The Great Martial Saint!

The Great Qian Dynasty, Canglong Continent, Weishui County City.

The sky was already bright.

Sizzle!

Inside a humble residence in Lihua Alley, the sharp sound of meat hitting hot oil echoed through the air.

Slices of pork belly, marbled with red and white, danced slightly in the sizzling pan. The scalding oil eagerly extracted the fat, filling the small courtyard with an irresistible aroma.

Outside, on the windowsill, a young girl with hair tied in twin buns lay sprawled, staring longingly into the house—her mouth watering so much that half the windowsill was already soaked.

"Big brother, it smells so good~~"

Chen Erya watched the busy young man inside the house, feeling that her brother seemed a bit different from usual today.

Last night, her brother had been busy all night and didn't return until the break of dawn.

Usually, if he had any night patrol duties, he would come back, hastily eat something, and then fall asleep. But today was unusually different.

Not only did he bring back meat, but he also personally took charge of the cooking.

"Little one, wait a bit longer, it's almost ready."

The young man, busy inside, skillfully added seasonings to the iron wok, sprinkled in some salt, and smiled at the little girl on the windowsill.

His smile was dazzling, and Chen Erya felt that her brother looked especially handsome today.

After expertly serving the braised pork into a bowl, the young man stir-fried a plate of fresh vegetables.

The vegetables were grown by Chen Erya, picked and cooked so fresh they hadn't even wilted.

The young man's movements were extremely skilled, and in no time, everything was ready.

"Little one, come quickly and take the dishes, today we'll eat in the yard."

Chen Ping'an scooped up two bowls of rice and headed towards the courtyard.

In the center of the small courtyard stood a weathered wooden table, flanked by two stools. The stools bore numerous scratches, exuding an air of age and history.

"Alrighty."

Chen Erya moved briskly, holding a dish in each hand, and eagerly placed them on the table.

"Big brother, did something good happen today? Why did you make so many delicious dishes~"

Chen Erya looked at the fragrant meal on the table, her mouth watering uncontrollably.

On the table: two bowls of pure white rice, free from any impurities, clearly cooked from high-quality refined grains.

A bowl of braised pork, a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a large bowl of aromatic meat bone soup.

The milky white soup steamed with heat, making one's mouth water.

This level of meal was not just a rarity now.

Even when their father was still alive, they had seldom enjoyed such feasts.

Hearing this, Chen Ping'an gently patted his sister's head.

"It's just that it feels like it's been a long time since we had meat, so today we're having some to treat ourselves."

"Brother~ I'm already grown up, stop always touching my head!"

Chen Erya shook off her brother's hand and glared at him with a fierce yet adorable look. But as she did, she suddenly paused.

Her brother's eyes seemed to be glowing.

She hadn't seen such a light in his eyes since their father passed away.

Why today...

Chen Ping'an looked at his sister tenderly and picked up a piece of perfectly balanced fatty and lean pork, placing it into her rice bowl.

"Don't just stand there, start eating!"

"Okay."

Chen Erya snapped out of her daze, drawn by the enticing aroma of the meat in front of her. She took a big bite, almost half the piece, and with her chopsticks, she scooped up some rice, combining it with the meat, and swallowed it down.

"It's so delicious~"

"Eat more if it's delicious."

Chen Ping'an said with a smile.

"Brother, you eat too."

Chen Erya said considerately.

"Alright."

Chen Ping'an picked up a piece of meat and looked at Chen Erya, who was eating with relish beside him, suddenly feeling a bit dazed.

Several years had passed since he time-traveled.

He had initially thought of practicing martial arts, but his innate talent was poor; he just wasn't cut out for it. Not to mention mastering martial arts, even the basic training was extremely difficult for him.

From the initial high spirits and eagerness to try, to finally being harshly beaten down and learning to go with the flow.

He thought life would just continue day by day like this.

But who could have expected a sudden family misfortune.

His always robust father was severely injured during a mission.

Speaking of his father, he was a renowned hero in Pear Blossom Lane.

