The Martial Saint rose to power starting as a substitute bridegroom.

Chapter 58 Promotion

The hustle and bustle of the martial arts exam gradually faded away, and life returned to its usual tranquility.

One day, after Li Yuan went to the patrol camp to report for duty, Liang Bai secretly pulled him aside and said, "Boss, Lord Sun is calling for you."

"What is it?" Li Yuan asked, puzzled.

"I don't know, he didn't say." Liang Bai smiled憨厚ly.

Li Yuan went to the patrol chief's office.

dong dong dong.

"Who is it?" came Sun Pangzi's usual lazy voice from inside.

"Li Yuan".

"Oh!" Fatty Sun's voice turned surprised. "Please come in, please come in."

Li Yuan pushed open the door, stepped over the high threshold, and went inside.

Sun Pangzi hurriedly jumped up from the half-lying bed and rushed over, taking Li Yuan's hand and gesturing for him to sit down.

Li Yuan sat down in a grand chair next to a mahogany table, while Fatty Sun sat by the bed against the wall, the two facing each other.

"Here, have a couple of sips?"

With a broad smile, Fatty Sun pointed to the half-empty pot of wine on the table, picked up a small white porcelain cup, and placed it in front of Li Yuan.

"No, thank you," Li Yuan replied politely.

"Then have some." Fatty Sun pushed a small dish of peanuts on the table toward Li Yuan.

"What brings you here, sir?" Li Yuan asked.

Fatty Sun chuckled twice. "You're good in every way, except you're too reserved. There's really no need for that."

As he spoke, he picked up a peanut, popped it into his mouth, and chewed it with a crunching sound.

"From now on, we're on equal footing," he said casually, as if he were talking about something trivial.

hiss~

Li Yuan was even more confused. What do you mean by equal rank?

Fatty Sun cleared his throat, pulled a document from the table, and said in a serious tone, "Here, take a look. The approval has been issued."

Li Yuan took it and saw a line of instructions inside: "Promote Li Yuanwu to Patrol Chief of HX District Patrol Battalion, responsible for presiding over the daily work of HX District Patrol Battalion..."

He frowned and looked at Fatty Sun with a puzzled expression.

Fatty Sun clapped his hands, brushing off the peanut skins and crumbs, and said with a smile, "Don't look at me, it has nothing to do with me, it was the county magistrate who personally stamped it."

If the other members of the patrol battalion saw this, they would surely be extremely excited and dance with joy.

But Li Yuan frowned.

The patrol battalion commander wields considerable power and enjoys a lucrative position. Moreover, it's a formally established job with a guaranteed income regardless of circumstances, making it akin to a carp leaping over the dragon gate for someone from a poor family.

It seems that Magistrate Liu Zhenshan also recognized his talent and intended to win him over.

While the position of patrol chief is desirable, it also turns a temporary post into a full-time one, while simultaneously placing certain responsibilities on the security of the HX district.

They are forced to confront some dangerous criminal cases.

"Double your salary!" Fatty Sun reminded him at the opportune moment.

The current wage is forty taels of silver; if it doubles, it will be eighty taels.

call.

That's really not low.

However, after some consideration, Li Yuan decided to refuse.

"My lord, I am not qualified and I am afraid I am not up to the task. I would like to ask Lord Sun to report to the magistrate and recommend someone more capable."

These words require no careful consideration.

The patrol officer's room fell silent for a moment.

Li Yuan was a little worried, so he added, "Thank you for your kind words, Lord Sun."

It's obvious that Fatty Sun must have said a lot of good things to Magistrate Liu about this matter.

Fatty Sun waved his hand. "Won't you reconsider?"

Li Yuan placed the document back on the table. "No need."

Fatty Sun pondered for a moment.

Li Yuan also became a little nervous, wondering if he had let down Fatty Sun's good intentions.

Although this fat guy Sun's behavior seems extremely despicable, he's actually a decent person.

A moment later, Sun Pangzi's loud laughter and clapping rang out.

"Good, good lad!" he laughed heartily. "Ambitious! Brother Li's foresight is truly admirable!"

As he spoke, Fatty Sun's face turned rosy and his eyes shone, as if he were recalling something.

