The reason for converting it to ten households is because William Clark's family has exactly ten members.

David Bennett stretched out his strong, sturdy arm and put it around him, winking and making faces: "All my money has been used for good deeds. There are quite a few girls in the county town who have no parents and are all alone and helpless. They are very pitiful, so I give all my money to help them."

William Clark said solemnly, "Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda. Richard Bennett, you are accumulating hidden virtue."

David Bennett puffed out his chest—enough to make the brothel ladies feel inferior—and said, "Of course, so..."

"So my money can't be touched," William Clark grinned, "I want to accumulate hidden virtue in the future too."

Hearing this, David Bennett slumped down in disappointment.

So they could only wait for little clerk Charles Foster to come back and figure out lunch then.

But at noon, Charles Foster didn't return. The two of them were so hungry they couldn't stand it, so they had to eat a bowl of sorghum noodles at a roadside tea stall in the countryside.

William Clark paid.

Charles Foster didn't come back until the hour of Shen. He was a thin, middle-aged man with bristly eyebrows, a high nose bridge, and lips always tightly pressed together, giving him a somewhat gloomy and cold appearance.

When William Clark arrived in the morning, Charles Foster happened to have urgent business, so after a brief meeting, they parted ways.

Now, seeing Charles Foster enter the post station, he stepped forward and respectfully cupped his hands, saying, "This humble one, wandering star William Clark, greets Ethan Foster."

From behind, David Bennett shouted, "Why call him Ethan Foster? So distant! Call him Master Foster, Master Foster!"

William Clark ignored whatever David Bennett was saying, because at this moment, he was in shock!

Just as he walked up to Charles Foster, the scene before his eyes suddenly changed. He saw a thick red column of smoke, as thick as a child's arm, appear on the dark brocade short robe of the other party. The red smoke rolled and twisted on the robe, like a small crimson python.

Immediately after, the alchemical furnace that had only ever appeared in his dreams materialized out of thin air—a black pill furnace the size of a human head spun rapidly in front of him. But this time, the furnace didn't suck out his soul; instead, it absorbed the red smoke column and then disappeared!

What was going on?

This was the first time he had encountered such a thing, and he was completely stunned.

Fortunately, Charles Foster didn't notice his abnormality, but first asked David Bennett, "Why are you back? Didn't I tell you to stay at Doctor Zhang's clinic during the day?"

David Bennett mumbled, "I heard we have a new brother at the post station, so I was eager to meet and get acquainted..."

Seeing that Charles Foster was about to get angry, he quickly pulled out a chair to curry favor: "Master Foster, have a seat and rest. You look a bit tired."

Charles Foster said in a deep voice, "Today, Chief Clerk Shi led us junior clerks to exterminate a vengeful spirit. It's been a long time since I've seen such a fierce filth. We're all exhausted."

David Bennett said, "That vengeful spirit must have been slain by you, right, Master Foster?"

A rare smile appeared on Charles Foster's gloomy face: "It was just luck."

Hearing this, William Clark asked David Bennett admiringly, "Richard Bennett, have you studied Plum Blossom Divination or Four Pillars Calculation? Your predictions are spot on."

David Bennett replied, "No, I just know how to flatter people."

William Clark was left speechless.

Charles Foster asked him, "Xiao Qi, I had you look at the case files today. How did it go?"

William Clark said, "I've already gotten a pretty good grasp of last year's and this year's cases."

Charles Foster nodded in satisfaction. "You read them quite quickly."

William Clark cupped his hands to David Bennett and said, "It's all thanks to Richard Bennett's explanations."

David Bennett said, "We're brothers here, no need to be polite. Just treat me to dinner tonight."

William Clark pretended not to hear.

Charles Foster asked him again, "During the annual exam at the Astronomical Bureau, I heard you say you'd practiced martial arts before. What kind of martial arts did you practice?"

William Clark hesitated for a moment and didn't answer immediately.

But Charles Foster immediately caught on, his face darkening: "Did you dare lie during the exam?"

William Clark hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "I wouldn't dare. It's just that my martial arts are crude, and I'm afraid they won't be worthy of your attention, Master Foster."

"Speak!"

"I... I practiced the ninth set of radio calisthenics and military boxing."

He had learned these in his dreams, and they weren't very powerful.

But martial arts weren't ordinary things; they were all controlled by noble families and sects. How could commoners get access to them?

So even though these two sets of boxing weren't very powerful, he had still practiced them diligently.

"Military boxing?" Charles Foster was actually fooled. "Is this the boxing practiced in the army? Show me a set."

"Yes!" William Clark cupped his hands, then stepped back two paces and shouted, "Prepare for combat!"

David Bennett also stepped back a few paces, afraid of being hurt by the army's boxing.

"Bow stance, punch!"

"Throat strike, snap kick!"

"Horse stance, side punch!"

"Inner block..."

Watching him punch and kick, David Bennett grinned and chuckled, while Charles Foster shouted, "Stop! That's just fancy moves with no substance!"

He stood up, took a small booklet from his chest, and tossed it to William Clark: "This is the secret 'Eight Trigrams Returning Soul Saber' of our Astronomical Bureau. Take it and practice. Once you master this saber technique, it'll be enough to protect yourself in the countryside. As for your so-called army boxing, it's better not to practice it!"

David Bennett really was a rascal. He stood at attention, pretending to be serious, and shouted, "Prepare for combat!"

"You prepare to report on the Zhang family clinic!" Charles Foster barked sternly.