He was a formal officer serving in the Nanquan Lane Town Pacification Office!

Being a formal officer meant he was truly registered in the Town Pacification Office's records, and his status was officially recognized by both the government and various gangs.

When his father was around, although the family wasn't wealthy, their life was much better than that of ordinary civilians.

But with his father's collapse, the family lost its source of income, and their living conditions deteriorated.

More than half a year ago, his father passed away, leaving them forever, and only the two siblings remained to depend on each other.

In fact, if it hadn't been for his father exhausting himself running around for his future in the last month before his death, he could have lived at least another six months.

The love of parents is profound and far-reaching.

Chen Ping'an also became an unregistered officer in the Nanquan Lane Town Pacification Office through his father's efforts before his death.

Although not officially registered, the position of a bailiff provided him and his sister with a means to survive.

Chen Ping'an knew that to secure this position for him, his father not only gave up the compensation and subsequent supplies due to his work-related injury but also spent all his savings and even borrowed money to grease the palms of officials at all levels in the Town Pacification Office.

It's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish!

No matter how much savings there are, they will eventually run out.

But by securing the position of a bailiff in the Town Pacification Office for Chen Ping'an, it meant a steady stream of income.

As an unregistered bailiff, not counting any gray income, he earned eight qian a month.

This income is not low for ordinary people!

Moreover, with his father gone, without his identity to protect them, it would be difficult for Chen Ping'an alone to safeguard the family assets his father had accumulated. Too many interests would undoubtedly attract attention from some, leading to unnecessary troubles.

Considering all these factors, his father's decision was undoubtedly correct.

Starting more than half a year ago, Chen Ping'an officially joined the Nanquan Lane Town Pacification Office as an unregistered bailiff, leading a modest life.

The light in his eyes gradually dimmed amidst the repetitive daily life.

But just yesterday!

Yesterday, he did not return home all night, not for the usual night patrols. Instead, he followed a secret operation order and, along with the officers and bailiffs of the Nanquan Lane Town Pacification Office, raided a small gang.

This small gang had been preying on the streets, rampant and notorious, with an extremely bad reputation.

Its downfall was naturally a very good thing for the ordinary people.

However, Chen Ping'an did not naively believe that the Nanquan Lane Town Pacification Office acted out of a desire to punish evil and promote good, or to uphold the dignity of the Daqian laws.

The reason behind the Town Pacification Office's raid last night was likely related to the struggles and machinations of the forces behind the scenes.

It was probable that as soon as one old gang was eliminated, a new one would emerge.

However, these matters were of no concern to Chen Ping'an.

Yesterday, he was extremely lucky. Amidst the chaos of the battle between the officers and the gang members at the gang's hideout, he inadvertently found a martial arts manual.

It wasn't some divine or extraordinary skill, just a common lower-tier body training manual, Iron Shirt!

Even such a commonplace Iron Shirt manual, he couldn't take it out.

In operations like these gang raids, there's always a body search procedure before leaving, to prevent anyone from smuggling out benefits.

Unable to take it out, Chen Ping'an voluntarily handed over the Iron Shirt manual.

However, before handing it over, he thoroughly perused it.

It was this perusal that filled Chen Ping'an with boundless hope for his future life.

Thinking of this, Chen Ping'an's expression couldn't help but become more eager.

He blinked a few times, and in his vision, several lines of text appeared.

Name: Chen Ping'an

Realm: None

Martial Arts: Iron Shirt - Not Initiated (0/5)

"Brother, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and eat~ If you don't, I'm going to finish all these dishes~"

Chen Erya, seeing Chen Ping'an in a daze, reminded him.

"Haha, let you eat for a while first, watch me catch up to you now."

Chen Ping'an picked up some vegetables and directly put them into his mouth, chewing them with the rice a few times, just about to swallow.

Suddenly, a rough and violent knocking sound came from outside the courtyard gate. Along with the knocking, there was also a shout full of malice.

"Open the door! Tiger Head Gang!"