang Gang, seriously injured one Four Classics warrior, and slightly injured one Five Classics warrior. He also gained a lot of rewards from the One to Three Classics warriors... It can be said that the results of the battle were quite fruitful.

"That night was truly horrific... Although we achieved a lot in the end, we also suffered heavy casualties on Furong Street... Brother Zhuang, do you remember our team leader, Song Jie? He's dead... Brother Zhuang, your student, Zhou Chao, is gone too. Pan Zimo was only slightly injured, and only Du Yunqi is fine..."

Qian Wende, who loves to take advantage and not let go of even the slightest benefit, sighed as he spoke this time: "Those who survived in the end all won a lot of military merits, but this is too risky, too risky. I would rather not have this kind of military merit."

"Brother Zhuang, it's better for you to follow me. Shangyue...you really are..."

Zhuang Jin automatically ignored Qian Wende's last paragraph of flattery and compliments, and sighed inwardly as he listened to it: "From the fact that Duan Tao kept Jiang Wei, played along with his plan, and used my team as bait, it can be seen that this person has a risk-taking personality."

Working under such a person is absolutely terrifying and thrilling... Well, if you are not careful, your heart, courage, and soul will be gone.

To be honest, let alone Qian Wende, even he did not envy this kind of military exploits gained by dancing on the edge of a knife and taking risks. He also secretly lamented the wisdom of choosing the medicinal fields outside the city this month.

"Cough cough!"

Unable to suppress his anger, Lin Hong coughed twice, his face pale. Without waiting for Zhuang Jin and the others to ask, he took the initiative to speak: "I broke through the three classics this month, and there have been many battles in the streets where I live... The Medicine King Gang's warriors are well-known for their ruthlessness, and only our Shen family's warriors are more ruthless... My injuries are caused by our joint efforts to kill a warrior of the same level as the Medicine King Gang, and the other party counterattacked before his death..."

He is also a cautious person, so it can only be said that he was unlucky.

Wu Hao, in the south of the city, finally broke through the second level. He was also injured this month. I heard from his superiors that he can go to the north of the city to recuperate next month. However, the situation in the north of the city is not much better than that in the south.

Only Bi Kai was safe and sound in the medicinal fields outside the city, but he felt sad when he heard these things.

As Zhuang Jin listened to the experiences of several people this month, he truly felt the increasing intensity of the war in the north of the city. It can be said that: wars broke out everywhere, with fire and smoke everywhere, and it was extremely unpeaceful.

"Be as careful as possible and protect yourself first. I'll probably go back to the north of the city next month."

"That's a good feeling!"

Qian Wende's eyes lit up: "When the time comes, we will all go to serve Brother Zhuang."

"This is a good thing!"

"Yes!"

"I'm also about to break through the third sutra. In the next few days, the position of team leader in the medicine field outside the city is full, and I'm afraid it will be too late to stay. It's just right to go to the north of the city when the time comes!"

Lin Hong, Wu Hao and Bi Kai were also happy and even a little excited when they heard it.

"Okay." Zhuang Jin nodded slightly.

He had a reason to say that.

The Shen family did not suppress the establishment of their own team at the street guard level. Instead, they supported and encouraged it and would try their best to cooperate.

——This is just like marching and fighting. A general must have his own confidants. Otherwise, if the superiors and subordinates are not united, the superiors are worried that the subordinates are afraid and cherish their lives, and will reduce their execution of orders. The subordinates are worried that the superiors will use them as consumables or cannon fodder, and will be hesitant. How can the war be fought?
In the north of the city, the guards of the old streets all have their own core team, such as Duan Tao, Ke Jingxing, Song Jie, and some first- and second-level warriors, who are his trusted team.

People like Lin Hong, Qian Wende, and Wu Hao were all recruited from outside martial arts schools, and their time there was relatively short. They weren't really considered the direct descendants or trusted aides of their respective street guards, and were therefore more dangerous. For example, if two martial artists were facing danger, and the street guard could only spare one, would he save his trusted aide or someone who wasn't? It was obvious.

"This is the advantage of having your own small circle. When I arrive in the north of the city in the future, I can immediately put together a team. I will be much safer and it will be easier to get things done!" Zhuang Jin thought to himself.

……

The next day was July 1st.

