"Money..."
Song Changming shook his head. Perhaps he needed to find another way to earn a living; being perpetually poor wasn't a solution.
Previously, his strength was insufficient, and he couldn't do much. But now, he already possessed a certain level of self-preservation ability; it was time to broaden his horizons.
"No rush, take it slow, opportunities will eventually present themselves," Song Changming said to himself.
He had a long lifespan, enough to wait for various opportunities to arise so he could profit from them.
[Today's Evaluation: A somewhat meaningful day, lifespan +3, obtained limited-time status 'Concentrated']
After midnight, Song Changming stopped practicing his sword technique and looked at today's evaluation prompt. As expected, the limited-time status had expired.
Today, he hardly went to work, and the practice time wasn't very fulfilling, so the change in status was expected.
He then checked the progress of his sword skill.
[Soul-breaking Saber: Minor Success (72/2000)]
To continue improving from the Minor Success Realm, the difficulty doubles again. The progress bar of two thousand points seemed unattainable.
But in fact, Song Changming estimated that, as long as he didn't slack off for long, and continued diligent practice, he could complete this progress accumulation in about a year.
This speed of practicing his sword technique was considered extremely fast, and he was quite satisfied with it.
Diligent practice doesn't mean practicing daily.
He now had his own life routine, roughly focusing on three days of concentration every ten days, five days of Heaven Rewards Diligence, to ensure the progress of his sword and skill training.
Additionally, there would be two days of slacking off and relaxing, ensuring continuous growth in his lifespan. Either way, there's no loss.
Sometimes when he's tired, the number of slack off days would appropriately increase, but overall, he was quite self-disciplined.
The next day, Song Changming donned the patrol guard's official uniform, with a new saber at his waist, and headed straight out to start his first day on duty.
The early-rising neighbors were astonished to see this scene.
"The kid from the Song Family has become a patrol guard?!"
"Oh, when did this happen? How come we never heard his parents mention it?"
"Probably just these past few days; I saw the kid Song heading out wearing a patrol guard's uniform this morning."
"Tsk tsk, the kid Song isn't even twenty yet; to become a patrol guard so young, his future is boundless. Had I known, I would have proposed to marry our daughter earlier."
"It's not too late now; such a fine young man, there'll likely be plenty of matchmakers in the future."
"You're right; come on, let's prepare some fresh eggs and cured meat to congratulate the Song Family."
The chatter among neighbors quickly spread the news that Song Changming had become a patrol guard.
For a moment, the modest threshold of the Song Family turned lively.
Having already left home, Song Changming was unaware of this; he had already arrived at the Houli Street Patrol Armor Bureau.
Even though he had been to this place countless times in the past two years.
This time, however, his identity was different.
As he walked by, other patrol guards nearby, noticing his youth and unfamiliarity, began to glance at him, no longer ignoring him as before.
"Huh?" At the Patrol Armor Bureau, Zhao Huaiming, who was just about to head out for a routine street patrol, suddenly noticed Song Changming and looked surprised.
"Changming?"
"Brother-in-law," Song Changming was stopped and, seeing it was Zhao Huaiming, he paused.
"Why are you here?" Zhao Huaiming, though also on duty at the Houli Street Patrol Armor Bureau, was evidently unaware of the recent developments, as the news hadn't yet spread within the Patrol Armor Bureau, and he didn't know how Song Changming suddenly became a patrol guard.
Song Changming merely said he was promoted by Liang Chuan Mountain and didn't elaborate.
Regarding this brother-in-law who married his third sister, he didn't have a bad impression.
The man had a foundation of genuine affection with his sister Song Yu; to say it was mutual love wasn't exaggerated.
Zhao Huaiming initially endured considerable pressure from his family to marry Song Yu.
His actions over the past two years also demonstrated that this brother-in-law truly cared for his third sister and frequently supported their family, making it hard to dislike him.
"Well, if Yu'Er hears about this, she'll surely be pleased, and might even scold you for not congratulating her earlier," Zhao Huaiming said with a smile.
"Then I'd trouble you, brother-in-law, to pass on my congratulations. Today is my first day on duty, and I haven't had the chance to inform my sister," Song Changming replied.
"It's a trivial matter; we'll have a drink together another day." Zhao Huaiming patted Song Changming's shoulder, his smile gentle, offering words of encouragement before leaving.
Meanwhile, Zhao Dezhi had seen Liang Chuan Mountain.
"Brother Zhao, what brings you so early?" Liang Chuan Mountain rose with a faint smile.
Though he and Sun Wenyan didn't get along, his relationship with Zhao Dezhi was usually quite good.
"I heard you promoted a night patrol?" Zhao Dezhi asked directly, without preamble.
Liang Chuan Mountain was taken aback, then waved his hand, "I wonder what's the matter? Why, does Brother Zhao want to compete with me for someone?"
"Compete?" Zhao Dezhi frowned slightly, hesitated, yet still said, "Brother Liang, we have a deep friendship, no need to promote that kid with the surname Song just because of my connection."
Liang Chuan Mountain was somewhat confused by this, "Brother Zhao, what do you mean by that?"
"Didn't Brother Liang promote that kid because of his slight familial ties with the Zhao Family?" Zhao Dezhi explained, seeing Liang Chuan Mountain genuinely puzzled.
"That hadn't been mentioned by him or Brother Zhao before," Liang Chuan Mountain shook his head.
"This promotion primarily resulted from Song Changming achieving a great feat by chopping down the bandit army leader Chen Beihu in the street, exhibiting impressive sword skill worth promoting, having little to do with Brother Zhao. It's purely because I see potential in him."
"Killed Chen Beihu? Just by that kid from the Song Family?" Zhao Dezhi, seeing Liang Chuan Mountain wasn't joking, still found it hard to believe.
Impressive sword skill?
How could the kid from that destitute Song Family have mastered such a skill?
"Don't blame me for not cautioning you, Brother Liang might have misjudged him, or could have been swindled by that kid?" Zhao Dezhi couldn't help but voice his doubts.
Instantly displeased, Liang Chuan Mountain responded.
"Brother Zhao, I don't like hearing that. No matter how poor my insight, the facts are in front of me; such an event witnessed by so many people can't be falsified.
Moreover, after the fact, I let Lv Gang spar with Changming; his sword skills have entered the Minor Success Realm. Were it not for his untrained physique and lack of combat experience, Lv Gang might not be his match!
Brother Zhao, you should understand the implications, such accomplishments at a young age, the talent can't be compared!"
"..."
After leaving Liang Chuan Mountain, Zhao Dezhi's expression was incredibly complicated.
In the past, he always regarded Song Changming in the Patrol Armor Bureau as transparent, without a thought of offering any care.
Even when Zhao Huaiming privately supported the Song Family, bringing Song Changming into the Patrol Armor Bureau as a night patrol, he had once been furious.
In his view, all these harmed the Zhao Family's reputation and his own, lacking any value or reward, how could he not be angered?
But now, the situation's development was somewhat beyond his expectations.
The last child of the Song Family seemed to have an unusual trajectory.
Sword skill in the Minor Achievement!
This single accomplishment was enough to draw his attention.
"Hmph, who would have thought something valuable could be found in the trash heap," Zhao Dezhi snorted lightly, maintaining a stern face as always, and left with several patrol guards under him.