"That's right, you're thinking the same thing. Passing the martial arts exam is like getting a pass to the Guicang Alliance. If you can get into the Guicang Alliance, even the county magistrate will have to bow and scrape before you. Who would care about a mere patrol captain in the Hexi Patrol Battalion? Yes, yes, you're thinking the same thing as me."

At this moment, Fatty Sun's eyes were full of admiration.

Indeed, he had the same idea as Li Yuan.

The main reason for the refusal is this.

"Lord Sun, your foresight is remarkable. My humble thoughts will not escape your discerning eyes," Li Yuan said, offering a timely compliment.

"You don't need to worry about anyone's opinion, including that bastard Liu Zhenshan. As long as you don't sign this document, no one can do anything to you," Fatty Sun said, reassuring Li Yuan.

"Thank you, sir."

"It's good to be young!" Fatty Sun sighed, then said with some concern, "However, I must remind you that obtaining the title of Martial Master does not guarantee entry into the Guicang Alliance."

"Oh?" Li Yuan frowned, looking eager to hear more.

"The Guicang Alliance has a total of seven branch alliances. Every year, the seven branch alliances select disciples suitable for their respective alliances from among the martial arts masters who have made the list of martial arts masters in various regions that year. Some branch alliances value aptitude, while others value comprehension... When there are no suitable candidates, they may choose to give up their selection based on the principle of 'better to have none than to have a bad one'."

Li Yuan moved as if struck by lightning.

"grown ups.."

"Back in the day, I was one of the top ten martial artists in the prefectural city. Unfortunately, I wasn't favored by any of the branch alliances, so... that's how I ended up like this..."

""

There was an indescribable sense of disappointment in Fatty Sun's voice.

"Then I..." Li Yuan asked, frowning. He was well aware of his own aptitude.

Fatty Sun sighed, stood up, and patted Li Yuan on the shoulder. "This is the second thing I want to tell you today."

Qualifications are something we can't change, but other things are within our control.

"You mean...?"

"You've reached the Transformation Realm!" Fatty Sun said in a deep voice. "Once you break through to the Transformation Realm, the Guicang Alliance will have no choice but to spare you!"

Li Yuan saw a glimmer of hope amidst his despair.

However, it quickly faded away.

Breaking through to the Transformation Realm is no easy feat, even with external advantages, and there are naturally no bottlenecks in martial arts breakthroughs.

Resources!

But no matter how difficult it is, it's worth a try.

Li Yuan took his leave and went out onto the street.

This area is near the South City Commercial Street, a bustling and lively place.

At the street corner, the escorts from Weiyuan Escort Agency were waving flags and banging gongs, performing martial arts in the street to attract customers.

After walking a few steps, I saw several more martial arts schools, all in a similar situation. A large flag was erected outside the door, with the school's name embroidered on it. Disciples lined up in two rows, some practicing grappling techniques, others wielding staffs, demonstrating their skills in the street to boost their prestige and attract the attention of those interested in learning martial arts.

It seems that with the economic downturn, competition in the martial arts industry is becoming increasingly fierce.

The street was lined with pharmacies and blacksmith shops.

The clanging and banging sounds echoed continuously in the blacksmith's shop.

The entire wall was covered with gleaming blades, reflecting the sunset on the horizon.

The pharmacy not only offered consultations but also sold large quantities of medicines commonly used by martial artists, such as "Yangqi Wan" and "Yixue Dan," at exorbitant prices, leaving ordinary people only able to look at the counter with longing.

At this moment, there were many people in front of the pharmacies. In addition to ordinary people who came to see a doctor and get medicine, there were also many martial arts disciples who had finished their martial arts attire coming and going.

"The world is getting more and more chaotic, but the pharmacy business is getting better and better."

Li Yuan secretly pondered ways to make money.

The wages for those temporarily assigned to the patrol battalion were ultimately just a pittance.

The ways to make big money in this city have long been controlled by a few major families and wealthy gentry.

The quickest remaining method is murder, robbery, and double-crossing.

But this line of work is not the right path; if you're not careful, you'll run into a tough nut and die a horrible death.

His gaze shifted to another gathering place on the street corner, where a reward notice was posted.

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