Zhuang Jin passed the verification of the 'Glass Realm Testing Puppet' and was promoted to a second-level servant. His basic monthly salary was increased to fifteen taels, and his benefits in terms of food, clothing, housing and transportation were also improved.

As for 'clothes', it became three sets per season, including two sets for his wife.

As for 'food', five kilograms of exotic beast meat of the advanced level for skin grinding is required every month, or more for lower levels.

As for 'living', the conditions at the Shen family headquarters, the medicinal fields outside the city, and the streets are different, but they all have at least three rafters.

As for transportation, there were no changes; passengers could still ride in a two-person sedan chair. This month's errand, as Yue Song had previously revealed, would still be to the medicinal fields outside the city.

Afterwards, the news of Zhuang Jin's breakthrough into the Five Classics naturally caused another round of shock.

Zhuang Jinwu's reputation as a madman and a man of extraordinary talent had long been circulated in the outer courtyard of the Shen family. Many people with dark thoughts secretly guessed that he would get stuck at some point, but he didn't expect that he would be like a wild horse that had broken free from its reins, and could not be stopped, breaking everyone's imagination time and time again.

Zhuang Jin felt bored with all the congratulations and flattery, so he left in a hurry.

In his opinion, if he had this time, going back to practice martial arts or spending some time with Chen Yun would be much better than this.

……

"Zhuang Jin... the Five Classics?!" Xiang Qichen heard this. This time, besides being shocked, he was unexpectedly calm.

At that time, as the leader of the dormitory, I claimed to be the most talented among the eight people, and the gap between me and Zhuang Jin was not big. I had the hope of catching up, so I felt jealous and unfair.

But now, this desperate gap makes it impossible for people to have the desire to compare or compete, and there is naturally no jealousy to speak of.

People grow, even...

This guy turned around and told his colleagues with a flattering face that he used to live in the same dormitory with Zhuang Jin, and immediately received a lot of compliments and flattery.

"What a shame, fake things can never be real. If I had known this earlier, I would have established a good relationship with Zhuang Jin!"

Xiang Qichen muttered secretly. At this moment, he felt a little envious and even admired Qian Wende, whom he once looked down upon.

——If the time had been a few months earlier, he probably wouldn't have been able to imagine his current face. It can only be said that most people are like this, actively or passively, gradually becoming the person they once hated the most.

……

The inner courtyard of the Shen family.

Now, Ni Ying got her wish and became the maid of the Ninth Master Shen Xuqing.

When she learned about Zhuang Jin and Chen Yun's marriage, she had mixed feelings, but she thought she was living a better life than them, so she wanted to show the magnanimity of a 'winner'. Although she did not go in person, she asked someone to deliver a gift of two taels of silver.

When she first heard that Zhuang Jin had broken through the Five Classics, Ni Ying's eyes, like autumn water, blinked again and again, revealing her inner restlessness. However, she still forced herself to remain calm, thinking to herself: "A Five Classics warrior is nothing more than a two-marked servant."

At this time, Shen Xuqing came in from outside.

Ni Ying immediately showed a bright smile on her face: "Master!"

"Ok!"

Shen Xuqing came over and actually mentioned Zhuang Jin, exclaiming in admiration, "You have a cousin in the Outer Court who married Martial Master Zhuang Jin? This month, he actually broke through to the Five Classics. He was the second one among the recruited martial artists to break through to the Four Classics, and now he's surpassed them and is the first to break through to the Five Classics. If he doesn't die, he might have a chance of breaking through to the Seven Classics in the future!"

Although he was born out of wedlock, he had the basic conditions of a Shen family member. He had been eating medicinal food since he was a child. However, when he was sixteen years old and his meridians were fixed and he was old enough to practice martial arts, he still could not break through to the martial arts level after a month.

All I can say is that his talent is too poor. Even after improving his qualifications in refining medicine since he was a child, he still hasn't reached the upper-middle level. This is also the situation for most ordinary people. Fortunately, he is a child of the Shen family and can still be a parasite. As for anything else... forget it in this life.

In this case, a warrior who currently has the Five Classics and has the potential to master the Seven Classics in the future is worth winning over.

"Yes, my cousin is marrying Master Zhuang Wu. They got married on the first day of this month in the outer courtyard." Ni Ying lowered her eyelids and said softly.

