Physical immortality begins with Bajiquan

Chapter 26 Inspector

In the afternoon, Cui Ran and Qin Heng arrived at the inland river dock.

The dock was already packed with people. The officers and soldiers of the river defense battalion were guarding the various intersections and key points. Only after Cui Ran handed over the pass did he lead his men into the dock.

The inland river leads directly to the vast Canglan River, with buildings stretching along both banks, including restaurants, shops, and warehouses, seemingly endless.

Boats shuttle back and forth on the river, and the water shimmers with light, creating a prosperous scene of a water town commercial port.

"Is this the prosperity of the inner city?" Cao Yong, a newly appointed guard behind Cui Ran, murmured in amazement.

The inland river wharf is located in the core area of ​​Heyang's inner city. Ordinary people from the outer city would never have the chance to set foot here and pay their respects on a regular basis.

This was Qin Heng's first time entering the inner city. The wealth and prosperity he saw along the way were worlds apart from the dilapidated and chaotic environment of the outer city, which greatly shocked him.

Dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and the sons of rats only know how to dig holes; the children of the lower classes are born into a quagmire of poverty.

For the poor in the outer city, it is extremely difficult to change their fate. Even if their ancestors' graves are blessed with good fortune and they are born with extraordinary talent, they may still be hindered and delayed by their ignorant parents, thus losing their hope of leaving the outer city early on.

In this world where martial arts reign supreme, it seems that only after completing high school martial arts courses can one hope to break through the rigid class barriers and move to the inner city.

No wonder Guo Man, Li Shoutian and others practiced day and night, single-mindedly seeking to make a name for themselves in martial arts and change their fate.

Qin Heng took a deep breath and looked around.

On the spacious dock, people had already lined up in neat rows according to their status and rank.

Only after listening to Cui Ran's quiet and detailed explanation did he understand.

At the very front row were Commander Cheng and the five major families of the inner city of Heyang: the Ming family, the Huang family, the Cui family, the Xu family, and the Zhang family.

Following them are the heads of various well-established gangs, the top martial arts schools in the inner city, and the heads of various escort agencies.

Further on are the middle-class families in the inner city, as well as the various branches and sub-branches of the five major families.

Qin Heng and Cui Ran's group were standing at the very back of the entire line.

"They're here! The Inspector's ship has arrived!"

Suddenly, someone in the crowd exclaimed, causing a commotion.

On the dock, the hushed conversations that had been taking place suddenly ceased, and everyone turned to look at the distant Canglan River.

In the vast expanse of misty waters, a large, three-masted ship, entirely black, was cutting through the waves.

The ship was moving very fast and soon docked steadily at the main berth in the very center of the pier.

The heavy plank was slowly lowered, hitting the stone slabs with a dull thud, and the first person stepped down slowly.

He was in his early thirties, dressed in a moon-white, tight-fitting robe, with a stern face and an ancient longsword hanging at his waist. He was none other than Chen Xuanli, the inspector of the Seven Suns Sect.

The moment Inspector Chen stepped ashore, a chorus of voices erupted on the dock.

"This is Chen Sanlang, the Inspector Chen of Jishui County!"

"I heard that he reached the Transformation Realm at the age of twenty-three, and then joined the Seven Yang Sect. His family, the Chen family, is deeply rooted in the Seven Yang Sect. He himself has now reached the Perfect Transformation Realm."

A man from the Sky Eagle Gang in the crowd couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

"So, between this Inspector Chen and our local Garrison Commander Cheng Yang, who is more formidable?"

A seasoned and knowledgeable bodyguard standing nearby immediately chimed in:

"That's hard to say. Garrison Commander Cheng Yang is also at the peak of the Transformation Realm. Moreover, he's not a rogue cultivator; he's a direct descendant of the Cheng family in Laishui County. The Cheng family of Laishui is a martial arts family that can rival the Chen family of Jishui. If it weren't for the sect's rule that scions of local powerful families cannot serve as garrison commanders, Garrison Commander Cheng probably wouldn't have been transferred to our Heyang County."

As soon as the words were spoken, someone asked out of curiosity, "So, what exactly is the status of the Seven Yang Sect in our Donglin Prefecture?"

"Of course it's number one!" Du Haoran, the deputy leader of the Fanjiang Gang, snorted coldly, his tone full of certainty.

"Our Donglin Prefecture has four major sects, with the Seven Yang Sect ranking first in overall strength. Otherwise, why do you think the five major families are so obedient to Chengyang? It's precisely because the Seven Yang Sect has experts above the Transformation Realm guarding it. Who in the area dares to act recklessly?"

Qin Heng was deeply shocked upon hearing this.

If I had this Ming Jin skill in my past life, I could have taken down dozens of knife-wielding thugs.

After Ming Jin comes An Jin and Hua Jin, which are two major realms apart. What realm and what great power lie above Hua Jin?

Could it be that one can become an immortal through martial arts cultivation in this world?

However, with my current strength and vision, I naturally cannot see it.

"The number one sect in Donglin Prefecture!"

At the back of the crowd, Cao Yong's eyes gleamed with fervent light. "Manager, how can one become a member of the Seven Yang Sect?"

Cui Ran chuckled and said with a laugh, "You've got quite the ambition, kid."

He then lowered his voice and said, "There are only two ways to join the Seven Suns Sect. The first is to take the martial arts exam. After passing the martial arts exam, you will have the opportunity to choose to join the sect or serve in the imperial court. The second is to get a recommendation from a martial arts family within the sect, which will give you a chance to be recommended for the internal examination. If you pass the examination, you can enter."

"A top-ranking martial arts graduate..." Cao Yong suddenly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, but after a moment, he relaxed them.

Even a martial arts scholar like him was separated from the threshold of internal strength by a certain level, let alone a martial arts graduate. Moreover, a martial arts graduate had to take further exams before he was qualified to knock on the door of the Seven Yang Sect.

"Don't overthink it, Xiao Cao."

Cui Ran stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder, his tone calm: "To put it bluntly, let alone you, there aren't many martial arts masters in the entire Heyang County who have a chance of passing the martial arts examination. These are all too far out of reach for people like us."

Upon hearing this, Cui Yingying, who was standing to the side, completely suppressed her usual arrogance, nodded slightly, and did not interrupt as usual.

Even the direct descendants of the five major families in Heyang County were not able to enter the Seven Yang Sect, let alone these branch families.

Qin Heng listened and silently kept it in mind, then turned to look at the important figures at the front of the dock.

The heads of the Ming, Cui, Xu, and Zhang families all eagerly surrounded Inspector Chen Xuanli, greeting him and engaging in conversation.

He stood at the back of the crowd and couldn't hear what they were saying. He could only see that the four of them were bowing slightly, with polite smiles on their faces. Some were nodding with smiles, some were leaning forward to listen, and others were raising their hands in an inviting gesture.

Inspector Chen stood in the middle with his hands behind his back, occasionally nodding slightly in response, his attitude gentle and revealing no emotion.

Only the Huang family head stood three steps away, waiting for the four to finish their conversation before stepping forward to give Chen Xuanli a slight bow and then retreating.

A moment later, Cheng Zhenshou walked over from the side of the crowd.

He raised his hand and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chen Xuanli.

Inspector Chen returned the greeting.

They stood there and exchanged a few words, which Qin Heng still couldn't hear clearly, but he saw the smile on Inspector Chen's face suddenly fade.

Soon the two of them turned to the side and went their separate ways.

......