"They are indeed relatives. We can get closer in the future." Shen Xuqing considered it for a moment and said, "Well, you can send a silver gift later. Don't be stingy."

"Yes!" Ni Ying agreed, but the smile on her face was a little forced. It was obvious that Shen Xuqing's serious attitude broke her self-deceiving fantasy.

Shen Xuqing said this, paused, and then said: "Next month I will give you a higher position and make you a concubine!"

Obviously, this was for the sake of her cousin-in-law.

"Thank you, young master!" Ni Ying was very happy and excited, but in a moment, she felt ashamed when she thought that this was all thanks to Zhuang Jin.

……

Returning to the medicinal fields outside the city, Zhuang Jin changed into the uniform of a two-striped servant. His two team leaders, Zhang Zigao and Huang Chuanhe, saw the two stripes on his black robe. Although they had known about it for a long time, they still had complicated expressions at this moment.

Especially Zhang Zigao. His brother, whom he relied on, died last month, but Zhuang Jin made further breakthroughs.

That day, this person came privately and apologized with a generous gift: "Master Zhuang, I..."

This is an acknowledgment and apology for his arrogance last month. It can be seen that he has matured a lot after his brother passed away.

'That's quite tactful!'

If Zhang Zigao had not expressed his opinion, and Zhuang Jinruo was really petty, he would have really tormented the other party, made him suffer a lot, and even taken advantage of some opportunities to kill him openly.

For example, if you encounter a beast that has reached the advanced stage of skin polishing, force it to raid the formation and let it go a little during the battle.

——This is the power of the system. Within the system, those in higher positions have absolute advantages over those below them, especially the immediate superior. It is extremely easy to deal with someone.

Not only Zhang Zigao, but another team leader Huang Chuanhe also sent a gift privately, with a very humble attitude, and was afraid that Zhuang Jin would not accept it.

The ability to make others be cautious, observe their words and expressions, and dominate their destiny is the joy of being in a superior position.

On the medicine field side, many other Long town guards also came to congratulate them. Gan Ju was just presenting a gift as a courtesy. He couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart and gradually distanced himself from them. Zhuang Jin didn't care.

But there are even more people who want to make friends with him - when he first came last month, in their eyes, Zhuang Jin was just a newcomer who had just broken through the fourth classic, and they were at least veteran fourth classic warriors, and they were reserved. Now that Zhuang Jin has reached the fourth classic, he still maintains a breakthrough speed that is far ahead of others, which makes them unable to be reserved anymore.

In this regard, Zhuang Jin was neither enthusiastic nor distant, and handled it with ease.

His subordinates were honest and his colleagues were harmonious. The medicinal fields outside the city were rarely needed for Long to take action, so life became peaceful.

No matter how chaotic the outside world is, Zhuang Jin and Chen Yun stay here, working hard and making rapid progress in their cultivation. It feels like they are "hiding in a small building and being in harmony, regardless of spring, summer, autumn or winter."

In this kind of companionship, the two of them gradually get along with each other and their feelings for each other grow day by day.

In other words, the day Zhuang Jin broke through the Five Classics, and his trip out was a turning point, from which he would go from shallow to deep.

Now when Zhuang Jin comes over, Chen Yun is still used to standing up, but then she moves her body to make some space, and the two of them sit leaning against each other. It has become a habit and comes naturally to them.

When Zhuang Jin wasn't resting from his arduous training, he would also take the initiative to get to know Chen Yun, such as asking about various aspects of flower arrangement. When he talked about his familiar field and saw that Zhuang Jin was interested, Chen Yun would rarely speak more, and would talk to him: "When arranging flowers and stones, orchids and chrysanthemums are the best... Chrysanthemums should be in an odd number, and only one kind should be placed in each vase... Choose a vase with a wide opening..."

……

This peaceful time passed quickly, and in a blink of an eye it was the end of July.

A few days ago, Yue Song asked someone to bring news to Zhuang Jin that it would definitely be impossible for him to stay in the medicine fields outside the city next month. Zhuang Jin planned to discuss this with Chen Yun, but when he came over, he saw Chen Yun asking her maid to pawn her jewelry.

……

(End of this chapter)